ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
M.

whereas a free, independent and impartial media constitutes one of the essential foundations of a democratic society; whereas the government has blocked access to social media sites, and several newspapers have refrained from going to press after the Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) issued restrictions on publishing information related to the protests; whereas widespread use of VPNs has enabled people to share graphic pictures and videos of protesters who have been wounded or killed; whereas Sudan is ranked 174th out of 180 countries on the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index 2018; whereas on 13 January 2019, the Association of Sudanese Professionals, which includes, among others, doctors, professors and engineers, issued a call to protest in the capital, Khartoum, and other cities such as Madani (east), Kosti (south) and Dongola (north) on the occasion of ‘a week of uprising’; whereas for the first time, a call to protest in Nyala and Al-Fasher, in the Darfur conflict region, has also been launched;
7.

Calls on the Council to approve the Commission proposal while introducing the following modifications: — indicate the Euratom contribution to the Joint Undertaking in both constant and current prices, — use, for clarity purposes, the word ‘Euratom’ instead of ‘Community’ throughout the text, — include clear provisions regarding the committees assisting the Governing Board of the Joint Undertaking, in particular the Administration and Management Committee, the Procurement and Contracts Committee, and the Technical Advisory Panel, as regards their composition, permanent or temporary status, number of meetings and method of remuneration of their members, — evaluate and eliminate overlapping responsibilities between the Administration and Management Committee and the Technical Advisory Panel with regard to project plans and work programmes, — introduce provisions regarding the contributions of the ITER host state, — include in Annex III (‘Financial Regulation: General Principles’) a requirement to lay down, in the Financial Regulation of the Joint Undertaking, rules and procedures for the evaluation of in-kind contributions, — include provisions in Article 5 and Annex III enabling the Joint Undertaking to receive funding in the form of financial instruments in connection with blending operations implemented in accordance with the future InvestEU Programme, — clarify the role and contribution of the United Kingdom in the light of its Euratom status, particularly with regard to potential participation in ITER, — include provisions regarding synergies and cooperation between ITER and the Euratom Research and Training Programme for the period 2021-2025, — consider cooperation with small and medium-sized private disruptive players, such as start-ups experimenting with new approaches and technologies, in the research programme and the network of organisations designated in the field of scientific and technological fusion research, — clarify the provisions concerning the annual reports and assessments drawn up by the Joint Undertaking, — include in the proposal a recommendation to investigate the possible further use of the materials currently being used in the ITER project;
25.

Points to the lack of coordination at Member State level regarding the interpretation of the notion of ‘due diligence’; calls on the Commission to clarify the notion of ‘due diligence’ in relation to good faith; points, as an example, to Article 16 of the Swiss Federal Law on the International Transfer of Cultural Property, which bans dealers and auctioneers from entering into an art transaction if they have any doubt as to the provenance of the object; notes that under this law the burden of proof is partly transferred to the seller; however, the possessor of an artwork cannot rely on the principle of good faith if he or she is unable to prove that he or she paid due attention at the time of acquisition; calls on the Commission to adopt measures aimed at making the art market and also the potential buyers of artefacts aware of the importance of provenance research, given that such research is linked to the due diligence obligation;
6.

Reaffirms the needed commitment and engagement with regard to respect for human rights, including social rights, democracy, fundamental freedoms, good governance and the rule of law, and to working together in this regard; recalls that human rights are at the centre of the EU’s relations with third countries; calls on the Singaporean authorities to ensure, in all circumstances, respect for international law, democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, in accordance with the UN Charter and Universal Declaration on Human Rights and considers that the EU should continue providing support to Singapore for social inclusion, respect for human rights and the rule of law, and the promotion of peace, security and judicial reform; welcomes the open public debate on the revision of the unenforced law on the punishment of consensual same-sex relations and calls on the Government of Singapore to fully protect the rights of the LGBTI community; insists that the Government of Singapore abolish the laws penalising sexual relationships between people of the same gender; stresses the need for further cooperation on women’s rights and urges the Government of Singapore to facilitate the adoption of legislation prohibiting all forms of discrimination against women and based on sexual orientation;
J.

