ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
36.

Calls on the Commission to further mainstream digital technologies and services into the EU’s development policy, as outlined, inter alia, in the Digital4Development agenda; calls on the Commission to use trade agreements to improve and promote digital rights; recognises that only 53,6 % of all households worldwide have access to the internet; deplores the fact that there is still a significant digital divide; calls on the Commission to increase investments in digital infrastructure in the Global South in order to bridge this digital divide, including by stimulating public-private partnerships, but while still respecting the development effectiveness principles; notes in this context the contribution of the UN ITU-D in the creation, development and improvement of telecommunication and ICT equipment and networks; urges the Commission to make investments in broadband infrastructure in developing countries contribute integrally to, and contingent on, respect for a free, open and secure internet and to develop adequate solutions to promote mobile internet access; stresses that such investments are particularly important for local micro, small & medium enterprises, especially in developing countries, in order to enable them to interact digitally with multinational enterprises and to access global value chains; recalls that facilitating cross-border e-commerce can have a direct impact on improving livelihoods, fostering higher living standards and boosting economic development; recalls the contribution that such endeavours could make to gender equality since a great number of these companies are owned and run by women; reiterates that digital trade could also be a resource for public administrations and thus support the development of e-government;
G.

whereas, on 3 September 2017, Kem Sokha, the president of the CNRP, was arrested and charged with treason under Article 443 of the Cambodian Criminal Code, despite having parliamentary immunity; whereas Kem Sokha’s request for bail was rejected on 26 September 2017, when he was unable to attend the hearing, after the prisons department said they could not ensure his safety; whereas according to human rights organisations he was interrogated on 24 November 2017, even though he has not had adequate access to legal counsel or private medical care; whereas his legal status has to be clarified; whereas the bail request is now pending with the Supreme Court; whereas he faces up to 30 years in prison if found guilty; whereas the President of the Court, Dith Munty, is a member of the standing committee of the ruling party;
B.

whereas numerous scientific studies, including the European Parliamentary Research Service study of October 2017 on EU summer-time arrangements under Directive 2000/84/EC, have failed to come to a conclusive outcome, but have instead indicated the existence of negative effects on human health;
29.

Calls on the Commission and the DGs responsible for gender equality, development and energy and climate respectively to include gender equality in a structured and systematic manner in their climate change and energy policies for the EU, and not to focus exclusively on the external dimension; urges, in particular, the DG for Justice and Consumers and the DG for International Cooperation and Development (DEVCO) to step up their awareness of and work on gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) as it relates to climate justice; stresses the need for the DG for Climate Action (CLIMA) to allocate resources to staff the position for a gender focal point (GFP); calls for the EU and its Member States to develop the principle of climate justice; insists that the greatest injustice of our failure to tackle climate change effectively would be the detrimental effects on poor countries and populations, and on women in particular;
J.

whereas the National Security Law of 2010 and the amendment to Article 151 of the Constitution adopted on 5 January 2015 have conferred wide-ranging powers of arrest and detention on the NISS, enabling it to hold suspects for as long as four and a half months without any scope for judicial review; whereas it is alleged that these powers are being used to arbitrarily arrest and detain people who, in many cases, are tortured and subjected to other ill-treatment; whereas, under the same law, NISS officers are immune from prosecution for any act committed in the course of their duties, which has created a culture of general impunity;
41.

Urges the Commission and the Member States to assist regional and local authorities in taking coordinated steps to incentivise energy innovation at local and trans-regional level with the aim of developing coherent strategies; underlines that energy transition will have a drastic impact on employment in some regions of the European Union and, in that context, stresses that there should be a particular focus on regions facing the challenges of phasing out lignite, coal and other solid fossil fuel-based energy generation and on the mining industries in response to a decision by a Member State, the local authorities or the industry, or in response to other circumstances; underlines the need to support these regions in the development of inclusive, local and just transition strategies and in addressing societal, socio-economic and environmental impacts along with the reconversion of sites; highlights the financial options for providing such support through the partial use of ETS auction revenues, as well as through the Modernisation Fund to be set up for the period 2021-2030; considers that inclusive stakeholder processes should develop how best to attract alternative innovative businesses, start-ups, and industries with the aim of building a sustainable regional economy, boosting people’s dignity and helping to replace electricity generation capacity with renewables or energy efficiency solutions; calls for research and innovation policies to focus on how to revitalise the regions concerned in terms of sustainable employment and growth perspectives, in particular where the retirement of energy generating capacity from lignite, coal or other solid fossil fuels is linked to mining activities;
2.

