ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
19.

Points out that the transfer of personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade-union membership, genetic data or data concerning a person’s health and sex life is extremely sensitive and gives rise to profound concerns given the different legal framework, societal characteristics and cultural background of the Lebanese Republic compared with the European Union; highlights the fact that criminal acts are defined differently in the Union from in the Lebanese Republic; is of the opinion that such a transfer of data should therefore only take place in very exceptional cases and with clear safeguards for the data subject and persons linked to the data subject; considers it necessary to define specific safeguards that would need to be respected by the Lebanese Republic as regards fundamental rights and freedoms, including respect for freedom of expression, freedom of religion and human dignity;
9.

Calls for the establishment of an improved legal framework and for greater efficiency and capacity of the prosecution, so as to enable a comprehensive approach to investigations and prosecutions, which should be substantiated by the freezing, confiscation and recovery of assets, and final convictions in cases of high-level corruption, organised and financial crime, money laundering and terrorist financing; calls for safeguards ensuring independence in law enforcement and prosecution and preventive counter-corruption measures across various sectors; believes that further measures are required to ensure better cooperation and coordination between law enforcement institutions and to maximise the independence and accountability of the judiciary; calls on Kosovo to abide by international procedures and rules on the extradition of foreign nationals, putting in place the necessary measures to prevent cases such as that of the six Turkish nationals deported from Kosovo to Turkey at the end of March 2018; welcomes, in this regard, the decision of the Kosovo Assembly to set up a committee of inquiry to investigate this case;
7.

Condemns the Saudi authorities’ ongoing harassment of human rights defenders, activist lawyers, journalists, clerics, writers and bloggers both within and outside the country, which undermines the credibility of the reform process in Saudi Arabia; insists that the Saudi authorities take the necessary steps to allow everyone to exercise their rights freely without any judicial harassment or any other reprisals, such as threats to their families; calls on the Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all human rights defenders and other prisoners of conscience detained and sentenced for merely exercising their right to freedom of expression and carrying out their peaceful human rights work;
6.

Recalls the Commission’s reply with respect to the petitions on the role of the Jugendamt in cross-border family disputes; reiterates that the EU has no general competence to act in matters of family law, that substantive family law remains the sole responsibility of the Member States and cannot be monitored by the Commission, that, in case of concern about the functioning of the Jugendamt, redress must be sought at national level, and that if parents consider that any of their fundamental rights have been violated, they may lodge a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, once the domestic remedies have been exhausted;
30.

Applauds the Ombudsman’s constant interest in issues pertinent to the staff of the institutions and highlights the importance of diminishing any kind of discrimination that might arise from differentiated status; reiterates the significance of the Ombudsman’s findings on unpaid traineeships in EU delegations of the EEAS (case 454/2014/PMC) and the recommendation that the EEAS should pay its trainees an appropriate allowance in accordance with the principle of non-discrimination; deplores the fact that other EU institutions follow the same malpractice of unpaid traineeships, which does not afford fair opportunities to young people or offer work equal to that of an employee, leaving young professionals excluded from a lack of sufficient funds with which to sustain themselves and inadequately remunerated for their services; points out that shortcomings in the status of trainees are witnessed in other areas, such as a lack of mechanisms for reporting sexual harassment in agencies of the Union; calls on the Ombudsman, therefore, to open a general strategic inquiry on the status of trainees;
13.

Considers that monetary policy alone is not sufficient to achieve a sustainable economic recovery; recalls the counter-cyclical impact of monetary policy in the post-crisis recovery, but believes that the structural contribution that monetary policy makes to sustainable growth is limited; therefore, urges policymakers to maintain the current economic upswing beyond the short term by implementing a mix of socially balanced, ambitious and growth-friendly productivity-enhancing structural reforms and fiscal policies, within the framework of the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP), including its flexibility provisions; echoes the words of the chair of the European Fiscal Board, addressing the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs on 5 November 2018, to the effect that ‘flexibility in the rules must be a practice that depends on the economic situation we are in’, as well as the view expressed in the report of June 2018 that ‘to safeguard the credibility of the Pact, its flexibility provisions should be applied in a symmetric way, not only when the economy goes south or is weak’;
25.

