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Hungary: member states have an obligation to end attacks on European values

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European Parliament
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Hungary: member states have an obligation to end attacks on EU values | News | European Parliament

European values are under systemic threat in Hungary, says the Civil Liberties Committee, pointing to the latest developments in the country.

In a draft report adopted on Wednesday with 47 votes for, 10 against, and 2 abstentions, MEPs detail their concerns about Hungary, including:

  • the functioning of its constitutional and electoral system;
  • the independence of the judiciary and of other institutions and the rights of judges;
  • corruption and conflicts of interest;
  • privacy and data protection;
  • freedom of expression, including media pluralism;
  • academic freedom;
  • freedom of religion;
  • freedom of association;
  • the right to equal treatment, including LGBTIQ rights;
  • the rights of persons belonging to minorities, including Roma and Jews, and protection against hateful statements directed at these minorities;
  • the fundamental rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees; and
  • economic and social rights.

Situation has worsened since 2018, partly due to EU inaction

The Civil Liberties Committee condemns the “deliberate and systematic efforts of the Hungarian government” to undermine European values as enshrined in Article 2 TEU, a situation that has worsened substantially since Parliament triggered the Article 7 procedure in 2018. The lack of decisive EU action has contributed to the emergence of a “hybrid regime of electoral autocracy”, MEPs say.

They deplore the inability of the Council to make meaningful progress to counter democratic backsliding and emphasise that Article 7(1) does not require unanimity to identify a clear risk of a serious breach of EU values, nor to issue concrete recommendations and deadlines. Any further delay in acting under Article 7 rules to protect EU values in Hungary, the text warns, would amount to a breach of the principle of the rule of law by the Council itself.

Avoid misuse of EU money by the Hungarian government

MEPs urge the Commission to make full use of all tools at its disposal and, in particular, budget conditionality. In light of the Russian war against Ukraine and its anti-EU actions, they also call on the Commission to:

  • refrain from approving the Hungarian RRF plan until Hungary has fully complied with all relevant European Semester recommendations and implemented all the relevant judgments of the EU Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights;
  • exclude from funding those cohesion programmes contributing to the misuse of EU funds or to breaches of the rule of law; and
  • apply the Common Provisions Regulation and the Financial Regulation more stringently in order to tackle any misuse of EU funds for political motives.

Quote

Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield (Greens/EFA, FR), Parliament’s rapporteur on the situation in Hungary, said: “Following the numerous worrying developments in Hungary since 2018, it was urgent to update the Sargentini report.

The conclusions are a strong call from the majority of political groups; Hungary has turned into a hybrid regime of electoral autocracy, and the lack of EU action has contributed to this breakdown in the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights.”

Next steps

The draft report is scheduled for a debate and vote at Parliament’s next plenary session on 12 to 15 September in Strasbourg.

Annual report shows decline in allegations of abuse in US dioceses

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Vatican News
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Annual report shows decline in allegations of abuse in US dioceses - Vatican News

By Lisa Zengarini

More than 3,000 allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy and others were reported during the year ending June 30, 2021, a significant decline from the previous auditing period, according to the latest  report on diocesan compliance with the U.S. bishops’ “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.”

More than 3,000 allegations of sexual abuse

The report released this week by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection, and based on the findings of StoneBridge Business Partners, an independent auditing agency,  stated that 2,930 victim survivors filed 3,103 allegations, that is 1,149 less than those reported in the previous  2019-2020 audit period.

According to the report, the decrease is due in large part to the resolution of allegations received as a result of lawsuits, compensation programs, and bankruptcies. Of the allegations received, 2,284 (74%) were first brought to the attention of the diocesan/eparchial representative by an attorney.

The 2002 “Charter for the Protection of Children”

This is the nineteenth Annual Report since 2002 when the U.S. Bishops established the “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People”, a comprehensive set of procedures to address allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy, and made a promise to protect and a pledge to heal. The Charter was approved overwhelmingly by the bishops during their historic general assembly in Dallas in June 2002, in response to the devastating clergy abuse scandal that emerged in the previous months in the Archdiocese of Boston and lead to investigations of clerical misconduct nationwide.

