Activities of Barbara MATERA related to 2014/2254(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union (2013-2014)
Amendments (73)
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas Article 4 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union prohibits all forms of inhuman or degrading treatment;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the violence suffered by women includes physical, sexual and psychological abuse, child abuse, sexual harassment and stalking, also because of the new technologies and the internet, and whereas in some cases this violence results insexual abuse, rape, stalking, domestic violence and, in extreme cases, femicides and/or so-called crimes of honour and constitutes a violation of women’s fundamental right to dignity, equal treatment and access to justice;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas mass access to the internet has opened up still further opportunities for physical and psychological abuse of women, including online grooming;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas gender discrimination continues to this day, having serious repercussions on work and private life and whereas this frequently happhas an adverse effect on the quality of the private and working lives of victims, and prevents in them field of education, training and servicerom fully enjoying their rights; whereas there are often cases of multiple discrimination against women;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas, according to the findings of an investigation conducted in 2014 by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, most women who have been subjected to violence do not report what has happened to the police;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the Commission to promote a strategy andfor taking more incisive action plan to combat all forms of violence against womengender violence and homophobia, improvinge prevention and providinge proper protection and assistance to victims, paying special attention to the most vulnerable people, such as children, and the elderly and victims of multiple discrimination; calls on the Commission also to declare 2016 European Year against Violence against Women;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 a (new)
Citation 25 a (new)
– having regard to its Resolution on 25th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of 27 November 2014
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is alarmed at the under-representation of women in decision-making processes, companieCalls on the European institutions to pay greater attention to the finding that a mere 17.8% of board members of the largest publicly listed companies in the EU are women and the fact that women continue to be under-represented in politics and in the politicaleconomic spheres;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Member States to give the National Institutes for Gender Equality independence anthe resources they need financial autonomy so that they can order to acquire the necessary staff and play an authoritative role;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas, under Article 2 TEU, the EU is founded on respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights, values which are shared by all the Member States and which must be upheld by the EU, and by each individual Member State, in everything they doall their policies, both at internal and external level;
Amendment 88 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Member States and the European institutions to cooperate with the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) and the Agency for Fundamental Rights, in orderkeeping with the shared determination to work together to combat violence and gender discrimination.
Amendment 94 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Member States to make it easier for women who have been subjected to violence to gain access to justice, and to promote the exchange of best practice.
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EU is undergoing a period of economic and financial crisis, and wther meas the response of the EU and the Member States has seriously compromised the wellbeing of citizens andures that had to be taken have not always been adequate in terms of improvement of the citizens' wellbeing and protection of their fundamental rights;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the European Union operates on the basis of the presumption and mutual trust that EU Member States conform with democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, as enshrined in the ECHR and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights, notably in relation to the development of an Area of Freedom, Security and Justice and the mutual recognition principle;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas, following recent terrorist attacks on EU territory, fundamental rights are at risk of being seriously compromised in the name of a supposed need for tighter securityit is important to find the right balance between the respect of fundamental rights and ensuring security of citizens;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the obligations incumbent on candidate countries under the Copenhagen criteria are not only basic pre-accession requirements, but must also continue to apply after a country has joined the EU, based on article 2 TEU; whereas in the light of this, all Member States should be assessed on an ongoing basis in order to verify their continued compliance with the EU's fundamental values of democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and protection of minorities;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the European external action is based on the same principles that underpin the establishment and development of the EU, that is democracy, solidarity, human dignity and all the fundamental rights ;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas societies in which fundamental rights are fully implemented and safeguarded have more chances to develop a dynamic and competitive economy;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Points out that it is essential for the European Union, its institutions and the Member