ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
(p)

Proper and ongoing monitoring and assessment of the situation in the area of freedom of religion or belief in the world has to be ensured by the European External Action Service, under the responsibility of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and a section should continue to be dedicated to this issue in the EU’s Annual report on Human Rights in the World, including recommendations for improvement; monitoring of the situation in the area of freedom of religion or belief should be one of the key issues among other human rights and fundamental freedoms in EU relations with third countries, especially in the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy; this should be reflected in all agreements and in reviewing and reporting documents; the EU Special Representative for Human Rights should pay particular attention to questions relating to the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief in the course of all his or her activities and should have a visible role in promoting this freedom through the external relations of the EU; he or she should also liaise with the European Parliament and its relevant committees on areas of concern and progress achieved and engage with relevant non-governmental organisations;
55.

Highlights the challenges related to the ageing of the population and the need to provide access to adequate, decent and accessible housing for the growing number of older people in the EU; notes the growing impoverishment of the elderly in all the Member States, and, accordingly, seeks the inclusion in the new European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on active and healthy ageing, which coordinates research in this area, of affordable measures specifically designed to ensure that the elderly are allowed to stay in their homes as long as possible; notes, in this connection, that action to improve current housing accessibility is a relevant way of reducing social exclusion through measures to enhance their independence; calls, therefore, on the Member States to include in their national reforms a specific strand devoted to developing affordable solutions to enable older people to remain in their own homes for as long as possible, taking into account that improving conditions for access to the existing housing stock is desirable, helping people to remain in their places of residence and making it easier for them to regain a social life by boosting their personal independence;
26.

Urges the Commission to conduct a study to ensure that accounting standards used by financial institutions give a genuinely true and fair view of banks’ financial health; points out that accounts are the main source of information for an investor to understand whether or not a company is a going concern or not; notes that auditors can only sign off accounts if they are true and fair, independent of the financial standards used by preparers of financial statements; believes that if auditors are unsure that a company is a going concern they should not sign off the company’s accounts, even if they have been drawn up in line with accounting standards; point out that this should, however, be a driver of better management of the company in question; suggests that international financial reporting standards do not necessarily give a true and fair view of accounts, as shown by numerous examples of banks collapsing despite their accounts having been signed off by auditors;
11.

Points out that, in order to ensure the continuity of initiated proceedings, the temporary and permanent storability of the forms necessary for legal aid need to be improved, as do the forms for other procedures, in particular the Small Claims and European Payment procedures, ensuring, among other things, that they are equally visible in all languages, including on the website of the European Judicial Atlas in Civil Matters and on the European e-Justice Portal; calls on the Commission to take immediate measures to that effect;
10.

Calls on the Council and the Commission — as soon as they receive all the necessary applications from the Member States — to take all the necessary steps to ensure that rapid, adequate financial assistance is provided from the EUSF; stresses how urgent it is for financial assistance to be released through the EUSF to the countries affected by this natural disaster;
69.

Draws attention to the external dimension of the energy market, the aim of which is to make it easier for all Member States to gain access to diversified energy sources; calls on the Commission, in coordination with the EEAS, to use its foreign policy instruments to promote the rules and standards of the internal energy market in relation to third countries and, especially, within the EU's neighbourhood; urges the Commission to resolve, in bilateral dialogues with relevant third countries, the issue of clear rules on congestion management of cross-border electricity and gas connections and on third-party access to transmission networks; strongly urges the Commission to take measures to prevent anti-competitive practices on the part of third-country companies that may lead to restricted competition, higher prices or reduced security of the energy supply; calls on the Commission to ensure, in its relations with external partners, that EU companies are able to compete on equal footing globally; urges the Commission to enhance cooperation with EU neighbouring countries on nuclear safety; calls on the Commission to be transparent about all factors still causing problems with regard to the implementation of the third energy package, and to present clear figures on their impact on consumer prices;
27.

