Camera dei Deputati, XVIII Legislatura, 212a seduta pubblica, resoconto stenografico, lunedì 22 luglio 2019

Italy, Chamber of Deputies, XVIII Legislature, 212th public session, shorthand records, Monday, 22 July 2019
Author(s)
Deputy Lucia Annibali (PD)
Publication month
July
Publication day
22
Publication Year
2019
The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights was mentioned while discussing the conversion into law of Decree Law No. 53 of 14 June 2019, Urgent provisions on public order and security, which – among other relevant aspects concerning public security – introduced harsher rules in relation to maritime border checks with a view to governing save-and-rescue (SAR) operations carried out in the Mediterranean Sea by national and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights was mentioned to argue that the set of rules affecting NGOs’ operations at sea is in breach of several binding international law provisions, including the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Article 50 of the latter was also mentioned to argue that the financial administrative sanctions imposed by Decree Law No. 53/2019 on NGOs’ vessels violate the ne bis in idem principle, since the captains of the vessels are also subject to the national criminal justice system for the same behaviours.
Quote: “Ancora, che nulla muta in ordine al dovere per il nostro Paese di offrire, quando le condizioni lo richiedano, un porto di approdo sicuro alla nave che ne faccia richiesta, essendo da escludere, allo stato, che la Libia possa essere considerata un porto di approdo sicuro. E ancora, che dovremo continuare a rispettare le norme convenzionali previste dalla Convenzione di Ginevra sullo statuto dei rifugiati. E ancora, saremo chiamati a rispettare la Carta dei diritti fondamentali dell’Unione Europea, che protegge il diritto d’asilo; diritto fondamentale, peraltro, tutelato anche dall’articolo 10, comma 3, della nostra Costituzione che vieta le espulsioni collettive e le espulsioni verso Paesi in cui lo straniero sia esposto al rischio di pena di morte, tortura o trattamenti inumani e degradanti. E allora, alla luce di quanto detto fino adesso, il provvedimento in titolo appare evidentemente, allo stato, sostanzialmente disapplicabile in via interpretativa dai giudici […] La sanzione amministrativa, piuttosto onerosa, si aggiunge alle sanzioni penali quando il fatto costituisca reato, verosimilmente quello di favoreggiamento dell’immigrazione irregolare. Peccato che, come hanno rilevato tutti gli auditi, questa duplicazione sanzionatoria si ponga in conflitto con il divieto del ne bis in idem, sancito dall’articolo 649 del codice di procedura penale, dall’articolo 50 della Carta dei diritti fondamentali dell’Unione Europea e dall’articolo 4, protocollo 7, della Convenzione europea dei diritti dell’uomo.”
Translated quote: “Moreover, nothing changes as to the obligation upon our country to offer – whenever needed – a place of safety to the vessel asking for it, considering that Libya cannot be deemed a safe port of call at the moment. And again, we are compelled to respect international legislative provisions enshrined in the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (signed in Geneva). And again, we are compelled to respect the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which safeguards the right of asylum; this fundamental principle is guaranteed also by Article 10, paragraph 3 of our Constitution, which outlaws collective pushbacks and return operations to those countries where third-country nationals would be exposed to death penalty, torture, or inhuman treatments. Consequently, considering what has been argued so far, the considered decree can undoubtedly be interpreted by Italian judicial authorities as unenforceable […] The rather heavy administrative sanction further exacerbates the criminal penalty when a behaviour constitutes a crime (most probably facilitation of irregular immigration). However, as stressed by many auditioned experts, such duplication of sanctions is in contrast with the ne bis in idem principle, envisaged by Article 649 of the Italian Criminal Procedure Code, by Article 50 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and by Article 4 of Protocol No. 7 to the ECHR.”