Notes that: — on 31 January 2018, the post of Deputy Secretary-General was published with the standard deadline of ten working days for applications (i.e. 13 February 2018); — only two candidates applied, one man and one woman, both from the cabinet of the Commission President; the new Secretary-General was one of the applicants for the post; the second candidate applied for the vacancy on 8 February 2018, went through the full-day assessment centre on 12 February 2018, withdrew her application prior to the interview with the Consultative Committee on Appointments (CCA) scheduled for 20 February 2018, and was then appointed as the Commission President’s new Head of Cabinet; — the new Secretary-General went through the procedure provided for in Article 29 of the Staff Regulations which included: a) a full-day assessment centre (15 February 2018); b) an interview (16 February 2018), assessment and opinion (20 February 2018) by the CCA; c) an interview with the Commissioner responsible for Budget and Human Resources, and the President of the European Commission (20 February 2018); — no minutes were drafted for these interviews, nor was their length recorded; — the College – by unanimous decision – appointed the Head of Cabinet of the Commission President as Deputy Secretary-General on 21 February 2018; — subsequently, during the same meeting, the then Secretary-General announced his retirement having, on the morning of the same day, sent a formal letter to the President stating his intention to retire on 31 March 2018; — the President of the European Commission and his Head of Cabinet had known since 2015 that the then Secretary-General intended to retire soon after March 2018, an intention which was reconfirmed in early 2018; the President had not, however, divulged this information in order not to undermine the authority of the then Secretary-General, but he had communicated with his Head of Cabinet; — after the repeated failure of his efforts to persuade the then Secretary-General to extend his tenure, the President of the European Commission should, at the very minimum, have alerted the Commissioner responsible for Budget and Human Resources of the impending vacancy, so that steps to fill that vacancy could have been initiated in the normal, best-practice and timely manner; — acting on a proposal from the President, in agreement with the Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources, and without the appointment of a new Secretary-General having been placed on the agenda of the meeting, the College decided to transfer the newly appointed Deputy Secretary-General with his post, pursuant to Article 7 of the Staff Regulations, to the position of Secretary-General of the European Commission (reassignment without publication of the post);
30.

Believes that a link between cohesion policy and the guarantee of an environment conducive to investment, effectiveness and the proper use of funds is also helpful for the achievements of the cohesion policy objectives, while stressing that cohesion policy is not meant to be reduced to an instrument for serving priorities without reference to its objectives; stresses the need to apply the agreed position on the Stability and Growth Pact regarding flexibility for cyclical conditions, structural reforms and government investments; believes that the measures linking the effectiveness of the ESI Funds to sound economic governance, as outlined in Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013, should be carefully analysed, including through the involvement of all stakeholders; is of the opinion that the Commission should consider adjustments to how the cohesion policy and the European Semester are linked in order to strengthen the latter’s territorial and social dimension, and take account of other factors which contribute to the achievement of cohesion objectives, such as real convergence; calls on the Commission, in this context and in the framework of the European Semester, to look into regional and national cofinancing under the ESI Funds and its impact on national deficits;
—

having regard to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, adopted through Decision 1/CP.21 at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 21) and 11th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 11) held in Paris, France, from 30 November to 11 December 2015,
5.

Reiterates its commitment to freedom of expression, and reaffirms the key role played by the media in a democratic society; notes with concern that journalists covering the demonstrations and the riots that broke out have been beaten along with participants, and that two journalists were arrested; calls on the Ugandan authorities to create an environment where journalists can carry out without hindrance their work of informing about political developments in the country;
C.

whereas 10 years after the Russian military aggression in Georgia of August 2008, the Russian Federation still continues its illegal occupation of the Georgian territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, undermining international law and the rules-based international system; whereas the so-called integration and alliance treaties signed between Russia and Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2014 and 2015 were clear violations of international law, OSCE principles and Russia’s international commitments; whereas the European Union does not recognise the framework of the so-called elections and a referendum held by Russia-backed separatists in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2016 and 2017;
5.

