ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
13.

Notes its responses and actions in respect of the List of Issues raised in relation to the initial report of the European Union as part of the CRPD review: a. It has set up an inter-committee coordination working group made up of members from each of the relevant committees, which has arranged awareness-raising events open to staff and MEPs, including the organisation of sign language courses as part of professional training; b. It has highlighted the need for accessibility in respect of universal service and the 112 emergency number in its resolution of 5 July 2011 (6) and its declaration of 17 November 2011 (7), which was a milestone in the development of the eCall in-vehicle system; c. The number of MEPs with disabilities increased significantly as a result of the 2014 elections; d. It commits itself to working actively with the relevant actors to find a pragmatic solution to acceding to the Marrakesh Treaty; e. It stresses the need to improve the implementation of EU legislation in order to ensure that those with disabilities can travel independently using all transport modes, including public transport; f. It calls on the Commission to deliver the requested explanation as to how it can ensure in current and future legislation that persons with disabilities are guaranteed equal opportunities, fundamental rights, equal access to services and the employment market, and the same rights and obligations in accessing social security as nationals of the Member State in which they are covered, in line with the principle of equal treatment and non-discrimination, so that all persons with disabilities can enjoy the right to free movement held by all EU citizens; g. It calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that access to justice in respect of EU legislation is in full compliance with the CRPD, so that fundamental rights are accessible to all;
C.

whereas, during several days of carnage after the fall of Srebrenica, more than 8 000 Muslim men and boys, who had sought safety in this area under the protection of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), were summarily executed by Bosnian Serb forces commanded by General Mladić and by paramilitary units, including irregular police units; whereas nearly 30 000 women, children and elderly people were forcibly expelled in a massive-scale ethnic cleansing campaign, making this event the biggest war crime to take place in Europe since the end of the Second World War;
12.

Calls on the Commission to present a proposal for the establishment of an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, as a tool for compliance with and enforcement of the Charter and Treaties as signed by all Member States, relying on common and objective indicators, and to carry out an impartial, yearly assessment on the situation of fundamental rights, democracy and the rule of law in all Member States, indiscriminately and on an equal basis, involving an evaluation by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, together with appropriate binding and corrective mechanisms, in order to fill existing gaps and to allow for an automatic and gradual response to breaches of the rule of law and fundamental rights at Member State level; instructs its Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs to contribute to the development and elaboration of this proposal in the form of a legislative own-initiative report to be adopted by the end of the year;
35.

Deplores the fact that Parliament, which directly represents European citizens and is now a fully-fledged co-legislator that is more and more closely involved in complaints procedures, in particular via parliamentary questions and through the activities of the Committee on Petitions, does not yet automatically receive transparent and timely information on the implementation of EU laws, despite the fact that such information is essential, not only as a means of enhancing accessibility and legal certainty for European citizens, but also for the purposes of adopting amendments aimed at improving those laws; considers that improved communication between the European Parliament and national parliaments could be a helpful step in this regard; urges more effective and efficient cooperation between the EU institutions, and expects the Commission to apply in good faith the clause of the revised Framework Agreement on relations with Parliament in which it undertakes to ‘make available to Parliament summary information concerning all infringement procedures from the letter of formal notice, included, if so requested, on the issues to which the infringement procedure relates’;
69.

Deplores the following weaknesses identified in the setting-up of some national strategies: too large a number of objectives, lack of precise predefined targets for the different objectives, and in particular the very low operational effectiveness of crisis prevention and management instruments, in connection mainly with harvest insurance, promotion and communication and product withdrawal, chiefly because these must be financed to the detriment of other structural measures and aid for withdrawals is in many cases not sufficient, and also because of the considerable amount of red tape involved; deplores the fact that those instruments can cope only with individual market crises and are insufficient to manage large-scale crises such as the current one caused by the Russian embargo;
20.

