Alessandro ZAN

Policy topics Alessandro ZAN is active on

What Alessandro ZAN has said (16)

• 2025-07-01 “E-002653/2025 Answer given by Mr Brunner on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the return operation that took place on 9 May 2025. This return operation is a development in the implementation of the Italy Albania protocol 1 and of the decree-law (converted into law) 2 introducing new provisions for the use of the centre in Gjadër, Albania. The Commission is monitoring the development and its compatibility with Directive 2008/115/EC 3 . The Commission expects Member States to act fully in line with European law and international obligations. The Commission is also aware of the case at the Court of Justice of the European Union mentioned by the Honourable Members 4 . In the context of the Schengen evaluation and monitoring mechanism, the Commission with the Member States experts assesses the implementation of the Schengen acquis, in particular the Directive 2008/115/EC, by Member States. The last Schengen evaluation of Italy took place in 2021, and the next periodic evaluation is foreseen in 2027. The Commission will ensure that all the relevant aspects of the return policy are evaluated. This periodic assessment is without prejudice to the Commission’s role as guardian of the Treaties. 1 Protocollo tra il Governo della Repubblica italiana e il Consiglio dei ministri della Repubblica di Albania per il rafforzamento della collaborazione in materia migratoria, Roma 6 novembre 2023. 2 https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2025/05/23/25G00083/SG. 3 Directive 2008/115/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on common standards and procedures in Member States for returning illegally staying third-country nationals, OJ L 348, 24.12.2008, p. 98 –107. 4 Request for a preliminary ruling from the Corte suprema di cassazione (Italy) lodged on 24 June 2025 – Ministero dell’Interno, Questura di Roma v S.H., A.H. (Case C-414/25, Sedrata).”
  Asylum & border control
• 2025-04-24 “E-001658/2025 Answer given by Mr McGrath on behalf of the European Commission Equality and respect for human dignity and human rights are core values of the EU, enshrined in the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The Charter sets out the rights to freedom of expression and to peaceful assembly and association. The Commission is committed to promoting and safeguarding these rights. The Commission is concerned about any development that could put at risk the effective implementation of EU law and remains fully committed to addressing inequality and discrimination affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) persons as outlined in the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025 1 . The Commission is closely monitoring the situation in Hungary. It is thoroughly analysing the 15th Amendment to Hungary’s Fundamental Law and accompanying legislation and the Law amending Act LV of 2018 on the right of assembly related to the protection of children, and amending the related laws, recently adopted by the Hungarian Parliament from the perspective of EU law. In December 2022, the Commission referred Hungary to the Court of Justice of the EU over national rules that discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. The Commission considers that such rules violate EU law, both single market rules and the fundamental rights of individuals, in particular of LGBTIQ people, as well as the common values at the core of the EU. The case is still pending before the Court of Justice. A hearing on this case took place on 19 November 2024 and the Advocate General issued her opinion on 5 June 2025. 1 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52020DC0698.”
  EU competences on human rights · LGBTIQ+
• 2025-04-08 “E-001425/2025 Answer given by Mr Brunner on behalf of the European Commission In accordance with the information available to the Commission, one of the centres established on Albanian territory on the basis of the bilateral protocol with Albania can be used as a pre-removal detention centre subject to Italian law and jurisdiction. This is an intermediate step before an illegally staying third-country national is returned to a third country. The Return Directive 1 sets out common standards and procedures for the return of illegally staying third-country nationals, including on detention for the purpose of removal, in accordance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and international law, including the right to asylum and the principle of non-refoulement. 1 Directive 2008/115/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on common standards and procedures in Member States for returning illegally staying third-country nationals, OJ L 348, 24.12.2008, p. 98–107.”
  Asylum & border control
• 2024-12-06 “E-002801/2024 Answer given by Mr Šefčovič on behalf of the European Commission Pro Vita & Famiglia Onlus is registered in the EU transparency register since 19 September 2024. Since the press articles the Honourable Members refer to were published in December 2024, the information presented therein was not available to the transparency register Secretariat at the time of evaluation of the application of that organisation to register. In the light of the information provided, the transparency register Secretariat has opened a compliance check on the information set out in the said organisation’s registration. The Commission is not solely responsible to monitor registrations or evaluate registrants’ eligibility and observance of the transparency register’s code of conduct. Only the transparency register Secretariat, made up of staff from the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, is entitled to conduct such tasks. The Secretariat decides upon the eligibility of applicants and monitors the content of the transparency register, with the aim of achieving an optimal level of data quality, on the understanding, however, that registrants are ultimately responsible for the accuracy of the information provided. In the context of its eligibility and data quality monitoring, the Secretariat takes into account all relevant information available to it, including that from public sources. It may remove from the transparency register a registration where it finds that a registrant no longer satisfies the requirements for eligibility, including the observance of the register’s code of conduct.”
