Integrazione contro integralismo: Sappiamo già chi deve avere la meglio

autore: Giusi Bivona

Bruxelles, 22 novembre 2014 - Da anni si sente parlare di integrazione, di convivenza pacifica, di unione di popoli di diverse etnie, culture e religioni, una unione tanto cercata ed auspicata su più livelli, sia a livello sociale sia a livello politico ed istituzionale.

A livello internazionale, e in particolar modo a livello europeo, i legislatori nazionali hanno cercato di adottare leggi e provvedimenti al fine di garantire quella coesione tanto desiderata quanto dovuta, essendo i Paesi ormai un crogiuolo di popoli di diverse culture, che più o meno spontaneamente si ritrovano a convivere in un Paese, anche solo semplicemente per cercare un’occupazione.

A livello europeo, le maggiori istituzioni di Bruxelles hanno cercato negli anni di pubblicizzare e “divulgare” tra i paesi membri dell’UE gli strumenti e i mezzi idonei a combattere qualsiasi forma di razzismo, cercando di creare un grande calderone in cui possano convivere culture diverse, che vivano e si arricchiscano con e attraverso la diversità. A colpi di sentenze poi, la Corte europea dei diritti dell’uomo ha costantemente cercato di sanzionare le diverse forme di violazione del principio di parità tra gli uomini, emettendo pesanti sanzioni per i cinquantadue paesi membri del Consiglio d’Europa che non avessero adeguato il proprio ordinamento interno al multiculturalismo ed all’integrazione.

Soil protection for a sustainable future.

Author: Tommaso Leso

Does soil matter? As 2015 has been chosen by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as the International Year of Soils, we can confidently say yes, it does. The main goal of this initiative, according to the organisation, is to “raise full awareness among civil society and decision makers about the profound importance of soil for human life”. 
Working on these premises, the Green/European Free Alliance political group at the European Parliament has organised a public conference entitled “Why Soil Matters? A European Perspective” on Wednesday, 18 November 2015. One of the aims of the conference was to bring the issue back on the European political agenda after the failure of last year, when the proposal for a Soil Framework Directive, which would have provided binding legal protection to soil through instruments such as a mandatory soil status report to be provided by landowners wanting to sell land, was withdrawn by the European Commission. 
It is still too early to judge if the organisers succeeded in securing this goal. As one should expect from an event organised and promoted by the Green/EFA group, the presence of an ideological drive behind the various panels is noticeable: this, however, does nothing to detract from their significance and interest, and I personally learned a lot about soil, its importance and the intertwined environmental, economic and political interests around it.
The absence of the keynote speaker, environmental activist and writer Vandana Shiva, was in no way detrimental to the overall quality of the event. She was replaced by Olivier de Schutter, former (2008-2014) United Nations special rapporteur on the right to food, who offered a very informative and passionate speech on agroecology, describing its advantages over the current dominant approaches to agriculture and offering suggestions on how to overcome the heavy resistance that corporations and political institutions oppose to its dissemination. 

Microfinance in the EU: an instrument to fight the economic crisis

Author: Matteo Placidini

 

 

On 10^th November 2015, the Employment committee of the European Parliament adopted with a large consensus a report on the implementation of the European Progress Microfinance facility. Commenting the decision, the report author Sven Schulze, a German member of the European People’s Party, said: “The instrument works as a whole, but unfortunately sufficient funding is not always guaranteed. The European Commission must therefore find a solution quickly in order to make Progress Microfinance even better in the future." The instrument is working effectively but it needs some improvements to reach higher results. As the Employment committee added, the grant of money should be combined with other supporting actions, such as the assistance to create effective business plans and with bookeeping.

The programme is funded by the EU and the European Investment Bank and has the objective to increase the availability of loans - below € 25.000 - to start or develop small business. The mechanism is based on giving a total guarantee of € 200 millions to banks and financial institutions so as to obtain more loans and better conditions for borrowers.

Refugee crisis and job are centrals in the EU budget 2016: will it be enough?

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/plenary/en/home.html

Author: Matteo Placidini

If we should prepare a list of the most critical issues Europe is currently living, we should certainly put on the first position unemployment  and the refugee crisis.  We could say that the EU is tackling these problems on two different fronts: the first one is internal, namely the economic crisis, and hits particularly young citizens and small-medium enterprises. The second one is external, since European countries must cope with a huge number of migrants coming from outside their borders.

This context requires a quick response and Europe needs a change of gear of its policies on these topics and, consequently, more significant investments.

