Brussels, 11/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Convention which is drawing up the draft Charter of EU fundamental rights met this Tuesday afternoon to try and find a consensus over a final text. As we have indicated (see EUROPE of 9 September, p.4), the discussions continued in separate colleges.
The European Parliament delegation continued the examination of numerous amendments by MEPs, which have been the object of discussions within the EP delegation on Wednesday in Strasbourg on the sidelines of the plenary session. Among these amendments are notably: - the introduction into the preamble of a reference to "the Judeo-Christian tradition, to French revolutionary ideas and the responsibility of political figures before God" (Mr Mombaur, EPP/DE, German); - the suppression in the preamble of the link established between rights and duties of citizens (Mrs Kaufmann, GUE, German); - the addition to Article 1 of the inviolable character of human dignity (Mrs Paciotti, ESP, Italian); - the suppression of the death penalty ban (Mr Berthu, UEN, France); - the note of the inviolability of the home and of the confidentiality of communications under Article 7 concerning respect for the private life (Mr Leinen, ESP, German); - the establishment of a link between the right to found a family and marriage uniting a man and woman (Mr Mombar, EPP/DE, German); - the extension of freedom to gather and association in the religious field (Mr Mendes de Vigo, EPP/DE, Spain; Mr Berthu); - the suppression from Article 12 of the paragraph requiring that political parties at a European level contribute to the expression of the EU citizen's political will (Mr Duff, ELDR, British); - suppression of the ban on foreign collective expulsions (Mr Berthu); - the extension of the ban on discriminations (Art. 21) to regional minorities (Mr Duff, ELDR British); - the mention in Article 23 of children's rights to be protected against all action that threatens their intellectual development or their psychological and sexual development (Mrs Paciotti); - the replacement in Article 26 of the right to collective action with the right to strike (Mr Duff); - the removal from Article 43, of the paragraph concerning the free movement of third country nationals (Mr Berthu and Mr Duff); - the extension of this same freedom to "all persons" (ESP, V/ALE and ELDR group). Mrs Kaufamann also called for the extension of worker rights to collective action (Art. 26), the rights to social protection (Art. 32) and to health (Art. 33). Mr Berthu favoured the introduction of an article specifying that "all citizen have the right to respect for their national identity" and that a provision foreseeing that "the citizens of each country freely decide the accession of their State to the EU. Also, they may democratically choose to withdraw". Mr Bonde (EDD, Danish) insisted for the Danish Social security system (reserved to those who have paid taxes in Denmark) and the Danish system for the regulation of the labour market, not to be affected by the Charter.