Activities of Véronique MATHIEU HOUILLON related to 2013/2078(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Fundamental rights in the European Union (2012) (debate)
Amendments (80)
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 17
Citation 17
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18
Citation 18
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 20
Citation 20
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21
Citation 21
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24
Citation 24
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 26
Citation 26
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 28
Citation 28
– having regard to its resolution of 26 April4 May 200712 on the fight against homophobia in Europe12 , __________________ 12 Texts adopted, P6_TA(2007)0167. Texts adopted, P6_TA(2012)0222.
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 29
Citation 29
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 30
Citation 30
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 31
Citation 31
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32
Citation 32
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 34
Citation 34
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 35
Citation 35
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 37
Citation 37
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 38
Citation 38
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 39
Citation 39
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas there are about 100 million children in the European Union and about 80 million European persons with disabilities;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas women and girls are the main victims of gender-based violence, as according to estimations in the EU, 20- 25% of women have suffered physical violence at least once during their lives; whereas hundreds of thousands of women living in Europe have been subjected to genital mutilation and thousands of girls are at risk;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas persons with disabilities and especially children still face lack of assistance and support for their inclusion in schools, difficulties in accessing buildings or services and troubles in being heard and participating in decisions affecting their lives;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas women in the EU earn around 16 % less per hour than men;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. whereas the article 2 and article 3 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights recognise the right to life and the right to the integrity of the person;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas numerous fundamental rights violations are still occurring in the European Union and in the Member States, as detailed in (annual and special) reports by the Commission, NGOs and the Council of Europe, in UN documents, etc.;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Encourages the Commission and the Member States to intensify their cooperation, including with the European Parliament and national parliaments, in order to improve the implementation of the existing EU human rights legislations; calls for closer cooperation between the Union institutions and other international bodies, in particular the Council of Europe;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Recommends that Parliament, the Commission and the Council should recognise the existence of positive obligations to protect and promote human rights; emphasises that respect for fundamental rights and freedoms implies actions at various levels; stresses the role played in this area by regional and local authorities, NGOs and civil society, and asks the Commission and the Council to improve their cooperation with these actors;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Reminds the Union institutions and the Member States of the need to comply with their obligations to respect fundamental freedoms and rights; notes that participation in international treaties for the protection and promotion of human rights can only serve to strengthen the protection of fundamental rights within the EU;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1d. Calls on the Union institutions and the Member States to respect, guarantee, protect and promote the fundamental right to freedom of expression and information, and hence to refrain from exerting or developing mechanisms to impede those freedoms;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 e (new)
Paragraph 1 e (new)
1e. Welcomes the steps taken by the Commission to ensure that its legislative proposals comply with the Charter; notes, however, that there remains room for improvement; calls on the Commission to take tangible steps towards ensuring that its proposals are verified against the Charter and that the impact on fundamental rights of EU legislation and its implementation by the Member States are systematically examined in its evaluation reports on the implementation of EU legislation, as well as in its annual report on monitoring the application of EU law;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 f (new)
Paragraph 1 f (new)
1f. Suggests that there should be more transparency in the Commission's dialogue with Member States, as well as in the work of EU agencies, when fundamental rights or the interests of European citizens are at stake; calls on the Commission, in addition, to make full use of the existing mechanisms and to launch objective investigations and take out infringement proceedings if its case is well grounded, thus avoiding double standards, whenever a Member State violates the rights enshrined in the Charter when implementing EU legislation;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 g (new)
Paragraph 1 g (new)
1g. Calls on the Commission – and the Council, where it initiates legislation – to where appropriate make use of the external independent expertise of the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA);
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 h (new)
Paragraph 1 h (new)
1h. Suggests that, in spite of the blockages which have occurred, the Commission should conclude the procedure for the EU's accession to the ECHR as soon as possible, as it will provide an additional mechanism for enforcing the human rights of its citizens;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 i (new)
Paragraph 1 i (new)
1i. Invites Member States to join and ratify the human rights conventions of the Council of Europe and to implement the already existing instruments of the acquis communautaire and to reconsider the opt- outs, which might risk affecting the rights of their citizens;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points out that it is essential for the European Union and the Member States to guarantee respect for the common European values set out in Article 2 of the EU Treaty, that all the instruments currently provided for in the treaties in this regard urgently need to be applied and implemented, and that where necessary amendments to the treaties should be prepared;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Underlines that the European Union is bound to adopt legislation with full respect to its competences as set by the treaties including the principle of subsidiarity;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 – point d
