### 10. is concerned about the use of the vague notion of ‘hate speech’; calls on the commission and the member states to work , in cooperation with internet companies , to provide adequate safeguards , in particular to ensure that any interference is limited to what is necessary and proportionate , and to include the possibility of judicial redress; ### 10. highlights the growing racist and xenophobic sentiments by opinion leaders , politicians and the media that have created a hostile climate for advocates and organisations working against racism;


### 11. calls for transparent implementation and public review of the eu guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief , adopted by the council on 24 june 20137 , as called for by parliament in its resolution of 15 january 2019 on eu guidelines and the mandate of the eu special envoy on the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the eu8 ; calls for progress reports on the implementation of the guidelines to be communicated regularly to parliament and the council; ### deleted


### 11. calls for transparent implementation and public review of the eu guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief , adopted by the council on 24 june 20137 , as called for by parliament in its resolution of 15 january 2019 on eu guidelines and the mandate of the eu special envoy on the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the eu8 ; calls for progress reports on the implementation of the guidelines to be communicated regularly to parliament and the council; ### 11. deplores the fact that the practice of segregation of children from minority groups in schools remains a significant issue in europe; emphasises that such practices often stem from misdiagnosing these children with intellectual disabilities based on their social or personal circumstances; calls on the member states to strengthen their inclusive policies to prevent these discriminatory practices , both intentional and non-intentional and to put in place supervisory mechanisms in order to review and where necessary reverse diagnostic decisions;


### promoting the european way of life ### deleted


### promoting the european way of life ### fundamental rights of migrants , asylum seekers and refugees


### promoting the european way of life ### environmental protection


### promoting the european way of life ### structural racism


### 12. fully supports the work of frontex in their difficult task protecting the eu external borders against floods of illegal migrants; ### deleted


### 12. fully supports the work of frontex in their difficult task protecting the eu external borders against floods of illegal migrants; ### 12. highlights article37 of the charter of fundamental rights of the european union , which affirms that measures towards achieving a high level of environmental protection and the improvement of the quality of the environment must be integrated into the policies of the union;


### 13. strongly condemns ngos masquerading as aid agencies while facilitating the smuggling of unqualified migrants into the eu; urges the commission to cease funding such entities; ### deleted


### 13. strongly condemns ngos masquerading as aid agencies while facilitating the smuggling of unqualified migrants into the eu; urges the commission to cease funding such entities; ### 13. calls on the commission to adopt the respective legislative initiatives without delay , and to follow with the adoption of further planned legislation in accordance with the original timeline; emphasises the urgent need of including relevant environmental concerns into the decision-making process of all policies and initiatives and believes that sustainability must be the guiding principle for all macroeconomic policies to ensure the just transition to an environmentally sustainable economy , while protecting and creating sustainable employment; and in order to deal with one of the most significant threats facing humanity;


### 13. strongly condemns ngos masquerading as aid agencies while facilitating the smuggling of unqualified migrants into the eu; urges the commission to cease funding such entities; ### 13. stresses that the saving of lives is a legal obligation under international law and eu law; strongly condemns criminal proceedings initiated in some member states against civil society organisations and individuals for providing humanitarian assistance to migrants; calls on member states to ensure that prosecution is not pursued against individuals and civil society organisations assisting migrants for humanitarian reasons;


### 14. urges the commission to adhere to its competences under the treaties , and not seek to encroach on member state sovereignty , especially in the area of health legislation; ### deleted


### 14. urges the commission to adhere to its competences under the treaties , and not seek to encroach on member state sovereignty , especially in the area of health legislation; ### 14. calls for the eu wide implementation of the aarhus convention that links environmental rights and human rights; highlights that environmental impairment and the failure of some public authorities to provide information about serious environmental risks to which individuals are exposed , may have severe harmful consequences for individuals; calls for the protection of journalists , activists , ngos , rights defenders , whistleblowers and public watchdogs acting in these fields.


### 15. condemns the intolerant rhetoric that describes any conservative voice as being ‘anti-vax’ , anti-choice , racist , bigoted or misogynistic; urges the commission and the council to live up to our motto of ‘united in diversity’ by encouraging lively debate on topics with an open mind , rather than ad hominem attacks; ### deleted


### right to protect bodily autonomy ### deleted


### right to protect bodily autonomy ### women rights


### 16. deeply regrets the draconian imposition of the eu digital covid certificate , which has seen the fundamental rights of every eu citizen damaged or lost; notes that the costs (financial as well as psychological) far outweigh any health benefits , as healthy people and those at low risk of death from covid-19 are forced to obey ever-changing , unreasonable , disproportionate and ineffective legal mandates in order to meet their family , enter their workplace (including the premises of the european parliament) , cross schengen borders , attend a place of worship , or enter a concert hall , shopping centre or social club; notes that the costs of these unprecedented governmental controls will be regretted by many for decades to come; ### deleted


### 16. deeply regrets the draconian imposition of the eu digital covid certificate , which has seen the fundamental rights of every eu citizen damaged or lost; notes that the costs (financial as well as psychological) far outweigh any health benefits , as healthy people and those at low risk of death from covid-19 are forced to obey ever-changing , unreasonable , disproportionate and ineffective legal mandates in order to meet their family , enter their workplace (including the premises of the european parliament) , cross schengen borders , attend a place of worship , or enter a concert hall , shopping centre or social club; notes that the costs of these unprecedented governmental controls will be regretted by many for decades to come; ### 16. calls on the council to urgently conclude the eu ratification of the istanbul convention on the basis of a broad accession without any limitations , and to advocate its ratification by all the member states , in particular bulgaria , czechia , hungary , latvia , lithuania and slovakia which haven’t ratify it ; strongly condemns the attempts in some member states , in particular poland , to revoke measures already taken in implementing the istanbul convention and in combating violence against women and to step out of the convention.


### 17. expresses grave concern about the excessive lockdown measures , which have put businesses into debt and closure , seen people separated from their loved ones and families (often during their final hours) , increased mental illness through isolation , led to rises in domestic violence , as people are imprisoned in their homes and prevented from having external contact , and seen children unnecessarily masked and vaccinated; urges the member states to encourage early treatment of the sars-cov-2 infection9 ; ### deleted


### 17. expresses grave concern about the excessive lockdown measures , which have put businesses into debt and closure , seen people separated from their loved ones and families (often during their final hours) , increased mental illness through isolation , led to rises in domestic violence , as people are imprisoned in their homes and prevented from having external contact , and seen children unnecessarily masked and vaccinated; urges the member states to encourage early treatment of the sars-cov-2 infection9 ; ### 17. condemns the continuous and persistent backlash in some member states , particularly poland , slovakia , croatia or lithuania , against women’s rights , including sexual and reproductive health and rights; emphasises that restrictive abortion laws do not only represent a flagrant violation of the human rights of women and girls and their bodily autonomy , but their effects are also contra-productive and in direct opposition to their proclaimed goal of saving lives , as illustrated by the cases of two polish women who died of sepsis after having been denied life-saving abortion; urges the member states to take effective steps to remedy such existing violations of human rights and women´s rights and to put necessary mechanisms in place to prevent their occurrence in the future; calls on the commission to put greater emphasis on sexual and reproductive health and rights in its annual rule of law report;


### 17. expresses grave concern about the excessive lockdown measures , which have put businesses into debt and closure , seen people separated from their loved ones and families (often during their final hours) , increased mental illness through isolation , led to rises in domestic violence , as people are imprisoned in their homes and prevented from having external contact , and seen children unnecessarily masked and vaccinated; urges the member states to encourage early treatment of the sars-cov-2 infection9 ; ### 17. recalls that during the pandemic of covid-19 some member states restricted access to sexual and reproductive health and rights services , including abortion; strongly emphasizes that sexual and reproductive health and rights services must be recognized as essential and be available even during global health emergencies , given the time-sensitivity of the nature of these services;


### 18. urges the president of parliament to rescind the obligation for parliament staff to show their eu digital covid certificate in order to access their workplace , as this is in contravention of the gdpr , whereby personal data collected for one purpose (crossing borders) cannot be repurposed for another (entering parliament’s premises) , with the privacy contraventions this entails; further urges her to seek assurance that dna data has not been collected , stored and transferred to third parties; ### deleted


