ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
6.

Asks the EU Delegation in Luanda to deliver on the EEAS’s commitments to support and protect human rights defenders (HRDs) worldwide through concrete, visible steps that especially include trial observation, political and material support to HRDs, their lawyers and families and systematic engagement by the EU and its Member States with the Angolan authorities on human rights at all levels of relations, including at the highest level; further asks the Delegation to step up the political dialogue with the Angolan Government in all political, trade and development relations, to ensure that it upholds its national and international human rights commitments as promised during the 1st EU-Angola Ministerial Meeting of October 2014; urges it to use all appropriate tools and instruments, including the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, to do so;
7.

Considers it crucial that any programmes to reintegrate the long-term unemployed be geared to the needs of the labour market and be formulated in close cooperation with the social partners; calls on the Member States to motivate employers, including in a spirit of corporate social responsibility, to engage actively in offering job openings for the long-term unemployed, and, where needed, to appoint mentors to facilitate the smooth reintegration of the long-term unemployed on the work floor; calls for Member States’ employment services to assist SMEs in facilitating such mentoring; recalls that the long-term unemployed need not only jobs but also comprehensive counselling and preparation for successful re-entry into the labour market;
77.

Emphasises the leading role of the EU in climate policy and stresses the need for coordination and the establishment of a common position among the Member States; urges the Commission, the Member States and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to continue and to intensify their diplomatic efforts ahead of and during the conference, with a view to improving their understanding of their partners’ positions and encouraging the other Parties to take effective measures to stay compliant with the 2 oC objective and to arrive at agreements and commitments, particularly in the case of the United States, aimed at bringing the most significant emissions in line with those of EU citizens, who have already made numerous efforts to reconcile economic development with respect for the environment and climate; calls on the EU to use its position to achieve closer cooperation on climate issues with neighbouring countries and EU accession countries;
3.

Recommends that the Commission establish with Member States a roadmap for the implementation of the three-pillar approach taken in the Commission recommendation ‘Investing in children: Breaking the cycle of disadvantage’ in terms of access to resources, services and children’s participation; considers that, in order to achieve better results with the three-pillar approach, it could be useful to develop precise and specific indicators of the level of child poverty and the areas more affected by this phenomenon; calls on the Member States to effectively integrate relevant aspects of the Social Investment Package and the aforementioned Commission recommendation into their annual National Reform Programmes and National Social Reports in a comprehensive way and calls on the Commission to set a Europe 2020 sub-target on reducing child poverty and social exclusion, to make the reduction of child poverty and social exclusion visible and explicit at all stages of the European Semester; stresses that the reduction of child poverty by investing in children should be proposed as a core priority for the 2016 Annual Growth Survey, and as a key means of progressing on the poverty target; calls on the Commission to ensure annual monitoring and reporting by Member States on the implementation of the Commission recommendation through the roadmap and to use the European Social Fund to implement the Commission recommendation and conduct an assessment of the effects on poverty of reforms proposed within National Reform Programmes;
38.

Recalls — bearing in mind that the recent economic and financial crisis has been felt particularly hard by those marginalised groups that face the greatest risk of losing their jobs during times of turbulence on the labour market — that education and employment are the best ways out of poverty, and that integrating marginalised communities into society and the labour market should therefore be a priority; notes with concern that members of marginalised communities are frequently excluded from society and suffer discrimination, and consequently face barriers to accessing high-quality education, employment, healthcare, transportation, information and services in general, which poses a complex problem that needs to be addressed properly through the complementary use and effective combination of ESIF and national resources; emphasises, accordingly, the need to make special efforts as regards existing EU programmes, such as the Youth Employment Initiative, Erasmus+ and Creative Europe, with a view of reaching out to members of marginalised communities, accompanied by regular monitoring of the success of that outreach, in order to break the cycle of poverty and marginalisation and to boost people’s professional skills and qualifications;
12.

