New rules adopted for quick and smooth removal of terrorist content online
Apr 28 2021
New rules adopted for quick and smooth removal of terrorist content online

News | European Parliament

  • Platforms will have maximum one hour to remove flagged content
  • Educational, research, artistic and journalistic work will be protected
  • No general obligation to monitor or filter content

A new law to address the dissemination of terrorist content online was approved by Parliament on Wednesday.

The new regulation will target content such as texts, images, sound recordings or videos, including live transmissions, that incite, solicit or contribute to terrorist offences, provide instructions for such offences or solicit people to participate in a terrorist group. In line with the definitions of offences included in the Directive on combating terrorism, it will also cover material that provides guidance on how to make and use explosives, firearms and other weapons for terrorist purposes.


Terrorist content must be removed within one hour


Hosting service providers will have to remove or disable access to flagged terrorist content in all member states within one hour of receiving a removal order from the competent authority. Member states will adopt rules on penalties, the degree of which will take into account the nature of the breach and the size of company responsible.


Protection of educational, artistic, research and journalistic material


Content uploaded for educational, journalistic, artistic or research purposes, or used for awareness-raising purposes, will not be considered terrorist content under these new rules.


No general obligation to monitor or filter content


Internet platforms will not have a general obligation to monitor or filter content. However, when competent national authorities have established a hosting service provider is exposed to terrorist content, the company will have to take specific measures to prevent its propagation. It will then be up to the service provider to decide what specific measures to take to prevent this from happening, and there will be no obligation to use automated tools. Companies should publish annual transparency reports on what action they have taken to stop the dissemination of terrorist content.


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The rapporteur Patryk JAKI (ECR, PL) said: “Terrorists recruit, share propaganda and coordinate attacks on the internet. Today we have established effective mechanisms allowing member states to remove terrorist content within a maximum of one hour all around the European Union. I strongly believe that what we achieved is a good outcome, which balances security and freedom of speech and expression on the internet, protects legal content and access to information for every citizen in the EU, while fighting terrorism through cooperation and trust between states.”


Next steps


The Regulation will enter into force on the twentieth day following publication in the Official Journal. It will start applying 12 months after its entry into force.

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Digital Green Certificate: MEPs to review Commission proposal
Apr 12 2021
Digital Green Certificate: MEPs to review Commission proposal

News | European Parliament

On Tuesday, MEPs will take a detailed look at the proposed Digital Green Certificate, the aim of which is to ensure the freedom of movement within the EU during the pandemic.

Commissioner for Justice, Mr Didier Reynders will present the proposal tabled on 17 March, which the Commission hopes to introduce for the start of Europe’s summer tourism season.

The Certificate would constitute proof that a person has been either vaccinated against COVID-19, received a negative test result, or already recovered from the disease. The document should be free, and available in digital or paper format.

Privacy of personal and medical data

In order to assess the data protection implications of the proposed Certificate, MEPs will also discuss on Tuesday with the European Data Protection Supervisor, Mr Wojciech Wiewiórowski, who will present the joint opinion by the EDPS and the European Data Protection Board on the Commission’s proposal.

During the 24 March’s plenary debate with Commission and Council representatives, a majority MEPs supported the swift creation of the Digital Green Certificate. However, in doing so many emphasised the need for strong data protection safeguards on personal and medical data. MEPs also warned that those who have not been vaccinated must not face discrimination.

When: Tuesday, 13 April, from 10.25 to 12.00.

Where: European Parliament in Brussels, Paul-Henri Spaak building (room 1A002) and per video-conference.

You can follow the meeting live.

Background

Plenary agreed on 25 March to deal with the legislative proposals on the Digital Green Certificate under the Parliament’s urgent procedure (Rule 163), which allows for faster parliamentary scrutiny of Commission’s proposals, while fully respecting the Parliament’s democratic prerogatives. MEPs are expected to adopt their mandate for negotiations with the Council, which may include amendments, in the next plenary session (26-29 April).

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MEPs: Companies must no longer cause harm to people and planet with impunity
Mar 10 2021
MEPs: Companies must no longer cause harm to people and planet with impunity
  • Due diligence requires companies to identify, address and remedy their impact on human rights and the environment throughout their value chain
  • Rules should apply to companies operating in EU internal market, including those from outside the EU
  • Sanctions for non-compliance and legal support for victims of corporations in third countries
  • Ban on import of products linked to severe human rights violations such as forced or child labour

Parliament paves the way for a new EU law that requires companies to address human rights and environmental standards within their value chains.

The legislative initiative report (adopted on Wednesday by 504 votes in favour, 79 against and 112 abstention) calls for the urgent adoption of a binding EU law that ensures companies are held accountable and liable when they harm – or contribute to harming – human rights, the environment and good governance. It must also guarantee that victims can access legal remedies. The Commission has announced it will present its legislative proposal on the matter later this year.

