EU Commission Vetos 'One of Us' Citizen's Initiative

The European Commission has shown its utter distain for genuine democracy in its decision to ignore the pro-life “One of Us” initiative signed by over 1.7 million citizens from 20 member states submitted in accordance with the requirements of the European Citizens’ Initiatives (ECI). The ECI mechanism approved under the Lisbon Treaty is the EU response to accusations that the entire EU project is undemocratic and out of touch with its citizens. An ECI is in fact an invitation to the European Commission to propose legislation on matters where the EU has competence to legislate and must be backed by at least one million EU citizens, coming from at least 7 out of the 28 member states.

The “One of Us” initiative exceeded the requirement of 1 million signatories obtaining 1.7 million signatures from 20 member states, the largest ECI in the history of the European Union.

 

Although the European Commission is under no obligation to follow requests made through an ECI, it makes a mockery of the entire process and highlights the undemocratic nature of the EU institutions by rejecting a democratically backed request that is in line with European law and imposing its own agenda, its own political will.

The actual Commission decision can be found on this link and a comment issued by the European Centre for law and Justice is reprinted below.

THE COMMISSION VETOS THE CITIZENS’ INITIATIVE "ONE OF US"

A decision contrary to ethical and democratic requirements

On 28th May, the last day in office, the former “Barroso Commission” vetoed the Citizens’ Initiative “UN DE NOUS / ONE OF US”, the largest petition in the history of European Institutions. This initiative, formally supported by two million people in Europe, is the largest petition in European history. It demands that Brussels no longer finances any practice that destroys human life before birth.

The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is a participative democracy mechanism created by the Treaty of Lisbon through which a million citizens can take the initiative of introducing a legislative proposal in the European institutions. 

The ONE OF US Committee expresses its deep disappointment towards a deaf Commission which today makes a decision contrary to ethical and democratic requirements. While each initiative draft is controlled upstream by the Commission before being open to signature, the Barroso Commission claims to possess the right of veto downstream, against initiatives having yet successfully obtained the required popular support. Such veto power is illegitimate and anti-democratic since politically, it is the European Legislature that may give a verdict on the content of the Initiative, and not the Commission, otherwise, the ECI mechanism would be meaningless.

An Unjustified VETO which does not even take the purpose of the request into account: The Commission’s response is hypocritical and disdainful as it pretends to not understand the purpose of the demand and comprises of thirty pages of self satisfaction of its own policy. The Commission wishes to continue financing non ethical and outdated biotechnological practices, as well as abortion in developing countries including countries where this is prohibited by criminal law.

An Unjustifiable VETO which flouts the democratic procedure: The Commission, rather than noticing the Initiative’s success and transmitting it to the European Parliament and Council of Europe has abused its power of formal control to exercise a judgement on the political opportunity of “One of Us” and to block this procedure. The Commission is therefore trying to defend a privilege of initiative, being the only institution able to initiate legal procedures up upon the creation of the ECI mechanism. The Commission therefore made this mechanism a travesty while the deputies, on the contrary, wanted it to be a real instrument of participative democracy.  The Commission thus testifies to the absence of a democratic culture.

For the “ONE OF US” Citizens’ Committee, the procedure is not over: on one hand, the Commission’s decision is likely to be appealed before the Court of Justice in Luxembourg – which acknowledges respect for human life from conception - and on the other hand, the new Parliament will audition the next Commission, allowing it to replace the respect of the Citizens’ Initiative in the heart of debates, and asks European Institutions to be more ethical and democratic.

Grégor PUPPINCK

Directeur

European Centre for Law and Justice

4, Quai Koch

67000 Strasbourg, France

Phone : + 33 (0)3 88 24 94 40 Fax     : + 33 (0)3 88 24 94 47

Website

Global Plan to improve the health of newborn babies approved by the World Health Assembly

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GENEVA, Switzerland — The World Health Assembly (WHA) last Saturday adopted a global plan to improve the health of newborn babies.  “Every newborn: An action plan to end preventable deaths” aims to reduce high rates of neonatal mortality in large parts of the world.

The action plan explains that an estimated 2.9 million children die every year within the first month after birth, and 2.6 million babies are stillborn and that the decline of neonatal mortality has been slower than either under-five mortality or maternal mortality.

What could be nobler than an international commitment to ensuring that all newborn babies remain healthy and will have access to every possible health care they may need? It is a pity that in espousing this excellent initiative the plan fails to take cognizance of the preborn and also includes an unacceptable agenda. 

Sadly some of the recommended actions in the document violate parental rights and go against cultural and religious values recognized in international law.

