47 Amendments of Elisabeth JEGGLE related to 2011/2185(INI)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
- having regard to the Council Conclusions on intolerance, discrimination and violence on the basis of religion or belief in its 3069th Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, 21 February 2011,
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)
Citation 12 a (new)
- having regard to the Partnership agreement between the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part, signed in Cotonou on 23 June 2000 and its latter revisions in February 2005 and June 2010,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
- having regard to the Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions on the European Neighbourhood Policy adopted on 20 June 2011 at its 3101st meeting,
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 b (new)
Citation 13 b (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 26 October 2011 on Tibet, in particular self- immolation by nuns and monks1, _______________ 1 Texts adopted, P7_TA_PROV(2011)0474.
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)
Citation 14 a (new)
- having regard to the Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions on the European Endowment for Democracy adopted on 1 December 2011 at its 3130th meeting and the Declaration on the establishment of a European Endowment for Democracy agreed in COREPER on 15 December 2011,
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas lessons must be learned from the European Union's past failures in promoting transition in countries with authoritarian regimes in particular where stability and security concerns have compromised a principled policy of promoting democracy and human rights, showing the need to redefine current EU instruments on the matter and establishing new tools like the European Endowment for Democracy - an expert, proactive, lightly structured and thus cost- , decision- and response-effective tool at EU arm's length, capable of utilising in- depth knowledge and insights on the local situation in the countries of impact, through direct cooperation with local partners and twinning European and local partners, utilising directly or through re-granting resources of the EU, Member States and beyond, to support civil society capacity for democratic opposition and political actors striving for democratic change in non-democratic countries and countries in transition, in a mutually safe, deniable if necessary, manner;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that for the European Union (EU) to be a credible actor in external relations, it must act consistently, in accordance with Treaty and acquis obligations and avoid double standards between its human rights policy and other external policies, between internal and external policies, and in the conduct of its relations with third countries combining this approach with the challenge of developing the human rights Country Strategy Papers and implementing action plans, which must also cover democratisation, reflecting the specificity of each country as regards impact, and making full use of the EU's relevant instruments;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the development of Country Strategy Papers on human rights and stresses that these should also cover democratisation; calls for their prompt implementation through action plans to complement these strategies, based on analyses of the situation and needs in each country and making full use of the EU's relevant instruments; reiterates its call for the Country Strategy Papers to be made available to Parliament; stresses the need for consistency and avoidance of double standards;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Emphasises the crucial role played by civil society in the protection and promotion of democracy and human rights; welcomes the establishment of the European Endowment for Democracy as a means to effectively support development of civil society and its capacity for democratic opposition in non- democratic and in-transition countries; encourages the EEAS and the EED Working Group established under its auspices in cooperation with Member States and EU institutions, to intensify efforts to finalize a legal framework for the EED during the 2012 Danish presidency and to develop its operational readiness; stresses that EU contacts with civil society should be built on a genuine partnership, including systematic and regular dialogue on an equal footing;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Emphasises the crucial role played by civil society in the protection and promotion of democracy and human rights; stresses that EU contacts with civil society should be built on a genuine partnership, including systematic and regular dialogue on an equal footing; in this respect welcomes initiatives such as, for example, the Eastern Partnership-Civil Society Forum set up to promote contacts among civil society organisations and facilitate their dialogue with public authorities, and encourages EU institutions to take greater advantage of the recommendations and declarations developed during the first 2009 EP-CSF in Brussels, Belgium, 2010 in Berlin, Germany and 2011 in Poznań, Poland;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Stresses the need for consistency and avoidance of double standards, combining this approach with the challenge of developing the human rights Country Strategy Papers and implementing action plans, which must also cover democratisation, reflecting the specificity of each country as regards the impact and making full use of the EU's relevant instruments;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the importance of the EU Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the analysis and evaluation of the EU's policy on the matter; notes with regret that the High Representative/Vice- President of the Commission (HR/VP) and/or the European External Action Service (EEAS) for the first time since the presentation of Annual Reports on Human Rights in the World did not present the report to the plenary at all this year, unlike the previous year, and very strongly encourages the HR/VP to present future such reports to Parliament and in timely fashion;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Regrets the largely descriptive nature of the Annual Report and the excessive focus on one-off actions; reiterates its request that a more systematic approach be provided, including the development of a single catalogue of Human Rights and Democracy benchmarks shared throughout all EU institutions to be used as a point of reference on the matter not only in Annual Reports but in all EU documents and agreements, use of indices and