Doiciméid - Think Tank - Parlaimint na hEorpa

Briefing - Child-friendly justice - 24-03-2025

Sun, 23 Mar 2025 23:00:00 GMT

Every child has rights and deserves protection. It is estimated that around 2.5 million children in the European Union come into contact with the justice system every year. This can be a very stressful and even harmful experience for a child, who may participate in criminal proceedings as either a victim, a witness or a perpetrator. Children can also be parties to civil proceedings such as divorce, custody or adoption procedures, as well as administrative procedures, for example those related to nationality or migration. Because of children's especially vulnerable position, the EU and international organisations such as the United Nations and the Council of Europe are pushing to develop justice systems that are child friendly. Child-friendly justice systems guarantee respect for and implementation of children's rights to the highest possible degree and take account of the maturity of the child and the circumstances of the case. Since the roles children can play in such proceedings and the nature of the proceedings themselves can vary, children may face different issues. However, some rights and needs are universal. For example, children need to be respected and protected. They also have a right to be heard, either directly or through a representative; to be informed and communicated with in a language that they understand; and to receive a speedy response. The Barnahus model is an example of good practice for dealing with children in the justice system, especially child victims, as it provides the child with a coordinated and effective response. Legislation and policy in the EU has addressed the issue, and more work is underway. For example, the work on the recast of the Victims' Rights Directive may provide even more rights to child victims.

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Briefing - Roadmap for women's rights: Next steps for EU action on gender equality - 20-03-2025

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 23:00:00 GMT

On 7 March 2025, the European Commission published a roadmap for women's rights, to reaffirm the EU's commitment to gender equality, speed up progress in this area, and counteract political movements that contest EU gender equality policies. The roadmap outlines the challenges and benefits of gender equality today, emphasising its political and economic importance. In an annex, a declaration of eight principles for a gender-equal society, inspired by and phrased in the language of human rights, takes a women's rights-centric approach. The roadmap expresses the Commission's commitment to women's rights and invites other EU institutions to adhere to it. The roadmap will serve to guide future EU action and particularly for the new gender equality strategy from 2026, as well as EU external action. To a significant extent, the objectives outlined in the declaration are covered already by EU legislation or non-legislative measures, depending on the extent of the EU's own competences. Since, in some areas, the EU only has limited competences to support and coordinate the action of Member States (such as on health and education), the roadmap emphasises the importance of involving the Member States. �Ϸ��վ held a first debate in plenary on the roadmap on 11 March. In various previous resolutions, the �Ϸ��վ has expressed support for women's rights and has called on the EU to act against any regression and contestation of gender equality both internally and externally. Various civil society organisations have welcomed the Commission's initiative and called for a recognition of sexual and reproductive rights, as well as an emphasis on intersectional discrimination and vulnerable women, such as disabled women or women with children. The roadmap addresses sexual and reproductive rights, but more as a health issue than a women's rights issue, probably taking into account the EU's limited competences in the area.

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Briefing - Cross-border protection of vulnerable adults - 14-03-2025

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 23:00:00 GMT

The IA supports the above proposals with a qualitative assessment of legal, social and economic impacts, complemented by quantified estimates of costs and savings of procedural and administrative costs. Impacts on fundamental rights and digitalisation are also assessed, including concerns raised by stakeholders with respect to data protection. The IA follows a clear intervention logic and is based on solid internal and external sources and various stakeholder consultations. It clearly makes an effort to explain the methods and assumptions underlying the analysis, but could have been more coherent, clear and specific, notably when it comes to the transparency and accessibility of the cost estimates and aggregations. The range of options assessed in the IA appears limited, given the preferred option is a combination of two out of the three options considered in addition to the baseline scenario. Impacts on small and medium-sized enterprises and competitiveness are anticipated to be minor and were therefore not further assessed. The simplification and digitalisation of protection measures for vulnerable adults in cross-border situations are at the core of the IA, which expects considerable procedural cost savings for stakeholders, while adjustment costs would be borne by the competent administrations under the preferred option. The legislative proposals appear to follow the IA's preferred option.

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Briefing - Strengthening the Women, Peace and Security Agenda - 03-03-2025

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 23:00:00 GMT

This briefing was commissioned by the European �Ϸ��վ's Policy Department for Citizens, Equality, and Culture at the request of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality ahead of the Interparliamentary Committee Meeting on the occasion of the International Women's Day. The briefing gives an overview of the Women and Peace and Security Agenda and the current situation at global and European Union level. It examines women’s participation as active agents in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peace building, peacekeeping, humanitarian response, and post-conflict reconstruction. It also offers a brief outline of the role of international humanitarian and human rights law in the protection of women and their rights.

