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NEWSLETTER July 2015 EDITORIAL 2 AEDH SUPPORTS 3 THEMATIC DOSSIER 3 Asylum and Immigration 3 Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 4 Personal Data Protection 4 NEWS OF OUR MEMBERS 5 AGENDA 6 EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS 33 rue de la Caserne 1000 Brussels (Belgium) Tel : +32 (0) 2 511 21 00 Fax : +32 (0) 2 511 32 00 Website : www.aedh.eu Email : info(at)aedh.eu N°277 EDITORIAL BY DOMINIQUE GUIBERT Is Europe’s solidarity dwindling away? July 31st, 2015 - June and July 2015 will go down in history as when the word “exit” returned centre-stage. Some people love shortcuts that simplify how we analyse situations. Following the elections in the UK, there was talk of a “Brexit”, the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. In July, the “Grexit”, Greece’s exit from the Eurozone, was on the tip of everybody’s tongue. And we aren’t finished with this (useful?) little word! There may be a “Spexit” – but only after a “Porexit”. There will be no “Irexit”, as Ireland has successfully cleaned up its finances – at least for the minority of its population that lives off financial flows. An “Itexit” may be on the cards. Who’s up next? Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom...? In reality, the sequence was launched by Jean-Claude Juncker when he took up his role as President of the European Commission, saying that his job was to avoid playing at “Last exit to Europe ”. He is right about the consequences for European integration. However, he is completely wrong about the causes of what should not be known as the “Greek crisis” but rather the “European crisis”. This series of “exits” arises from a certain vision of Europe, whereby Europe’s integration is based on a central body of references: those of current policies. Consequently, there is only one alternative: break-up. In other words, there is no room for a different Europe. Some of these countries were lumped together under the acronym “PIGS” a few years back, making it possible to divide EU member states into three groups. The “good” members in the North were thrifty and industrious, the “bad” ones in the South were spendthrift and fickle and, between them, the “neither-nor” countries were inept and envious. This way of thinking was widespread in the countries themselves, as shown by emphasis on the need for rigorous policies to avoid dependency. EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS Undoubtedly, the economists who drive economic thinking have always used these divisions as their basis. That is why, in the various stabilization plans, in the various stability mechanisms, and in the European semesters, there really are three categories of member states: those covered by a “memorandum”, those that aren’t and, in between, those that could be one day. What meaning can Europe then have? From this orthodox standpoint, what counts is the balance of power between member states and, within each country, between those who benefit from these balances of power, and those who suffer them. And Europe, which is supposed to bring countries together, is seeing ferocious competition between its member states, as shown by the atrocious asylum and migration policy that was adopted – if that is the word – during the European Council meetings of June and July. Solidarity is dwindling away in today’s Europe. The poorest are being abandoned, and inequalities are growing. Economic orthodoxy is back, and austerity is the magic remedy for all ills. Domination is prevailing over cooperation. A policy resulting in the regression of economic and social rights has been maintained, despite a series of warnings from independent UN experts, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, and civil society. This is not just a Greek tragedy. It is a European disaster. It will not be stopped by successive promises of blood and tears to the Greeks, then the Portuguese, then the Spanish. It will be stopped when solidarity takes back centre stage. NEWSLETTER N°277 JULY 2015 2 NEWS OF AEDH THEMATIC DOSSIER : ASYLUM AND IMMIGRATION The European Agenda on Migration AEDH SUPPORTS ... Deaths in the Mediterranean – as the European Union and the member states refuse to act, civil society itself takes action Basta ! How many times already civil society actors have repeated this appeal to the decision-makers in Europe to draw the consequences of the deaths in the Mediterranean – close to 2000 persons just in 2015 – and to react with the creation of a properly resourced maritime search and rescue operation and the opening of safe and legal immigration channels towards Europe to prevent multiple shipwrecks? Until now, the adopted measures have been insufficient, focusing too much on securing of borders and the pursuit of traffickers, and cannot prevent new tragedies. July 25th, 2015 - Migratory urgency they say in unison… But urgency for who ? Urgency for what ? Judging on the Member States’ recurrent statements in the last two months and their reactions to the proposals laid down in the Commission’s European Agenda on Migration (Mai, 15, 2015), for Member States, the urgency is clearly to