As is known to the public, the Parliament of Georgia has adopted significant legislative amendments over the past week, several of which do not comply with human rights standards. It is noteworthy that despite the substantial nature of the legislative amendments, this legislative process was conducted in an expedited manner, without the involvement of stakeholders or relevant specialists, which generally harms the legislative process and is not welcome.

As for the content of the legislative amendments, the Parliament of Georgia considered amendments to be introduced into the Law of Georgia on Public Service. Although the Legal Issues Committee approved the opinions presented by the Public Defender during the first hearing of the committee relating to the grounds for reorganization, it is regrettable that according to the finally adopted legislative draft, persons dismissed from the public service due to reorganization will no longer have the right to request reinstatement in the public service, which puts them in an unequal position with civil servants dismissed on other grounds.

In addition, during the second hearing, new amendments were introduced, according to which, the head of the primary structural unit and his/her deputy will no longer be considered professional civil servants and they will be appointed on the basis of administrative contracts, which significantly reduces the guarantees of protection of their labour rights and contradicts the principles of the public service itself, such as career advancement, service based on merit and stability. At the same time, these regulations will also apply to persons employed at a similar level in legal entities of public law of Georgia.

Amendments banning the wearing of masks at assemblies and demonstrations were also passed this week. Although similar restrictions are common in many Western countries, in most cases, the legislation of these countries, international human rights standards and the practice of the European Court of Human Rights indicate that this ban is not unconditional or blanket. It is important in this case for the legislation to protect the balance between freedom of expression and security interests.

Another amendment was made to the Administrative Offences Code, according to which, fines for certain violations will be significantly increased, and in a number of cases, additional administrative imprisonment will be imposed. Given the financial situation of the population in Georgia, this may be a rather heavy burden for citizens.

Debate en la Comisión del Síndic de los informes Las cartas de servicio en Cataluña y La retirada del amianto en Cataluña
 

La síndica de greuges de Cataluña, Esther Giménez-Salinas, y el adjunto general, Jaume Saura, han comparecido este lunes ante la Comisión del Síndic del Parlamento de Cataluña para debatir los informes Las cartas de servicio en Cataluña y La retirada del amianto en Cataluña.

La sesión ha comenzado con la presentación del informe sobre el amianto, a cargo de la síndica, quien ha denunciado que la presencia de amianto en nuestro entorno es un grave problema laboral, ambiental y de salud pública.

El amianto se utilizó ampliamente en la industria de la construcción entre los años sesenta y ochenta del siglo pasado. Se trata de un material que se deteriora con los años y, con el paso del tiempo, aumenta el riesgo de que desprenda fibras peligrosas.

La Unión Europea adoptó el compromiso de retirar el amianto de los edificios públicos antes de 2028 y del resto del territorio antes de finales de 2032. Sin embargo, hay que tener en cuenta que en el Estado español la normativa relevante relacionada con la retirada del amianto está repartida entre diferentes fuentes normativas (legislación sobre riesgos laborales, residuos, urbanismo, salud pública, etc.).

En este marco complejo, el Congreso de los Diputados incluyó una disposición adicional, la decimocuarta, en la Ley 7/2022, de 8 de abril, de residuos y suelos contaminados para una economía circular, que trasladaba a los ayuntamientos la obligación de elaborar un censo de instalaciones y emplazamientos con amianto, así como un calendario de retirada. El plazo para ello finalizó en abril de 2023 sin que ningún municipio presentara ni el censo ni el calendario. La institución del Síndic de Greuges defiende que es necesario disponer de un marco normativo claro y exhaustivo que facilite la retirada del amianto, más allá de esta disposición adicional.