### 18. urges the president of parliament to rescind the obligation for parliament staff to show their eu digital covid certificate in order to access their workplace , as this is in contravention of the gdpr , whereby personal data collected for one purpose (crossing borders) cannot be repurposed for another (entering parliament’s premises) , with the privacy contraventions this entails; further urges her to seek assurance that dna data has not been collected , stored and transferred to third parties; ### 18. 1. is alarmed by the significant increase in domestic violence during the pandemic of covid-19; commends prompt responses by some national , regional and local governments to put in place measures to help victims of domestic violence , such as expansion of helplines and information sharing , introduction of codeword schemes at pharmacies , pop-up counselling centres at grocery shops or concealed applications to facilitate reporting of domestic violence and abuse; points out , however , to the general lack of shelters or other safe accommodation options for survivors of domestic violence; therefore urges the member states to allocate adequate funding to existing shelters to help them increase their capacities , as well as to facilitate the setting-up of additional shelters and safe housing facilities for survivors , including for accompanying minors; moreover calls on the member states to ensure that services for survivors are regarded as essential and remain open , and are complemented by adequate and specialized training for police forces as well as targeted justice responses with the aim to increase preparedness for the future;


### 19. calls on the commission to present full details of contracts concluded for the purchase of covid-19 vaccines , without redactions , and calls for full transparency of health data associated with the vaccines’ efficacy and side effects; notes that manufacturers of harmful vaccines are liable under directive 85/374/eec; ### deleted


### 20. calls on the member states to take urgent action against acts of modern slavery or reproductive exploitation through surrogacy agreements; ### deleted


### — having regard to article 2(1) of the charter of fundamental rights of the european union , which enshrines the right to life for all persons , ### deleted


### — having regard to article 2(1) of the charter of fundamental rights of the european union , which enshrines the right to life for all persons , ### — having regard to article 2(1) of the charter of fundamental rights of the european union ,


### — having regard to article 20 of the charter of fundamental rights of the european union , which states that everyone is equal before the law , ### deleted


### — having regard to article 20 of the charter of fundamental rights of the european union , which states that everyone is equal before the law , ### — having regard to article 20 of the charter of fundamental rights of the european union ,


### — having regard to article 21 of the charter of fundamental rights of the european union , which prohibits all forms of discrimination , ### deleted


### — having regard to article 21 of the charter of fundamental rights of the european union , which prohibits all forms of discrimination , ### — having regard to article 21 of the charter of fundamental rights of the european union ,


### — having regard to regulation (eu) 2016/679 of the european parliament and of the council of 27 april 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data , and repealing directive 95/46/ec (general data protection regulation)1 , ### deleted


### — having regard to council directive 2002/90/ec of 28 november 2002 defining the facilitation of unauthorised entry , transit and residence2 , ### deleted


### — having regard to the ruling of the court of justice of the european union (cjeu) of 21 june 2017 in case c-621/15 , n. w and others v sanofi pasteur msd snc and others , regarding directive 85/374/eec3 , ### deleted


### — having regard to the cjeu ruling of 18 october 2011 in case c-34/10 , oliver brüstle v greenpeace ev4 , ### deleted


### — having regard to the exchange of views held on 30 june 2021 at the german chancellor’s office with the german federal constitutional court , during which more than 750 constitutional complaints about excessive lockdown measures were dismissed5 , ### deleted


### — having regard to the political instrumentalisation of the german public prosecutor’s office , whereby political opponents are subjected to spurious legal claims designed to waste their time , energy and resources , thereby harming their chances in elections , ### deleted


### — having regard to president von der leyen’s heavily redacted disclosure of vaccine purchase contracts to meps , ### deleted


### a. whereas the years 2020 and 2021 saw the most draconian loss of fundamental rights in the history of the eu , whereby citizens were forced to stay at home , close businesses , remain distant from friends and family , maintain physical distance and go untreated for ‘non-urgent’ medical issues , were prevented from attending places of worship and from travelling within and outside the eu , and were forced to show a historically worrisome pass to enter premises or vehicles; ### deleted


### a. whereas the years 2020 and 2021 saw the most draconian loss of fundamental rights in the history of the eu , whereby citizens were forced to stay at home , close businesses , remain distant from friends and family , maintain physical distance and go untreated for ‘non-urgent’ medical issues , were prevented from attending places of worship and from travelling within and outside the eu , and were forced to show a historically worrisome pass to enter premises or vehicles; ### a. whereas in many member states , the lockdown and social distancing measures during the covid-19 pandemic have been associated with an exponential increase in the prevalence and intensity of cases of intimate partner violence , psychological violence and coercive control and cyber violence , and with a 60 % increase in emergency calls reported by victims of domestic violence(18); whereas requirement to stay at home and the alarming upsurge in the ‘shadow pandemic’ made it difficult for women and children to access effective protection , support services and justice and revealed that support resources and structures were insufficient and that victims had limited access to support services , leaving many of them without adequate and timely protection; whereas best practices in specific measures to provide timely and accessible assistance to victims , including setting up emergency texting systems or creating contact points to seek help in pharmacies and supermarkets should be shared among the member states; whereas in spite of the prevalence of the phenomenon , intimate partner violence against women remains under-reported in the eu by the victims , their families , friends , acquaintances and neighbours , for various reasons , especially during the covid-19 pandemic , and whereas there is a significant lack of comprehensive , comparable and gender-disaggregated data , making it difficult to fully assess the impact of the crisis;


### a. whereas the years 2020 and 2021 saw the most draconian loss of fundamental rights in the history of the eu , whereby citizens were forced to stay at home , close businesses , remain distant from friends and family , maintain physical distance and go untreated for ‘non-urgent’ medical issues , were prevented from attending places of worship and from travelling within and outside the eu , and were forced to show a historically worrisome pass to enter premises or vehicles; ### a. whereas in the years 2020 and 2021 restrictive measures to combat the covid-19 pandemic interfered with a wide range of fundamental rights , such as to movement and assembly , to private and family life , including personal data protection , and to education , work and social security; whereas the pandemic exacerbated existing challenges and inequalities in all areas of life , especially affecting vulnerable groups , and sparked an increase in racist incidents;


### b. whereas more than 325 000 illegal crossings were detected by the european border and coast guard agency (frontex) and member state border controls between january 2020 and december 20216 , with untold numbers of illegal migrants , traffickers and smugglers entering , remaining in and destabilising the security of our union; ### deleted


### c. whereas eu law , as upheld in the case of brüstle v greenpeace , affirms the right to life and dignity of every human embryo , and this right should therefore be protected under article 2 of the charter of fundamental rights of the european union; ### deleted


### right to equal treatment ### right to equal treatment: multiple and intersectional discrimination.


### right to equal treatment ### rights of children , elderly and people with disabilities


### media freedom ### media freedom and the protection of journalists


### media freedom ### media freedom and right to information


### 3. condemns attempts by governments to silence media outlets that criticise them and to eliminate media freedom and pluralism; also condemns social media platforms that censor , deplatform or intimidate independent journalists and free citizens who express a narrative differing from that of mainstream media; ### deleted


### 3. condemns attempts by governments to silence media outlets that criticise them and to eliminate media freedom and pluralism; also condemns social media platforms that censor , deplatform or intimidate independent journalists and free citizens who express a narrative differing from that of mainstream media; ### 3. calls on member states to protect and develop an independent , pluralist and free media sector; condemns in this respect any measures aimed at silencing critical media and undermining media freedom and pluralism;


### 1. recalls that regulation (eu , euratom) 2020/2092 of the european parliament and of the council of 16 december 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the union budget (the conditionality regulation) integrated the conditionality mechanism into a wider framework , requiring the commission to use its own annual rule of law reports as a source for its assessments under the regulation; calls on the commission to implement the conditionality regulation without any further delay; recalls that for budget-related measures in the event of violations of the rule of law in a member state , the competences of parliamentary committees should be determined on the basis of annex vi of parliament’s rules of procedure if the infringements under the conditionality regulation procedure are dealt with in parliament; ### 1. recalls that regulation (eu , euratom) 2020/2092 of the european parliament and of the council of 16 december 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the union budget (the conditionality regulation) integrated the conditionality mechanism into a wider framework , requiring the commission to use its own annual rule of law reports as a source for its assessments under the regulation; calls , once again , on the commission to implement the conditionality regulation without any further delay; recalls that for budget-related measures in the event of violations of the rule of law in a member state , the competences of parliamentary committees should be determined on the basis of annex vi of parliament’s rules of procedure if the infringements under the conditionality regulation procedure are dealt with in parliament;


### 1. recalls that the union is founded on the values enshrined in article 2 teu; recalls further that the rule of law , as enshrined in eu primary law and further defined in the case-law of the court of justice of the european union (cjeu) , is akin to democracy and fundamental rights; stresses that any backsliding on the rule of law in any given member state automatically undermines eu values in the eu as a whole; agrees with the commission that these values should never be taken for granted , even though the eu is recognised as having very high standards in this regard; underlines the importance of the credible global example provided by the eu in upholding the rule of law internally and in supporting democracy worldwide; ### 1. recalls that the union is founded on the values enshrined in article 2 teu; recalls further that the rule of law , as enshrined in eu primary law and further defined in the case-law of the court of justice of the european union (cjeu) , is akin to democracy and fundamental rights; reiterates that as underlined by the cjeu , the european union is based on the rule of law in which institutions are subject to judicial review of the compatibility of their acts with the treaties and with the general principles of law , which include fundamental rights 1a; thus underlines that all the union’s fundamental values as set out in article 2 teu are interdependent and construed in light of each other and shall all be monitored and safeguarded; stresses that any backsliding on the rule of law in any given member state automatically undermines eu values in the eu as a whole; agrees with the commission that these values should never be taken for granted , even though the eu is recognised as having very high standards in this regard; underlines the importance of the credible global example provided by the eu in upholding the rule of law internally and in supporting democracy worldwide;