protect borders ; those of the EU and those of their own. To that end, they managed to reach unanimity, lacking in so many other fields… Read more The dangerous route of the Balkans July 20th, 2015 - 2015 has seen significant increase in migrants’ arrivals in the Western Balkans. Most of them come from Greece and pursue their journey towards Hungary. They cross the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia. During the first semester of 2015, about 45 000 persons applied for asylum in the region. It is only a small part of the migrants crossing through the Balkans, as most of them move towards the North without registering with the public authorities. Read more Read more Acquisition of citizenship in the EU THEMATIC DOSSIER July 15th, 2015 - According to Eurostat’s last publication on acquisitions of citizenship in the EU, Member States of the EU granted citizenship to about one million persons in 2013. Most of them were of Moroccan, Turkish and Colombian origin. This represents an increase of 20% (about 163 000 persons) in comparison to 2012. Read more ASYLUM AND IMMIGRATION Statistics : the Mediterranean crisis is a « refugee crisis » July 20th, 2015 - According to the UNHCR, 137 000 persons have crossed the Mediterranean to reach Europe during the first semester of 2015, representing an increase of 86% compared to 2014. One third are coming from Syria. Read more EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS NEWSLETTER N°277 JULY 2015 3 ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS The Annual Report of the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) is now available ! Ahead of the continuation of the negotiations on TTIP on 13th July, the European Parliament adopted a really shy resolution 2 July 2015 – 2014 was a transitional year for the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS). His objective : make sure that European institutions respect European citizens’ right to see their privacy respected in the making of new European public policies. July 9th, 2015 - The European Parliament (EP) adopted the report on TTIP in the plenary session of the 8th of July with a majority of 436 votes. AEDH positively appreciates that a public debate on the state of play of the TTIP negotiations took place in the European Parliament, but it considers that the resolution adopted is quite shy. Real prelude to the ratification of the Treaty by the Parliament the resolution sends a contradictory message – that pretends to satisfy both TTIP advocates and its opponents – to the European Commission that has received by the member states the mandate to lead the negotiations with the United States. Read more Labour exploitation of migrants is still a reality in Europe July 15, 2015 – The Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) of the EU denounced, in its report « Severe labour exploitation : workers moving within or into the European Union », the abusive conducts of several employers in Europe towards employed migrants. As worrisome as those facts are, it is the lack in many member states of legislative or regulatory provisions that may deter such practises. Read more PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION Trilogue on Data Protection : where have the negotiations gone so far ? 15 July 2015 – In the day after the second trilogue meeting held on 14 July, the rapporteur for the Parliament Jan Albrecht presented the negotiations’ state of progress on the Data Protection Regulation to his colleagues of the LIBE committee. Read more EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS Read more European PNR : a “generalised suspicion” mechanism endorsed by the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) committee of the European Parliament 15 July 2015 – 32 members of the LIBE committee voted in favour, 27 against : the final position of the European Parliament on the proposal for a PNR Directive has been adopted. The Parliament’s position will thus be defended by the rapporteur Timothy KIRKHOPE (EPP, United-Kingdom) during trilogue negotiations with the Commission and the Council. The date for the negotiations to start is still unknown. Read more French surveillance law : (LIBERTE) SECURITE -EGALITE-FRATERNITE 23 July 2015 – By declaring almost the totality of new French surveillance rules in conformity with the Constitution, the Conseil Constitutionnel [1] enshrines the end of a legend : France as the “homeland of Human rights”. Read more Surveillance in Germany : Netzpolitik.org prosecuted for “treason” for publishing confidential documents 10 July 2015 – Last February and April, the German defender of fundamental rights Netzpolitik published confidential documents testifying the extension of German intelligences services’ surveillance activities on the Internet. On July 10, the president of the intelligence services put charges against the website, accused of “treason” for having revealed state secrets. An accusation learned by Netzpolitik indirectly, via a broadcast. Read more NEWSLETTER N°277 JULY 2015 4 NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS NEWS FROM OUR MEMBERS KISA finds the poor police protection towards victims of violence