46. CallsontheCommissiontoevaluatetheconsultationprocedureasregardsthedefinitionofthe
conceptofwastealreadycarriedoutandtomakeitaccessibletothepublic;
47. CallsontheCommission,asprovidedintheSixthCommunityEnvironmentActionProgramme,to
clarifythedistinctionbetweenwasteandnon-waste,toclarifythedefinitionofrecoveryandtodrawupageneraldefinitionoftheterms‘wasteprevention’,‘re-use’,‘recycling’and‘recycler’asswiftlyaspossibleandindependentlyofthestrategy;
48. UrgestheCommissiontoconsiderthescopeformakinglegislationonwastemoreflexible,for
examplebyincreasingthediscretiontotreatwasteonacasebycasebasis,accordingtoitsquality,andtoapplylesscumbersomeadministrativeprocedures,soastoensurethatlegislationdoesnotunnecessarilyimpedetherecyclingandutilisationofwaste;
49. Proposesthatinformationcampaignsshouldbeusedtoheightenawarenessinfavourofsustainable
wastemanagementamongthepublic,theauthoritiesandeconomicstakeholders;
50. Callsfortheparticipationofallpartiesinvolvedinthewasterecyclingcycle,includingendusers,
andcallsformeasuresfortheseparatecollectionofwaste,inordertomeetthechallengeofsustainablewastemanagement;
51. Callsfortheestablishmentofadvicecentrestopromotewastepreventionandsustainablewaste
managementamongsmallbusinesses;
52. CallsontheMemberStatestoenterintoanexchangeofinformationatEuropeanlevelonnational
trainingandeducationprogrammesinthefieldofwastemanagement,andproposesthataEuropeanstudybecarriedoutinschoolsontheteachingandknowledgeoftheproblemsassociatedwithwaste,withtheaim ofaddressing a recommendationtothe Member Statesaimed at heightening awareness ofthoseproblemsamongstyoungpeople;alsoproposesinthiscontextthatasupportprogrammebesetupfor
schoolprojectsonthebasisofthisstudy,withtheaimofintroducingwastepreventionandsustainable
wastemanagementinschools;
53. CallsontheCommissionandtheMemberStatestointensifytheireffortstodevelopinternational
wastedisposalstandardsfurtheratUNandOECDlevel;
54. WelcomestheCommission’sintentiontosubjectthestrategytoanextendedimpactassessment;55. InstructsitsPresidenttoforwardthisresolutiontotheCouncil,theCommissionandthegovern-
mentsandparliamentsoftheMemberStates.
P5_TA(2004)0309
RespectforandpromotionofthevaluesonwhichtheUnionisbased
EuropeanParliamentlegislativeresolutionontheCommissioncommunicationonArticle7oftheTreatyonEuropeanUnion:RespectforandpromotionofthevaluesonwhichtheUnionisbased
(COM(2003)606/dashC5-0594/2003/dash2003/2249(INI))
Andsomehoworothergoodmenareslowerinaction,andoverlookingthefirstbeginningsofthings,areatlastarousedby
necessityitselfsothatsometimesthroughtheirverydelaysandtardinessofmovementwhiletheywishtoretaintheireaseevenwithoutdignity,they,oftheirownaccord,loseboth.
