21.9.2016   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 346/1

21.9.2016   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 346/2

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having regard to Article 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

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having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and in particular Article 26 thereof,

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having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, and in particular Article 14 thereof,

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having regard to the Sorbonne Joint Declaration on harmonisation of the architecture of the European higher education system by the four Ministers in charge for France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, signed in Paris on 25 May 1998 (Sorbonne Declaration) (1),

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having regard to the Joint Declaration signed in Bologna on 19 June 1999 by the ministers of education from 29 European countries (Bologna Declaration) (2),

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having regard to the Communiqué issued by the Conference of European Ministers responsible for Higher Education held in Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve on 28 and 29 April 2009 (3),

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having regard to the Budapest-Vienna Declaration of 12 March 2010 adopted by the Education Ministers from 47 countries, which officially launched the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) (4),

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having regard to the communiqué issued by the Ministerial Conference and Third Bologna Policy Forum held in Bucharest on 26 and 27 April 2012 (5),

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having regard to the Mobility Strategy 2020 for the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) adopted by the EHEA Ministerial Conference held in Bucharest on 26 and 27 April 2012 (6),

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having regard to Directive 2013/55/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 amending Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications and Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System (‘the IMI Regulation’) (7),

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having regard to the recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 September 2005 to facilitate the issue by the Member States of uniform short-stay visas for researchers from third countries travelling within the Community for the purpose of carrying out scientific research (8),

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having regard to the recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 February 2006 on further European cooperation in quality assurance in higher education (9),

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having regard to the recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2008 on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning (EQF-LLL) (10),

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having regard to the Council conclusions of 12 May 2009 on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (‘ET 2020’) (11),

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having regard to the conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 26 November 2009 on developing the role of education in a fully-functioning knowledge triangle (12),

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having regard to the Council conclusions of 11 May 2010 on the internationalisation of higher education (13),

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having regard to the Council recommendation of 28 June 2011 on policies to reduce early school leaving (14),

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having regard to the Council recommendation of 28 June 2011 entitled ‘Youth on the Move — Promoting the learning mobility of young people’ (15),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 10 May 2006 entitled ‘Delivering on the modernisation agenda for universities: education, research and innovation’ (COM(2006)0208),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 3 March 2010 entitled ‘Europe 2020 — A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’ (COM(2010)2020),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 26 August 2010 on a Digital Agenda for Europe (COM(2010)0245),

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having regard to the Commission communication of 20 September 2011 entitled ‘Supporting growth and jobs — an agenda for the modernisation of Europe’s higher education systems’ (COM(2011)0567),

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having regard to the report entitled ‘Higher Education in Europe 2009: Developments in the Bologna Process’ (Eurydice, European Commission, 2009) (16),

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having regard to the report entitled ‘Focus on Higher Education in Europe 2010: The Impact of the Bologna Process’ (Eurydice, European Commission, 2010) (17),

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having regard to the report entitled ‘The European Higher Education Area in 2012: Bologna Process Implementation Report’ (Eurydice, European Commission, 2012) (18),

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having regard to the 2007 Eurobarometer survey on higher education reform among teaching professionals (19),

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having regard to the 2009 Eurobarometer survey on higher education reform among students (20),

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having regard to the Eurostat publication of 16 April 2009 entitled ‘The Bologna Process in Higher Education in Europe — Key indicators on the social dimension and mobility’ (21),

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having regard to the Final report of the International Conference on Funding of Higher Education held in Yerevan, Armenia, 8-9 September 2011 (22),

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having regard to its resolution of 23 September 2008 on the Bologna Process and student mobility (23),

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having regard to its resolution of 20 May 2010 on ‘University-business dialogue: a new partnership for the modernisation of Europe’s universities’ (24),

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having regard to its resolution of 13 March 2012 on the contribution of the European institutions to the consolidation and progress of the Bologna Process (25),

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having regard to the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) (26),

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having regard to Rule 52 of its Rules of Procedure,

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having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture and Education (A8-0121/2015),

A.

whereas the importance of the Bologna Process in the current economic situation should lie in pursuing the goals of developing the highest possible level of knowledge and innovation for citizens through broad access to education and its constant updating, and whereas this should be reflected in the revision of the Europe 2020 strategy, and in the implementation of the Juncker Investment Plan for Europe;

B.

whereas analyses show that almost every third employer in EU has problems when looking for appropriately skilled employees; whereas from the viewpoint of the goal of decreasing the EU’s skills mismatch (the gap between an individual’s job skills and the demands of the job market) the Bologna reform so far has not been very successful; whereas the skills mismatch has become a central challenge for Europe, affecting all areas of society, from the productivity and efficiency of businesses to the current and future welfare of youth;

C.

whereas the youth unemployment problem has not improved much since the beginning of the crisis in 2008; whereas at the end of 2014 there were around 5 million unemployed young people aged under 25 in the EU;

D.

whereas, as having been said by a philosopher, ‘the search for truth and beauty should be the hallmark for Universities’, in addition to their duty of preparing new professionals, scientists, engineers, teachers, doctors, politicians and citizens;

E.

whereas it is important to consider universities as the real main actors of the Bologna Process, beyond the support roles in terms of coordination, regulation and resources of regional and national institutions;

F.

whereas this intergovernmental initiative, carried out in cooperation with academia, has entailed efforts to provide a common European response to serious problems in many countries, but these have been insufficient;

G.

whereas the real purpose of the Bologna Process is to support mobility and internationalisation, as well as to ensure compatibility and comparability in standards and quality of different higher educational systems while respecting the autonomy of universities and thus contributing to the creation of an authentically democratic European area that offers equal opportunities for citizens;

H.

whereas an assessment is needed of the progress made over the past 15 years that takes into account both the success story in terms of intraregional cooperation and the persistent problems encountered and the uneven extent of achievement of the stated goals;

I.

whereas while in most countries the Bologna Process has been guiding and motivating educational reforms, in some countries it might be perceived as a bureaucratic burden owing to miscommunication and a lack of understanding of its true vision;

J.

whereas it is important to acknowledge the pan-European character of the Bologna Process, as well as the involvement of all its actors, including students, teachers, researchers and non-teaching staff;

K.

whereas continuous and increased financial support for education, training, including vocational training, knowledge and research is crucial, especially in this period of economic crisis;

L.

whereas in this ever-changing context there is a need to reaffirm the political commitment underlying the Bologna Process and the involvement in the realisation of the process of the European institutions, national governments and all other relevant stakeholders;

1.

Notes that education and research are one of the main pillars of our society when it comes to promoting skills development, growth and jobs creation; underlines that greater investment in education is crucial to effectively tackling poverty, social inequalities and unemployment, notably youth unemployment, and fostering social inclusion;

2.

Notes that the Bologna Process could help to tackle the skills mismatch in the EU if it enabled students to acquire and develop the competences required by the labour market, and that by doing this it could achieve the important goal of enhancing the employability of graduates;

3.

Is aware of the role the Bologna Process has in the creation of a Europe of Knowledge; highlights that the dissemination of knowledge, education and research is a key element of the Europe 2020 strategy and contributes to fostering European citizenship; also highlights, however, the need for consultation within the higher education community (teachers, students and non-teaching staff) in order to understand the opposition to reforms linked with the Bologna Process, as well as the need to guarantee public education that is free and accessible to all and that responds to the needs of society;

4.

Notes that the Bologna reforms resulted in the launching of a European Higher Education Area (EHEA), and have allowed achievements in the past 15 years in making higher education structures more comparable, increasing mobility, providing quality assurance systems and in the recognition of diplomas, improving the quality of educational systems as well as the attractiveness of higher education in Europe;

5.

Notes that there is still much work to be done in the Bologna Process in the area of adjusting educational systems to labour market needs and improving overall employability and competitiveness, as well as the attractiveness of higher education in Europe; notes that the European higher education institutions (HEIs) should be able to react quickly to the economic, cultural, scientific and technological changes in the modern society in order to fully use their potential to encourage growth, employability and social cohesion;

6.

Notes the goals for the coming years, and the national priorities for actions to be taken by 2015, as outlined by the 2012 EHEA Ministerial Conference in Bucharest, as well as its recommendations for the 2020 EHEA mobility strategy, advocating the creation of new observatories, new approaches to the various European university communities, and new systems for integrating the members of those university communities into the reform process for this Plan;

7.

Calls on EHEA countries to implement common agreed reforms aimed at hastening the achievement of the Bologna Process goals, and strengthening the credibility of the EHEA; encourages support for countries encountering difficulties in implementing these reforms; supports, in this regard, the creation of broad partnerships between countries, regions, and relevant stakeholders;

8.

Calls on the Member States to further improve and update the assessment of higher educational establishments, against the standards previously set by education systems at international level and rewarding excellence with a view to the advancement of knowledge, research and science;

9.

Highlights the importance of preserving the diversity of teaching, including the diversity of languages; urges the Member States to increase student grants and ensure that they are easily accessible;

10.

Points out the need to make further efforts to develop the EHEA, and to build on the progress made in pursuing its objectives and in coordination with the European Area of Education and Training, the European Area of Lifelong Learning (LLL) and the European Research Area;

11.

Calls on all stakeholders concerned with the implementation of the Bologna Process to strengthen quality assurance in order to achieve a European higher education area that improves its attractiveness as a reference of academic excellence worldwide;

12.

Calls on the Member States, the EHEA countries and the EU as a whole to foster public understanding of and support for the Bologna Process, including action at grassroots level to achieve more effective and dynamic involvement in reaching its goals;

13.

Points out that the Commission, as a member of the Bologna Process, has an important role in developing the EHEA, and calls on it to further its role in reinvigorating the Process and accelerating the efforts to achieve the stated goals;

14.

Points out the need to include quality of education and research in the tertiary sector in the stated goals; considers that one of the indicators of fulfilment of those goals would be increasing the employability of graduates, which is also an objective of the Europe 2020 strategy;

15.

Calls for a dialogue to be pursued between governments, higher education institutions (HEIs), and research institutes in order to target, maximise, and make more efficient use of available funds and seek new and diverse models for funding to complement public funding; also stresses the importance of Horizon 2020 in driving collaborative research projects amongst European HEIs, and is concerned at the continued attempts to cut its funding while other areas of the budget remain unchallenged;

16.

Calls on the governments to improve the efficiency of use of public funding in education and to respect the EU headline target of investing 3 % of Union GDP in R&D by 2020; stresses that ambitious funding of education and research is necessary, as they constitute one of the key tools for ensuring access to quality education for all, as well as fighting the economic crisis and unemployment;

17.

Notes the potential funding opportunities for higher education, vocational education and training that should be provided by the EFSI; expresses its deep concern at the planned cuts in funds for Horizon 2020 that are directly linked to research and education, in favour of the EFSI;

18.

Warns that any cuts in Horizon 2020 would undoubtedly affect the full implementation of the Bologna Process, and therefore urges the Commission to withdraw any such proposal;

19.

Encourages both top-down and bottom-up approaches, involving the whole academic community and the social partners, and calls for the political engagement and cooperation of EHEA ministers in developing a common strategy for the achievement of the Bologna reforms;

20.

Calls for the further development of study programmes with clearly defined objectives, providing the knowledge and mix of skills, both general and professional, that are needed not only to prepare graduates for the requirements of the labour market and build their capacity for LLL, but also and crucially to integrate citizens; supports the full implementation of the European framework for the certification of professional qualifications;

21.

Stresses the role of the STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and their importance for society, the economy and the employability of graduates;

22.

Calls for the correct implementation of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) and the Diploma Supplement in the EHEA, as key tools linked to student workload and learning outcomes, in order to facilitate mobility and help students compile their academic and extracurricular achievements;

23.

Stresses the importance of guaranteeing the mutual recognition and compatibility of academic degrees for strengthening the system of quality assurance at European level and in all countries that have joined the EHEA, in line with the revised version of the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG) in the European Higher Education Area; invites all EHEA countries and their respective quality assurance agencies to join the European networks for quality assurance (ENQA and EQAR);

24.

Encourages the Bologna Process partners, and especially the Commission, to regularly measure the competences and skills mismatch at the moment of entry of graduates into the world of work;

25.

Stresses the importance of the Europe 2020 strategy goal according to which 40 % of 30-34-year-olds should have completed tertiary education and have gained the appropriate skills and competencies to find fulfilling employment;

26.

Stresses the value of Qualifications Frameworks (QFs) to improve transparency, and calls on all the Bologna countries to make their national QFs compatible with those of the EHEA and with European QFs;

27.

Stresses that the National Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs) in many Member States still need to be adjusted to the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) as well as to the ESG; notes that many NQFs are still not registered in the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR);

28.

Notes that the mobility of students, teachers, researchers and non-teaching staff is one of the main priorities of the Bologna Process; calls on the Member States to increase opportunities for and quality of mobility, and highlights the need to strengthen the implementation of the Mobility Strategy 2020 for EHEA and also to reach the quantitative target of 20 % for student mobility by 2020; in this regard, stresses the crucial role of the Erasmus+ Programme and Horizon 2020, and the importance of ensuring their smooth and efficient implementation and promotion; stresses that study grants pertaining to Erasmus+ should be exempt from taxation and social levies;

29.

Calls for the gradual incorporation of student mobility into official university curricula;

30.

Emphasises the need to involve appropriate numbers of students and teaching staff in the fields of art and music in EU mobility programmes;

31.

Calls on the Commission and the Member States to include European and international partnership and mobility arrangements among the criteria for ranking universities and further education establishments;

32.

Notes the central role of HEIs in promoting mobility and producing graduates and researchers with knowledge and skills enabling them to succeed through employability in the global economy;

33.

Calls on the Member States, the EU and the EHEA to strengthen mobility by fostering language learning, removing administrative obstacles, providing adequate financial supports mechanism and guaranteeing the transferability of grants, scholarships and credits; notes that mobility continues to be less accessible for students from less wealthy backgrounds;

34.

Emphasises, with regard to both the design and the delivery of programmes, the shift in educational paradigm towards a more student-centred approach that includes the personal development of students; underlines the importance of students’ participation in higher education governance;

35.

Underlines that study programmes should focus on long-term market demands; stresses also that employability means that students should master a wide range of different competences preparing them for the labour market and equipping them for lifelong learning; encourages in this regard active dialogue and national and crossborder cooperation on programmes and work placements between the university community and business, which could help counter the economic crisis, stimulate economic growth, and contribute to a knowledge-based society and thus provide opportunities in a wider social sense; encourages HEIs to be open to transdisciplinary studies, the creation of university research institutes and collaboration with diverse partners;

36.

Stresses the need to provide broad opportunities for LLL, and for complementary forms of learning such as non-formal and informal education which are crucial for soft skills development;

37.

Calls for efforts to strengthen the link between higher education and research and innovation, including through the promotion of research-based education, and highlights the Horizon 2020 Programme as a key funding mechanism for boosting research; calls for better synchronisation of actions supporting the Bologna Process such as the Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+ programmes;

38.

Calls for more flexible learning paths that include joint degree programmes and interdisciplinary studies, and that support innovation, creativity, vocational education and training (VET), dual education, and entrepreneurship in higher education, and calls for the potential offered by new technologies, digitalisation and ICTs to be explored in order to enrich learning and teaching, as well as to further develop a wide range of skills and new models for learning, teaching and assessment;

39.

Calls on HEIs, public administrations, social partners and enterprises to lead an ongoing dialogue facilitating and enhancing employability; stresses, in this regard, the need to focus the discussion on the unused potential of higher education in terms of stimulating growth and employment; calls on EHEA countries and HEIs to enhance cooperation in order to ensure quality traineeships and apprenticeships and to strengthen mobility in this context; stresses that stakeholders should cooperate better to raise initial qualifications and renew a skilled workforce, as well as to improve the provision, accessibility and quality of guidance on careers and employment; considers, moreover, that work placements within study programmes and on-the-job learning should be further encouraged;

40.