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Briefing - Surrogacy: The legal situation in the EU - 27-02-2025

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 13:31:10 GMT

This analysis sets out the legal situation in the EU regarding surrogacy. A distinction can be drawn between traditional and gestational surrogacy, depending on the genetic connection of the surrogate to the child. A further distinction is made between altruistic and commercial surrogacy, depending on whether the surrogate receives remuneration. Among the Member States, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus and Portugal have introduced legislation permitting altruistic surrogacy, but for some of these the legislation has not yet entered into force or further regulations are still missing. The approaches taken by these Member States as to the conditions applying to the surrogate and the intended parents can be quite different. Many other Member States have banned surrogacy. Some of these bans explicitly prohibit the procedure, whereas others have regulated assisted reproduction in such a way that surrogacy is implicitly prohibited. Since 2014, the European Court of Human Rights has issued many judgments concerning surrogacy, especially concerning parenthood established abroad. This case law requires that, if the parenthood resulting from surrogacy established abroad is not recognised, the state has to provide for a means to regularise the 'limping' legal relationship. In 2022, the European Commission made a proposal for regulation on private international law rules relating to parenthood, which would also apply to surrogacy established in a Member State. Discussions in the Council are still ongoing as to how this issue should be dealt with. The 2024 directive on preventing and combating trafficking in human beings and protecting its victims explicitly identified, for the first time, the exploitation of surrogacy as a form of human trafficking.

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Briefing - Council directive on equal treatment: Potential European added value - 11-02-2025

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 23:00:00 GMT

In June 2024, the Belgian Council Presidency put forward a compromise proposal for a new Council directive on equal treatment and it won the support of a broad majority of Member States. The proposed law calls for the EU acquis on non-discrimination and equality to be extended to four new grounds beyond the area of employment (religion or belief, age, sexual orientation and disability). This briefing looks into what might be the European added value of such a directive. While most Member States already offer legal protection for the stated grounds and areas, the proposed law could still be expected to generate benefits for society by ensuring comprehensive and consistent protection against discrimination throughout the EU. Everyone living in the EU could stand to benefit from the proposed law, although those groups that face greater risk of discrimination would likely benefit to a greater extent. An analysis of European Social Survey data suggests that about three quarters of the EU population (aged over 15) identify with at least one of four characteristics: (i) belonging to a religion or denomination; (ii) over 65 years of age; (iii) hampered in daily activities to some extent; (iv) not heterosexual. Providers of goods and services (e.g. businesses, schools, hospitals, landlords) could be expected to incur some costs to comply with the proposed law. Such costs, however, would be subject to proportionality and the availability of public support. Other costs could include the preparation of guidelines to ensure neutral provision of goods and services in times of limited supply. The compromise proposal could offer EU added value by improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the EU's anti-discrimination framework in fulfilling Treaty commitments. This added value would depend on the extent to which legal certainty were improved and discrimination recognised and internalised by service providers. The proposed law could nevertheless promote more harmonised living standards and free movement in the internal market.

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Sracfhéachaint - Belarus: Continued oppression and fake elections - 15-01-2025

Wed, 15 Jan 2025 13:45:20 GMT

The human rights situation is worsening in Belarus, with a continued climate of oppression in the country. Meanwhile, presidential 'elections' are due to take place on 26 January 2025. The democratic forces of Belarus call this vote a 'self-reappointment of Lukashenka' and urge the international community not to recognise it. �Ϸ��վ will hold a debate on the situation and possible actions with the High Representative /Vice-President of the Commission, Kaja Kallas, during the January plenary session.