It is regrettable that, in paragraph 90, there is an exclusive focus on promoting ‘[t]argeted programmes in and out of school', together with access to, and use of, modern contraceptive methods.

There is also an exclusive emphasis on so-called “comprehensive sexual education”. The sad fact, however, is that the approach that is popularly known as “comprehensive sexual education” is very far from such. This methodology fails to include other factors that are essential to enable young people to make such life-changing decisions, namely, values formation aimed at helping young people to develop a deep sense of their own unique worth and dignity as well as the capacity to respect themselves and others by abstaining from sexual relationships before marriage and by observing mutual and permanent fidelity within marriage, both of which are effective and evidence-based means to prevent adolescent pregnancy.

It should also be noted that concern has been expressed by parents and family organisations throughout Europe in reaction to the ‘Standards for Sexuality Education in Europe’ published in 2010 by the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the BZgA organization, since it promotes educational messages that are not age appropriate and because it completely ignores the role of the family in sexual education, despite the central role of the family in transmitting values and shaping responsible inter-personal behaviour.

These issues are not the only or even the most serious issues when it becomes clear that the radical agenda can also be found in the footnotes.

Footnote 2 of paragraph 37 cites a document entitled, ‘Preventing Early Pregnancy and Poor Reproductive Outcomes Among Adolescents in Developing Countries’ (WHO 2011).

This document in its section Recommendations for Action highlights the following under the banner of strong recommendations:

• Ensure that laws and policies enable adolescents to obtain safe abortion services.

• Enable adolescents to obtain safe abortion services by informing them and other stakeholders about:

• the dangers of unsafe methods of interrupting a pregnancy;

• the safe abortion services that are legally available; and

• where and under what circumstances these services can be obtained legally.

• Identify and overcome barriers to the provision of safe abortion services to adolescents.

• Ensure access to post-abortion by adolescents care as a life-saving medical intervention, whether or not the abortion or attempted abortion was legal.

• Ensure that adolescents who have had abortions can obtain post-abortion contraceptive information and services, whether or not the abortion was legal.

Needless to say none of this has anything to do with newborn health.

Midwife lodges legal challenge against a Swedish County Council for denial of her right to freedom of conscience and religion on abortion.

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Ruth Nordstrom of Scandinavian Human Rights Lawyers, reports that a lawsuit has been filed against the Swedish Government on the right to freedom of conscience and religion for a midwife who has been refused employment because of her conscientious objection to abortion.

Jönköping County Council's decisions constitute an interference with the exercise of Mrs Ellinor Grimmarks right to freedom of conscience and religion under the European Convention on Human Rights, says Ruth Nordstrom, Legal Counsel and President of Scandinavian Human Rights Lawyers. – The County Council has supported the withdrawals of offered job positions as a midwife at three different hospitals, and set up an obligation to perform abortions as a condition for employment as a midwife. This is a requirement that puts persons of a certain religion or other beliefs in a discriminatory position. The filed lawsuit argues in favour of midwife Ellinor Grimmark and claims that the District Court determines that the County Council acted wrongly by refusing Mrs Grimmark the promised jobs and claims compensation for damages by 80 000 SEK and compensation for discrimination by 60 000 SEK.

Emeritus Professor of Labour Law at Lund University, Mr. Reinhold Fahlbeck, Senior Legal Counsel at Scandinavian Human Rights Lawyers, points out that “if this case is brought to the European Court of Human Rights, Sweden will lose. There is a proper consensus among the Council of Europe Member States to allow freedom of conscience for health care workers regarding abortion and euthanasia and the scope for national deviations is very small in this case.

Roger Kiska, Senior Legal Counsel, Alliance Defending Freedom Europe, says "in a civil society, in this day and age, it is shocking that we are denying one of the most fundamental of human rights, the right to conscience. A society has truly lost its way when it excludes someone from the healthcare profession merely because they want to bring human life into the world rather than destroying it. We are confident that the Swedish courts will rule in Mrs. Grimmark's favour, in favour of decency, and in favour of human rights."

Contact

For more information, please contact:

Legal Counsel Ruth Nordstrom

President, Scandinavian Human Rights Lawyers.

ruth.nordstrom@shrl.eu

Politicians reap what they sow

There has been much political analysis on the fallout from the Local and European elections in Ireland and the resignation of the Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore. Needless to say neither the media nor the political parties seem to understand that it is not only economic issues that influence voters decisions when they come to cast their votes.

