The European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) adopted a resolution by 50 votes to 11 (with 3 abstentions) calling on the European Commission and EU Member States to assess the national emergency measures taken during the first wave of the pandemic, and to exercise caution with their current measures.
In this text, which was drafted by Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D, Spain), the MEPs noted that all of the measures being taken must be necessary, proportional and limited in time; they stressed that these measures contain within them a risk of abuse of power and they called on governments to put an end to emergency health situations since the number of these decisions are currently multiplying with the second wave of the pandemic. If these measures are not removed, MEPs called on governments to “clearly define the delegation of powers to their executives” and to ensure that appropriate parliamentary and judicial checks are in place.
They also called on them to consult the Venice Commission and to keep holding their parliaments.
The European Commission should also pay particular attention to measures that restrict freedom of movement and the application of Schengen rules.
The resolution, which remains very broad, still covers the right of assembly, which must not be restricted arbitrarily, and calls on governments not to make legislative changes if citizens are not able to demonstrate.
For example, MEPs here emphasised the need to hold fair elections in the context of the pandemic, as Poland raised concerns in the spring about the integrity of the presidential election.
The defence of freedom of the media, education and the protection of vulnerable minorities who are particularly penalised by the crisis, such as the Roma or people with disabilities, remain in the text, as do measures taken to limit the right of asylum or those measures intended to slow down the functioning of the justice system. The European Parliament also called on governments to exercise particular caution.
The resolution will be voted on in plenary session in mid-November.
Link to text: https://bit.ly/2TsYk4r (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)