Protecting rights, improving lives : act, react, impact.
Date: 2014-04-01
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: European Parliament, European Union, European election, citizens' Europe, election campaign publicity, fundamental rights, promotion of the European idea, quality of life

Protecting
rights, 
imProving lives.

QUAlitY oF liFe. 
let’s Aim high.

As times have changed, so have our lives – and fortunately mainly for the better.  
To ensure that our European life quality standards continue to evolve in the years to 
come, we must keep pushing for change.

We need smart, honest measures that protect our health and safety, while also keeping 
an eye on the health of our planet so that we can offer future generations a future 
worth living for.

The European Parliament and you. Together we can act, react and make an impact.

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Protecting oUr victims

In the EU, children and young people are 
among the biggest users of online and mobile 
technologies, which unfortunately puts them 
at a greater risk of online bullying and child 
pornography. To protect our youngest citizens, 
the European Parliament will be investing in 
awareness campaigns, the promotion of a safer 
online environment and the battle against 
illegal or harmful content. 

Online grooming (befriending children online 
with the intention of sexually abusing them) 
is now punishable under criminal law across 
the EU, as is producing or viewing child 
pornography. 

Likewise, protection of crime victims is 
something that the European Parliament has 
legislated on, establishing basic rights that are 
recognised throughout the EU alongside easy 
access to necessary assistance in the form of 
legal, linguistic, psychological or protective 
services. Every effort is being made to ensure 
our most vulnerable citizens don’t fall victim 
to serious crime. Protection that is available 
throughout all Member States.

sUstAinABilitY AnD Protection oF oUr environment

With climate change and rising fuel poverty 
facing us, the European Parliament is actively 
shaping our energy future. One proposal would 
enable the EU gradually to accelerate the 
introduction of cleaner biofuels and switch to 
more sustainable longer term sources sooner. 

A second proposal focuses on cleaner, low 
carbon transport. It promotes an alternative 
fuel infrastructure and encourages the use of 
innovative transport power technologies such 
as electricity, hydrogen and LPG. Perhaps even 
higher on the Parliament’s agenda, however, 
is to ensure all Member States install sufficient 
electric recharging stations for cars. 

WWW.elections2014.eU
#eP2014

WWW.elections2014.eU

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KeePing eUroPeAns’ FooD soUrces  
secUre, sAFe AnD honest 

In 2013, a wave of indignation swept across
the EU due to the horsemeat scandal.
This reinforced public concern about the food 
on our plates and the need for traceability of 
products. 

The European Parliament has always recognised 
the need for clear labelling and has passed 
legislation to improve transparency. Some of 
our key food products such as olive oil, fish 
(unless canned or prepared), beef, fresh or 
frozen poultry of non-EU origin, wine, most 
fresh fruit and vegetables, honey and eggs are 
subject to strict rules. As of December 2014, 
consumers will be better informed about the 

content and ingredients of food purchased or 
consumed in restaurants.

The right to use geographical indications, for 
traditional food and registered products such 
as Champagne, Stilton and Parmesan cheese 
or Serrano ham will also be better protected, 
whereas anything labelled as ‘fruit juice’ will no 
longer be allowed to contain added sugars or 
sweeteners.

While the European Parliament has many objectives and responsibilities, 
its main goal is to help create a better life for all of Europe’s citizens. 
Day after day, the Parliament dedicates itself to our ‘European way’: by 
protecting, defending and improving our rights, taking decisions that 
make a tangible impact on our day-to-day lives. 
In areas such as cross-border healthcare, the environment, food safety and 
personal privacy the European Parliament is vigilant.

We cAre ABoUt YoUr heAlthcAre

Currently, approximately 60,000 patients are 
waiting for an organ transplant. Thanks to new 
legislation passed by the Parliament, waiting 
times will become shorter, quality and safety 
standards throughout the entire process will 
improve, and cooperation between Member 
States will increase.

Even while the crisis has put pressure on 
healthcare systems, the European Parliament 
has seen to it that patients’ rights to care across 
Europe have increased and will continue to do so 
in future. 

Some recent efforts have focused on cross 
border healthcare. EU citizens will soon have the 
right to medical treatment and reimbursement 
in other Member States as if they were at home, 
whereas patients with rare diseases will receive 
cross-border treatment if their own country is 
unable to provide it.

Protecting YoUr interests, Protecting YoU

block data transfers to the US, but also specifies 
that data use by the US is only permitted for anti-
terrorism purposes. 

At the same time, air passenger name record 
data are more strongly protected on EU flights 
and flights to the US. Legislation adopted by the 
Parliament guarantees a high level of protection 
of privacy and personal data in the fight against 
crime and terrorism.

In light of the ever-increasing globalisation of 
data flow, the European Parliament wants to 
make sure that citizens have control over their 
own data, both now and in the future. New and 
improved regulations will help people use social 
media, shop online and generally communicate 
online with confidence.

One area of ongoing effort is the data protection 
reform package, which consists of two draft laws: 
the first focuses on the processing of personal 
data in the EU, whereas the second monitors the 
processing of data related to criminal offences. If 
approved, better regulations will finally exist for 
social networks, online shopping and e-banking, 
as well as for data processed offline (e.g. hospital, 
university or company registers).

As well as protecting our personal data, the 
European Parliament has approved a new 
version of the SWIFT anti-terrorism agreement, 
which better protects our bank data. The 
updated agreement, which Parliament obtained 
by rejecting a previous version which did not 
guarantee EU citizens’ rights, not only allows 
Europol (the EU’s law enforcement agency) to