SENATE OF THE REPUBLIC, XVII LEGISLATURE, 336th MEETING, 22 OCTOBER 2014.
On 22 October 2014, the President of the Council of Ministers, Mr. Matteo Renzi, outlined before the Senate the position of Italy on the topics to be discussed at the European Council of 23-24 October 2014, i.e. the new climate and energy policy framework, the economic situation in the EU and other external relation issues in the light of the developments on the international scene.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, VIII LEGISLATURE, COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, 2 SEPTEMBER 2014.
On 2 September 2014, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Federica Mogherini, delivered a speech before the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament concerning the conclusions of the last Gymnich and the priorities of the Italian Presidency of the EU. She focused the attention on some of the key topics, such as the threat coming from ISIS, the conflicts in the areas of Syria, Iraq and Gaza and the need to tackle those problems by means of a regional approach. As to the issue concerning Ukraine and Russia, after recalling the Council conclusions that envisage a new package of sanctions, she said:
CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, XVII LEGISLATURE, 251st MEETING, 24 JUNE 2014.
On 24 June 2014, the President of the Council of Ministers, Mr. Matteo Renzi, delivered a speech before the Chamber of Deputies on the upcoming Italian Presidency of the EU Council. In his speech, Mr. Renzi focused on some aspects of the role of Italy in the framework of the new European semester and gave a hint of the position of Italy on certain topics such as the appointment of the President of the Commission, the management of migratory flows and the situation of the European economy.
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL, 26th SESSION, HIGH COMMISSIONER ANNUAL REPORT, 10 JUNE 2014.
On 10 June 2014, the Permanent Representative of Italy at the Human Rights Council, Amb. Maurizio Enrico Serra, delivered a speech on the priorities of Italy in the area of human rights protection, both within the Human Rights Council and the European Union, in view of the upcoming Italian Presidency of the EU Council. The Ambassador said that Italy is determined to fight against death penalty, female genital mutilations, forced child marriage and against serious violations of human rights taking place in countries such as Syria and South Sudan. He said:
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL, 26th SESSION, INTERACTIVE DIALOGUE WITH THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE PROMOTION OF THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND OPINION, 10 JUNE 2014.
On 29 April 2014, the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression published a report on the situation of the right to freedom of opinion and expression in Italy. In the report, he pointed out some concerns regarding the compliance of the national legal framework with the relevant international standards. On 10 June 2014, the Italian Representative considered some of the shortcomings mentioned in the report, e.g. the issues of defamation, conflict of interest, anti-trust regulation, and hate speech. He said:
CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, XVII LEGISLATURE, 149th MEETING, 10 JANUARY 2014.
On 10 January 2014, the Undersecretary of State for Defence, Mr. Gioacchino Alfano, reported before the Chamber of Deputies on the sinking of a fishing vessel that took place on 11 October 2013, 113 km away from Lampedusa and 218 from Malta. The sinking caused the death of hundreds of Syrian refugees, including many children. A member of the Parliament called into question the proper management of the rescue operations, namely as to the lack of coordination between the Italian and Maltese authorities, that resulted in a late intervention. He also contested the effectiveness of the rules provided for by the Hamburg Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) in so far as they allow a SAR area to be put under the jurisdiction of an authority which is not necessarily the best placed to intervene, as in the case at issue, where the competent authority was the Maltese one. In response to the parliamentary question, Mr. Alfano said:
CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES, XVII LEGISLATURE, 36th MEETING, 19 JUNE 2013.
On 19 June 2013, the Minister for Home Affairs Angelino Alfano reported at the Chamber of Deputies on recent landings of migrants on Lampedusa and other Italian coastal areas. He pointed out that the issue of managing migratory flows to Italy cannot be considered a merely national issue and asked for the cooperation of the European Union and bodies of the United Nations. He said:
Italy's Diplomatic and Parliamentary Practice on International Law 