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e-zine nEUws, 35th edition
28 April 2004
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Controversy about abortion and rights of same-sex couples: European Parliament rejects Annual Report 2003 on the situation as regards fundamental rights in the EU
On April 1st, the European Parliament rejected at plenary its Annual Report 2003 on fundamental rights in the European Union.
The report, which had been presented by Ms Boumediene-Thiery (France, Green Party) stressed the fact that many women are still denied the right to abortion in the EU and urged the Member States to guarantee the equal access of all women, including young, poor and immigrant women, to safe and legal abortion, emergency contraception, affordable reproductive and sexual health services and sex education.
It also called on the Member States to recognise unmarried partnerships - between both couples of different sexes and same-sex couples - and to link them to the same rights as apply to marriage. The report aroused strong opposition from conservative MEPs and was rejected on the final vote.
Source: European Parliament
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De Keyser report finally approved!
Strasbourg, 22/04/2004 (Agence Europe) - Despite the opposition of the EPP-ED Group, the European Parliament adopted, on Thursday, the report by Belgian Socialist Véronique De Keyser on human rights in the world in 2003 by 189 votes to 111 and 29 abstentions. The amendments of the EPP-ED were rejected. They were aimed at removing the passages of the text on education and prevention in reproductive health. Neither did the EPP-ED Group manage to prevent the adoption of paragraphs on the rights of disabled persons to education, training and mobility. With the adoption of joint amendments from the PES, ELDR, Greens/EFA and GUE, the plenary even strengthened several aspects of the report.
Choosing to grant a large place of its report to reproductive health, that some adopted as "perhaps a new" albeit legitimate dimension of these rights (for example Italian Radical Gianfranco Dell-Alba), Véronique De Keyser was the object of criticism from part of the gathering, which felt that the right to health does not have its rightful place in this debate. Ms De Keyser defended her argument passionately, evoking the fate of women - and men - who throughout the world do not have access to sex education allowing births to be spaced out and devastating sexually transmissible diseases to be avoided. She also urges for the right of persons with disabilities (10% of the world population, a percentage that is on the rise) and for combating terrorism in respect of human rights. Christopher Patten, who shares this analysis, spoke of the discrimination suffered by disabled persons but also by women and girls who, in developing countries, fall victim to sexually transmissible diseases and who are ostracised even more than their partners. Dick Roche, Council President, said he was shocked to learn that three quarters of disabled persons are to be found in developing countries. He also defends the right to acceptable conditions of reproductive heatlh for all. On the subject of terrorism, the causes must first of all be tackled, and this requires tough measures if it is really to be combated, he added.
On the side of the MEPs, Ms De Keyser has nothing but allies. Some did not appreciate her way of tackling the problem of terrorism - mainly British Conservatives Geoffrey van Orden (instead of bringing Israel into question, it should denounce other "corrupt" regimes) and Lord Stockton, as well as Jean-Thomas Nordmann (EPP-ED, France), who believes it necessary to "invent the right of legitimate democratic defence against terrorism". Others were offended by her remarks on reproductive health, like Michael Gahler (EPP-ED, Germany) and José Ribeiro i Castro (UEN, Portugal), who refuses any link between health and the right to abortion. The views expressed by others were more mitigated. Good content, unfortunate drafting, considers Dutch Liberal Bob van den Bos. It was thought that everything would be better after the end of the blocs and Cold War but there has never been such violence and fear, Alain Krivine (French Revolutionary Communist League) complained, voicing opposition to the "liberticide" definition of terrorism.
Source: Agence Europe
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New commissioners
Major changes have been taking place at the European Commission in the last few weeks. While well-known faces have been leaving the Brussels scene, last week the ten future "associate" commissioners have been questioned by MEPs.
Three out of 20 "old" commissioners have already returned or will soon return to their home countries. Although the commission's mandate does not end before November, in a time of high job insecurity, commissioners menaced by approaching unemployment have started to fill out application forms, embellish their CVs and take the dust off old connections well ahead of time.
The first to have been successful in this job hunting activity is Greek social-affairs commissioner Anna Diamantopolou, a socialist, who gave up her job at the EC to stand for Greece's general election last month. She is thus trusting a man, Stavros C. Dimas, to carry on her work advancing the principle of gender neutrality in the supply of goods and services. Stavros C. Dimas has studied law and economics in Greece and the USA and has worked as a lawyer for the World Bank and Sullivan & Cromwell, a Wall Street Law Firm. He has been elected to the Greek Parliament ten consecutive times since 1977 and has held leading posts in Greek politics. You can find his full profile under the following link:
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/commissioners/dimas/portrait_en.html
The next one announcing to leave the college has been Spain's Pedro Solbes, the commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs, who will become Finance Minister in Zapatero's government.