Indeed, the EP must have taken in strong consideration these two issues in the last plenary session. As a matter of fact, the EU budget for 2016, approved on 25 November 2015, provides relevant changes.

Concerning the refugee crisis, the European budget has more than doubled, increasing from 658 million Euros in 2015 to 1,6 billion Euros in 2016. Furthermore, an amendment invites the member states to invest 2,3 billion Euros to finance the Africa Trust Fund and the Syria Trust Fund, two important instruments to tackle the problem at its origin.

Sustainable energy transition: employment threat or opportunity?

author: Rick Van Assel

Brussels, november 25 - The European think tank "Confrontations Europe" held a debate Wednesday the 25^th of November on the transition to a greener economy, a great challenge for our future. The European Economic and Social Committee’s (EESC) Jacques Delors building hosted several stakeholders, including EESC’s president and a representative of the European Commission. They discussed the possibility of a disruptive impact on employment of moving to a low-carbon economy.

The transition of a fossil fuel dominated economy to a more environmentally friendly energy mix has been raising a lot of attention the last year. A cleaner economy should contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, thus keeping the danger of global warming under control. In the first week of December, more than 190 countries are gathering in Paris where they hope to come to a legally binding agreement that keeps global warming below the critical 2°C. This will have, without a doubt, consequences for the European industry and economy.

The European Commission has already taken its responsibility and launched the EU2030 energy strategy one year ago. This framework includes three EU-wide targets: reducing greenhouse gas emissions with 40% (compared with 1990), at least 27% of energy consumption should come from renewables and there should be a reduction of energy use with at least 27%. “The perspective of the Commission is driven by three objectives. We want more energy security, a more competitive energy sector and a more sustainable energy system”, said Marten Westrup, team leader at the Directorate-General Energy (the European equivalent of a national ministry of energy) of the European Commission.

Iratxe García Pérez urges for a European effort against gender violence

Author: Maria Dominguez Hervas

Brussels, november 25 - During the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, on November 25^th, Iratxe García Pérez, chair of the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee (FEMM), and Dimitrios Papadimoulis, the Vice-president of the European Parliament responsible for gender equality and diversity agreed on the fact that Europe has still a long way to go before ending with cruelty against women. During the conference on the elimination of violence against women organized in Strasburg by the FEMM committee, Pérez García urged EU institutions and Member States to commit and to take measures at European level in order to prevent the violation of women’s rights.

Even nowadays, 25 years after the United Nations launched the International Day of the elimination of Violence against women, “machismo kills.” The chair of the FEMM committee, Iratxe García Pérez, highlighted during the International Conference held the 25^th November in Strasburg that half of the world’s population is vulnerable face to an unequal society that still tolerates macho violence in its diverse forms. According to the 2014 report issued by the Agency of Fundamental Rights, at least 9 million women living in the 28 member states have suffered physical, sexual or psychological violence at work, at home or in the public space. For García Pérez, this is an extensive human rights violation that the EU institutions must not overlook. Greater efforts at European level must be made in order to end with “one of the largest social plagues that exists in the world at this moment.”

The Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee, claims for the need of a European Directive to guide member states’ legislation to prevent the violation of women’s fundamental rights. However, the European Commission excuses the lack of a concrete strategy against gender violence arguing that Europe has not competences to legislate on this topic.

In order to elaborate a European strategy against gender violence, García Pérez states, it is fundamental to establish common standards to recognize and act upon gender violence. At present, the Treaty of the European Union contemplates two terms: “victims of trafficking” and “victims of sexual violence,” but it does not include the more global notion of “victims of gender violence”. For Iratxe García Pérez this lack of wording hides the reality of millions of women and girls around the world who suffer diverse abuses for the mere fact of being women. García Pérez recommends, thus, including the notion of “victims of gender violence” in order for Europe to impulse member states’ actions to prevent this human rights’ violation.

The EU turns orange for the Elimination of violence against women

Author: Hanne Van De Ven

On 25 November the European Parliament building in Strasbourg lit up orange to show support for United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. While the building shined bright on the outside, a heated debate went on within. The facts do not lie: one in third of the European women have faced physical or sexual violence, or both, and every day seven women are killed by gender-based violence in the EU. In presence of Věra Jourová, the Commissioner of Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, the European Parliamentary Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) expressed the need for change.