Reaffirms its position that the rules for precautionary recapitalisation need to be clarified; notes that precautionary recapitalisation can be an instrument for crisis management but believes that its use needs to be strictly limited to exceptional cases where the bank is compliant with the harmonised minimum regulatory capital levels and therefore solvent and where compliance with EU State aid rules is ensured; recalls that the objective of the EU resolution regime is to make sure that taxpayers are protected, the cost of bank management failures is borne by its shareholders and creditors, and that the stability of the financial system as a whole is preserved; stresses that the rules on the resolution of credit institutions need to be even better applied;
14.

Insists, therefore, that membership of the EU would then require full compliance with primary EU law in all policy areas, while those countries desiring a close relationship with the EU without being willing to commit to full compliance with primary law and which either will not or cannot join the EU should be offered some form of partnership; considers that this relationship should be accompanied by obligations corresponding to the respective rights, such as a contribution to the EU budget, and should be contingent on adherence with the Union’s fundamental values, the rule of law and, when it comes to internal market participation, the four freedoms;
2.

Considers it essential that the agreement will ensure a high level of investment protection, transparency and accountability, while safeguarding the right to regulate at all governmental levels and pursue legitimate public policy objectives for both Parties, such as public health and environmental protection; stresses that if one Party should regulate in a manner that negatively affects an investment or interferes with an investor’s profit expectations, it would not amount in itself to a breach of investment protection standards and hence not require any compensation; highlights that the agreement must not in any way restrict the autonomy of social partners and trade union rights;
11.

Welcomes the fact that Singapore agreed to set up a GI registration system which will protect around 190 EU geographical indications, with the possibility of adding more at a later stage; recalls that in 2016, the EU exported EUR 2,2 billion worth of agri-food products to Singapore, and notes that Singapore is the fifth largest market in Asia for EU food and drink exports, offering significant opportunities to EU farmers and agri-food producers; welcomes, therefore, Singapore’s commitment in this agreement to keep zero duties on agri-food products, and the putting in place of a system for certifying EU meat-producing establishments seeking to export to Singapore; regrets, however, that the agreement does not offer automatic protection for the 196 EU GIs included in the Annex to the Intellectual Property Rights chapter, as all GIs — regardless of origin — will need to be examined and pass through publication (and opposition, if any), according to the registration procedure in Singapore, in order to be protected; underlines that the implementing legislation on GIs, which establishes the Singapore GI registry and the GI registration procedure, will come into force upon the ratification of the agreement by Parliament; calls on the Singapore authorities to start work immediately on the registration procedure and to expeditiously set up the registry and bring it into force upon Parliament’s ratification of the agreement; encourages the Commission to continue to work intensively with the Singaporean authorities in order to ensure that the highest number of EU GIs will be protected in line with the terms of protection laid down in the FTA, without any exceptions or limitations (including annexes or footnotes);
1.

Recommends the following to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy: a. to present a strategic reflection on the use, role, mandates and contribution of the EUSRs in light of the implementation of the EU Global Strategy; b. to ensure that EUSRs are only appointed if there is a clear added value in using this instrument, i.e. if their tasks cannot be efficiently fulfilled by existing structures within the EEAS, including by EU Delegations, or within the Commission; c. to ensure that EUSRs are primarily used to step up EU efforts in conflict prevention and resolution and implementation of the EU strategies, in particular through mediation and dialogue facilitation, and to advance EU policy objectives in specific thematic fields, all within the remit of external relations and respecting international law; d. to avoid a proliferation of EUSRs and a fragmentation of their mandates which would create overlap with other EU institutions and lead to increased coordination costs; e. to ensure that the mandates and actions of EUSRs when addressing regional security and conflict prevention, mediation and resolution are guided by the principles of international law as outlined in the 1975 Helsinki Final Act and other crucial norms of international law, as well as by the peaceful settlement of disputes, as a key element of the European security order and as emphasised in the EU Global Strategy; and to comply with all rules and policies adopted by the EU towards the region or conflict covered within their sphere of responsibility; f. to consider all possible means to strengthen the role of the EUSRs as an effective tool of EU external policy, capable of developing and advancing EU foreign policy initiatives and promoting synergy, notably by ensuring that EUSRs can travel freely within the area covered by their mandate, including conflict zones, for the purpose of effective implementation of their tasks; g. to ensure greater transparency and visibility of the work of the EUSRs, including by public reporting on country visits, work programme and priorities, as well as the creation of individual webpages to allow public scrutiny of their action; h. to reinforce the assets that constitute the added value of the EUSR, namely legitimacy built on the backing of the VP/HR and the Member States, country/regional/thematic responsibilities, political weight, flexibility, and enhancing the EU's presence and visibility in partner countries, thus strengthening the EU's profile as an effective international actor;
11.