The document established a zero-tolerance policy that saw clergymen against whom abuse allegations were substantiated being removed permanently from ministry and minimum standards for each diocese to follow as they reviewed abuse allegations.

During this 2020-2021 audit year, 30 allegations were made by current minors, of which six were substantiated, nine are still under investigation, nine were deemed unsubstantiated, five were considered unable to be proven, and one was referred to the provincial of a religious order.

192 of 197 dioceses and eparchies audited 

192 of 197 dioceses and eparchies participated in the audit: 70 dioceses/eparchies were visited either in person or via remote technology and data was collected from 122 others.

During the audit period, the U.S. dioceses and eparchies provided outreach and support to 285 survivors and their families. Continued support was provided to 1,737 victims who had reported in prior audit periods.

Ensuring  the safety of children 

The report, which also includes a survey conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) of Georgetown University, further notes the ongoing work of the Church in continuing the call to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults. In 2021, the Church conducted 1,964,656 background checks on clergy, employees, and volunteers. In addition, in 2021, over 2 million adults and over 2.4 million children and youth were trained in how to identify the warning signs of abuse and how to report those signs.

Of the entities undergoing the audits, three dioceses and one eparchy were determined to be in non-compliance with the Charter due to inactivity on the part of their Review Boards, which subsequently have been convened.

Implementing zero-tolerance policies

Commenting on the report, the USCCB’s Committee on the Protection of Children and Young People and the National Review Board emphasize that the audit and continued application of zero-tolerance policies are two important tools in the Church’s broader program of creating a culture of protection and healing that exceeds the requirements of the Charter. 

Since its adoption and subsequent Vatican approval, the Charter has been revised three times, most recently in 2018, to adapt to changing situations surrounding the question of clergy abuse of minors and vulnerable adults.

Listen to our report

Sri Lanka’s president flees the country – Vatican News

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Vatican News
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Sri Lanka’s president flees the country - Vatican News

By Vatican News staff reporter

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s departure came hours before he was due to step down as Head of State.

Protests against the economic crisis in Sri Lanka have rumbled on for months, with people blaming Rajapaksa for runaway inflation, corruption, and a severe lack of fuel and medicines.

They came to a head last weekend when hundreds of thousands of people took over key government buildings in Colombo.

State of Emergency

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency and a curfew in Western Province but then cancelled them. His office said the moves would be announced again later.

The speaker of parliament said Rajapaksa had approved Wickremesinghe acting as president, invoking a section of the constitution dealing with times when the president is unable to fulfill his duties.

However, protesters say the prime minister is allied to the Rajapaksas and have warned of a “decisive fight” if he too does not resign. Police fired tear gas as hundreds of protesters stormed the prime minister’s office in Colombo demanding his ouster.

Rajapaksa was due to step down as president on Wednesday to make way for a unity government.

It’s also reported that the president would send in a letter of resignation later on Wednesday.

Media reports say the president’s brothers, former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and former finance minister Basil Rajapaksa, were still in Sri Lanka.

Economic turmoil

The Rajapaksa family ruled Sri Lanka for decades but many Sri Lankans blame President Rajapaksa’s administration for the country’s recent economic woes.

The island nation’s tourism-dependent economy suffered greatly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Rajapaksas implemented populist tax cuts in 2019 that affected government finances while decreasing foreign reserves and curtailed imports of fuel, food and medicines.

Amid the economic and political chaos, Sri Lanka’s sovereign bond prices on Wednesday hit fresh record lows.

Sustainable Development Goals can be reached ‘despite our grim times’: ECOSOC President

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United Nations News
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Sustainable Development Goals can be reached ‘despite our grim times’: ECOSOC President

Collen V. Kelapile, President of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), was delivering opening remarks to the ministerial segment of its ongoing High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). 