Welcomes the adoption at Union level of the ‘Youth Guarantee’ schemes in order to ensure that all young Europeans receive a good-quality job offer, further education or training, an apprenticeship or a traineeship within four months of leaving school or becoming unemployed; notes, however, that the sum of EUR 6 billion earmarked for the Youth Employment Initiative in the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) is clearly insufficient to address the scale of the problem; calls on the Commission and the Member States to maximise the effectiveness of such action by prioritising the acquisition of digital skills; stresses that digital skills should be an indispensable component of professional training, so as to ensure that both new generations and those currently in the workplace are able to acquire the skills they need;
A.

whereas caste denotes a socio-religious context, as in Asia, where those who fall outside the caste system are considered ‘impure’ and ‘untouchable’ by nature, but also, more broadly, a system of rigid social stratification into ranked groups defined by descent and occupation; whereas discrimination based on work and descent, being the more encompassing term preferred by the UN, is a form of discrimination prohibited by international human rights law as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the CERD, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and International Labour Organisation Convention No 111;
24.

Emphasises that the various conflicts in the Sahel region have led to greater population displacement within states and to an increase in the number of refugees; expresses grave concern at the multiple refugee crises and the situation of refugees in the region, including many unrelated to the Mali crisis; draws particular attention to the thousands of Darfuri refugees in eastern Chad, and Chadian returnees from Darfur, who lack clean water, adequate shelter and healthcare, and notes that the semi-arid climate risks heightening competition for resources with the host populations, and therefore also the potential for instability; draws attention, moreover, to the plight of many thousands of refugees from the Central African Republic (CAR) in southern Chad, where flooding threatens homes and agriculture; echoes, in this connection, the UNHCR’s call to increase financial and logistical support to Chad’s security forces protecting the camps, particularly in the light of reported attacks on humanitarian compounds; expresses further concern for those in Niger fleeing the recent fighting in northern Nigeria; calls on the international community in general to increase the proportion of aid to the Sahel’s refugee camps where necessary, and to help avoid further humanitarian crises among the region’s refugee populations; calls on the EU, the Sahel countries, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the African Union and ECOWAS to coordinate their refugee policies in order to provide assistance to refugees, guarantee human security for the most vulnerable groups and establish self-sufficiency programmes; encourages host countries to work with the UN and other actors to improve, in particular, access to shelter, sanitation, healthcare, water, nutrition and education, and to protect at-risk children; points out that, in addition to assisting refugees and internally displaced persons and guaranteeing their protection, efforts must be made to boost economic security and links with separated families for refugees and internally displaced persons, and to improve documentation for refugees so that, wherever possible, they can return to their home regions;
15.

Recommends that the Union should: (a) strengthen the application of the more-for-more principle and stimulate it by positive competition and cooperation among partner countries, expressing necessary support to EaP states facing pressure from third countries when implementing the acquis communautaire; (b) apply a two-track approach, by making demands of EaP governments whilst being open, generous and engaging towards the citizens of partner countries; (c) encourage those citizens to advance the values the EU is based upon — namely democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms — through their commitment to promote them, thus making them the main source of normative power transformation; (d) design a long-march strategy to promote European values encompassing internal change and the aspirations of these societies for freedom and prosperity; (e) decentralise the EaP by engaging with, and offering its ownership to, public actors on both sides through horizontal partnerships and twinning, accompanied by increased mobility, people-to-people contacts, visa facilitation and the prospect of a visa-free system, in which case the neighbours-first approach should apply; and (f) initial or sign the Association Agreements and aim for their prompt entry into force, initially on a provisional basis and then in full, before the end of the current term of the European Parliament and the European Commission, provided that the necessary conditions and requirements have been met; (g) refrain from using force or threats to use force in resolving disputes in the region, underlining that the only possible way to settle conflicts in the region is through negotiations within the internationally accepted formats, based on the principles of international law;
7.

Reiterates its support for the European Union’s regional engagement under the EU Strategic Framework for the Horn of Africa, as well as under the comprehensive approach to Sudan and South Sudan; notes further the overlapping geography of the Sahel region and its interlinked political, economic and social challenges; calls for the European Union, therefore, to coordinate its strategy across the wider region more effectively, specifically by linking the aims and scope of the EU Strategic Framework for the Horn of Africa with those of the EU Strategy for Security and Development in the Sahel; encourages a closely linked consideration of human rights within both; calls further for the European Union to engage with the European Union Special Representatives for the Sahel and Human Rights, in addition to the EUSR for the Horn of Africa, when addressing the outstanding challenges faced by this region, and to commit itself to a full dialogue with regional partners for the purpose of improving cooperation and development;
33.