Stresses that it is necessary to let recognised refugees access all institutions in the EHEA that can enable them to build up an independent life via education; furthermore stresses that residence permits for graduates looking for a qualified professional activity should be further liberalised; stresses that the efforts for mutual recognition for recognised refugees should be reinforced, especially under the aspect of mobility for such students;

41.

Stresses that the Member States, and all HEIs that have joined the EHEA, are responsible for providing quality education that responds to societal and economic challenges, and emphasises the need for their close cooperation in order to reach the goals set within the Bologna Process;

42.

Notes that only a few Member States have created a comprehensive strategy for including students from less-favoured socio-economic backgrounds in higher education and thus tackling the problem of the so-called social filter;

43.

Calls for more involvement of secondary school teachers in the Bologna Process in terms of promoting quality in teacher training and professional mobility, in order to meet the new educational and training demands of a knowledge-based society and contribute to improved student performance;

44.

Emphasises the role of education and its quality and teaching mission in shaping future generations and contributing to wider social and economic cohesion as well as to job creation, higher competitiveness and growth potential; calls in this regard for better recognition of the teaching profession;

45.

Calls for economic and social efforts to improve social inclusion by providing fair and open access to quality education for all, by facilitating recognition of academic and professional qualifications, as well as study periods abroad and prior learning, soft skills programmes and non-formal and informal learning, and by providing relevant education to a diversified student population through LLL;

46.

Highlights the social dimension of the Bologna Process; calls for action to target increased participation by under-represented and disadvantaged groups, also through international mobility programmes;

47.

Stresses the role of educational mobility in intercultural learning, and that the Bologna Process should take active steps to foster students’ intercultural knowledge and respect;

48.

Calls for efforts to further develop a strategy for the external dimension of the EHEA, through cooperation with other regions of the world, in order to increase its competitiveness and attractiveness in a global setting, improve the provision of information on the EHEA, strengthen cooperation based on partnership, intensify policy dialogue and further recognise qualifications;

49.

Emphasises the need to enhance data collection among EHEA countries in order to better identify and address the Bologna Process challenges;

50.

Stresses the importance of the next EHEA Ministerial Conference, to be held in Yerevan in May 2015, in terms of undertaking an objective and critical review of both progress and setbacks in achieving the priorities set out for 2012-2015, with a view to boosting and further consolidating the EHEA with the full support of the Union;

51.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

21.9.2016   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 346/10

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having regard to Article 167 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

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having regard to the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions adopted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on 20 October 2005,

—

having regard to 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) (1),

—

having regard to Directive 2001/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society (2),

—

having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1295/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 establishing the Creative Europe Programme (2014 to 2020) and repealing Decisions No 1718/2006/EC, No 1855/2006/EC and No 1041/2009/EC (3),

—

having regard to the Council conclusions of 25 November 2014 on European audiovisual policy in the digital era (4),

—

having regard to the Commission communication of 3 March 2010 entitled ‘Europe 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’ (COM(2010)2020),

—

having regard to the Commission communication of 26 August 2010 entitled ‘A Digital Agenda for Europe’ (COM(2010)0245),

—

having regard to the First Report from the Commission of 4 May 2012 on the application of Directive 2010/13/EU ‘Audiovisual Media Service Directive’ — Audiovisual Media Services and Connected Devices: Past and Future Perspectives (COM(2012)0203),

—

having regard to the First Report from the Commission of 24 September 2012 on the application of Articles 13, 16 and 17 of Directive 2010/13/EU for the period 2009-2010 — Promotion of European works in EU scheduled and on-demand audiovisual media services (COM(2012)0522),

—

having regard to the third Commission report of 7 December 2012 entitled ‘On the challenges for European film heritage from the analogue and the digital era’ (SWD(2012)0431) concerning the implementation of Recommendation 2005/865/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 November 2005 on Film Heritage and the Competitiveness of Related Industrial Activities,

—

having regard to the Commission communication of 18 December 2012 on content in the Digital Single Market (COM(2012)0789),

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having regard to the Commission Green Paper of 24 April 2013 on ‘Preparing for a Fully Converged Audiovisual World: Growth, Creation and Values’ (COM(2013)0231),

—

having regard to the Commission communication of 15 November 2013 on State aid for films and other audiovisual works (5),

—

having regard to the Commission communication of 15 May 2014 entitled ‘European film in the digital era — Bridging cultural diversity and competitiveness’ (COM(2014)0272),

—

having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 4 December 2014 on ‘European film in the digital era’,

—

having regard to its resolution of 16 November 2011 on European cinema in the digital era (6),

—

having regard to its resolution of 11 September 2012 on the online distribution of audiovisual works in the European Union (7),

—

having regard to its resolution of 22 May 2013 on the implementation of the audiovisual media services directive (8),

—

having regard to its resolution of 12 March 2014 on preparing for a fully converged audiovisual world (9),

—

having regard to Rule 52 of its Rules of Procedure,

—

having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture and Education (A8-0123/2015),

A.

whereas films are goods that are both cultural and economic and contribute greatly to the European economy in terms of growth and employment whilst helping shape European identities by reflecting cultural and linguistic diversity, promoting European cultures across borders and facilitating cultural exchange and mutual understanding among citizens, as well as contributing to the formation and development of critical thinking;

B.

whereas the potential of the cultural and creative sectors in Europe and in particular of the European film industry is yet to be fully exploited in the promotion of European cultural diversity and heritage and the creation of sustainable growth and jobs that in turn can also benefit other sectors of the economy, providing Europe with a competitive advantage at a global level;

C.

whereas the European film industry is one of the world’s largest producers, with 1 500 films released in 2014, but is characterised by a heterogeneous structure in terms of both funding and type of production;

D.

whereas European films are characterised by their quality, originality and diversity, but suffer from limited promotion and distribution across the Union, and this is reflected in the comparatively low audience levels achieved while facing intense international competition and difficulties in being distributed both within and outside Europe;

E.

whereas the circulation of European non-national films in Member States remains weak despite the large number of films produced each year, while non-European productions are widely distributed within the Union;

F.

whereas the diversity of European films reflecting the richness and strength of Europe’s cultural and linguistic diversity means that the European film market is naturally fragmented;

G.

whereas promoting quality film production is particularly important for smaller Member States whose languages have a small number of speakers;

H.

whereas the Creative Europe MEDIA sub-programme (hereinafter MEDIA) offers new sources of funding and opportunities for the distribution and circulation of European non-national films and for developing audiences and supporting media literacy;

I.

whereas one of the key goals of the Digital Single Market should be to build trust and confidence in the internet and increase access to legal audiovisual content, thus contributing to investment in European films;

J.

whereas cinematic screening, as the first release window, continues to account for a large proportion of film revenue and is therefore essential to the financing of European film production and distribution, with a considerable impact on the success of the films concerned in subsequent release windows;

K.

whereas, however, an increasing number of European films with a modest production and promotion budget would benefit from more flexible release strategies and earlier availability in VOD services;

L.

whereas a better organisation of the release windows would maximise the potential audience, while making the unauthorised consumption of films less attractive;

M.

whereas Article 13.1 of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) obliges Member States to ensure that on-demand service providers promote European works; whereas this provision has been implemented in a diverse manner with different levels of legal requirements and has led to providers establishing themselves in those Member States with the lowest requirements;

N.

whereas most public funding for the European film industry, from both national and Union sources, is dedicated to film production;

O.

whereas Article 14 of Regulation (EU) No 1295/2013 establishing the Creative Europe programme states that the Commission shall establish a ‘Guarantee Facility targeting the cultural and creative sectors’ with the aim of facilitating access to financing for SMEs in the cultural and creative sectors and enabling participating financial intermediaries to assess more effectively the risks associated with projects for which SMEs are seeking loans and financing;

P.

whereas in its third report of 7 December 2012 on the challenges for European film heritage from the analogue and the digital era the Commission pointed out that only 1,5 % of the European film heritage has been digitised; whereas this percentage remains the same today, despite reiterated concerns that much of that heritage may be lost forever to future generations, as evidenced, for example, by the fact that only 10 % of silent films have been preserved;

Q.

whereas digitisation and media convergence create new opportunities for distributing and promoting European films cross-border, as well as greater potential for innovation and flexibility, whilst causing significant changes in viewers’ behaviours and expectations;

R.

whereas it is essential to guarantee funding for the digitisation, preservation and online availability of film heritage and related materials and to establish European standards on preservation of digital films;

S.

whereas media literacy, and in particular film literacy, can empower citizens to develop critical thinking and understanding and can stimulate their own creativity and capacity of expression;

T.

whereas copyright in the digital era should continue to stimulate investment in film production and creation and ensure an appropriate remuneration for rightholders, whilst encouraging the development of new services and cross-border access for citizens and enabling the cultural and creative industries to continue contributing to growth and job creation;

U.

whereas it is important to ensure the effective implementation of Directive 2012/28/EU on certain uses of orphan works and to make films included in the definition of orphan works publicly accessible;

1.

Encourages the European film industry to pursue the development of innovative services, new business models and distribution channels to improve the cross-border availability of European films in the Union and, beyond that, to allow viewers across the Union to have access to an ever greater range of films across a growing number of platforms; suggests in this regard that the European film industry draw lessons from best commercial practises outside the EU;

2.

Recognises the impact of unauthorised use of creative works on the creative cycle and rights of creators; stresses the need for greater legal offers of high quality, and for awareness-raising among young people;

3.

Suggests that the development of cross-border portability of audiovisual services, taking account of the rapid growth of VOD and online transactions across the Union, could be further explored as this would enable viewers to access films regardless of where they are;

4.

Underlines the importance of targeted marketing across the Union that takes into account the cultural specificities of European audiences with a view to ensuring better and more efficient promotion of European films;

5.

Urges accordingly greater availability of subtitled films in order to boost the cross-border circulation of European films, increase awareness of Europe’s cultural and linguistic diversity amongst viewers, and improve mutual understanding;

6.

Notes in particular the role played by MEDIA in supporting subtitling and dubbing to increase availability of European films, notably in original versions with subtitles which facilitate their circulation and improve knowledge and understanding of European cultures and languages;

7.

Underlines the importance of the recently adopted preparatory action ‘Crowdsourcing subtitling to increase the circulation of European works’ and the work to be done by the Commission in implementing this action;

8.

Supports, furthermore, initiatives such as the Commission’s pilot project ‘Fostering European integration through culture’, aimed at reinforcing the provision of subtitled European films by providing new subtitled versions of selected TV programmes across all Europe;

9.

Reiterates the fundamental importance of further improving accessibility to films for disabled people, particularly through audio description and subtitling;

10.

Stresses the particular significance of private and public European television stations in film production, both for television and for cinema co-productions, and underlines the role they can play in securing the future of numerous film production companies in the EU, primarily small and medium-sized ones;

11.

Recalls the role of the EP LUX Prize, which has gained increasing recognition over the years, in promoting European films by translating subtitles for the winning film into all 24 official Union languages and thus ensuring greater visibility, awareness and availability for European films; invites the national parliaments to further promote the LUX Prize in the Member States in cooperation with the Information Offices of the European Parliament;

12.

Suggests that there is a need to promote and support European co-productions and that an increase in such productions may result in the wider distribution of European films all across Europe;

13.

Highlights, in addition, the growing success of high-quality European TV series and the strategic importance of further encouraging the production, distribution and promotion of such series on the European and global markets;

14.

Calls on the Member States to support and promote special events, such as film festivals and touring cinema initiatives, in order to encourage and support the dissemination and circulation of European films in their territory;

15.

Suggests strengthening existing measures for better optimisation of the price of cinema tickets, development of innovative promotions, and subscription offers that would help ensure the attractiveness of, and access of all to, cinemas;

16.

Encourages distributors and cinema exhibitors to increase the visibility and availability of non-national European films in order to reach wider audiences;

17.

Recognises that cinemas are still the most significant locations for presenting and promoting films, as well as being places with an important social dimension where people meet and exchange views; stresses that the disappearance of small and independent cinemas, in particular in small towns and less-developed regions, is limiting access to European cultural resources, heritage and dialogue; in this context, calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide support to equip all screens with digital projection and sound technology in order to preserve such cinemas;

18.

Stresses the importance of promoting films at an early stage of production, in order to improve circulation and ensure greater awareness amongst potential audiences across Europe;

19.

Stresses the importance of MEDIA in testing innovative approaches in audience development, in particular through supporting festivals, film literacy initiatives and audience development actions;

20.

Recalls that Article 13.1 of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) obliges Member States to ensure that on-demand service providers promote European works; stresses that this provision has been implemented in an uneven manner with different levels of legal requirements, and that this could result in providers establishing themselves in Member States with the lowest requirements;

21.

Believes that all those who benefit economically from European cinematographic works, even if indirectly, through direct provision, marketing or dissemination, including links or provision by means of video-on-demand, should contribute financially to the making of European films; calls on the Commission to make this the guiding principle, even when investigating Member States’ film funding systems from competition perspectives;

22.

Calls on the Commission to take the above into account when proposing a review of the current legal framework, in order to ensure a level playing field on the European audiovisual market with fair and equal conditions for all providers;

23.

Calls on VOD and SVOD platforms to make publicly available data on the consumption of each film in their catalogue, so as to ensure a proper assessment of their impact;

24.

Considers that in order to improve the circulation of European films on both European and international markets, public funding for production and distribution needs to be better balanced with a view to increasing support for development, promotion and international distribution;

25.

Considers it necessary to increase funding in real terms for film distribution, promotion and marketing without this being at the expense of funding for production;

26.

Calls on Member States in particular to increase public funding in order to support at an early stage the distribution and promotion of national films abroad, as well as of non-national European films;

27.

Calls on the Member States to promote incentives to facilitate the production, distribution, availability and attractiveness of European films; takes the view that applying the same reduced VAT rates to cultural audiovisual works whether sold online or offline stimulates the growth of new services and platforms;

28.

Highlights the role to be played by Creative Europe’s Cultural and Creative Sectors Guarantee Facility, in terms of facilitating access to finance for SMEs in the cultural and creative sectors and encouraging more investment from financial intermediaries, thus increasing funding opportunities for the film industry;

29.

Suggests evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of European and national film funding systems, paying particular attention to the quality and scope of films receiving funding, whilst also considering the availability and effectiveness of funding instruments for marketing and audience development; calls on the Commission to inform other Member States of examples of best practice which emerge from the results;

30.

Recalls that film production and co-production call for substantial financial investment, and that the current legal framework does not prevent multi-territorial licencing, therefore stresses that the diversity of production and distribution schemes should continue to apply in order to encourage investment in European films, so as to respond to the linguistically and culturally diverse European market and safeguard and promote cultural diversity;

31.

Stresses that European films receive funding from a large number of European, national and regional public funds, and that greater complementarity in the use of these funds should be encouraged in order to make them more effective;

32.

Welcomes the Commission’s initiative to establish a European Film Forum, in order to facilitate a structured dialogue with all stakeholders in the audiovisual sector on the challenges currently faced by the sector in the digital era, in order to improve cooperation, aggregation of information and exchange of best practices;

33.

Calls in that respect for a broad participation and cooperation among all institutions concerned, in particular with the European Parliament;

34.

Calls on the Member States to reinforce their efforts to improve media literacy, and in particular film literacy, in school curricula and institutions of cultural education, and to develop initiatives at national, regional or local level covering all levels of formal, informal and non-formal education and training;

35.

Is aware of the special significance of cinemas for film and media literacy as cross-generational places of learning, and welcomes any measures which promote this function of cinemas in a targeted way;

36.

Draws attention to the promotion of educational films for young people, and supports competitions in which they are encouraged to create audiovisual works; also underlines the possibilities offered by MEDIA in supporting film literacy projects;

37.

Supports innovative projects and practices such as the Commission's preparatory action on the circulation of European films in the digital era, designed to test a more flexible release of films across media in several Member States, and welcomes the integration of this action in the Creative Europe programme;

38.

Considers that such initiatives, by making release windows more flexible, could benefit certain types of European films in terms of visibility, reaching audiences, revenue and savings on costs, and encourages the Commission and the Member States to give those initiatives further consideration;

39.