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Briefing - Bans on conversion 'therapies': The situation in selected EU Member States - 19-12-2024

Wed, 18 Dec 2024 23:00:00 GMT

LGBTI conversion 'therapies' are practices that can be defined as 'any treatment aimed at changing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity'. Ways to implement them include psychotherapy, medication, electroshock therapy, aversive treatments and exorcism. An alternative term used to describe these practices is sexual orientation and gender identity-expression change efforts (SOGIECE). They can bring about suicidal thoughts but also permanent physical harm, suicide attempts, depression, anxiety, shame, self-hatred and loss of faith. The World Health Organization declassified homosexuality as a pathology or disease in 1990 and transsexuality in 2019. In their 2020 report, the independent expert mandated by the United Nations Human Rights Council recommended that states ban conversion 'therapy'. �Ϸ��վ has strongly condemned all forms of discrimination against LGBTI people, including LGBTI conversion 'therapies'. Moreover, it has also made repeated calls on the Member States to ban such practices. Within the European Union (EU), eight Member States – Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Malta, Spain and Portugal – have now banned these practices, while in Spain many regions have had administrative bans on them for quite some time. Several other Member States have proposed bills in this regard. While the various laws have a comparable structure, there are variations in terms of which LGBTI groups are protected and what entities are covered by the bans and the sanctions imposed. Moreover, the definition of conversion 'therapy' differs slightly from one Member State to another. This briefing looks at the various laws on conversion 'therapies' that are already in place or are proposed for adoption in some Member States. It then compares aspects of them, including their definition of the practice, the scope of protection offered and the sanctions envisaged. This is an update of a 2022 briefing.

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Sracfhéachaint - International Migrants' Day: 18 December 2024 - 12-12-2024

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 23:00:00 GMT

Drawing attention to migrants' human rights and highlighting their contribution to society, International Migrants' Day is observed every year on 18 December. The day was designated by the United Nations General Assembly on 4 December 2000 in response to growing migration numbers around the world.

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Sracfhéachaint - Election of the European Ombudsman - 11-12-2024

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 15:13:08 GMT

In December, after a public hearing of the candidates in the Committee on Petitions (PETI), the European �Ϸ��վ is set to elect the European Ombudsman for the new parliamentary term. Six candidates are running: Teresa Anjinho (Portugal), a former Deputy Portuguese Ombudsman; Emilio De Capitani (Italy), a former European �Ϸ��վ official; Marino Fardelli (Italy), Ombudsman of the Lazio region; Julia Laffranque (Estonia), a former judge of the European Court of Human Rights; Claudia Mahler (Austria), a human rights expert; and Reinier van Zutphen (Netherlands), Ombudsman of the Netherlands.

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Briefing - Cyberviolence against women in the EU - 04-12-2024

Wed, 04 Dec 2024 09:45:49 GMT

The rise of digital technologies represents a double-edged sword for women's rights. On the one hand, the digital environment has enabled women to build networks and spread awareness about the abuse they suffer, such as through the #Metoo movement. On the other, it has provided abusers and misogynists with new tools with which they can spread their harmful content on an unprecedented scale. With the development of artificial intelligence, these trends, both positive and negative, are expected to continue. Against this backdrop, it has become clear that digital violence is as harmful as offline violence and needs to be tackled with the full force of the law, as well as through other non-legislative measures. Moreover, the digital content causing the harm – images, messages, etc. – needs to be erased. This is particularly important, as the impact on victims is profound and long-lasting. The European Union has adopted several pieces of legislation that aim to make a difference in this respect. The directive on combating violence against women, to be implemented at the latest by June 2027, sets minimum EU standards for criminalising several serious forms of cyberviolence and enhances the protection of and access to justice for victims. EU legislation on the protection of privacy is also having an impact on cyberviolence. For example, the new Digital Services Act imposes an obligation on big digital platforms in the EU to remove harmful content from their websites. This is instrumental in removing intimate or manipulated images that are disseminated on the internet without the person's consent; almost all such images portray women, according to existing data. Member States use a multiplicity of legal approaches to tackle this issue, combining criminalisation of specific cyber offences with the use of general criminal law. In some Member States, an explicit gender dimension is also included.

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Briefing - EU gender equality policy: Beneficial for both women and men - 28-11-2024