whereas the exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary, as prescribed by Article 10 of the ECHR;
(ac)

to focus on the accession countries and partners in the EU neighbourhood by assisting them in their efforts to counteract hostile propaganda and disinformation activities and including experts from the third countries in the EU neighbourhood that are subjected to the same threats, as well as giving priority to the development of a long-term strategic approach and outreach towards Eastern Partnership countries in particular; to strengthen the capabilities of the EU Delegations abroad and the Commission Representations and the European Parliament Liaison Offices in Member States to develop local capacity to detect and expose disinformation and to communicate the EU’s values and policies effectively and extend campaign-based communication and better coordinate and amplify positive narratives across the EU institutions and Member States; to consider the current proliferation and future threats of disinformation aiming to threaten the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all Eastern Partnership countries within their internationally recognised borders; to give priority in particular to the development of a long-term strategic approach and outreach towards Eastern Partnership countries, focusing on people-to-people exchanges, and working with existing civil society networks that already represent a source of community-based resilience;
15.

Recalls that according to the Court of Auditors, the Commission was aware of the delays but chose not to include this information in its official reporting, which prevented the stakeholders (such as the European Parliament, other EU institutions not represented in the governance structure of Customs 2020, as well as interested companies and citizens) from being fully informed of the risk of delays in real time; calls, therefore, on the Commission to report regularly and transparently on the conduct of the multiannual strategic work plan and on the setting-up of the customs electronic systems, so as not to repeat the mistakes of the previous programming, and to inform about any possible future delays while not doing so at a moment’s notice or without proper corrective actions;
16.

Underlines the risk arising from the delay in deepening the banking union; welcomes the conclusions of the Eurogroup report to Leaders on EMU deepening of 4 December 2018, which was endorsed, in all its elements, by the Euro Summit of 14 December 2018; welcomes, in particular, the bringing forward of the introduction of the common backstop to the SRF, provided that sufficient progress has been made in the area of risk reduction, to be assessed in 2020, and the endorsement of the term sheet on the ESM reform; recalls its previous position on the need to complete the European deposit insurance scheme (EDIS), recognising that risk reduction and risk sharing should go hand in hand; notes that no immediate outcome as regards the future eurozone budget and the stabilisation function has been reached, but takes good note of the mandate to work on the budgetary instrument for convergence and competitiveness; underlines that significant progress has been achieved in the area of risk reduction; recalls that Parliament has made substantial contributions to enabling this, in particular on the banking package and the prudential backstop for non-performing loans;
2.

Calls on the Guatemalan authorities to cease all acts of intimidation against Guatemalan civil society, and human rights organisations in particular, to respect the constitutional order and to guarantee the fundamental rights of all Guatemalan citizens; underlines the fact that a vibrant civil society is essential to make the state more accountable, responsive, inclusive and effective at all levels, and thus more legitimate; insists that all institutions that defend constitutional democracy and human rights in Guatemala need to be supported and strengthened; recalls that guaranteeing an independent judiciary and respecting its independence, as well as ensuring an impartial legal system, is essential; stresses that these are key to consolidating efforts to combat corruption and impunity; considers that allegations of intimidation and threats against magistrates, judges and prosecutors should lead to immediate action to protect the country’s judicial institutions and their representatives; urges the Guatemalan Executive to immediately ensure independence of the judiciary and guarantee freedom of the press and the media;
5.

Encourages the EU institutions and the Member States to officially acknowledge and mark the histories of people of African descent in Europe, including of past and ongoing injustices and crimes against humanity, such as slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, or those committed under European colonialism, as well as the vast achievements and positive contributions of people of African descent, through both the official recognition at EU and national level of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade and through establishing Black History Months;
8.

