Liberals and Democrats push for balance between security and fundamental rights

2.38.00pm GMT Tue 24th Nov 2009

Today the European Parliament voted on the 2009-2014 Stockholm programme to set out the priorities of the Union in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice, building on the achievements of the expired Tampere and expiring Hague multi-annual Programmes.

Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (VVD, NL), spokesperson for ALDE group on the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) said: "We welcome, at least, that our traditional ALDE concerns such as data protection safeguards, respect for fundamental rights, asylum and immigration procedures, transparency and judicious fighting of crime and terrorism, were addressed in the EP recommendations. But it is nonsense that other groups managed to water-down a principle such as equality. Equality is indivisible. My group firmly believes in a Europe which people can understand, trust and believe in. Such a Europe must be based on human rights, fundamental freedoms, democracy, the rule of law and, true equality for all. It is high time to tackle all forms of discrimination on all grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation."

Sophie In't Veld MEP (D66, NL), Vice-president of the LIBE Committee, stated: "We regret that the Council is not taking on the EP recommendations and it is blindly continuing down the path already charted out, ignoring the proposals of the Parliament to the Programme. We argue that in the next five years the Stockholm programme's detailed formulation and implementation will re-establish the balance between security and freedom. However I am disappointed that Christian Democrats and Socialists in this House watered down our commitments to ensure equal treatment for same sex couples across the Union. As a result, I fear that discrimination will persist."

Sarah Ludford MEP (Libdem, UK) said: "The Swedish Presidency is to be congratulated for the way they have pushed the overdue question of defendants' rights to fair treatment across Europe. This is absolutely essential to accompany the European arrest warrant. We need to ensure that mutual recognition really can be based on mutual confidence in all the national criminal justice systems. This is not the case at present and there are severe weaknesses."