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 08:25:43 GMT

Since its creation in the 1950s, the European Economic Community, and today's European Union, has had the power to promote equality between women and men, initially in employment and later also in other areas of life. EU action has driven significant progress, even if disparities persist in many areas. To secure this progress, the EU has enabled Member States to implement positive action measures in favour of women and has adopted ground-breaking legislative and non-legislative measures, such as its recent legislation on gender-based violence. Although consensus on EU gender equality policy is long established, a minority array of civil society and political actors are increasingly voicing their opposition to some aspects of gender equality policy. Recent surveys in EU countries show that some citizens have also started questioning a policy that, in their view, has fulfilled its mission. However, perennial gender inequalities in many areas of life suggest that this is a hasty assumption. Fears that gender equality is a zero-sum game that disempowers men highlight a need to dispel misunderstandings about EU gender equality policy. The policy focuses on women as the primary subjects of sex-based discrimination but is formulated in gender-neutral language. Any discrimination is strictly forbidden, although the policy enables Member States to conduct positive action on behalf of women. The Court of Justice of the EU upholds rigorous enforcement of positive action, which has to remain exceptional, limited and non-discriminatory against men. Changing realities meanwhile suggest that men too can benefit from the data collection and the tools developed by the EU, for instance with regard to health and education. Here, some EU countries display the biggest gender gaps in life expectancy in the world, as well as a notable gap in tertiary educational attainment in favour of women.

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Sracfhéachaint - Convention on the Rights of the Child: 35th anniversary - 20-11-2024

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 13:19:46 GMT

Every year, on 20 November, the world celebrates World Children's Day; this year marked the 35th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Adopted in 1989, the convention was the first international instrument to explicitly recognise children as human beings with innate rights. Ratified by 196 countries, including all EU Member States, it has become the landmark treaty on children's rights, outlining universal standards for the care, treatment, survival, development, protection and participation of all children.

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Sracfhéachaint - Recent legislation targeting LGBTI persons - 20-11-2024

Wed, 20 Nov 2024 10:25:04 GMT

During the European �Ϸ��վ's November II plenary session, the European Commission is scheduled to make a statement, and �Ϸ��վ to hold a debate, on recent legislation targeting LGBTI persons and the need for protecting the rule of law and a discrimination-free EU.

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Briefing - Criminalisation of hate speech and hate crime in selected EU countries - 04-11-2024

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 23:00:00 GMT

Hate speech and hate crime can destroy lives, harm people and property, threaten individual rights, terrify communities, reduce trust between members of society, create and amplify tensions between social groups, disturb public peace and order, and endanger peaceful coexistence. Hate speech distorts public debate and, at its worst, leads to an abuse of rights that endangers the rule of law. Hate speech and hate crime are incompatible with the EU's common values and fundamental rights, as enshrined in EU Treaties and in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. EU law currently criminalises hate speech and hate crime, but only if it is related to a limited set of characteristics, namely race, colour, religion, descent or national or ethnic origin. The European Commission, with the support of the European �Ϸ��վ, would like to widen the scope of the prohibition to include other protected characteristics, such as gender, sexual orientation, age and disability. In December 2021, the Commission proposed to the Council and the �Ϸ��վ to extend the list of EU crimes under Article 83(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to hate speech and hate crime. With this initiative, the Commission hopes to address Member States' divergent and fragmented approaches to hate speech and hate crime and to guarantee consistent protection of victims across the EU. In this context, it is important to understand how Member States currently criminalise hate speech and hate crime. This briefing therefore provides an overview of relevant legal provisions in selected EU countries. There are significant differences between Member States, strengthening the argument in favour of harmonising legislation across the EU. This briefing is to be read in conjunction with the briefing 'Hate speech and hate crime: Time to act?', published in September 2024.

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Grinnanailís - Violence against children in the European Union: Current situation - 18-10-2024

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 22:00:00 GMT

Violence against children takes various forms and occurs in different contexts. It can have serious, harmful consequences in both the short and long term, and estimates of the scale of the problem are alarming. Resulting from a complex interaction of various risk factors, this violence can nevertheless be avoided through effective prevention policies. A number of international instruments have been adopted to safeguard and promote children's rights. The cornerstone in this framework of instruments is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 19 of which lays down the right of a child to be protected from all forms of violence and the obligation on states to take all appropriate measures to protect children. With the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, protection of children's rights has been explicitly recognised as an objective that the EU has an obligation to pursue. While child protection systems fall mainly within the responsibility of the EU Member States, the EU itself plays an important role too. Its actions have a direct impact on laws and policies implemented at national level. Enhanced cooperation between all stakeholders and the exchange of best practice are the routes taken to address the issue.

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Sracfhéachaint - Outcome of the Summit of the Future: Transforming global governance to build peace, promote human rights and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals - 01-10-2024

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 15:31:13 GMT

On 22-23 September 2024, world leaders, including �Ϸ��վ's President Roberta Metsola, convened at the United Nations for a 'Summit of the Future'. The UN Secretary-General presented the summit as a 'once-in-a-generation' opportunity to revive multilateral cooperation to address current and future global challenges. �Ϸ��վ's ad-hoc delegation welcomed the 'Pact for the Future' endorsed at the summit. The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission (HR/VP) is due to report back to Members in a plenary statement on the outcome of the summit.