M.TulliusCicero,ProSestio100
TheEuropeanParliament ,
/dash havingregardtoArticles6and7oftheTreatyonEuropeanUnionandtoArticle309oftheTreaty
establishingtheEuropeanCommunity,
/dash having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, signed in Nice on
7December2000(1),
(1) OJC364,18.12.2000,p.1.C104E/408 EN30.4.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
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/dash havingregardtothedraftTreatyestablishingaConstitutionforEuropedrawnupbytheConvention
ontheFutureofEurope(1),
/dash havingregardtotheCommissioncommunication(COM(2003)606/dashC5-0594/2003),
/dash havingregardtoRules47(2)and163ofitsRulesofProcedure,
/dash havingregardtothereportoftheCommitteeonConstitutionalAffairsandtheopinionoftheCom-
mitteeonLegalAffairsandtheInternalMarket(A5-0227/2004),
A. whereasArticle6oftheEUTreatyestablishestheEuropeanUnionasacommunityofvaluesand
fundamentalrightsandenshrinestheprincipleofrespectforfundamentalrights,asguaranteedbytheEuropeanConventionfortheProtectionofHumanRightsandFundamentalFreedomsandastheyresultfromthetraditionsoftheMemberStates,
B. whereasrespectforthevaluesonwhichtheUnionisbasedisapreconditionformembershipofand
involvementwiththeUnion,andwhereasaseriousandpersistentbreachofthosevaluesmayleadtotheimpositionofthepenaltiesreferredtoinArticle7,
C. whereastheCharterofFundamentalRightsoftheEuropeanUnionhasbeensolemnlyproclaimedby
theEuropeanCouncilandtheEuropeanParliament,whereasithasbeenacceptedbytheEuropean
Commission,andhasbeentakenintoaccountbytheEuropeanCourtofJustice,
D. whereastheConventionontheFutureofEuropeincorporatedtheCharterofFundamentalRightsinto
itsdraftConstitution,
E. whereasArticle2ofthedraftTreatyestablishingaConstitutionforEuropeplacesrespectforhuman
dignityattheheadofthelistofvaluesonwhichtheUnionisfounded,expandsthatlisttoincluderespectforequalityandmakesclearthatthesevaluesarecommontotheMemberStates,whosesocietiesarecharacterisedbypluralism,tolerance,justice,solidarityandnon-discrimination,
F. whereasthesamedraftconstitutionalTreatyconfirmsthetextsincorporatedsuccessivelybytheTreaty
ofAmsterdamandbytheTreatyofNiceintothebasicTreatiesintheformofArticle7,andwhereasthisdrafthasclarifiedthetextsbytransformingthemintoArticle58,whichlaysdowntheUnion’spower,
G. whereasalltheEuropeanUnionMemberStatesaremembersoftheUnitedNationsandtheprinciple
oftheruleoflawthereforeembracesrespectforinternationallawandtheUnitedNationsCharter,
1. WelcomestheCommission’sinitiativeasanimportantcontributiontoclosercooperationamongall
EUinstitutionsonprotectingthevaluesoftheUnionand,hence,humanrightsandfundamentalfreedoms;
2. Takestheviewthat,whendeterminingwhetheraclearriskofabreachoftheprinciplesreferredto
inArticle6(1),pursuanttoArticle7(1),oraseriousandpersistentbreach,pursuanttoArticle7(2),exists,ahigherstandardofprotectionoffundamentalrightsisneededthanthatproposedbytheCommission;
3. Takestheviewthat,whenArticle7isapplied,dueattentionmustbepaidtopoliticalphenomena
whichmustberegardedasclearrisksofabreachorasseriousandpersistentbreachesofthevaluesonwhichtheUnionisbasedandwhichdonotmerelyconstituteaseriesofindividualbreachesofthelaw:failuresbyaMemberStatetoactonviolationsofhumanrights,toleranceofsuchviolations,orthepromotionofaclimateorsocialconditionsinwhichindividualsrightlyfeelthreatenedmustberecognisedasaclearriskofabreachoftheUnion’svaluesanditscitizens’fundamentalfreedoms;
4. DoesnotsharetheCommission’sconvictionthat‘inthisUnionofvaluesitwillnotbenecessaryto
applypenaltiespursuanttoArticle7oftheEUTreatyandArticle309oftheECTreaty’;takestheview,instead,thatignoringthepossibleneedforpenaltiesmustcreatetheimpressionthattheUnionisnotpreparedorisnotinapositiontouseallthemeansatitsdisposaltodefenditsvalues;
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Tuesday20April2004
5. NotesthatneithertheTreatyofNicenorthedraftConstitutionenhancethenatureorextendthe
scopeofthemeasuresinvolvingthesuspensionofrightswhichtheCouncilofMinistersmaydecidetotake;
6. EmphasisesthattheTreaty,bystipulatingthatParliamentmustgiveitsassentpriortoanydecision
