ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
22.

Recalls that the ‘Guidance note on the application of Directive 85/337/EEC to projects related to the exploration and exploitation of unconventional hydrocarbon’ (Ref. Ares (2011)1339393), issued by the Commission, DG Environment, on 12 December 2011, confirms that Council Directive 85/337/EEC, as amended and as codified by Directive 2011/92/EU, on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (known as the Environmental Impact Assessment or the EIA Directive) covers exploration and exploitation of unconventional hydrocarbons; recalls, furthermore, that any hydraulic fracturing method used is part of the overall conventional and unconventional hydrocarbon exploration and extraction activities covered by the above-mentioned EU environmental legislation and by Directive 94/22/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 1994 on the conditions for granting and using authorisations for the prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons;
10.

Believes that animals should as a principle be slaughtered as close to their place of rearing as possible; notes in this connection that consumers are in favour of shorter transport times for animals destined for slaughter, but at the same time prefer to buy fresh meat; calls on the Commission, therefore, to explain what consequences are to be drawn from this; acknowledges that owing to lack of enforcement the Regulation has not fulfilled the aim of limiting the transport of live animals for slaughter, but that it has made a contribution to improving animal welfare during transport; calls on the Member States to properly implement the existing legislation on animal transport, and calls on the Commission to promote, where possible, local processing; believes that EU policy should aim at helping create short and transparent supply chains, while safeguarding market supply in all Member States and in the outermost regions; stresses that EU hygiene legislation, while ensuring the highest level of protection for consumers, should not unnecessarily hamper the development of mobile or small-scale regional slaughter and processing facilities;
B.

whereas EU-Mercosur trade represents nearly as much as EU trade with the rest of Latin America taken together; whereas the EU is Mercosur’s largest trading partner and the largest investor in Mercosur; whereas Mercosur ranks eighth among our trading partners; whereas the EU and Mercosur represent complementary economies (the EU is Mercosur’s first market for its agricultural exports, while EU exports to Mercosur focus largely on industrial products and services);
18.

Believes that the EIB should contribute to combating corruption and lack of transparency in the EU Member States and non-EU countries in which it operates, in particular by collecting relevant information on beneficiaries and financial intermediaries, paying particular attention to the accessibility of loans for SMEs and their links to the local economy, and publishing information about the aggregated amounts disbursed, the numbers and names of recipients of the funds concerned, in particular SMEs, as well as the regions and sectors to which they were allocated; calls, furthermore, on the EIB to act according to Article 3(5) of the EU Treaty, which, as confirmed by the ECJ on 21 December 2011 in its ATAA judgement, requires the Union to contribute to the strict observance of international law, and in particular the principles of the UN Charter;
B.

whereas the Iraqi Constitution guarantees equality before the law for all its citizens and notably, in Article 125, the ‘administrative, political, cultural and educational rights of the various nationalities, such as Turkmen, Chaldeans, Assyrians and all other nationalities’, and whereas Article 31 of the Constitution of the Kurdistan Region, in force since 2009, guarantees ‘national, cultural and administrative autonomy to the Turkmen, Arabs and Chaldo-Assyrian-Syriacs, Armenian and others who are citizens of Kurdistan whenever they represent the majority of the population’;
50.

Reaffirms its staunch support for visa liberalisation for the Western Balkan countries; calls on Serbia and the EU Member States most affected to tackle together the issue of bogus asylum applicants; recalling that this liberalisation represents the most visible and concrete achievement of the European integration process in the region, calls on them to do their utmost to strictly implement all the necessary criteria and measures for visa-free travel to the Schengen countries; stresses that putting the visa-free regime on ice would be a significantly setback for the accession process of the Western Balkan countries benefiting from it; notes that Serbia needs to further engage further with the EU Member States’ authorities in dealing with bogus asylum applicants, also through the adoption and implementation of reforms to improve the situation of minorities whose members have in many cases abused the visa-free regimes and asylum policies of some Member States; calls on the Member States that are most affected by the inflow of false asylum seekers to adopt appropriate mechanisms for dealing with these cases, above all by classifying the Western Balkan countries as ‘countries of safe origin’; furthermore, calls on the Member States to assist Serbia in its efforts to fight organised crime in connection with the trafficking of false asylum seekers; notes, moreover, that Serbia is increasingly becoming a recipient country of asylum seekers, needing therefore more efficient management of asylum requests; stresses that it is necessary to duly inform citizens about the limitations of the visa-free regime in order to prevent any kind of abuse of freedom of travel and visa liberalisation policy; notes that this liberalisation is one of the biggest achievements in Serbia’s recent progress towards EU, and that any suspension would certainly have negative social, economic and political implications;
16.

