ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
1.

Expresses deep concerns about the deterioration of the security situation in the Sahel region, and calls on the EU to work in close cooperation with the authorities and parliaments of the countries of the region, civil society and regional and international bodies, including the African Union and ECOWAS, to comprehensively address underlying political, economic, social and environmental root causes of poverty, support economic development, good governance and improved access to key infrastructures and basic services for the local population, and help consolidate state institutions, justice, police and customs in order to strengthen security and the rule of law in the region;
EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 349/71

Wednesday 4 July 2012

Establishment of an EU legal framework for the protection of pets and stray animals

P7_TA(2012)0291

European Parliament resolution of 4 July 2012 on the establishment of an EU legal framework for the protection of pets and stray animals (2012/2670(RSP))

2013/C 349 E/08

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the large number of petitions from EU citizens requesting the establishment of an EU legal framework for the protection of pets and stray animals (1613/2010, 1274/2011, 1321/2011, 1377/2011, 1412/2011 and others),

— having regard to the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals (CETS No 125),

— having regard to Rule 202(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas Article 13 of the TFEU stipulates that, since animals are sentient beings, the Union and the Member States must pay full regard to their welfare requirements;

B. whereas there is no EU legislation for the protection of pets and stray animals, despite the fact that the EU’s pet population is estimated at over one hundred million;

C. whereas the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals has not yet been signed by all Member States;

D. whereas pets and stray animals are victims of mistreatment and cruelty in many Members States, and whereas the petitioners mainly refer to Member States in southern and eastern Europe;

1. Calls on the European Union and the Member States to ratify the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals and to transpose its provisions into national legal systems;

2. Calls on the Commission to put forward an EU legal framework for the protection of pets and stray animals, including: — rules for the identification and registration of animals, — stray animal management strategies, including vaccination and sterilisation programmes, — measures to promote responsible ownership, — the prohibition of unlicensed kennels and shelters, — the prohibition of the killing of stray animals without medical indication, — information and educational programmes in schools on animal welfare, — severe sanctions to be imposed on any Member State which fails to comply with the rules;
6.

Notes that in 2010 211 opinions were received from national parliaments but that only a small number of them – 34 in all – raised subsidiarity concerns; points out that the conditions of Article 2, first sentence, of the Protocol on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality were fulfilled for the first time in May 2012 in connection with the proposal for a Council regulation on the exercise of the right to take collective action within the context of the freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide services (COM(2012)0130); calls on the Commission, in this connection, to carry out the necessary review of the draft with the utmost regard for the express will of the national parliaments, as the new scrutinising procedure is intended to ensure that decisions are taken as closely to the citizens as possible;
19.

Insists that women’s and children’s rights should be explicitly addressed in all human rights dialogues, and in particular the issue of combating and eliminating all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls, in particular forced marriage, domestic violence and feminicide, and likewise insists that the invocation of any custom, tradition or religious consideration of any kind in order to evade the duty to eliminate such brutality should be rejected; believes that the prevention of the practice of child marriage is vital to ensure that the fundamental rights of adolescent girls in Pakistan are respected;
37.

Calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure the application of the ‘polluter pays’ and ‘user pays’ principles by means of transparent and effective pricing schemes implemented in all water-using sectors that aim at the recovery of the costs of water services, including environmental and resource costs, as set down in the Water Framework Directive; underlines however that social issues should be taken into account when setting water tariffs and that clean water should be available at an affordable price for human needs; furthermore, calls on the Commission and the Member States to assess and revise subsidies harmful for water and to develop and introduce further economic instruments to reduce environmentally-detrimental activity and incentivise more sustainable use of water resources; stresses that water pricing should reflect the environmental impact of wastewater treatment; notes that, although the political will exists, the economic crisis and restrictions on public spending make it difficult for local and regional authorities to finance greywater treatment projects and therefore calls on the Commission to ensure appropriate financing of wastewater treatment plants; calls on the Commission to develop a strategy for internalising the external costs incurred through water consumption, water pollution and wastewater treatment;
43.