Sustainability and good governance

Binding EU due diligence rules would oblige companies to identify, address and remedy aspects of their value chain (all operations, direct or indirect business relations, investment chains) that could or do infringe on human rights (including social, trade union and labour rights), the environment (contributing to climate change or deforestation, for example) and good governance (such as corruption and bribery).

MEPs stress that due diligence is primarily a preventative instrument that requires companies to take proportionate measures based on the likelihood and severity of the impact, the sector of activity, the size and length of the value chain and size of the undertaking.

Bringing about change beyond EU borders

Companies that want to access the EU internal market, including those established outside the EU, would have to prove that they comply with environmental and human rights due diligence obligations.

Parliament calls for additional measures, including a ban on importing products linked to severe human rights violations such as forced or child labour. EU trade agreements should include these aims in their trade and sustainable development chapters. MEPs also ask the Commission to thoroughly review whether companies based in Xinjiang exporting to the EU are involved in human rights breaches, especially those related to repression of Uighurs.

In order to guarantee effective reparations for victims, companies should be held liable for their actions and be fined for causing harm or contributing to it, unless they can prove that they have acted in line with due diligence obligations and taken measures to prevent such harm. The rights of victims or stakeholders in third countries – who are especially vulnerable – would also be better protected, as they would be able to take companies to court under EU law.

Broad scope and help for SMEs

To create a level playing field, the future legislative framework on due diligence should be broad and apply to all large undertakings governed by EU law or established in the European Union, including those providing financial services. The rules should also apply to publicly listed SMEs and high-risk SMEs, which should receive technical assistance to comply with the requirements.

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“This new law on corporate due diligence will set the standard for responsible business conduct in Europe and beyond. We refuse to accept that deforestation or forced labour are part of global supply chains. Companies will have to avoid and address harm done to people and planet in their supply chains.The new rules will give victims a legal right to access support and to seek reparations, and will ensure fairness, a level playing field and legal clarity for all businesses, workers and consumers”, said rapporteur Lara Wolters (S&D, NL).

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Negotiations on amount of tax multinationals pay in each EU country
Mar 4 2021
Negotiations on amount of tax multinationals pay in each EU country
  • Multinationals will have to disclose amount of tax they pay in each EU country
  • The public and tax authorities will be able to see what taxes are being paid where
  • Negotiations on final shape of EU bill set to begin very shortly

Four years after Parliament adopted its position on draft legislation on public country-by-country reporting, EU governments come to the table to negotiate a deal.

On Thursday, Parliament’s lead negotiators, Evelyn Regner (S&D, AT) and Ibán García Del Blanco (S&D, ES), were officially given the green light to enter into negotiations with the EU governments’ representatives, based on the position the EP adopted in 2017. Last week, member states were able to agree their negotiating position. These negotiations are now set to begin very shortly.

Evelyn Regner said:

“This is a breakthrough for tax fairness in the EU. Public country-by-country reporting will oblige multinational companies to be financially transparent about where they make profits and where they pay taxes. Especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, where companies are receiving considerable support from public spending, citizens have an even greater right to know which multinationals are playing fair and which are free-riding.”

Ibán García Del Blanco said:

“We have been waiting for the Council for too long. We are ready to start negotiations immediately in order to reach an agreement under the Portuguese Presidency, thereby making progress on tax and corporate transparency. We urgently need meaningful financial transparency to fight tax evasion and profit shifting. Citizens’ trust in our democracies depends on everyone contributing their fair share to the recovery.”

The European Parliament’s main additions

The Parliament’s position adds to the Commission’s original proposal, notably in the following ways:

  • the information requested from multinationals should be presented separately, including for each tax jurisdiction outside the EU;
  • multinationals must make their annual report on income tax information publicly available and free of charge, and file the report in a public registry managed by the Commission;
  • a safeguard clause for sensitive corporate data has been added, allowing multinationals to temporarily omit information when disclosing it would be seriously prejudicial to their commercial positions;
  • additional items of information will be provided in the tax reports to help achieve a more complete picture, such as information on the number of all full-time employees, fixed assets, stated capital, preferential tax treatment, or government subsidies;
  • subsidiaries with a turnover of EUR 750 million or more would also be subject to country-by-country reporting requirements.

Background

This legislation is part of the EU’s regulatory measures to implement the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plan 13. In essence, multinationals with annual turnovers of more than EUR 750 million will be required to provide an annual tax statement that breaks down key elements of the statements by tax jurisdiction. This will provide the public and tax authorities with more visibility on what taxes are being paid where.

On 4 July 4 2017, Parliament adopted its amendments to the Commission’s proposal. It then reconfirmed its position in its first reading on March 27, 2019. On 24 October 2019, MEPs passed a strong resolution urgently calling on the member states to break the deadlock and enter inter-institutional negotiations.

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Fact-finding regarding alleged violations of fundamental rights involving Frontex.
Mar 3 2021
Fact-finding regarding alleged violations of fundamental rights involving Frontex.