bytheCouncil,andbygrantingParliamenttherighttocallforaproceduretobeopenedintheeventofaclearriskofaseriousbreach,acknowledgesParliament’sspecialroleasanadvocateforEuropeancitizens;takestheviewthat,whenperformingthatspecialrole,Parliamentmustexerciseitspowersindefendingcommonprinciples,valuesandfundamentalrightsinanon-partisan,prudent,responsibleandfairmanner;
7. Takes the view, therefore, that, notwithstanding all necessary consultations and exchanges of
informationamongtheEuropeaninstitutions,itsdefinitiveopinionmustbebasedonitsindependentdecision;
8. EmphasisesitsparticularresponsibilityasthedirectlyelectedrepresentativeofEuropeancitizensin
defendingdemocracy,theruleoflawandfundamentalrights;
9. WelcomestheextensionofitsroleundertheArticle7procedurebroughtaboutbytheTreatyof
Nice;takestheviewthatthelackofarightofinitiativeforParliamentintheprocedurelaiddowntodealwithseriousbreachesshouldinnowaypreventParliamentfromcarryingoutitsnormalrole,sothat,althoughatpresentitmaynotbeabletosubmitaformalrequestonthebasisofthelaw,thereisnothingtostopitfromusingitssupervisorypowerstomakeapoliticalcallforactionbytheCouncil;
10. Emphasisesthat,inordertodeterminetheexistenceofaclearriskofaseriousbreach(Article7(1)
oftheEUTreaty)orofaseriousandpersistentbreach(Article7(2)oftheEUTreaty)ofcommonprin-ciples,theCouncilneedsParliament’sassent;itisthusallthemorenecessaryfortheabove-mentionedconditionstobefulfilled;
11. StatesthatthefollowingprinciplesshouldunderpintheapplicationofArticle7oftheEUTreaty
and,inparticular,therequirementthatitshouldgiveitsassentwhenbreachesareestablishedpursuanttoparagraphs1and2,andcallsontheCommissionandCouncillikewisetorespectthefollowingprinciples:
(a) Principleofconfidence
TheUnionlookstoitsMemberStatestotakeactivestepstosafeguardtheUnion’ssharedvaluesand
states,onthisbasis,thatasamatterofprincipleithasconfidencein:
/dash thedemocraticandconstitutionalorderofallMemberStatesandintheabilityanddetermination
oftheirinstitutionstoavertriskstofundamentalfreedomsandcommonprinciples,
/dash theauthorityoftheEuropeanCourtofJusticeandoftheEuropeanCourtofHumanRights.
UnioninterventionpursuanttoArticle7oftheEUTreatymustthereforebeconfinedtoinstancesof
clearrisksandpersistentbreachesandmaynotbeinvokedinsupportofanyrightto,orpolicyof,permanentmonitoringoftheMemberStatesbytheUnion.Nevertheless,theMemberStates,accessioncountriesandcandidatecountriesmustcontinuetodevelopdemocracy,theruleoflawandrespectforfundamentalrightsfurtherand,wherenecessary,implementorcontinuetoimplementcorrespondingreforms;
TheprincipleofconfidencedoesnotstandinthewayofgreateruseoftheservicesoftheEuropean
MonitoringCentreforRacismandXenophobia;ifappropriate, theroleoftheMonitoringCentrecouldberevisedwithaviewtoprovidingindependentandobjectivescrutinyonabroaderbasis;
(b) Principleofplurality
TheUnionrespectsthepluralityofideologies,politicalobjectivesandvaluesandthedemocraticcom-
petitionbetweenthemonthebasisoffundamentalrightsandcommonvalues.Parliament,theCouncilandtheCommissionmustthereforeensurethatnoimproperuseismadeoftheproceduresunderArticle7oftheEUTreatyasinstrumentsofpoliticalopposition;
(c) Principleofequality
InconnectionwiththeapplicationofArticle7oftheEUTreaty,theUnionacknowledgestheprinciple
ofstrictequalityoftreatmentofallMemberStatesirrespectiveofsize,politicalorientation,financialcontributiontotheUnionbudget,lengthofmembershipoftheUnionorotherdifferences;C104E/410 EN30.4.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Tuesday20April2004
(d) Principleofopenness
AlldecisionstakenunderArticle7oftheEUTreatywouldthusneedtobeascredibleaspossibleto
Europeancitizens.Withoutprejudicetodiplomaticconsultationsandotherpoliticaltalks,thepro-ceduresmustbetransparent,understandableandopentothepublic;
12. Regardsitasadvisable,oncethenewParliamentandthenewCommissionhavetakenoffice,to
embarkonaninterinstitutionaldialogueonasetofcommoncriteriaandtheabove-mentionedprinciplesgoverningtheopeningoftheArticle7procedurewithaviewtoorganisingcooperationandtheexchangeofallessentialinformationamongtheEuropeaninstitutions;
13. InstructsitsPresidenttoforwardthisresolutiontotheCouncil,theCommissionandthegovern-
mentsoftheMemberStatesandaccessioncountries.30.4.2004EN C104E/411 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
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