Emphasises that, in order to ensure that patients have access to the right case-specific therapy that caters to their individual needs as patients with single or multiple disorders, it is essential that they be provided with comprehensive information about the full spectrum profiles of the plant strains used in the medication provided; points out that such information would empower patients and allow medical practitioners to prescribe medication that takes into consideration the holistic needs of the patient and the corresponding therapy;
—

having regard to Directive (EU) 2015/849 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2015 on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing, amending Regulation (EU) No 648/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Directive 2005/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Commission Directive 2006/70/EC (4AMLD), and in particular Articles 9(2) and 64(5) thereof (1), and as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/843 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 amending Directive (EU) 2015/849 on the prevention of the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing, and amending Directives 2009/138/EC and 2013/36/EU (5AMLD), in particular Article 1(5) (2),
E.

whereas despite the legal work done, the jurisconsults of the legal services of the Commission and Council were not able to formally endorse the document which emerged from the remarkable work carried out by the legal services of the three institutions, and this led to an effective standstill on this important file; whereas, consequently, a debate was held in plenary under AFCO’s auspices on 13 December 2017 following two questions for an oral answer, after which AFCO, on 3 May 2018, forwarded a new wording of the proposal in the form of a non-paper, representing the formal follow-up of the agreement reached between the AFCO Chair and the rapporteur, Ramón Jáuregui Atondo, with the Slovak Council Presidency and the Commission on 10 October 2016, stating that ‘in order for official negotiations to be launched, a presentation of a new wording of the EP proposal is necessary’;
8.

Calls on the Ugandan Government to strengthen redress mechanisms within the police force for human rights violations, in order to ensure that police officers uphold their duty to protect the rights of all people, including members of the LGBTI community, and to guarantee that all human right defenders and NGOs working on behalf of the LGBTI community in Uganda are able to pursue their legitimate activities under any circumstances, including their right to freedom of association, without fear of reprisals and free from all restrictions;
D.

whereas on 27 August 2019, the court of first instance sentenced three women labour rights activists — Sepideh Gholian, Sanaz Allahyari and Asal Mohammadi — on charges including ‘assembly and collusion to act against national security’; whereas it emerged on 24 and 31 August that Marzieh Amiri and Atefeh Rangriz, two women labour rights defenders who had been in detention since their arrest at a peaceful Labour Day protest, were sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison and 148 lashes, and 11 and a half years in prison and 74 lashes, respectively, on charges that include ‘assembly and collusion to act against national security,’‘propaganda against the state’ and ‘disrupting public order’;
S.

whereas the Algerian Constitution enshrines fundamental freedoms, including freedom of association, which is further defined by Law 12-06; whereas Law 12-06 requires that every association, including those that have already successfully registered, to register and obtain a registration receipt from the Ministry of the Interior before they can operate legally; whereas the applications for pre-registration of several civil society, non-governmental, religious and charitable organisations, such as the LADDH, EuromedRights, the RAJ, Amnesty International, the Protestant Association of Algeria, the National Commission for Non-Muslim Religious Groups and the Feminist Association for Personal Development and Exercise of Citizenship (AFEPEC), are still pending, despite their meeting all legal requirements; whereas they therefore lack official legal status;
8.

Urges the Afghan Government to start a nationwide campaign to educate society about the prohibition of bacha bazi and the right of minors to be protected from such physical and sexual abuse; stresses that only through a combination of law enforcement and education on the issue will it be possible to achieve the cultural change needed in Afghan society to eliminate this practice; insists that these efforts prioritise the de-stigmatisation of victims of bacha bazi practices and prevent them from being ostracised by their communities, expelled from their families, or killed;
3.