En Cataluña se está haciendo un esfuerzo importante y se elaboró ​​un proyecto de ley, pionero en el Estado español, que decayó con la última convocatoria electoral. Finalmente, se ha retomado su tramitación: el pasado 3 de diciembre el Gobierno de la Generalitat aprobó el proyecto de ley y, el 10 de diciembre, la Mesa del Parlamento lo admitió a trámite. En este contexto, la síndica ha pedido a los diputados que trabajen por un consenso político que permita agilizar al máximo posible la tramitación de este proyecto: "Es imprescindible disponer de un marco jurídico adecuado y eficaz para lograr el gran reto de retirar el amianto de nuestras vidas." 

A continuación, se ha presentado el informe que evalúa el grado de implementación de las cartas de servicio en Cataluña, a cargo del adjunto general. La normativa impone a las administraciones catalanas el deber de disponer de cartas de servicio de todos los servicios finalistas que prestan, y también regula el contenido y las condiciones en las que deben cumplirse los estándares de calidad que contienen. A partir del análisis realizado, el informe concluye que solo el 12 % de las administraciones catalanas cuentan con una carta de servicio, a pesar de que se trata de un documento obligatorio que contribuye a mejorar la interrelación entre la Administración y la ciudadanía. Por este motivo, el adjunto general ha recordado a las administraciones que deben impulsarlas.

Las cifras también indican que las cartas de servicio son mucho más habituales en municipios grandes que en pequeños, por lo que el adjunto general pide una mayor colaboración interadministrativa y un sistema de gestión de la calidad o cartas de servicio menos exigentes para las administraciones de tamaño pequeño.

En cuanto al contenido de las cartas, cabe destacar que solo el 21,3 % recoge la información exigida por la normativa. En este sentido, el adjunto general ha solicitado que las cartas incorporen medidas de reparación en caso de incumplimiento de los compromisos, ya que solo el 37 % las incluyen.

Special Report | Return of Third Country Nationals 2023

In 2023, as in previous years, the national mechanism for external monitoring of forced returns exceeded its initial plans, participating in almost all air oper­ations and selectively in land operations. The Ombudsman consistently em­phasizes two key issues: first, the need for timely notification to third coun­try nationals about their removal, and second, the importance of a thorough medical assessment —not limited to interviews— to determine the fitness of all returnees to travel (fit to travel).

• MEPs want the Commission to urgently resolve the issue of delays in granting public access

• The Commission should disclose documents related to the Emission Trading System

• MEPs are concerned about the transparency of the Commission’s interactions with the tobacco industry

The European Parliament praises Emily O'Reilly’s work in 2023 on access to documents, fundamental rights, ethical issues and accountability in EU institutions.

On Tuesday, the European Parliament adopted with 598 votes in favour, 17 against and 37 abstentions, a report evaluating the work of the outgoing EU Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly in 2023.

Access to documents

Following an Ombudsman special report that revealed maladministration in the systematic delays of the Commission in granting public access to documents, the Petitions Committee expects a clear commitment by the new College of Commissioners to resolve this situation as a matter of urgency.

Highlighting the Commission’s refusal to disclose documents concerning environmental emissions under the EU Emission Trading System, and implement the Ombudsman’s proposed solution, MEPs want the Commission to guarantee public access to this information. MEPs also criticised the Commission’s failure to grant public access to emails and messages related to Covid-19 vaccine purchases, among other issues.

They urge the Council to engage in negotiations to revise Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 on document access and update the definition of EU documents for the digital age, as well as to improve public access.

Ethical issues, transparency and accountability

MEPs raised transparency concerns over the Commission’s interactions with the tobacco industry. They remind the Commission that the EU has signed the WTO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which obliges the Union and its member states to protect health policy-making from the interests of the tobacco industry.

MEPs want the EU institutions to pay close attention to lobbying activities that might compromise transparency and increase the risk of conflict of interest, referencing the progress made in transparency with the updated Code of Conduct for MEPs following the Qatar corruption scandal.

Quote

“This vote represents an overwhelming endorsement of the Ombudsman’s 2023 annual report and a strong commitment to upholding transparency, accountability and the highest standards of integrity across all EU Institutions, bodies, offices and agencies. The report’s overwhelming majority is a clear message that we support the principles of good governance, which are essential to maintaining the trust of our citizens,” rapporteur Alex Agius Saliba (S&D, MT) said.