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Sracfhéachaint - The rise of religious intolerance in Europe - 01-10-2024

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 13:34:19 GMT

During its October I plenary session, the �Ϸ��վ is due to hear a Commission statement on the rise of religious intolerance in Europe, followed by a debate. The item was included on the agenda in response to increasing concerns among human rights bodies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and religious communities regarding the situation of religious freedom and tolerance in Europe.

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Sracfhéachaint - Tunisia's 2024 presidential elections - 26-09-2024

Wed, 25 Sep 2024 22:00:00 GMT

In a decree issued on 1 July, Tunisian President Kais Saied called a presidential election for 6 October 2024. In doing so Saied is setting himself up for probable re-election, as all but one of the opposition candidates are in prison or have been declared ineligible by the Tunisian electoral commission. A third candidate who had been approved by the electoral commission was handed a 20-month prison sentence on 19 September. Now seeking re-election for a second 5-year term, Saied was first elected to office in 2019 as an anti establishment candidate promising to root out corruption and address poverty. He took full control of the country in 2021, dismissing the elected parliament and deciding to rule by decree, a move the opposition and international community slammed as a coup. A new constitution, approved by referendum in 2022, established a presidential system and paralysed parliament. The EU is now facing a dilemma as to how to support internal democratic processes and advance implementation of the EU-Tunisia Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which prioritises measures against irregular migration.

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Briefing - Women's rights in Afghanistan: An ongoing battle - 16-09-2024

Sun, 15 Sep 2024 22:00:00 GMT

Since the Taliban regime overtook the country in mid-August 2021, Afghanistan's record on women's rights has been one of the worst, if not the worst, in the world. Despite promises to 'uphold women's rights in line with Sharia law', the Taliban have suppressed the rights of their citizens, with women the main target of restrictions. As well as prohibiting women and girls from travelling without a male relative, the Taliban have denied them post-primary education, banned them from numerous public places, and restricted their employment to healthcare and primary education. In December 2022, women were banned from working for non-governmental organisations in most sectors. In April 2023, the ban was extended to include Afghan women working for the United Nations mission in the country. In August 2024, the Taliban published a law codifying existing norms and introducing new ones, including a prohibition on women's voices being heard in public. This crackdown on women's rights has attracted considerable international condemnation, including from Muslim states. In response to the regressive policies, many international donors have reduced or threatened to halt their humanitarian assistance, upon which the country is strongly reliant. It is feared that women could, unintentionally, be the worst affected by this reduction or suspension of humanitarian aid. The Taliban nevertheless appears inflexible, leaving international actors with a dilemma as to how to proceed. The European Union (EU) has been engaged in Afghanistan since the mid-1980s and has prioritised the advancement of Afghan women's rights. While changing its terms of engagement, it has continued to provide humanitarian aid and to support civil society. �Ϸ��վ has followed the situation closely and recommended further action to support Afghan women and girls. This briefing analyses the current situation of women's rights in Afghanistan, taking a long view. Women's rights have been an intense battleground between different actors for over a century, with periods of promising reforms followed by resistance and often reversals of progress. This helps to explain how a country where women won voting rights in 1919 – earlier than in most of the Western world – has ended up treating its female population in a manner that possibly amounts to a crime against humanity. This briefing updates an earlier one written by the same authors in April 2023.

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Briefing - New EU interinstitutional body for ethical standards - 12-09-2024

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 22:00:00 GMT

Transparency and ethical rules are essential to preserve citizens' confidence in public institutions. Corruption, defined by Transparency International as 'the abuse of entrusted power for private gain', is a threat for every country – and for the European Union (EU) institutions. According to a 2023 Eurobarometer survey, 70 % of the Europeans interviewed believed that corruption was widespread, and almost 75 % thought that there was corruption in the public institutions in their own country. At the same time, practices that may seem to represent less serious criminal behaviour, such as 'revolving doors' and conflicts of interests, are also detrimental to the democratic process, as they favour private instead of public interest and can potentially undermine trust in governments and institutions. High ethical standards in public administrations are an integral part of good governance, and like good governance they are an important pillar of democracy, one that the EU must uphold. The EU has a solid set of rules for EU officials and civil servants and, over time, has improved the ethical rules for members of its institutions, bodies and agencies. However, this framework is still fragmented and not always enforced robustly. Meanwhile the integrity of the European institutions is sometimes called into question, especially in the wake of major scandals. To address these concerns, in 2021, the European �Ϸ��վ pushed for a unified and strong independent ethics body common to all EU institutions. The European Commission responded with a proposal for an interinstitutional body for ethical standards, which was adopted in May 2024.

