The right to a home

The right to a home is a fundamental right which all Europeans ought to have access to. The statement was delivered by the EU Parliament, whose formal adoption will take place with MEPs majority vote scheduled for April 9 and 10 in Brussels.A shelter to the ‘homeless’ by 2015. The possibility of having a “dignified” lodging is a basic right ensuring a respectable life to all European families and to all families living in the Old Continent: the life of the homeless, numerous and present throughout EU States, foments marginalization, poverty, exploitation and racism. The homeless living on the streets – states the declaration submitted by MEPs Mary Lou McDonald, Depute Jacek Protasiewicz, Claude Moraes, Gérard Onesta and Jean Marie Beaupuy – “represent the most visible expression” of a problem which ought to be addressed within the framework “of a broad global strategy”. For this very reason, MEPs urged to “solve homeless’ situation”, by the year 2015. Requesting Member States “to create winter emergency plans”, since “many die for cold in Europe during the winter”. Two times this year the European Parliament “requested urgent action in this field”, “which represents an active inclusion program priority envisaged by the Community Strategy for Social Protection and Integration”. The statement -open to parliamentary adhesions until April 10 – solicits the commission to develop “a European framework-definition for the homeless”, to collect “comparable and reliable” statistical data, in order to provide “yearly updating on actions and progress” in EU Countries in order to solve the human and social problem. Cancer, towards a common strategy? After circulatory system diseases, cancer is the major cause of death in the European Union. A fourth of all deaths in the 27 Member States – over a million per year – is due to this disease. MEPs filed a parliamentary question to the Commission asking “when a global prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and cure strategy will be adopted”. MEPs equally asked whether “screening guidelines updating is on the agenda”. The statement claims that cancer “represents a consistent health expenditure”, bound to increase “with European population ageing and other illnesses’ survival increase rate”. Interpellations submitted to the Executive were focused on prevention, medical treatment, screening and palliative cures. The Assembly is expected to issue a resolution. Subtitled TV programs for the deaf. The EU Parliament filed all Member State governments, EU Commission and Council a proposal to subtitle all public networks’ TV programs. The written statement was submitted by Polish MEP Lidia Joanna Geringer and gained the MEP majority support. The statement claims that “the EU should ensure citizens equal access to information, education and culture”. It points our that “over 83 million people in the EU are affected by partial or total hearing loss and that, given population ageing, figures are bound to increase”. Geringer underlined that current technology enables program subtitling, including live shows, as the BBC has been doing since the beginning of April. In other Countries – France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark and Netherlands – partial subtitling initiatives are under way. This service is expected also “to enable foreign language learning”. The Commission was requested to “present a legislative proposal” on the subject. Other issues addressed. During its works, MEPs will be addressing a number of other issues. The first item is the approval of entrusting public health, food security, and animal health care to Cypriot Commissioner Androula Vassilou. Her predecessor and compatriot Markos Kyprianou, left the Executive to occupy the post of Foreign Minister in the new Cypriot government. MEPs will be examining a report on the progress undertaken by Croatia in view of its adhesion, which is expected to take place in 2010. The Parliament will also be debating the political crisis under way in Lebanon and is expected to adopt a resolution on the situation in Tibet.