Considers that it should be possible for decision-making bodies to deal with substances having the same modes of action and properties on a group basis when sufficient data is available, while in the absence of sufficient data it may be useful to group substances on the basis of structural similarity, for example in order to establish priorities for further testing, in order to protect the public as quickly and effectively as possible from the effects of exposure to endocrine disrupters, and limiting the number of animal tests; takes the view that grouping chemicals with structural similarity should be applied if the manufacturer or importer is unable to demonstrate the safety of a chemical to the satisfaction of the relevant decision making bodies; points out that, in such cases, these bodies may use information from chemicals of similar structure to complement the available data on a given chemical that is being considered by the bodies in order to reach conclusions regarding which subsequent steps need to be taken;
16.

Underlines the importance of increasing, by means of such a strategy, the innovative capacity of the Alps region by making use of the skills offered by its labour force, creating partnerships and cooperation among key stakeholders (labour market, education, training and research, and employers), keeping active young people in the area, supporting creativity and enhancing the capacity of the different regions in the areas of education, science and research;
14.

Calls for an increase in the level of EU bilateral development aid to Myanmar/Burma under the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework and for the Government of Myanmar/Burma to promote and support action in the main areas covered by the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR): consolidation of democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; notes, in this connection, the work of the EU-funded Myanmar Peace Centre; expects the Government of Myanmar/Burma to accept and facilitate the opening of a UN regional Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights with a full mandate, as the country needs not only technical assistance but also a mechanism for close monitoring of human rights;
15.

Is concerned about the deterioration in freedom of the press and about certain acts of censorship and growing self-censorship within the Turkish media, including on the internet; calls on the Turkish Government to uphold the principle of press freedom; stresses that an independent press is crucial to a democratic society, and points in this context to the essential role of the judiciary in protecting and enhancing press freedom, thereby guaranteeing public space for free and inclusive debate; is concerned at the large number of journalists in prison and the numerous ongoing trials of journalists; calls for the release of social media activists; views as deeply regrettable the decision of RTUK (the Radio and Television Supreme Council) to punish the TV channels that have covered the Gezi Park events since the beginning for ‘harming the physical, moral and mental development of children and young people’;
34.

Agrees with the need for a multi-level approach, and calls for increasing attention to be paid to the regional and local dimension of the bioeconomy and to bottom-up initiatives; welcomes the establishment, at regional, national and EU levels, of bioeconomy platforms that are able to measure the progress made in a given sector and enable an exchange of know-how and best practices to take place, with a view to ensuring that the bioeconomy develops evenly throughout the EU; calls on the Commission also to involve experts in the sector and in all the subject areas concerned, in addition to representatives of consumers and citizens; points out that regional economies have a central role to play in achieving smart, sustainable and inclusive growth;
21.

Calls in particular on the Commission and the Member States to ensure the timely and consistent implementation of the Union consumer acquis, and in particular the Consumer Rights Directive (27), the Directive on Unfair Commercial Practices (28), and the Directive on Misleading and Comparative Advertising (29); calls, furthermore, on the Commission and the Member States to carry out monitoring on the effectiveness of the consumer acquis; stresses the evidence suggesting that citizens are still not aware of their rights in the single market, and accordingly calls on the Commission and the Member States to further promote the availability of clear and comprehensive information for consumers as part of the implementation process, as well as information on the available consumer redress tools;
15.

Calls on the Member States to stress the importance of information and training campaigns related to safer cycling and walking and of policies aimed at promoting cycling and walking, as the safety of cyclists and pedestrians in urban areas is strongly correlated with the prevalence of cycling and walking as transport modes, where appropriate in combination with public and collective mobility;
M.

whereas the current provisions of Directive 2010/13/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2010 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the provision of audiovisual media services (Audiovisual Media Services Directive) are based on the principle of technological neutrality; whereas those provisions do not yet reflect ongoing technological convergence; and whereas in particular graduated regulation, which differentiates between television programmes (including webcasting and live streaming) and audiovisual media services on demand, will become less important in its existing form, although differently regulated information and communications services are available on one and the same device, including services which do not fall within the scope of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive but of the e-Commerce Directive or, in the case of non-European services, are not covered by any EU media regulations, which both may result in unequal competitive conditions and unacceptable discrepancies in the protection of users and raises fresh questions — regardless of media type — of content access, dissemination method and findability;
6.