Calls on Member States to ensure the digitisation of cinematographic works and to set up compulsory deposit mechanisms for digital formats or to adapt their existing mechanisms to such formats by requesting the deposit of an international standard digital master for digital films;

40.

Emphasises the importance of audiovisual archives, especially those of film heritage institutions and public service broadcasters, and urges the Member States to guarantee an appropriate level of funding and rights clearance schemes in order to facilitate the fulfilment of their public interest missions, including preservation, digitisation and making film heritage available to the public;

41.

Highlights the important role of the European digital library EUROPEANA as a digital library for the European audiovisual heritage (both film and television);

42.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

21.9.2016   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 346/17

—

having regard to the Commission communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions entitled ‘A new EU Forest Strategy: for forests and the forest-based sector’ (COM(2013)0659),

—

having regard to the Commission staff working documents (SWD(2013)0342) and (SWD(2013)0343), appended to that communication,

—

having regard to the conclusions of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of 19 May 2014 on the new EU Forest Strategy,

—

having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 30 January 2014 entitled ‘A new EU Forest Strategy: for forests and the forest-based sector’,

—

having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 10 July 2014 on the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions entitled ‘A new EU Forest Strategy: for forests and the forest-based sector’,

—

having regard to its resolution of 16 February 2006 on the implementation of a European Union forestry strategy (1),

—

having regard to Decision No 1386/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 on a General Union Environmental Action Programme to 2020 — ‘Living well, within the limits of our planet’,

—

having regard to the Europe 2020 strategy, including the Innovation Union and Resource Efficient Europe initiatives,

—

having regard to the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions entitled ‘An EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change’ (COM(2013)0216),

—

having regard to the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions entitled ‘Our life insurance, our natural capital: an EU biodiversity strategy to 2020’ (COM(2011)0244),

—

having regard to Rule 52 of its Rules of Procedure,

—

having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the opinions of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (A8-0126/2015),

A.

whereas the European Union has no competence to elaborate a common forestry policy but some of the Union’s policies may have implications for national forestry policies, while it is the Member States who decide the political approaches to forestry and forests;

B.

whereas, although this is clearly an area of Member State responsibility, there are potential advantages for forest-based businesses in better and more active coordination and in a higher profile for this important economic sector, which guarantees jobs at European level, particularly in rural areas, while protecting ecosystems and offering ecological advantages for all, without prejudicing the responsibility of the Member States;

C.

whereas timber is a renewable resource often under-exploited in Europe and the intelligent and sustainable use of this raw material needs to be ensured, including by the development and exchange of know-how;

D.

whereas forests are a source of unique flora, fauna and fungi;

E.

whereas the size and features of forests differ greatly, with some Member States having more than half their territories covered by forests; whereas sustainably managed forests are enormously important in terms of adding value at local, regional, European and international level, guaranteeing jobs in rural areas and contributing to a bioeconomy- based society, representing a benefit for human health, especially in structurally disadvantaged regions, while at the same time making a vital contribution to environmental and climate protection as well as to biodiversity;

F.

whereas forest biomass is a very important source of renewable energy; whereas European forests currently absorb and store around 10 % of EU carbon emissions and thus contribute markedly to climate change mitigation efforts;

G.

whereas, owing to the urbanisation of our society, EU citizens feel less of a connection to the forest, and have little knowledge of forestry or of its impact on prosperity, jobs, climate, environment, human health and the whole value chain together with the link with the wider ecosystems;

H.

whereas a growing number of EU policies are placing increasing demands on forests; whereas these demands need to be carefully balanced, and demand for new uses of wood in the bioeconomy and for bioenergy must be accompanied by resource efficiency, use of new technology and respect for the limits of sustainable supply;

I.

whereas European forestry is characterised by sustainable management and long-term planning, and whereas the principle of sustainability should be even more strongly emphasised at all levels, from local to global, in order to create jobs, protect biodiversity, mitigate climate change and combat desertification;

J.

whereas it is necessary to highlight the economic, social and environmental role of forests, also in the context of the protection and promotion of cultural and natural heritage and the promotion of sustainable (eco)tourism;

K.

whereas an increasing world population means a growing demand for energy, and therefore forests should play a more important role in the EU’s future energy mix;

1.

Welcomes the Commission communication on a new EU forest strategy and the accompanying working documents, and stresses that an EU forest strategy must focus on the sustainable management of forests and their multifunctional role from the economic, social and environmental viewpoints and must ensure better coordination and communication of Community policies directly or indirectly linked to forestry; points out, in this context, that an increasing number of European policy initiatives in areas such as economic and employment policy, energy policy and environmental and climate policy require a greater contribution from the forestry sector;

2.

Underlines the need to determine the value of forest ecosystem services more systematically and to take it into consideration in decision-making in both public and private sectors;

3.

Notes that only mountain forests that are healthy and stable are able to perform to a full extent their functions of protecting humans and nature by counteracting the flow of avalanches and mudslides and serving as a natural protection against floods; stresses that in this connection in particular, transnational communication is indispensable;

4.

Stresses in this connection that any attempt to make forestry a matter of EU policy should be resisted and that the sector’s local and regional basis and the competence of the Member States in this area must be respected while seeking coherence between the respective competences of the EU and the Member States;

5.

Emphasises that the EU’s forests are characterised by great diversity, including major differences in forest ownership, size, nature and challenges faced;

6.

Stresses that the EU forest strategy must take into account the fact that forests cover more than half of the territory of some Member States and that sustainably managed forests are enormously important in adding value at local and regional level and in guaranteeing jobs in rural areas, while at the same time making a vital contribution to the environment;

7.

Underlines the particularly valuable role of stable mixed forests including native species of trees suited to local conditions, as well as the essential role that mixed forests play in ecosystems and their contribution to biodiversity;

8.

Calls on the Member States to support the efforts of forest owners to preserve and also to create native mixed forests typical of the area;

9.

Expresses its disappointment with the fact that the working conditions of forest workers are not included as a point of reference in the proposed strategy, and requests the Commission to take intelligent work organisation, high standards in technology and quality jobs into account;

10.

Notes that the forest sector currently employs over 3 million European citizens, and stresses that its long-term competitiveness will only be achieved with a skilled workforce;

11.

Considers that the EU Forest Strategy should set the conditions to enable the EU to have relevant training facilities and a workforce which is fully aware of the current challenges and threats faced by the forest sector, but also of the safety rules inherent in forest management;

12.

Emphasises the need for a comprehensive and holistic joint strategy, and welcomes the recognition of the economic, environmental and social role and benefits of forests and the forest based-sector in the EU;

13.

Believes that this recognition provides a strong basis for supporting the EU forestry sector, inter alia in preventing and managing forest disasters, improving resource efficiency, increasing competitiveness, boosting employment, strengthening forest-based industries and preserving ecological functions;

14.

Stresses the significant role that the bioeconomy plays in terms of achieving the Commission’s new priorities of growth, employment and investment;

15.

Acknowledges that the EU has a role to play in supporting national policies to achieve active, multifunctional and sustainable forest management, including the management of different forest types, and in strengthening cooperation to tackle transboundary challenges such as forest fires, climate change and natural disasters, or invasive alien species;

16.

Takes the view that the strategy needs to take greater account of the problem of tree diseases such as oak decline, which is ravaging cork-oak plantations in Portugal, France and Spain and is also affecting Special Protection Areas and biosphere reserves;

17.

Stresses that the predicted growth in demand for wood represents both an opportunity and a challenge for forests and all forest-based sectors, especially as drought, fires, storms and pests are expected to damage forests more frequently and more severely as a result of climate change; in this context, emphasises the need to protect forests from these growing threats and to reconcile their productive and protective functions;

18.

Welcomes action to increase forest cover, especially with native species, in areas not suitable for food production and in particular in close proximity to urban areas, with a view to mitigating adverse heat effects, reducing pollution and enhancing links between people and forests;

19.

Gives its full support to the Commission’s efforts to promote forest-related employment and the generation of prosperity in Europe in a sustainable manner;

20.

Stresses the important role of the sustainable production and use of timber and other forest-based materials such as cork and wood derivatives including textile fibres for the development of sustainable economic models and the creation of green jobs;

21.

Calls on the Commission to analyse the difficulties in the downstream supply chain related to increased demand from third countries, particularly for roundwoods, and to support this sector;

22.

Calls on the Commission and the Member States to create incentives to encourage the increasingly large group of female forest owners to obtain special advice and support in relation to the active and sustainable management of their forests;

23.

Stresses that around 60 % of the EU’s forests are private, with about 16 million private forest owners, and underlines in this context the importance of ownership and property rights and supports all measures enabling stakeholder groups to participate in a dialogue on reinforcing and implementing sustainable forest management and improve the exchange of information;

24.

Notes that forest owners are key actors in rural areas, and welcomes in this connection the recognition of the role of forestry and agro-forestry in the Rural Development Programme of the 2014-2020 CAP;

25.

Considers that the implementation of the EU Forest Strategy would be enhanced if supported by appropriate coordination with available EU funding, including from the EAFRD;

26.

Stresses the opportunity for Member States and regions to make use of the available funding under their respective rural development programmes, to support sustainable forest management and boost agro-forestry and to deliver public environmental goods such as producing oxygen, sinking carbon and protecting crops against climate effects, as well as stimulating local economies and creating green jobs;

27.

Recognises the need for improved transportation and logistics for forest management and extraction of timber; calls on the Member States, therefore, to develop sustainable logistics and logging systems having a reduced negative effect on climate, including the use of trucks and ships powered by sustainable biofuel as well as extended use of railways; encourages the use of EU Structural Funds and Rural Development Programmes for those purposes;

28.

Recognises the role of forests in society in relation to the physical and mental health of citizens and that public goods delivered by forests are of high environmental and recreational value and contribute to quality of life, in particular with regard to oxygen supply, carbon sequestration, air filtration, water storage and filtration, erosion control and avalanche protection, as well as providing a place for outdoor activities;

29.

Encourages public transport links between urban areas and forests in order to facilitate access to forests and woodland;

30.

Highlights the importance of other forest-related activities, e.g. the harvesting of non-wood forest products such as mushrooms or soft fruit, as well as grazing and beekeeping;

31.

Calls on the Commission to promote economic activities which can serve as a source of raw materials for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries and be used as an alternative way of dealing with unemployment and rural depopulation, and also to promote the products of those activities as beneficial for human health;

32.

Stresses that both the use of timber and other harvested wood products as renewable and climate-friendly raw materials on the one hand, and sustainable forest management on the other, have an important role to play in the achievement of the EU’s socio-political goals such as the energy transition, climate mitigation and adaptation, and the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy targets and biodiversity targets; notes that lack of active forest management would be inimical to these goals;

33.

Stresses that managed forests have a higher CO2 absorption capacity than unmanaged forests, and underlines the importance of sustainable forest management in maximising the carbon sequestration potential of EU forests;

34.

Believes that forests should not be considered solely as carbon sinks;

35.

Emphasises the need to make sure that forest resources and wood materials are used and reused efficiently, as a means of cutting the EU’s trade deficit, improving the self-sufficiency of the EU in wood, boosting the competitiveness of its forest sector, helping reduce unsustainable forest management, protecting the environment, and reducing deforestation in countries outside the EU;

36.

Expressly supports the resource-efficient use of timber as a renewable, versatile raw material with limited availability, and opposes legally binding rules for prioritising the uses of wood, as this not only restricts the energy market and the development of new and innovative uses of biomass, but is also impossible to enforce in many remote and rural areas, if only for infrastructure reasons;

37.

Supports an open, market-oriented approach and freedom for all market participants by giving priority to locally sourced wood in order to minimise the carbon footprint created by overseas transport, and stimulate sustainable local production;

38.

Considers it imperative, given that some of the Union’s biggest biomass resources are found in its most sparsely populated and remote regions, that the strategy should also take full account of the specificities of those regions;

39.

Recognises the value of wood for energy purposes, as a means of combating energy poverty, contributing to the renewable energy targets of the 2030 climate and energy framework, and opening up new business opportunities;

40.

Considers that the new forest strategy must enable greater cooperation on the issue of the structuring of the timber industry and the regrouping of operators, with a view to ensuring better use of the forest resource;

41.

Takes the view that sustainable forest management must be based on generally acknowledged and accepted principles and tools, such as criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management which must always apply to the sector as a whole regardless of the end use of wood;

42.

Supports the Commission’s intention to develop, together with the Member States and stakeholders, an ambitious, objective and demonstrable set of criteria and indicators for the sustainable management of forests, stressing that these criteria should be aligned with the requirements of Forest Europe (Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe) (2), which form a pan-European basis for uniform reporting on sustainable forest management and a basis for sustainability certification, taking into account the diversity of forest types across Europe;

43.

Acknowledges that the growing demand for forest-based materials, primarily as a result of the rise in the number of biomass-based renewable energies, calls for new ways of increasing the availability of timber to ensure the sustainable exploitation of forests;

44.

Notes the significant progress made in the negotiations within Forest Europe towards a ‘European Forest Convention’ (3) as a binding framework for sustainable forest management and for improving the balance of interests in forest policy, and calls on the Member States and the Commission to make all necessary efforts to resume these negotiations and drive them forward to a successful conclusion;

45.

Takes the view that forest management plans or equivalent instruments can be important strategic instruments for the implementation of concrete measures at the level of individual businesses, for long-term planning and for the implementation of sustainable forest management in European forests; emphasises, however, that the implementation of the concrete measures contained in these plans at the forest holding level must remain subject to national regulations;

46.

Calls on the Member States, in line with the subsidiarity and proportionality principles, to monitor and promote the implementation of the forest management plans without creating unnecessary administrative burdens;

47.

Welcomes a clear separation between forest management plans and the management plans under Natura 2000;

48.

Points out that forestry management plans are only a condition for receiving EU rural development funds for beneficiaries above a certain holding size, and that forests below the threshold size are exempt; furthermore notes that equivalent instruments can also be approved;

49.

Calls on the Member States to make full use of this existing flexibility when implementing legislation, especially to benefit smaller operators;

50.

Calls on the Commission and the Member States to create incentives and support new business models, such as production cooperatives, that seek to encourage small private forest owners to manage their forests actively and sustainably;

51.

Maintains that in order to implement the strategy in the proper way it is essential to have a specific long-term action plan emphasising the importance of mobilisation and sustainable use of forest timber, with the aim of creating added value and jobs, while providing means of strengthening private forestry businesses and supporting organised groupings of forest owners;

52.

Underlines that efficient resource management should include support programmes for the afforestation of land areas that are not fit for agriculture, as well as for the creation of shelter belts;

53.

Considers that priority should be given to the practical application of research, since the whole sector can benefit from new ideas and the forest-based industries have great potential for growth; also considers that further investments in innovation in the sector can create new production niches and more efficient processes that would ensure smarter use of available resources and could minimise negative impacts on forest resources;

54.

Calls on the Commission to assess, from the point of view of forestry and wood working priorities, the European R&D programmes (Horizon 2020) and the programme for the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (COSME) and, where appropriate, to develop new instruments for the forest-based sector and promote targeted research into cost-effective solutions for new and innovative timber products to support the development of the sustainable wood-based bioeconomy;

55.

Welcomes the benefits of sharing best practices and existing knowledge on forests between Member States, and calls on the Member States and the Commission to support exchanges between industry, scientists and producers;

56.

Stresses the importance of supporting EU framework programmes for research, development and innovation for achieving smart and sustainable growth, higher added-value products, cleaner technology and a high degree of technological advance, in particular in relation to refined biofuels and industrial building using wood, along with the automotive and textile sectors;

57.

Recalls that, according to the Commission, in 2009 the bioeconomy represented a market estimated to be worth over EUR 2 trillion, providing 20 million jobs and accounting for 9 % of total employment in the EU;

58.

Notes that every euro invested in bioeconomy research and innovation under Horizon 2020 will generate about EUR 10 in added value; stresses that forests play a crucial role in the bioeconomy now and will continue to do so in the future;

59.