Acknowledges that safeguards are needed to prevent misuse of the complaints mechanism; recommends, therefore, that anonymous complaints should not be accepted; emphasises, however, that this does not exclude complaints submitted by third parties acting in good faith in the interest of a complainant who may wish to keep his or her identity undisclosed; suggests further that only complaints based on violations of fundamental rights as protected by EU law should be admitted; considers that this should not prevent Frontex from taking account of other information sources concerning alleged fundamental rights violations, including general reports by NGOs, international organisations and other relevant stakeholders, beyond the complaints procedure; emphasises the need for clear criteria for the admissibility of complaints and recommends the creation of a standardised complaint form, requiring detailed information such as date and place of the incident, since this would facilitate decisions on admissibility; recommends that the criteria and the standardised form should be determined in cooperation with the Consultative Forum;
11.

Points out that, since the early 1990s, conflicts with armed guerrillas who live inside and around the park have resulted in serious breaches of human rights and much of the violence; points out that the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a group of guerrillas accused of committing atrocities during the genocide that took place in Rwanda in the spring of 1994 and that also spread to eastern DRC, has been living in the park since 1996 and is still hiding out across the border in Virunga, while Mai-Mai militias are also reported to have killed, raped and injured many people, and to have destroyed villages, within the boundaries of the park; urges the DRC Government to disarm rebels and restore security in the park region; regrets, furthermore, that the repression of human rights activists and journalists in the DRC has increased; calls once more on the DRC Government to recognise and respect freedom of the press and media and to uphold the rule of law and human rights;
C.

whereas the EU has historically taken some important steps to strengthen women’s rights and gender equality, but whereas political action and reform for gender equality at EU level have slowed down over the last decade; whereas the previous Commission strategy for equality between women and men for 2010-2015 was not comprehensive enough to contribute to gender equality at European and international level, and whereas its planned objectives have not been effectively met; whereas a new post-2015 strategy will need to provide new impetus and deliver concrete action to strengthen women’s rights and promote gender equality;
19.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, the Government and Parliament of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Government and Parliament of the Republic of Korea, the Government and Parliament of the People’s Republic of China, the Government and Parliament of the United States, the Government and Parliament of the Russian Federation, the Government and Parliament of Japan, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK, and the UN Secretary-General.
28.

Notes that while the euro area’s high current account surplus is a welcome sign of the euro area’s external competitiveness, its current level also reflects lack of internal investment, with adverse effects on growth and employment; considers that stronger domestic demand would be better for the euro area's sustainable growth, as well as from a global viewpoint; is aware that some Member States’ current account surplus goes together with positive spillover effects across the value chain, which can benefit some other Member States in various ways; acknowledges also the role of the single currency in helping more competitive countries to maintain high surpluses vis-à-vis the rest of the world; welcomes the finding in the Commission's 2016 winter forecast that economic growth in some Member States in 2015 has been driven mainly by domestic demand; considers it important that Member States with higher current account surpluses continue to expand their domestic demand for their own and general benefit; at the same time calls on less competitive Member States to implement effectively structural reforms and high-quality investments in order to modernise their economies and establish a sustainable business environment for long-term investment in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy; considers this to be the best way to reduce macroeconomic imbalances inside Member States rather than internal devaluation, which weakens demand and slows down economic growth across the euro area;
G.

whereas the political vacuum and lack of stable government have been exploited by Daesh, whose ranks include foreigners and Libyan terrorists who have returned home from fighting in Iraq and Syria; whereas these returnees, accompanied by Jihadists from other countries, seized the city of Derna to the east of Benghazi in November 2014 and made a pledge of allegiance to Daesh; whereas these forces or their allies have since become active along almost the whole coastline from Derna to Tripoli, including Bayda, Benghazi, Ajdabiya, Abugrein and Misrata, with full control of more than 200 km around Sirte, and they also have a training base to the west of Tripoli near the Tunisian border; whereas Daesh has launched a local campaign of terror — with beheadings, shootings and bombings — while expanding its territory, has taken control of the road and can hinder east-west connections;
M.

whereas based on a growing body of preliminary research, there is scientific consensus that the Zika virus is one of the causes of microcephaly (3), a condition that damages foetal cells that make the brain (4), causes babies to be born with unusually small heads and in most cases delayed brain development and appears to be able to harm a foetus throughout pregnancy (5), and is also a cause of Guillain-Barré syndrome; whereas uncertainty about the health of the unborn baby, as well as the uncertainty regarding transmission mechanisms, puts women and adolescent girls, especially pregnant women and their families, in an incredibly difficult position, in particular as regards their health and the long-term implications for the household, and whereas these uncertainties should by no means be used to delay urgent decisions and actions needed to resolve this crisis;
E.