Is deeply concerned at the recent developments in the Mediterranean and in the Western Balkan route, where a record number of irregular migrants have crossed the EU borders, posing an unprecedented challenge to Europe and its Member States, which requires a common and resolute European response; expresses its support for the measures put forward by the Commission, and calls for swift adoption and implementation by the Member States; welcomes the Commission's initiatives on relocation and resettlement, including the new one for emergency relocation of an increased number of asylum seekers in need of international protection for the benefit of Greece, Italy and Hungary, as well as the proposal by the Commission for a permanent relocation mechanism, to be activated in emergency situations, taking into account the number of refugees present in the Member State, which is based on Article 78(2) of the TFEU; urges the Commission to activate the necessary mechanism, which was designed specifically for situations of mass influx; underlines, at the same time, the need to speed up the processing of asylum requests and the return of those whose requests have been rejected; expresses its support for the ‘hotspot’ approach, announced in the Agenda on Migration, aimed at strengthening the operational support when applicants first arrive, including for registration and the initial processing of applications, also for those who are not in need of protection; rejects any measures that de facto reinstate border controls, jeopardising the Schengen area;
33.

Draws attention to the need to improve the methodological framework in order to have better statistics related to the field of cultural heritage; calls on the Commission to propose a set of indicators that could be used for monitoring and evaluation of the situation of cultural heritage and that would be uniform for all Member States; underlines the need to obtain, to a greater extent, research findings covering all aspects of cultural heritage and to link them so as to counter fragmentation in this area; points in this connection to the potential of ‘big data’ as regards deriving more knowledge from research projects; stresses that in order to assess the actual and potential economic value of the cultural heritage it is essential to collect statistics more systematically;
15.

Stresses that under the terms of Article 4 of Regulation (EU) No 211/2011, in the event of a refusal by the Commission to register an ECI, ‘the Commission shall inform the organisers of the reasons for such refusal and of all possible judicial and extrajudicial remedies available to them’; acknowledges, in this connection, the many complaints from organisers about not having received detailed and exhaustive reasons for the rejection of their ECIs; invites the Commission to explain in detail the reasons for rejecting an ECI if in its view an ECI which has been submitted is ‘manifestly outside the Commission’s powers’, and at the same time to inform the organisers, in writing and in such a manner as to facilitate their work, of the relevant legal considerations — which should be made fully public in the name of transparency — in order that the validity and complete objectivity of those elements can be subjected to legal scrutiny, that the Commission’s power of discretion as judge and party in the assessment of an initiative’s admissibility can be reduced as far as possible, and that the organisers can decide whether to revise their ECI and resubmit it in a modified form;
A.

whereas Ali Mohammed al-Nimr, who is 21 years old and is a nephew of a prominent dissident, was sentenced in May 2015 to capital punishment, reportedly by beheading followed by crucifixion, by Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court on criminal charges including sedition, rioting, protesting robbery and belonging to a terror cell whereas Ali al-Nimr was under the age of 18 — and thus still a juvenile — at the time he was arrested while demonstrating for democracy and equal rights in Saudi Arabia; whereas he was sentenced to death on account of the protests in the mostly Shia Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia; whereas it is alleged by reliable sources that Ali al-Nimr was tortured and forced to sign his confession; whereas he has been denied any guarantees of a safe trial and due legal process in compliance with international law;
30.

Stresses the importance of empowering teachers to take an active stand against all forms of discrimination and racism; emphasises the essential role of education and of competent and supportive teachers, not only in strengthening social ties, encouraging a sense of belonging, developing knowledge, skills and competences, embedding fundamental values, and enhancing social, civic and intercultural competences, critical thinking and media literacy, but also in helping young people — in close cooperation with their parents and families — to become active, responsible and open-minded members of society; emphasises that schools can build students’ resilience to radicalisation by providing a safe environment and time for debating and exploring controversial and sensitive issues; points out that adolescents are a particularly vulnerable group, as they are at a difficult stage in their lives when they are developing their value system and seeking meaning, and are at the same time highly impressionable and easily manipulated; recalls that groups as well as individuals can be radicalised, and recognises that the development of response to individual and to group radicalisation can be different; emphasises the role society has to play in giving young people better prospects and a purpose in life, in particular by means of high-quality education and training; underlines the role of educational institutions in teaching youth to recognise and manage risks and make safer choices, and in promoting a strong sense of belonging, shared community, care support and responsibility for others; stresses the need to use the various opportunities that vocational education and academic courses offer in order to expose young people to the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities existing in Europe;
3.

Expresses its deepest concern at the deteriorating climate regarding the right to freedom of expression which has accompanied the rise of religious fundamentalism, intolerance and extremist violence in Bangladesh; calls on the Bangladesh authorities to strengthen their efforts to improve the protection provided to activists and journalists by the authorities; calls on all political parties and their leaders to unequivocally and unreservedly condemn the extremist violence and to support the right to freedom of expression;
9.