Urges the Commission to ensure that Member States fully comply with the provisions of the Union Customs Code, which entered into force on 1 May 2016, and to clarify any provisions that may lead to confusion; calls on the Commission and the Member States to make sure that the application of the common rules by customs authorities is organised in such a manner that fraud, including carousel fraud, is effectively prevented and controls are reinforced at ports, airports and land borders and on the internet;
M.

whereas in its judgement of 21 September 2016 in Case C-592/14, the CJEU confirmed that the placing on the Union market of cosmetic products containing some ingredients that have been tested on animals outside the EU, in order to market those products in third countries, may be prohibited if the data resulting from that testing is used to prove the safety of the products concerned for the purposes of placing them on the EU market;
8.

Calls for a renewed and coordinated approach between the AU, the EU, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the UN as a whole; regrets the fact that the Government of Burundi is not taking into consideration the reports of the UN Secretary-General, the resolutions of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the AU decision of January 2018 or the mediation efforts of the ECA; encourages bilateral and multilateral partners and the Government of Burundi to continue their dialogue with a view to the Government of Burundi creating conditions conducive to the resumption of assistance; calls for all Burundian stakeholders to participate actively in this process; reiterates its support for the mediation process with the backing of the AU and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General;
T.

whereas a gender perspective must be included in decision-making on youth policies which takes into account the specific challenges and circumstances faced by young women and girls in particular, from different cultural and religious backgrounds; whereas specific gender-sensitive measures should be included in youth policy, such as prevention of violence against women and girls, education on gender equality and sex education; whereas women are 1,4 times more likely not to be in education, employment or training (NEET) than men on average (20) and continued efforts are needed to increase participation levels in the labour market among young women – particularly after maternity leave and for single mothers – and those who have dropped out of school, the low-skilled, young people with disabilities and all youngsters at risk of discrimination;
9.

Takes the view that economic diplomacy instruments employed at EU level, such as the Mission for Growth, could be used to address economic challenges and exploit economic opportunities at global level more effectively; calls on the Commission to step up its efforts in that area under the EU industrial policy strategy, without creating duplicate structures; calls, in that connection, for an ‘Export potential in relation to enterprise size’ indicator to be developed in order to improve information and best-practice examples on opportunities for the internationalisation and international competitiveness of SMEs, and for additional support to be offered to SMEs with high export potential;
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 Tunisia compared with the European Union; highlights the fact that criminal acts are defined differently in the Union from in Tunisia; 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 Tunisia as regards fundamental rights and freedoms, including respect for freedom of expression, freedom of religion and human dignity;
30.

Underlines the need to pursue reforms that prepare the labour market and its workforce for the digital transformation for people of all ages and backgrounds through a flexible, learner-centric approach, in particular by ensuring adequate provision for lifelong learning and digital skills training, which is central to a knowledge-based economy,; emphasises the importance of lifelong careers guidance in ensuring people’s participation in suitable, flexible and high-quality training and career paths; recalls, in this context, the limits of skills forecasting in view of the rapidly changing nature of the labour market and stresses the importance, in this regard, of transversal skills such as communication, problem-solving, creativity and the ability to learn, all of which boost people’s resilience and enhance their ability to adapt to change and acquire new skills throughout their lives; highlights the need to ensure that national social protection systems provide adequate protection for all employees, including in new forms of work and with new kinds of contracts as well as adequate coverage for those who cannot work or are unable to find work; calls on the Member States to develop labour market policies that support cross-sector mobility and the re-training of workers, which will become increasingly important as our labour markets adapt to the digital transformation of our economies; stresses the need, in that respect, to secure the involvement of both trade unions and employers’ organisations in order to ensure a fair transformation;
9.

Recommends that Member States ensure, with a view to achieving automatic mutual recognition of diplomas and fair access to higher education institutions, that all European students are entitled to attend upper secondary education under the same conditions as nationals of that Member State, by having the right to be placed in a class with their own age group, at the equivalent level to their class in their country of origin, regardless of their language level;
D.

whereas infected ticks and the disease seem to be expanding geographically, with instances now also being recorded at higher altitudes and latitudes, as well as in towns and cities; whereas the suspected causes are, among other things, changes in land use, inter alia through the afforestation of low-quality land or the expansion of invasive plants, climate change, global warming, excessive humidity and other activities related to human behaviour;
3.