whereas since January 2015 Congolese security and intelligence officials have clamped down on peaceful activists, political leaders and others who oppose attempts to allow President Kabila to modify the constitution in order to stay in power past his constitutionally mandated two-term limit; whereas human rights groups continually report on the worsening of the situation with regard to human rights and freedom of expression and assembly in the DRC, including the use of excessive force against peaceful demonstrators and an increase in the number of politically motivated trials; whereas MONUSCO has registered more than 260 election-related human rights violations, mainly against political opponents, civil society and journalists, during the past year; whereas the UNJHRO in the DRC has stated that it has documented more than 400 cases of human rights violations, including 52 arrests, since the beginning of 2016;
64.

Calls for the EU institutions, agencies and bodies, as well as the Member States and their law enforcement agencies, to cooperate and concretely coordinate their actions to counter the use of ICT to commit crimes related to trafficking in human beings, cyber-harassment and cyber-stalking, given that they are often transborder in nature and that EU-level coordination is vital for prosecuting these crimes; calls on the Member States to review and potentially revise their criminal law to ensure that new forms of digital violence are clearly defined and recognised, and to ensure that appropriate modes of prosecution are in place; calls on the Member States to adopt reporting portals so that citizens will have their own secure and confidential place online where they can report harassment from internet users; calls for the EU Cybersecurity Strategy and the Europol Cybercrime Centre to cover these issues; calls on the Commission to promote training and capacity-building for victim support in digital matters among police and judicial authorities, as well as psychological support during court cases related to the issue;
3.

Welcomes the adoption by the BiH CoM, on 26 January 2016, of a decision establishing a coordination mechanism on EU matters and, on 9 February 2016, of the negotiation position on the adaptation of the SAA following the accession of Croatia to the EU; recalls that, alongside meaningful progress in the implementation of the Reform Agenda, these elements are necessary for the EU to consider the membership application as credible; calls for the entities’ position on the adopted coordination mechanism to be harmonised without delay and encourages cooperation between all stakeholders in further improving it; calls for its swift implementation and urges constructive cooperation on EU matters; stresses that this mechanism is indispensable for efficient decision-making in the EU accession process; welcomes the initial concrete consultations — on a parliamentary level — with a view to the full implementation of the coordination mechanism, and strongly encourages the further intensification of such meetings among institutional stakeholders; insists again on the adaptation of trade concessions granted under the SAA; considers the full implementation of the SAA, including its adaptation, an important element of BiH’s commitment to the EU and one of the preconditions for endorsement of its candidacy for membership; recommends that BiH also engage with the EU Member States on its progress towards the EU;
30.

Calls on the Commission and the Member States to embrace the CLLD initiatives and to provide more flexibility in the operational programmes and in the context of regional, national and EU policy frameworks, so that they are able to take better account of the priorities of CLLD strategies; recognises the success of LAGs in project management and calls for more comprehensive funding and consideration to be given to extending their scope; regrets the fact that in some Member States the CLLD is restricted by national authorities to only one specific policy objective; urges the Commission to provide guidance to Member States on financing CLLD through the multi-fund approach, as well as encouraging the use of financing instruments;
24.

Regrets that the identification of victims remains one of the most difficult and incomplete aspects of implementation, but stresses that this does not diminish the responsibility of the Member States to protect these vulnerable people; highlights that owing to the coercive and deceptive nature of the crime, victims may be unable to recognise their own vulnerability; stresses that the actions that victims of THB are compelled to perform are criminal acts in some Member States, which in some cases impairs trust between victims and the authorities; notes that Directive 2011/36/EU prohibits the criminalisation of victims of THB; calls on Member States to implement Articles 11 to 17 of the Directive concerning protection and support of victims with a gender-sensitive approach (in particular by increasing the number of shelters for victims and by strengthening programmes for victims’ reintegration into society) and to fully apply Directive 2012/29/EU on establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime in order to ensure proper support and assistance for victims of THB, including as regards the right to reside in and access the labour market of the Member State to which the victim has been trafficked; stresses that these provisions should not be conditional on victims lodging complaints or cooperating in criminal investigations; calls on the Commission to strengthen the exchange of best practices on the protection of victims;
49.