Recognises the 10 % target — to be achieved by 2020 — as a valuable target and an important step in the right direction; regrets that twelve Member States, mainly in the periphery of the EU, remain below the 10 % electricity interconnection target and are thus largely isolated from the internal electricity market; stresses, therefore, that more should be done to assist those Member States whose low level of connectivity hinders the completion of the internal electricity market to meet the target; considers, however, that, on its own, the 10 % target does not always reflect the market situation, and that it has not been established on the basis of scientific evidence; recalls that the 10 % target was first set in 2002 on the basis of the installed electricity generation capacity that existed at that time; acknowledges that, although the 10 % target is important, it describes neither the quantity of electricity flowing between countries nor the quality, such as regards the availability of the existing interconnection infrastructure or of the existing national infrastructure between the interconnectors; believes, therefore, that a single interconnection target based on installed electricity generation capacity is not, on its own, appropriate for all Member States; is therefore convinced that there is a need in the mid-term, and certainly within the 2030 horizon, to agree upon ambitious and evidence-based complementary interconnection targets, agreed by the regions; considers that such targets should be established on the basis of a variety of parameters; calls on the Commission to launch, as soon as possible, the technical discussion on such parameters; stresses that, in addition to the quantitative target, open access and the availability of interconnectors is also imperative if the remaining barriers for the functioning of the European electricity market are to be overcome; urges the Commission, the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and national regulators to ensure transparency and close monitoring of the accessibility of the interconnectors in order to prevent bottlenecks that hinder the functioning of the electricity market and to secure the operation of electricity systems;
14.

Urges the EU Delegation to Malaysia to step up efforts to finance projects on freedom of expression and reforming repressive laws, and to use all appropriate tools, including the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, to protect human rights defenders; urges the withdrawal of the anti-sodomy law and calls on the EEAS, in line with the EU guidelines on the protection and promotion of the rights of LGBTI persons, to step up its work on the rights of LGBTI people in Malaysia who face violence and persecution, and to aim in particular towards the decriminalisation of homosexuality and transgenderism;
9.

Takes note of the recommendations made by the Ombudsman, the PDRC and the NIHR, in particular on the rights of detainees and their conditions in prisons, including in respect of alleged ill-treatment and torture; calls, however, on the Government of Bahrain to ensure the independence of the Office of the Ombudsman and of the PDRC, and to guarantee the independence of the Special Investigations Unit from the Office of the Public Prosecutor;
41.

Welcomes the EU’s active support and solidarity in the energy sphere, which allowed Russian gas deliveries to Ukraine to resume for the winter of 2015-2016; calls on the Member States to exploit fully the transit potential of Ukraine and to strengthen cooperation in order to secure the energy supply to both the EU and Ukraine, and to avoid the building of new pipelines bypassing Ukraine, in particular the development of the Nord Stream II project for the delivery of Russian gas to Europe, which could prove detrimental to the EU’s strategy for the diversification of energy sources and to EU law; supports the EU’s intention to enhance full energy market integration with Ukraine through the Energy Community and to reduce energy dependency without overburdening private households; calls for the EU and the Ukrainian Government to work out measures in order to cushion against social hardships;
18.

Notes the Commission’s proposal to establish a common EU list of safe countries of origin; demands that all appropriate steps be taken to ensure that this approach is consistent with the principle of non-refoulement and that the rights of women, children and other vulnerable groups are not undermined; calls for gender differentiation to be applied; believes that any list of safe countries of origin should not result in less favourable procedural treatment for women whose claims for asylum are based on fear or experience of gender-based violence; stresses the need to avoid hasty decisions which do not take due account of the dangers, and even the threat of death, facing women who have suffered gender-based violence if their application is rejected and they are forced to return to their own country;
A.

whereas, over the last four months, five booksellers (Lui Bo, Gui Minhai, Zhang Zhiping, Lin Rongji and Lee Po), four of them resident in Hong Kong and one non-resident, associated with the publishing house Mighty Current and its bookstore, who sold literary works critical of Beijing, have gone missing under mysterious circumstances; whereas two of them are EU citizens — Gui Minhai, a Swedish national, and Lee Po, a British national; whereas in January 2016 confirmation was received that both EU citizens were in mainland China, and, whereas there are suspicions that the remaining three are also there; whereas Lee Po was temporarily reunited with his wife on 23 January 2016 in an undisclosed location in mainland China; whereas the continuing lack of information about their well-being and whereabouts is extremely worrying;
6.