benchmarks for individual countries, and that performance against these targets be analysed in the Annual Report, in order to facilitate a substantiated assessment of performance;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Regrets the largely descriptive nature of the Annual Report and the excessive focus on one-off actions; reiterates its request that a more systematic approach be provided, including the use of indices and benchmarks for individual countries, and that performance against these targets be analysed in the Annual Report, in order to facilitate a substantiated assessment of performance; suggests that the implementation of the European Convention of Human Rights could constitute a viable element of such a HR and Democracy EU single benchmark catalogue in reference to the Eastern Partnership countries;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that the mainstreaming of international justice must include systematically taking account of the fight against impunity in the broader context of trade, development and rule-of-law assistance; stresses that victims must be the central concern; highlights the importance of establishing constitutional structures, including an efficient legal system, the separation of powers and a recognized and independent judiciary in order to strengthen the promotion of human rights in any country; recommends that the Rome Statute of the ICC be added to the package of international treaties on good governance and the rule of law to be ratified by third countries admitted to the System of Generalised Preferences Plus (GSP+); recommends the consistent inclusion of ICC clauses in EU agreements with third countries;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Reiterates its conviction that all EU external actions must combine a development dimension which focuses on socio-economic progress for all based on sustainable development, including the basic need for food, and a political dimension which supports pluralism, democracy rule of law and respect for human rights;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Reiterates its conviction that all EU external actions must combine a development dimension which focuses on socio-economic progress for all based on sustainable development, and a political dimension which supports pluralism, democracy and respect for human rights; reiterates that the European Endowment for Democracy as referred to in the European Parliament's documents will be particularly effective in this matter and a viable complement to the current EU and Member State instruments;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Takes note of the plans to establish a European Endowment for Democracy (EED); underlines the Endowment's potential function as a flexible and expert tool to support actors striving for democratic change in non-democratic countries and countries in transitionWelcomes the political decision to establish a European Endowment for Democracy (EED) expressed in the Joint Communication of HR/VP and Commission, Council Conclusions of 3101st and 3130th meeting, leading to the Declaration On The Establishment of A European Endowment For Democracy agreed in COREPER on 15 December 2011, together with the efforts undertaken by an European Endowment for Democracy Working Group established under the auspices of the EEAS in cooperation with Member States and EU institutions, hoping it will be able to finalise a legal framework for the EED during the 2012 Danish presidency and develop its operational readiness; underlines the Endowment's potential function as a flexible, expert, proactive, lightly structured and thus cost-, decision- and response-effective tool at EU arm's length, capable of utilising in-depth knowledge and insights on the local situation in the countries of impact, through direct cooperation with local partners and twinning European and local partners, utilising directly or through re-granting resources of the EU, Member States and beyond, to support actors striving for democratic change in non-democratic countries and countries in transition, in a mutually safe, deniable if necessary, manner; focusing on organized groups with a well-conceived political agenda; urges the Council to ensure that any such tool among its other external actions complements the activities of existing instruments, in particular the EIDHR; stresses that the EU's contribution to the EED budget must be genuinely additionalreflect the involvement of other donors and must be delivered in full conformity with financial rules, respecting the right of the budgetary authority to monitor and scrutinise, respecting the sensitivity of data and the security of beneficiaries;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Stresses the importance of a political support process not simply focussed on the period immediately before and after elections, but based on continuity; welcomes the HR/VP's attention to ‘deep democracy’, which links democratic processes with human rights, freedom of expression and association, the rule of law and good governance; expects that the European Endowment for Democracy, the new tool at arm's length of the EU, to effectively support the development of civil society and its capacity for democratic opposition in non-democratic and in-transition countries;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Stresses again the importance of choosing priority countries for election observation missions on the basis of a mission's potential for impact on the promotion of genuine long-term democratisation, such as Sudan, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan in 2010;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Stresses the importance, at the end of each election observation mission, of drawing up realistic and achievable recommendations in cooperation with other international actors, with the dissemination and monitoring of these recommendations to be carried out by EU Delegations; considers that Parliament's standing delegations and the joint parliamentary assemblies should play an enhanced role in following up these recommendations and analysing progress with regard to human rights and democracy; supports therefore the promotion of a sustainable and regular dialogue with these third country parliaments;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32 a. Stresses the importance and urgency of improving the modalities and substance of these dialogues in consultation with civil society; reiterates that dialogues can be constructive and can have real impact on the ground only if followed up with concrete steps taking account of the EU's objectives and the EU Guidelines on human rights dialogues with third countries, as well as if