Expresses its utmost concern at the development of a zone of instability in the Sahel, characterised by the interconnected nature of criminal activities, particularly the trafficking of drugs, weapons and people, and armed operations by radical terrorist groups which are undermining the territorial integrity of states in the region and whose actions could lead to the establishment of a permanent zone of lawlessness in part of the territory of Mali and to its spreading to neighbouring countries, thereby heightening the threat there to European interests and European nationals, who have already been the victims of murder and kidnapping; stresses, therefore, the need to support a stable government in Mali in order to prevent the disintegration of the country and the wide-ranging spillover effect it could have in terms of the proliferation of crime and conflict;
12.

Welcomes the Council conclusions on Burma/Myanmar of 23 April 2012, which include the suspension of restrictive measures imposed on the Government, with the exception of the arms embargo, and the EU’s wish to continue its support to the country’s transition; whereas human rights issues are central to the EU’s concerns: assisting the reform process, contributing to economic, political and social development and establishing the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, in particular freedom of expression and assembly; welcomes in this connection the recent visit of the President of the European Commission and the immediate increase in the Commission’s humanitarian funding for 2012 to help the people of Rakhine State;
47.

Points out that the Paris Principles on NHRIs should be used as a model for reforming the national institutions and the FRA, and calls on the Commission and the Council, together with the European Parliament, to revise, as a matter of urgency, the founding regulation of the FRA under the ordinary legislative procedure, so that the remit of the FRA is broadened to cover the full scope of Articles 2, 6 and 7 of the TEU and, in particular, the European Charter’s implementation by the EU institutions, agencies, offices and bodies, as well the activities of Member States; considers that the independence of the FRA should be strengthened, as well as its powers and competences; considers that the FRA Scientific Committee and the FRANET network should submit to the European Parliament and the national parliaments and publish annually a thematic and more focused report assessing the situation in the Member States, as was done until 2006 by the former Network of Experts on Fundamental Rights; calls on the FRA to fully respect Article 15 of the TFEU by making its proceedings open and by giving access to its documents via a publicly accessible register, as foreseen by Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001;
31.

Notes that domestic violence, forced prostitution and the very high level of trafficking in women and children continue, and that the coordination of competent bodies necessary in order to provide women and children with substantive protection is lacking; recalls the importance of ensuring that victims have access to full legal assistance and psychological support and urges the authorities to take action, including through increased funding of agencies and services, to eliminate violence and inequality; stresses the urgent need to introduce and implement measures such as specialised social service structures and rehabilitation centres and to develop the network of shelters and facilitating organisations that support women and children, including with a view to their reintegration into society; welcomes the non-stop, toll-free helpline for victims, the strengthening of child protection units and the good example of cooperation on joint support to victims set by the Tirana municipality, the police, the justice system and NGOs;
17.

Remains deeply concerned, however, at the continuing acts of violence perpetrated against the civilian population, vulnerable groups and all religious communities, including Christian minorities, which instil in the population a deep sense of fear and uncertainty about their future and that of their country; notes that some progress has been made in this area and calls on the Iraqi authorities to continue to improve security and public order and combat terrorism and sectarian violence throughout the country; takes the view that priority should equally be given to establishing a new legal framework which clearly defines the responsibilities and remit of the security forces and facilitates the adequate oversight of security forces, as called for in the Constitution; considers that the Council of Representatives must play an appropriate role in drafting new legislation and exercising democratic scrutiny; calls on the Iraqi authorities to step up their efforts to protect Christian minorities and all vulnerable minorities, to guarantee all Iraqi citizens the right to practise their faith or affirm their identity in freedom and safety, to take more determined measures to combat inter-ethnic and inter-religious violence, to protect the secular population and to do everything in their power to bring the perpetrators to justice, in keeping with the rule of law and international standards; believes that the partnership and cooperation agreement affords an opportunity further to promote reconciliation programmes and inter-religious dialogue aimed at restoring a sense of cohesion and partnership in Iraqi society;
2.

Is concerned at the tardiness and lack of transparency of the investigations into the disappearance of Sombath Somphone; calls on the Lao authorities to undertake prompt, transparent and thorough investigations, in accordance with their obligations under international human rights law, and to ensure the immediate and safe return of Sombath Somphone to his family;
35.

Recognises the role of the media in the promotion of issues regarding the situation of women and their role in society, as well as their influence on the attitudes of citizens in their countries; recommends the drawing up of an action plan aimed at supporting women in the media, both as a professional career path and as an opportunity for monitoring how women are represented on television, through the production of television programmes and the use of the new media (the internet and social networks) in order to encourage the political participation of women and propagate the notion that tradition and equal opportunities can be made to work harmoniously together;
2.

