Plenary focus - April

It has been a year since the shameful EU-Turkey agreement. The EU’s migration policy - now deeply entrenched in the externalisation of our borders which respects neither human rights nor international law - not only belongs to the far-right, it is also xenophobic and institutionally racist. The current European model of migration policy is under dispute and policy-makers are only choosing between terrible options. Instead, we defend a Europe that is based on solidarity and respect for human rights.

For the first time, the European Parliament will be voting on this issue and for me, this is an important step towards fulfilling the COP21 agreement and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Indonesia is burning due to palm oil which we use as biofuels and in our food because it´s cheaper. As a result, our biodiversity and rainforests are suffering. This race to the bottom is leading to an ecological catastrophe. The issues surrounding palm oil must be tackled and I know we have strong support from many NGOs and other political groups.

The most dominant form of human trafficking in Europe is that of women and girls into the sex industry where they are used and abused by pimps and sex buyers. All measures to combat trafficking in human beings must be victim-centred and have a strong gender dimension. An important step in this direction would be to decriminalise persons working in prostitution in all EU countries and shift the focus to punishing the procurers (ie. the pimps) and the buyers who fuel the trafficking industry.

As president of the informal Eurogroup and Schäuble’s chief adjutant in imposing austerity policies in Europe, Jeroen Dijsselbloem’s latest remarks with analogies to alcohol and women when analysing the economic crisis in southern Europe demonstrates his total incompetence and lack of character. Despite his earlier promises, this loudmouth is now apparently too cowardly to appear in front of the plenary. The Council must clarify if they find Dijsselbloem’s remarks appropriate and economically correct.