### 2. recalls its resolution of 8 july 2021 on the creation of guidelines for the application of the conditionality regulation; insists that the commission include in its annual rule of law reports a section dedicated to cases where rule of law breaches in a member state could affect or seriously risk affecting the sound financial management of the union budget or the protection of the union’s financial interests in a sufficiently direct way; ### 2. recalls its resolution of 8 july 2021 on the creation of guidelines for the application of the conditionality regulation; insists that the commission include in its annual rule of law reports a section dedicated to cases where rule of law breaches in a member state could affect or seriously risk affecting the sound financial management of the union budget or the protection of the union’s financial interests in a sufficiently direct way; calls on the commission to conclude each country chapter with a ‘traffic light’ assessment of the fulfilment of the conditions of the rule of law conditionality regulation;


### 2. recalls its resolution of 8 july 2021 on the creation of guidelines for the application of the conditionality regulation; insists that the commission include in its annual rule of law reports a section dedicated to cases where rule of law breaches in a member state could affect or seriously risk affecting the sound financial management of the union budget or the protection of the union’s financial interests in a sufficiently direct way; ### 2. recalls its resolution of 8 july 2021 on the creation of guidelines for the application of the conditionality regulation; insists that a more direct link between the commission’s annual rule of law report and the triggering of the conditionality regulation should be established , for example by including in the annual rule of law reports a section dedicated to cases where rule of law breaches in a member state could affect or seriously risk affecting the sound financial management of the union budget or the protection of the union’s financial interests in a sufficiently direct way ;


### 3. stresses that the four areas assessed in the 27 country chapters of the commission’s 2021 rule of law report (the justice system , the anti-corruption framework , media pluralism , and other institutional checks and balances) are key interdependent pillars for upholding the rule of law , fighting fraud and protecting the union’s financial interests; welcomes the evaluation of the effects of covid-19 on the four issues assessed; highlights the importance of continuing this evaluation in future annual rule of law reports; points out that covid-19 pandemic has shortened legislative processes and reduced parliamentary debate and consultation of civil society and other stakeholders; ### 3. 3. stresses that the four areas assessed in the 27 country chapters of the commission’s 2021 rule of law report (the justice system , the anti-corruption framework , media pluralism , and other institutional checks and balances) are key interdependent pillars for upholding the rule of law , fighting fraud and corruption and protecting the union’s financial interests; is of the opinion that other important elements of the venice commission’s 2016 rule of law checklist should be included into the evaluation , particularly a chapter on shrinking civic space; welcomes the evaluation of the effects of covid-19 on the four issues assessed; highlights the importance of continuing this evaluation in future annual rule of law reports; points out that covid-19 pandemic has shortened legislative processes and reduced parliamentary debate and shortened or stopped consultation of civil society and other stakeholders;


### 3. notes that crises such as the covid-19 pandemic have shown that measures taken in urgency can have democratic deficits and lead to corruption , and that they lack proper scrutiny; stresses , therefore , the need for clear legal arrangements ensuring respect for the rule of law also during times of crisis; ### 3. notes that crises such as the covid-19 pandemic have shown that measures taken in urgency may lead to democratic deficits , and that they are often impaired by the lack of proper scrutiny and institutional checks and balances; reiterates that the rule of law is related to the effective judicial protection as provided in article 19(1) teu; stresses , therefore , the need for clear legal arrangements ensuring respect for the rule of law also during times of crisis and emergency circumstances;


### 4. underlines that corruption prevention policies cover many fields , typically including ethical rules , awareness-raising measures , rules on asset disclosures , incompatibilities and conflicts of interest , internal control mechanisms , rules on lobbying , and revolving doors; reiterates the role of national measures in preventing fraud and corruption; ### 4. underlines that corruption prevention policies cover many fields , typically including ethical rules , awareness-raising measures , rules on asset disclosures , incompatibilities and conflicts of interest , internal control mechanisms , rules on lobbying , and revolving doors; calls for further corruption prevention measures at the european level including transparency of ownership structures , prohibition of involvement of offshore or shell companies into the spending of european funds; reiterates the role of national measures in preventing fraud and corruption but considers that the eu institutions need to be fully equipped to prevent and investigate fraud and corruption; welcomes the commission's adoption of the anti-money laundering (aml) package of proposals; calls on the european institutions to be ambitious in their negotiations and to reach an agreement as quickly as possible , particularly on the creation of a new european aml authority with strong direct supervisory powers on the riskiest obliged financial entities and on clear rules on beneficial ownership transparency;


### 4. underlines that corruption prevention policies cover many fields , typically including ethical rules , awareness-raising measures , rules on asset disclosures , incompatibilities and conflicts of interest , internal control mechanisms , rules on lobbying , and revolving doors; reiterates the role of national measures in preventing fraud and corruption; ### 4. underlines that corruption prevention policies cover many fields , typically including ethical rules , awareness-raising measures , rules on asset disclosures , incompatibilities and conflicts of interest , internal control mechanisms , rules on lobbying , and revolving doors; calls on further corruption prevention measures on european level including transparency of ownership structures , prohibition of involvement of offshore or shell companies into the spending of european funds; reiterates the role of national measures in preventing fraud and corruption but considers that the eu institutions need to be fully equipped to prevent and investigate fraud and corruption;


### 4. notes that the covid-19 pandemic has also shown that high levels of digitalisation have increased the resilience and efficiency of justice systems; agrees with the commission that digitalisation should be fostered and investment in human and financial resources prioritised in some member states in order to increase the efficiency of their justice systems; welcomes the fact that digitalising the public administration and the judiciary is a priority in many member states’ recovery and resilience plans; ### 4. notes that the covid-19 pandemic has also shown that high levels of digitalisation have increased the resilience and efficiency of justice systems; agrees with the commission that digitalisation should be fostered and investment in human and financial resources prioritised in some member states in order to increase the efficiency of their justice systems , to facilitate access to legal aid and information; welcomes the fact that digitalising the public administration and the judiciary is a priority in many member states’ recovery and resilience plans;


### 6. calls on the commission and the member states to use the commission’s annual rule of law reports to resolutely fight against systemic corruption and devise effective instruments for preventing , combating and sanctioning corruption and fighting fraud , as well as for regularly monitoring the use of public funds , including recovery and resilience facility funds. ### 6. calls on the commission and the member states to use the commission’s annual rule of law reports and its findings to resolutely fight against systemic corruption and devise all effective instruments available under eu financial legislation and the applicable sector-specific and financial rules for preventing , combating and sanctioning corruption and fighting fraud , as well as for regularly monitoring the use of public funds , including recovery and resilience facility funds.


### 7. welcomes the fact that lawyers are now part of the eu justice scoreboard’s questionnaire; stresses that independent lawyers are also essential to independent justice systems; reiterates the need for lawyers and the judiciary to be highly qualified and regularly trained in the rule of law and in eu law in general , and calls on the commission to extend the scope of its next report to include this area; ### 7. welcomes the fact that lawyers are now part of the eu justice scoreboard’s questionnaire; stresses that strong lawyers' bars or associations are also essential to independent justice systems; reiterates the need for lawyers and the judiciary to be highly qualified and regularly trained in the rule of law and in eu law in general , and calls on the commission to extend the scope of its next report to include this area; further reiterates the importance of providing training modules on the charter of fundamental rights of the european union for judges and legal practitioners in order to foster a common rule of law culture and ensure that the rights enshrined in the charter are always taken into account in civil and administrative proceedings when implementing european law;


### 12. urges the commission , furthermore , to make robust use of its toolkit , including infringement procedures and the conditionality mechanism , where appropriate , to quickly and efficiently address any backsliding on the rule of law in national justice systems; ### 12. urges the commission , to provide clear recommendations on the challenges identified and the necessary follow-up actions to the member states; furthermore urges the commission to make robust use of its toolkit , including infringement procedures and the conditionality mechanism , where appropriate , to quickly and efficiently address any backsliding on the rule of law in national justice systems;