Reiterates its call on the Vietnamese authorities to end all restrictions and acts of harassment against human rights defenders and to guarantee in all circumstances that they are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisal and free from all restrictions including judicial harassment; calls on the Government of Vietnam to remove all restrictions on freedom of religion and to put an end to the harassment of religious communities;
3.

Calls on the Government of Iran to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including of opinion and expression; calls for the release of all those arrested for the peaceful exercise of the rights to freedom of assembly, opinion and expression, including Reza Khandan, as well as other human rights defenders, environmental activists, trade unionists, women’s rights campaigners and prisoners of conscience; calls on the Iranian authorities to fully respect the universal human rights of all people, in particular the rights to freedom of expression online and offline; calls on the Iranian authorities to respect and protect the rights of peaceful assembly, and refrain from the use of violent force in dispersing non peaceful assemblies;
E.

whereas according to the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (5)‘a conflict of interests constitutes, objectively and in itself, a serious irregularity without there being any need to qualify it by having regard to the intentions of the parties concerned and whether they were acting in good or bad faith’; whereas the Commission is obliged to suspend EU fund payments in cases where a serious deficiency in the functioning of the management and control systems exists and where undiscovered, unreported and uncorrected serious irregularities related to a conflict of interest have come to light;
D.

whereas protests and massive demonstrations have taken place in Venezuela over the last few days; whereas dozens of deaths and several hundred people injured are being reported in the context of demonstrations and unrest; whereas casualties and serious human rights violations persist, resulting from acts of violence against and repression of social protests, illegal raids, arbitrary arrests, including of more than 70 minors, and stigmatisation and persecution of opposition activists; whereas new protests have been called for this past week;
40.

Condemns in the strongest possible terms the misogynistic language used on several occasions in the plenary chamber; welcomes the sanctions imposed by the President of the European Parliament and confirmed by the Bureau against a Member of the European Parliament for remarks made during the plenary session of 1 March 2017 undermining the dignity of women; is concerned by the decision of the General Court of the European Union of 31 May 2018 to annul the decision of the President and of the Bureau, based both on interpretation of the relevant provisions of the Rules of Procedure and on the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights concerning Article 10 of the ECHR (freedom of speech); urges its committee competent for issues concerning the Rules of Procedure to revise the applicable rules with a view to ensuring respect and dignity in the plenary chamber at all times and, in particular, to add a clause requiring Members in parliamentary debates to refrain from adopting language that incites hatred or discriminates on grounds of gender, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or social origin, genetic characteristics, language, religion or belief, political or other opinions, membership of a national minority, disability, age or sexual orientation, and to impose exemplary sanctions in the event of non-compliance with this clause;
8.

Regrets the fact that in many Member States there is not sufficient commitment to IPM practices based on its eight principles with the prioritisation of non-chemical alternatives to pesticides; regrets that one of the main challenges regarding the implementation of IPM, which is the cornerstone of the Directive, seems to be the current lack of appropriate control instruments and methods to assess compliance in the Member States, as well as of clear rules and guidance; underlines the fact that comprehensive implementation of IPM is one of the key measures for reducing dependency on pesticide use in sustainable agriculture, which is environmentally friendly, economically viable and socially responsible and contributes to Europe’s food security while strengthening biodiversity and human and animal health, boosting the rural economy and reducing costs for farmers by facilitating the market uptake of non-chemical alternatives and low-risk PPPs in the different European zones; stresses that additional financial incentives and educational measures are needed to strengthen the uptake of IPM practices by individual farms;
10.

Calls on international sports personalities and artists to refrain from participating in public events in Chechnya or events sponsored by the leadership of the Chechen Republic; reiterates its support for a European Union ‘Magnitsky Act’, which should sanction the perpetrators of serious human rights violations, and calls on the Council to pursue its work on this matter without delay; stresses, in this regard, that the perpetrators of human rights abuses in the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation should not be granted EU visas nor be allowed to keep assets in EU Member States;
E.

whereas the Chairs of its Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, on behalf of the political groups, have on multiple occasions over the years informed the Presidents of the Council, the Eurogroup and the Commission and the Presidents-in-office of the Council of the EU about the lack of gender diversity at the ECB but also in the EU’s other economic, financial and monetary institutions;