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Briefing - Gender Mainstreaming in the parliamentary work of the LIBE Committee - 09-09-2024

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 22:00:00 GMT

Briefing - Hate speech and hate crime: Time to act? - 05-09-2024

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 08:30:04 GMT

Over the last 20 years, there has been a marked increase in hate speech and hate crime in Europe. Expressing hate has become socially acceptable, stigmatising and dehumanising individuals and groups of people for characteristics ranging from age, ethnicity, gender identity, language, nationality, race, religion, and sex to sexual orientation. Widespread use of the internet and social media has increasingly brought hate speech online. EU law criminalises hate speech and hate crime, but only if it relates to a limited set of characteristics, such as race and ethnicity. The European Commission, with the European �Ϸ��վ's support, would like to widen the scope of the prohibition. In December 2021, the Commission proposed to extend the list of EU crimes under Article 83(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) to hate speech and hate crime. This would allow the Commission to propose a common legal framework to combat hate speech and hate crime across the EU. With this initiative, the Commission hopes to address Member States' current divergent and fragmented approaches to hate speech and hate crime and to ensure consistent protection of victims across the EU. While the �Ϸ��վ has enthusiastically welcomed the Commission's proposal, Member States (in Council) have been unable to agree on the plan. More recently, the terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel on 7 October 2023 and Israel's military response in Gaza have triggered an alarming rise in threats and violence against both Jews and Muslims, across the EU. In November 2023, a Commission communication called on the Council to move quickly to adopt a decision to include hate speech and hate crime among the criminal offences listed in Article 83(1) TFEU, to allow the Commission to propose legislation in this area. �Ϸ��վ echoed this message in a January 2024 resolution. This briefing builds on a 2019 paper by Piotr Bakowski. It should be read in conjunction with a forthcoming briefing on legislation on hate speech and hate crime in EU Member States.

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Briefing - Combating child sexual abuse: Revising Directive (2011/93/EU) – recast - 23-07-2024

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 22:00:00 GMT

Child sexual exploitation and sexual abuse are some of the most severe forms of violence against children, and they are crimes that know no borders. The constant increase in these crimes, exacerbated by the pandemic and the use of modern technologies, underscores the need for harmonised national legislation and international cooperation to improve prevention, protect victims and prosecute perpetrators. The statistics for Europe are staggering, as acknowledged by both governmental and non-governmental organisations. Reports indicate that one in five children has experienced some form of sexual violence, with 70-85 % of child victims knowing their abuser. The EU has made combating child sexual abuse, both offline and online, a top priority of its agenda and a key objective of the EU security union strategy for 2020 to 2025. The primary legislative instrument in this area for the EU is Directive 2011/93/EU on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography. However, a recent ex-post evaluation highlighted limitations in the directive, particularly in addressing technological advances since its entry into force. To align the directive with these changes, on 6 February 2024 the Commission submitted a proposal for a revision of the directive. In �Ϸ��վ, the proposal was referred to the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). The committee adopted its draft report on 24 April 2024. First edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure.

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Staidéar - Freedom to conduct a business, a comparative law perspective – Canada - 28-06-2024

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 08:59:47 GMT

This document is part of a series of Comparative Law studies that analyze the freedom to conduct a business in different legal orders around the world. After a brief historic introduction and a presentation of applicable legislation and case law, the content, limits and possible evolution of this freedom are examined. The subject of this study is Canada’s federal legal system. While the freedom to conduct a business is a common law right, it does not possess supralegislative status. Nevertheless, various constitutional rules — including those arising from Canada’s federal structure and from the Charter of Rights — afford a degree of protection to businesses and to business activities. The study notes the pervasive influence of federalism on business regulation in Canada. The rules allocating responsibility between the �Ϸ��վ and the provinces do not affect only the level of government at which regulatory laws are enacted, but also affect the form and content of those laws.

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