States to guarantee respect for the common European values set out in Article 2 TEU; that all the instruments currently provided for in the treaties in this regard urgently need to be applied and implemented;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Commission to ensure coordination within its different services with a view to effectively mainstreaming children's rights in all EU legislative proposals, policies and financial decisions;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Reiterates its call on the Commission to propose a new child rights strategy and action plan for the next five years, building on and upgrading the EU Agenda on the Rights of a Child;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Calls on Member States to ensure that the principle of the best interests of the child is respected in all legislation and decisions taken at all levels and encourages Member States to share best practices with a view to improving the correct application of the principle of the best interests of the child across the EU;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – introductory part
Paragraph 4 – introductory part
4. Urges the Commission to ensure that any such internal strategy is accompanied by an action plan, in order to supplement and strengthen the Strategic Framework on Human Rights and Democracy already applied in EU external relations; notes that the strategyIn order to make full use of the Treaties' provisions the Commission should:
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point a
Paragraph 4 – point a
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 4 – point a a (new)
(aa) Ensure that legislative proposals and policies comply with the Charter and respect fundamental rights, and that the impact of EU legislation and its implementation by the Member States on fundamental rights are systematically examined in the evaluation reports on the implementation of EU legislation, as well as in the annual report on monitoring the application of EU law;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point b
Paragraph 4 – point b
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point b a (new)
Paragraph 4 – point b a (new)
(ba) Ensure that where it initiates legislation, makes use of the external independent expertise of the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), should be fully used by the Council and the European Parliament too ;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point b b (new)
Paragraph 4 – point b b (new)
(bb) Ensure that it makes full use of the existing mechanisms and launches objective evaluations and investigations and starts infringement proceedings if a case is well grounded;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point b c (new)
Paragraph 4 – point b c (new)
(bc) Intensify the cooperation with the Member States, also with the European Parliament and national parliaments, in order to improve the implementation of the existing EU human rights legislations;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point c
Paragraph 4 – point c
(c) develop, in cooperation with the FRA,encourage FRA, to create a database that collates and publishes dataall available data and reports on the situation regarding fundamental rights in the EU and in individual Member States; reiterates, in that connection, the need for the Commission to propose a revision of the FRA Regulation in order to grant the FRA wider powers;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Underlines the need for the 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; In this regard all the instruments currently provided for in the treaties need to be urgently applied and implemented;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Deplores recent instances of anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic and anti- Christian discrimination and violence; calls on Member States to protect freedom of religion or belief and to promote tolerancereligious tolerance and non- discrimination;
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Urges the EU and the Member States to implement all possible measures to guarantee citizens high security standards without compromising their fundamental rights;
Amendment 335 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Urges respect of freedom of religion or belief in the occupied part of Cyprus, where more than 500 religious and cultural monuments are on the way to collapse;
Amendment 337 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Council and the European Commission to relaunch the negotiations on the revision of Regulation 1049/2001 on public access to documents of EU institutions;
Amendment 352 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls on all member states to properly implement Directive 2012/29/EU of 25 October 2012 establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime;
Amendment 353 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Condemns any form of violence against children, such as physical and sexual abuse, forced marriages, child labour, sexual exploitation, trafficking, honour killing, female genital mutilation, child soldiers and human shields; considers that tradition, culture and religion should never be used to justify violence against children; calls on the Member States to uphold their obligations and combat any form of violence against children, including by formally prohibiting and sanctioning corporal punishment against children; calls on the Member States to increase their cooperation and dialogue with third countries, to raise awareness and to advocate for children's rights to be respected everywhere in the world;
Amendment 360 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Underlines that safeguarding fundamental rights in today's information society is a key issue for the EU as the growing use of information and communications technologies (ICT) poses new threats against fundamental rights in cyberspace, the protection of which should be strengthened by ensuring that they are promoted and protected online in the same way and to the same extent as in the offline world;
