Protecting our European Way of life Flashcards
What is the Common European Asylum System (CEAS),
A framework of agreed rules which establish common procedures for international protection and a uniform status for those who are granted refugee status or subsidiary protection based on the full and inclusive application of the Geneva Refugee Convention and Protocol (1951).
It also aims to ensure fair and humane treatment of applicants for international protection
New initiatives in European way of life under CWP2023
- recognition of qualifications of third country nationals (migration): Q3 2023
- Digitalisation of travel documents and facilitation of travel (Schengen)
- A comprehensive approach to mental health
- Cybersecurity Skills Academy
.According to Art. 78 of Treaty of the Functioning of the European UnionE, the Common European Asylum System shall comprise:
(a) a uniform status of asylum for nationals of third countriesEN***, valid throughout the European Union;
(b) a uniform status of subsidiary protection for nationals of third countries who, without obtaining European asylum, are in need of international protection;
(c) a common system of temporary protection for displaced persons in the event of a massive inflow;
(d) common procedures for the granting and withdrawing of uniform asylum or subsidiary protection status ;
(e) criteria and mechanisms for determining which Member State is responsible for considering an application for asylum or subsidiary protection;
(f) standards concerning the conditions for the reception of applicants for asylum or subsidiary protection;
(g) partnership and cooperation with third countries for the purpose of managing inflows of people applying for asylum or subsidiary or temporary protection
European Union Agency for Asylum
European Union agency tasked with ensuring the efficient and uniform application of EU law on asylumEN, international protectionEN and reception conditionsENin the EU Member States in a manner that fully respects fundamental rightsEN, and with facilitating and supporting the activities of EU Member States in the implementation of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS)EN***.
DG Home works with following agencies
- The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) : to develop, implement and coordinate training activities for law enforcement officials.
- European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA): EUAA contributes to the implementation of the Common European Asylum System. It: 1) facilitates, develops and coordinates practical cooperation among EU countries on asylum and provides training to asylum and reception officials. 2) acts as an independent centre of expertise on asylum;
3) provides technical and operational assistance to EU countries which experience particular pressure on their asylum and reception systems - The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA): monitors extent of drug problem in Europe
- European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA): oprerational management of Eurodac, Schengen Information System, VisaInformation System
- European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol): Europol assists EU countries’ police forces in preventing and combating serious crime such as terrorism, drug trafficking, people smuggling, cybercrime, and other organised crime activities.
- EBCGA (FRONTEX): FRONTEX promotes, coordinates and develops European border management in line with the EU fundamental rights charter and the concept of Integrated Border Management.
- Research Executive Agency (REA)
Most important initiatives under this priority:
Goals in political guidelines
1) Upholding the rule of law: no compromise when it comes to commitment to rule of law in EU: EC will present an additional
comprehensive European Rule of Law
Mechanism, with greater involvement of the Parliament. It will also make the rule of law an integral part of the
next Multiannual Financial Framework.
2) Strong borders and a fresh start on
migration: EC will will propose a New Pact on Migration and
Asylum, including the relaunch of the
Dublin reform of asylum rules.
A centrepiece in this ambition is a reinforced
European Border and Coast Guard Agency. A standing corps should be ready to opereate by 2024 at the EU external borders.
Focus on improving living conditions in countries of origin, and more cooperation with third countries
3) Internal security
The European Public Prosecutor’s
Office should have more muscle and
authority and be able to investigate and
prosecute cross-border terrorism. Also, better rules to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing should be in place.
Take the Customs Union to the
next level, equipping it with a stronger
framework that will allow us to better protect
our citizens and our single market
European care strategy
Background and goal
* to ensure quality, affordable and accessible care services across the European Union and improve the situation for both care receivers and the people caring for them,
* 4 main pillars of strategy
High-quality, affordable and accessible care services
* Women still bear the main brunt of care responsibilities, with 90% of the formal care workforce made up of women, and 7.7 million women out of employment because of care responsibilities.
* Investing in care is important to attract and retain talents in the care sector, which is often characterised by difficult working conditions and low wages
* Affordable and accessible care services of high quality offer clear benefits for all ages.
* To address these issues, the Commission is proposing concrete actions to support Member States in increasing access to high-quality and affordable care services, while improving working conditions and work-life balance for carers.
