Documente - Think Tank - Parlamentul European

Briefing - EU legislation and policies to address racial and ethnic discrimination - 11-04-2025

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 22:00:00 GMT

People from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds face discrimination and its consequences on a daily basis. However, the exact scale of the problem is hard to gauge, owing to a lack of data and general under reporting of racist incidents. Although the European Union (EU) has been introducing legislation to combat racial and xenophobic discrimination since 2000, the problem persists. The global Black Lives Matter protests highlighted the need for new measures, while the COVID 19 pandemic saw a major increase in reports of racist and xenophobic incidents, and the crisis it triggered had a disproportionately large negative effect on racial and ethnic minority groups, in the form of higher death and infection rates. Studies point to the cost of racial discrimination not only for the individuals concerned, but also for society as a whole. For instance, a 2018 EPRS report argued that the loss in earnings caused by racial and ethnic discrimination for both individuals and societies amounts to billions of euros annually. EU citizens also acknowledge this problem: a 2019 survey found that over half of Europeans believe racial or ethnic discrimination to be widespread in their country. To address racial discrimination and the inequalities it engenders, the European Commission has put forward a number of equality strategies and actions. �Ϸ��վ, meanwhile, has long demanded an end to racial discrimination. In recent resolutions, �Ϸ��վ has called for an end to structural racism, discrimination, racial profiling and police brutality; for protection of the right to protest peacefully; for an enhanced role for culture, education, media and sport in the fight against racism; and for authorities to take an intersectional approach. On 18 and 19 March 2025, Members of the European �Ϸ��վ from the Anti Racism and Diversity Intergroup (ARDI) co hosted the fourth EU Anti Racism and Diversity Week. This updates a briefing from June 2024.

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Pe scurt - Hungary's ban on Pride - 02-04-2025

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 07:15:43 GMT

On 18 March 2025, a law was adopted in Hungary restricting the freedom of assembly, by connecting it to a previous controversial law from 2021, which prohibited the public portrayal to children of 'divergence from self-identity corresponding to sex at birth, sex change or homosexuality'. Consequently, events such as Pride marches have been prohibited in the country. On 2 April 2025, �Ϸ��վ held a debate on recent legislative changes introduced in Hungary, including this one, and their impact on fundamental rights.

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Pe scurt - Delivering on the EU Roma strategy and the fight against discrimination in the EU - 26-03-2025

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 11:23:01 GMT

International Roma Day has been marked on 8 April every year since 1990. This day provides an opportunity to discuss the situation of Roma people and celebrate their culture. In the run-up to International Roma Day in 2025, the Council of the EU and the Commission will make statements in plenary, taking stock of progress in implementing the EU Roma strategy and the fight against discrimination within the EU.

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Briefing - Commitments made by Jessika Roswall - 25-03-2025

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 23:00:00 GMT

Commitments made by Jessika Roswall, Commissioner-designate for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, 2024-2029

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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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Analiză aprofundată - Briefing for the FEMM delegation to UN CSW 69 (17 – 21 March 2025) - 23-03-2025

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 22:00:00 GMT

This briefing contains background materials for the FEMM Committee mission to the sixty-ninth session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, which focuses on the review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly. The briefing has been prepared by the European �Ϸ��վ’s Policy Department for Citizens, Equality and Culture at the request of the FEMM Committee.

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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 - Understanding EU action on Roma inclusion - 19-03-2025