  Transparency requirements for interest groups · Regulation of NGOs in Europe
• 2024-11-29 “E-002701/2024 Answer given by Mr Brunner on behalf of the European Commission The assessment of whether a third country meets the conditions set out in Annex I of Directive 2013/32 1 for the purpose of the designation as safe country of origin is conducted by Member States’ competent authorities, based on a range of sources of information. In any event, when the concept is applied in a procedure for international protection, an individual examination of the application submitted by applicants from designated safe countries of origin must always be carried out. Pursuant to Article 37(2) of Directive 2013/32, Member States must regularly review the situation in the designated safe countries of origin. This covers the occurrence of significant events which may affect the presumption that the concerned country can guarantee the safety of the applicant. 1 Directive 2013/32/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 June 2013 on common procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection (recast) - OJ L 180, 29/06/2013, p. 60.”
  Asylum & border control
• 2024-09-25 “E-001823/2024 Answer given by Mr Reynders on behalf of the European Commission Human dignity, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and of association are respectively protected by Article 1, Article 11 and Article 12 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (the Charter) and the Commission is committed to ensuring their respect within the remit of its competences. According to its Article 51(1), the Charter applies to Member States only when they are implementing EU law. The Italian draft law on ’Provisions on public security’ lays down, inter alia, national provisions introducing criminal offences related to ‘passive resistance’ or obstructing traffic on roads or railways during demonstrations, and the amount of the penalties for these offences. Such provisions do not seem to fall within the scope of the Charter, as they do not implement any EU legislation. The EU competence in the area of substantive criminal law is set out in Article 83 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and does not cover the areas of crime concerned by the Italian draft law on ‘Provisions on public security’. Furthermore, in accordance with Article 72 TFEU, Member States are responsible for maintaining law and order and safeguarding internal security. Therefore, it is for the Member States, including their judicial authorities, to ensure that fundamental rights are effectively respected and protected, in accordance with their national legislation and international human rights obligations.”
  Rule of law and democracy in the EU (political compass) · EU Supervision of the Rule of Law
• 2024-09-12 “E-001697/2024 Answer given by Ms Dalli on behalf of the European Commission The Commission is aware of the motion 1 tabled by Member of Parliament Rossano Sasso to the Culture, Science and Education Committee of the Italian Chamber of Deputies. While the Commission does not comment on national parliaments’ resolutions, it is important to reiterate that equality and non-discrimination are core values and fundamental rights in the EU, enshrined in its Treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Beyond the implementation of EU law, however, it is for Member States, including their judicial authorities, to ensure that fundamental rights are effectively respected and protected, in accordance with their national legislation and constitutional order. As guardian of the Treaties, the Commission upholds EU values and monitors the correct application of EU laws. The Commission will use all the instruments at its disposal to protect the EU values and, in case of breaches of EU laws, will not hesitate to take the necessary actions, as it has done in the past, within the limit of its competence. 1 https://aic.camera.it/aic/scheda.html?numero=7-00203&ramo=C&leg=19”
  Role of education (social change vs. tradition) · LGBTIQ+
• “Thank you. The next speaker is Alessandro Zan. Thank you president. Thank you, Commissioner McAuliffe. In Italy, the country I am from, homophobia is called by its name, or a bully is called by its name. Also behind the rhetoric of freedom of speech. Giorgia meloni s government, as is the case with others in Europe, is lending legitimacy to hatred and discrimination, and social media are the perfect stage for that. What would the government of Georgia meloni say when they see their young people suffering from the insults that they receive online? Those who have been pushed to harm themselves because they couldn't cope with the harassment anymore. Those who have been discriminated against with racist, homophobic or transphobic sexist comments. Italy is one of the few countries in the EU where sexual and emotional education is not mandatory. In fact, a law on. Sexism with references to consent has been pushed back. We cannot ignore the responsibility that we have when it comes to stopping this injustice and Italy. We won't be able to count on our government. So we need Europe. We need a strong, indeed a stronger EU. The action plan is a great way forward. We need to combat this phenomenon, which is so dangerous. And until we have a European directive on hate crimes online, and here I would appeal to Commissioner Micallef, who has been particularly sensitive on this issue. Until we have that, we will not have the guarantees that those who are most vulnerable today will be able to enjoy the same protection as everybody else. Thank you.”
