Activities of Milan HORÁČEK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 76

76. Regrets China's postponement of the ninth China-EU summit on the grounds of the Dalai Lama's visit to Europe; emphasises the need for a radical intensification of the European Union- China human rights dialogue; expresses its disquiet at the serious human rights violations in China and stresses that, despite promises made by the regime before the Olympic Games in August 2008, the situation on the ground regarding human rights has not improved; notes that, despite repeated assurances by the Chinese government of its intention to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratification is still pending; refers to its resolution of 17 January 2008 on the arrest of the Chinese dissident Hu Jia, who has been awarded the 2008 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought; calls on the Chinese government to release Hu Jia immediately and to lift the house arrest on his wife Zeng Jinyan and his daughter; condemns the wave of repression against signatories of the ‘Charter 08’, a document calling for democratic reforms in China and demanding the release of Liu Xiaobo, a dissident who has been detained since 9 December 2008; remains concerned about many aspects of Chinese legislation, including the State Secrets system, preventing the transparency necessary for the development of good governance and a system in which the rule of law prevails; in this context, deplores the systematic punishment of lawyers who try to make the Chinese legal system function in accordance with China's own laws and the rights of its citizens;

2009/02/10
Committee: AFET

2008/2336(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78

78. Regrets the lack of results from the European Union-Russia consultations on human rights; regrets that the Russian authorities declined to participate in any of the round-table meetings held to prepare for the consultations which involved domestic and international NGOs; notes that during the consultations the European Union raised human rights concerns with a particular focus on freedom of expression and assembly, the functioning of civil society, minority rights, combating racism and xenophobia and the rights of children and women, as well as the international human rights obligations of both the EU and Russia; however, regrets that the European Union has not succeeded in bringing about any change of policy in Russia, particularly with regard to impunity and the independence of the judiciary, the treatment of human rights defenders and political prisoners including Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the independence of the media and freedom of expression, the treatment of ethnic and religious minorities, respect for the rule of law and human rights protection in the armed forces, discrimination based on sexual orientation as well as other issues; refers to its resolution of 19 June 2008 on the EU- Russia Summit of 26-27 June 2008 in Khanty-Mansiysk ; expresses once again its concerns at the deteriorating situation of human rights defenders and the difficulties faced by NGOs with regard to their registration and in carrying out their activities; reiterates its concerns about the Anti-Extremism Law, which could affect the free flow of information and could lead the Russian authorities to further restrict the right to free expression of independent journalists and political opponents; is strongly concerned about the recent murder of Stanislas Markelov and Anastasia Baburova and urges that killers of human rights defenders be brought to justice; expresses further concern, in line with the Amnesty International Report of 2008, as to the ongoing failure of the Office of the Prosecutor to respect the right of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and his associate Platon Lebedev to a fair trial in accordance with international standards, and joins the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in calling on the Russian authorities to "use all available legal means" to secure the release of Igor Sutiagin and Valentin Danilov; welcomes the release of Mikhail Trepashkin; deeply regrets that the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) election monitoring mission covering the Russian presidential election of March 2008 had to be cancelled due to the restrictions and limitations imposed by the Russian authorities on the election monitoring mission;