Sees the proposed measures to reduce the administrative burden (which may include an unnecessary or disproportionate burden through regulation) and bureaucratic burden as complementary to the principles of the Small Business Act; regrets that the action plan does not mention certain important initiatives, e.g. measures to apply the SME test at national level, the future role of the High-Level Group on the Reduction of Administrative Burdens, or the establishment of a yearly scoreboard on regulatory burdens in the EU and Member States; calls on the Commission, under the leadership of its SME Envoy, to set out a timely roadmap for the review and revision of the ‘Top 10’ most burdensome EU measures in order to reduce unnecessary or excessive burdens; affirms that, in any event, such a reduction must not erode core social and environmental standards;
2.

Deplores the decision by the Ukrainian authorities, under the lead of President Yanukovych, to withdraw from signing the Association Agreement with the EU during the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius, despite the clear will on the EU side to continue with the association process, provided the conditions are met; considers this decision to be a major missed opportunity in EU-Ukraine relations and for Ukraine’s aspirations; acknowledges Ukraine’s European aspirations, as expressed in the ongoing demonstrations by Ukrainian civil society in the Euromaidan in Kyiv and in other cities all over Ukraine, which did not hesitate to take its disapproval of President Yanukovych’s decision out onto the streets, and reiterates its view that a deepening of relations between the EU and Ukraine and the fact of offering Ukraine a European perspective are of great significance and in the interests of both parties;
24.

Believes that if the resolution authority had the ability to impose a stay on early termination rights which would pause the CCP for a maximum period of two days, this could permit the market to correctly re-price the contracts, thus allowing for a more orderly diffusion of risk; the availability and exercise of such a power should be carefully considered so that it is, at a minimum, conditional on the resolution authority determining that imposition of a stay is necessary in the interests of financial stability, having regard to the resolution objectives, interplay with relevant bank or other resolution regimes applicable to clearing members, default and risk management of the CCP and the impact on each of the CCP’s markets, clearing participants and financial markets generally; this would necessarily be accompanied by the power to lift the clearing obligation as a last resort after it has at least been examined whether another CCP could provide the clearing in the short term;
4.

Stresses that providing full and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid to the population in the Gaza Strip must be an immediate priority; urges the international community to further intensify its efforts in this regard and to answer as a matter of urgency the emergency appeals for additional funding of UNRWA; calls on all actors in the region to facilitate humanitarian assistance reaching those in need of basic goods and services – with special regard to electricity services and water supplies, and the specific needs of children in particular – in Gaza without delay; expresses its concerns about the alleged cases of intentional blocking of humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza; underlines, at the same time, that EU humanitarian and financial assistance must fully benefit, in the most efficient way possible, the Palestinian people, and must never be used, directly or indirectly, for terrorist activities;
7.

Urges the Nigerian Government and its forces to exercise restraint in tackling insurgent violence and to ensure that any efforts to tackle such violence are carried out in accordance with the Nigerian Government’s obligations under international law; requests the Nigerian authorities to investigate reports of indiscriminate and disproportionate violence by government forces, including the burning of homes and the execution of Boko Haram suspects, or even citizens with no apparent link to the organisation, and to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice;
18.

Stresses that in such cases the IA should include options covering alternative mechanisms and/or flexibilities in order to help SMEs comply with the initiative (as provided for in Annex 8.4); welcomes, in this connection, the exclusion of micro-enterprises from the scope of a legislative proposal as a policy option stated in the draft revised guidelines; believes, however, that exempting micro-enterprises by default may not always be the best approach, and that this must therefore be assessed on a case-by-case basis for each proposal in order to reflect the policy of reversing the burden of proof, i.e. that micro-enterprises should remain outside the scope of proposals unless it is demonstrated that they should be included; supports the consideration of adapted solutions and lighter regimes for SMEs in IAs where this does not inappropriately limit the effectiveness of legislation;
C.