  LGBTIQ+
• “We were very pleased with the professionalism of the personnel and staff of fraud, but it is clear that their capacity to meet their obligations and do their job, that depends on better policies and greater resources. And so today's initiative is very important to give. And to have feedback on this mission is very important. We must underline the importance of the recently formed legal task force, which shows that the agent is determined to be more proactive, to be able to take legal actions and make legal for guests on fundamental rights. This legal body will help the European in policies, be based on the rule of law, and we must better use and take advantage of expertise in a systematic way, and make sure that the opinions are not only sent to the committee, but other parliamentary committees and political groups, including fundamental rights, and mainstreaming it through all policies. Let's not forget that Fra is an indispensable partner for safeguarding our values and promoting democracy throughout the EU. The agent is evolving and is taking innovative missions, and we'd like to thank Lukas Mandel for his contribution and excellent cooperation in this mission. Thank you.”
  EU Supervision of the Rule of Law
• “Thank you. Chairman. Commissioner, let me ask you a question that I've asked you before because I haven't really received a response together with many colleagues, uh, six months ago, I presented a question on whether European law is compatible with the so-called list of so-called safe countries adopted by the Italian government. We're still waiting for a response. And I'm wondering why this. We are facing this silence because this is a major issue when it comes to the Common European Asylum system and the principles of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. I mean, the Commissioner should be an impartial guarantor of the treaties. So, Commissioner, in the light of current European legislation. Does the Italian list comply with the criteria that European legislation has? I mean, the Italian government hasn't yet provided information on its list. And also, the Minister of Foreign Affairs said that. The list includes countries that are not democratic and also those who are involved in persecuting LGBT+ countries. I mean, there are people who are LGBT+. And if they're sent back to those countries, they risk the death penalty. And these are countries that are on that list, as I say. So, Commissioner, you need to be act as the guardian of the treaties. And so that's why we're asking the question. I mean, it's your duty to ensure the uniform application of EU rules and protect the founding principles of the EU. So once again, Commissioner, the question is this list in line with European law? I mean, obviously the countries on this so-called safe list aren't as safe as all that. Thank you.”
  Asylum & border control
• “Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And, dear colleagues, I'm very pleased to present the main conclusions of our mission and the, uh, fundamental rights, uh, agency in Vienna, which the visit took place at a very crucial, uh, time, because our fundamental ideas of democracies are undergoing so many challenges. And in the those two days, we had discussions with many of the experts and members of the Fra to better understand the work, their priorities and our connections with them. And we've seen that there's a deterioration of democracy and human rights in, uh. And human and and the rule of law in Europe. And there's greater hate or hate crime. Uh, and there are shortfalls in the legislation with respect to victims rights and the lack of harmonization on family law and discrimination. So in the EU, the legislative body have to follow and try to fight these negative measures, to try to change the direction and the from us, take a more proactive role to try to anticipate the new challenges. Now we would like to see the changes and it has been turned into specific actions. There's a task force on investigation, Legal aspects and using it. And we'd like to discuss the new issues arising. Then there's an institution for strategic planning to better direct from activities to new developments. Then there will be the soon opening up of a an office in Brussels connected to fraud in September, which will enhance fraud visibility and lead to closer cooperation with the EPP and other institutions EU institutions.”
  EU Supervision of the Rule of Law
• “I'll speak Italian. Well, dear colleagues, firstly thank you, uh, chairman, for your support. And, uh, following the whole process of this report, we've taken on board your suggestions, and we're really working together. In addition, I want to thank all the colleagues for their amendments, Which of animated our discussion and helped us to come up with a final text. This is a crucial dossier since we're celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Charter of Fundamental Rights. And at this phase, we really need to work in a very responsible way, because as an afco Commission and as the European Parliament, we cannot just make proclamations, we have to act responsible. So negotiations are becoming more and more political, as are obvious. It is more important to continue honest and open exchanges in keeping our responsibilities in mind. I'd like to thank the chairman for his guidance in such a committed way to enhance Constitutional language of the draft reports and proceeding with our work at the technical level, and we're trying to follow the procedures. And I have acted in line with the committee's competencies. Now, there may be different opinions, but at this point, this is a policy and a political decision. Afco is a horizontal commission. We've taken similar initiatives. We took 1 in 2019 on the implementation of the implementation of the charter, which was very similar to the report we're discussing. These decisions are not easy. I realise it, and I would like to have you to be committed and make honest efforts without. Too many prejudices. Now we're going to be meeting with the shadow rapporteurs next week, The Secretariat and my team will be preparing compromise amendments, which you will soon reserve, and I hope the negotiations will be constructive and positive. Thank you.”