### 14. recalls the important role of journalists and civil society in raising the alarm about , and drawing attention to , any breaches of the rule of law , including with regard to the proper functioning of justice systems , and calls for them to be given enhanced protection against intimidation or violence; condemns the instrumental use of justice to undermine freedom of information , notably through the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation (slapps) in the eu; ### 14. recalls the important role of journalists and civil society in raising the alarm about , and drawing attention to , any breaches of the rule of law , including with regard to the proper functioning of justice systems , and calls for them to be given enhanced protection against intimidation or violence; condemns the instrumental use of justice to undermine freedom of information and pluralism , notably through the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation (slapps) in the eu;


### j. whereas parliament has long been at the forefront of the development of the petitions process internationally and has the most open and transparent petitions process in europe , allowing petitioners to participate fully in its activities; ### j. whereas parliament has long been at the forefront of the development of the petitions process internationally and has the most open and transparent petitions process in europe , allowing petitioners to participate in its activities;


### 2. reiterates the importance of a continuous public debate on the union’s fields of activity in order to ensure that citizens are correctly informed about the scope of the union’s competences and the different levels of decision-making; calls , in this regard , for broader awareness raising campaigns , through the active involvement of the press and communications services , to help increase citizens’ knowledge about their right to petition , as well as the scope and limits of the union’s responsibilities , with a view to reducing the number of inadmissible petitions; ### 2. reiterates the importance of a continuous public debate on the union’s fields of activity in order to ensure that citizens are correctly informed about the scope of the union’s competences and the different levels of decision-making; calls , in this regard , for broader awareness raising campaigns; stresses that active involvement of the press and communications services and more active social media would facilitate the responsiveness of the work of peti more to public concerns and would help to increase citizens’ knowledge about their right to petition , as well as the scope and limits of the union’s responsibilities , with a view to reducing the number of inadmissible petitions; stresses , in this regard , the importance of multilingual communication policy of the eu in order to better connect with citizens from all member states;


### 3. points out that petitions constitute a unique opportunity for parliament and the other eu institutions to directly connect with eu citizens and maintain a regular dialogue with them , particularly in cases where they are affected by the misapplication or breach of eu law; stresses the need for enhanced cooperation between the eu institutions and national , regional and local authorities on inquiries regarding the implementation of and compliance with eu law; believes that such cooperation is crucial to address and resolve citizens’ concerns over the application of eu law and contributes to strengthening the democratic legitimacy and accountability of the union; calls , therefore , for the more active participation of member states’ representatives in committee meetings and for swifter responses to the requests for clarification or information sent by the committee on petitions to the national authorities; ### 3. points out that petitions constitute a unique opportunity for parliament and the other eu institutions to directly connect with eu citizens and legal residents and maintain a regular dialogue with them , particularly in cases where they are affected by the misapplication or breach of eu law; stresses the need for enhanced cooperation between the committee on petitions and lead committees , the eu institutions and national , regional and local authorities on inquiries and proposals regarding the implementation of and compliance with eu law; believes that such cooperation is crucial to address and resolve citizens’ concerns over the application of eu law and contributes to strengthening the democratic legitimacy and accountability of the union; calls , therefore , for the more active participation of member states’ representatives in committee meetings and for swifter responses to the requests for clarification or information sent by the committee on petitions to the national authorities; urges the commission to take steps to ensure that the interpretation of the scope of article 51 is as coherent and wide as possible; reminds that the expectations of most petitioners in relation to the rights conferred on them by the charter are high and go beyond their current scope of application;


### 4. recalls that petitions contribute considerably to the commission’s role as guardian of the treaties; stresses that reinforced cooperation between the committee on petitions and the commission and timely answers from the commission are essential to ensure the successful treatment of petitions; reiterates its call on the commission for regular updates on developments in infringement proceedings and for access to relevant commission documents on infringements and eu pilot procedures which have been closed; ### 4. recalls that petitions contribute considerably to the commission’s role as guardian of the treaties; stresses that reinforced cooperation between the committee on petitions and the commission is essential to ensure the successful treatment of petitions; urges the commission to refrain from general replies and to provide timely , specific and targeted responses to efficiently answer concrete petitioners’ requests; reiterates its call on the commission for regular updates on developments in infringement proceedings and for access to relevant commission documents on infringements and eu pilot procedures which have been closed;


### 7. believes that the petitions network is a useful tool for facilitating the follow-up of petitions in parliamentary and legislative work; trusts that regular meetings of the petitions network are crucial in order to strengthen cooperation between parliamentary committees through the exchange of information and sharing of best practices among the network’s members; ### 7. believes that the petitions network is a useful tool for raising awareness of the issues brought up in petitions and to facilitate the treatment of petitions in other committees to which they are sent for opinion and for information; notes that there is a need for facilitating the follow-up of petitions in parliamentary and legislative work; trusts that regular meetings of the petitions network are crucial in order to strengthen cooperation between parliamentary committees through the exchange of information and sharing of best practices among the network’s members; calls on the parliament to draft a mechanism that enables the committee of petition to be directly involved in the legislative process;


### 9. underlines that despite the reduced timeslots for committee meetings in 2020 owing to parliament’s precautionary measures to avoid the spread of covid-19 within its premises and the consequent reduced interpretation facilities , the committee on petitions has expressed its opinion on important issues raised in petitions by contributing to a significant number of parliamentary reports , notably on the conclusion of the agreement on the withdrawal of the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland from the european union and the european atomic energy community2 , on monitoring the application of eu law 2017 and 20183 , on the recommendations on the negotiations for a new partnership with the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland4 , on the situation of fundamental rights in the european union - annual report for the years 2018-20195 , on reducing inequalities with a special focus on in-work poverty6 , on turkey – annual progress report 20197 , and on the implementation of council directive 2000/78/ec establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation in light of the uncrpd8 ; appreciates the activity of the secretariat of the committee on petitions in general and , in particular , during the pandemic , as the working conditions became more complex; ### 9. underlines that despite the reduced timeslots for committee meetings in 2020 owing to parliament’s precautionary measures to avoid the spread of covid-19 within its premises and the consequent reduced interpretation facilities , the committee on petitions has expressed its opinion on important issues raised in petitions by contributing to a significant number of parliamentary reports , notably on the conclusion of the agreement on the withdrawal of the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland from the european union and the european atomic energy community2 , on monitoring the application of eu law 2017 and 20183 , on the recommendations on the negotiations for a new partnership with the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland4 , on the situation of fundamental rights in the european union - annual report for the years 2018-20195 , on reducing inequalities with a special focus on in-work poverty6 , on turkey – annual progress report 20197 , and on the implementation of council directive 2000/78/ec establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation in light of the uncrpd8 ; appreciates the activity of the secretariat of the committee on petitions in general and , in particular , during the pandemic , as the working conditions became more complex; stresses the need to reflect on the challenges faced during the pandemic and look at ways to improve the work , especially during crisis times;


### 10. draws attention to the large number of petitions on covid-19 that the committee on petitions examined and replied to in 2020 , mostly by using its urgency procedure; stresses that most of these petitions called for the protection of citizens’ health against the spread of the virus , including questions on treatments , protective equipment and on the acquisition and distribution of vaccines , as well as for the assessment of the management of the health crisis in the member states; recalls , also , that many petitioners raised concerns over the impact of national emergency measures , including lockdowns , on democracy , the rule of law and fundamental rights , calling into question travel and work restrictions , obstacles to the freedom of movement within the schengen area , as well as the management of cancelled flights and trips during the pandemic; ### 10. draws attention to the large number of petitions on covid-19 that the committee on petitions examined and replied to in 2020 , mostly by using its urgency procedure; stresses that most of these petitions called for the protection of citizens’ health against the spread of the virus , including questions on treatments , protective equipment and on the acquisition and distribution of vaccines , as well as for the assessment of the management of the health crisis in the member states; recalls , also , that many petitioners raised concerns over the impact of national emergency measures , including lockdowns , on democracy , the rule of law and fundamental rights , calling into question travel and work restrictions , obstacles to the freedom of movement within the schengen area , as well as the management of cancelled flights and trips during the pandemic; recalls that all the restrictive measures must be necessary , proportional and temporary; stresses that ensuring the effective , equal and uniform application of eu law is crucial for upholding the rule of law , which is one of the founding values of the union and its member states , pursuant to article 2 of the teu , even in the crisis such as covid-19 pandemic;


### 16. welcomes the specific role of protection played by the committee on petitions within the eu in the framework of the un convention on the rights of persons with disabilities; points to the committee’s important ongoing work in connection with petitions concerning issues on disabilities; notes that the number of petitions on disability almost doubled in 2020 in comparison with the previous year; stresses that discrimination and access to education and employment remain among the main challenges faced by persons with disabilities; ### 16. welcomes the specific role of protection played by the committee on petitions within the eu in the framework of the un convention on the rights of persons with disabilities; points to the committee’s important ongoing work in connection with petitions concerning issues on disabilities; notes that the number of petitions on disability almost doubled in 2020 in comparison with the previous year; stresses that discrimination and access to education and employment remain among the main challenges faced by persons with disabilities; calls for implementation of concrete proposals to foster inclusiveness and facilitate the recognition and portability of skills within the eu;