whereas, among those imprisoned for no reason other than the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression, there are 15 well-known human rights activists (3), five journalists (4), four peaceful political opposition activists (5), and three independent religious figures (6); whereas seven others are perceived critics of the government or witnesses to the Andijan massacre of 13 May 2005, when Uzbek government forces shot and killed hundreds of mainly peaceful protesters (7); whereas many of those imprisoned are in serious ill-health, have been tortured and have had their sentences arbitrarily extended in prison;
H.

whereas EU citizens in particular have the right to move and reside freely within the EU, to vote and stand as candidates in municipal and European Parliament elections wherever they live in the EU, under the same conditions as nationals, and to be assisted by another Member State’s embassy or consulate outside the EU under the same conditions as a citizen of that Member State, if their own is not represented;
C.

whereas Article 6 provides a non-exhaustive list of EU rules relevant to assessing good repute, which includes: rules on driving and working time of drivers; use of tachographs; maximum weights and dimensions of commercial vehicles used in international traffic; qualification and training of drivers; the roadworthiness of commercial vehicles; access to the market in international road haulage or, as appropriate, access to the market in road passenger transport; safety in the carriage of dangerous goods by road; the installation and use of speed-limiting devices; driving licences; admission to the occupation; and animal transport;
16.

Calls on the Commission to act, as a matter of urgency, on the findings of the recent human rights impact assessment of the functioning of the EU’s Everything But Arms (EBA) initiative in Cambodia and to consider including, in the criteria for exporters from least developed countries seeking to take advantage of EBA privileges, an obligation to testify that they have not evicted people from their land and homes without adequate compensation;
G.

whereas China has been increasing its economic ties with Southeast Asian countries; whereas some ASEAN member states have strengthened cooperation with the US on maritime security; whereas Russia considers Asia as an important part of its international strategy; whereas ASEAN countries continue to play an important role in preserving peace and stability in the region; whereas the EU and ASEAN share a common concern about the unresolved territorial disputes in the South China Sea and have significant interest in maintaining peace, stability, respect for international law and, especially, the UN Charter and the 1982 United Nations Law of the Sea; supports the Six-Point Principles on the South China Sea of July 2012 and the Guidelines for the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea of 2011, encouraging a settlement through peaceful means;
43.

Considers that the criteria for appointment of Members of the ECA should be further specified on the basis of Article 286 TFEU, and underlines that Parliament’s assessment will be guided mainly by the following criteria: (a) high-level professional experience acquired in public finance, auditing and management, as well as thorough knowledge of the governance of the European institutions; (b) a good auditing record and evidence of very good knowledge of at least one of the working languages of the European Union; (c) where necessary, proof of prior discharge of applicants from management duties previously carried out; (d) candidates are not to hold any elected office or have any responsibilities to a political party as of the date of their appointment; (e) recognised high standards of integrity and morality of the candidate; (f) in view of the nature of the work to be done, the age of candidates will also be taken into account, with it being deemed reasonable, for example, to stipulate that Members should not be over 67 years of age at the time of their appointment; (g) Members shall not serve more than two terms of office; (h) finally, Parliament will take the issue of gender balance among the Court's Members very seriously;
20.

Calls on Russia to adopt a constructive attitude and to stop retaliatory measures and undue pressure aimed at undermining the sovereign right of its neighbours freely to determine their future; urges the EU and its Member States to speak to Russia with one voice in support of the European aspirations of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries that freely choose to deepen their relations with the EU; emphasises that applying political, economic and other coercion is in breach of the Helsinki Final Act and the 1994 Budapest Memorandum concerning Ukraine’s security; points out that both the EU and Russia bear responsibility for making an active contribution towards peace and prosperity in the common neighbourhood that benefits both the EU and Russia; reiterates its belief that cooperation to achieve this goal is the only way forward;
A.

having regard to the seriousness of the current situation in Venezuela; whereas since 12 February 2014 peaceful marches led by students have taken place across Venezuela and have ended in deadly violence, with at least 13 deaths and more than 70 people being injured and hundreds detained; whereas the students’ demands relate to the failure of President Maduro’s government to solve the problems of high inflation, crime and shortages of some staples, as well as to increasing levels of corruption and the intimidation of the media and the democratic opposition; whereas the government has blamed the shortages on ‘saboteurs’ and ‘profit-hungry corrupt businessmen’; whereas Venezuela is the country with the largest energy reserves in Latin America;