  EU competences on human rights
• “Well, thank you, chair. Just to add That say that really feels that cooperation with the Libby Committee is invaluable. And as our colleague Mrs. DuPont said, we're very grateful for this constructive cooperation. And in the future, Frau is ready and willing to enhance this cooperation at the political, institutional and operational level so that we can together face the urgent challenges of a rule of law and fundamental rights and democracy. So I think it is very important for this commission, the Committee, to use the knowhow and expertise of this agency, because more than ever, it really helps us to become aware of the data. It helps us carry out Mitigations so that we're totally aware of what's actually happening in the EU and on the European continent, and we see how the fundamental rights are becoming more and more undermined and at risk. And I think the Fra, uh. We've got to monitor this because we're seeing more and more hate, uh, in our society. So we need more synergy between the Libe committee and the Fra. Thank you. ***Digitalisation, artificial intelligence and algorithmic management in the workplace – shaping the future of work”
  EU Supervision of the Rule of Law
• “The Fra will be president of the Internal Affairs Justice Agency, which will be an opportunity to increase their visibility throughout Europe. Along with these ambitions, we saw that there were some very significant, uh, events there. The human resources have not and financial resources have not been increased. Therefore. They cannot always meet the requirements and their obligations. But we need constantly faster responses. And we've discussed things, and we tried to look at the key points of the agency's work and the largest challenge. Migration and asylum. We really need a development of legislation to promote, uh, all the rights of the fight against hate crimes. Uh, and because there are a lot of hate crimes for LGBT against LGBTI, As Roma and anti-Semitic groups that exercise hate crime, and we need to include these aspects in European legislation. We need requirements for, uh, rights for all people throughout the EU. The speaker is interrupted. I was saying that we're trying to achieve equality throughout Europe. The European Union, we need harmonised laws throughout the entire EU, family law and special attention of certain regulations and legislation on gender. We've got to establish laws for victims, right, to legitimise action, uh, with respect to gender identity legislation on digitalisation, uh, privacy, but also, uh, freedom of discourse, ie anything we've got to restrict anything that could undermine rights and we've got to fight the, uh, regression of democracy and the repression of protests throughout the member states and throughout the visit.”
  EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination
• “Renting to LGBTI people will. Quite often we're hearing these kind of things from people. People say, no, we don't want to have the problems. We won't vote people like you. Or maybe it says there's a room for rent, but it's not for a people. Or then you have a job ads that exclude homosexuals and other, um, structures that won't accept same sex couples. Then there's also violence in terms of what people are being said, and then these are attacks on LGBTQ plus in Italy. And we're seeing those on the rise and across the EU. What we need to do is extend this ban. We need to make sure it covers all of these other areas housing, public services and so on. We need to have standard rules across Europe. That's why we have the urgent need to get this adoption of this horizontal Anti-Discrimination directive. We also need to look at discrimination based on gender identity. Europe of equality is not just a slogan, an empty slogan. It is one of the main objectives here. So we need to make this progress and take this step. We need to be courageous because without this law, then this protection remains hollow. Thank you.”
  LGBTIQ+
• “Thank you very much. I'll speak Italian. Here. I'm speaking to Madam Rodina. We are facing one of the worst spyware attacks ever seen against European citizens. Um, you talked about the Italian case, but there have been seven victims in the Paragon Solutions scandal that have been identified here. Journalists were spied on, and we don't know who was spying on them or why. Of course, the government has a large level of responsibility here. Because of, um, these paragon. So it's quite a concerning framework. But the Italian government isn't responding and isn't protecting the privacy of journalists who are victims of spyware. So this is unacceptable. Europe can't allow people to act outside of the of the law. And here we don't even know who is spying on journalists. The agency has said today would be open to any type of investigation. Today, a commission agency has responded to one of our questions put by myself and a number of other members of the European Parliament who have asked the commission to do something to protect journalists, and we'll do everything that we can, in line with European legislation, to try to defend and protect journalists. But what can we do to move to stop this situation when journalists are being spied on and we don't know by whom or why?”
  Surveillance equipment & spyware