Countries are meeting in the General Assembly Hall to examine how recovery policies can reverse the pandemic’s negative impacts on the common goal of creating a more equitable future for all people and the planet. 

Opportunity for transformation 

The current global challenges must not dampen their resolve and determination, said Mr. Kelapile, underscoring that nations must act together in solidarity. 

“After two years of a surreal struggle against the pandemic, it is true that we now live in a world of increased conflict, inequality, poverty, and suffering; of economic instability; energy and imminent food crisis; increasing debt levels; of a slowing of progress towards gender equality and the empowerment of women,” he said.  

“And yet, one of the key messages that we have heard in the past few days of the High-Level Political Forum is that – despite our grim times – there is a continued air of optimism that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides us a framework for building back better.” 

Vaccine equity 

The world is in deep trouble, but “we are far from powerless”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the gathering.   

He outlined four areas for immediate action, starting with recovery from the pandemic in every country.  

“We must ensure equitable global access to COVID-19 vaccines, therapies and tests. And now it is very important to have a serious effort to increase the number of countries that can produce vaccines, diagnostics, and other else technologies thinking about the future,” he said. 

Countries must also ramp up efforts to make sure future disease outbreaks are better managed by strengthening health systems and ensuring Universal Health Coverage. 

© UNICEF/Seyba Keïta

A health worker in Mali prepares one of 396,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses supplied to the West African country through the COVAX Facility.

Food and energy crisis 

The UN chief also underscored the need to tackle the food, energy and finance crisis, stating that Ukraine’s food production, and the food and fertilizer produced by Russia, must be brought back to world markets, despite the ongoing war.  

“We have been working hard on a plan to allow for the safe and secure exports of Ukrainian produced foods through the Black Sea and Russian foods and fertilizers to global markets,” he said.  “I thank the governments involved for your continued cooperation.” 

Address economic inequality 

However, today’s crises cannot be solved without a solution to the crisis of economic inequality in the developing world, he added, calling for greater resources, “fiscal space”, as well as flexibility and understanding on the part of global financial institutions. 

“We should not forget that the majority of poor people do not live in the poorest countries; they live in Middle Income Countries.  If they don’t receive the support they need, the development prospects of heavily indebted Middle Income Countries will be seriously compromised,” he added. 

The Secretary-General also called for a New Global Deal so that developing countries can have a fair chance at building their own futures, and for reforming the global financial system to one that “works for the vulnerable, not just the powerful.” 

Invest in people 

The pandemic has revealed glaring inequalities, both within and between countries, and as with all crises, it is the most vulnerable and marginalized who are worst affected. 

“It is time to prioritize investment in people; to build a new social contract, based on universal social protection; and to overhaul social support systems established in the aftermath of the Second World War,” said Mr. Guterres.  

Any hope of solving the world’s challenges starts with education, he added, but it too is “racked by a crisis of equity, quality and relevance.”  The Secretary-General will convene a summit in September for world leaders to recommit to education as a global public good. 

A health centre in Afghanistan is using renewable energy reducing the reliance on fossil fuels which are contributing to climate change. UNDP Afghanistan

A health centre in Afghanistan is using renewable energy reducing the reliance on fossil fuels which are contributing to climate change.

‘Renewable energy revolution’ 

For his final point, the UN chief pushed for ambitious climate action, warning that the battle to keep global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels will be won or lost this decade. 

“Ending the global addiction to fossil fuels through a renewable energy revolution is priority number one,” he said. “I have been asking for no new coal plants and no more subsidies to fossil fuels because funding fossil fuels is delusional, and funding renewable energy is rational.” 

The President of the UN General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, focused on the importance of hope and solidarity, so that the world will emerge from this period stronger, more resilient, and more sustainable. 

“To break the vicious cycle of crises we must do more than ‘look’ towards a more sustainable future, we must put it into practice,” he said. 

