Plenary summary: impact of intimate partner violence and custody rights, artificial intelligence, EU-US relations and the situation Belarus
During its October I plenary session, the European Parliament Plenary debated and voted on several files that relate to the human rights of LGBTI persons:
- the impact of intimate partner violence and custody rights on women and children – Legal Affairs (JURI) and Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) Committees
- Artificial intelligence in criminal law and its use by the police and judicial authorities in criminal matters – Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) Committee
- The future of EU-US relations – Foreign Affairs (AFET) Committee
- Resolution on the situation in Belarus after one year of protests and their violent repression
- (Note: For a complete list of all texts (and specific paragraphs) in this legislature touching upon LGBTI issues, check our List of resources available here.)
The impact of intimate partner violence and custody rights on women and children
On Monday, Members of the European Parliament debate the report on impact of intimate partner violence and custody rights on women and children (rapportrices: Elena Kontoura, LEFT and Luisa Regimenti, EPP). The report was adopted on Tuesday.
The text of the reports states the following:
- whereas during the lockdowns, a significant rise in domestic violence against LGBTI+ people, especially young people, was reported (L);
- Calls on the Commission and the Member States to enhance their cooperation in order to take measures that empower victims of intimate partner violence to come forward and report the crime, as in many cases intimate partner violence remains unreported; notes the Commission’s commitment to carry out a new EU survey on gender-based violence, with the results to be presented in 2023; […] calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that data are disaggregated by age, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics, race and ethnicity and disability status, among others, to ensure that the experiences of women in all their diversity are captured; notes that this will contribute to a better understanding of the scale and causes of the problem, mainly the socioeconomic categories where gender-based violence is more prevalent and other influencing factors, as well as of different legal frameworks and policies across countries, which can be explored closely through detailed country comparisons to identify policy frameworks that might influence the occurrence of violence; […](¶50)
Watch the plenary debate here.
Artificial intelligence in criminal law and its use by the police and judicial authorities in criminal matters
On Monday, Members of the European Parliament also debate the report on Artificial intelligence in criminal law and its use by the police and judicial authorities in criminal matters (rapporteur: Petar Vitanov, S&D). The report was adopted on Tuesday.
The text of the report includes language on LGBTI persons:
- Underlines the fact that many algorithmically driven identification technologies currently in use disproportionately misidentify and misclassify and therefore cause harm to racialised people, individuals belonging to certain ethnic communities, LGBTI people, children and the elderly, as well as women; recalls that individuals not only have the right to be correctly identified, but they also have the right not to be identified at all, unless it is required by law for compelling and legitimate public interests; stresses that AI predictions based on characteristics of a specific group of persons end up amplifying and reproducing existing forms of discrimination; considers that strong efforts should be made to avoid automated discrimination and bias; […]; (¶9)
Watch the plenary debate here.
The future of EU-US relations
On Tuesday, Members of the European Parliament also debate the report on the future of EU-US relations(rapporteur: Tonino Picula, S&D). The report was adopted on Wednesday.
The text of the report mentions the following:
- Takes the view that the EU and the US together can advance equality and the respect for human rightsand ensure that these are duly reflected and supported in the decision-making of multilateral fora; suggests, therefore, exploring a permanent platform for dialogue between the EU and the US to take concrete steps to combat racism, hate speech and discrimination, including discrimination against LGTBQI people, and calls for closer multilateral cooperation in this regard with international organisations such as the OSCE, the UN, the African Union, the OAS and the CoE; calls on the EU and the US to organise together a Global Anti-Racism Summit on combating global racism and discrimination; (¶29)
Watch the plenary debate here.
Consult the results of the roll-call final vote here (page 5-6) (final votes (688): +550, -83, o55).
Resolution on the situation in Belarus after one year of protests and their violent repression
On Friday, Members of the European Parliament debated and voted the resolution on the situation in Belarus after one year of protests and their violent repression.
The text of the report includes the following:
- Insists on the need to ensure fundamental freedoms and human rights, the rule of law and a functioning independent judiciary in Belarus, and the ceasing of all repression, persecution, ill-treatment, sexual and gender-based violence, enforced disappearances and torture, as well as on the immediate and permanent abolition of the death penalty; calls for an end to discrimination against women and vulnerable groups, including persons with disabilities and LGBTQI persons; (¶3)
Watch the plenary debate here (Part I) and here (Part II).
