Debates of the European Parliament

SITTING OF WEDNESDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER 2003

Fundamental rights in the EU in 2002

Karamanou (PSE), draftsman of the opinion of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities. – (EL) Mr President, I should like to congratulate the rapporteur, Mr Sylla, who has brought a very difficult job to a close.

As draftsman of the opinion of the Committee on Women’s Rights, I should like to express our deep satisfaction with the comments and recommendations in the report on safeguarding and applying democracy and equality in daily life and practice, in the sense of a balanced participation of the sexes in democratic institutions and respect for the human rights of women.

It is not possible, Commissioner, for women to be treated as human beings and citizens with restricted rights in twenty-first century Europe. It is unacceptable for there still to be professional sectors and areas in the European Union in which Community legislation, democratic rules and fundamental freedoms only apply to men.

My committee has repeatedly condemned gender-based discrimination and discrimination based on sexual orientation or national or social origin. In other words, we condemn the different weights and measures which derive mainly from cultural traditions and social stereotypes and which today refer to dark and sad periods in the history of mankind.

We insistently and constantly call for the self-evident: for human rights and fundamental freedoms to apply equally to men and women, with no discrimination whatsoever. Only then will we be able to talk of the universality of human rights and mainstreaming.

I should also like to take the opportunity of today’s vote on the report on the DAPHNE programme to prevent and combat violence against women, Commissioner, to call once again on the European Commission and the Member States, to put combating violence against women, which is the worst form of violation of women’s rights, high on their political agenda. I do not think that any policy should carry greater weight than the protection of human rights.