Believes that the international community should bring about a political solution for Syria which can stop the violence, prevent further use of chemical weapons and promote a democratic transition; calls, in particular, on Russia and China, as permanent members of the Security Council, to face their responsibilities and to facilitate the achievement of a common position and a diplomatic solution to the Syrian crisis, without excluding a role for the UN General Assembly whereby it could take up this matter in the event of a persistent blockage in the Security Council; is convinced that a lasting solution to the current crisis in Syria can only be achieved through a Syrian-led, inclusive political process with the backing of the international community; continues to support, in this spirit, the efforts of the EU and its Member States and of UN-Arab League Joint Special Representative Lakhdar Brahimi to achieve progress in the Geneva II process and in the Security Council; reiterates its calls for the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court for a formal investigation; reiterates its call for President Assad and his regime to step aside and pave the way for a democratic transition;
7.

Expresses its support for the process of constitutional drafting and reform, and stresses that this must lay the foundations for a truly democratic new Egypt, guaranteeing fundamental rights and freedoms, including religious freedom, for all citizens — men and women — of Egypt, promoting interreligious tolerance and cohabitation and guaranteeing the protection of minorities as well as the freedoms of association, of assembly and of the media; strongly believes that the consultation process on the constitutional amendments should include all components of the Egyptian political spectrum, including the moderate components of the Muslim Brotherhood, and an adequate representation of women, and that it should be followed by a referendum on a new, pluralistic constitution and by free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections;
W.

whereas European citizens and residents are legitimately entitled to expect that the issues they raise with the Committee on Petitions may find a solution without undue delay within the legal framework of the European Union, and in particular that the Members of the committee will defend the petitioner’s natural environment, health, freedom of movement, dignity and fundamental rights and freedoms; whereas the efficiency of the committee’s work is largely the result of swiftness of operation and thoroughness of its Secretariat, and this could be improved further, in particular by optimising the time taken to process petitions and by systematising the procedure for their assessment; whereas, in view of the ever-increasing number of petitions received annually, more resources and increased committee-meeting time should be devoted for this purpose; whereas there is a need for continuity in processing petitions, despite the changes in legislative periods and the resulting changes in personnel; whereas several petitions have been submitted by victims of the Franco regime and concerning abducted children in Spain;
28.

Calls on the Member States to phase out environmentally harmful subsidies, especially fossil fuel subsidies, by 2020 and to redirect this money to sustainable energy production; calls, in addition, for swift and internationally coordinated implementation of the Pittsburgh G-20 Summit objective of phasing out inefficient fossil fuels subsidies over the medium term, as this would make an important contribution to climate protection and would also be relevant within the current context of public deficit in many countries; notes that leaders at the G-20 Summit in Los Cabos reconfirmed this ambition and that the EU called for progress on that matter ahead of the Saint Petersburg G-20 Summit (11); deplores the lack of proposals on concrete measures for the implementation of this objective;
11.

Considers that, although Parliament has no formal powers under Article 218 TFEU to initiate the suspension or termination of an international agreement, the Commission will have to act if Parliament withdraws its support for a particular agreement; points out that, when considering whether or not to give its consent to future international agreements, Parliament will take account of the responses of the Commission and the Council in relation to this Agreement;
13.

Stresses that second-pillar measures such as compensation allowances, agro-environmental premiums, individual or collective investment aid for production, processing — without forgetting, in the case of the outermost regions (which are covered by the POSEI system), the possibility of having products considered essential for the transformation of regional agricultural production, particularly dairy products, included in the Special Regime Supply, with the objective of maintaining competitiveness –, and marketing, start-up aid for young farmers and aid to promote quality, diversification, innovation and cooperation (including with local authorities) are of great importance for sustainable milk production in these areas; therefore urges that Member States and regions be given the legal framework, the level of funding and the necessary opportunities to ensure the payment of adequate and clearly differentiated compensatory allowances and to promote environmentally friendly, sustainable and organic forms of agriculture; calls for adequate compensation payments from the second CAP pillar to offset the higher investment costs of milk production in mountain areas and outermost regions, occasioned by the particular nature of the terrain, the remoteness of these regions, the extreme fragmentation of plots and the geographical discontinuity of these islands;
8.