Early childhood education and care
* The Commission is proposing that Member States revise the targets on early childhood education and care to enhance women’s labour market participation, also called ‘the Barcelona Targets’ from 2022
* The Commission proposes to set new ambitious yet realistic targets so that by 2030 at least:
* 50% of children below the age of 3 are in early childhood education and care;
* 96% of children between the age of 3 and the starting age for compulsory primary education are in early childhood education and care
Long-term care
The Commission recommends that Member States draw up national action plans to make care in the EU more available, accessible and of better quality for all, for instance by:
* Ensuring that long-term care is timely, comprehensive and affordable
* Increasing the offer and mix of professional long-term care services
* Ensuring high-quality criteria and standards for long-term care providers
* support infromal carers
Fair working conditions and training for care staff
To improve working conditions and attract more people – in particular men – to the care sector, Member States are recommended to:
* Promote collective bargaining and social dialogue with a view to improving wages and working conditions;
* Tackle gender stereotypes around care and launch communication campaigns;
* Ensure the highest standards of occupational health and safety;
Commission will:
* Explore the creation of a new sectoral social dialogue for social services at EU level;
* Promote the establishment of a skills partnership under the Pact for Skills for the long-term care sector;
* Review the application of EU standards governing working conditions;
* Fund projects and research to assess the social and economic value of work and working conditions in the care sector;
Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan
Background
* Cancer concerns us all in one way or another. In 2020, 2.7 million people in the European Union were diagnosed with the disease, and another 1.3 million people lost their lives to it
* EU accounrs for 10% of world pop, but 25% of cancer cases
* Unless we take decisive action now, cancer cases are set to increase by 24% by 2035, making it the leading cause of death in the EU.
* About 40% of cancer cases are preventable: effective cancer prevention strategies can prevent illness, save lives, and reduce suffering.
* 4 kea aras for action
* It will be implemented using the whole range of Commission funding instruments, with a total of €4 billion being earmarked for actions addressing cancer, including from the EU4Health programme, Horizon Europe and the Digital Europe programme.
Prevention
* ctions addressing key risk factors such as tobacco (with the aim to ensure that less than 5% of the population uses tobacco by 2040)
* harmful alcohol consumption,
* environmental pollution and hazardous substances.
* o prevent cancers caused by infections, the Cancer Plan’s objective is to vaccinate at least 90% of the EU target population of girls and to significantly increase the vaccination of boys by 2030.
Early detection
* improving access, quality and diagnostics and support Member States ensuring that 90% of the EU population who qualify for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screenings are offered screening by 2025.
* To support achieving this, a new EU-supported Cancer Screening Scheme will be put forward.
Diagnosis and treatment
* By 2030, 90% of eligible patients should have access to National Comprehensive Cancer Centres linked through a new EU Network
* a new ‘Cancer Diagnostic and Treatment for All’ initiative will be launched by the end of 2021 to help improve access to innovative cancer diagnosis and treatments and a European Initiative to Understand Cancer (UNCAN.eu) will help identify individuals at high risk from common cancers.
Improve quality of life
* measures to support social integration and re-integration in the workplace
* A ‘Better Life for Cancer Patients Initiative’ will be launched, focusing on follow-up care.
- In addition, to support new technologies, research and innovation, a new Knowledge Centre on Cancer will be launched to help coordinate scientific and technical cancer-related initiatives at EU leve
- A European Cancer Imaging Initiative will be set up to support the development of new computer-aided tools to improve personalised medicine and innovative solutions.
EUR 4 billin for implementation
LGBTIQ equality strategy (2020 - 2025)
Background
* Equality and non-discrimination are core values and fundamental rights in the EU, enshrined in its Treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
* In recent decades, legislative developments, case law and policy initiatives have improved many people’s lives and helped us building more equal and welcoming societies, including for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people
* In a 2019 survey, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) found that discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and sex characteristics was actually increasing in the EU: 43% of LGBT people declared that they felt discriminated against in 2019, as compared to 37% in 2012.