In the meantime, Michel Barnier got the attractive post as new French foreign minister, but promised that “Europe will naturally remain at the heart of my attention in this new role, which will also lead me to deal with many other aspects of international relations.” He has been substituted by Jacques Barrot.
Apart from these changes in the “old commission”, ten new commissioners from accession countries will be twinned with their colleagues in the following manner:
Markos Kyprianou (Cyprus) - Michaele Schreyer (Budget)
Siim Kallas (Estonia) - Pedro Solbes (Economic and Monetary Affairs)
Péter Balázs (Hungary) - Michel Barnier (Regional Policy and Institutional Reform)
Sandra Kalniete (Latvia) - Franz Fischler (Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development)
Dalia Grybauskaite (Lithuania) - Viviane Reding (Education and Culture)
Danuta Hübner (Poland) - Pascal Lamy (Trade)
Ján Figel (Slovakia) - Erkki Liikanen (Enterprise and the Information Society)
Janez Potocnik (Slovenia) - Günter Verheugen (Enlargement)
Milo_ Kuzvart (Czech Republic) - David Byrne (Health and Consumer Protection)
Last but not least, Joe Borg from Malta will be "twinned" with Poul Nielson (Development and Humanitarian Aid).
While no accession country has a strong tradition of development cooperation, Malta is lagging far behind in establishing one, dedicating only 0.12% of its GNI to official development assistance. This is why the choice of Mr Borg did come somehow as a surprise. A lawyer with a strong background in European Affairs, he has not gained any experience in development issues so far.
Here a link to his answers given in the questionnaire required by the EP (go to: http://www.europarl.eu.int/hearings/commission/2004_enlarg/pdf/answer_borg_en.pdf)
Observers have noted that Mr Borg gave the impression of having a weak knowledge of development issues, although he seemed a well-prepared school-boy giving "politically correct" answers when questioned by the European Parliament. His openness on SRHR is unlikely to be particularly strong, although he pays lip-service to them.
In the evaluation letter addressed by the individual chairman of the parliamentary committees to the chairman of the Conference of Committee Chairmen, the acting chairman described Mr Borg as having given "a convincing impression of his personal and professional capacities and his aptitude to assume the high office he has been proposed for. However, we remain to be convinced of his expertise and political vision in certain areas regarding development cooperation and the fight against poverty."
Source: European Commission, European Parliament
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Call for proposals for the National Programme for Poland, PL2002/000-580.03.04 Small Project Fund 2002 issued by the Baltyk Euroregion
Euroregion Baltyk is seeking proposals for the projects with a positive cross border impact and in accordance with the following priorities
(a) Local Economic Development including tourism;
(b) Health;
(c) Information and Communication;
(d) Cultural Exchanges;
(e) Training, Employment Education;
in the area of the Polish side of the Euroregion Baltyk with financial assistance from the National Programme for Poland 2002; programme of the European Communities.
The full Guidelines for Grant Applicants are available for consultation at:
Stowarzyszenie Gmin RP Euroregionu Baltyk
82-300 Elblag; ul. Sw Ducha 3/4
tel. (+48 (prefix) 55) 235 55 99
fax. (+48 (prefix) 55) 236 10 10
sekel@eurobalt.org.pl
And on the following Internet site: www.eurobalt.org.pl
The deadline for submission of proposals is 7 June 2004 at 3pm.
Source: EuropeAid
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Commission allocates EUR 22.5 million for humanitarian aid operations
The European Commission has adopted three decisions totalling EUR 22.5 million for humanitarian programmes in Tajikistan (EUR 8 million), Central Africa and the Horn of Africa (ECHO Flight: EUR 9 million) and Sri Lanka (EUR 5.5 million). These funds are managed by the Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO) under the responsibility of Commissioner Poul Nielson. They will help pay for better access to healthcare and nutrition programmes, improvements to food and water supplies and sanitation systems, humanitarian transport services and support for refugees and displaced people. Programmes will be implemented through international organisations and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) working in the target regions.
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USA: Global Gag Rule Rescinded |
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Today, US-American president Barack Obama rescinded "The Mexico City Policy", also known as the “Global Gag Rule”. First imposed by the Reagan Administration in 1984, this policy directed the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to withhold funds from foreign NGOs that provide abortion information or counselling to women or lobbied foreign governments to legalise or make abortion available. For more information, go here. |
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Report: Maternal Health in Gaza |
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The Lancet.com has published a serious of report from for health-care workers on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. To read a report by Hatem Shurrab, an aid worker with Islamic Relief, on the current maternal health situation in Gaza, go here. |
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