The European Commission has presented the first-ever strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life. With antisemitism worryingly on the rise, in Europe and beyond, the Strategy sets out a series of measures articulated around three pillars: to prevent all forms of antisemitism; to protect and foster Jewish life; and to promote research, education and…
With up to a quarter of EU citizens declaring some degree of impairment or disability, far too many people still face barriers to education, travelling to other EU countries or finding work. This week, the S&D Group is leading the European Parliament in calling for more to be done to protect the rights of people…
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has highlighted what it says is the need for a common European framework for migration management that is effective, focusses on both external borders and legal migration pathways and is in line with EU’s values. The EESC welcomes the existing monitoring done by the Commission as this provides the…
In June 2020, members of the European Parliament endorsed, by a vote of 378-255, a report on women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights prepared by Croatian MEP Predrag Fred Matić. The “Matić Report” called for the universal access to safe and legal abortion throughout the European Union. The Forum for Religious Freedom Europe (FOREF) takes no position regarding…
The ECR Group says that it endorses the European Parliament’s resolution on the situation in Afghanistan, which deplores the violent takeover by the Taliban and expresses strong concerns about the future of the country. The MEPs stress their refusal to recognise the interim all-male Taliban government, made up of 33 mullahs, with many under US…
Commission head Ursula von der Leyen says the EU must “call out ” rights abuses. In her state of the union address, she said, “We are firm believers in the strength and value of cooperating in international bodies” “It is with a strong United Nations that we can find long-term solutions for crises like Libya…
In the margins of the Budapest Forum for Sustainable Democracies, the Mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, convened a global group of mayors united to build a value-driven city network to rebuild and reinforce democracy, stand as a bulwark against the erosion of the rule of law, and fight corruption, state capture, racism and populist nationalism….
The EPP Group has called on the EU not to recognise the elections in Russia. “What went on in Russia on 17-19 September was not elections. Russians were robbed of the possibility to have a say and freely choose their country’s destiny. The EPP Group calls on the EU and its Member States to not…
Adding to a long list of concerns on the state of EU values in Poland, MEPs denounce the latest attempts to silence critical voices and undermine the primacy of EU law. In a resolution adopted on Thursday with 502 votes in favour, 149 against, and 36 abstentions, Parliament condemns the continuing deterioration of media freedom…
The S&D group has backed a European Parliament resolution on the EU-China strategy but insisted that the China must first make progress to protect human rights. For the S&Ds the consideration and ratification process for the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) cannot start until the Chinese sanctions against MEPs and EU institutions have been…
