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Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs)
On 29 November 2023, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU reached a compromise on the proposed directive to protect journalists and human rights activists from abusive cross- border civil proceedings, known as strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs). The directive's aim is to enable judges to identify SLAPPs and order their early dismissal, and thus spare the journalists or activists targeted by such proceedings the need to defend the manifestly unfounded claim brought ...
Plenary round-up – December 2023
The highlight of the December plenary session was Parliament's award of the 2023 Sakharov Prize to Jina Mahsa Amini and the Woman, Life, Freedom Movement in Iran. Members held a debate with the Council and European Commission on the preparation of the European Council meeting of 14-15 December 2023 and reviewed the Spanish Presidency of the Council. Further debates took place on Council and Commission statements on Parliament's call for the right to disconnect, the defence of democracy package, European ...
International Agreements in Progress - The Samoa Agreement with African, Caribbean and Pacific States
On 15 November 2023, the European Union (EU) and its Member States signed a new partnership agreement (referred to as the 'Samoa Agreement') with member states of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS). The multiple negotiation levels, the coronavirus crisis and difficulties in reaching agreement on sensitive issues, such as migration management and sexual and reproductive health and rights, prevented the new agreement from being finalised by the initial expiry date set ...
The 2020-2025 LGBTIQ equality strategy: Implementation overview
On 12 November 2020, the European Commission adopted the 'Union of Equality: LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025'. With its LGBTIQ equality strategy, the Commission seeks to address inequalities and challenges affecting LGBTIQ people, with the objective of moving towards a Union of equality. It underscores the diversity of needs of LGBTIQ people, including the most vulnerable groups who experience intersectional discrimination, and trans, non-binary and intersex people who are the least accepted groups ...
Galardonadas con el Premio Sájarov 2023: Jina Mahsa Amini y el movimiento Mujeres, Vida, Libertad de Irán
El respeto de las libertades fundamentales y los derechos humanos es un valor esencial de la Unión Europea, que esta promueve a través de sus políticas. El Premio Sájarov del Parlamento Europeo honra la labor de quienes defienden tales libertades y derechos. En un contexto como el actual, de crecientes ataques contra la paz y los derechos humanos, el premio mantiene la pertinencia que siempre ha tenido. Este año el Premio Sájarov se ha concedido a Jina Mahsa Amini y al movimiento Mujeres, Vida y ...
Proposal for a ban on goods made using forced labour
On 14 September 2022, the Commission proposed a regulation to ban products made using forced labour, including child labour, on the European Union (EU) internal market. The proposal covers all products made available on the EU market, whether made in the EU for domestic consumption and for export, or imported. It covers products of any type, including their components, from all sectors and industries. EU Member States would be in charge of enforcing its provisions, and their national authorities ...
Corporate sustainability due diligence: How to integrate human rights and environmental concerns in value chains
Companies can play a key role in building a sustainable economy and society. At the same time, their global value chains can pose risks to human rights and the environment. A growing number of EU companies have taken initiatives to deploy due diligence processes, often using existing voluntary international standards on responsible business conduct. Some Member States have meanwhile started developing their own legal frameworks on corporate due diligence. In a legislative-initiative resolution adopted ...
World Mental Health Day 2023: 10 October
The purpose of World Mental Health Day is to improve knowledge, raise awareness and mobilise efforts in support of mental health around the world. This year's theme, 'Mental health is a universal human right', underlines that a mental health condition should never be a reason to deprive a person of their human rights.
Strengthening the democracy clause in EU agreements and instruments: Exploring election conditionality
This briefing considers where electoral conditionality could be included in European Union (EU) relations with third countries and offers three viable options, namely as part of: direct budget support; General Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+); and the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument-Global Europe (NDICI-GE). In all three cases, not only would electoral conditionality incentivise partner countries to adhere to electoral recommendations, but also encourage them ...
Standards for equality bodies: Equal treatment between women and men in employment (ordinary legislative procedure)
Several EU directives dealing with equality require EU Member States to establish equality bodies with a focus on assisting victims of discrimination and preventing and fighting discrimination on the grounds listed under the directives. However, their rules are general and have no precise definition of these bodies' duties and manner of operation, thus leading to disparities among the Member States' bodies. Additionally, the work of some Member States' bodies has been hampered by lack of resources ...