corrective measures are put in place;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls for all contractual relationships with third countries, both industrialised and developing, and including sectoral agreements, trade and technical or financial aid agreements, to include clearly worded clauses on human rights and democracy, without exception; in order to give an unambiguous point of reference for the clauses, reiterates the need to develop a single catalogue of Human Rights and Democracy benchmarks shared throughout all EU institutions, to be used in a descriptive manner but also for evaluation purposes and to programme future expectations in all EU documents and agreements with third countries;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls for all contractual relationships with third countries, both industrialised and developing, and including sectoral agreements, trade and technical or financial aid agreements, to include clearly worded clauses on human rights and democracy, without exception; suggests that the implementation of the European Convention of Human Rights could constitute a viable element of such a HR and Democracy EU single benchmark catalogue;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Considers that the ‘Arab Spring’ has served to demonstrate the inadequacy of the EU's policies hitherto to effectively support people's strong desire for accountable and representative government in countries where this is denied; welcomes therefore the Joint Communications by the Commission and the HR/VP on ‘A new response to a changing Neighbourhood’, expressing among other points, the need for the establishment of the European Endowment for Democracy, and ‘A partnership for democracy and shared prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean’, and the approach taken of shared commitments and mutual accountability, stronger conditionality, differentiation of policies, the advancing of multilateral and sub-regional cooperation and the principle of further involving civil society;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Considers that the ‘Arab Spring’ has served to demonstrate the inadequacy of the EU's policies hitherto to effectively support people's strong desire for accountable and representative government in countries where this is denied; welcomes therefore the Joint Communications by the Commission and the HR/VP on ‘A new response to a changing Neighbourhood’ and ‘A partnership for democracy and shared prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean’, and the approach taken of shared commitments and mutual accountability, stronger as regards the universal values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, stronger incentive-based conditionality, differentiation of policies, the advancing of multilateral and sub- regional cooperation and the principle of further involving civil society; at the same time reiterates the fact that the EU's partnership in democratization processes and economic prosperity in the South needs to run in parallel with its engagements in the Eastern neighbourhood;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38 a. Welcomes the new approach to the ENP aiming for greater support for partners engaged in building deep and sustainable democracy, support for inclusive economic development, and strengthening the two regional dimensions of the European Neighbourhood Policy;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Reiterates its view thatSupports a performance- based ‘more for more’ approach also implies ‘less for less’in line with the new vision of the ENP; insists that differentiation should be based on clearly defined criteria and regularly monitored benchmarks and proposes that the benchmarks laid down in the Communications be considered as objectives, to be complemented by more specific, measurable, achievable, time- bound benchmarks; calls on the EEAS and the Commission to provide a clear and adequate methodology to assess the record of the ENP countries concerning respect for and promotion of democracy and human rights, to deliver regular reports to form the basis for the allocation of funds under the ‘more for more’ approach, and to include these evaluations in the annual progress reports; stresses that the funds that are not able to be allocated or transferred due to a negative evaluation, should be redistributed to other projects undertaken in European Neighbourhood partner countries, both in the Southern and Eastern dimension;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Emphasises the crucial importance of active civil society participation considering all parts of society, in and contribution to processes of governance, and insists that, in future, civil society must be engaged so as to contribute directly through an institutionalised ‘civil society monitoring mechanism’;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Welcomes the Commission's Communication on an Agenda for Change and its emphasis on the intertwined nature of the objectives of development, democracy, human rights, good governance and security; welcomes the enhanced focus on partner countries' commitments in determining the mix of instruments and modalities at country level; simultaneously stresses the need to eliminate current and avoid future double standards; welcomes the translation of this policy into the Commission's Communication on The Future Approach to Budget Support to Third Countries, which states that general budget support will only be provided when partner countries commit to meeting international human rights and democracy standards; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to translate this policy framework into concrete, operational, time-bound and measurable activities, mainstreamed throughout the different areas of cooperation and accompanied by the necessary strengthening of institutional frameworks and administrative capacities;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Notes that, in order to maximise coherence and effectiveness, a strategic approach is needed to combining different geographic and thematic instruments to protect and promote human rights, based on a solid analysis of the local context eliminating current and avoiding future double standards; welcomes, in this respect, the commitment given in the 12 December 2011 Joint Communication on Human Rights and Democracy at the Heart of EU External Action: Towards a More Effective Approach to take the human rights country strategies into account in the programming and implementing cycles of the EU's assistance, and invites the HR/VP to draw up a more detailed methodology to implement this commitment;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Notes