European Parliament" "
Condemnation of terrorism, disapproval of the concentration of media in the hands of a few groups, appeal to member states to abolish discrimination against children, homosexuals and non-conjugal relations: that’s what emerges from the annual Report of 2002 on fundamental rights in the European Union approved by the European Parliament on 4 September. Policies of prevention and repression, says the Report, must be aimed both at the maintenance and at the reinforcement of the rule of law. MEPs emphasise the importance of the pursuit of a genuine political dialogue with third countries and the need to integrate human rights in the foreign policy of the EU. As for the concentration of the media, the Parliament deplores the fact that a legislative solution to the problem of how to safeguard freedom and pluralism of information has still to be found. In this regard, the example of Italy was cited, a country in which “a situation of the concentration of media power in the hands of the Prime Minister” still persists, “without any legislation on the conflict of interest having yet been adopted”. The European Commission has allocated 31 billion euros to fund some 50 projects for the promotion of human rights in various countries in Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and South America.