Considers that the substitution of oil-based or heat-intensive raw materials by timber and harvested wood products should be encouraged, in line with progress in research and technology, and that this can positively contribute to further gains in terms of climate change mitigation as well as job creation;

60.

Stresses the need to carry out a cost assessment of all EU legislation affecting the value chains of forest-based industries, with a view to cutting out all unnecessary and burdensome bureaucracy and creating an enabling framework in order to increase the industries’ long-term competitiveness in a sustainable manner, and also to support the principle that legislative proposals affecting the forestry sector and the value chains of forest-based industries should be thoroughly evaluated by means of an impact assessment;

61.

Takes the view that extending the forest-related knowledge basis is of crucial importance to research and that reliable information is essential for the implementation of the forest strategy;

62.

Notes the availability of information and monitoring resources via the Copernicus programme and other space initiatives at European level, and recommends increasing the use of these resources and tools;

63.

Notes that national forest inventories represent a comprehensive monitoring tool for assessing forestry stocks and take regional considerations into account while also responding to demands for less red tape and lower costs;

64.

Welcomes the Commission’s efforts to establish a European forest information system based on national data and initiatives to improve the comparability of new and existing data, and hopes in this regard to see a reinforcement of the analysis of data on the economy and employment in the forest and woodworking sectors;

65.

Recommends, in particular, that there should be more long-term data sets to help the understanding of trends in forestry and its adaptation to climate change;

66.

Takes the view that a skilled and well-trained workforce is essential for the successful implementation of sustainable forest management, and calls on the Commission and the Member States to devise measures and, where possible, to use existing European instruments such as the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) and the European training programmes (ET2020) to support generation renewal and compensate for the skilled workforce shortage in the forests;

67.

Calls on the Commission to support the preparation of information campaigns for the sector aimed at raising awareness of the opportunities it offers for tackling unemployment and depopulation, as well as increasing its attractiveness to young people;

68.

Takes the view that training programmes should be developed, particularly for new entrants and young foresters as well as for existing employees in the construction industry, in order to increase their awareness of the opportunities created by the use of wood, so that the transfer of knowledge regarding sustainable forest management and its downstream industries is ensured;

69.

Recognises that sustainable management for the entire life-cycle of forest products can make a significant contribution towards achieving green economy objectives, in particular those linked to climate change mitigation policies and efficient use of resources;

70.

Considers that Member States should promote the sustainable use of forest products in the construction sector, including application to the construction of more affordable houses built from sustainably sourced raw materials;

71.

Points out the importance of traditional high-value uses that still have huge growth potential, such as using wood in construction and packaging;

72.

Notes that current technological developments enable construction of high-capacity housing developments made mostly of wood, thus significantly limiting CO2 emissions in the building sector;

73.

Points out that rules on the use of wood for building purposes differ from one Member State to another; calls, therefore, for a commitment to adopt EU rules promoting the wider use of wood in buildings;

74.

Calls on the Member States to develop initiatives to support knowledge and technology transfer and to fully utilise existing EU programmes supporting research and innovation in forestry and the forest-based sector;

75.

Notes that there are significant gaps in scientific and technological research relating to the adaptation of forestry to climate change, including research into the impact of increasing pests and diseases which pose a serious threat to Europe’s forests and forest-based sectors;

76.

Encourages the Member States and the Commission to act to raise awareness of the economic, environmental and social role of European forests and forestry and the importance of the sustainable forest-based bioeconomy and of wood as one of the EU’s crucial renewable raw materials;

77.

Considers it important to encourage scientific research work oriented towards rational use of biomass and the development of fast-growing energy crops, and to create a model providing an economic incentive for the use of biomass waste;

78.

Stresses that sustainable forest management has a positive impact on biodiversity and climate change mitigation and can diminish the risks of forest fires, pest damage and disease;

79.

Stresses that the Union has agreed that by 2020 the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services, including pollination, must be halted, ecosystems and their services must be maintained and at least 15 % of degraded ecosystems should have been restored; adds that the Union has further agreed that forest management must be sustainable, that forests, their biodiversity and the services they provide must be protected and, as far as feasible, enhanced, and that the resilience of forests to climate change, fires, storms, pests and diseases must be improved; emphasises, in addition, the need therefore to develop and implement a renewed Union Forest Strategy that addresses the multiple demands on, and benefits of, forests and contributes to a more strategic approach to protecting and enhancing forests, including through sustainable forest management (4);

80.

Points out that other issues should be studied further, in particular the problem of overpopulation of herbivores, forest health and facilitating sustainable timber production, Forest Genetic Resources (FGR), measures to prevent and fight forest fires and avoid soil erosion, and the recovery of vegetation cover;

81.

Recognises that short rotation forestry could provide sustainable wooden biomass while providing the necessary territory maintenance, thus reducing the risks of soil erosion and landslides on set-aside or abandoned land;

82.

Calls on the Commission and the Member States to take specific action with a view to achieving Aichi Target 5, under which the rate of loss of all natural habitats, including forests, should be at least halved by 2020 and where feasible brought close to zero, and degradation and fragmentation should be significantly reduced;

83.

Urges the Member States to design their forestry policies in such a way as to take full account of the importance of forests in terms of protecting biodiversity, preventing soil erosion, ensuring carbon sequestration and air purification and maintaining the water cycle;

84.

Notes that the bioeconomy, as a core element of smart, green growth in Europe, is necessary for the realisation of the objectives of the flagship initiatives ‘Innovation Union’ and ‘Resource Efficient Europe’ under the Europe 2020 strategy, and that timber as a raw material has a significant role to play in making progress towards a bio-based economy;

85.

Stresses the need to clarify, as a matter of urgency, the greenhouse impacts of the various uses of forest biomass for energy and to identify the uses that can achieve the greatest mitigation benefits within policy-relevant timeframes;

86.

Takes the view that it is important to promote the implementation of the concept of the bioeconomy, while respecting the sustainability boundaries of raw material supply, in order to boost the economic viability of forest value chains through innovation and technology transfer;

87.

Calls for more support for diverse forest products, ensuring that the different demands on forest products are balanced and evaluated against the sustainable supply potential and the other ecosystem functions and services provided by forests;

88.

Expresses serious concern at the pace of world deforestation, particularly in developing countries and often from illegal logging;

89.

Supports mechanisms that promote the global development of forestry towards more sustainable use, and in this connection refers in particular to the EU Timber Directive (5), which aims to combat illegal logging and the placing of illegal timber on the European market from third-country imports, as well as to the authorisation system for timber imports to the EU (FLEGT) (6) and to voluntary partnership agreements;

90.

Calls on the Commission to publish the awaited review of the functioning and effectiveness of the EU Timber Regulation, and stresses that a new regulation should be proportionate and should look at ways of reducing unnecessary costs and reporting requirements for Europe’s woodland owners and foresters without compromising the aim of the regulation;

91.

Takes the view, given the challenges posed by global warming and climate change, that ecosystems and populations of species must be healthy, biologically diverse and robust in order to be resilient;

92.

Highlights the opportunities provided by the Natura 2000 sites where, thanks to their extraordinary natural resources, it is possible to produce forest-based products and services of high environmental and cultural quality;

93.

Underlines the importance of healthy forest ecosystems offering habitats for animals and plants, but stresses that well-meaning legislation such as the EU Habitats Directive affects land management decisions and must be implemented proportionately;

94.

Recognises the role of forests in the development of related sectors, and insists in this respect on the importance of supporting melliferous tree growers, which in turn helps the pollination process;

95.

Takes the view that certain issues affect the forestry industry at global level, particularly illegal felling, and therefore calls on the Commission to reinforce support for the forestry industry among the associated international bodies;

96.

Notes that demand for biomass, particularly wood, is rising, and therefore welcomes the efforts of the Commission and Member States to support developing countries in their measures to improve forestry policy and forestry legislation, particularly by way of REDD+ (7) (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation);

97.

Invites the Commission to develop an action plan on deforestation and forest degradation in order to address the objectives set out in its communication on deforestation, as called for by the Seventh Environmental Action Programme; considers it important to provide for not only the conservation and management of existing forests but also the reforestation of deforested areas;

98.

Considers that separate reference must also be made to the need for widespread reforestation in areas that have been affected by recurring forest fires;

99.

Stresses that the implementation of the EU’s forest strategy should be a multiannual coordinated process in which the views of Parliament should be taken into account and that the strategy should be implemented efficiently, coherently and with minimal red tape;

100.

Regrets that the implementation process has partly begun before Parliament has adopted its position, and considers that this is not in line with the aim of better coordination of forest-related policies as stated by the Commission in its Strategy text;

101.

Takes the view that the new strategy should establish links between the strategies and funding plans of the EU and of the Member States, and reinforce cohesion in terms of planning, funding and the implementation of cross-sector activities;

102.

Calls for an inclusive, well-structured and balanced implementation of the strategy;

103.

Takes the view, therefore, that the mandate of the Standing Forestry Committee should be strengthened and better resourced to enable the Commission to fully use the expertise from the Member States whilst implementing the new EU Forest Strategy at EU level; calls on the Commission to consult the Standing Forestry Committee with sufficient notice before submitting any initiative or draft text that will impact on the management of forests and the timber industry;

104.

Emphasises the important role of the Civil Dialogue Group on Forestry and Cork and other relevant stakeholders, and calls for their proper involvement in the strategy’s implementation;

105.

Takes the view that the transverse nature of forestry issues requires internal cooperation among the various Commission departments when considering any measure which may impact on the specific nature of sustainable forest management and associated industries; therefore calls on DG Environment, DG Climate Action, DG Agri, DG Energy, DG Research and Innovation and other DGs concerned to work together strategically in order to ensure effective implementation of the strategy through enhanced coordination and communication;

106.

Considers that, in view of the Commission’s list of priorities on growth, employment and investment, priority should also be given in implementing the new EU forest strategy to promoting the competitiveness and sustainability of the forest sector, supporting both rural and urban areas, expanding the knowledge basis, protecting forests and preserving their ecosystems, promoting coordination and communication, and increasing the sustainable use of wood and non-wood forest products;

107.

Calls on the Commission to supplement the strategy with a robust action plan containing specific measures, and to report to Parliament annually on the progress made in the implementation of specific actions under the strategy;

108.

Advocates the convening of an expanded AGRI-ENVI-ITRE committee to permit a balanced discussion on progress in the implementation of the new EU forest strategy;

109.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

21.9.2016   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 346/27

—

having regard to the proposal for a Council regulation on the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (COM(2013)0534),

—

having regard to its resolution of 12 March 2014 on the proposal for a Council regulation on the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (1),

—

having regard to the proposal for a directive on the fight against fraud to the Union’s financial interests by means of criminal law (COM(2012)0363),

—

having regard to its resolution of 23 October 2013 on organised crime, corruption and money laundering: recommendations on action and initiatives to be taken (2),

—

having regard to the proposal for a regulation on the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) (COM(2013)0535),

—

having regard to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, to Articles 2, 6 and 7 of the Treaty on European Union and to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

—

having regard to the Council resolution of 30 November 2009 on a roadmap for strengthening procedural rights of suspected or accused persons in criminal proceedings,

—

having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in particular Articles 86, 218, 263, 265, 267, 268 and 340 thereof,

—

having regard to Rule 99(3) of its Rules of Procedure,

—

having regard to the interim report of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and to the opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs (A8-0055/2015),

A.

whereas data collected and analysed by the Commission have led to the identification of suspected fraud to the financial interests of the Union averaging about EUR 500 million per annum, although there are good reasons to believe that as much as EUR 3 billion per year could be at risk from fraud;

B.

whereas the rate of indictment is low — standing at approximately 31 % in the eight years from 2006 to 2013 — compared to the number of judicial recommendations issued by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) to the Member States; whereas one of the aims of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is to bridge this gap;

C.

whereas certain Member States might be less effective as regards the detection and prosecution of fraud affecting the EU’s financial interests, thus harming the taxpayers of all the Member States who contribute to the Union’s budget;

D.

whereas in its resolution of 12 March 2014, Parliament asked the Council for extensive involvement in the legislative work through a constant flow of information and ongoing consultation;

E.

whereas different jurisdictions, legal traditions, law enforcement and judicial systems in the Member States should not hinder or undermine the fight against fraud and crime affecting the Union’s financial interests;

F.

whereas terrorism is also financed by organised crime, with criminal groups collecting funding through fraud;

G.

whereas Article 86 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union allows for the extension of the powers of the EPPO to include serious crimes having a cross-border dimension; whereas this possibility may be taken into account by the Council once the EPPO has been established and is functioning well;

1.

Reaffirms its strong willingness to address the priorities for the establishment of the EPPO and to identify the principles and conditions under which it may give its consent;

2.

Reiterates the contents of its previous interim report, adopted in its resolution of 12 March 2014, and seeks to supplement and update them following the latest developments in the Council debate;

3.

Calls on the Council to ensure transparency and democratic legitimacy by keeping Parliament fully informed and regularly consulting it; urges the Council to take its views duly into account, as a precondition to securing consent for the adoption of the EPPO Regulation;

4.

Recalls that the EPPO should have competence for offences related to fraud against the financial interests of the Union; recalls, in this connection, that the relevant criminal offences are to be set out in the proposed directive on the fight against fraud to the Union’s financial interests by means of criminal law (PIF Directive); calls on the Council, while acknowledging the progress made by the co-legislators in negotiations for the adoption of the PIF Directive, to renew its efforts to find agreement on the latter for the establishment of the EPPO;

5.

Believes that an innovative approach is needed for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to court perpetrators of fraud to the Union’s financial interests, in order to increase the efficiency of the fight against fraud, the rate of recovery and taxpayers’ confidence in the EU institutions;

6.

Deems it crucial to ensure the establishment of a single, strong, independent EPPO that is able to investigate, prosecute and bring to court the perpetrators of criminal offences affecting the Union’s financial interests, and believes that any weaker solution would be a cost for the Union’s budget;

7.

Emphasises that the structure of the EPPO should be fully independent of national governments and the EU institutions and protected from political influence and pressure; calls, therefore, for openness, objectiveness and transparency in the selection and appointment procedures for the European Chief Prosecutor, his/her deputies, the European Prosecutors and the European Delegated Prosecutors; believes that in order to prevent any conflicts of interests, the position of European Prosecutor should be a full-time position;

8.

Stresses the importance of its involvement in the appointment procedures of the European Prosecutors and suggests an open competition for candidates who meet the necessary criteria of integrity, professionalism, experience and skills; believes that the European Prosecutors should be appointed by the Council and Parliament by common accord on the basis of a shortlist drawn up by the Commission, following an evaluation by an independent panel of experts chosen from among judges, prosecutors and lawyers of recognised competence; the European Chief Prosecutor should be appointed in accordance with the same procedure following a hearing by Parliament;

9.

Believes that the members of the College should be dismissed following a decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union, upon request by the Council, the Commission, Parliament and/or the European Chief Prosecutor;

10.

Stresses that Member States must involve national self-governing judicial bodies in the nomination procedures for European Delegated Prosecutors, in accordance with national laws and practices;

11.

Welcomes the provision contained in the Council text regarding an annual report to the EU institutions in order to guarantee a continuous assessment of the activities carried out by the new body; calls on the Council to ensure that the annual report contains, inter alia, details on the willingness of national authorities to cooperate with the EPPO;

12.

Believes that rules governing the division of jurisdiction between the EPPO and the national authorities should be clearly defined in order to avoid any uncertainty or misinterpretation in the operational phase: the EPPO should have jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute the offences constituting fraud to the Union’s financial interests according to the directive on the fight against fraud to the Union’s financial interests by means of criminal law; believes that the EPPO should first decide whether it has competence and before national authorities initiate their own investigations, in order to avoid parallel investigations which are inefficient;

13.

Insists that national authorities that carry out investigations of offences which may fall under the competence of the EPPO should be obliged to inform it of any such investigations; reiterates the need for the EPPO to have the right to take over such investigations, where it determines that that is appropriate, so as to ensure the independence and effectiveness of the Office;

14.

