The Commission for citizens’ rights of the European Parliament adopted its annual Report for 2002 on the situation of human rights in the European Union on 10 July. The report (by MEP Sylla) was approved by 24 votes in favour and 17 against. It focuses its analysis on terrorism, imprisonment, traffic in human beings, data protection, concentration of media, asylum and discrimination. Concern is expressed in the report about overcrowding in European prisons and about excessive recourse to overly harsh measures of detention for presumed crimes of terrorism. As regards the trafficking in human beings, the Commission proposes the creation of a data bank to monitor the situation. Protection of privacy: MEPs invite the Council to oppose the obligation to disclose personal data requested by American airlines. The report asks the executive to guarantee the objectivity of information and adopt measures to prevent the concentration of media power. It also recommends the prompt adoption of a common Eu policy on asylum and immigration, as authorized by the recent summit in Salonica. As regards discrimination, lastly, the Commission intends to improve the right of access to education for children, guarantee the right to healthcare for all Eu residents, and put an end to alleged discrimination against homosexuals in terms of marriage and adoption. The Report will be examined by the parliamentary assembly in the autumn.