2009/02/10
Committee: AFET

2008/2336(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 80

80. Recognises the second round of the EU-Uzbekistan human rights dialogue, which took place on 5 June 2008; notes the seminar on media freedom, held in Tashkent on 2 and 3 October 2008; however, considers that the seminar failed to achieve its aim of providing an open discussion on the human rights violations and freedom of the media in Uzbekistan, as was originally intended; notes the continuing absence of an independent international inquiry into the Andijan massacre and the lack of any improvement in the human rights situation in Uzbekistan; welcomes the release of two human rights defenders, Dilmurod Mukhiddinov and Mamarajab Nazarov; urges the Uzbek authorities to release all human rights defenders and other political prisoners; reiterates its deep concern at the imprisonment of Salijon Abdurakhmanov, an independent journalist, and Agzam Turgunov, a human rights activist; ~~welcome~~regrets the Council's Conclusions of 13 October 2008 on Uzbekistan; urges the Uzbek authorities to accept the accreditation of the new Country Director of Human Rights Watch and to allow that organisation to operate without hindrance; asks Uzbekistan to cooperate fully and effectively with the UN Special Rapporteurs on torture and on freedom of expression and to revoke restrictions on the registration and operation of NGOs in Uzbekistan; notes that the Council has decided not to renew the travel restrictions applying to certain individuals referred to in Common Position 2007/734/CFSP1, which had been suspended in accordance with the Council's conclusions of 15-16 October 2007 and 29 April 2008; welcomes the fact that the Council has however decided to renew, for a period of 12 months, the arms embargo imposed in Common Position 2007/734/CFSP; invites the Council and the Commission to review the overall human rights situation in Uzbekistan; reiterates its call for the immediate release of political prisoners2; 1 Council Common Position 2007/734/CFSP of 13 November 2007 concerning restrictive measures against Uzbekistan (OJ L 295, 14.11.2007, p. 34. 2 In particular: Nosim Isakov, Norboi Kholjigitov, Abdusattor Irzaev, Habibulla Okpulatov, Azam Formonov, Alisher Karamatov and Rasul Khudainasarov.notes the declaration by the EU Presidency of 17 December 2008 on individual cases; Or. fr

2009/02/10
Committee: AFET

2008/2336(INI)

Hélène FLAUTRE, Raül ROMEVA i RUEDA, Jean LAMBERT, Milan HORÁČEK

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 81

81. Welcomes the fact that the European Union and Turkmenistan held the first round of the human rights dialogue in July 2008; welcomes the raising of concerns about the human rights situation in Turkmenistan, particularly regarding freedom of opinion and assembly, the independence of the judiciary and the functioning of civil society; refers to its resolution of 20 February 2008 on an EU Strategy for Central Asia1 and reiterates that Turkmenistan must make progress in key areas in order for the EU to conclude the Interim Agreement, inter alia by allowing the International Committee of the Red Cross free and unfettered access, by reforming the education system in accordance with international standards, by unconditionally releasing all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, by abolishing all government impediments to travel, and by allowing all NGOs and human rights bodies to operate freely in the country and authorising access to them for all United Nations bodies;

2009/02/10
Committee: AFET

2008/2336(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 115

115. Reminds Parliament's delegations visiting third countries that they should systematically include in the agenda ~~of their visits to third countries an interparliame~~an interparliamentary debate on the human rights situation, as well as meetings with human rights defenders, in order to learn first-hand about the human rights situation in the countary ~~debate on the human rights situa~~concerned and to provide them, where appropriate, with international visibility and protection;

2009/02/10
Committee: AFET

2008/2336(INI)

Hélène FLAUTRE, Marie Anne ISLER BÉGUIN, Milan HORÁČEK, Cem ÖZDEMIR

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 115 a (new)

115a. Welcomes the setting up of the Sakharov Network, as announced on the 20th anniversary of the Sakharov Prize; believes that it should quickly decide on its operating arrangements and put in place the resources necessary to achieve its objectives, in particular, the opening of a Sakharov Office in Parliament, access to the European institutions and the issuing of a Sakharov passport;

2009/02/10
Committee: AFET

2008/2236(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls for the annual action programmes in the fields of democracy, the rule of law and human rights to be pursued more ambitiously in line with the objectives set up in the ENP Action Plans; believes that more should be done to persuade the partner governments to commit themselves to action in those fields;

2008/12/18
Committee: AFET

2008/2236(INI)

Hélène FLAUTRE, Marie Anne ISLER BÉGUIN, Milan HORÁČEK, Cem ÖZDEMIR

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Emphasises the necessity to define clear, concrete and measurable objectives within all new ENP Action Plans under negotiation; underlines the necessary interdependence between all chapters of these Action Plans in view of moving forward towards progress in all chapters without discrimination; in this respect, reiterates its call for a global Human Rights and Democracy Policy gathering all existing instruments in this field;

2008/12/18
Committee: AFET

2008/2236(INI)

Hélène FLAUTRE, Marie Anne ISLER BÉGUIN, Milan HORÁČEK, Cem ÖZDEMIR

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Stresses the need for a country-specific approach with regard to political conditionality; emphasises the importance of the independence of the judiciary as a factor underlying conditionality; considers therefore that an in-depth and thorough evaluation of all "Justice" projects financed under this instrument should be made public and be provided to the EP;

