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Choose an Issue:
Justice
The European Union is a vital aid to the Gardai
as it tackles more and more cross border crime and international
gangs.
Election Priorities Justice and Home Affairs
My 5 Justice Priorities for 2009-2014 in the European Parliament
1) I will help Tackle the International Drugs Trade- With the help of the EU we can increase intelligence gathering, increase resources, increase educational and treatment programmes.
2) I will work towards the Creation of a Central EU Sex Offenders Register- The EU can play a central role in tracking convicted sex offenders. I hope to persuade the EU to create a central database where police forces such as the Gardai can check if a person is on a sex offender's register in another EU country when carrying out the standard background check.
3) I want to see an Improvement in the use of the European Arrest Warrants- EAWs are an extremely important part of the EU's efforts to tackle cross border crime. Ireland is the Country which takes the longest time to implement an EAW and I want this to change. We need to make better use of these warrants to get criminals convicted and we need to speed up the entire process and I will engage with Irish and EU authorities to ensure this happens.
4) I want drivers punished for Cross Border Road Traffic Offences- I want Ireland to embrace the Cross Border Road Traffic Directive for too long people with foreign registered vehicles are getting away with road traffic offences regardless of residency. I want the Government to follow the EU proposal and sanction people for the four biggest causes of death on our road, speeding, drink driving, breaking red lights and non seatbelt use.
5) I want stronger legislation and enforcement of Data Protection- The world in which we live is becoming more and more dependant on interactive electronic devices. There is a real need to ensure that information provided by you is only used for its intended purpose and not passed on to others. The EU has taken some action but more is needed I want strictly enforced legislation in place as soon as possible to counter a growing problem.
Some of the Issues I have worked on since 2004 in the field of Justice
I have been to the fore in raising the Illegal Drugs Problem in Ireland and in other parts of the EU. I was one of the first MEP to ask the Commission to draw up an EU Wide Drug Strategy. I have also raised the complete lack of surveillance on the western seaboard and at our ports.
I have supported the calls for an EU Freedom of Information system based on the Irish System so that people can request documents that they feel they need.
I have continually raised the issue of European Arrest Warrants and the failure by Countries to use the full potential of EAWs to fight cross border crime within the EU.
Injustice and Corruption over the last 5 years I have continued in my role as a person highlighting ongoing corruption in Irish politics and injustices against families and individuals in every corner of Ireland. I have brought a number of cases and problems to the authority's attention including the Lost at Sea Scheme.
I have on a number of occasions brought Human Rights abuses such as the persecution of religious minorities in Asia and Africa to the attention of the EU. I have been a leading critic of Israeli action in Palestine and I have asked for EU agreements with Israel to be suspended pending a full enquiry into illegal Israeli Human Rights abuses in early 2009.
Justice and Home Affairs in the EU
In the European Parliament Justice comes under
the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
This
Committee is responsible for:
- the protection within the
territory of the Union of citizens' rights, human rights
and fundamental rights, including the protection of
minorities, as laid down in the Treaties and in the
Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union;
- the measures needed to
combat all forms of discrimination other than those
based on sex or those occurring at the workplace and
in the labour market;
- legislation in the areas of transparency
and of the protection of natural persons with regard
to the processing of personal data;
- the establishment
and development of an area of freedom, security and
justice, in particular:
- measures concerning the entry and movement
of persons, asylum and migration as well as judicial
and administrative cooperation in civil matters,
- measures
concerning an integrated management of the common
borders,
- measures relating to police and judicial cooperation
in criminal matters;
- the European Monitoring Centre for
Drugs and Drug Addiction and the European Monitoring
Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, Europol, Eurojust,
Cepol and other bodies and agencies in the same area;
- The determination
of a clear risk of a serious breach by a Member State
of the principles common to the Member States.
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/activities/committees/homeCom.do?language=EN&body=LIBE
One
of the key goals of the European Commission if to increase
the Fight on illegal drugs
http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/drugs/fsj_drugs_intro_en.htm
To respond to the dramatic impact of drugs on society,
the European Council has endorsed a multi annual global
EU Drugs Strategy (2005-2012). This strategy provides
the framework for two Action Plans: one covering the
period 2005-2008 and the other 2009-2012. In December
2004, the European Council endorsed the second EU
Drugs Strategy (2005-2012)
The Strategy takes a balanced and
integrated approach to the drugs problem. It concentrates
on the two major aspects of drug policy, demand reduction
and supply reduction, and also covers a number of cross-cutting
themes: international cooperation, research, information
and evaluation.
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