11/12/2009 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
"There is evidence that when family-friendly policies are pursued consistently over a long period, they do have a positive effect on individual decisions to have children and tackle the demographic problems of Europe," Luca Volontè (Italy, EPP/CD) stressed at a meeting of PACE Social Affairs Committee in Paris on 11 December.
11/12/2009 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Children witnessing violence against their mother are far too often neglected as victims of psychological trauma, as possible future victims and as links in a chain of violence, when they could help identify potentially violent situations and avoid new violence in the future. Adopting a report by Carina Ohlsson (Sweden, SOC) in Paris on 11 December, PACE Social Affairs Committee agreed on a list of measures to be taken by national parliaments and governments.
25/11/2009 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
PACE rapporteur on climate change, John Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC), has welcomed US President Barack Obama’s decision to attend the UN Climate Change conference in Copenhagen. At a PACE committee meeting on Friday, and during a later House of Commons debate, Mr Prescott called on the President – as well as the leaders of China and India – to attend the event. “Hopefully China and India will now follow Obama’s lead,” Mr Prescott said today.
23/11/2009 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
John Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC), PACE rapporteur on climate change, today called on the leaders of the United States, China and India to personally take part in the Copenhagen climate change conference in December. “These talks are vital for the future of the planet. These three countries can make the difference between success and failure. It is vital that their leaders are there, alongside the 60 other presidents and prime ministers who have already said they are coming,” he said.
16/11/2009 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
The head of PACE’s Environment Committee, speaking on behalf of PACE President Lluis Maria de Puig, today encouraged Council of Europe governments to sign the new additional protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government, giving citizens the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority.
14/10/2009 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Local authorities will play a “crucial role” in translating the words of any coming global climate treaty into action and achieving the “deep and early cuts” in emissions that are needed, the Chair of PACE’s Environment Committee told local and regional elected representatives today.
13/10/2009 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
The reference framework on regional democracy that has been proposed by governments is a “poor substitute” for a full European Charter of Regional Democracy, and the Parliamentary Assembly will “continue the battle” to achieve the stronger text, the Chair of PACE’s Environment Committee told the Council of Europe Congress today. In an address to its plenary session on behalf of PACE President Lluís Maria de Puig, Alan Meale (United Kingdom, SOC) said he “deeply regretted” the decision to draft only a reference framework, instead of a Charter equivalent to the successful European Charter of Local Self-Government.
30/09/2009 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
The debate on the green economy in Europe and the United States held yesterday evening by PACE and the Alsace Region clearly underlined the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the earliest opportunity – between 50% and 85% by 2050 – as well as the idea that sustainable growth depends on the involvement of business. John Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC), PACE rapporteur on climate change, drew attention to the vitally important nature of the negotiations due at the Copenhagen Conference in December.
21/09/2009 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
The right to ‘live in a healthy and viable environment’ should be enshrined in the European Convention of Human Rights, according to PACE Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs. PACE’s Rapporteur on Climate Change, former UK Deputy Prime Minister and Kyoto Protocol negotiator John Prescott is backing the call as part of its New Earth Deal campaign to secure a fairer deal at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December.
04/09/2009 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
Expressing great concern about growing marine pollution, the Environment Committee believes a legal and institutional framework for a new ocean governance needs to be worked out and proposes establishing an integrated maritime policy based on the European Union’s “Blue Book”. According to PACE’s rapporteur Manuela de Melo (Potuglal, SOC), as the Council of Europe includes non-EU European countries and has some major coastal countries from other continents as observers, it “has a key part to play in implementing an integrated maritime policy”.
04/09/2009 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
In a report adopted today in Paris by the PACE Committee on the Environment, Bernard Marquet (Monaco, ALDE) stresses the importance of recognising access to water and sanitation as a fundamental human right. According to the rapporteur, who describes in particular the worrying situation of the Maghreb, a real water culture should become widespread, founded on integrated management that accommodates the economic, ecological and social aspects. The rapporteur also calls for inter-regional and transfrontier co-operation on water issues.
04/09/2009 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
An additional protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights, which would recognise the right to a healthy, sustainable environment, has become necessary according to José Mendes Bota (Portugal, EPP/CD), the author of a report on this issue adopted today by the Environment Committee. The inclusion of this right in the Convention would in fact enable the Court to rule directly on violations of that fundamental right, and is a natural extension of the Council of Europe’s role in environmental protection.