Amendment 361 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Considers that children's personal data online must be duly protected and that children need to be informed in a child-friendly manner about the risks and consequences of using their personal data online; stresses that online profiling of children should be prohibited;
Amendment 367 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 d (new)
Paragraph 7 d (new)
7d. Urges the Commission to monitor intensively the implementation of existing EU legislation in this field and considers that Member States should apply the provisions of criminal law in practice through effective investigation and prosecution to ensure respect for the fundamental rights of the victims;
Amendment 368 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 d (new)
Paragraph 7 d (new)
7d. Calls on the Member States to ensure effective access to justice for all children, whether as suspects, perpetrators, victims or parties to proceedings;
Amendment 373 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 e (new)
Paragraph 7 e (new)
7e. Recognizes that that wide spread of transnational cybercrime and cyber terrorism creates serious challenges and concerns about protection of fundamental rights in the online environment, which makes even more imperative the international cooperation between member states' police and law enforcement authorities in the context of the fight against cybercrime pursuant to article 87 TFEU;
Amendment 377 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 f (new)
Paragraph 7 f (new)
7f. Stresses that human trafficking and any form of exploitation are criminal activities becoming increasingly common in Europe and have been fuelled over recent years by the spiralling increase in the number of immigrants present inside and outside the EU. For this reason calls on the Commission to strengthen European legislation on human trafficking in order to improve harmonisation of the national laws of the Member States;
Amendment 407 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Deplores the fact that even today people belonging tothere are cases in which people belonging to religious and ethnic minorities are still victims of discrimination;
Amendment 417 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. 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 rights of persons with disabilities, the rights of LGBTI persons and persons belonging to national minorities;
Amendment 473 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Calls 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; Furthermore calls on the Commission to encourage national ratifications and start the procedure for EU accession to the Istanbul Convention as quickly as possible; notes that the immediate accession of all Member States to the Istanbul Convention would lead to the development of an integrated policy and to the promotion of international cooperation in the fight against all forms of violence against women;
Amendment 479 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Calls on the EU to continue its work in ensuring equality between women and men in pay, pensions and participation in labour market, including in positions on top management. This action should help ensuring that Europe is making full use of all available talent;
Amendment 536 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Deplores the discrimination and exclusion that persons with a disability still face today; calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement the European Disability Strategy and to monitor and apply the relevant European legislation; urges the adoption of an antidiscrimination rule on the basis of what the Article 19 TFEU provides with;
Amendment 542 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Deplores the discrimination and exclusion that persons with a mental and/or physical disability still face today; calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement the European Disability Strategypromote the integration of persons with disabilities through the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020, the ''Europe 2020'' and the European Semester and to monitor and apply the relevant European legislation;
Amendment 547 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Urges the Commission to guide Member States in order to make use in the best way of the European structural and investments funds, which must be applied in accordance with the EU's obligations under the UNCRPD Convention;
Amendment 555 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Urges the Commission to support more NGO's, covering various aspects of disability, as well as Member States' Organisations, and to work closely with them, aiming at the proper implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), launching training programs for the empowerment of these persons, gathering data and carrying out analysis;
Amendment 571 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Expresses its concerns regarding investigations and convictions in connection with hate crimes in the Member States; calls on the EU to make the fight against hate crimes a priority when drawing up European policies against discrimination and in the field of justice; cCalls for a review of the fon the Member States to implement the Council Framework dDecision on racismcombating certain forms and expressions of racism, related intolerance and xenophobia;
Amendment 583 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Calls on Member States to adopt criminal legislation prohibiting incitement to hatred on any grounds and to ensure that there is effective protection against racism of any kind based on a racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs and health or sexual life;
Amendment 584 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Condemns any forms of discrimination against children and calls on the Commission and Member States to make a united action to eradicate discrimination against children; in particular, calls on the Member States and the Commission to explicitly consider children as a priority when programming and implementing regional and cohesion policies, such as the European disability strategy, the EU framework for national Roma integration strategies and the EU’s equality and non-discrimination policy; reiterates the importance of protecting and promoting equal access to health care, dignified accommodation and education for Roma children;
