Activities of Antigoni PAPADOPOULOU related to 2011/2069(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union (2010)
Amendments (44)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
- having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
- having regard to Article 2 and Article 3(3), second subparagraph, of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and Article 157 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 b (new)
Citation 4 b (new)
- having regard to the 1949 UN Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others,
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Citation 1 b (new)
Citation 1 b (new)
- having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular Articles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 21 and 23,
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Citation 1 c (new)
Citation 1 c (new)
- having regard to the European Pact for Gender Equality (2011-2020) adopted by the European Council in March 2011,
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Citation 1 d (new)
Citation 1 d (new)
- having regard to the recommendation by the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers on measures to combat discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation (CM/Rec(2010) 5) and the recommendation (1915) and resolution (1728) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on the same topic,
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Citation 1 e (new)
Citation 1 e (new)
- having regard to the Commission's Communication on the Strategy for the effective implementation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights by the European Union of 19.10.2010 COM(2010) 573 final,
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Citation 1 f (new)
Citation 1 f (new)
- having regard to the Council of Europe's Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence of 7 April 2011 (CM(2011)49 final),
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Citation 1 g (new)
Citation 1 g (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 5 April 2011 on priorities and outline of a new EU policy framework to fight violence against women1,
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph A
Paragraph A
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph A a (new)
Paragraph A a (new)
A a. whereas the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon created a new situation in the EU in the field of human rights by making the Charter of Fundamental Rights legally binding (Article 6 TEU),
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph A b (new)
Paragraph A b (new)
A b. whereas equality between men and women is recognised as a fundamental right by the Charter and all types of discrimination should be fought against,
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph A c (new)
Paragraph A c (new)
A c. whereas Gender Equality Directives require Member States to establish or designate equality bodies to promote equality, including providing independent assistance to victims of discrimination,
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Affirms Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union founding the Union on a community of indivisible and universal values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, solidarity, the rule of law and respect for human rights, for all persons on the territory of the European Union, including those belonging to minorities;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Welcomes the first annual report of the Commission on the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental rights; welcomes the conclusions of the Council, especially on its commitment to fulfil EU ambitions on gender equality as mentioned in the Treaty;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Recalls that Article 23 of the Charter states that "Equality between men and women must be ensured in all areas, including employment, work and pay; The principle of equality shall not prevent the maintenance or adoption of measures providing for specific advantages in favour of the under-represented sex stresses that "this in no way undermines the rights of other under represented groups such as children (Article 24), the elderly (Article 25), persons with disabilities (Article 26); additionally highlights that Article 21 of the Charter clearly states the prohibition of any discrimination against others, persons with generic features, or based on sexual orientation;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Underlines that women are the main victims of gender based violence; points out that violence and the threat of violence constitute a breach one's right to life, safety, freedom, dignity and physical and emotional integrity and a serious threat to the physical and mental health of the victims of such violence, underlines that the effects of such violence, being so widespread throughout the European Community, constitute a genuine fundamental rights violation and health scourge and an obstacle to the enjoyment of all people of safe, free and just citizenship;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2 c. Takes note of the Commission's victims package; regrets that violence against women is not adequately taken into account; calls on the Commission to launch a comprehensive policy approach against gender based violence and to launch a Directive addressing combating and eliminating all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls in all EU Member States;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. In order to avoid over-expectations and misunderstandings, calls on the Commission to inform better the citizens of their rights as enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights but also about the scope of the Charter; recalls in this view the importance of the European e-justice Portal ; calls in addition on the Member States to increase awareness of the Charter among the civil society, through a continuous dialogue with relevant non- governmental organisations, and women's organizations in particular, as their expertise is invaluable with regards to stereotypes and discrimination since it is a fact through time, that women have been the most common and vulnerable victims;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Highlights the need to support the alleviation of all stereotypes and discriminatory behaviours via special programs, actions and campaigns involving Member States, social partners , NGO’s, institutions and parliamentarians;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Regrets the relatively poor quality of data collected by equality bodies in some Members States, lacking disaggregation by ground of discrimination such as sex and age, or by thematic area, such as employment and education ; recalls the important role of the Fundamental Rights Agency in the collection and analysis of objective, reliable and comparable data on a variety of fundamental rights issues in the European Union;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Calls on the Commission to better communicate on the type of complaints, letters, questions and petitions received from citizens concerning the application of the Charter; welcomes any concrete information on gender based discrimination complaints provided by the Commission to the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality of the European Parliament for further analysis; requests that the Commission largely communicates its forthcoming annual reports on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union, so as to increase awareness of the need for actions to combat democratic deficits and breaches of fundamental rights;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls on the Commission to find effective ways to follow up breaches of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, outstanding issues and specific cases of violations of fundamental rights and to carry out occasional audits in all Member States to identify unfulfilled commitments;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses that the principles of human dignity and equality before the law are foundations of democratic society; deems incomprehensible the current blockage of Council negotiations on the Commission's proposal for a horizontal directive extending comprehensive protection against discrimination on all grounds, including religion or beliefsex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation, and urges efforts to ensure adoption as soon as possible;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4