### 19. underlines that the petitions web portal is an essential tool for ensuring a smooth , efficient and transparent petitions process; welcomes , in this regard , the improvements on data protection and on the security features which have made the portal more user-friendly and secure for citizens; stresses that efforts must be continued to make the portal more accessible to persons with disabilities , including by enabling the tabling of petitions in national sign languages; ### 19. underlines that the petitions web portal is an essential tool for ensuring a smooth , efficient and transparent petitions process; welcomes , in this regard , the improvements on data protection and on the security features which have made the portal more user-friendly and secure for citizens; stresses that efforts must be continued to make the portal easier to navigate and accessible to all citizens , especially to persons with disabilities , including by enabling the tabling of petitions in national sign languages; calls to assess how to prevent the use of stolen or fake identities; calls for more information to be published on the petitions web portal , including the progress of petitions and inquiries with other institutions;


### 1. recalls that the role of the better regulation programme is improving regulatory principles and reducing unnecessary burdens for businesses and citizens; underlines the importance of enabling citizens to fully exercise their democratic right to participate in the eu’s decision-making process and ensuring citizens’ direct participation; underlines that it is essential for the eu to ensure increased transparency at different levels of policy-making; calls on the commission to continuously improve public consultations in order to ensure citizens’ participation and to take into account feedback from other institutions on such activities; stresses that public consultations on better law-making in the eu should be accessible to citizens and civil society through different outreach channels , should be translated into all official and co-official languages of the member states , and should have easy-to-access documents; ### 1. recalls that the role of the better regulation programme is improving regulatory principles and reducing unnecessary burdens for businesses and citizens; underlines the importance of enabling citizens to fully exercise their democratic right to participate in the eu’s decision-making process and ensuring citizens’ direct participation; underlines that it is essential for the eu to ensure increased transparency at different levels of policy-making; calls on the commission to continuously improve public consultations in order to ensure citizens’ participation and to take into account feedback from other institutions on such activities; stresses that public consultations on better law-making in the eu , as well as all communications and documents emanating from eu institutions , should be accessible to citizens and civil society through different outreach channels , should be translated into all eu official languages , and should be in easy-to-access formats;


### 1. welcomes the commission’s communication’s aim to make the approach to the better law-making more dynamic and adaptive to further developments; ### 1. welcomes the commission communication’s intention to make the approach to better law-making more dynamic and adaptable to further developments; underlines the need for legislation that is fit for purpose , balanced , clear , and transparent and does not add administrative and regulatory burden;


### 2. welcomes the commission’s initiative to make the ‘have your say’ web portal more accessible to people with disabilities and to consolidate public consultations into a single ‘call for evidence’; calls for all related documents , questionnaires and contributions to be available in all eu official languages; calls for greater transparency on how replies are taken into account; ### 2. strongly believes that all europeans must be able to follow the eu legislative process; welcomes the commission’s initiative to make the ‘have your say’ web portal more accessible to people with disabilities and to consolidate public consultations into a single ‘call for evidence’; calls for all related documents , questionnaires and contributions to be available in all eu official languages; calls for greater transparency on how replies are taken into account and , whenever appropriate , greater clarity on why replies are not taken into account; notes that the design and choice of consultation has a significant effect on the type of input received and the outcome itself; urges the commission to ensure that all calls for evidence it launches are neutral and unbiased , including by employing questionnaires that are designed in a factual and evidence-based manner;


### 2. highlights the eu’s obligation to incorporate the development cooperation objectives into any policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries , as set out in article 208 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union; recalls that many union policies with a more domestic dimension contribute to the implementation of the sustainable development goals (sdgs) , and therefore achieving coherence across all union policies is crucial to achieving the sdgs worldwide; ### 2. highlights the eu’s obligation to incorporate the development cooperation objectives into any internal or external policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries , as set out in article 208 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union; recalls that many union policies with a more domestic dimension can not only contribute to the implementation of the sustainable development goals (sdgs) , but also often still leave a very high total ecological footprint in the developing countries; insists therefore that the 2030 agenda and its sustainable development goals must further catalyse a coordinated approach between the eu’s internal and external action and its other policies; reiterates thus that creating sufficient synergies across all union policies is crucial to achieving the sdgs worldwide;


### 2. highlights the eu’s obligation to incorporate the development cooperation objectives into any policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries , as set out in article 208 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union; recalls that many union policies with a more domestic dimension contribute to the implementation of the sustainable development goals (sdgs) , and therefore achieving coherence across all union policies is crucial to achieving the sdgs worldwide; ### 2. highlights the eu’s obligation to incorporate the development cooperation objectives into any policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries , as set out in article 208 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union; recalls that many union policies with a more domestic dimension contribute to the implementation of the sustainable development goals (sdgs) , and therefore achieving coherence across all union policies is crucial to achieving the sdgs worldwide; recalls that adaptation action should be put in place to support the resilience of both terrestrial and marine ecosystems; insists on the importance for the eu strategy in developing countries to be designed in order to anticipate the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss;


### 3. considers , as the committee most directly engaged with the public , that a democratic approach and political accountability remain the strongest control mechanisms in any constitutional democracy , including in the eu; ### 3. considers , as the only committee in direct and constant engagement with the public , that a democratic approach and political accountability remain the strongest control mechanisms in any constitutional democracy , including in the eu;


### 3. welcomes the commission’s commitment to more actively publicising consultations in order to reach more citizens , stakeholders and local and regional authorities; ### 3. welcomes the commission’s commitment to more actively publicising consultations in order to reach more citizens , stakeholders and local and regional authorities; calls on the member states to contribute to this process by promoting the consultations within their territories; notes that some stakeholders with higher financial resources can have a more prominent role in contributing their input to consultations; believes that the input collected needs to reflect a balanced view of the stakeholder landscape and this requires facilitating the collection of input from stakeholders with fewer resources , such as citizens and citizens’ representatives;


### 3. strongly believes that the union’s better regulation system is a valuable instrument in the implementation of this legal obligation , as long as the tools that the system proposes are used appropriately and to their maximum potential; welcomes the new versions of the better regulation guidelines and the better regulation toolbox; believes that tool number 35 in particular contains the necessary elements to guide the performance of impact analyses in developing countries and expects that this tool will be used extensively; ### 3. strongly believes that the union’s better regulation system can be a valuable instrument in the implementation of this legal obligation , as long as the tools that the system proposes are used appropriately to their maximum potential , in order to generate incentives for policy-making , which adequately address the global challenges in relation to climate change , green and digital transformation , economic development , social justice , human rights , gender equality , etc. , and which enable the minimisation of obstacles , burdens or ambiguities in the application of those policy objectives; welcomes the new versions of the better regulation guidelines and the better regulation toolbox;


### 4. recalls that continuous attentive review of citizens’ petitions presents great opportunities to make better regulation more inclusive and efficient and to improve policymakers’ understanding of local and regional realities; ### 4. recalls that continuous attentive review of citizens’ petitions presents great opportunities to make better regulation more inclusive and efficient and to improve policymakers’ understanding of local and regional realities , and of citizens’ concerns and priorities;


### 4. welcomes the commission’s commitment to improving the analysis and reporting of the impact of proposals , in particular on developing countries and with regard to achieving the sdgs; ### 4. welcomes the commission’s commitment to improving the analysis and reporting of the impact of proposals , acknowledging the paramount importance of quality assessments , which could identify gaps , needs , opportunities and help discover existing risks and trends , could contribute to defining policy priorities and devising long-term perspective strategic planning , in particular on developing countries and with regard to achieving the sdgs; recalls on the union’s commitment to be a global frontrunner in implementing the 2030 agenda and the sdgs , together with its member states and their local and regional authorities , and in close cooperation with its international partners; regrets that the commission has not yet developed an integrated and holistic sdg implementation strategy;


### 4. welcomes the commission’s commitment to improving the analysis and reporting of the impact of proposals , in particular on developing countries and with regard to achieving the sdgs; ### 4. welcomes the commission’s commitment to improving the analysis and reporting of the impact of proposals , in particular on developing countries and with regard to achieving the sdgs; recalls that the eu must raise its visibility in developing countries , notably with the growing presence of its geopolitical competitors in african countries , through efficient communication on its cooperation and spending programmes; such as sustainable fisheries partnership agreements (sfpas);


