The European Parliament wants to put into practice measures to prevent harassment in the workplace and promote best practice in the workplace in the Community legislature in Strasbourg and Brussels. The initiative comes from the Parliamentary Affairs Committee and includes mandatory training for all MPs, as well as sanctions for representatives who do not comply.
The changes are proposed in a report approved this Wednesday by the Commission, which leads to a vote in the European plenary on a formula called “How to create a competent and functional team.” Its five modules include, in addition to harassment prevention, recruitment of assistants, successful team management, conflict prevention and early resolution, and administrative and financial aspects of parliamentary assistance.
If the proposal is approved, European MPs who do not complete their studies within the first six months of their mandate will not be able to hold elected positions in parliament (such as the presidency) or join committees, official delegations or inter-institutional negotiations.
If the defaulting MP already holds one of these positions, the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament can also, with a three-fifths majority and at least three parliamentary groups, vote in plenary on his dismissal. A representative could be removed from internal parliamentary office only by a double majority: two-thirds of the votes cast and a simple majority of deputies.
“Parliament has a responsibility to set a gold standard for combating workplace harassment, with clear rules and strict sanctions for a zero-tolerance approach,” said Commissioner Gabriele Bischoff, a German MEP for S&D, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, in her report. the statement was sent to the news editors. “Prevention is important because it allows us to proactively address problems, and mandatory training reinforces our commitment to creating a workplace environment where the dignity of every person is respected and protected.”
The training follows consensus in the European Parliament presidency on combating harassment at work, which included the creation last July of a service to mediate conflicts between European MEPs and their staff, as well as a review of the advisory committee’s rules on reports of harassment or inappropriate behavior.
The anti-harassment measures are part of a plan to “reform the European Parliament to make it more effective, transparent and fair,” the legislature’s president, Roberta Metsola, said at the time. The plan “emphasizes measures to protect victims, speed up processes and focus on prevention through education and mediation,” the lawmaker said.
In March, a survey published by Politico and conducted by the group MeTooEP found that more than 550 European Parliament staff had experienced psychological harassment in the workplace. That was almost half of the 1,135 respondents. Eight MEPs responded to the survey: six were also victims of harassment.
49.5% of respondents said they had experienced psychological harassment, 15.5% had experienced sexual harassment, and 8.1% had experienced physical harassment.
The European Parliament reforms are due to be voted on in plenary sessions on April 10 and 11 next week in Brussels.
Author: SATURDAY
Source: CM Jornal
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