Article 8 of the Lisbon Treaty addresses the equality between men and women in the EU. According to the Treaty, all Member States should take all necessary steps to fight domestic violence and support the victims. However not all Member States have introduced effective laws protecting women against violence. In some countries, a formal complaint must be submitted by the victim before legal action can be taken. This is inefficient as most crimes go unreported because the victims feel afraid or ashamed. For this reason, Iratxe García Pérez of the FEMM called on the Commission, the Parliament and the Council to give the EU the power to combat gender-based violence, by introducing legislation for all Member States.

The cultural constraints of women’s rights on the pacific islands

Author: Laura Nobel 

Brussels, 22.11.2015  - A year-long research conducted by a team of anthropologists, lawyers and a filmmaker sheds new light into the complexity of gender equality among societies in 10 pacific islands such as Fiji, Solomon, federated state of Micronesia and Samoa.  The presentation was held on November 20 at the European Commission.

The topic of human rights and gender equality is an important topic within the European framework and is funded to obtain equality on a global scale.  Gender inequality seems to be inevitable in societies bound by the roles in which each gender is expected to behave. This puts women in a state of gender objectification and limits their chances of a future beyond that. To stress the current situation of gender inequality, the research showed that in one of the villages interviewed, 9 out of 12 women is or has been beaten by their husband. 8 out of those 9 women justify their husband’s action and felt it is what they deserved. 

Cultural values in the researched societies complicate the discussion for gender equality. Although these points cite inequality that one would conclude from an uncivil society; this is not the case. Respect, mutuality, social harmony and kindness are values well established in these regions. There is a weak understanding of gender and the fluency of its roles, which is the main cause of the inequalities established. A married woman’s status is defined by that of her husband.

We, the Young European, are not afraid.

Author: Gabriella Arcifa

Brussels, November 21th - We, the young Europeans, didn't really know the war until late this autumn, autumn that looks already like winter. It is a different war from the ones we studied in the history books, It is the War of Terror.  Brussels on November 21, at our wake up, under the first snow flakes, we heard that the city is controlled by police and manned by soldier patrols. They are searching for terrorists. This people, young people like us, between 20 and 30 years, were born and educated in Europe, just like us. The media says that in Molenbeek the searches are still continuing and the houses are rounded up one by one.  Many people were arrested, others are underway. A small arsenal of weapons, including chemical was founded. And now, while we are reading news from the Belgian National Crisis Centre, it is worth remembering that we are here in Bruxelles "pour l'Europe unie" and that we are not at all discouraged!  Coming from different European cities, we started on November 12, our project "Be Ready 4 EU", organized by the Association Europe HOpes. We are 10 young European citizens, interested in understanding the European Union functioning and inform the European citizens about how and if an integration among different national states is indeed possible.   And, why not, if we, young Europeans, may have our say to influence the decision-making process at the Union level, as the professional lobbyists do here in the Big Apple of Europe. We were excited and happy before the evening of November 13, when the events in Paris left a “wound” on all of us and the whole democratic world. That night our sleep was restless and for the first time in our lives, at the wake up, we were afraid of war at our door steps!

Europe: last chance? A European response to migration and terrorism

author: Tommaso Leso

Brussels, november 19 - After the terrorist attacks of November 13 in Paris, and even more so after the discovery of the ties between some of the terrorist and the capital of Belgium, the political agenda and the media events in Brussels has undergone major changes.

Les Journées de Bruxelles, the yearly event organised at the Palais des Beaux Arts by the Belgian newspaper OBS, with the collaboration of other major Belgian newspapers (Le Soir, De Standaard) and the patronage of the European Commission and the city of Brussels, went nonetheless on as planned on Wednesday 18 and Tuesday 19 November: the attacks in Paris, however, had a powerful effect on the discussions taking place during the panel devoted to the “migratory challenges” that Europe is facing right now.

The fervent address by Dimitris Avramopoulos, EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, reminded the audience that these terrorist attacks were carried out by European citizens, born and bred in Europe – they are the product of the forty-year long lack of effective policies of inclusion. As he pointed out, “they are our citizens, and our responsibility”. He also explained that it is precisely in dire times that we must preserve our values of humanity and solidarity, not falling to populism, to fear and prejudice, to divisions within our society: the European leadership must therefore grow stronger.

"All the necessary measures": the response of the UN to the ISIS attack.

author: Martina Lima
20.11.2015 - The recent terrorist attacks in Paris revealed the weakness of the Defence and Security policy at Union level and above all, the strong need for a joint action by all the Member States.

At international level, a few days ago, the Representatives of the Member Countries of the UN security Council gathered in the glass building of New York to debate and take decision on how to fight ISIS.