Reiterates that the powers of the European Public Prosecutor's Office should extend to offences other than those affecting the Union’s financial interests only where cumulatively:

believes, also, that in case of disagreement; between the EPPO and the national prosecution authorities over the exercise of competence, the EPPO should decide, at central level, who will investigate and prosecute; believes, furthermore, that the determination of competence, in accordance with those criteria, should always be subject to judicial review;

15.

Finds it regrettable that the option of a collegiate structure is being considered by the Member States, instead of the hierarchical one initially proposed by the Commission; believes, in this regard, that the decision to prosecute, the choice of the competent jurisdiction, the decision to reallocate or dismiss a case and the decision on transactions should all be taken at central level by the Chambers;

16.

Underlines the fact that the Chambers should play a leading role in investigations and prosecutions and not limit theirs activities to mere functions of coordination, but should supervise the work of the European Delegated Prosecutors in the field;

17.

Is concerned over the automatic link between a European Prosecutor in the Central Office and a case lodged in his/her Member State, owing to the fact that this could lead to evident shortcomings in terms of the independence of the prosecutors and the even distribution of cases;

18.

Calls, therefore, for the rational organisation of the workload of the Office at central level; notes, in this connection, that the system for allocating cases among the Chambers should follow predetermined and objective criteria; suggests, also, that at a later stage a specific specialisation of the Chambers could be envisaged;

19.

Is convinced that the necessary knowledge, experience and expertise of the national law enforcement systems will also be guaranteed by the EPPO personnel in the Central Office;

20.

Calls on the legislator to guarantee streamlined procedures for the EPPO to obtain authorisation for investigative measures in cross-border cases, in accordance with the law of the Member States, where the measure in question is executed; recalls that the co-legislators agreed on criteria for Member States to make requests as regards investigative measures based on the principle of mutual recognition in Directive 2014/41/EU regarding the European Investigation Order in criminal matters; believes that the same criteria should apply in respect of investigative measures to be authorised by the EPPO, particularly with regard to grounds for refusal;

21.

Calls on the Council to ensure the admissibility of the evidence gathered by the EPPO with full respect for the relevant European and national legislation across the Union, as this is crucial for ensuring the effectiveness of prosecutions, in accordance with Article 6 TEU, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights;

22.

Reiterates the need for the EPPO to seek out all relevant evidence, whether inculpatory or exculpatory; insists, furthermore, that it is necessary to grant suspects or accused persons in any investigation undertaken by the EPPO certain rights concerning evidence, in particular:

23.

Believes, given the possible multiple jurisdictions for cross-border offences falling under the competence of the EPPO, that it is essential to ensure that the European Prosecutors, European Delegated Prosecutors and national prosecuting authorities respect fully the principle of ne bis in idem with regard to prosecutions involving offences which fall under the competence of the EPPO;

24.

Affirms that the right to a judicial remedy should be upheld at all times in respect of the EPPO’s activity and recognises, also, the need for the EPPO to operate effectively; believes, therefore, that any decision taken by the EPPO should be subject to judicial review before the competent court; stresses that the decisions taken by the Chambers, such as the choice of jurisdiction for prosecution, the dismissal or reallocation of a case or a transaction, should be subject to judicial review before the Union courts;

25.

Believes that for the purposes of the judicial review of all investigative and other procedural measures adopted in its prosecution function, the EPPO should be considered to be a national authority before the competent courts of the Member States;

26.

Recalls that the new Office should carry out its activities with full respect for the rights of suspects or accused persons which are enshrined in Article 6 TEU, Article 16 TFEU and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, and in those legislative measures already adopted at Union level on the procedural rights of suspects and persons accused in criminal proceedings and on the protection of personal data;

27.

Affirms that the future directive on legal aid should apply equally to all suspects or accused persons who are under investigation or are being prosecuted by the EPPO; calls on the Member States, in the absence of an EU directive, to ensure effective access to legal aid in accordance with the relevant national laws;

28.

Emphasises that all suspects or accused persons who are under investigation or are being prosecuted by the EPPO have the right to the protection of their personal data; underlines, in this regard, the fact that the processing of personal data carried out by the EPPO must be subject to Regulation (EC) No 45/2001; stresses that any specific provisions on data protection contained in the Council regulation on the establishment of the EPPO may only complement and further elaborate the provisions contained in Regulation (EC) No 45/2001, and only to the extent that it is necessary;

29.

Reaffirms its strong willingness to establish the EPPO and to reform Eurojust, as has been anticipated by the Commission in both of its proposals; requests that the Commission readjust estimations of the budgetary impact of the collegiate structure; calls for clarification on the relations between Eurojust, the EPPO and OLAF in order to differentiate their respective roles in the protection of the EU’s financial interests; calls on the Council and the Commission to examine the possibility of a stronger integrated approach of these agencies in order to make investigations more effective;

30.

Urges the Council to follow these recommendations and underlines the fact that the aforementioned conditions are essential for Parliament to give its consent to the Council’s draft regulation;

31.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

21.9.2016   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 346/32

—

having regard to the question to the Commission on EU Alcohol Strategy (O-000008/2015 — B8-0108/2015),

—

having regard to Regulation (EU) No 282/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 on the establishment of a third Programme for the Union’s action in the field of health (2014-2020) and repealing Decision No 1350/2007/EC (1),

—

having regard to its resolution of 8 March 2011 on reducing health inequalities in the EU (2),

—

having regard to Article 168 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which states that the Union shall only complement the Member States’ action on public health issues,

—

having regard to the 2011 Annual report of the EU Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health,

—

having regard to its resolution of 5 September 2007 on a European Union strategy to support Member States in reducing alcohol-related harm (3),

—

having regard to the conclusions of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council meeting of 1-2 December 2011 on closing health gaps within the EU through concerted action to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours,

—

having regard to Rules 128(5) and 123(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.

whereas the misuse of alcohol is the second-largest lifestyle-related cause of disease in some Member States, and alcohol addiction is a risk factor for over 60 chronic diseases, including alcoholic liver disease (ALD), alcoholic chronic pancreatitis and almost all other digestive diseases, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and neuropsychiatric disorders such as alcohol dependence;

B.

whereas the competent authorities in the Member States are best prepared to work out individually tailored policies to prevent people from abusing alcohol;

C.

whereas there is a causal relationship between the abuse of alcohol and a whole range of mental and behavioural disorders, other non-transmissible diseases and injuries;

D.

whereas the social costs directly and indirectly attributable to the misuse of alcohol were estimated at EUR 155,8 billion in Europe in 2010, of which the majority (EUR 82,9 billion) lie outside the healthcare system;

E.

whereas the abuse of alcohol causes 3,3 million deaths worldwide each year, or 5,9 % of deaths; whereas roughly 25 % of all deaths in the 20-39 age group can be attributed to alcohol abuse; whereas these deaths often follow accidents, acts of violence or liver disease;

F.

whereas approximately 5 to 9 million children live in families which are adversely affected by alcohol consumption;

G.

whereas not all alcohol consumption has the same consequences, as it very much depends on the pattern of consumption, including what is consumed and how; whereas drinking patterns and trends vary greatly among regions of the European Union, with significant subregional patterns of consumption and health effects linked to harmful use of alcohol across the EU; whereas social, cultural, geographical and economic variations in the EU countries make it necessary to distinguish among different consumption patterns and trends;

H.

whereas a policy to reduce alcohol-related harm and support responsible alcohol consumption, tailored to specific local and regional situations, would result in a reduction in healthcare and social spending related to the direct and indirect effects of alcohol-related harm, such as alcohol addiction, chronic diseases, mortality and domestic violence, as well as alcohol-related costs; whereas a policy for reducing alcohol-related harm should involve not only the health sector but also relevant stakeholders, including associations supporting people suffering from alcoholism, and should be fully consistent with the principles of subsidiarity and Health in All Policies, while ensuring significant improvements in public health;

I.

whereas abusive and harmful alcohol consumption can lead to alcohol addiction, which needs to be tackled via increased attention and support within the healthcare systems of the Member States;

J.

whereas it should be emphasised that some groups are more likely to exhibit wrong behaviours related to alcohol consumption, among them young people. with alcohol-related deaths accounting for around 25 % of all deaths in young men aged between 15 and 29, and one in every 10 deaths among young women; whereas excessive alcohol consumption among young people is a practice which is becoming more widespread in the Member States, involving particular methods of consumption such as binge drinking; whereas, as a rule, a man’s liver processes alcohol many times faster than a woman’s, which means that women will become chronic alcoholics much more quickly and by drinking smaller quantities of alcohol;

K.

whereas alcohol-related harm tends to be linked to a variety of factors, such as socio-economic level, cultural background and drinking patterns and parental and peer influence, as well as the extent and level of implementation and enforcement of appropriate policies in this area; whereas the vulnerabilities within one society can sometimes be as different as the vulnerabilities between different societies;

L.

whereas in some regions of Europe the artisanal production of alcoholic drinks is a cornerstone of local tourism;

M.

whereas advertising and marketing impact on alcohol consumption levels, particularly among young people; whereas the implementation of Directive 2010/13/EU on audiovisual media services is essential for the effective protection of the physical, mental and moral development of children and minors; whereas there is a correlation between starting drinking at an early age and the likelihood of adult alcohol-related problems; whereas the most effective tools to prevent excessive alcohol consumption by young people are education, information and prevention campaigns; whereas, therefore, the Commission should begin without delay to devise a new European alcohol strategy that will help restrict excessive alcohol consumption, and the public should be informed by an awareness-raising campaign of the adverse effects of alcohol consumption on health;

N.

whereas the World Health Organisation (WHO) highlights the need for further knowledge and action on topics such as the relation between alcohol consumption and the unborn child, alcohol and the elderly, the impacts on socially disadvantaged people, and alcohol-abuse-related social exclusion;

O.

whereas the different social, cultural, geographical and economic factors within the European Union create habits and trends in alcohol consumption which vary even locally, creating differing attitudes towards drinking;

P.

whereas a clear distinction between responsible and harmful alcohol consumption is needed; whereas responsible alcohol consumption is compatible with a healthy way of living;

Q.

whereas around one traffic accident in four can be linked to drink-driving, and at least 5 200 people are killed in alcohol-related road incidents in the EU each year; whereas drink-driving remains the second-biggest killer on EU roads;

R.

whereas many EU citizens, especially young people, are insufficiently informed about the health dangers of harmful alcohol consumption and addiction, and whereas prevention and raising of awareness are therefore essential within the new European alcohol strategy; whereas early identification and counselling of people with harmful patterns of alcohol consumption have proved effective; whereas there is a great deal of room for improvement with regard to the protection of minors from alcohol advertising;

S.

whereas Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of 28 January 2002 (4) concludes that food is to be deemed unsafe if it is considered to be injurious to health;

T.

whereas different age groups display different drinking patterns, which to date have not been studied proportionately;

U.

whereas Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (5) excluded beverages with an alcoholic content over 1,2 % of volume from two of its provisions, namely the ingredients list and the nutritional labelling requirements; whereas, given the nature of alcohol-related risks, comprehensive information regarding alcoholic beverages is nevertheless necessary;

V.

whereas under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 the Commission was required to produce by December 2014 a report evaluating whether alcoholic beverages should in future be covered by the requirement to provide information on energy value, and the reasons justifying possible exemptions, as well as a legislative proposal, if appropriate, that would determine the rules for a list of ingredients or a mandatory nutrition declaration for those products;

W.

whereas the EU Alcohol Strategy has been successful in supporting Member States’ actions to reduce alcohol-abuse-related harm, in particular through the sharing of best practices in areas such as the protection of young people, reducing alcohol-abuse-related road accidents, awareness-raising education on alcohol consumption, and a common database and monitoring at EU level, as well as in enhancing the coordination between the Commission and Member States which ultimately led to the development of the Action Plan on Youth Drinking and Heavy Episodic Drinking (2014-2016) by the Committee for National Alcohol Policy and Action (CNAPA);

X.

whereas the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders, within the European Alcohol and Health Forum (EAHF) and beyond, has fostered the development of concrete and measurable actions to reduce harm related to alcohol abuse at local level throughout the European Union;

Y.

whereas the third Programme for the Union’s action in the field of health (2014-2020) promotes the uptake of validated best practice for cost-effective prevention measures focused on the key risk factors, including the abuse of alcohol;

Z.

whereas the external evaluation of the Strategy carried out in 2012 confirmed the relevance and usefulness of the approach of the existing Strategy and its priority themes;

1.

Notes that at the meeting of CNAPA held on 22 October 2013 the Commission announced its intention to work in close cooperation with Member States to develop a European Action Plan to Reduce Alcohol-Related Harm; notes the adoption in September 2014 of an Action Plan on Youth Drinking and on Heavy Episodic Drinking (Binge Drinking) (2014-2016), and calls on the Commission to monitor its implementation by Member States;

2.

Calls on the Commission to provide guidance on combating alcohol-related harm and to continue its work of supporting the competent authorities in the Member States where this brings added value, while respecting the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality;

3.

Emphasises that reducing the health, security and socio-economic problems caused by alcohol would require action on the extent, patterns and contexts of alcohol consumption, as well as on the wider associated social determinants, by such means as education and the launching of information campaigns;

4.

Calls on the Commission to begin work immediately on the new EU Alcohol Strategy (2016-2022) with the same objectives, updating the regulatory framework so as to assist national governments in dealing with alcohol-related harm, to support monitoring and the collection of reliable data, to encourage prevention and health promotion and education, early diagnosis, improved access to treatment, continuous support to those affected and their families, including counselling programmes, to reduce traffic accidents caused by drink-driving and to better differentiate within drinking patterns, behaviours and attitudes towards alcohol consumption;

5.

Considers that the current EU Strategy to support Member States in addressing alcohol-related harm should be renewed in basically the same format, and with the same objectives i.e. to address alcohol-related harm at Member State level, to be action- oriented, and to foster a participative multi-stakeholder approach;

6.

Urges the Commission to produce immediately the report required in Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 by December 2014, evaluating whether alcoholic beverages should in future be covered by the requirement to provide information on ingredients and nutritional content while considering in particular the impact on SME and artisanal production;

7.

Urges the Commission to immediately ask the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to re-evaluate the use of acetaldehyde as a flavouring substance in alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages;

8.

Stresses the need for at least the calorie content of alcoholic beverages to be clearly stated on labels as soon as possible, and calls on the Commission to come forward with the corresponding legislative proposal at the latest in 2016;

9.

Calls on the Commission to start immediate work on a new EU Alcohol Strategy for the period 2016-2022, taking into account the CNAPA Action Plan and the conclusions of the independent evaluation of the EU Alcohol-related Harm Strategy, so as to ensure an enduring impact for the results obtained so far and to continue to support national governments in addressing alcohol-related harm in the long term;

10.

Stresses that complementarity between legislation and codes of conduct on protecting minors from the negative consequences of hazardous alcohol consumption is necessary to ensure the effective protection of minors; calls on the Member States to strictly enforce the existing national legislation on age limits on alcohol consumption and to evaluate the need for further legally binding requirements to ensure the effective protection of minors;

11.

Calls on the Member States to implement policies and treatments within their healthcare systems that reduce alcohol addiction in individuals;

12.

Calls on the Member States to increase their efforts to educate the general public, particularly minors and pregnant women, on the harmful effects of alcohol consumption and, where required, to legislate accordingly;

13.

Recognises the differences in consumption patterns among the Member States and the cultural aspects of responsible alcohol consumption;

14.

Stresses the need for an EU-wide information campaign warning pregnant women not to consume alcohol, and calls on the Commission to examine the effect of labelling on this issue and come forward with corresponding legislative proposal at the latest in 2016;

15.

Urges the Member States, which are primarily responsible in this area, to draw up, implement and evaluate public health policies aimed at reducing the harmful use of alcohol and putting in place strict regulations on the marketing of alcoholic beverages, particularly to minors;

16.

Calls on the Commission to consider EU-wide labelling alerting consumers to the dangers of drinking and driving;

17.