Points out that data protection and opportunities arising from the integrated use of data are not mutually exclusive, as the smart use of opportunities can ensure compatibility with data protection; considers that ensuring trust in these technologies should be at the heart of both public policy and business models, as a lack of trust can greatly damage growth and innovation in the digital sector; believes that there is an essential need for a future-proof and uniform legal framework for data protection in order to foster growth and innovation, and acknowledges the open and global character of the internet; recognises that data protection law is technologically neutral and already applies fully to Big Data activities operating in the EU, and must therefore be complied with fully; urges that public policy include privacy by design and privacy by default in the data generation and analysis cycle, while seizing any opportunity to foster the development of the potential of Big Data;
2.

Calls for the immediate release of all protestors arrested in relation to the 14 and 16 April 2016 protests; requests that the Government of the Republic of The Gambia ensure due process for any suspects detained on allegations of participating in the attempted unconstitutional change of government; calls on the authorities of The Gambia to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of these suspects in all circumstances and to secure medical treatment for those injured without delay; expresses its concern regarding the testimonies of torture and ill-treatment of other prisoners;
7.

Supports the Commission’s decision to launch a structured dialogue under the Rule of Law Framework, which should clarify whether there is a systemic threat to democratic values and the rule of law in Poland; welcomes the Commission’s reassurance that the dialogue with Polish authorities will be conducted in an impartial, evidence-based and cooperative manner, and calls on the Commission, should the Polish Government fail to comply with the Venice Commission recommendations in the course of the structured dialogue, to activate the second stage of the rule of law procedure by issuing its ‘rule of law recommendation’ and to offer its support to Poland in developing solutions to strengthen the rule of law;
18.

Urges the Commission, in relation to Copernicus data, to clearly define as soon as possible the role of the core public services (what products they provide within the open and free access policy, the procedures by which new products can be added) and what should be left to the downstream sector; invites the Commission to assess needs for very high resolution EO data for EU internal operational purposes; believes that such data should be procured from European commercial providers in order to put European industry in a strong position allowing it to sell on commercial markets worldwide; urges the Commission also to take measures to facilitate the procurement of space-based services by public authorities, including by encouraging pre-commercial procurement, in particular to support innovative SMEs;
D.

whereas, when examining the level of protection afforded by a third country, the Commission is obliged to assess the content of the rules applicable in that country deriving from its domestic law or its international commitments, as well as the practice designed to ensure compliance with those rules, since it must, under Article 25(2) of the Data Protection Directive, take account of all the circumstances surrounding a transfer of personal data to a third country; whereas this assessment must not only refer to legislation and practices relating to the protection of personal data for commercial and private purposes, but must also cover all aspects of the framework applicable to that country or sector, in particular, but not only, law enforcement, national security and respect for fundamental rights;
18.

Welcomes the Congolese authorities’ efforts to implement the legislation which forbids trading in and processing of minerals in areas where there is illegal exploitation of minerals, such as those controlled by armed groups; calls on the Congolese authorities to reinforce the implementation of the legislation and enable more thorough scrutiny regarding mining deals and the misuse of mining revenues; calls for the EU to support the DRC’s efforts in this regard through its development cooperation policies; welcomes the recently agreed European understanding concerning mandatory due diligence checks on suppliers of conflict minerals as a first step to addressing European businesses’ responsibilities in this matter, and urges the EU to translate this understanding into ambitious legislation to be adopted swiftly;
G.

whereas 9 December 2015 marked the one-year anniversary of the release of the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) study of the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Programme and its use of various forms of torture on detainees between 2001 and 2006; whereas the study revealed new facts which reinforced allegations that a number of EU Member States, their authorities and officials and agents of their security and intelligence services had been complicit in the CIA’s secret detention and extraordinary rendition programme, sometimes through corrupt means based on the provision of substantial amounts of money by the CIA in exchange for their cooperation; whereas the study did not lead to any kind of accountability in the USA for the CIA rendition and secret detention programmes; whereas the USA has regrettably failed to cooperate with European investigations into European complicity in the CIA programmes, and whereas no perpetrators have been held to account so far;