The Council, condemning the dramatic events in Paris, unanimously decided to permit to the Member Countries the use of "all the necessary measures to defeat the Muslim fundamentalism, including increased measures against the so called “foreign fighters”.

The Resolution was proposed by France, in this latest year, the most hitten country by terrorism. The French Ambassador, in submitting the topic, stated: “ The attack of ISIS, was an act of war against France, but the Islamic State did not attack only France, but all over the world”.

Noi, giovani europei, non abbiamo paura! Racconto di un impegno per l'Europa Unita.

Bruxelles, 21 novembre  -   Noi, giovani europei, non conoscevamo la guerra, almeno fino a questo tardo autunno che sa già di inverno. Oggi conosciamo una guerra diversa da quella studiata sui libri di storia, strategica, del terrore. Oggi al risveglio a Bruxelles, sotto i primi fiocchi di neve, abbiamo appreso che la città è controllata dalle forze dell'ordine, presidiata dall'esercito alla ricerca di Salah e dei suoi fiancheggiatori. Loro sono giovani come noi, hanno tra i 20 e i 30 anni, nati, educati! in Europa. I  media dicono che a Molenbeek continuano le perquisizioni nelle case, rastrellate una ad una e che è stato ritrovato un piccolo arsenale di armi, anche chimiche. Mentre leggiamo i comunicati dell'unità di crisi belga, vale la pena ricordare a noi stessi che siamo qui  "pour l'europe unie" e che non siamo affatto impauriti o scoraggiati. Partiti da diverse città europee, primo appuntamento il 12 novembre, per il training "Be  Ready 4 EU", organizzato dall'associazione Europe HOpes, 10 giovani europei vogliamo comprendere e comunicare l'Unione Europea ai suoi cittadini e scoprire se una integrazione tra diverse nazioni e sovranità è davvero possibile. E perché no, noi, questi giovani europei, vogliamo anche dire la nostra e influire sui processi decisionali a livello di Unione, come fanno i lobbisti di professione qui nella grande mela d'Europa.

ICTs and internet access as tools for development and social change

Author: Giulia Semeghini

The world has never been more connected than it is today. Indeed, through new technologies and the use of internet it is now possible to communicate with everyone at a global level in just few seconds, making appear our world very small. But this is not valid for everyone.

As recently stated by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) - the United Nations (UN) specialized agency for Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) – there are four billion people in the developing countries that are still unconnected because they have no internet access. Consequently, this data points out that more than a half of the world population is totally excluded from this interconnected world and that digital divide still remains a core issue to solve.

 

With the aim to discuss about this topic, on the 17^th of November 2015, a seminar was organized at the European Parliament (EP) by the Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Marietje Schaake on behalf of the Digital Agenda Intergroup, an informal network of MEP's, cross-party and cross-nationality interested in digital technologies and their role in bringing benefits to society. The seminar, entitled “Tech for change: ICT's, internet access and the post-2015 development agenda” and led by speakers from different organizations, initially was focused on the importance of making more efforts to improve the openness and accessibility of internet.

 

In this regard, Samia Melhem, as a Lead Policy Officer in the World Bank's Transport and ICT Global Practice, highlighted that ICTs can have an important role in supporting public sector transformation, innovation and in improving health and education services. Having the goal of ending extreme poverty and boosting a shared prosperity worldwide, the World Bank sees ICTs as a fundamental tool for transformation. Particularly, she emphasized the efforts made by her Institution to promote e-government, that consists in the use of digital technologies in public administration to foster public services and democratic processes. For this reason she underlined the necessity to promote broadband in every household and reduce disparities in digital access.

Towards a new dialogue with the Eastern Countries: security or human rights?

picture from mareeq.com

Author: Hanne Van De Ven

Brussels, november 17 - Forty years ago, when an iron curtain divided the world, the USA, Canada and the countries of Western Europe, and the states of the Communist bloc, signed the Helsinki Act. This Act was intended to improve the relations in the dialogue of economic cooperation, human rights and security. As opposed to the expectations, Europe currently faces a serious division in East and West again since Russia annexed Crimea. For this reason, the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) group of the European Parliament discussed a revision for the Helsinki Act during a conference on 17 November in Brussels.

Since the establishment of the Helsinki Act, the world has globalized increasingly through developments in internet and technology. As a result, countries have become more involved with each other, particularly in trade. While the European Union (EU) supports trade by opening the borders between the Member States of the Schengen zone, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan established the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) in 2015 for similar purposes.