Learn from the pandemic 

Mr. Shahid called for placing greater investments in areas such as social protection, poverty reduction and climate action, in addition to empowering young people as “agents of a sustainable transformation.” 

Countries must also learn from the pandemic, particularly where systems and policies proved dysfunctional. 

Like the Secretary-General, he also pressed for reforming the international finance system, particularly in regard to debt relief and vulnerabilities, Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), and humanitarian relief.  

Common challenges, common solutions 

Mr. Shahid also appealed for commitment to address both the situation of the most vulnerable countries and for the sustainable development of Africa, including support for achieving universal vaccination, food security and energy access across the continent. 

Although the pandemic tested the limits of international solidarity, “multilateralism prevails and international solidarity persists”, said the General Assembly President, pointing to initiatives such as the COVAX vaccine equity mechanism, and the negotiations on a global pandemic treaty. 

“We have seen countries and communities come together to find common solutions to common challenges. We must build on this in every way we can,” he said. 

EUROPOL: 487 possible victims of different types of exploitation identified during EU-wide joint action week

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europol human trafficking raids
@europol human trafficking raids

An EU-wide coordinated action week targeting human trafficking for labour exploitation and related offences took place between 15 and 21 June 2022. The action days, supported by Europol, were led by the Netherlands and co-led by France, Italy, Romania and the United Kingdom and involved 29* countries in total as well as the European Labour Authority and the European Commission.

A wide range of law enforcement authorities including police, immigration and border guards, labour inspectorates and tax authorities took part in the coordinated operational activities.

These coordinated actions were implemented as part of the European multidisciplinary platform against criminal threats, known as EMPACT. Established to improve synergies between different institutions fighting serious and organised crime, EMPACT has enabled cooperation between law enforcement and regulatory authorities targeting labour exploitation.

The action week mobilised almost 18 500 officers, who searched more than 10 467 locations, 32 525 vehicles and more than 86 000 persons to detect different administrative infringements and criminal offences. These checks led to the detection of a significant number of companies linked to infringements of employment law.

About 500 individuals who had been working undeclared were identified during the inspections. This means the employers in question did not ensure that their employees had access to healthcare, insurance in case of accidents, or any other social benefits and rights that they were entitled to according to employment law.         

The action week led to:

  • 59 arrests;
  • 487 possible victims of different types of exploitation identified; 
  • About 1 100 workers affected by labour infringements;
  • 514 employers linked to labour infringements;
  • 34 forged documents detected;
  • ~80 new investigations initiated;
  • 715 new inspections/administrative investigations.

Restaurants, healthcare and the mining sector under scrutiny 

This year’s inspections focused on a number of labour-intensive sectors such as mining, home healthcare services, nail bars, cleaning services, restaurants and food delivery services. Vietnamese nationals are especially vulnerable to labour exploitation, predominantly in nail bars. Home healthcare is also a sector that is susceptible to exploitation.

This is especially difficult to detect as it happens behind the closed doors of households. Eastern European nationals often fall victim to domestic servitude with reports of cases in Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Authorities also focused on detecting the possible exploitation of Ukrainian refugees.   

*Participating countries

EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
Third party countries: Norway, Switzerland, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

Europol coordinated the action days and facilitated the information exchange between the participating countries. Europol provided analytical and operational support on a 24/7 basis and facilitated the real-time exchange of communication between the participating authorities.

Headquartered in The Hague, the Netherlands, Europol supports the 27 EU Member States in their fight against terrorism, cybercrime, and other serious and organized crime forms. Europol also works with many non-EU partner states and international organisations. From its various threat assessments to its intelligence-gathering and operational activities, Europol has the tools and resources it needs to do its part in making Europe safer.