Subheading 4
Equal opportunitieity between women and men and women’s rights
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Regrets the limited impact of EU and national initiatives in the area of inequality between men and women, particularly in the context of employment; calls on the Member States to set specific employment targets and strategies in the framework of their National Reform Programmes and Action Plans for gender equality to ensure equal access of women and men to enter and stay in the labour market; with a view to closing the entrenched gender pay and pension gaps, these targets must address the persistent concentration of women in part-time, low-pay and precarious work and ensure sufficient ways to reconcile family and work life including quality care facilities for children and other dependents;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Considers that women’s under representation in political decision- making is a deficit for fundamental rights and democracy; welcomes the positive measures introduced in some Member States such as legislated parity systems and gender quotas, as essential good practices and calls on Member States with particularly low representation of women in political life to consider adopting them as well;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Considers that violence against women is the most pervasive violation of girls’ and women’s human rights worldwide, including in the EU; calls on the EC to establish 2015 as the European Year to End Violence against Women, and to deliver a related EU-wide strategy to end violence against women as announced in the Council Conclusions of March 2010, comprising legally-binding instruments, awareness raising actions, data collection and funding for women NGOs;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21c. Reiterates its position on sexual and reproductive health rights, as stated in its resolutions of 10 February 20101 and 8 March 20112 on equality between women and men in the European Union – 2009 and 2010; expresses concern in this respect about recent restrictions on access to sexual and reproductive health services in some Member States, in particular safe and legal abortion, sexuality education and funding cuts to family planning; 1 P7_TA(2010)0021 2 P7_TA(2011)0085
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Welcomes the decision to makdeclare 2012 as the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations; calls on the Member States to enhance the quality of elderly people’s lives by providing adequate social services,recognize and respect the rights of the elderly so as to enjoy a life of dignity and good quality by providing adequate social services, lifelong learning and other programmes for their social and cultural inclusion, as well as combating abuse against them and promoting their independence by supporting the renovation and accessibility of housing;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Calls on the European Institute for Gender Equality in coordination with the Fundamental Rights Agency to conduct research and provide guidance at European and national level as regards the specific situation of women and girls with disabilities; stresses that particular attention should be paid to practices of forced sterilisation and coerced abortion, which may amount to torture or inhuman or degrading treatment and which should, therefore, be prosecuted and punished;
Amendment 353 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35a. Notes that there is a vast disparity in recognition of gender-based persecutions in asylum procedures in the EU; calls on Member States to adopt and implement gender guidelines for initial decision makers and judges based on UNHCR gender-relevant guidelines and the European Asylum Support Office to develop tools to ensure a gender equality perspective in the Common European Asylum System;
Amendment 383 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 a (new)
Paragraph 40 a (new)
40a. Calls on all Member States to prohibit the employment of children under the minimum school-leaving age; underlines that young people at work must be protected against economic exploitation, anything that may harm their safety, health, physical, mental, moral and social development and working conditions that may interfere with their education;
Amendment 401 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 a (new)
Paragraph 41 a (new)
41a. Stresses the need to integrate the necessary gender equality dimension of victim’s rights in the proposed directive establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime and notes that the definition of violence in close relationships needs a concrete gender dimension;
Amendment 433 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44 a (new)
Paragraph 44 a (new)
44a. Reminds that the Treaty of Maastricht (1992) introduced the concept of ‘citizenship of the Union’, conferring on every citizen of the Union the right to move and reside freely within the territory of the Union, the right to vote and to stand as a candidate at municipal elections and in elections to the European Parliament in the Member State in which he or she resides, protection by the diplomatic or consular authorities of any Member State, the right to petition the European Parliament and to apply to the European Ombudsman, as well as a series of rights in various fields such as the free movement of goods and services, consumer protection and public health, equal opportunities and equal treatment, access to employment and to social protection; notes that the Treaties of Amsterdam (1997) and Lisbon (2009) further strengthened the rights associated with Union citizenship;
Amendment 439 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Calls on Member States to launch information campaigns to inform EU citizens about their right to vote and stand in elections; 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; active and participatory EU citizenship should also be encouraged by access to documents and information, transparency, good governance and administration, democratic participation and representation, with decision-making as closely as possible to Union citizens;
Amendment 440 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45 – introductory part
Paragraph 45 – introductory part
45. Calls on Member States to launch information and awareness-raising campaigns to inform EU citizens about their right to vote and stand in elections while taking into consideration the needs of more specific audiences and vulnerable groups; 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;
Amendment 441 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45 a (new)
Paragraph 45 a (new)
45a. Welcomes the decision to declare 2013 as the European Year of Citizens thus giving visibility to Union citizenship and its concrete benefits for Union citizens;