Considers that in order to safeguard the integrity of the list of high-risk third countries, the screening and decision-making process should not be affected by considerations that go beyond the area of AML/CTF deficiencies; underlines that lobbying and diplomatic pressure should not undermine the EU institutions’ ability to tackle money laundering and to counter terrorism financing in a way that is linked to the EU in an effective and autonomous manner; calls on the Commission to further assess the possibility of establishing a ‘grey list’ of potentially high-risk third countries on a basis analogous to the Union’s approach in listing non-cooperative jurisdictions for tax purposes; expresses its concern that the length of the 12 month-long process leading to the final assessment in identifying third countries with strategic deficiencies may result in unnecessary delays for effective AML/CTF action;
—

having regard to its previous resolutions on Venezuela, in particular those of 27 February 2014 on the situation in Venezuela (1), of 18 December 2014 on the persecution of the democratic opposition in Venezuela (2), of 12 March 2015 on the situation in Venezuela (3), of 8 June 2016 on the situation in Venezuela (4), of 27 April 2017 on the situation in Venezuela (5), of 8 February 2018 on the situation in Venezuela (6), of 3 May 2018 on the elections in Venezuela (7), of 5 July 2018 on the migration crisis and humanitarian situation in Venezuela and at its terrestrial borders with Colombia and Brazil (8), of 25 October 2018 on the situation in Venezuela (9), of 31 January 2019 on the situation in Venezuela (10) and of 28 March 2019 on the emergency situation in Venezuela (11),
2.

Commends North Macedonia for its historic and satisfactory settlement of difficult, open bilateral issues and the promotion of good neighbourly relations, notably through the Prespa Agreement with Greece, and the Treaty on Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation with Bulgaria; calls on the Council to take into consideration the positive messages of these agreements and the counter-effects of its decision on political stability, regional cooperation and peaceful co-existence, and furthermore compliments the Republic of North Macedonia for its contribution to peace in the Balkans and for setting a shining example of how to find peaceful solutions to longstanding disputes; calls for the continuation of the Jean Monnet Dialogues with the Assembly of North Macedonia as a key instrument of support;
16.

Calls on the Presidents of the Council and the Commission, the VP/HR and the Member States to continue to follow such cases closely, to raise these issues in different formats and meetings with the Russian Federation, and to report back to Parliament on exchanges held with the Russian authorities, while making the latter fully aware of the unity and solidarity of the European Union in this case, as in other related cases; urges the Member States to raise this case when communicating with the Russian authorities;
W.

whereas the BBC and Voice of America (VOA) have been barred from broadcasting in Burundi since May 2019 when their licenses were suspended, originally for six months, as reported by the Committee to Protect Journalists at the time; whereas on 29 March 2019, Burundi’s media regulator, the National Communication Council (CNC), announced that it had withdrawn the BBC’s operating licence and renewed its suspension of the VOA; whereas the CNC also forbade any journalist in Burundi from ‘providing information directly or indirectly that could be broadcast’ by either the BBC or VOA;
6.

Maintains that the EU-Cape Verde SFPA and the Protocol thereto have to be aligned with the national development plans and the Blue Growth Plan for the development within ecological limits of the Cape Verdean fisheries sector, which are priority areas for EU support and for which the necessary technical and financial assistance must be mobilised, and specifically should: — strengthen institutional capacity and improve governance: drafting legislation, building on management plans and supporting the implementation of said legislation and management plans; — tighten up monitoring, control and surveillance in the Cape Verde EEZ and surrounding areas; — strengthen measures to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities, including in inland waters; — strengthen partnerships with other countries interested in fishing activity in the Cape Verde’s EEZ, namely by means of fisheries agreements, and ensure transparency by publishing any content thereof, and by establishing a regional programme to train and use observers; — support the establishment and improvement of a data collection programme that enables Cape Verdean authorities to understand the resources available and support the scientific assessment of resources, resulting in decision-making based on the best available scientific knowledge; — enable the construction and/or renovation of key infrastructure for fisheries and related activities, such as landing quays and ports (both industrial and artisanal, for example at the port of Mindelo, São Vicente island), sites for storing and processing fish, markets, distribution and marketing infrastructure, and quality analysis laboratories; — support and improve working conditions for all workers, in particular for women in all fishing-related activities, including not only commercialisation but also transformation, fisheries management and science; — support the scientific knowledge necessary for the establishment of marine-protected areas, including their implementation, monitoring and control; — limit bycatches of sensitive species, such as marine turtles; — enable the reinforcement of organisations representing men and women in the fishing industry, especially those involved in small-scale artisanal fisheries, thereby helping to strengthen technical, management and negotiating capabilities; — serve to set up and/or refurbish basic and vocational training centres, thereby raising the skill levels of fishers, seafarers and women in the fisheries sector and other blue economy-associated activities; — strengthen measures to encourage young people to engage in fishing; — enhance scientific research capabilities and the ability to monitor fishery resources and the marine environment; — improve the sustainability of marine resources overall;
24.