Calls on the Commission to evaluate and, if necessary, reform the role and functioning of the EAHF, in order to ensure that its membership is truly representative of all relevant stakeholders, in a balanced manner, with proper representation of economic operators and NGOs, and to work on encouraging and supporting their participation to the Forum and their commitment to developing concrete and effective actions to reduce alcohol-related harm and supporting targeted actions which are relevant at the national, regional and local levels;

18.

Calls on the Commission to introduce further operational improvements to the current EU Strategy implementation, such as: extending EAHF membership to all relevant stakeholders; increasing interaction with CNAPA at EU level; promoting good practices for designing, monitoring and evaluating commitments; collecting better indicators providing an objective, up-to-date and realistic picture of drinking patterns and alcohol- related harm; and supporting targeted actions which are relevant at local levels, on a basis of full respect for the fundamental EU Treaty rules;

19.

Stresses that the new EU Alcohol Strategy should not set new targets, but should, rather, support those already agreed as part of the WHO’s European action plan for 2012-2020 to reduce the harmful use of alcohol;

20.

Notes that a new EU strategy can be valuable in offering Member States evidence-based options for action, as it is the responsibility of national, regional and local authorities to use the most suitable approach to reduce alcohol-related harm; urges the Commission to continue with the valuable role it is playing in fostering good research and sharing evidence;

21.

Reiterates the importance of a strong political commitment from the Commission, Parliament, the Council and the Member States to increasing efforts to prevent alcohol-related harm and providing an adequate evidence-based policy response which reflects the severe and diverse health and socio-economic impacts of alcohol-related harm and its interrelations with other risk factors;

22.

Recalls the importance of measurable and rigorous policy goals and adequate multiannual mechanisms to monitor progress to ensure effective implementation of the Strategy across Member States; stresses the need to monitor the implementation of alcohol-related national legislation;

23.

Calls on the Commission and the Member States to actively support the improvement of indicators, reliable data collection, comparability and timely analysis with regard to alcohol consumption and its health and social consequences, to allocate appropriate resources to reduce the burden due to alcohol misuse and the direct and indirect costs to society of alcohol-related harm, and to promote the effective integration of relevant data into EU and national alcohol policies using a common evidence basis;

24.

Urges the Member States to strengthen efforts to protect young people from alcohol- related harm, in particular by strictly enforcing national legislation on the age limit and ensuring responsible advertising;

25.

Calls on the Commission and the Member States to invest in education in order to stress the effects on health and society of harmful alcohol consumption while promoting moderation and responsibility in the consumption of alcoholic drinks;

26.

Stresses that public money should not be used to promote the consumption of alcohol, with the exception of promotion measures covered by Regulation (EU) Nos 1144/2014 and 1308/2013;

27.

Stresses the need for the Member States to restrict alcohol sales for those under the legal age for alcohol purchase by conducting regular control measures, in particular in the vicinity of schools; calls on the Commission to properly address the cross-border sale of alcohol on the internet; calls on the Commission and the Member States to conduct campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of binge drinking, especially for under-age people, and to make further efforts to reduce traffic accidents related to drink-driving;

28.

Urges the Commission to closely monitor the implementation of Directive 2010/13/EU on audiovisual media services and to consider its revision with respect to the marketing of alcohol to young people and alcohol sponsorship so as to reduce the exposure of young people to marketing of alcoholic beverages;

29.

Calls on the Member States and the Commission, and on all other relevant stakeholders, to review and strengthen awareness campaigns targeting harmful alcohol consumption, especially by pregnant women, and the impact of alcohol on the unborn child;

30.

Calls on the Commission and the Member States to consider concrete measures to restrict alcohol consumption, particularly among minors and those suffering from serious conditions, chronic illnesses or severe dependencies linked to alcohol consumption;

31.

Calls on the Commission to maintain in its strategy financial support for effective and science-based projects addressing alcohol-abuse-related harm and the understanding of the underlying causes of alcohol abuse, under the new Health Programme and the Horizon 2020 Programme; calls on the Commission to ensure that its financial support is only addressed to projects with a scientifically sound methodology and objective operator;

32.

Calls on the Member States, the Commission and other stakeholders to diversify their information campaigns concerning the dangers of alcohol consumption for the various age groups, as well as the way in which people drive and the effects of drinking and driving, to adapt such campaigns to the various age groups and to pursue them more vigorously;

33.

Calls on the Member States to implement awareness and education measures targeting young people as part of their strategies to prevent abuse and spread best practices;

34.

Calls on the Member States to build on the WHO Alcohol Strategy and to improve the early detection of harmful alcohol consumption in primary care, by promoting screening and ensuring adequate support services for the treatment of alcohol use disorders and related chronic conditions;

35.

Stresses that the rules operated by the respective authorities in the Member States must contribute to raising awareness of the consequences of alcohol abuse, to making treatment accessible and affordable to those suffering from disorders linked to overconsumption of alcohol, and to put in place screening programmes and short interventions in cases of harmful and dangerous alcohol consumption; calls on the Member States to cooperate in order to find solutions to assist those suffering from disorders, chronic illnesses or severe dependencies related to alcohol consumption, to help them care for themselves and end their dependency;

36.

Regrets that key alcohol addiction services have been cut in certain Member States;

37.

Calls on the Member States and all other relevant stakeholders to continue, intensify and/or develop policies and actions promoting healthy lifestyle behaviours, including proper nutrition and sport and healthy recreational activities, while recognising that moderate enjoyment of alcoholic beverages is a significant component of cultural life in many Member States and need not conflict with a healthy lifestyle;

38.

Calls on the Member States to carefully consider the appropriateness of introducing national policies aimed at preventing the sale of very cheap alcohol, provided such measures ensure the effective protection of health and pay due regard to the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity and to the forthcoming opinion of the Court of Justice of the European Union on the compatibility of the Scottish Government’s minimum pricing policy with EU law;

39.

Urges the Member States to examine their existing legislation and initiatives relating to consumer information and appropriate drinking culture, in order to educate on and raise awareness of the consequences of harmful alcohol consumption and to reduce alcohol-abuse-related harm; in particular, recommends Member States to monitor alcohol advertising and its effect on young people and to take appropriate action with a view to limiting their exposure to it;

40.

Calls on the Commission to assess existing European legislation in regard to the need to improve consumer information on alcohol, ensuring that consumers are aware of alcohol and calorie content without imposing barriers to the single market; stresses the importance of clear, concise and effective information on the effects of alcohol consumption and its health risks; calls on the Commission to consider adopting an EU-wide label containing a warning to consumers about the dangers of alcoholic drinks during pregnancy and when driving;

41.

Calls on the Commission and the Member States to devise appropriate strategies and intensify controls in order to tackle the problem of alcohol counterfeiting, as well as illegal and black-market sales of alcohol, which have particularly negative effects for the most disadvantaged sections of society and for young people, and to protect geographical indications within the Union and globally through international trade agreements;

42.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission.

21.9.2016   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 346/39

—

having regard to its previous resolutions on Bangladesh, in particular those of 18 September 2014 (1), 16 January 2014 (2), 21 November 2013 (3) and 14 March 2013 (4),

—

having regard to its resolutions of 25 November 2010 on human rights and social and environmental standards in international trade agreements (5) and on corporate social responsibility in international trade agreements (6),

—

having regard to the Cooperation Agreement between the European Community and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh on Partnership and Development (7),

—

having regard to the Sustainability Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety in the Ready-Made Garment and Knitwear Industry in Bangladesh,

—

having regard to the joint statement by Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmström, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility Marianne Thyssen, and Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica, on the occasion of the second anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy,

—

having regard to the UN Johannesburg Declaration on sustainable consumption and production to promote social and economic development,

—

having regard to the ILO Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health (2006, C-187) and the Occupational Safety and Health Convention (1981, C-155) which have not been ratified by Bangladesh, as well as to their respective recommendations (R-197); having regard also to the Labour Inspection Convention (1947, C-081) to which Bangladesh is a signatory, and to its recommendations (R-164),

—

having regard to the ILO Better Work Bangladesh programme launched in October 2013,

—

having regard to the Commission communication entitled ‘A renewed EU strategy 2011-2014 for Corporate Social Responsibility’ (COM(2011)0681) and to the results of the public consultation on the Commission’s work on the direction of its corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy after 2014,

—

having regard to its resolutions of 6 February 2013 on ‘Corporate Social Responsibility: accountable, transparent and responsible business behaviour and sustainable growth’ (8), and on ‘Corporate Social Responsibility: promoting society’s interests and a route to sustainable and inclusive recovery’ (9),

—

having regard to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which set a framework for both governments and companies to protect and respect human rights, endorsed by the Human Rights Council in June 2011,

—

having regard to the UNHRC resolution adopted on 26 June 2014, which establishes an intergovernmental working group with the mandate of developing an international legally binding instrument to regulate the activities of transnational corporations,

—

having regard to the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work,

—

having regard to the United Nations Global Compact on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption,

—

having regard to the Commission proposal for a Regulation setting up a Union system for supply chain due diligence (COM(2014)0111) aiming at transposing into legislation the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas,

—

having regard to the draft law related to due diligence of the parent firms and main contractor companies (No 2578) adopted at first reading by the French National Assembly on 30 March 2015,

—

having regard to Rule 123(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.

whereas on 24 April 2013, the Rana Plaza, an eight-storey building in Savar, outside Dhaka, housing several garment factories, collapsed, causing the death of over 1 100 people and leaving some 2 500 people injured; whereas the Rana Plaza building collapse was Bangladesh’s worst-ever industrial disaster and the deadliest accidental structural failure in modern history;

B.

whereas at least 112 people died at the Tazreen factory fire, in the Ashulia district, Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 24 November 2012; whereas factory fires, building collapses and other accidents relating to health and safety issues at work are not limited to the RMG sector in Bangladesh alone but remain issues of serious concern in other developing and Least-Developed Countries with a strong export-oriented ready-made garment (RMG) sector, such as Pakistan or Cambodia;

C.

whereas, following the end of the Multi-Fibre Agreement, and due to the high labour intensity of the RMG sector, developing countries such as China, Bangladesh, India and Vietnam have become global producers; whereas Bangladesh had become the second-largest exporter of garments in the world after China, with one of the lowest garment wages, the textile sector providing for almost 85 % of the country’s exports; whereas 60 % of its clothing output is going to the EU, which is Bangladesh’s major export market;

D.

whereas the RMG industry in Bangladesh employs some 4 million people and indirectly supports the livelihoods of as many as 40 million people — about a quarter of Bangladesh’s population; whereas the RMG industry has importantly contributed to poverty reduction; whereas Bangladesh has made great strides in reducing the gender gap in society, having successfully achieved the third UN Millennium Development Goal on gender equality, and whereas the RMG sector has provided an important contribution since 3,2 million out of the 4 million workers employed in the sector are women; whereas the employment of women has, in many cases, contributed to their empowerment;

E.

whereas the reorganisation of the RMG sector around the integrated value chain model has meant that orders can only be secured by improving productivity and further lowering production costs, this making Bangladesh and other developing countries’ workforces particularly vulnerable; whereas Cambodia and Sri Lanka, where the economy is heavily dependent on the RMG sector, have experienced a decline in wages despite a steep increase in production facilities and employment; whereas in Bangladesh the minimum wage was increased substantially in the aftermath of the Rana Plaza disaster, yet still falls short of what is considered an adequate level to cover the basic needs of the workers;

F.

whereas, according to various reports, more than 600 garment workers died in factory fires in Bangladesh between 2006 and the beginning of 2013, while, according to reports by human rights organisations, none of the factory owners or managers has ever been brought to trial;

G.

whereas the collapsed building of the Rana Plaza complex was constructed illegally, and did not meet safety standards; whereas, following the disaster, 32 factories were permanently closed in Bangladesh as a result of significant safety concerns and 26 factories were partially closed; whereas there remains a significant number of factories that have yet to raise their standards to a legal level; whereas the ILO is supporting the initiative of the Government of Bangladesh to carry out structural, fire and electrical safety inspections of some 1 800 RMG factories, many of which are converted commercial or residential buildings;

H.

whereas on 24 April 2013, the ‘Understanding for a Practical Arrangement on Payments to the Victims of the Rana Plaza Accidents and their Families’ (Donor Trust Fund), to compensate the victims of the disaster and their families, was signed by the representatives of the Government of Bangladesh, local garment manufacturers and international garment brands, local and international trade unions and international NGOs; whereas the amount determined to cover the costs of all claims is USD 30 million; whereas, as of the second anniversary of the disaster, the total amount raised by voluntary corporate contributions was around USD 27 million, thus leaving 3 million outstanding;

I.

whereas financial compensation is a fundamental economic support and it will not be possible to pay the medical costs of those victims requiring long-term medical care if the fund remains underfinanced; whereas Parliament regretted that the voluntary compensation arrangement through the Donor Trust Fund had not reached its target and noted that a mandatory mechanism would be more beneficial for the survivors and the families of the victims;

J.

whereas as a result of these tragic events at Rana Plaza, and following the public outcry and calls for action by the European Parliament, the EU, in collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh and the ILO, launched, on 8 July 2013, the ‘Compact for Continuous Improvements in Labour Rights and Factory Safety in the Ready-Made Garment and Knitwear Industry in Bangladesh’ (the Compact), where Bangladesh committed to take action to improve labour standards and working conditions in the country’s RMG industry;

K.

whereas Bangladesh had only 92 inspectors to control around 5 000 ready-made garment (RMG) factories and other industries in the country before the accident; whereas the Government of Bangladesh had committed to recruiting an additional 200 inspectors by the end of 2013;

L.

whereas the first review of the Compact took place in October 2014 and concluded that, while good progress had been made, further important steps had to be taken by the Government of Bangladesh, notably regarding the improvement and implementation of the Labour Law, improving labour rights in Export Processing Zones (EPZ) and the hiring of more labour inspectors; whereas the second review of the Compact will take place in Autumn 2015;

M.

whereas the Bangladesh Labour Act (Labour Law) was amended in July 2013; whereas the law, while including some positive reforms such as in the area of occupational health and safety, continues to fall short of international standards with regard to freedom of association and collective bargaining, as highlighted by the ILO Committee of Experts’ comments on Conventions 87 and 98, including limitations on the right to elect representatives in full freedom, numerous limitations on the right to strike and broad administrative powers to cancel a union’s registration, and whereas the government has stated repeatedly that it has no intention of considering additional amendments;

N.

whereas the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety (the Accord), a legally binding agreement, was signed by apparel corporations, global and local trade unions, NGOs and workers’ rights groups on 13 May 2013, and the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety (the Alliance) was established on 9 July 2013, bringing together 26 mainly North American brands, but with no trade union involvement; whereas at present 175 fashion and retail brands have signed up to the Accord; whereas the Accord and the Alliance have carried out inspections of the 1 904 export-oriented factories;

O.

whereas the Government of Bangladesh has yet to adopt the implementing rules and regulations for the Labour Law despite repeated promises to do so, the last time stating that they would adopt them by the summer of 2015; whereas the implementation of the Law is a necessary condition for eligibility to the ILO Better Work Programme and for the functioning of the training programme in the framework of the Accord;

P.

whereas in Bangladesh 10 % of the workforce in the RMG sector is employed in EPZs; whereas a new EPZ Labour Act was passed by the cabinet in July 2014, yet falls short of granting commensurate rights to workers with those granted elsewhere in Bangladesh; whereas, while the ban on striking elapsed on 1 January 2014, Worker Welfare Associations do not have the same rights and privileges as trade unions;

Q.

whereas about 300 new trade unions have been registered in the garment sector since the start of 2013; whereas in 2014, 66 applications, which amount to 26 % of all applications filed, were rejected; whereas anti-union discrimination remains a very serious and rapidly growing problem; whereas trade unions are reporting that the Government of Bangladesh is proactively preventing workers and employers who want to establish their own safety committees as required by the Accord from doing so;

R.

whereas Bangladesh ranks 136 out of 177 countries on the Transparency Index and whereas corruption is endemic in the global garment supply chain and involves the political class as well as local and multinational corporations;

S.

whereas, according to the Worker Rights Consortium, it would add less than 10 cents to the factory price of each of the 7 billion garments that Bangladesh sells each year to Western brands if the country’s 5 000 garment factories were to be elevated to Western safety standards within 5 years; whereas there are no indications that prices of garment and textile articles have increased during the last two years;

T.

whereas the RMG sector is prominently dominated by large retailers, branded manufacturers and marketers which control global production networks and directly stipulate supply specifications; whereas clothing and textile manufacturers, in the context of a globalised industry, often have no choice but to accept lower prices, increase quality standards, shorten delivery times, reduce minimum quantities and take on as much risk as possible; whereas there are severe shortcomings in transparency and traceability in the global supply chain; whereas decent work in the global supply chain will be a key point on the agenda of the 2016 ILO Conference;

U.

whereas following the disaster, there has been unprecedented demand from European consumers for greater information on where products originate from and the conditions in which they are produced; whereas European citizens have submitted countless petitions and organised campaigns demanding greater accountability from garment brands to ensure their products are manufactured in an ethical way;

V.

whereas as a Least-Developed Country, Bangladesh benefits from duty-free quota-free access to the EU market for all its products under the Everything but Arms (EBA) initiative, which covers 55 % of Bangladesh’s exports, much of it clothing/textiles, and is therefore bound to ensure effective implementation of a number of core UN/ILO conventions relating to human rights and labour rights;

1.