Expresses its regret that the hearings have not yet resulted in any significant progress by the two Member States in question with regard to redressing clear risks of a serious breach of the values referred to in Article 2 of the TEU; notes with concern that the reports and statements by the Commission and international bodies, such as the UN, OSCE and the Council of Europe, indicate that the situation in both Poland and Hungary has deteriorated since the triggering of Article 7(1) of the TEU; points out that the failure by the Council to make effective use of Article 7 of the TEU continues to undermine the integrity of common European values, mutual trust, and the credibility of the Union as a whole; reiterates its position on the Commission’s decision to activate Article 7(1) of the TEU as regards the situation in Poland and on its own proposal calling on the Council to determine, pursuant to Article 7(1) of the TEU, the existence of a clear risk of a serious breach by Hungary of the values on which the Union is founded; calls on the Council, therefore, to ensure that hearings under Article 7(1) of the TEU also address new developments and assess risks of breaches of the independence of the judiciary, freedom of expression, including media freedom, freedom of the arts and sciences, freedom of association and the right to equal treatment; calls on the Commission to make full use of the tools available to address a clear risk of a serious breach by Poland and Hungary of the values on which the Union is founded, in particular expedited infringement procedures and applications for interim measures before the Court of Justice;
36.

Reiterates the EU’s commitment to supporting the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of Ukraine and all EaP countries within their internationally recognised borders, in accordance with international law, norms and principles in order to increase support for conflict-affected residents, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees and to counter attempts at destabilisation from third countries, in particular Russia; rejects the use of force or the threat of force when resolving conflicts and reiterates its vision that current conflicts in all EaP countries should be settled in accordance with international law norms and principles; remains fully committed to the policy of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea; strongly underlines the importance of the proactive stance based on international law against protracted conflicts in the Eastern Neighbourhood; condemns, furthermore, the continued militarisation in the Georgian occupied territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia and calls on Russia to fulfil its obligations under international law; underlines, that more than a decade after the end of the Russian act of aggression in Georgia and subsequent ceasefire brokered by the EU, the Russians are still acting in blatant violation of some of some of its own provisions and the ‘borderisation’ process is ongoing; calls for the strengthening of the mandate of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and the enhanced visibility thereof; urges the Russian Federation, as the occupying power, to honour its international obligations and grant EUMM unhindered access to the occupied regions;
6.

Welcomes the commitment of both the Commission President and the Commissioner for Equality to table measures to introduce binding pay transparency measures in the first 100 days of the Commission’s mandate; considers that the forthcoming directive should include strong enforcement policies for those failing to comply, and should apply to both the private and public sector, with due account taken of the specificities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and to the entire remuneration package, including any components thereof, and have a broad scope; calls on the Commission to consider introducing concrete measures, building on its 2014 Recommendation, such as (a) the clear definition of criteria for assessing the value of work, (b) gender-neutral job evaluation and classification systems, (c) gender pay audits and reports to guarantee equal pay, (d) workers’ entitlement to request full pay information and right to redress, and (e) clear targets for companies’ equality performance; strongly believes that such measures are necessary to identify cases of pay discrimination in order for workers to make informed decisions and take action where necessary; calls on the Commission to promote the role of the social partners and of collective bargaining at all levels (national, sectoral, local and company) in the upcoming pay transparency legislation;
26.

Deplores the fact that some Member States have failed to effectively guarantee safe and timely access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) during the COVID-19 pandemic; reaffirms that the denial of SRHR services, including safe and legal abortion, is a form of violence against women and girls; reiterates that the rights of LGBTI persons are an integral part of working towards complete respect for SRHR; urges all Member States to analyse how their SRHR services have fared during the pandemic and to cooperate on finding best practices for the future, in the light of the example set by several countries in finding good and innovative ways to provide SRHR services, including telemedicine, online consultations and early medication abortion from home; calls on all Member States to guarantee comprehensive sexuality education, ready access for women to family planning, and the full range of reproductive and sexual health services, including modern contraceptive methods and safe and legal abortion, also in times of crisis;
23.

Calls on the Commission to forward to Parliament the minutes and conclusions of the meetings of the Joint Committee, the multiannual sectoral programme referred to in Article 5 of the Protocol and the results of its annual evaluations, information on the coordination of this programme with the strategic plan for the development of Guinea-Bissau’s fisheries (2015-2020), the minutes and conclusions of the meetings of the Joint Scientific Committee, and information on IUU fishing in the Guinean fishing zone, the integration of EU economic operators in the Guinean fisheries sector (Article 10 of the Protocol) and the verification of compliance with the obligations of ship-owners (e.g. in relation to the contribution in kind provided for in Chapter V of the Annex to the Protocol); calls on the Commission to present to Parliament, within the last year of application of the Protocol and before the opening of negotiations for its renewal, a full report on its implementation;