Emphasises that the current global economic crisis arose from fundamental errors with respect to transparency, accountability, responsibility and from short-termism, and that the EU has a duty to ensure that these lessons are learnt by all; welcomes the Commission’s intention to conduct Eurobarometer surveys on trust in business; calls for the results of these surveys to be fully debated and acted on by all stakeholders; strongly advocates corporate social responsibility (CSR), and takes the view that CSR — if implemented correctly and practised by all companies, not only larger firms — can make a great contribution towards restoring lost confidence, which is necessary for a sustainable economic recovery, and can mitigate the social consequences of the economic crisis; notes that when business assumes a responsibility for society, the environment and employees, a win-win situation is created that serves to broaden the basis of trust necessary for economic success; takes the view that making CSR part of a sustainable business strategy is in the interest of businesses and of society as a whole; points out that many businesses — especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) — are setting an outstanding example in this field;
6.

Reiterates its concern over the detentions of opposition leaders, journalists and lawyers on the basis of trials which fall short of international standards, and reaffirms its call for the release of all persons convicted on the basis of vague criminal charges which could be considered to be politically motivated, including among others Vladimir Kozlov, Vadim Kurashim and Roza Tuletaeva; expresses its concern with regard to the fairness of trials, and reiterates its call for the guaranteeing of transparency and international standards in trials, an end to convictions on the basis of the above vague criminal charges, and the upholding of the independence of the judiciary;
37.

Urges all actors to streamline inspection and surveillance activities with a view to using available resources with greater efficiency; stresses as well, in this regard, the value of a more systematic use of peer-review inspections, as pointed out by the Commission; emphasises the need to complement existing inspections with enhanced cooperation and peer-reviews among inspection authorities; encourages the European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL) to take action in this direction; calls also on the Commission to promote knowledge and capacity-building by supporting networks of judges and prosecutors and, in close cooperation with the Committee of the Region to reduce the environmental and economic costs of non-compliance and ensure a level playing field;
10.

Expects those responsible for criminal negligence or otherwise criminally responsible in relation to the collapse of the Rana Plaza, the Tazreen factory fire or any other fire to be brought to justice; expects local authorities and factory management to cooperate in order to guarantee full access to the justice system for all victims, so as to enable them to claim compensation; expects multinational textile retailers that were producing at these factories to be involved in the establishment of a financial compensation plan; welcomes the steps which have already been taken by the Bangladeshi Government to support the victims and their families;
43.

Considers that, to overcome the structural deficiencies inherent in the EMU, and to effectively curb the pervasive moral hazard, the proposed banking union should draw on the earlier reform of the Union financial services sector (including the creation of the European Banking Authority (EBA), the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) and the ESRB) and on the strengthened economic governance (in particular in the eurozone), and new budgetary framework, of the European Semester to ensure greater resilience and competitiveness of, and increased confidence in, the Union banking sector, and to secure enhanced capital reserves in order to prevent Member States’ public budgets from having to bear the costs of future bank bail-outs;
39.

Urges the two partners to continue to work towards a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue with a view to expeditiously achieving a comprehensive negotiated long-term settlement which would foster international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear programme, while respecting Iran’s legitimate rights to the peaceful use of nuclear energy in conformity with the NPT; calls on the EU and the US to consider, in the context of the EU 3+3 (P5 +1) negotiations with Iran, the coordinated and conditional lifting of sanctions in exchange for mutually agreed and verifiable action by the Iranian government to resolve all outstanding issues concerning its nuclear programme, in full compliance with the provisions of the NPT, the IAEA Board of Governors and the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, as well as the demands made by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); calls on both partners to adopt a more comprehensive approach towards relations with Iran that addresses the human rights situation as well as the broader regional security picture, and to involve Iranian civil society and NGOs wherever applicable;
8.