The Government parties and Fine Gael, in particular, don’t seem to understand that promises matter and that their high-handed approach to the introduction of abortion legislation is anathema to a huge segment of the electorate. There are very few issues that will bring 60,000 to the streets in public protest but the message went unheeded.  Public opinion was rejected in a most arrogant manner and the TD’s who decided to vote with their consciences were treated shabbily.

Do they think we have short memories, that we have forgotten?

The Government then promised in the wake of the introduction of the anti life legislation that they would hold a referendum in 2015 on so called ‘same sex marriage’ and in the meantime would introduce unacceptable family legislation. They would do well to look across the Irish Sea and consider what has happened to the Government parties there in the wake of the same sex marriage legislation. If they are wise they will quietly drop the proposals and leave our Constitution alone.

In what was a huge slap in the face to the Catholic population of Ireland Tanaiste and Labour leader Eamonn Gilmore arbitrarily shut down the Irish Embassy to the Holy See, supposedly to save government expenditure. Who did he think he was kidding?

In the lead up to the recent election the attempt to play the Catholic card by inviting Pope Francis to come to Ireland and reopening the Vatican Embassy was seen for what it was, a cynical attempt to win back those who had been antognised by the earlier anti Catholic actions.

Did they really think they could treat the electorate in this way and escape scot free?

There is no doubt in my mind that the government parties are responsible for their own demise, they have been ‘hoist with their own petard’.

Maternal and Child Health: First 1000 Days, Conception to Age 2.

GENEVA, Switzerland.

The World health Assembly (WHA), the annual General meeting of the World Health Organization, takes place this week in Geneva. 

The WHA is being attended by a number of pro-life organizations and individuals to monitor the discussions and resolutions surrounding the post 2015 agenda, on issues such as reproductive health and the acceleration of strategies to attain the health related Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s), in the lead in to development of the new Sustainable Development Goals, or SDG’s.

MCCL GO has this year published a brochure on the first 1000 days of the life of a baby, from conception, the crucial development period in the life of every human being stretching from conception until 2 years of age.

The text of the MCCL GO press release follows 

MCCL GO highlights first 1,000 days of life at World Health Assembly

Maternal, child health at stake during critical period, research shows

The first 1,000 days in the life of a human being—from conception to the second birthday—are crucial to the health and prosperity of both mother and child, according to a new document released this week at the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland.  It was produced by Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life Global Outreach (MCCL GO), a U.N.-accredited non-governmental organization.

“A wealth of research has demonstrated how important this 1,000-day window of time is,” stated Scott Fischbach, Executive Director of MCCL GO.  “Mothers and babies need quality health care throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the two years after.  This must be prioritized in the post-2015 development agenda.”

This week’s 67th annual WHA is a gathering of the U.N.’s World Health Organization, including delegations from all member states.  This year’s meeting will include consideration of an action plan to reduce newborn deaths.

An estimated 2.9 million children died within the first month of life in 2012.  Many newborn deaths can be prevented by improving the quality of care during labor, childbirth and the days following birth, including essential newborn care, explains MCCL GO’s new document, “1 to 1,000: How to ensure the health and flourishing of women, children, and society.”

The brochure notes that prenatal care and nutrition greatly affect the life of a child.  Malnutrition during pregnancy can hinder development of a child’s brain and immune system, inhibiting the child’s ability to learn and making her more susceptible to disease.

“Maternal and child health are intimately connected,” said Fischbach.  “Maternal mortality and morbidity remain a serious problem in large parts of the world.  We can save the lives of both pregnant women and their babies by providing the care that they need, including skilled birth attendants, emergency obstetric care, sanitation and clean water.”

The brochure also describes the importance of early childhood, when suboptimum breastfeeding leads to an estimated 800,000 deaths each year, and it calls for respect and protection for women during pregnancy and motherhood, when they may be uniquely vulnerable to the threat of violence and abuse.

“The first 1,000 days after conception are so critical in so many ways, not just for women and children, but for society as a whole,” Fischbach explained.  “Good care throughout this period leads to healthier, better-educated and more-productive adults, increasing economic prosperity.”

MCCL GO calls on the WHA to prioritize the 1,000-day continuum of care for mothers and babies.  “It is absolutely essential to sustainable development,” Fischbach concluded.

MCCL GO’s brochure “1 to 1,000” is available in English, French and Spanish in the Resources section at the MCCL GO website, www.mccl-go.org.

MCCL GO is a pro-life NGO global outreach program of the Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life Education Fund with one goal: to save as many innocent lives as possible from the destruction of abortion. Learn more at www.mccl-go.org.