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Today the Council adopted conclusions on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The conclusions reaffirm that the Union is based on common values such as respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These rights are a cornerstone of the European Union and must be fully respected by all member states and the EU institutions.
The Council also reaffirms its commitment to the EU’s accession to the European Convention on Human Rights, which would further enhance the protection of fundamentals rights in Europe. The Council, taking note of the reports produced by the Commission and the EU Agency for Fundamental rights, acknowledges that challenges in the area of non-discrimination persist and reiterates its commitment to continue its work to fight against all forms of discrimination.
Noting that public awareness of the Charter remains low, the Council calls on member states to strengthen their awareness-raising and training activities towards all key stakeholders, including policymakers, civil servants, legal practitioners as well as national human rights institutions, civil society organisations, etc. The Council also recalls that the e-justice portal is an important tool to support this and commits itself to having thematic discussions and annual exchange of views on the application of the Charter at the national level.
While welcoming the essential role of the Fundamental Rights Agency in providing expertise on fundamental rights and inviting the EU institutions and Member States to make better use of the agency’s services, the Council underlines it would consider carefully any proposal from the Commission to enable the agency to carry out its work even more efficiently.
Finally, as civil society organisations play a vital role in raising awareness and supporting efforts by individuals to exercise and defend their rights, the Council recalls the importance of removing and refraining from any unnecessary, unlawful or arbitrary restrictions on civil society.
Background
The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union was solemnly proclaimed on 7 December 2000. However, it became fully legally binding once it was integrated within the Treaty of Lisbon in December 2009. This year therefore marks the 10th anniversary of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights becoming legally binding.
The Charter contains 50 articles related to political, social, and economic rights. Member States have a duty to respect the rights and observe the principles of the Charter whenever they are acting within the scope of EU law. The Charter applies to the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the Union and to its member states when implementing European Union law.
Results of a recent Eurobarometer survey on Charter awareness show that only 42% of respondents have heard of the Charter and 12% know what it is.
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EU accedes to international agreement on appellations of origin and geographical indications
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The EU is acceding to the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on appellations of origin and geographical indications ("the Geneva Act"). The Council today adopted
a decision authorising the accession of the EU to the Geneva Act and a regulation laying down the rules governing the exercise by the EU of its rights (and the fulfilment of its obligations) under the Geneva Act.
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Safer roads – EU strengthens rules on road infrastructure management
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The EU wants to reduce road fatalities and serious injuries by making sure that roads, tunnels and bridges are better designed and maintained. With this in mind, the Council today adopted revised rules setting out a more systematic approach to safer road infrastructure. The reform is part of the EU's efforts to meet its strategic objectives of halving the number of road deaths by 2020, compared to 2010, and moving close to zero fatalities by 2050.
The revised directive will extend the scope of the current rules to motorways and other primary roads beyond the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). Statistics suggest that this will help to make road infrastructure significantly safer across the EU. The rules will also cover roads outside urban areas that are built using EU funding.
Member states will be required to carry out a network-wide road safety assessment at least every five years. The network-wide assessment is a snapshot of the entire road network covered by the directive, and is used to evaluate accident risk. Authorities will use the findings to carry out more targeted road safety inspections or take direct remedial action. The first network-wide road safety assessments are due by 2024 at the latest.
It will become mandatory to take systematic account of pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users in road safety management procedures. These road users accounted for almost half of the road fatalities in the EU in 2017.
Procedure and next steps
Today's vote by the Council concludes the legislative procedure. A provisional agreement was reached between the Romanian presidency and the European Parliament on 21 February 2019.
The directive will now be published in the EU Official Journal. It will enter into force 20 days after publication. Member states will then have two years in which to adopt national provisions to put it in practice.
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The Council adopts conclusions on the circular economy
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The Council today adopted conclusions on "More circularity - Transition to a sustainable society".
Recently adopted EU legislation helps tackle marine litter from plastics, improves chemicals management and increases the recycling of materials. The Council stresses in its conclusions that further ambitious efforts are needed to stimulate a systemic transition to a sustainable society. The circular economy is an important driver for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, respecting the planetary boundaries as well as reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The Council invites the Commission to come up with an ambitious long-term strategic framework, including a common vision for a circular economy and to adopt a new circular economy action plan with targeted actions.
The Council calls for action to promote circularity systemically across the value chain, including from the consumer perspective, in key sectors including textiles, transport, food as well as construction and demolition. The Council also stresses the need for more measures on batteries and plastics.
In its conclusions, the Council highlights that ecodesign principles have helped make an increasing number of energy-related products more energy-efficient, and tasks the Commission with assessing whether ecodesign principles could be applied to new product groups (for example information and communications technology products) and, if appropriate, to put forward a legislative proposal. The Council asks the Commission to broaden the scope of eco-design measures by including criteria on material efficiency such as durability, reparability, recyclability and recycled content.
The conclusions encourage the use of economic instruments, such as environmental taxation, green tax reforms and extended producer responsibility schemes, to promote the circular economy, more sustainable production and consumption patterns, and improved waste management. The Council highlights that the procurement of products and services can boost circular markets and investments in clean, safe, non-toxic and sustainable cycles. Businesses and the financial sector should be encouraged to use clear and comparable environmental performance targets to guide their investments.
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8th Environment Action Programme - Council adopts conclusions
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The Council today adopted conclusions which offer political guidance for the EU's environment and climate change policies for the period 2021 - 2030. It calls upon the Commission to present at the latest by early 2020 an ambitious and focused proposal for an 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP).
For more than 40 years, EAPs have provided the EU with policy frameworks that deliver results and ensure predictable and coordinated action for Europe's environment and climate change policies.
The conclusions build on the EU's strategic agenda adopted by the European Council on 20 June 2019, which insists on the urgent need to build a climate-neutral, green, fair and social Europe.
The Council stresses in its conclusions that climate change, pollution, the loss of biodiversity and the accelerating demands on natural resources are jeopardising current and future generations' wellbeing and prospects. It underlines the need for additional action to protect and restore biodiversity, and for ambitious biodiversity targets in the 8th EAP. It also urges the Commission to present without any further delay a Union strategy for a non-toxic environment that will fully address endocrine disruptors, combination effects of chemicals and nanomaterial issues. The Commission is also invited to come up with a new circular economy action plan and a long-term strategic framework, including a common vision, for a circular economy.
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Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on Hong Kong
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The escalation of violence and continuing unrest in Hong Kong, including the use of live ammunition, resulting in critical injuries to at least one person, are deeply troubling. The European Union maintains its position that restraint, de-escalation and dialogue are the only way forward. Indeed, they are clearly needed now more than ever and offer the only basis for an enduring solution.
Fundamental freedoms, including the right of assembly of Hong Kongers must continue to be upheld and the possibility to hold peaceful demonstrations must be ensured. These rights must be exercised peacefully. Any violence is unacceptable and any action by the law enforcement authorities must remain strictly proportionate.
There is a clear need for efforts to rebuild trust between the government and the population. The dialogue process recently initiated by the authorities is a welcome first step in this regard.
The European Union recalls its close relations with Hong Kong under the ‘one country, two systems’ principle and its strong stake in its continued stability and prosperity. The EU attaches great importance to Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy, which must be preserved in line with the Basic Law and international commitments. Continued respect for fundamental rights and freedoms, and the independence of the judiciary, remain essential for the development of Hong Kong.
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