When: 16 April 2021

Eurostat

External event

On 16 April, FRA will present selected results from its Fundamental Rights Survey at an online Eurostat task force meeting. The task force is responsible for implementing the EU survey on gender-based violence against women and other forms of interpersonal violence.

• DOWNLOAD REPORT ON CRIME, SAFETY AND VICTIMS’ RIGHTS

The task force meeting will discuss countries’ progress in collecting the data for the survey as well as standards for reporting the results. FRA’s presentation will focus on findings from the recent report ‘Crime, safety and victims’ rights’,

In a letter to the President of the Senate of Romania and the Chairperson of its Human Rights Committee, made public today, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights invites the Senate to use the appointment of the new leadership of the CRPD Monitoring Council to strengthen the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities.

To this end, she calls on senators to seize the opportunity offered by the nomination of a new president of the Council for Monitoring the Implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) (Monitoring Council) to enhance the independence, credibility and effectiveness of this institution.

The Commissioner recalls states’ obligation under the CRPD to ensure that mechanisms for promoting and monitoring the implementation of this convention are designated in line with the standards regarding the status and functioning of national institutions for protection and promotion of human rights, known as the “Paris Principles”.

Referring to the findings of her report on her visit to Romania in 2018, that the Monitoring Council’s activity and procedures lacked transparency, including in its relations with civil society, the Commissioner stresses the importance of effective co-operation between the Monitoring Council and NGOs. While the Monitoring Council is mandated by law to facilitate NGOs’ access to institutions for persons with disabilities, which plays a pivotal role in the effective protection of their rights, the Commissioner is concerned that this is still often not respected in practice.

The Commissioner notes that in accordance with a number of international standards which are also relevant for the Monitoring Council, a transparent, inclusive and merit-based appointment process is necessary to ensure the independence of, and public confidence in, the leadership of national human rights institutions. “The leadership of the Monitoring Council should enjoy the support and trust of NGOs, with which this institution is meant to work closely”, she writes.

• Read the Commissioner for Human Rights’ letter to the President of the Senate of Romania and the Chairperson of the Human Rights Committee

Link: Finland’s guarantee in favour of the airline Finnair to help it obtain a loan of €600 million from a pension fund to cover its working capital requirements following the Covid-19 pandemic is compatible with EU law (europa.eu)

Languages available: bg es cs da de et el en fr hr it lv lt mt nl pl pt ro sk sl fi sv

General Court of the European Union

PRESS RELEASE No 53/21

Luxembourg, 14 April 2021

Judgment in Case T-388/20 Ryanair DAC v Commission

Finland’s guarantee in favour of the airline Finnair to help it obtain a loan of €600 million from a pension fund to cover its working capital requirements following the Covid-19 pandemic is compatible with EU law

The guarantee was necessary in order to remedy the serious disturbance in the Finnish economy in view of the importance of Finnair for that economy On 13 May 2020, Finland notified the Commission of an aid measure in the form of a State guarantee in favour of the Finnish airline, Finnair Plc, aimed at helping the latter obtain a loan of €600 million from a pension fund to cover its working capital needs. The guarantee, which was supposed to cover 90% of that loan, was limited to a maximum duration of three years and could be relied upon in the event of Finnair’s default with regard to the pension fund.

Referring to its communication on the Temporary Framework for State aid measures to support the economy in the current COVID-19 outbreak, 1 the Commission classified the guarantee granted to Finnair as State aid which is compatible with the internal market in accordance with Article 107(3)(b) TFEU. 2 Under that provision, aid intended to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State may, under certain circumstances, be considered to be compatible with the internal market. 

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Link: Aid measures introduced by Sweden and Denmark for SAS for damage resulting from the cancellation or rescheduling of flights in the wake of travel restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic comply with EU law (europa.eu)

Languages available: bg es cs da de et el en fr hr it lv lt hu mt nl pl pt ro sk sl fi sv

General Court of the European Union

PRESS RELEASE No 52/21

Luxembourg, 14 April 2021

Judgments in Cases T-378/20 Ryanair DAC v Commission and T-379/20 Ryanair DAC v Commission

Aid measures introduced by Sweden and Denmark for SAS for damage resulting from the cancellation or rescheduling of flights in the wake of travel restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic comply with EU law

Given that SAS’s market share is much higher than that of its closest competitor in those two Member States, the aid does not amount to unlawful discrimination

In April 2020 Denmark and Sweden notified the Commission of two separate aid measures for SAS AB, each involving a guarantee on a revolving credit facility of up to 1.5 billion Swedish kronor (SEK). 1 Those measures were intended to compensate SAS in part for the damage resulting from the cancellation or rescheduling of its flights after the imposition of travel restrictions amid the Covid-19 pandemic. (...)