2008/12/18
Committee: AFET

2008/2236(INI)

Hélène FLAUTRE, Marie Anne ISLER BÉGUIN, Milan HORÁČEK, Cem ÖZDEMIR

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Stresses the need for enhanced cooperation on the part of the ENPI countries with the EU agencies and increased opportunities for the ENPI countries to participate in the Community programmes, provided that the objectives of the ENP Action Plans have been fulfilled;

2008/12/18
Committee: AFET

2008/2236(INI)

Hélène FLAUTRE, Marie Anne ISLER BÉGUIN, Milan HORÁČEK, Cem ÖZDEMIR

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls for greater emphasis to be placed on increased mobility and people-to-people contacts, particularly in the areas of education, research and development, business and political dialogue; supports urgent action to reduce visa fees for nationals and residents of all ENPI countries;

2008/12/18
Committee: AFET

2008/2236(INI)

Hélène FLAUTRE, Marie Anne ISLER BÉGUIN, Milan HORÁČEK, Cem ÖZDEMIR

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Takes the view that the recent geopolitical developments in the EU's Eastern neighbourhood underscore the importance of developing the ENP further by adapting it better to the needs of the partners, including an enhanced EU involvement in the Black Sea region and an ambitious Eastern Partnership; stresses the need to speed up, in relation to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova in particular, the establishment of a free trade zone as soon as partner countries are ready and the need to finalise as soon as possible steps towards visa freedom with the EU; points out that the frozen conflicts represent an obstacle to the full development of the ENP with regard to the South Caucasus and calls on the Council to engage more actively in the conflict resolution;

2008/12/18
Committee: AFET

2008/2236(INI)

Hélène FLAUTRE, Marie Anne ISLER BÉGUIN, Milan HORÁČEK, Cem ÖZDEMIR

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Stresses that the financial envelope for Belarus needs to be ~~increased and~~reviewed to see whether cooperation can be broadened to cover areas beyond energy, the environment and migration, with a view to pursuing the policy of re-engagement initiated by the Council in September 2008; underlines the need for effective political conditionality and for guarantees that the assistance will have an immediate positive impact on citizens and will not be misused by the authorities against their political opponents;

2008/12/18
Committee: AFET

2008/2203(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Calls on the EU to add to the thematic programme on asylum and migration forming part of the Instrument for Development Cooperation support to especially vulnerable groups such as children of migrants and children in poverty;

2008/12/16
Committee: AFET

2008/2203(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5b. Stresses that, in its external actions, the EU should strongly encourage third- country governments to comply with international children rights standards, in particular as regards the provision of basic social welfare services to children, such as free food distribution in schools and nurseries and access to health care; stresses, at the same time, that ensuring equitable access to education for children in situations of armed conflict and post- conflict situations constitutes an important investment in conflict prevention;

2008/12/16
Committee: AFET

2008/2203(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)

5c. Requests the Commission to include the fight against impunity in its external actions and relations with third countries, as an important measure to prevent violations of children's rights;

2008/12/16
Committee: AFET

2008/2203(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)

5d. Calls on the European Union, in its external action, to pay specific attention to the situation of children facing discrimination, including children in conflict with the law and children deprived of their liberty and placed in closed institutions; stresses that children should have easier access to justice and specialised assistance, and that their age must be taken into consideration throughout the judicial proceedings by means of special protective measures;

2008/12/16
Committee: AFET

2008/2203(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)

5e. Calls on the Council and the Commission, when negotiating action plans on justice and home affairs with third countries, to address the issue of juvenile justice, having regard not only to the ratification of relevant international and regional standards but also to the effective implementation thereof;

2008/12/16
Committee: AFET

2008/2203(INI)

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Stresses that excessive use of television, computer games and internet by children easily leads to violence, isolation, depression, obesity and irregular social behaviour; therefore considers that control of the content as well as advisory and information campaigns to parents should be promoted;

2008/12/16
Committee: AFET

2008/2104(INI)

