Statement by Viviane REDING (Luxembourg), EC Vice-President designate in charge for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship during her hearing at EP in Brussels.

Brussels

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

REDING, Viviane (EPP, LU)

hearing of Commissioners

2010 Commissioners' hearings (T)

hearing of Viviane REDING 2010 (T)

Hearing of Viviane REDING (Luxembourg), EC Vice-President designate in charge for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship: extracts

SOUNDBITE (English), Viviane REDING, EC Vice-President designate in charge for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, There are many international marriages, 350.000; and there are 170.000 divorces per year, which is the 20 per cent of the divorces. There are big problems not only because of the divorce, but also because there is not legal certainty on all this, very sad stories coming out. The proposal for the divorce which clarifies this is blocked in Council since 2006.

SOUNDBITE (English), Viviane REDING, EC Vice-President designate in charge for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, I will make a proposal on enhancing cooperation in 2010. I will come to the Parliament to help me. I will go ahead with the diplomatic and consular protection in order to have legally binding rules at the end of 2010. I will put in practice the free movement directive, if necessary with infringement procedures. And there is not right if the people do not know about the right. That is why I am going to use the possibilities of the Communication Directorate General in order to get citizens informed.

SOUNDBITE (English), Viviane REDING, EC Vice-President designate in charge for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, Our need for security can not justify every violation of privacy. Our citizens are not objects but they are human beings. And that is why for the body scanners there are three defined conditions: It has to be voluntary; second, images have to be destroyed immediately; and, third, there has to be control of the consequences for health. There is nothing which is 100 per cent secured and scanners are not the panacea either.

SOUNDBITE (English), Viviane REDING, EC Vice-President designate in charge for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, I will ask the questions. If all this is necessary, if all this is going against the right of privacy of our citizens, if all this is proportional, if all this is linked to the fundamental rights of our Chapter, if so, Cecilia Mallmstr&ouml;m and I will work together, and together with the Parliament, in order to set up a new swift agreement.

SOUNDBITE (English), Viviane REDING, EC Vice-President designate in charge for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, If we do not care for children we have not done our job properly. They are the most honourable of our society, they need the most help. And most of all, those children will never ever speak about themselves, children in detention centres, children in the streets. I think we have a real responsibility and that is why I would like to enhance the strategy for children.

SOUNDBITE (English), Viviane REDING, EC Vice-President designate in charge for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship,  If the citizens, for instance, tell us that they want the death penalty to be established in Europe, sorry! Fundamental rights are a basic element of this Europe that can not be changed. Even not by a citizen's initiative. And that is the reason why before the citizens initiative becomes a reality we have to clarify the conditions and the rules.

SOUNDBITE (English), Viviane REDING, EC Vice-President designate in charge for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, I plan to work together with my colleague Cecilia (Mallmstr&ouml;m) on a proposal for a directive about criminal sanctions for counterfeiting. Counterfeiting is not downloadable.

SOUNDBITE (English), Viviane REDING, EC Vice-President designate in charge for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, We will have several difficulties here to reach an important balance between two rights: the right to the privacy and the right to the property.

SOUNDBITE (English), Viviane REDING, EC Vice-President designate in charge for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship,

SOUNDBITE (English), Viviane REDING, EC Vice-President designate in charge for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, The United States data has a uniform commercial code. Why could we not have in the end a European civil code for our single market?