Stresses, however, that despite this progress important challenges remain, and urges the Vietnamese authorities to engage more on a progressive workers’ rights agenda through concrete measures, welcoming in this regard the adoption of the reformed Labour Code on 20 November 2019; also welcomes the ratification of fundamental ILO Convention 98 (collective bargaining) on 14 June 2019 and the commitment by the Vietnamese Government to ratify two remaining fundamental conventions, namely 105 (abolition of forced labour) in 2020 and 87 (freedom of association) in 2023, and calls on the Vietnamese authorities to provide a credible roadmap for their ratification; stresses the central role of implementing decrees in the implementation of the revised Labour Code and ratified ILO conventions and therefore underlines the need for the implementing decrees to the reformed Labour Code to incorporate the principles of ILO conventions 105 and 87; stresses its willingness to engage in an active dialogue on this issue; calls on the Vietnamese Government to continuously inform the EU on the progress of ratification and implementation of these outstanding conventions; recalls the significance of such commitments that portray truly positive trends in a developing country, while stressing the vital role of effective implementation of the provisions on human rights, ILO conventions and environmental protection; stresses that specific criteria included in the implementing legislation, such as thresholds and registration formalities, should not result in effectively precluding independent organisations from competing with state-run organisations; also stresses that penal legislation should be brought into line with the relevant ILO conventions; stresses that Vietnam’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the newly reformed Labour Code should be applied in a manner that does not render practically impossible the exercise of freedoms, especially as regards the freedom of assembly of independent labour unions; commends the pre-ratification conditionality stance taken by the EU;
G.

whereas energy plays a central role in the transition to a net-zero GHG emissions economy, and whereas efforts to continue decarbonising the energy system are therefore necessary to enable the Union to reach net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest, while at the same time promoting the transition in other sectors, and coping with increased electricity demand;
100.

Welcomes the extraordinary financial means and State aid provided to support businesses and workers when countering the pandemic’s economic fallout; calls on the Commission to set common minimum standards in order to specify the requirement for companies receiving financial assistance to be in line with ESG criteria and taxation transparency, so as to avoid different national criteria giving rise to further discrepancies and to demonstrate how the public support received is used to align their operation with the EU’s climate and environmental objectives and the Paris Agreement; recalls that aid should only be granted to cover the losses incurred due to COVID-19; underlines that State aid should only be granted to companies facing the immediate effects of COVID-19 and not those that were already financially unhealthy pre-crisis; urges that companies registered in tax havens should be banned from accessing State aid or financial support packages if they do not commit to changing their behaviour;
50.

Calls on the Member States and the Commission to fully implement the Next Generation EU measures as quickly as possible by making the necessary national procedures as simple and non-bureaucratic as possible to ensure the EU economic recovery is effective in dealing with the deepest crisis that the EU has dealt with in recent times; underlines that the COVID-19 crisis should not be used as an excuse to postpone, weaken or abolish the implementation of various product and industry standards, including those designed to promote sustainability, but that it should rather be taken as an opportunity to improve the single market in a way that promotes sustainable production and consumption;
15.

Is of the opinion that the current pandemic and its impact on our economies should not be used as an argument to further decrease national or European public spending on culture; stresses the crucial role of the Creative Europe programme and its MEDIA, Culture and cross-sectoral strands in ensuring European cooperation and a fair degree of stability in the sector through access to European funding by enabling projects to develop long-term partnerships; calls on the Commission to mainstream the cultural and creative sectors and industries throughout the MFF; recalls, in this context, that Parliament has asked for a necessary doubling of the budget allocated to the Creative Europe programme for the next MFF and strongly reaffirms its position in supporting the cultural and creative sectors and industries and their workers; considers it of the utmost importance that the programmes are finalised and adopted as soon as possible in order to ensure a smooth transition from their predecessors; stresses that, if the start of the new financing period is delayed, the Commission must ensure a transition to bridge the gap between the current Creative Europe programme and the new one;