Proposal for a recommendation
Recital A

A. whereas EU relations with Russia remain very important for the purposes of pragmatic cooperation, and whereas the EU shares with Russia not only economic and trade interests but also an objective to act in the international arena, as well as in the European neighbourhood; whereas enhanced cooperation and good- neighbourly relations between the EU and Russia should be of key importance to the stability, security and prosperity of the whole of Europe; whereas strong respect for the rule of law and existing agreements between the EU and Russia as well as for the commitments undertaken within the Council of Europe and the OSCE should be at the core of this partnership,

2009/02/26
Committee: AFET

2008/2104(INI)

Proposal for a recommendation
Recital E

E. whereas the conclusion of an agreement on future cooperation remains of the utmost importance for further development and intensification of cooperation between the two sides; whereas the EU’s policy towards Russia must be based on unity and solidarity and whereas the EU should speak with one voice, and EU Member States should anyway inform, and consult in due time with, the other Member States potentially concerned by bilateral agreements with Russia,

2009/02/26
Committee: AFET

2008/2104(INI)

Proposal for a recommendation
Recital F

F. whereas the new comprehensive agreement designed to replace the current PCA must represent an improvement in quality and reflect the whole breadth of the cooperation, the new realities of the 21st century, as well as compliance with the principles of international relations and respect for democratic norms and human rights; whereas the political dialogue and cooperation as well as respect for the shared common values and commitments constitute the basic requirements for the smooth and comprehensive implementation of the future PCA,

2009/02/26
Committee: AFET

2008/2104(INI)

Proposal for a recommendation
Recital G

G. whereas the Russian Federation is a member of the Council of Europe and thus has committed itself to the objectives of the Council, which are, in particular, to promote democracy and respect for human rights, and to consolidate democracy and stability in Europe, whereas the EU should strongly defend the principle that the rule of law and respect for existing commitments in these organisations is vital to the success of the EU-Russia partnership,

2009/02/26
Committee: AFET

2008/2104(INI)

Proposal for a recommendation
Recital H a (new)

Ha. whereas the continued existence of political prisoners and the treatment of human rights defenders contradicts the commitment of the Russian Federation to strengthening the rule of law in Russia and end ‘legal nihilism’,

2009/02/26
Committee: AFET

2008/2104(INI)

Proposal for a recommendation
Recital J

J. whereas the underlying principles governing economic and trade relations between the EU and the Russian Federation should be reciprocity, sustainability, transparency, predictability, reliability, non-discrimination and good governance, whereas the new agreement should be legally binding and envisage clear dispute-settlement mechanisms,

2009/02/26
Committee: AFET

2008/2104(INI)

Proposal for a recommendation
Recital L a (new)

La. whereas the EU’s policy towards Russia must be based on unity, solidarity and mutual accountability between the Member States; whereas Member States should consult as much as possible with each other on possible bilateral deals or disputes with Russia that might affect the general EU interests; whereas internal consultation would greatly enhance trust among Member States when it comes to developing EU policy on Russia;

2009/02/26
Committee: AFET

2008/2104(INI)

Proposal for a recommendation
Recital L b (new)

Lb. whereas the ongoing economic crisis that is deeply affecting both Russia and the EU offers an opportunity for a new start of bilateral relations based on a better and franker mutual understanding that avoids the suspicions and the shortfalls of the past and provides the basis for the definition and the enhancement of real shared common values,

2009/02/26
Committee: AFET

2008/2104(INI)

Proposal for a recommendation
Paragraph 1 - point a

a) continue to insist on a broad and wide- ranging and legally binding agreement covering the whole range of cooperation between the parties and representing a step up from the current PCA;

2009/02/26
Committee: AFET

2008/2104(INI)

Proposal for a recommendation
Paragraph 1 - point b b (new)

bb) take the view that the regular six- monthly EU-Russia human rights consultation has failed to produce any tangible results since its establishment in 2005 and needs to be reformed, in order to allow for a substantial and result-oriented dialogue on human rights issues in Russia and the EU and on EU-Russian cooperation on human rights issues in international forums;

2009/02/26
Committee: AFET

2008/2104(INI)

Proposal for a recommendation
Paragraph 1 - point g

g) raise concerns with the Russian government decision to recognisze Abkhazia and South Ossetia and to sign military-assistance and cooperation agreements with the de facto authorities of these two Georgian provinces, since these steps undermine the territorial integrity of Georgia, as insisted upon by the relevant UN resolutions, and call into question Russia’s role as an impartial moderator in the peace process; urges the Russian Government to facilitate the tasks of the EU Monitoring Mission all over the two separatist regions;