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 16:32:03 GMT

The Roma are Europe's largest ethnic minority. Out of an estimated total of 10-12 million Roma in Europe as a whole, some 6 million live in the European Union (EU) and most of them are citizens of an EU Member State. A significant number of Roma people live in very poor socio-economic conditions. The social exclusion, discrimination and segregation they face are mutually reinforcing. Their restricted access to education and difficulties entering the labour market result in low income and poor health compared with non-Roma people. Since the mid-1990s, the EU has been stressing the need for better Roma inclusion. In 2011, a key EU initiative was launched with the adoption of an EU framework for national Roma integration strategies up to 2020. The aim was to tackle the socio-economic exclusion of and discrimination against the Roma. When the framework came to an end, in early October 2020 the European Commission adopted a new strategy for 2021 to 2030. In March 2021, the Council adopted a recommendation on Roma equality, inclusion and participation, encouraging Member States to adopt strategic frameworks for the inclusion of Roma communities. The European Council conclusions on measures to ensure equal access for Roma to adequate and desegregated housing, and to address segregated settlements, adopted on 9 October 2023, are another key follow-up to the 2020-2030 EU Roma strategy. The EU also supports Member States in their duty to improve the lives of all vulnerable people, including the Roma, through the EU structural and investment funds and other funding instruments. Issues relating to the promotion of democratic values and practices, as well as economic, social and cultural rights for Roma people have received particular attention from civil society organisations. �Ϸ��վ has been advocating for Roma inclusion since the 1990s. This is an update of a briefing published in April 2024.

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Briefing - Women in local and regional government: Trends, challenges and best practices - 06-03-2025

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 15:34:32 GMT

This briefing analyses the participation of women in local and regional government from a multilevel governance perspective. It seeks to present the current state of affairs and identify best practice and ideas for the future on the part of governmental organisations at all levels of the European system of multilevel governance.

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Pe scurt - Progress on the proposal for a Parenthood Regulation - 06-03-2025

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 14:08:17 GMT

During the March plenary session, oral questions will be asked to the Commission and Council on the state of negotiations on the proposed Parenthood Regulation, on which �Ϸ��վ adopted its opinion in December 2023, and their willingness – in case of failure to reach unanimity in the Council – to use enhanced cooperation.

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Briefing - Women in foreign affairs and international security: An increasingly salient debate - 04-03-2025

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 23:00:00 GMT

In a context of international turbulence, rising armed conflict and other evolving threats, the debate on the participation and role of women in foreign affairs and international security is a timely and relevant one. In particular, growing attention is being paid to imbalances in the representation of women in leadership and other key positions in the area of foreign and security policy, and to the growing body of evidence regarding the positive effect of including women and a gender perspective in several key areas. While gaps persist, women's representation in foreign affairs and security has increased both in the European Union (EU) and at United Nations (UN) level. Women's role in peacekeeping is receiving particular attention, as research has consistently shown that gender equality contributes to peace and higher security, and that peace negotiations involving women have a better chance of being sustainable and effective. This year marks the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325, which established the 'women, peace and security' (WPS) agenda. Since then, more WPS-related resolutions have been adopted, widening the scope and breadth of gendered peace and security. These resolutions have been instrumental in changing the philosophy and rhetoric around conflict and gender equality, thereby challenging the international community to do more. Initiatives are being implemented at EU level, including through the 2018 EU strategic approach to WPS. However, critics underline that a lot remains to be done, as women and gender perspectives continue to be under-represented in the field of foreign and security policy across the world. This is a further update of an EPRS briefing originally published in September 2019.

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Pe scurt - Maternity and paternity leave in the EU - 03-03-2025

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 10:16:28 GMT

This infographic aims to present the current maternity and paternity leave situation in EU Member States. Most EU countries also grant an additional period of parental leave, but parental leave is not covered in this infographic.

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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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Pe scurt - Women's rights: What is at stake? - 11-02-2025

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 23:00:00 GMT

Thirty years ago, the international community adopted the Beijing Declaration and its accompanying Platform for Action – a broad and ambitious global agenda for action with women's rights at its core. Since then, women's rights have enjoyed increased recognition, but also faced strong contestation. The EU remains a strong defender of women's rights. To guide its action, the Commission is soon to propose a roadmap on women's rights in the EU, while the European �Ϸ��վ has called for an EU charter on women's rights.

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Pe scurt - Zero tolerance for female genital mutilation - 04-02-2025

Tue, 04 Feb 2025 07:52:16 GMT

As part of broader efforts to combat all forms of violence against women and girls, the European Union (EU) is committed to working collectively to eradicate female genital mutilation (FGM) and to supporting its Member States' efforts in this field. The European Commission assesses EU measures to combat FGM every year, on or around 6 February – the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. This publication is a further update of an 'at a glance' note originally published in January 2015.