Calls on African governments to: — invest in local food systems in order to boost rural economies and ensure decent jobs, equitable social safety nets and labour rights, to improve arrangements for democratic scrutiny of access to resources, including farmers’ seeds, and to ensure the effective engagement of small-scale producers in policy processes and implementation; stresses in particular that NAFSN must encourage the establishment of domestic processing industries in the agriculture sector and the improvement of food storage techniques, and must strengthen the link between agriculture and trade so as to build local, national and regional markets that benefit family farmers and provide quality food for consumers at accessible prices; — avoid making food production systems over-dependent on fossil fuels, with a view to limiting price volatility and mitigating the effects of climate change; — develop short food supply chains locally and regionally, and appropriate storage and communications infrastructure to this end, as short supply chains are most effective in combating hunger and rural poverty; — enable African farmers to access affordable, low-input technological solutions to African-specific agronomic challenges; — encourage a wide variety of nutritious, local and, as far as possible, seasonal food crops, preferably locally adapted or indigenous varieties and species, including fruit, vegetables and nuts, in order to improve nutrition through continuing access to a varied, wholesome and affordable diet, adequate in terms of quality, quantity and diversity rather than calorie intake alone, and consistent with cultural values; — commit to the full implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes and the resolutions adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA) on infant and young child nutrition; — establish, promote and support producer organisations such as cooperatives that strengthen small farmers’ bargaining positions, bringing about the necessary conditions to ensure that markets remunerate small farmers better, and enabling the sharing of knowledge and best practice between small farmers;
33.

Expects existing EU funding instruments (e.g. CEF, Structural Funds) to be used to the full so that demand is stimulated for rail projects (including EU funding instruments for investment outside the EU such as the Pre-accession Assistance and European Neighbourhood Instrument); highlights the importance of a successful implementation of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) as one tool to mobilise private capital for the rail sector, and calls for further exploration of how private investments can be put in motion for rail projects; sees an important role for public development banks at national and European levels in supporting the RSI; asks the Commission to work with the multilateral development banks to help public authorities and private agencies to invest in the most sustainable and energy-efficient railway equipment around the world; asks the Commission and the EIB to intensify advisory support to rail projects through the newly established European Advisory Hub under EFSI, in order to help them attract investment; believes that the railway sector in Europe will continue to depend heavily on public investment; urges the Member States and public authorities, therefore, to invest significantly in their mainline and urban railway systems and, where possible, to increase absorption rates of cohesion funds for rail projects; calls, however, in view of this dependence and the strain on public finances in many European countries, for all means possible — whether regulatory or budgetary — to be put in motion to mobilise private capital on behalf of the railway sector;
61.

Acknowledges that the CRPD has proved to be a positive and key instrument for promoting law reform and requiring Member States to re-examine how persons with disabilities are perceived; regrets, however, the difficult challenges still faced by persons with disabilities in strategic areas such as criminal justice and political participation; considers full and complete access to the political system for all persons with disabilities to be a priority; recognises that this access must be more than mere physical access to cast a vote, and should include a wide range of initiatives to open up the democratic process to all citizens; takes the view that this should include signed, Braille and easy-to-read election material, complete provision of the necessary assistance to persons with disabilities during voting procedures, the promotion of postal and proxy voting when possible, and the removal of barriers to those citizens with disabilities wishing to stand for election, as well as action to address existing rules regarding legal capacity and their impact on the ability of individuals to participate fully in the democratic process; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the provisions of Article 3(2) of Directive 2012/29/EU establishing minimum standards on the rights, support and protection of victims of crime and of Directives 2010/64/EU on the right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings and 2012/13/EU on the right to information in criminal proceedings, and in particular of Directive 2013/48/EU on the right of access to a lawyer in criminal proceedings and in European arrest warrant proceedings, and on the right to have a third party informed upon deprivation of liberty and to communicate with third persons and with consular authorities while deprived of liberty, are properly and fully implemented, especially in the case of persons with disabilities;