Remembers the victims on the occasion of the 2nd anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy, one of the most devastating industrial disasters ever; expresses its condolences once again to the bereaved families and to those injured or disabled; underlines that these losses could be avoided with better safety-at-work systems;

2.

Recalls that the Rana Plaza Coordination Committee established the Rana Plaza Donors Trust Fund to voluntarily collect donations from companies in order to compensate the victims and families; deplores that USD 3 million of the USD 30 million total compensations were still outstanding in April 2015 and urges the international brands sourcing from Rana Plaza, or having significant ties to Bangladesh, the Government of Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Export Associations (BGMEA) to ensure that all owed compensations will be distributed without delay;

3.

Denounces that about one-third of the companies that are deemed to have links to the factory complex, such as Adler Modemarkte, Ascena Retail, Carrefour, Grabalok, J.C. Penney, Manifattura Corona, NKD, PWT or YesZee, have yet to pay into the Trust Fund; deeply regrets that the fact that after months of stalling, Benetton has only granted USD 1,1 million to the Rana Plaza Donor Trust Fund, despite the necessary contribution being estimated to be much higher on the basis of its ability to pay and given the extent of its involvement with Rana Plaza; similarly regrets that every brand linked to Rana Plaza has made insufficient donations, thus failing to live up to their responsibilities to the victims, including Mango, Matalan, and Inditex, who have refused to disclose their donations, with others such as Walmart and The Children’s Place only contributing a minimal amount;

4.

Notes that the compensation for the Tazreen fire is now being negotiated on the same basis of the Rana Plaza arrangement, strongly regrets the ongoing delays and calls for compensation to be delivered in a timely manner;

5.

Welcomes the steps that are being taken towards establishing a permanent national workplace accident insurance scheme and encourages the Government of Bangladesh to stand by its commitment in the framework of the National Tripartite Plan of Action in that respect; calls on the Commission to support such effort where appropriate, yet notes that while current compensation efforts are outstanding this will remain a barrier to progress in this area;

6.

Calls on the Commission, EU Governments and others to considers proposals for mandatory frameworks that will ensure that access to remedy and compensation is based on need and responsibility and not just on the ability of campaign groups to name and shame or on the voluntary efforts of companies;

7.

Welcomes the EU-led initiative to launch the Compact, aiming to ensure a new start in occupational safety and health, working conditions, respect of labour rights and promotion of responsible business conduct in the RMG industry in Bangladesh;

8.

Notes the conclusions of the first review of the Compact in October 2014, reporting good progress achieved by the Bangladeshi authorities, and recognises the contribution of the Compact in improving health and safety in factories and working conditions in the RMG industry; urges, however, the Government of Bangladesh to enhance its level of engagement to actively implement all commitments in the Compact as a matter of highest priority; trusts that substantial progress in all labour and safety issues — in particular in respect of labour rights, labour inspections, decent wages, structural integrity of buildings and occupational safety and health and responsible business conduct — can be reached by the second review of the Compact due to take place in autumn 2015;

9.

Notes the steps taken by Bangladesh in amending its Labour Law in the aftermath of Rana Plaza, strengthening fundamental rights in the areas of occupational health and safety and labour rights; regrets that a number of restrictions to workers’ freedom of association were not addressed and that the Law still falls short of complying with core ILO conventions;

10.

In keeping with the commitments in the Compact, urges the Government and the Parliament of Bangladesh to adopt, as a matter of absolute priority, the necessary rules and regulations to ensure the effective implementation of the Law, in full consultation with the Tripartite Consultative Council and with particular attention given to the implementation of ILO conventions 87 and 98 on freedom of association and collective bargaining;

11.

Is concerned by the situation in EPZs, where trade unions continue to be banned and working conditions, health and safety standards are poor, and stresses that workers there should enjoy fundamental legal freedoms and safety standards commensurate with those of workers elsewhere in the country; strongly regrets that the proposed EPZ Labour Act continued to prohibit workers from forming unions in EPZs and points out that Worker Welfare Associations in no way have rights and privileges comparable with those of trade unions; urges the Government of Bangladesh to immediately and fully extend the Labour Law to EPZs;

12.

Welcomes the increase of the minimum wage in the RMG sector by 77 % from EUR 35 to EUR 62 per month and encourages more universal implementation; notes, however, that in practice the minimum wage in the garment industry still falls short of covering the basic needs of the workers and that it should amount to at least EUR 104 in order to do so, and calls on the Government of Bangladesh to establish a living minimum wage in full consultation with trade unions and employees; further urges the government to ensure that garment factories actually pay the wages that are due;

13.

Welcomes the registration of about 300 new garment trade unions since the start of 2013, which doubles their number in the garment sector, but is concerned that in 2014 and 2015 the process of registration has slowed down; encourages the Bangladeshi authorities to continue along the initial positive trend to meet the objectives of an adequate representation of 4 million workers in the RMG sector;

14.

Is highly concerned by reports that newly founded trade unions have suffered discrimination, dismissals and reprisals; is appalled by the widespread anti-union discrimination underlined by well documented acts of threats, harassment and physical violence against workers’ representatives, including the murder of the trade union leader Aminul Islam; urges the Government of Bangladesh to effectively address unfair labour practices, by implementing the necessary measures to prevent, investigate and prosecute wrongdoings in an expedient and transparent manner in order to end impunity and also bring the murderers of Aminul Islam to justice; is convinced that adequate training and awareness raising on labour rights is an effective way of reducing anti-union discrimination;

15.

Considers the existence of democratic trade union structures to play an important role in better health and safety standards, for example the continued development of worker-led safety committees in all factories; also stresses the importance of access to factories for unions to educate workers on how they can protect their rights and their safety, including their right to refuse unsafe work;

16.

Welcomes the commitment made by the government to rebuild the Department of Inspections of Factories and Establishments (DIFE), which is expected to ultimately have 993 staff and 23 district offices, the upgrading of its inspection services in January 2014 and the adoption of a National Health and Safety Policy as well as unified standards for health and safety inspections; calls on the Commission and international partners to provide technical assistance and sharing of best practice to assist with the upgrade of DIFE; calls on the Government of Bangladesh to uphold its commitments on labour inspections and respect ILO convention 81; welcomes the closure of factories which have failed to meet safety standards;

17.

Remains concerned by allegations of endemic corruption in Bangladesh between health and safety inspectors and clothing factory owners and calls for more to be done to combat such practices;

18.

Understands the difficulties in making progress in recruiting inspectors due to the necessity to adequately train people to a single standard and harmonised operating procedures before actual posting; regrets, however, that the target to recruit 200 inspectors by the end of 2013 has not yet been fulfilled as the current recruits stand at 173, and underlines that 200 inspectors are far below what is necessary to supervise an industry of 4 million workers;

19.

Welcomes the fact that the Accord and the Alliance have completed the inspections of all factories under their remit and have finalised more than 400 Corrective Action Plans (CAPs); urges the Government of Bangladesh to complement such action by swiftly carrying out the inspection of the factories under its responsibility and to adopt adequate remedial actions; supports the important work of the ILO in helping secure this; welcomes the engagement of those manufacturers who wish to improve standards and calls on all stakeholders involved to ensure the correct implementation of CAPs;

20.

Welcomes the fact that at present over 250 fashion and retail brands sourcing RMG from Bangladesh have signed the Accord or the Alliance to coordinate their efforts to help improve safety in Bangladesh’s factories which supply them; in this context, encourages other companies, including SMEs, to join the Accord; underlines the need for appropriate involvement of all stakeholders for an effective implementation of the Accord and encourages its replication in other high-risk countries;

21.

Encourages the Accord and the Alliance to improve their cooperation and systematically exchange reports of factory inspections to avoid duplication of work and differing standards; calls on the Alliance to also publish its reports in Bengali, including online, and to provide them with pictures so that they can be accessible to everyone in the country;

22.

Believes that global retailers and branded manufacturers have a great deal of responsibility, with the current production patterns, in rendering the improvement of labour conditions and wages in producing countries difficult; is convinced that fairer market structure and social conditions could be created if those companies ensured, all along their supply chains, full respect of ILO core labour standards, internationally recognised Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) standards, in particular the recently updated OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact, the ISO 26000 Guidance Standard on Social Responsibility, the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles Concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy, and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; welcomes the Commission’s flagship initiative on responsible management of the supply chain in the garment sector, taking into account already existing national initiatives in Germany, the Netherlands, France and Denmark, and believes that the EU has the ability and duty to be a global champion of supply chain responsibility;

23.

Believes that access to information in the garment sector is often the most important obstacle to tackling human rights violations in the global supply chain and that a mandatory reporting system is needed which provides information linking all the actors within the value chain of a single product, from the production place to the retailers; considers that new EU legislation is necessary to create a legal obligation of due diligence for EU companies outsourcing production to third countries, including measures to secure traceability and transparency, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD MNE Guidelines;

24.

Calls on the Council and the Commission to include a mandatory and enforceable CSR clause in all bilateral trade and investment agreements signed by the EU, which would bind European investors to the principles of CSR as defined at the international level, including the 2010 update of the OECD Guidelines, standards defined by the UN, the ILO and the EU; requests that in future EU trade agreements with third countries, occupational safety and health should take a more prominent place as part of the decent work agenda and that the EU provide technical support for the implementation of these provisions so that they do not constitute a barrier to trade;

25.

Acknowledges that employment in the garment sector has helped millions of poor rural women in Bangladesh and elsewhere to escape deprivation and dependence on male support; notes that the non-unionised workforce has been essentially composed of unskilled workers and women in the RMG sector in developing countries; recognises that progress in workers’ rights and protection is vital for the empowerment of women and underlines the need to increase women’s representation in trade unions, including the newly formed ones in Bangladesh, and welcomes the Compact in acknowledging the importance of gender empowerment in improving labour standards;

26.

Notes that the Everything But Arms (EBA) initiative has played an important role in Bangladesh’s economic development and has contributed to improving material conditions for millions of people, in particular women; is convinced, however, that without a sound conditionality in the area of human and labour rights, EBA and GSP risk exacerbating low standards in worker protection and undermining decent work; calls on the Commission to establish whether Bangladesh is adhering to human rights, labour and environmental conventions under the GSP and to report back to Parliament; stresses that countries that make good progress in social and labour standards should be rewarded by preserving full market access for their products;

27.

Encourages VP/HR Mogherini and Commissioner Malmström to continue to include the ratification of core ILO standards, health and safety inspection and freedom of association in discussions with Bangladesh on continued preferential trade;

28.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the European External Action Service, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the UN Human Rights Council, the Government and Parliament of Bangladesh, and the Director-General of the ILO.

21.9.2016   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 346/47

—

having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

—

having regard to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms,

—

having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,

—

having regard to the Geneva Convention of 1951 and the additional protocol thereto,

—

having regard to its resolution of 23 October 2013 on migratory flows in the Mediterranean, with particular attention to the tragic events off Lampedusa (1),

—

having regard to the Commission staff working document of 22 May 2014 on the implementation of the communication on the work of the Task Force Mediterranean,

—

having regard to the debate on the situation in the Mediterranean and the need for a holistic EU approach to migration, held in Parliament on 25 November 2014,

—

having regard to its resolution of 17 December 2014 on the situation in the Mediterranean and the need for a holistic EU approach to migration (2),

—

having regard to the UNHCR Central Mediterranean Sea initiative and to the UNHCR proposals to address current and future arrivals of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants in Europe,

—

having regard to the ten-point action plan on migration of the Joint Foreign and Home Affairs Council of 20 April 2015,

—

having regard to the conclusions of the EU Council special summit on the Mediterranean refugee crisis of 22 April 2015,

—

having regard to Rule 123(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.

whereas, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), over 1 500 persons have died in the Mediterranean Sea since the beginning of this year;

B.

whereas according to the IOM, an estimated 23 918 migrants have reached the Italian coast since 1 January 2015; whereas according to the Greek authorities, 10 445 migrants were rescued by the Greek Coastguard in the Aegean Sea in the first quarter of 2015;

C.

whereas Italian maritime forces, the Italian Coast Guard, the Italian Navy and several commercial ships carried out relentless operations to rescue migrants in distress on the Mediterranean Sea, and came to the rescue of approximately 10 000 migrants in the six days from Friday, 10 April to Thursday, 16 April 2015;

D.

whereas the last operation solely dedicated to search and rescue in the Mediterranean, Mare Nostrum, rescued 150 810 migrants over a 364-day period; whereas initial estimates are not showing a reduction in the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean at this point;

E.

whereas a larger proportion of the people trying to cross the Mediterranean are fleeing from conflict or persecution in Syria, Iraq, Eritrea, Somalia and Libya; whereas up to 700 migrants are missing and are feared drowned after the wooden fishing boat on which they were crammed capsized near Libya as a Portuguese merchant vessel was coming to its aid late on Saturday, 18 April 2015; whereas one of the survivors was reported to have informed the Italian authorities that there may have been up to 950 on board; whereas a similar tragedy took place earlier this month, in which around 400 migrants were reported to have lost their lives at sea when a wooden fishing boat carrying about 550 people capsized;

F.

whereas Joint Operation ‘Triton’, coordinated by Frontex, became fully operational on 1 November 2014, with an initial budget of only EUR 2,9 million per month compared with over EUR 9 million per month for Mare Nostrum; whereas more than 24 400 irregular migrants have been rescued on the central Mediterranean route since the launch of Joint Operation ‘Triton’, including nearly 7 860 with the participation of assets co-financed by Frontex;

G.

whereas smugglers and human traffickers exploit irregular migration and put at risk the lives of migrants for their own business profits, are responsible for thousands of deaths and pose a serious challenge to the EU and the Member States; whereas traffickers generate profits of EUR 20 billion per year from their criminal activities; whereas according to Europol organised criminal groups actively facilitating the transport of irregular migrants across the Mediterranean Sea have been linked to human trafficking, drugs, firearms and terrorism; whereas on 17 March 2015 Europol launched its Joint Operational Team ‘Mare’ to tackle these criminal groups;

H.

whereas regional instability and conflict are having an impact on the mass influx of migrants and flows of displaced people and, therefore, on the number of individuals attempting to reach the EU; whereas the rapid expansion of IS and Da’esh in neighbouring conflict areas will ultimately have an impact on the mass influx of migrants and flows of displaced people;

1.

Expresses its deep regret and sorrow at the recurring tragic loss of lives in the Mediterranean; urges the European Union and the Member States to build on existing cooperation and do everything possible to prevent further loss of life at sea; calls on the EU and Member States to do their utmost to identify the bodies and missing persons and to inform their relatives;

2.