Paragraph 3 – point d
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 – point e
Paragraph 3 – point e
(e) establish a newmake full use of existing mechanisms to ensure that the fundamental rights and the values of the Union referred to in Article 2 of the EU Treaty and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights are respected, protected and promoted;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point a
Paragraph 4 – point a
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point b
Paragraph 4 – point b
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point c
Paragraph 4 – point c
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point d
Paragraph 4 – point d
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point e
Paragraph 4 – point e
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point f
Paragraph 4 – point f
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Expresses its concern about the instances of violation of human dignity which are still occurring in the Union and in certain Member States, whose victims particularly include minorities, asylum- seekers, migrants, people suspected of having links with terrorism and people who are deprived of their freedom; sStresses that the public authorities must abide by the absolute prohibition on torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, carry out swift, effective, independent in- depth investigations into any breach and prosecute those responsible;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Stresses the importance of protecting the rights of refugees and migrants, and underlines that special attention should be paid to women and children migrants;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Welcomes the completion of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) and calls on the Member States to ensure that the CEAS is fully established as planned and provides better access to the asylum procedure for those who seek protection, and leads to fairer, quicker and better quality asylum decisions; and will provide dignified and decent conditions both for those who apply for asylum and those who are granted international protection within the EU;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Calls on the Member States, who has not yet done so, to fully transpose and implement the Directive 2011/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims and to adopt appropriate measures to ensure that victims of trafficking in human beings are adequately assisted and protected, traffickers are prosecuted, getting effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions, while preventive measures are also in place.
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Calls on the Member States to fully transpose the Directive 2012/29/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime, adopting appropriate measures to ensure adequate assistance and protection of victims of crime
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3
Subheading 3
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Recognises that the right to live in safety is also a fundamental right of European citizens and should be protected as such;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the fact that a growing number of Member States are respecting the right to found a family through marriage, civil partnership or registered cohabitation and adoption, without discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, and calls on the Commission and all Member States to adopt legislation and policies to combat homophobia, transphobia and hate crimes; reiterates its calls for the Commission to draw up a European roadmap against homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Calls on the Commission and all Member States to adopt legislation and policies to combat homophobia, transphobia and hate crimes;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Expresses its concern about the numerous breaches of the right of asylum and of the obligation to extend protection in the event of removal, expulsion and extradition of any migrant; stresses the obligation to comply with international human rights conventions, particularly the Geneva Convention and the principle of non-refoulement, and the obligation to come to the assistance of people at sea who are risking their lives to reach the European Union, and to arrange for reception conditions and procedures which respect their dignity and fundamental rights; welcomes the adoption of the ‘asylum’ package; deplores, however, the fact that minors can still be placed in detention and calls for them to be systematically excluded from expedited procedures; calls for the establishment of common minimum standards for the reception of unaccompanied minors;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Stresses that the principles of human dignity, equality before the law and the prohibition of discrimination on any grounds are foundations of democratic society; calls on Member States to adopt a national legislative framework to address all forms of discrimination and guarantee the effective implementation of the existing EU legal framework;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Considers that the Union and Member States should step up their measures to promote equality, combat discrimination and protect cultural, religious and linguistic diversity, and their measures relating to gender equality, the rights of the child, the rights of older persons, the integration of people with disabilities and the rights of LGBT persons; reiterates for the umpteenth time its call for the Council to adopt the Directive on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Expresses its concern about the situation of the Roma in the European Union and the numerous instances of persecution, violence, stigmatisation, and discrimination and expulsion, contrary to fundamental rights and European Union law; calls for more vigorous action to promote integration, particularly in the field of protection of fundamental rights, and calls for an end to illegal expulsions and to segregation of Roma children in schools;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide an effective response to Roma exclusion by developing integrated policies and implementing the measures set out in the strategies focusing on anti-discrimination measures and measures aiming to increase their employability and access to labour market in cooperation with representatives of the Roma population, while also ensuring their full participation in the management, monitoring and evaluation of projects affecting their communities, and also to analyse the financial feasibility and sustainability of the national Roma integration strategies and allocate sufficient budget resources to this end and ensure the efficiency of spending;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Points out that positive measures implemented for the purpose of protecting minority persons and groups, fostering their appropriate development and ensuring that they are granted equal rights and treatment with respect to the rest of the population in the administrative, political, economic, social and cultural fields and in other spheres shall not be considered as discrimination