### 5. calls for impact assessments to be performed on all acts , without exception; regrets that this was not the case for several politically sensitive proposals in the past; recalls that on several occasions parliament has carried out its own impact assessments in replacement of the commission’s; nevertheless , recalls that impact assessments help to inform but do not replace political decision-making; ### 5. calls for impact assessments to be performed on all acts , without exception; regrets that this was not the case for several politically sensitive proposals in the past; recalls that on several occasions parliament has carried out its own impact assessments in replacement of the commission’s; calls for sufficient amount of time and resources to be allocated to impact assessments in order to ensure their quality; nevertheless , recalls that impact assessments help to inform but do not replace political decision-making;


### 5. reiterates the importance of policy coherence in relation to external eu policy affecting developing countries; welcomes any initiatives that make the eu’s approach more consistent in this regard. ### 5. reiterates the importance of policy coherence for development (pcd) in relation to external eu policy affecting developing countries; is alarmed that the revised better regulation guidelines and toolbox presented by the european commission in november 2021 do not mention policy coherence for development even once , only a "toolbox" that accompanies these guidelines includes a tool 35 for pcd; is concerned that the key provisions on the pcd were ignored in the carbon border adjustment mechanism (cbam) impact assessment and , much more seriously still , in the commission's proposal for cbam regulation; insists that mechanisms for ensuring policy coherence for sustainable development must be used more systematically and efficiently by all relevant eu institutions and all member states , including at the highest political level; calls for the initiatives that make the eu’s approach more consistent in this regard;


### 5. reiterates the importance of policy coherence in relation to external eu policy affecting developing countries; welcomes any initiatives that make the eu’s approach more consistent in this regard. ### 5. reiterates the importance of ensuring efficiency and dynamism of policy-making at the eu level , as well as coherence in external eu policy affecting developing countries; welcomes any initiatives that make the eu’s approach more consistent in this regard.


### 9. stresses the role of specific tools , such as the european citizens’ initiative and the european ombudsman , in improving commission regulation; recalls that the conference on the future of europe should be continuously improved in order for the citizens to communicate the real impacts of legislation at national , local and regional level and to make suggestions on how to achieve better law-making; notes that the commission should develop new tools to give citizens direct access to and involvement in eu policy-making; ### 9. stresses the role of specific tools , such as the european citizens’ initiative and the european ombudsman , in improving commission regulation; welcomes the launch of the conference on the future of europe in order for the citizens to communicate the real impacts of legislation at national , local and regional level and to make suggestions on how to achieve better law-making; underlines the fact that the conference can bring a fresh impetus to the european discussion to facilitate the process of public participation; notes that the commission should focus on making existing participatory tools more efficient to give citizens direct access to and involvement in eu policy-making ; insists that the commission should seek the opinion of citizens and more importantly , take their views into account;


### 10. underlines that ‘strategic foresight’ could play a key role in helping to future-proof eu policy-making by ensuring that assessments of new initiatives are grounded in a longer-term perspective , emphasising the added value of quality legislation as an investment in the future; welcomes the integration of ‘foresight elements’ into the commission’s better regulation agenda in impact assessments and evaluations; considers , however , that the commission’s methodology for quantifying costs , deciding on trade-offs and implementing strategic foresight remains unclear , and that practice will allow assessment of how these approaches have been followed in practice; encourages the commission to look into innovative cost assessment tools; ### 10. believes that effective regulation must strike a balance between short-term needs and long-term challenges; underlines that ‘strategic foresight’ could play a key role in helping to future-proof eu policy-making by ensuring that assessments of new initiatives are grounded in a longer-term perspective , emphasising the added value of quality legislation as an investment in the future; welcomes the integration of ‘foresight elements’ into the commission’s better regulation agenda in impact assessments and evaluations; considers , however , that the commission’s methodology for quantifying costs , deciding on trade-offs and implementing strategic foresight remains unclear , and that practice will allow assessment of how these approaches have been followed in practice; encourages the commission to look into innovative cost assessment tools;


### 11. takes note of the involvement of the regulatory scrutiny board in impact assessments , fitness checks , and major evaluations of current legislation; notes , however , that the transparency of the regulatory scrutiny board on meetings with stakeholders , reviews , recommendations and opinions should be significantly improved; underlines that the work of the board should not ultimately affect the commission’s capacity to propose legislation or unduly delay the adoption of legislative proposals; considers that all the board’s opinions should always be made public immediately after adoption without any exception; ### 11. takes note of the involvement of the regulatory scrutiny board in impact assessments , fitness checks , and major evaluations of current legislation; notes that the regulatory scrutiny board can play a role in ensuring an unbiased and high quality level of work from the commission; stresses that the regulatory scrutiny board can only provide an effective check on the commission’s work if its independence and impartiality are indisputably established; calls , in this regard , for the transparency of the regulatory scrutiny board on meetings with stakeholders , reviews , recommendations and opinions to be significantly improved , including through mandating the use of the transparency register for members of the board; underlines that the work of the board should not ultimately affect the commission’s capacity to propose legislation or unduly delay the adoption of legislative proposals; considers that all the board’s opinions should always be made public immediately after adoption without any exception;


### j. whereas the eu has planned a period of unprecedented levels of spending and investment under nextgenerationeu , which will also create significant links with the private sector , therefore making it even more crucial for the eu institutions to have a decision-making process founded on full transparency and on the most stringent ethical rules in order to prevent conflicts of interest and corruption cases; ### j. whereas the eu has planned a period of unprecedented levels of spending and investment under nextgenerationeu making it more crucial for the eu institutions to have a decision-making process founded on full transparency and on the most stringent ethical rules in order to prevent conflicts of interest and corruption cases;


### o. whereas according to the ombudsman , the commission’s failure to finalise a ‘sustainability impact assessment’ (sia) before concluding the negotiations on a trade agreement between the eu and mercosur constituted maladministration; whereas the ombudsman’s findings confirmed that the commission had disregarded its own guidelines on the use of sias and violated the principles set out in article 21 teu , which also apply to trade policy; ### o. whereas according to the ombudsman , the commission’s failure to finalise a ‘sustainability impact assessment’ (sia) before concluding the negotiations on a trade agreement between the eu and mercosur constituted maladministration; whereas the ombudsman’s findings underlined that the commission had disregarded its own guidelines on the use of sias;


### q. whereas the commission’s strategy in dealing with petitions refers to its 2016 communication entitled ‘eu law: better results through better application’ , whose rules establish no administrative procedure or practice concerning petitions; whereas the commission’s approach , resulting in its systematic refusal to take action on individual petition issues and on petitions concerning areas under article 6 tfeu can amount to maladministration; ### q. whereas the commission’s strategy in dealing with petitions refers to its 2016 communication entitled ‘eu law: better results through better application’ , whose rules establish no administrative procedure or practice concerning petitions; whereas the commission’s approach , resulting in its systematic refusal to take action on individual petition issues and on petitions concerning areas under article 6 tfeu is at odds with the provisions of article 227tfeu and is creating frustration and disappointment for citizens , undermining at the same time the possibility to identify systematic shortcomings regarding eu law occurring in member states;


### 4. regrets the fact that the commission did not provide adequate explanations to the ombudsman’s requests on key elements of its work during the covid-19 crisis; criticises the fact that in relation to its decision-making on emergency public procurement , the commission did not clarify its approach on how it ensured transparency on the appointments procedure of the members of the various committees , as well as on their independence , and on how it monitored the use of the negotiated procedure; ### 4. regrets the fact that the commission did not provide adequate explanations to the ombudsman’s requests on key elements of its work during the covid-19 crisis; calls on the commission to clarify its decision-making on emergency public procurement , in order to ensure full transparency of the process;


### 5. urges the commission to ensure full transparency on all details of the research into , and the development , purchase and distribution of covid-19 vaccines , by publishing non-redacted versions of the advance purchase agreements and the purchase agreement and by making the disclosure of all details in future contracts concerning covid-19 vaccines and covid-19 technologies mandatory; emphasises that any lack of transparency in the framework of the covid-19 pandemic is at odds with citizens’ right to information and fuels disinformation and distrust; ### 5. urges the commission to ensure full transparency on all details of the research into , and the development , purchase and distribution of covid-19 vaccines , by publishing non-redacted versions of the advance purchase agreements and the purchase agreement and by making the disclosure of all details in future contracts concerning covid-19 vaccines and covid-19 technologies mandatory; acknowledges the competitive nature of the market for vaccines , as well as the request of the manufacturers to introduce non-disclosure clauses; points out that these realities must be weighed against the interest of the european citizens to have clarity and transparency concerning these agreements; emphasises that any lack of transparency in the framework of the covid-19 pandemic is at odds with citizens’ right to information and fuels disinformation and distrust;