Welcomes and fully supports the recent agreement leading to the unblocking of the deadlock in the domestic political developments in the country and considers that the present accord will allow further progress towards EU accession in advance of the European Council discussions; calls on all parties to continue with political dialogue and stresses the need for broad cross-party support and engagement in the EU agenda; underlines the fact that the national parliament is a key democratic institution for the discussion and resolution of political differences and asks all the political forces in the country to act in this spirit, respecting its procedures and the democratic values on which it was founded; supports initiatives leading to an improvement of the functioning of the parliament, including the proposal for a Commission of Inquiry in order to establish accountability for the events of 24 December 2012, make further recommendations for a comprehensive reform of the parliament’s procedures on a genuine cross-party basis, improve the authority, independence and legitimacy of the parliament and prevent any repeat of such incidents; calls on the authorities to set up the Commission of Inquiry immediately so that it can commence its important work with a view to the restoration of a normal political process in the country; regrets that the journalists were also expelled from the parliament and calls for a resumption of the dialogue between the government and the Association of Journalists under conditions in which journalists themselves can have trust and confidence;
2.

Notes that, in the EU, cooperatives are becoming increasingly important and that there are about 160 000 cooperative enterprises owned by 123 million members and providing jobs for 5,4 million people — including around 50 000 cooperative enterprises in industry and services providing jobs for 1,4 million persons — and that cooperatives contribute, on average, around 5 % to the GDP of each Member State; notes that, over the past few years, several hundred industrial and service cooperative enterprises have been established as the result of the restructuring of businesses in crisis or without successors, thereby saving and re-developing local economic activities and jobs; notes that industrial and service cooperative groups have had a key impact on regional development in some of the most industrialised regions of the EU; notes that ‘social’ cooperatives specialised in labour integration provide jobs to over 30 000 disabled and disadvantaged persons in the industrial and service sectors; points out that cooperatives have become a model for the self-employed and the liberal professions, and that this model has grown significantly in new sectors, such as social and health care services, digital and business support services and services of general interest previously provided by the public sector (e.g. environmental services and management of natural spaces, education and culture, and production of energy from renewable sources); notes that cooperatives therefore play a very important role in the EU in economic, social, sustainable development, and employment terms, in addition to being a springboard for social innovation, which is a very important topic in both the EU 2020 strategy and Horizon 2020, and help to serve the objective of the sustainable economic and social development of regional and local communities;
21.

Recalls the commitments made by the Government of Afghanistan at the International Afghanistan Conferences in Kabul and Tokyo to strengthen and improve Afghanistan’s electoral process, including through long-term electoral reform, in order to ensure that future elections meet international standards; welcomes the announcement of the date for the 2014 presidential and provincial council elections, along with Afghanistan’s preparations for those elections; stresses the need to mobilise participation, which may depend on the security situation, especially in the southern and eastern provinces; reminds the Afghan authorities of the need for oversight by national and international observers of the national electoral roll and the organisation and monitoring of the voting process in the forthcoming elections; calls for the EU to provide support, at the request of the Afghan authorities, for the organisation of the forthcoming elections;
12.

Urges the Commission to formulate a starting offer close to its last GATS scheduling offer and to aim at the following goals when negotiating market access commitments: — ensuring a more level playing field by reducing imbalances in GATS commitments across parties, sectors and modes; — promoting an ambitious agenda for the EU’s offensive interests, in particular as regards business services, ICT services, financial and legal services, e-commerce, maritime and air transport services, environmental services, tourism and construction; defending the EU’s interests in third country markets while including in the TISA the GATS’ prudential carve-out allowing participating countries to undertake domestic regulation of financial markets and products for prudential purposes; calling for the GATS’ prudential carve-out for financial services to be included in the TISA so as to allow the parties to the agreement to take measures for prudential reasons, notwithstanding any other provisions of the TISA; — defending European sensitivities regarding public services and services of general interest (as defined in the EU Treaties), in the areas of public education, public health, water supply and waste management and by continuing, as is the case under the GATS and bilateral FTAs, not to make any commitments in relation to audiovisual services or cultural services; — preventing commitments and rules regarding financial services that would contradict recent measures to regulate financial markets and products; — taking a cautious approach to the offers exchanged in ‘Mode 4’, bearing in mind that the EU has offensive interests in high-skilled labour and that the EU should, above all, reassert under the TISA that the temporary movement of natural persons to supply a service under Mode 4 must comply with national labour and social rights and collective agreements, and that, as under the GATS, no Party shall be prevented from applying measures to regulate the entry of natural persons within its territory, provided that such measures do not nullify the benefits accruing from the commitments of the Parties; — retaining neutrality as to the public or private nature of the ownership of the economic operators covered by commitments; — ensuring that any liberalisation of data flows is wholly consistent with the acquis communautaire in relation to privacy and data protection;