* This is the first-ever Commission strategy on LGBTIQ equality and delivers on the European Commission s commitment to building a Union of Equality
Actions on 4 Pillars
1) Tackling discrimation against LGBTIQ people: combating inequality in education, health, culture, and sport; promotion inclusiojn and diversity in workplace; upholding rights of LGBTIQ applicants for international protection
2) ENsuring LGBTIQ people’ safety: einforcing legal protection for LGBTIQ people against hate crime, hate speech and violence; strengthen measures against hate speech adn disinformation, promoting LGBTIQ mental health
3) Building LGBTIQ inclusive societies: fostering enabling civil society, ensuring rights and legal protection for rainbow families in cross-border siutations
4) Leading the call for LGBTIQ equality around the world: strengthenign LGBTIQ equaliuty in all the EU’s externa relations
Finally, LGBTIQ equality should be mainstreamed across all Commission policies
HERA - European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority
The Commission launched a new European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) (in 2021) for health emergencies to develop, produce and procure medical countermeasures before and during a health crisis. HERA aims to:
* improve EU health security coordination before and during crises
* bring together the EU Member States, industry and relevant stakeholders
* develop, produce, procure, stockpile and equitably distribute medical countermeasures
* reinforce the global health emergency response architecture
In 2022: HERA formulated the 3 top health threats Europe is facing:** (1) pathogens with high pandemic potential, (2) chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats, and (3) threats resulting from antimicrobial resistance.
**
European Pharmaceutical Strategy
- The pharmaceutical strategy aims to modernise the regulatory framework and support research and technologies that reach patients. It rests on four pillars:
1. Fulfilling unmet medical needs
2. Supporting a competitive and innovative European pharmaceutical industry
3. Enhancing resilience through diversified supply chains, environmental sustainability, and crisis preparedness
4. Promoting high standards for medical products globally - The implementation of the strategy will span the mandate of this Commission and will notably see a proposal for revision of pharmaceutical legislation in 2022.
The revision will make medicines more available, accessible and affordable. It will support innovation and boost the competitiveness and attractiveness of the EU pharmaceutical industry, while promoting higher environmental standards. Also, proposal for Council recommendation will address the fight against anitmcrobial resistance (AMR).
* Background: - Medicines authorised in the EU are still not reaching patients quickly enough and are not equally accessible in all Member States; - There are significant gaps in addressing unmet medical needs, rare diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR); - High prices for innovative treatments and shortages of medicines remain an important concern for patients and healthcare systems; - Ensure competitiveness of EU pharmaceutical industry in view of digital transformation and new technologies.
Objectives of revision
* - Create a Single Market for medicines ensuring that all patients across the EU have timely and equitable access to safe, effective, and affordable medicines;
* - Continue to offer an attractive and innovation-friendly framework for research, development, and production of medicines in Europe; (e.g. up to 12 years of patent protection in certain cases to incentivize research on unmet medical needs)
* - Reduce drastically the administrative burden by speeding up procedures significantly, reducing authorisation times for medicines, so they reach patients faster
* - Enhance availability and ensure medicines can always be supplied to patients, regardless of where they live in the EU;
- Address antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment through a One Health approach;
- Make medicines more environmentally sustainable.
European Security Union for 2020 - 2025
The European Security Union aims to
* ensure that EU security policy reflects the changing threats landscape
* build long-term, sustainable resilience
* engage the EU institutions and agencies, governments, the private sector and individuals in a whole-of-society approach
* bring together the many policy areas with a direct impact on security.
- The strategy covers the period from 2020 to 2025 and focuses on priority areas where the EU can help Member States in fostering security for all those living in Europe, while respecting our European values and principles
4 pillars
1. A future-proof security environment: Critical infrastructure protection and resilience, The International Monetary Fund has
estimated the annual loss due to cyber-attacks at 9% of banks’ net income globally, or
around $100 billion
2. Tackling evolving threats
3. Fighting terrorism and organised crime
4. Building a strong security ecosystem
Main initatives highligtes
- European Care Srategy
- European Health Data Space
- European beating cancer plan
- European health Union
- EU strategy on combatting antisemitism
- Strategy on the future of SChengen
- New Pact on Asylum and Mirgration
- European Security Union
Main initiatives in CWP
Skills
* Updated Skills Agenda for Europe (non-legislative, Q1 2020);
* Achieving the European Education Area (non-legislative, Q3 2020);
* Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion (non-legislative, Q4 2020
* European approach for micro-credentials
* European strategy for universities
* Recognition of qualifications of third country nationals
* cybersecurity Skills Academy
* Council Recommendation on updated learning mobility framework
- A New Pact on Migration and Asylum and accompanying legal proposals
- A new Security Union Strategy
- EU strategy aginst Chidl abuse
- A New EU Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings
- Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan
- A Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe
- European health data space
- Strategy on the future of Schengen
- revision of the Schengen Borders Code
- A comprehensive approach to mental health
*