The EP Frontex Scrutiny Working Group (FSWG) will meet on Thursday with the agency’s Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri and Commissioner Ylva Johansson.

The fourteen-member working group has been set up to assess the functioning of the European border agency, following media reports that it was allegedly involved in pushbacks of asylum-seekers in Aegean waters. Suspicions of mismanagement led to several inquiries, both internally and by different EU bodies, such as OLAF (the EU’s anti-fraud office) and the Ombudsman’s office.

Chaired by Roberta Metsola (EPP, MT), the FSWG will carry out a fact-finding investigation in its first four months, gathering all relevant information and evidence regarding alleged violations of fundamental rights involving Frontex.

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Migration situation on the Canary Islands: committee debate
Mar 1 2021
Migration situation on the Canary Islands: committee debate

MEPs will assess the situation on the Canary Islands, following the surge in migrants’ arrivals in the last months and the limited reception capacity.

The Civil Liberties Committee will discuss the latest developments with Commissioner Ylva Johansson, President of the Canary Islands Ángel Víctor Torres and a representative of the NGO Spanish Commission for Refugees (CEAR).

According to the Spanish Government, 23 023 migrants and asylum-seekers landed on the archipelago last year irregularly from Africa by boat (compared with 2 687 in 2019). Most of them arrived in the last few months of 2020, leaving reception centres overwhelmed. Combined with the public health restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this led to the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation and sparked some protests among the local population.

National and regional authorities are speeding up the construction of emergency accommodation, but in the meantime, people are being housed between makeshift camps and tourism resorts, mostly empty because of the pandemic.

According to UNHCR data, up to 81% of migrants arriving by boat on the Canary Islands are men, mostly from Morocco, Mali, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. The sea crossing from the African coast can be as short as around 100 km, but the strong currents make it a perilous journey. According to Missing Migrants, in November 2020 alone, the month with most arrivals, over 500 people lost their lives trying to make it to the Canary Islands.

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Attacks on abortion rights and breaches of the rule of law in Poland | European Parliament
Feb 23 2021
Attacks on abortion rights and breaches of the rule of law in Poland | European Parliament

, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20210219IPR98207/

On Wednesday, MEPs will discuss women’s rights and the rule of law in Poland with Commissioner Dalli and civil society representatives.

The hearing is jointly organised by the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality committees. It will focus on the impact of measures and attacks on women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights in Poland, such as the right to access healthcare, the right to privacy, and the right to education. The hearing will also examine how various communities still face discrimination, in conjunction with the deteriorating situation of the rule of law.

On Wednesday, MEPs will discuss women’s rights and the rule of law in Poland with Commissioner Dalli and civil society representatives.

The hearing is jointly organised by the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality committees. It will focus on the impact of measures and attacks on women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights in Poland, such as the right to access healthcare, the right to privacy, and the right to education. The hearing will also examine how various communities still face discrimination, in conjunction with the deteriorating situation of the rule of law.

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Migrants and asylum seekers on the Greek islands: committee debate
Jan 26 2021
Migrants and asylum seekers on the Greek islands: committee debate

MEPs will discuss on Wednesday the situation on the Greek islands and the plans to establish a new reception and identification centre on Lesvos.

In a debate with representatives of the European Commission and the NGO Greek Council for Refugees, the Civil Liberties Committee will look into the latest figures on the number of people arriving and staying in reception and emergency shelters, and assess the humanitarian situation on the ground. According to UNHCR, there are currently around 18,500 migrants and asylum-seekers stranded on the Aegean islands.

MEPs will also learn from the European Commission about the project involving EU bodies and the Greek authorities to set up a new reception centre on the island of Lesvos by early September 2021. The plan was agreed in the aftermath of the fire that destroyed the Moria camp in September last year. It should contribute to offering adequate reception conditions for asylum-seekers whilst ensuring the necessary screening and identification take place, and that asylum and return procedures are managed more quickly.


When: Wednesday, 27 January, from 14.35 to 16.15


Where: European Parliament in Brussels, József Antall building, room 2Q2 & via remote participation.

You can follow the meeting live.


Background

The EU response to the humanitarian crisis following the destruction of the Moria camp was the focus of a plenary debate with Commissioner Ylva Johansson just after the fire, on 17 September 2020. Last week, MEPs assessed again in plenary the situation of refugees and migrants at the EU’s external borders.

The Civil Liberties Committee has repeatedly called on the EU and the Greek Government to adopt measures to improve the living conditions of refugees on the Aegean islands and ensure their asylum-claims are processed smoothly.

The current turmoil surrounding the EU border agency Frontex, whose alleged involvement in pushbacks of asylum-seekers in Aegean waters has prompted an internal investigation, as well as calls from the European Parliament for more transparency to ensure respect of human rights, is likely to be raised during the debate too.

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