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17c. Considers that traditional national minority communities have specific needs different from other minority groups, that public policies should be more focused and that the Union itself must address these needs in a more appropriate way;
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Condemns racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic and xenophobic violence and violence against migrants, whichalls on the Member States to implement the Council Framework Decision on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia, to address discrimination, to ensure the investigation of hate speech and havte reached alarming levels in certain Member States, in the absence of strong action by the authoritiescrimes, to adopt criminal legislation prohibiting incitement to hatred on any grounds including sexual orientation, and to ensure that there is effective protection against racism, anti-Semitism, anti- gypsyism, xenophobia and homophobia and that victims are offered proper assistance;
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on Member States to ensure equality between women and men and to combat all forms of violence against womeUrges the EU and the Member States to step up their efforts to achieve the objectives of the European Pact for Equality between women and men (2011- 2020), and to take adequate measures to tackle all forms of direct and indirect discrimination against women, in particular the gender pay gap, occupational segregation, stereotyping, and all forms of violence against women; recalls that women continue to suffer multiple discrimination in various areas of everyday life in spite of the legislation in force on combating discrimination;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Welcomes the Commission's Zero Tolerance of violence against women; however calls for more action including an EU-wide strategy to end violence against women, as announced in the Council conclusions of March 2010, comprising legally binding instruments and awareness-raising actions; calls furthermore on the Commission and the Member States to keep the issue of violence against women high on the agenda as Gender-based violence is both a consequence of the inequalities between women and men as well as an obstacle to equality and therefore should not be tolerated;
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Stresses that a zero tolerance policy must apply to female genital mutilation;
Amendment 315 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Encourage Member states to develop adequately resourced policies to better integrate persons with disabilities and facilitate their access to housing, education, public transports and facilities, and participation to the political process;
Amendment 324 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Welcomes the decision to declare 2014 as the European Year of Work and Family Life Balance, calls on the Commission and Member States to take measure and launch projects for better reconciliation of family and working life for all generations of women;
Amendment 336 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Stresses that the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty makes it necessary to increase transparency and openness in the Union; deplores the interinstitutional blockage of the revision of Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 on the right of access to documents and information; calls on the Council and Commission to resume their work on the revision of this Regulation, on the basis of the proposals by Parliament;
Amendment 341 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Welcomes the decision to declare 2013 as the European Year of Citizens, however calls on the Commission together with the Member States to continue to inform the EU citizens about their rights, so that they can fully enjoy their EU citizenship
Amendment 343 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Calls on the Member States to launch information campaigns to inform EU citizens about their right to vote and stand for election; calls for the necessary reforms of the European election procedures to be carried out in all Member States in order to promote active EU citizenship; calls on the Member States to encourage the active participation of citizens through citizens' initiatives and the exercise of the right of petition and the right to submit complaints to the European Ombudsman;
Amendment 348 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses that the right to freedom of movement and residence of European citizens and their families laid down in the Treaties and guaranteed by the Directive on freedom of movement is one of the fundamental rights of European citizens; condemns any attempt to review this acquis, and calls for any breach of the rules to result in action before the Court of Justice, particularly in cases where the principle of non-discrimination on grounds of nationality, ethnic or racial origin or sexual orientation is breached;
Amendment 358 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Stresses that the independent, equitable, effective, egalitarian and just administration of justice, within reasonable time limits, is fundamental to democracy and the rule of law and to their credibility; expresses its concern about the numerous breaches which have occurred in this context, as demonstrated by the number of cases in which the European Court of Human Rights has found against States; stresses that any impunity on grounds of a position of power, force or influence over persons or the judicial or political authorities cannot be tolerated in the European Union;
Amendment 367 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Notes the roadmap issued by the Commission with regard to civil justice, and calls for it to be developed so as also to cover criminal justice; stresses that it should be incorporated into the new procedure which also extends to democracy, the rule of law, fundamental rights and equality, in the European policy cycle on the application of Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union;
Amendment 371 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the candidate countries, the United Nations, the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.