Part of the EU Policy Cycle – Empact

Churches highlight their humanitarian response to Ukraine at European Parliament

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News desk
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Churches highlight their humanitarian response to Ukraine at European Parliament

Press Release No:17/22
14 July 2022
Brussels

Humanitarian response from the European churches was highlighted by Slovakian Bishop Peter Mihoč at the Article 17 Dialogue Seminar held on 12 July at the European Parliament in Brussels. He shared striking insights about challenges faced by local churches in providing support to those fleeing the war in Ukraine, as well as strengthening efforts aimed at realising peace in the region.

Bishop Mihoč of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovakia was representing the Conference of European Churches (CEC) in the seminar hosted by Othmar Karas, First Vice-President, responsible for the implementation of Article 17 Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU). Representatives of other religious, philosophical and non-confessional organisations were also present.

“The situation in Ukraine is unexpected and horrible,” said Bishop Mihoč. “We are trying to respond to the dreadful conditions and serve in the name of love. Openness and closeness, empathy and practical help, in the last months have revealed themselves as precious values in Slovakia, regardless of religious affiliation or social class of those we serve. The churches have offered a helping hand to people on a journey escaping the consequences of the atrocities and bloodshed in Ukraine.”

Bishop Peter Mihoč

Bishop Mihoč comes from a country, which has played a vital role in providing humanitarian help to refugees from Ukraine. He shared that his church is located in Prešov, a city close to the Ukrainian border. Around 600,000 refugees recently have crossed these borders from Ukraine to Slovakia.

“In the last months, overnight stays per person were provided, and at this moment we already have people staying for long terms, who cannot return because their homes were destroyed. We continue to actively provide for these people free accommodation and food, secure social and health care and we strive to create for them a safe and hospitable living environment,” he said.

“As a CEC Member Church I want to assure you that we the churches want to be here for others in these difficult days, especially people from Ukraine. And we believe that also with your active support we can continue our humanitarian efforts,” added Bishop Mihoč.

The seminar was held as part of the Article 17 TFEU, which foresees an open, transparent and regular dialogue between the EU institutions and churches and religious associations or communities.

The event featured opening remarks by Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, Othmar Karas, Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commission for “Promoting our European Way of Life” responsible for Article 17 TFEU, and Witold Jan Waszczykowski, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee.

Watch video: Article 17 Dialogue Seminar on “the war in Ukraine”

Photos from the seminar

Visit our page on church response to Ukraine

For more information or an interview, please contact:

Naveen Qayyum
Communication Officer
Conference of European Churches
Rue Joseph II, 174 B-1000 Brussels
Tel. +32 486 75 82 36
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.ceceurope.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ceceurope
Twitter: @ceceurope
YouTube: Conference of European Churches
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Ombudsman inquiry on Commission President’s text messages is a wake-up call for EU

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Newsdesk
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messages person using smartphone
Photo by Christian Wiediger

The Ombudsman inquiry into the Commission’s handling of a request for text messages between its President and the CEO of a pharmaceutical company is a wake-up call for all EU institutions about ensuring accountability in an era of instant messaging.

One year after the initial request by a journalist, the Commission has still not clarified whether messages reported to concern major vaccine procurement deals exist and whether the public is entitled to see them.

The Ombudsman had asked the Commission, in a finding of maladministration in January, to conduct a more thorough search for the text messages.

The Commission’s recent response failed to say whether it had looked directly and correctly for the text messages and if not, why not.

While the response recognised that work-related text messages can be EU documents, it reiterated that the Commission’s internal policy is, in effect, not to register text messages.

The Ombudsman has closed the inquiry and upheld her finding of maladministration.

“The Commission’s response to my findings neither answered the basic question of whether the text messages in question exist nor provided any clarity on how the Commission would respond to a specific request for other text messages,” said Emily O’Reilly.

“The handling of this access to documents request leaves the regrettable impression of an EU institution that is not forthcoming on matters of significant public interest.”

“Public access to work-related text messages is a new area for the EU administration and one that needs to be tackled substantively and in good faith. This inquiry is a wake-up call to all EU institutions.”

“The recent revelations about lobbying tactics by an American multinational in Europe, including leaked text messages, shows the urgency of this issue for public administrations.” said the Ombudsman.