Calls for the EU and the Member States to provide the necessary resources to ensure that search and rescue obligations are effectively fulfilled and therefore properly funded; calls on the Member States to continue to show solidarity and commitment by stepping up their contributions to the Frontex and EASO budgets and operations, and undertakes to provide those agencies with the resources (human and equipment) needed to fulfil their obligations through the EU budget and its relevant funds;

3.

Reiterates the need for the EU to base its response to the latest tragedies in the Mediterranean on solidarity and fair sharing of responsibility, as stated in Article 80 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), and to take a comprehensive European approach; reiterates the need for the EU to step up fair sharing of responsibility and solidarity towards Member States which receive the highest numbers of refugees and asylum seekers in either absolute or proportional terms;

4.

Welcomes the European Council’s commitment to reinforcing the EU Triton operation by increasing funding and assets; urges the EU to establish a clear mandate for Triton so as to expand its area of operation and increase its mandate for search and rescue operations at EU level;

5.

Calls for a robust and permanent humanitarian European rescue operation, which, like Mare Nostrum, would operate on the high seas and to which all Member States would contribute financially and with equipment and assets; urges the EU to co-fund such an operation;

6.

Welcomes the European Council’s proposal for joint processing of asylum applications with the support of EASO teams; calls on the Commission to enlarge the mandate of EASO to increase its operational role in the processing of asylum applications;

7.

Calls on the Member States to make full use of the existing possibilities for issuing humanitarian visas at their embassies and consular offices; points out, in this connection, that the Council should seriously consider the possibility of triggering the 2001 Temporary Protection Directive or Article 78(3) of the TFEU, both of which foresee a solidarity mechanism in the case of mass and sudden inflows of displaced persons;

8.

Calls on the Member States to make greater contributions to existing resettlement programmes, especially those Member States which have not contributed anything;

9.

Calls on the Commission to establish a binding quota for the distribution of asylum seekers among all the Member States;

10.

Stresses the need to encourage voluntary return policies, while guaranteeing the protection of rights for all migrants and ensuring safe and legal access to the EU asylum system, with due respect for the principle of non refoulement;

11.

Welcomes the fact that the VP/HR and the Latvian Presidency immediately convened an extraordinary joint council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Ministers of the Interior in Luxembourg, and welcomes the fact that the Member States immediately convened an extraordinary summit in order to find common solutions in response to the crisis situation in the Mediterranean; notes that a broad first debate was held on options for saving lives, fighting against smugglers and traffickers and sharing responsibility as regards reception and protection among Member States; stresses that the Member States need to further develop the commitment, and regrets the lack of commitment from the European Council to setting up a credible EU-wide binding mechanism for solidarity;

12.

Calls for a rapid and full transposition and effective implementation of the Common European Asylum System by all participating Member States, thereby ensuring common European standards, including reception conditions for asylum seekers and respect for fundamental rights, as envisaged under existing legislation;

13.

Calls for closer coordination of EU and Member State policies in tackling the root causes of migration; underlines the need for a holistic EU approach, that will strengthen the coherence of its internal and external policies and, in particular, its common foreign and security policy, development policy and migration policy; calls for EU cooperation with partner countries in the Middle East and Africa to be strengthened in order to promote democracy, fundamental freedoms and rights, security and prosperity;

14.

Urges the Member States and third countries to lay down the strongest possible criminal sanctions against human trafficking and smuggling both into and across the EU, and also against individuals or groups exploiting vulnerable migrants in the EU, while ensuring that individual who come to the aid of asylum seekers and vessels in peril are not prosecuted;

15.

Calls on the Member States to work closely with Europol, Frontex, EASO and Eurojust in order to fight against human traffickers and criminal networks of smugglers, and to detect and trace their funding and identify their modus operandi in order to prevent them from making money by putting migrants’ lives at risk; stresses the need to strengthen cooperation with third countries, in particular those surrounding Libya, which is indispensable if such criminal networks are to be successfully dismantled, in terms of both law enforcement training and the provision of information services; stresses the need for third countries to respect international law with regard to saving lives at sea and to ensure the protection of refugees and respect for fundamental rights;

16.

Emphasises that the root causes of violence and underdevelopment need to be addressed in the countries of origin in order to stem the flow of refugees and economic migrants; points out, in this connection, that significantly enhancing governance structures by building effective and inclusive public institutions, ensuring capacity building in third country asylum systems, establishing the rule of law and fighting endemic corruption at all levels, as well as promoting human rights and further democracy, should be the main priorities of all governments in the countries of origin;

17.

Reiterates its support for all UN-led negotiations towards re-establishing democratic government authority in Libya and its commitment to stepping up efforts to address conflict and instability in Libya and Syria; stresses that creating regional stability in conflict areas is key to reducing the further displacement of individuals;

18.

Recalls that the purpose of this resolution is to respond to the recent tragic events in the Mediterranean, to the European Council Conclusions of 23 April 2015 and to propose a set of urgent measures to be taken immediately, bearing in mind that the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs — the competent committee for such matters — is currently drafting a report which will reflect Parliament’s medium- and longer-term policy orientations on migration;

19.

Calls on the Commission to develop and come up with an ambitious European agenda on migration, which takes into account all aspects of migration;

20.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

21.9.2016   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 346/51

—

having regard to its previous resolutions on Kenya,

—

having regard to the second revised Partnership Agreement between the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part, signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000 (‘the Cotonou Agreement’), in particular Articles 8, 11 and 26 thereof,

—

having regard to the statements of the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, of 23 November 2014 on the massacre of 28 civilian travellers, and of 3 April 2015 on the Garissa University butchery,

—

having regard to the press statement issued by the Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU) at its 497th meeting, held on 9 April 2015, on the terrorist attack perpetrated in Garissa, Kenya,

—

having regard to the raid by the Kenyan Air Forces on Al-Shabaab training camps in Somalia in response to the carnage at Garissa University,

—

having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

—

having regard to the UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief of 1981,

—

having regard to the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights,

—

having regard to the EU Guidelines on International Humanitarian Law,

—

having regard to Rule 123(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.

whereas the latest terrorist attack in Garissa, Kenya, targeted young people, education and, therefore, the future of the country; whereas young people represent promise and peace, and are the future upholders of the country’s development; whereas education is vital for the fight against violent extremism and fundamentalism;

B.

whereas the number of attacks on religious minorities, in particular Christians, around the world has risen tremendously in recent months; whereas Christians are being slaughtered, beaten and arrested every day, mostly in some parts of the Arab world by jihadist terrorists;

C.

whereas Christians are the most persecuted religious group; whereas extremism and persecution of this nature is emerging as a significant factor in the growing phenomenon of mass migration; whereas according to data the number of Christians killed every year is more than 150 000;

D.

whereas on 15 February 2015 ISIS/Da’esh beheaded 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya;

E.

whereas the attackers in Garissa intentionally targeted non-Muslims and singled out Christians in order to brutally execute them; whereas Al-Shabaab has been openly and publicly claiming to wage a war against Christians in the region;

F.

whereas protecting the rights of children and young people, and reinforcing skills, education and innovation, is essential in order to enhance their economic, social and cultural opportunities and to enhance the country’s development;

G.

whereas Al-Shabaab has regularly targeted students, schools and other education facilities; whereas, inter alia, in December 2009 a suicide bomber killed 19 people at a graduation ceremony for medical students in Mogadishu, Somalia, and in October 2011 the terrorist group claimed responsibility for a bombing which killed 70, including students awaiting exam results at the Somali Ministry of Education, also in Mogadishu;

H.

whereas on 25 March 2015 at least 15 people lost their lives in an attack perpetrated by Al-Shabaab in a Mogadishu hotel, and whereas Yusuf Mohamed Ismail Bari-Bari, Somalia’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, was among those killed in the attack;

I.

whereas Kenya has been facing an increased number of attacks targeting civilians since October 2011, when its troops entered southern Somalia to take part in a coordinated operation with the Somalian military against an Al-Shabaab-controlled area after the terrorist group took four hostages;

J.

whereas since November 2011 Kenyan troops have been part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), established on 19 January 2007 by the African Union’s Peace and Security Council and authorised on 20 February 2007 by the UN Security Council (resolution 1744 (2007)), which has recently given the AU the green light to continue its mission until 30 November 2015 (resolution 2182 (2014));

K.

whereas one of the main contributors to the fight against terrorist group Al-Shabaab has been the Ethiopian army, as well as, to a lesser extent, the Ugandan army;

L.

whereas Al-Shabaab has formed links with other Islamist groups in Africa, such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb;

M.

whereas the terrorist group Al-Shabaab regularly bombs and kills mostly civilians in Somalia, as well as in neighbouring countries, for instance in Kampala, Uganda, in July 2010, and a great deal more often in Kenya, where only the large-scale actions have gained international attention but smaller attacks have been a steady feature;

N.

whereas Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the raids conducted in July 2014 on the villages of Hindi, Gamba, Lamu and Tana River on the Kenyan coast, in which more than 100 people were executed, and for two attacks in Mandela county in late 2014, in which 64 people were killed;

O.

whereas after the terrorist attack on Garissa University the Kenyan Government threatened the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) with closure of the Dadaab refugee camp within three months; whereas the UNHCR has warned that this would have ‘extreme humanitarian and practical consequences’; whereas the UN Refugee Convention prohibits the forcing of refugees back to areas where their life or freedom is threatened;

P.

whereas the African Standby Force (ASF) is not yet operational, and whereas the EU has stated its willingness to support African peacekeeping capabilities as part of its Security Strategy for Africa;

Q.

whereas according to Article 11 of the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement, ‘activities in the field of peace-building, conflict prevention and resolution shall in particular include support for balancing political, economic, social and cultural opportunities among all segments of society, for strengthening the democratic legitimacy and effectiveness of governance, for establishing effective mechanisms for the peaceful conciliation of group interests, […] for bridging dividing lines among different segments of society as well as support for an active and organised civil society’;

1.

Condemns in the strongest terms the deliberate terrorist attack perpetrated by Al-Shabaab on 2 April 2015 in Garissa, in which it assassinated 147 young, innocent university students and injured 79 others; condemns forcefully all violations of human rights, especially when people are killed on the basis of their religion, beliefs or ethnic origin;

2.

Condemns once more the raids conducted by Al-Shabaab during the summer of 2014 on several coastal Kenyan villages, including Mpeketoni, where 50 people were executed; condemns vigorously the foray in the Westgate Shopping Centre in Nairobi on 24 September 2013, where 67 dead bodies were discovered; condemns the Al-Shabaab attack of 25 March 2015 in Mogadishu, in which Ambassador Yusuf Mohamed Ismail Bari-Bari, Somalia’s permanent representative to the United Nations in Geneva, lost his life;

3.

Expresses its condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of the Republic of Kenya; stands by the people of Kenya in the face of these despicable acts of aggression;

4.

Recalls that freedom of religion is a fundamental right, and strongly condemns any violence or discrimination on the basis of religion;

5.

Condemns the recent attacks on Christian communities in various countries, notably with regard to the throwing overboard of 12 Christians during a recent crossing from Libya and the massacre of 30 Ethiopian Christians on 19 April 2015, and expresses its solidarity with the families of the victims;

6.

Expresses its grave concern over the abuse of religion by the perpetrators of terrorist acts in several areas of the world, and its deep concern at the proliferation of episodes of intolerance, repression and violence directed against Christians, particularly in some parts of the Arab world; denounces the instrumentalisation of religion in various conflicts; condemns the increasing number of attacks on churches around the world, notably the attack that killed 14 people in Pakistan on 15 March 2015; strongly condemns the incarceration, disappearance, torture, enslavement and public execution of Christians in North Korea; confirms and supports the inalienable right of all religious and ethnic minorities living in Iraq and Syria, including Christians, to continue to live in their historical and traditional homelands in conditions of dignity, equality and safety; notes that for centuries members of different religious groups coexisted peacefully in the region;

7.

Urges the EU institutions to comply with their obligation under Article 17 TFEU to maintain an open, transparent and regular dialogue with churches and with religious, philosophical and non- confessional organisations, in order to ensure that the issue of the persecution of Christian communities and other religious communities is an EU priority;

8.

Condemns the use of an ancient law (‘dhimmi pact’) by ISIS/Da’esh in Syria and Iraq to extort from Christians by religious tax obligations and restrictions under the threat of death;

9.

Reaffirms its solidarity with all Christians persecuted in different parts of Africa, with special regard to recent atrocities in Libya, Nigeria and Sudan;

10.

Condemns and rejects any misinterpretation of the message of Islam to create a violent, cruel, totalitarian, oppressive and expansive ideology legitimising the extermination of Christian minorities; urges Muslim leaders to fully condemn all terrorist attacks, including those targeting religious communities and minorities, and in particular Christians;

11.

Calls for a thorough, prompt, impartial and effective investigation to be carried out in order to identify those responsible and bring the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice;

12.

Acknowledges that the real answer must be organised around coordinated actions with other African countries, and calls on the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Council to address security and terrorist threats in this regional area in cooperation with the African Union, in support of its crucial efforts to fight Al-Shabaab through AMISOM; urges the European Union to strongly support the implementation of continental and regional mechanisms for conflict management, mainly the African Standby Force (ASF);

13.

Calls on the Kenyan Government to take responsibility and to address both the violence of Al-Shabaab and its root causes; deems that security can only be achieved if divisions within Kenya’s political and civil societies and regional imbalances in development are properly addressed; considers regrettable the belated response of the police forces; in particular, urges the government to refrain from using the terrorist attacks as a pretext for cracking down on civil liberties; calls on the Kenyan authorities to base their strategy for combating terrorism on the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights; insists on the need for democratic and judicial oversight of counter-terrorism policies;

14.

Urges the Kenyan authorities to ensure that any division between faiths, together with the drawing of parallels between the Muslim community and Al-Shabaab, is prevented, and to take all measures to ensure that the unity of the country is preserved for the good of its social and economic growth and stability and the dignity and human rights of its people; invites the Kenyan Government, opposition leaders and religious faith leaders to address historical grievances of marginalisation, regional divides within the country and institutional discrimination, and to ensure that counter-terrorism operations target only the perpetrators and not wider ethnic and faith communities;

15.

Reminds the European External Action Service and the Member States of their commitment, under the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy adopted in June 2012, to ensure that human rights are raised in all forms of counter-terrorism dialogue with third countries;

16.

Calls for the EU to implement a military training mission programme in Kenya and to provide modern equipment, collaborating with and training Kenya’s military and police forces to fight terrorism and prevent the expansion of Al-Shabaab;

17.

Urges the Kenyan Government to make every effort to conform to the rule of law, human rights, democratic principles and fundamental freedoms, and calls for the EU to lead its international partner in this direction, and to pull together a financial contribution to enhance existing governance programmes, in order to ensure national security and bring peace and stability to the country and the region; insists that the spiralling violence of Al-Shabaab must be addressed in conjunction with neighbouring countries; asks the EU to provide all the necessary financial, logistical and expert support in this regard, including the possibility of recourse to the African Peace Facility and EU crisis management tools;

18.

Calls on the Kenyan security forces to ensure lawful responses to counter the terrorist threat; calls on the Kenyan Government to ensure the security and protection of the refugee camps in its territory, in accordance with international law;

19.

Stresses that international terrorism is financed by illegal money-laundering, ransoms, extortion, drug trafficking and corruption; calls on the Commission and the Member States to enhance cooperation with third countries on sharing intelligence relating to money-laundering and the financing of terrorism;

20.

Reiterates its support for all initiatives aimed at promoting dialogue and mutual respect between religious and other communities; calls on all religious authorities to promote tolerance and to take initiatives against hatred and violent and extremist radicalisation;

21.

Denounces the targeting of educational institutions and premises for terrorist attacks, as a means of undermining the education and dignity of all citizens as well as causing mistrust and division between communities; recalls the abduction and disappearance of Christian girls in the Nigerian town of Chibok by the jihadist terror group Boko Haram in 2014, which attracted worldwide condemnation;

22.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Government of Kenya, the institutions of the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the United Nations Secretary-General, the United Nations General Assembly and the Co-Chairs of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly.

21.9.2016   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 346/55