Amendment 606 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Stresses that the principles of human dignity, equality before the law and the prohibition of discrimination on any grounds are foundations of rule of law; 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 610 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 e (new)
Paragraph 13 e (new)
13e. Stresses that the children’s rights should be fulfilled without discrimination on any grounds, regardless of their parents’ ethnic origin, nationality, religion and social, migration or residence status;
Amendment 612 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 f (new)
Paragraph 13 f (new)
13f. Calls on the Member States to implement Directive 2011/93/EU on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children, and child pornography, and to strengthen the legal ability, technical capabilities and financial resources of law enforcement authorities in order to increase cooperation, including with Europol, with a view to investigating and dismantling child sex offender networks more efficiently, while prioritising the rights and safety of the children involved;
Amendment 662 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – indent 2
Paragraph 14 – indent 2
– improve legal avenues for refugees; calls on all Member States to participate to EU resettlement programmes;
Amendment 666 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – indent 3
Paragraph 14 – indent 3
– introduce new procedures for legal entry into the EU; framework of a more integrated EU policy;
Amendment 672 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – indent 3 a (new)
Paragraph 14 – indent 3 a (new)
Amendment 678 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – indent 3 b (new)
Paragraph 14 – indent 3 b (new)
- consider the use of ‘Humanitarian Visa’ for unaccompanied minors;
Amendment 684 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Considers that migrant children are particularly vulnerable, especially when they are unaccompanied; calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement Parliament’s resolution of 12 September 2013 on the situation of unaccompanied minors in the EU; calls on the Member States to fully implement the Common European Asylum System package in order to improve the condition of unaccompanied minors in the EU; welcomes the Court of Justice judgment in Case C-648/11 , which stated that the Member State responsible for examining an asylum application made in more than one Member State by an unaccompanied minor is the State in which the minor is present after having lodged an application there; recalls that an unaccompanied minor is above all a child and that child protection, rather than immigration policies, must be the leading principle for Member States and the EU when dealing with them;
Amendment 685 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Stresses the importance of respecting and protecting the rights of refugees and migrants, while special attention should be paid to women and children migrants; stresses the obligation to comply with international human rights conventions, particularly the Geneva Convention on the status of refugees and the principle of non-refoulement; Underlining the need for having External Relations, Development policy and Humanitarian aid interlinked and coordinated with Internal Policies for migration and internal security in order to be successful. This will require a more targeted approach including additional resources and efforts and better cooperation also amongst the competent EU institutions;
Amendment 689 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Calls on the Member States to ensure that the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) is fully established as planned, providing better access to the asylum procedure for those who seek protection and guaranteeing decent conditions both for those who apply for asylum and those who are granted international protection within the EU;
Amendment 697 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Condemns the practice of detaining irregular migrants, including unaccompanied minors, as a prelude to their expulsion; calls on Member States to comply with the provisions of the ‘Return Directive’;
Amendment 723 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
Amendment 757 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Deplores the ways in which the financial and, economic crisis and the measures taken to deal with it have had an impact – in some cases a drastic one – on economic, social and culturand sovereign debt crisis along with some economic measures that had to be taken have affected economic and social rights, often resulting in poverty, exclusion and isolation;
Amendment 789 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls on the EU institutions, when adopting and implementing austeritycorrective measures, to guarantee that sufficient resources are still made available to ensure the satisfaction of minimum essential levels of economic and social rightstandards;
Amendment 813 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Points out that developing a common European area of justice based on mutual recognition and legal safeguards, harmonizing the different justice systems of Member States, especially in criminal matters, should remain among the high priorities of the European Institutions for the EU Justice Agenda 2020;
Amendment 814 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Underlines that fundamental rights are effective only if they are judiciable; In this context, the promotion of the effective and exemplary application of the Charter and the secondary EU legislation on fundamental rights is crucial for the trust of citizens in the proper functioning of the European area of justice;
Amendment 873 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Recalls that the abuse of custodial measures results in prison overcrowding across Europe, that violates fundamental rights of individuals and compromises the mutual trust necessary to underpin judicial cooperation in Europe;