### 7. encourages the ombudsman to continue performing her work to ensure that citizens can fully exercise their democratic rights by , inter alia , directly participating in and following in detail the decision-making process within the eu institutions , as well as by having access to all the relevant information as also stipulated by the cjeu’s case law; ### 7. supports the ombudsman in her work to ensure that citizens can fully exercise their democratic rights by , inter alia , directly participating in and following in detail the decision-making process within the eu institutions , as well as by having access to all the relevant information as also stipulated by the cjeu’s case law;


### 8. calls on the ombudsman to adopt strengthened oversight of the implementation of the rules and procedures concerning the allocation and use of eu funds under nextgenerationeu to protect union citizens’ rights against possible conflicts of interest and corruption cases , as well as violations of the rule of law , contributing to ensuring the integrity , full transparency and democratic accountability of the eu institutions; ### 8. welcomes the ombudsman’s action when it comes to requests on the commission to provide public access to documents related to recovery and resilience plans of member states , which are of significant public interest , relating to unprecedented amount that will be allocated under next generationeu; welcomes that the commission has already made extensive material about the recovery and resilience facility available; stresses that more transparency and strengthened oversight by the relevant authorities is needed in this respect , including strengthened oversight by eu ombudsman of the administrative procedures concerning the eu funds; calls on the eu ombudsman to explore , together with eno members , other possible actions within their competence on supervision of the allocation and use of eu funds , in order to protect union citizens’ rights against possible conflicts of interest and corruption cases , as well as violations of the rule of law , contributing to ensuring the integrity , full transparency and democratic accountability of the eu institutions;


### 9. deeply regrets the fact that the council’s current practices with regard to its decision-making process are still marred by a lack of transparency; deplores the fact that the council is persisting in preventing citizens from having direct and timely access to its legislative documents , while the legislative process is ongoing , in breach of citizens’ right to participate effectively in the decision-making process; ### 9. underlines that the transparency of the legislative process represents a core element of any representative democracy; regrets the fact that the council’s current practices with regard to its decision-making process are still marred by a lack of transparency; deplores the fact that the council is persisting in preventing citizens from having direct and timely access to its legislative documents , while the legislative process is ongoing , in breach of citizens’ right to participate effectively in the decision-making process;


### 10. reiterates its call for the publication of all trilogue documents in order to uphold citizens’ democratic rights , as full transparency at all stages of the legislative process , including in the informal negotiations between the three main eu institutions , is crucial to enabling citizens to hold their elected representatives and governments accountable; ### 10. recalls that the european parliament in its resolution of 17 january 2019 on the ombudsman’s strategic inquiry oi/2/2017 on the transparency of legislative discussions in the preparatory bodies of the council of the eu 1a supported the ombudsman’s proposals on legislative transparency; calls on the council to improve further legislative transparency , particularly by recording and publishing member state positions and by making available more trilogue documents; urges the council to step up its transparency efforts in order to uphold citizens’ democratic rights , as full transparency at all stages of the legislative process , including in the informal negotiations between the three main eu institutions , is crucial to enabling citizens to hold their elected representatives and governments accountable;


### 12. calls on the commission to ensure an approval process for ‘active substances’ in pesticides , which is fully transparent and free from conflicts of interest , committing to put an end to the use of all synthetic pesticides by 2035 at the latest , as well as immediately prohibiting the export of pesticides that have been banned in the eu and stopping the import of foodstuffs produced outside the eu using such unsafe chemicals; asks the ombudsman to continue investigating the systems in place at eu level to make sure that the current policies and procedural safeguards in this field guarantee the highest levels of human health and environmental protection , and that the collection and examination of scientific evidence is fully transparent , accurate and free from conflicts of interest; ### 12. calls on the commission to ensure an approval process for ‘active substances’ in pesticides , which is fully transparent and free from conflicts of interest; notes that the european citizens' initiative entitled 'save bees and farmers' has gathered over 1 million signatures across the eu and that this initiative calls for a phase-out of synthetic pesticides in the eu , for measures to restore biodiversity , and for support for farmers to transition to sustainable agriculture; asks the ombudsman to continue investigating the systems in place at eu level to make sure that the current policies and procedural safeguards in this field guarantee the highest levels of human health and environmental protection , and that the collection and examination of scientific evidence is fully transparent , accurate and free from conflicts of interest;


### 14. calls on the ombudsman to launch an inquiry on the commission’s strategic approach in dealing with petitions , as its action is only limited to issues it considers of strategic importance or which reflect structural problems , founded on an arbitrary methodology and vague criteria , which can breach citizens’ right to good administration and is at odds with the commission’s duty to oversee the correct application of eu law throughout the union , arising from article 17 teu; ### 14. calls on the ombudsman to launch an inquiry on the commission’s strategic approach in dealing with petitions , as its action is only limited to issues it considers of strategic importance or which reflect structural problems , therefore excluding individual cases;


### 15. strongly criticises the commission for its failure to finalise the sia before concluding the eu-mercosur trade negotiations; underlines that this meant that the commission concluded the negotiations without appropriate and updated information about the potential social , environmental and economic impacts of the proposed agreement and without properly taking into account the views of all stakeholders , which must represent an additional reason to stop the adoption of the eu-mercosur trade agreement; ### 15. strongly criticises the commission for its failure to finalise the sia before concluding the eu-mercosur trade negotiations; recalls the parliament’s position that the environmental and social impacts of free trade agreements must be thoroughly assessed prior to the conclusion of trade negotiations; calls on the commission to step up its efforts with regards to the shared pre-ratification commitments between the eu and the mercosur countries , particularly in the area of climate change and deforestation ;


### 16. criticises the decision of those member states , which held the presidency of the council , to use corporate sponsorship , as it caused serious damages to the eu’s image , stressing the importance for the future to refrain from any sponsorship; considers paramount the adoption of the most stringent rules preventing such practices from taking place with a view to safeguarding the reputation and integrity of the council and of the eu as a whole; ### 16. criticises the decision of those member states , which held the presidency of the council , to use corporate sponsorship , as it entails serious reputational risks to the eu , stressing the importance for the future to refrain from any sponsorship; considers paramount the adoption of the most stringent rules preventing such practices from taking place with a view to safeguarding the reputation and integrity of the council and of the eu as a whole;


### 17. commends the ombudsman’s work to protect eu citizens’ right to access documents held by the eu institutions; considers it paramount to guarantee full transparency and full public access to the documents held by the eu institutions; believes that revision of regulation (ec) no 1049/20012 must take place as a matter of priority; regrets the fact that eu legislation on access to documents is very much obsolete , thereby also hampering the ombudsman’s activities on this matter; ### 17. commends the ombudsman’s work to protect eu citizens’ right to access documents held by the eu institutions; considers it paramount to guarantee full transparency and full public access to the documents held by the eu institutions in order to ensure the highest levels of protection of the democratic rights of citizens and their trust in eu institutions; believes that revision of regulation (ec) no 1049/20012 must take place as a matter of priority; regrets the fact that eu legislation on access to documents is very much obsolete , thereby also hampering the ombudsman’s activities on this matter;


### 17. commends the ombudsman’s work to protect eu citizens’ right to access documents held by the eu institutions; considers it paramount to guarantee full transparency and full public access to the documents held by the eu institutions; believes that revision of regulation (ec) no 1049/20012 must take place as a matter of priority; regrets the fact that eu legislation on access to documents is very much obsolete , thereby also hampering the ombudsman’s activities on this matter; ### 17. commends the ombudsman’s work to protect eu citizens’ right to access documents held by the eu institutions; and to provide citizens with documents in all eu official languages ; considers it paramount to guarantee full transparency and full public access to the documents held by the eu institutions , believes that revision of regulation (ec) no 1049/20012 must take place as a matter of priority; regrets the fact that eu legislation on access to documents is very much obsolete , thereby also hampering the ombudsman’s activities on this matter;


### j. whereas the commission has listed a number of problems relating to the implementation of regulation (eu) 2019/788 , and whereas it has undertaken to take a closer look at the impact those problems have on the effectiveness of the eci as an instrument , and to improve the way it operates; ### j. whereas the commission has listed a number of problems relating to the implementation of the former regulation , regulation (eu) 211/2011 , and whereas it has undertaken to take a closer look at the impact those problems have on the effectiveness of the eci as an instrument , and to improve the way it operates;


### 21. emphasises the development of the role of the ombudsman , who can use own-initiative powers to help to tackle systemic problems in eu administration and make efforts to promote good administration , i.e. ensuring the institutions , bodies , offices and agencies of the union meet the very highest standards; with that in mind , considers the role of the ombudsman to be more important than ever in view of the fact that the administration of the eu , via its agencies , is taking on an increasingly important role in citizens’ lives when it comes to issues such as migration and health; ### 21. is strongly in favour of the development of the role of the ombudsman , who can use own-initiative powers to help to tackle systemic problems in eu administration and make efforts to promote good administration , i.e. ensuring the institutions , bodies , offices and agencies of the union meet the very highest standards; with that in mind , considers the role of the ombudsman to be more important than ever in view of the fact that the administration of the eu , via its agencies , is taking on an increasingly important role in citizens’ lives when it comes to issues such as migration and health;