Recommendations for recording work-related text messages

Separately, after gathering information on the rules and practices on the recording of text and instant messages across the EU administration, the Ombudsman is today publishing practical recommendations for dealing with this issue.

The recommendations (see full list here) say that:

  • Work-related text and instant messages should be recognised as EU documents.
  • Technological solutions should be put in place to enable the easy recording of such messages.
  • Staff should have clear guidance on how such messages should be recorded.
  • Requests for public access to documents that could cover text messages should be dealt with in a way that considers all locations where such messages might be stored.

Background

In April 2021, the New York Times published an article in which it reported that the Commission President and the CEO of a pharmaceutical company had exchanged texts related to the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. This prompted a journalist to request public access to text messages and other documents relating to the exchange.  The complainant turned to the Ombudsman after the Commission had not identified any text messages as falling within the scope of his request.

The Ombudsman inquiry revealed that the Commission did not explicitly ask the President’s cabinet to look for text messages. Instead, it asked her cabinet to look for documents that fulfil the Commission’s internal criteria for recording – text messages are not considered to meet these criteria. The Ombudsman found that this amounted to maladministration and asked it to do a more extensive research for the text messages.

Regulation 1049/2001, which sets out the public’s right to access EU documents, defines a document as “any content whatever its medium (written on paper or stored in electronic form or as a sound, visual or audiovisual recording) concerning a matter relating to the policies, activities and decisions falling within the institution’s sphere of responsibility”.

Mystery child hepatitis outbreak passes 1,000 recorded cases, says WHO

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officialinstitutions
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Mystery child hepatitis outbreak passes 1,000 recorded cases, says WHO
In addition to tackling COVID and the monkeypox outbreak, the UN health agency has also been keeping a close eye on the puzzling spread of hepatitis in previously healthy children, which has left dozens needing lifesaving liver transplants.
According to a new update on Wednesday from the World Health Organization (WHO), 35 countries in five regions of the world have now reported more than 1,010 probable cases of unexplained severe acute hepatitis, or liver inflammation, in youngsters, since the outbreak was first detected on 5 April.

So far, 22 children have died, and almost half of the probable cases have been reported in Europe, where 21 countries have registered a total of 484 cases.

Regional clues

This includes 272 cases in the United Kingdom – 27 per cent of the global total – followed by the Americas, whose regional total of 435 includes 334 cases in the United States, representing a third of cases worldwide.

The next highest caseload is in the Western Pacific Region (70 cases), Southeast Asia (19) and the Eastern Mediterranean (two cases).

Seventeen countries have reported more than five probable cases, but the actual number of cases may be underestimated, in part owing to the limited enhanced surveillance systems in place, said WHO.

According to the UN health agency’s latest assessment, the risk of this paediatric hepatitis outbreak spreading is “moderate”.

Symptoms

Out of 100 probable cases with available clinical data, the most commonly reported symptoms were nausea or vomiting (in 60 per cent of cases), jaundice (53 per cent), general weakness (52 per cent) and abdominal pain (50 per cent).

The average time between the onset of symptoms and hospitalization, was four days.

In laboratory tests, WHO said that hepatitis A to E had not been present in the affected children. Other pathogens such as the coronavirus were detected in a number of cases, but the data is incomplete, the UN health agency said.

Adenovirus lead

Adenoviruses – which cause a wide range of illnesses, such as colds, fever, sore throats and pneumonia – have been “the most frequently detected pathogen” in cases of paediatric hepatitis, WHO said.

In Europe, adenovirus was detected by polymerase chain reaction tests (PCR) in 52 per cent of the child hepatitis cases (193/368) so far; in Japan, it was found in just nine per cent of cases (5/58).

Owing to limited adenovirus surveillance in most countries, it is quite possible that the true number of cases of child hepatitis is higher than currently known.

To promote better understanding of where the outbreak is happening, WHO has launched a global online survey, which will also help to compare current cases with data from the last five years.