2009/02/26
Committee: AFET

2008/2104(INI)

Proposal for a recommendation
Paragraph 1 - point o a (new)

oa) urge the Council to develop informal guidelines as to how the principles of solidarity and mutual accountability could underpin EU-Russia relations, with the aim of developing a more united and consistent policy vis-à-vis Russia;

2009/02/26
Committee: AFET

2007/2267(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the fact that Croatia has satisfied the benchmark for opening the chapter on Justice, Freedom and Security, and urges the newly formed government to redouble its efforts to meet the benchmarks for the remaining chapters with regard, in particular, to the judicial system , the fundamental human rights and the environment;

2008/02/13
Committee: AFET

2007/2267(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Is pleased to record that much of Croatia's body of law has been aligned with EU standards, but reminds the Croatian authorities that it is now crucial to develop the administrative capacity required in order to implement the new legislation; calls, in this regard, on the Croatian authorities to open up this process and involve the civil society in the monitoring of the implementation;

2008/02/13
Committee: AFET

2007/2267(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Congratulates the Croatian authorities on their continued efforts towards an impartial prosecution of domestic war crimes, and urges them to exercise continuous vigilance and depoliticise its judiciary in order to avert the risk of ethnically biased rulings and to ensure that all measures are in place to protect the integrity of the judicial process;

2008/02/13
Committee: AFET

2007/2267(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Is aware of the negative impact which the judgments of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on the Vukovar war crimes cases have had on Croatia's public perception of the work of the ICTY; urges the Croatian government to continue to fully cooperate with the ICTY and to take steps to restore popular support for the role of the ICTY in addressing the crimes perpetrated during the Yugoslav conflict;

2008/02/13
Committee: AFET

2007/2267(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Welcomes the strengthening of the mandate of the Office for the Prevention of Corruption and Organised Crime (USKOK) and the increased number of corruption cases which are being prosecuted; calls for these efforts to be maintained in order to eradicate the – in some cases unacceptably high – level of corruption, which undermines the economic development of the country and obstructs the implementation of the Rule of Law; stresses in this regard that the area of the environmental protection and urban planning are spheres where corruption is extremely high undermining the sustainability of development – especially on the Adriatic coast;

2008/02/13
Committee: AFET

2007/2267(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Welcomes all positive reforms in the sector of environmental protection and hopes that Croatian authorities will launch a considerable set of new measures and applicable policies (renewable energy sources, energy efficiency) that would efficiently address the detrimental effects of climate change in line with EU targets and also provide the platform with a more comprehensive intersectoral dialogue that would ensure an ecologically acceptable and sustainable future for the citizens; urges the Croatian government to re-assess the efficiency of the current system of environmental protection and increase the coordination between all the accountable bodies;

2008/02/13
Committee: AFET

2007/2267(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Regrets the fact that the Croatian government has decided to introduce unilaterally the Ecological and Fishing Protection Zone (ZERP) in the Adriatic, thus reneging on the agreement reached in 2004 with the Italian and Slovenian authorities; reminds Croatia that~~, unless~~ a commonly agreed solution ~~is found, this could have serious repercussions on~~could speed up the pace of the accession negotiations;

2008/02/13
Committee: AFET

2007/2267(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)

15b. Recalls that addressing border- related issues is defined as a priority for Croatia in its Accession Partnership; expresses, in this respect, serious concern over the start of the construction works of the Peljesac bridge in October 2007 despite the opposition voiced by Bosnia and Herzegovina and regardless of the fact that the sea border between the two countries has not yet been defined;

2008/02/13
Committee: AFET

2007/2267(INI)

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 c (new)

15c. Reminds Croatia of its indirect responsibility as regards the stability of the neighbouring state of Bosnia- Herzegovina due to the presence in this country of many citizens with double citizenship; calls on Croatia to maintain its constructive attitude and continue to play a positive role in the region in order to support and strengthen the consolidation of Bosnia-Herzegovina;

2008/02/13
Committee: AFET

2007/2267(INI)