### 28. considers it essential that citizens be able to contribute to the exercise of the legislative prerogatives of the union and be directly involved in the initiation of legislative proposals; ### 28. considers it essential for european democracy that citizens be able to contribute to the exercise of the legislative prerogatives of the union and be directly involved in the initiation of legislative proposals;


### 32. highlights the need to establish a proper follow-up mechanism for unsuccessful ecis in order to take citizens’ input seriously , including redirecting citizens to the committee on petitions , as the lack of impact could lead to disengagement; underlines the role that the committee on petitions must play throughout hearing processes; calls on the commission to collaborate in a timely manner with parliament after an eci is deemed successful , to enable parliament to make full use of the three-month period for the organisation of hearings; ### 32. highlights the need to establish a proper follow-up mechanism for unsuccessful ecis in order to take citizens’ input seriously , including redirecting citizens to the committee on petitions , and with a view to avoiding their disengagement;


### 36. calls for public awareness of these three participatory instruments to be raised to ensure that they become effective tools for democratic participation; emphasises that all the european institutions should maximise their communication efforts to ensure that as many citizens as possible know about , and are encouraged to participate in , the instruments; ### 36. calls for public awareness , particularly among young people , of these three participatory instruments to be raised to ensure that they become effective tools for democratic participation; emphasises that all the european institutions should maximise their communication efforts to ensure that as many citizens as possible know about , and are encouraged to participate in , the instruments;


### 1. stresses the need to raise awareness at all levels of the rights enshrined in the crpd for persons with disabilities in order to protect their rights and dignity , and to promote fruitful cooperation and the exchange of good practices between member states; ### 1. stresses the need to raise awareness at all levels of the rights enshrined in the crpd for persons with disabilities in order to protect their rights and dignity , and to promote fruitful cooperation and the exchange of good practices between member states; encourages the member states to strengthen coordination mechanisms;


### 1. calls on the commission to ensure that the member states comply with the relevant eu and un obligations on the rights of persons with disabilities , in particular the un crpd and the crpd committee’s general comments to the convention , and with the relevant eu measures and funding rules , and to provide support to them in this regard; ### 1. calls on the commission to ensure that the member states comply with all relevant eu and un obligations on the rights of persons with disabilities , in particular the un crpd and the crpd committee’s general comments to the convention , and with the relevant eu measures and funding rules , and to provide support to them and their families in this regard; calls for the eu and those member states who have not yet done so to ratify the optional protocol to the uncrpd; highlights that a social model where disability is mainstreamed across public policies is necessary;


### 2. calls on the commission and the member states to harmonise the definition of disability and to ensure mutual recognition of disability status across member states , so as to ensure the free movement of persons with disabilities and their enjoyment of their eu citizenship rights; ### 2. calls on the commission and the member states to harmonise the definition of disability in line with the concluding observations of the crpd committee to the eu adopted in 2015 and to ensure mutual recognition of disability status across member states , so as to ensure the free movement of persons with disabilities , their enjoyment and recognition of their eu citizenship rights; urges the commission and the member states to assess the concept of chronic pain/diseases with a view to including it a harmonised eu definition of disability as requested by the parliament in its resolution of 18 june 2020 on the european disability strategy post-2020;


### 3. welcomes the fact that as part of the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021-2030 , an eu-wide disability card will be available by the end of 2023; ### 3. welcomes the fact that as part of the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021-2030 , an eu-wide disability card to expand the scope of the mutual recognition of disability status in areas such as labour mobility and benefits related to conditions of service provision will be available by the end of 2023; and calls on the commission and the member states to be bold regarding the scope of entitlements the card will afford its users as well as in ensuring that it is implemented in every member state , by way of binding eu legislation;


### 13. regrets the fact that access to the built environment and physical accessibility were not included within the scope of the european accessibility act; calls on the commission to use the european accessibility act as a basis for adopting a robust eu framework for an accessible and inclusive environment with fully accessible public spaces , services , including public transport , communication and financial services , and the built environment; ### 13. regrets the fact that access to the built environment and physical accessibility were not included within the scope of the european accessibility act; calls on the commission to use the european accessibility act as a basis for adopting a robust eu framework for an accessible and inclusive environment with fully accessible public spaces , services , including public transport , communication and financial services , and the built environment; welcomes the commission initiative of the "access city award";


### 18. strongly condemns all medical discrimination against persons with disabilities; recalls that the relevant measures adopted by the member states must comply with the crpd and must ensure equal and non-discriminatory access to healthcare and social services; stresses that persons with disabilities deserve the same medical treatment as any other person , including intensive medical care , also during health crises such as the covid-19 pandemic; ### 18. strongly condemns all medical discrimination against persons with disabilities; recalls that the relevant measures adopted by the member states must comply with the crpd and must ensure equal and non-discriminatory access to healthcare and social services; stresses that the response to future health crises (from preparedness to treatment) must ensure that persons with disabilities are not left behind; in this regard , urges the relevant authorities to offer persons with disabilities the same medical treatment as any other person , including intensive medical care , also during health crises such as the covid-19 pandemic;


### 19. reiterates its call on the commission to work with the court of justice of the european union on communication and accessibility strategies in order to ensure that persons with disabilities have the ability to access the eu justice system without facing any form of discrimination; ### 19. reiterates its call on the commission to work with the court of justice of the european union on communication and accessibility strategies in order to ensure that persons with disabilities have the ability to access the eu justice system without facing any form of discrimination; stresses the need to pay special attention to women with disabilities as they are two to five times more likely to experience violence than other women.19a


### 23. welcomes the fact that member states are willing to implement inclusive educational policies , but calls on them to further increase their education systems’ capacity to provide high-quality inclusive education for all learners , and calls on the commission to strengthen the role of the child guarantee in ensuring the inclusion of children with disabilities; ### 23. welcomes the fact that member states are willing to implement inclusive educational policies , but calls on them to further increase their education systems’ capacity to provide high-quality inclusive education for all learners , and calls on the commission to strengthen the role of the child guarantee in ensuring the inclusion of children with disabilities; stresses the need to increase the participation of young people with disabilities in training taking into account their needs , which would provide them better access to the labour market; notes the benefits for children from linguistic minorities with special educational needs to learn in their mother tongue during early years’ education in cases where it is difficult for them to use language and communicate; calls on the member states to ensure access to minority language education for children with special educational needs;


### c. whereas it is generally acknowledged that persons with disabilities continue to face multiple obstacles and discrimination in everyday life and that they do not enjoy the fundamental freedoms and rights laid down in numerous eu and un documents , such as mutual recognition of disability status between member states , access to public transport , accessibility of the built environment , use of sign languages , financing of and equal access to education and vocational training , access to personal assistance and community inclusion; ### c. whereas persons with disabilities continue to face multiple obstacles and discrimination in everyday life which prevents them from enjoying the fundamental freedoms and rights laid down in numerous eu and un legislation and conventions on an equal basis with others , such as mutual recognition of disability status between member states , access to public transport , physical , sensory and cognitive accessibility of the built environment , products , services and programmes , use of hearing assistive devices , haptic aids , sign languages and all other means and formats of accessible communication and information , financing of and equal access to inclusive education , vocational training and employment;


### d. whereas several petitions were submitted in regard to the misuse of eu funds for deinstitutionalisation of persons with disabilities; ### d. whereas several petitions were submitted in regard to the misuse of eu funds for deinstitutionalisation of persons with disabilities; whereas member states must speed up the process of deinstitutionalisation and the commission must carefully monitor their progress;


### 4. believes that erasmus+ should encourage stakeholders to share their expertise at an institutional level , learn from each other , build administrative capacity and foster inclusion and diversity; welcomes , in this sense , specific efforts to support cooperation between different stakeholders and to develop and implement inclusive policies that seek to integrate children and young people from migrant backgrounds into education; considers , however , that these efforts should be expanded in the field of higher education; ### 4. believes that erasmus+ should encourage stakeholders to share their expertise at an institutional level , learn from and connect with each other , build administrative capacity and foster inclusion and diversity; welcomes , in this sense , specific efforts to support cooperation between different stakeholders and to develop and implement inclusive policies that seek to integrate children and young people from migrant backgrounds and ethnic minorities into education; considers , however , that these efforts should especially be expanded in the field of higher education;


### 7. calls on the commission to look closely at the possibility of combining the erasmus+ and interrail programmes5 , and thus foster more equality and inclusion; ### 7. calls on the commission to look closely at the possibility of combining the erasmus+ and interrail programmes5 , and thus support european students , especially in higher education , in order to foster more equality and inclusion , taking into account the beneficiaries´ actual income;