WHO has shared the voluntary survey across nine global and regional networks of paediatric hepatologists who specialise in problems associated with the liver and other organs, along with other specialist medics working in major national units, requesting aggregated data as part of the global event investigation.

Czech Presidency outlines priorities to EP committees

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European Parliament
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Czech Presidency outlines priorities to EP committees
Presentation of the EU Council's priorities by Czech Ministers

Ministers are outlining the priorities of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU to parliamentary committees, in a series of meetings.

Czechia holds the Presidency of the Council until the end of 2022. A first series of hearings takes place from 11 to 13 July. A second set of hearings will happen during the first week of September.


Agriculture and Rural Development

The impact of Russian aggression against Ukraine on food security is a key priority, according to Agriculture Minister Zdeněk Nekula on 11 July. The Presidency will seek an early start for the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to provide member states with flexibility and temporary exceptions to handle the crisis. The Presidency will also prioritise negotiations on the sustainable use of plant protection products.

A number of MEPs called for the way in which solidarity corridors for agricultural exports from Ukraine work to be improved and for a balance between EU food production and the proposed reduction in the use of pesticides. Some MEPs agreed that some derogations from CAP rules will be needed, while others warned against weakening the CAP and called for organic farming to be supported instead.


Development

On 12 July, Jiří Kozák, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, highlighted a three-fold challenge caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine: the distribution of grain from Ukraine; securing sufficient humanitarian relief; and breaking the Russian narrative that the food security crisis is the EU’s fault. Mr Kozák also said that, for the Post-Cotonou Agreement, the Presidency is determined to conclude the remaining steps as fast as possible.

MEPs agreed on the importance of dealing with the immediate and longer-term impacts of the war on global food security. They also raised the question of refugees in Ukraine and its neighbours. Others questioned the Presidency on their priorities in the Sahel, on the migration issue on the EU’s southern border, and the integration of humanitarian relief and long-term development policy.


Transport and Tourism

On 12 July, Transport Minister Martin Kupka, and Deputy Prime Minister for Digitisation and Minister of Regional Development Ivan Bartoš, stressed that the Presidency will focus on measures to decarbonise transport, promote railways, make sure solidarity lanes for Ukraine are working and increase the resilience of the tourism sector. Minister Kupka promised MEPs that the work on new rules on the Single European Sky, alternative fuel infrastructure, sustainable fuels for aviation and maritime sectors, intelligent transport systems and TEN-T revision would advance.

Transport Committee MEPs urged the Presidency to put more efforts into addressing mobility poverty and road safety, make sure EU countries would unite in response to any possible new COVID-19 pandemic and asked for the option of providing EU financial support for solidarity lanes in Ukraine to be explored.


Fisheries

On 12 July, Zdeněk Nekula, Minister of Agriculture, said that the Presidency’s top priority will be to ensure food security in the EU and improve the competitiveness of the sector compared to third countries. Despite being a landlocked country, the Czech Presidency will also focus on fishing quotas, reaching agreements on EU fishing possibilities with third countries, as well as fisheries-relevant initiatives related to the Green Deal.

MEPs stressed the need to help fishers due to the impact of the war in Ukraine. They welcomed the intention to make fisheries more competitive but stressed the need to strike a balance between the socio-economic and environmental aspects of the initiative. Finally, some reaffirmed the idea of reforming the Common Fisheries Policy, even if the Commission is reluctant to do so.


Internal Market and Consumer Protection

Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Síkela told MEPs that the Presidency will pay special attention to better enforcement of Single Market tools and services, deeper market integration and high consumer protection, including raising consumer awareness on sustainable consumption and online risks. The Presidency will work to move forward on negotiations with MEPs on machinery products and consumer credits and to reach a common position in the Council on the General Product Safety Regulation, the Artificial Intelligence Act, and Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising.