Background

This will be the final report evaluating the activities of Emily O’Reilly, who has served as European Ombudsman since 2013. During the same session, the European Parliament elected Teresa Anjinho as the new Ombudsman for a five-year mandate.

Each year, the Ombudsman submits a report to Parliament on the outcome of inquiries in the public interest. The top three concerns appearing in inquiries in 2023 were transparency, accountability and public access to documents and information (34.2%), culture of service (21.5%), and the recruitment of EU civil servants (15.3%).

Contacts:

The National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) of Slovenia joined national preventive mechanisms from 45 countries and participated in the preparation of a global report on women in prisons. This report, presented today, 12 December 2024, by the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT) from Geneva, brings groundbreaking findings.

The report highlights the significant challenges and systemic discrimination faced by women in prisons around the world. At the same time, it calls for urgent reforms and greater use of alternative forms of deprivation of liberty. It is based on analyses of national prevention mechanisms from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Latin America, making it the first global analysis of women in prison based on the findings of these independent bodies that prevent torture and ill-treatment in all places where people are deprived of liberty.

The Global Report on Women in Prison: An Analysis of National Prevention Mechanisms reveals that despite representing a smaller but growing proportion of the world's prison population, women are often neglected and discriminated against. The report deals with several topics, including the increased risk of ill-treatment, the neglect of specific needs, and cross-sectoral discrimination.

It notes that women in prison face humiliating and invasive body searches, the inappropriate use of solitary confinement, and restraints, with particularly severe consequences for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, members of the LGBTIQ+ community, indigenous peoples, and those with mental health problems. Their access to healthcare, hygiene aids, and mental health services is lacking, which does not meet international standards, further increasing women's vulnerability. Foreigners, representatives of indigenous peoples, older women, representatives of the LGBTIQ+ community, pregnant women, and women from different ethnic and racial backgrounds are exposed to special – and sometimes greater – risks of abuse and discrimination.

Since the adoption of the United Nations Bangkok Rules in 2010, which address the needs of women in the criminal justice system, significant improvements have been made, but much work remains to be done to fully implement them.

The report offers broad recommendations to promote systemic change for women in prison and highlights the key role of national prevention mechanisms. Among the recommendations are:

• Introducing gender-sensitive alternatives to imprisonment, particularly for non-violent offences.
• Replacement of harmful or degrading practices such as solitary confinement, use of coercive means, and invasive body searches.
• Provision of gender-specific health care and mental health support.
•  Strengthening family contacts with more flexible options for visits and communication.
• Improving training in gender-sensitive approaches.
• Addressing the special needs of vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, LGBTIQ+ women, indigenous women, and foreign women.

The report also includes examples of good practices from different countries. The global report is accompanied by national reports prepared in 46 countries, including Slovenia.

The global report, which aims to be a tool to stimulate an evidence-based debate on the impact of imprisonment on women, to improve treatment and increase the use of gender-sensitive alternatives to detention and imprisonment, covers several topics.  The NPM of Slovenia chose two topics for cooperation in the preparation of the global report, namely the implementation of security and personal checks of imprisoned persons (women) and visitors [1] and access to mental health. Based on this, on 21 September 2023, the NPM made a thematic visit to the Penitentiary Institute of the Ig prison (Institute), where he checked the implementation of security and personal checks of inmates (women) and female visitors. The members of the DPM talked with the management and inspected the room intended for carrying out personal examinations and the special room for isolation. On 25 September 2023, a thematic visit related to access to mental health was carried out by a doctor – an expert who works with the NPM on the basis of a contract. During the visit, she found that imprisoned people have adequate access to mental health, which the NPM assessed as positive. More details regarding the NPM's recommendations and responses to them can be seen in the table.

More about the global report and Slovenian contributions.

The global report was created with the support of the Canadian government and the city of Geneva.