shameful 10 July 2015- KISA, organization for the defense of human Rights and AEDH member, condemns the indecisive and hesitating attitude of the police towards violent acts against migrant women in Cyprus. While police violence against migrants is commonplace in Cyprus, KISA worries about a new form of discriminatory attitude within the security forces. NEWS OF OUR MEMBERS The Internationale Liga für Menschenrechte (re) demands an investigation on mass surveillance on German citizens 14 July 2015 – In Germany, the revelations made by Edward Snowden in 2013 on NSA spying programme do not sink into oblivion, although authorities would appreciate it. In February 2014, the Internationale LigafürMenschenrechte, the German league of Human Rights and member of AEDH has, along the group of hackers Chaos Computer Club (CCC) and the NGO Digitalcourage, pressed charges against the Federal government and intelligence services, accused of supporting the NSA in massive surveillance on German citizens. Read more Read more Institut de Drets Humans de Catalunya (IDHC): Spain commits to meliorate its Human rights situation before the UN Human Rights Council, without taking into account all its recommendations 25 July 2015 – The UN Human Rights Council adopted on June 25 its final report ending the second universal periodic review mechanism involving Spain. The Council issued 198 recommendations to meliorate the Human Rights situation on the Spanish soil, but the Iberian Peninsula only accepted to implement 169 : 20 alarming and strongly mediatized situations of human rights’ violations go out of the window.. Read more The Austrian League of Human Rights (ÖLMR) calls the Austrian government to adopt a more Human-Rights-respectful asylum policy LDH France is opposed to the huge number of forced evacuations of Roms in France July 8th, 2015 - The ÖLMR expresses its concerns regarding the dreadful hosting of asylum seekers in Austria : they must live in terrible conditions, often without shelter, and expecting the validation of their application that will, in the state of things nowadays, never happen. The Austrian League of Human Rights calls the government to immediately reorientate its asylum policy, in which fundamental rights must serve as a background leading the hosting of migrants. July 10th, 2015 - Close to 4000 forced evacuations of Roms happened in the first semester 2015 in France. More than the evacuation, the seizure of the goods belonging to the dispossessed persons makes their situation even more precarious. Despite the numerous calls from the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) of the UN and by the Commissioner of Human Rights of the Council of Europe Mr Muižnieks, the French authorities keep applying a line of conduct yet infringing the very legislation of the state. Read more Read more EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS NEWSLETTER N°277 JULY 2015 5 AGENDA AGENDA OF THE LUXEMBOURG PRESIDENCY Calendar of COREPER I et COREPER II meetings. OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT Plenary Session Strasbourg, 7-10 September 2015 Read more Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Brussels, 3 September 2015 at 9:00 ; 14 September at 15:00 ; 15 September at 9:00 and at 15:00; 22 September at 15:00 ; 23 September at 9:00 and at 15:00 Read more Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) Brussels, 3 September 2015 at 9:00 ; 15 September, at 9:00 and at 15:00 ; 23 September, at 9:00 and at 15:00 Read more OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EU General Affairs Council, Brussels, 14 September Read more EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS NEWSLETTER N°277 JULY 2015 6 HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER ? BECOME You will find all the information concerning the process of becoming an individual member here: http://www.aedh.eu/-Become-a-member-.html. A MEMBER HELP US DEFEND HUMAN RIGHTS: BECOME A MEMBER ! CONTACT Through a large European network, AEDH proposes the creation of a collective sending a strong message: YES, AN ALTERNATIVE IS POSSIBLE! YES, WE CAN TURN EUROPE INTO A PLACE OF RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS!” Its members are essential to AEDH. With their knowledge and their commitment, individual members strengthen AEDH’s action across Europe. As one of our members, you’ll have: • Free access to a significant body of documents on the situation of human rights in Europe as well as to the activities of AEDH. • The possibility to participate in the creation and implementation of projects of interest on a regular or occasional basis. • The opportunity to participate in a citizens’ project and to make AEDH a strong political actor of the European landscape. EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS 33 Rue de la Caserne 1000 Brussels Belgium Phone : +32(0)25112100 Fax : +32(0)25113200 Email : info(at)aedh.eu HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EDITION Dominique Guibert, President and Editor in chief Catherine Teule, Vice-chairwoman Claudia Bensimhon, Intern Rebecca Portail, Intern Julien Bois, Intern Yvonne Ebner, Chargée de mission Layout : Julien Bois 7