MEPs quizzed the Presidency on empowering consumers in light of the twin transition, the implementation of rules on dual quality of products, the update of travel package rules in light of the pandemic and the ongoing digital priorities (including the new Chips Act and European Digital Identity).


Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

Marian Jurečka, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, said the Czech Presidency will strive to achieve progress on the pay transparency directive. On an EU strategy for care, they will focus on long-term care and providing refugees from Ukraine with high-quality care. Member states’ diverse positions on preventing violence against women need to be respected, he said, although the definition of online sexual violence will be discussed in November. There will be Council conclusions on gender equality, and the Presidency will look into economic parity for men and women with a focus on youth.

Several MEPs asked if Czechia is planning to ratify the Istanbul Convention. Many welcomed the objective to reach a deal on pay transparency, stressed that LGBTI rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights must be protected, and highlighted Parliament’s call to add the right to abortion to the EU Charter of fundamental rights.

Climate change: new rules for companies to stop EU-driven deforestation globally

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European Parliament
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Climate change: new rules for companies to stop EU-driven deforestation globally | News | European Parliament
Photo by Justus Menke on Unsplash
To fight climate change and biodiversity loss globally, Environment MEPs want only deforestation-free products to be allowed on the EU market.

The Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee today adopted its position with 60 votes to 2 and 13 abstentions on the Commission proposal for a regulation on deforestation-free products to halt EU-driven global deforestation.

The new law would make it obligatory for companies to verify (so-called “due diligence”) that goods sold in the EU have not been produced on deforested or degraded land. This would assure consumers that the products they buy do not contribute to the destruction of forests outside the EU, including of irreplaceable tropical forests, and hence reduce the EU’s contribution to climate change and biodiversity loss globally.

MEPs also want companies to verify that goods are produced in accordance with human rights protected under international law and the rights of indigenous people in addition to the relevant laws and standards in the country where the products are produced.

Enlarging the scope

The Commission’s proposal covers cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm-oil, soya and wood, including products that contain, have been fed with or have been made using these commodities (such as leather, chocolate and furniture). Parliament wants to include pigmeat, sheep and goats, poultry, maize and rubber, as well as charcoal and printed paper products, and bring the cut-off date one year forward, to 31 December 2019.

The Commission would have to evaluate, no later than two years after the entry into force, whether the rules need to be extended to other goods such as sugar cane, ethanol and mining products, and how feasible this is. MEPs also want them to cover other natural ecosystems such as grasslands, peatlands and wetlands, if deemed appropriate by the Commission, within one year after the entry into force. Finally, MEPs also want financial institutions to be subject to additional requirements to ensure that their activities do not contribute to deforestation.

Due diligence and control

While no country or commodity will be banned, companies placing products on the EU market would be obliged to exercise due diligence to evaluate risks in their supply chain. They can for example use satellite monitoring tools, field audits, capacity building of suppliers or isotope testing to check where products come from. EU authorities would have access to relevant information, such as geographic coordinates. Anonymised data would be available to the public.

Based on a transparent assessment, the Commission would have to classify countries, or part thereof, into low, standard or high risk within six months of entry into force of this regulation. Imports from low risk countries will be subject to fewer obligations.

Quote

After the vote, the rapporteur Christophe Hansen (EPP, LU) said: “We are serious about fighting climate change and biodiversity loss. Acknowledging that the EU is responsible for around 10% of global deforestation, we don’t have a choice but to ramp up our efforts to halt global deforestation. If we get the balance right between ambition, applicability and WTO compatibility, this new tool has the potential to pave the way to deforestation-free supply chains.”

Next steps

Plenary is expected to adopt Parliament’s position in September, after which negotiations on the final law can begin with member states.

Background

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 420 million hectares of forest — an area larger than the EU — were lost to deforestation between 1990 and 2020. It is estimated that EU consumption represents around 10% of global deforestation.

In October 2020, Parliament made use of its prerogative in the Treaty to ask the Commission to come forward with legislation to halt EU-driven global deforestation.

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