Supports the proposed establishment of a scoreboard of key employment and social indicators complementary to the Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure (MIP) with a view to making the social consequences of economic and other policies more transparent through ex ante and ex post impact assessments or monitoring, and which could be used in the drafting of the Commission’s Joint Employment Report (JER);
17.

Commends the Ombudsman for his work in promoting human rights, his openness towards vulnerable people and his cooperation with civil society organisations; deplores the fact that the Ombudsman’s annual and special reports have not been debated in the Parliament, and therefore cannot be published and are not officially acknowledged; urges the Government and the Parliament to improve cooperation with the office of the Ombudsman; deplores the fact that, so far, the Ombudsman has not regularly been informed or consulted by the Government in a timely manner on relevant draft legislation; notes with concern that the budget allocated to the Ombudsman’s office remains insufficient and has been further reduced; underlines the fact that the institution needs further financial and political support from both the Parliament and the Government in order to continue carrying out its duties; calls for a broad awareness campaign to highlight the role and importance of the institution;
54.

Emphasises that the education of Roma girls helps to improve the lives of Roma people in many ways as it is, among other things, a crucial condition for increasing the employability of Roma women, facilitating their access to the labour market and providing some income security, as well as being essential to overcome poverty and social exclusion; observes, furthermore, that increasing teachers’ knowledge of Roma culture helps to reduce exclusion; calls, therefore, on the Member States to combat segregation, to ensure more inclusive and accessible education and culturally sensitive teaching methods involving school assistants with a Roma background and parents, while viewing the improvement of professional skills to match the demands of the labour market as a priority;
10.

Calls on the international community to assist the Iraqi authorities – including by providing military protection to particularly vulnerable groups – in ensuring protection of, and assistance to, those fleeing the areas affected by terrorism, in particular members of vulnerable groups and of ethnic and religious communities; calls on all regional actors to contribute to efforts to promote security and stability in Iraq; recalls that it should be the ultimate commitment and responsibility of all regional actors, as well as of the EU, to do their utmost to guarantee the return of traditional minorities and all citizens to their original places of residence from which they were forced to flee; calls on the EU Member States to assist the Iraqi and local authorities by all possible means, including appropriate military assistance, in containing and repelling the terrorist and aggressive IS expansion; underlines the necessity for coordinated action by countries in the region to counter the IS threat; calls on all regional actors to do everything in their power to stop all activities by official or private bodies intended to propagate and spread extreme Islamist ideologies; calls on Turkey to clearly and unambiguously commit itself to countering the common security threat posed by IS; calls for the EU to facilitate a regional dialogue on the problems facing the Middle East and to include all significant parties, in particular Iran and Saudi Arabia;
3.

Underlines the importance of the principle of universality of the Rome Statute and urges the EU to be at the forefront in pushing for the Kampala Amendment on the crime of aggression to enter into force and to support the efforts under way to achieve this goal, and to encourage its Member States to first ratify the amendment and then positively support the one-time decision by the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, once the required 30 ratifications are achieved, to activate the ICC’s jurisdiction for the crime of aggression;
23.

Considers that unaccompanied children are particularly vulnerable; calls on the Commission and the Member States to implement Parliament’s resolution of 12 September 2013 on the situation of unaccompanied minors in the EU; calls on the Member States to fully implement the Common European Asylum System package in order to improve the condition of unaccompanied minors in the EU; calls on the Member States to take action to end the detention of migrant children across the EU; welcomes the Court of Justice judgment in Case C-648/11 MA, BT, DA v Secretary of State for the Home Department, which stated that the Member State responsible for examining an asylum application made in more than one Member State by an unaccompanied minor is the State in which the minor is present after having lodged an application there; recalls that an unaccompanied minor is above all a child who is potentially in danger and that child protection, rather than immigration policies, must be the leading principle for Member States and the EU when dealing with unaccompanied minors, thus respecting the core principle of the best interests of the child;