Clare TD Michael McNamara has called on the European Parliament to increase its work to uphold human rights in Europe.
Deputy McNamara, author of a report on “European institutions and human rights in Europe” for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, told the European Parliament’s LIBE Committee in Brussels this week, “Any EU initiative concerning the promotion and protection of human rights should take into account the Council’s role as a benchmark for human rights, the rule of law and democracy in Europe.” The two organisations shared the same core values, he pointed out.
In particular, the EU should continue to scrutinise its draft legislation to ensure its compatibility with the Charter for Fundamental Rights.
Referring to the recent negative opinion of the EU Court of Justice on EU accession to the European Convention on Human Rights, he called on EU decision-makers to “find a way out from this difficult situation”.
Mr McNamara also reiterated PACE’s concern at the impact on social and economic rights of austerity measures imposed on certain eurozone states by the European Commission and European Central Bank.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.