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Briefing - The gender dimension of asylum claims - 22-01-2025

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 23:00:00 GMT

In recent years, the European Union has faced a significant number of asylum applications, with over 513 000 applications received in the first half of 2024 alone. Women and girls make up a substantial proportion of asylum seekers, with one in three asylum-seekers being female. In international law, the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention is the main instrument regulating asylum. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Istanbul Convention provide a framework for protecting the rights of women who seek protection. The EU has developed a common European asylum system that has gradually incorporated gender-sensitive elements in legal texts such as the Qualification Directive, the Asylum Procedures Directive and the Reception Conditions Directive. These directives offer special protection to vulnerable individuals, including women and children. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has played a crucial role in advancing a gender-sensitive approach in EU asylum law, acknowledging the specific experiences and circumstances of women and other vulnerable individuals seeking protection in the EU. The CJEU has recognised gender-based violence as a form of persecution and grounds for asylum or subsidiary protection. It has also acknowledged the importance of considering the individual circumstances and experiences of asylum seekers, particularly women and girls, who may face persecution or harm owing to their adherence to certain values or lifestyles. This aligns with a more gender-sensitive approach in EU asylum law and policy in recent years. Nevertheless continued progress is needed to address the human rights challenges faced by women and girls in asylum procedures.

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Briefing - Commitments made at the confirmation hearings of the Commissioners-designate 2024-2029 - 10-01-2025

Thu, 09 Jan 2025 23:00:00 GMT

Commitments made at the confirmation hearings of the Commissioners-designate 2024-2029

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Pe scurt - Taxation's impact on gender equality in the EU - 08-01-2025

Wed, 08 Jan 2025 16:43:28 GMT

Equality between men and women is one of the key foundational principles of the European Union. Despite much progress, however, significant gaps persist between men and women regarding employment opportunities and income levels. Taxation can either mitigate or exacerbate these gender inequalities. On 13 January 2025, the European �Ϸ��վ's Subcommittee on Tax Matters (FISC) is due to hold a public hearing on the topic.

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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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Pe scurt - Updating the European strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities - 11-12-2024

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 14:21:18 GMT

The European disability rights strategy for 2021-2030 is due to be updated, since the list of initiatives published in 2021 only goes up to 2025. During its December plenary session, �Ϸ��վ is expected to hold a debate on the new initiatives the European Commission should commit to for the 2025-2030 period.

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Briefing - Understanding EU policies for people with disabilities - 28-11-2024

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 14:15:40 GMT

The EU and its Member States have signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and use its definition of disability as a common reference at EU level. There is no other harmonised definition of disability in the EU. The recent introduction of the Global Activity Limitation Instrument indicator (GALI) in most of Eurostat's social and economic surveys offers the opportunity to have a clearer assessment of disability in the EU than before. It confirms that in 2023 the prevalence of disability was higher among female, older and less educated respondents. The EU combats all forms of discrimination alongside and in support of its Member States. To improve the situation of people with disabilities, it has introduced a series of initiatives, programmes and strategies over a number of decades. �Ϸ��վ has been highly active in the bid to end all forms of discrimination against people with disabilities, since the early 1980s. In 1997, Article 13 of the Treaty establishing the European Community on the human right not to suffer discrimination on grounds, in particular, of disability, paved the way for a genuine disability policy. The first step in this regard was the adoption of a 2001-2006 action programme to combat discrimination. Later, the 2010-2020 European disability strategy sought to enable people with disabilities to exercise their rights and participate fully in society and the economy. The 2021-2030 strategy, incorporating lessons learned from its predecessor, seeks to ensure that all persons with disabilities in the EU, regardless of their sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, age or sexual orientation: enjoy their human rights; have equal access to participation in society and the economy; can decide where, how and with whom they live; can move freely in the EU regardless of their support needs; and no longer experience discrimination. This is an update of a briefing published in November 2023.

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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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Pe scurt - 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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