New measures needed to tackle sexual harassment in the EU

The European Parliament today adopted Michal Šimečka's report on how to combat sexual harassment in the EU and its institutions in the aftermath of MeToo scandals. Internally, Renew Europe once again calls for a reform of the anti-harassment policy within the European Parliament. MEPs want to see enhanced and faster reporting procedures, stronger support for victims, mandatory anti-harassment training for MEPs and more stringent sanctions in the European Parliament.

Externally, the report also calls for broader action in all Member States to help combat sexual harassment, for instance by the criminalisation of gender-based violence under EU law, a common EU definition of sexual violence and harassment to overcome the fragmentation of rights for victims as well as the collection of anonymised disaggregated data on sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination.

Michal Šimečka (Progresívne Slovensko, Slovakia), Renew Europe MEP, Vice President of the European Parliament and rapporteur on the report, said:

"The harassment prevention policies and structural support to all the victims are issues so close to the values of Renew Europe. I am proud that we have convinced a great majority of colleagues in the European parliament to support and share our vision of an EU free of sexual harassment. We owe it to the victims and all European citizens to lead by example, for instance, by adopting better support mechanisms and more efficient anti-harassment policies."