that, in order to maximise coherence and effectiveness, a strategic bottom-up approach is needed to combining different geographic and thematic instruments to protect and promote human rights, highlighting that one of the basic conditions for any political engagement is guaranteed food security ideally through local food production, based on a solid analysis of the local context; welcomes, in this respect, the commitment given in the 12 December 2011 Joint Communication on Human Rights and Democracy at the Heart of EU External Action: Towards a More Effective Approach to take the human rights country strategies into account in the programming and implementing cycles of the EU's assistance, and invites the HR/VP to draw up a more detailed methodology to implement this commitment;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Welcomes the successful result of UN General Assembly resolution 65/206 of 21 December 2010 on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty and, indicating the strengthening of global support towards abolition, and a growing awareness among activists, judges, politicians and people in general; further welcomes the important role played by the EU in securing this victory; looks forward to a strong partnership with Member States and the EEAS on the 2012 General Assembly resolution;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48 a (new)
Paragraph 48 a (new)
48 a. Calls on the EU to continue using cooperation and diplomacy towards the abolition of the death penalty in all possible forums worldwide in line with the EU Guidelines on the death penalty; concerning countries where the death penalty still exists, further calls on the EU to do its outmost for a progressive restriction leading to abolition, as well as for executions to be carried out according to international minimum standards, and also to ensure that the right to a fair trial is fully respected for each and every person facing execution, without the use of torture and other ill-treatment used to extract confessions;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48 b (new)
Paragraph 48 b (new)
48 b. Stresses the importance for the EU to continue monitoring the conditions under which executions are carried out in those countries that still retain the death penalty, and to support legal and constitutional reform towards full and total abolition;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53
Paragraph 53
53. Welcomes the EU's political commitment to supporting human rights defenders, as a long-established component of the EU's human rights external relations policy, and the many positive examples of demarches, trial observations, prison visits, and other concrete actions undertaken by EU missions and delegations, but remains concerned at the lack of implementation of the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders in some third countries; considers that the HR/VP should make recommendations for enhanced action to those missions where implementation has been noticeably weak;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53 b (new)
Paragraph 53 b (new)
53 b. Reiterates its call on the EU to systematically raise individual cases of HRDs in the on-going human rights dialogues it has with those third countries where human rights defenders continue to suffer harassment and attacks;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
55. Reiterates its call for greater inter- institutional cooperation on human rights defenders; considers that the EU's response capacity and the coherence between the actions of the different institutions on urgent crises for human rights defenders would be well served by a shared alert system based on focal points, and encourages the Council and Commission to explore this avenue further; stresses the important role of the Sakharov Prize Network in this and other areas; welcomes the initiative to move the idea of the Network further through, among other activities, the Sakharov Network Conference organised in the European Parliament on 23 November 2011; calls on all EU institutions to exercise greater involvement and cooperation;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59
Paragraph 59
59. Calls on the HR/VP to promote equal geographically and gender-balanced opportunities in the EEAS, as set out in the Staff Regulations; urges the HR/VP and the Member States to propose high-level women candidates for leadership functions in the EEAS and Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions; welcomes the progress made in the context of CSDP missions in the appointment of Gender Advisors in almost all missions and in providing in-mission training; calls on the Council to include a reference to UNSCR 1325 in Council decisions establishing mission mandates; recommends that Member States provide all military and seconded civilian staff with standardised gender training modules prior to the missions;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 63
Paragraph 63
63. UCondemns severely any persecution based on religion or belief, paying special attention to the situation of Christians in the world; urges the Council and Commission to develop a toolkit on the advancement of the right to freedom of religion or belief in the EU's external policy, including mechanisms to identify infringements, and to involve civil society organisations in its preparation; welcomes the EU's action in various UN forums against intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief and its unwavering and principled stance against the resolutions on combating defamation of religions; highlights the fact that freedom of religion as a universal human right applies to all kinds of faith and this freedom implies that everyone can publicly profess and promote their faith, possibly change it and confess to having no faith; stresses in particular the importance of engaging in a constructive dialogue with the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on this issue;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 63 b (new)
Paragraph 63 b (new)
63 b. Urges the EEAS to develop a permanent capacity within the Global and Multilateral Directorate General to mainstream the issue of freedom of religion or belief across the geographical directorates and units as well as linking the issue into general human rights promotion within the same DG and advancing the issue in international and multilateral organisations; encourages the EEAS to report on an annual basis on progress on freedom of religion or belief in the world;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 63 c (new)
Paragraph 63 c (new)
63 c. Calls on the EU Fundamental Rights Agency to provide Parliament with accurate and reliable data on infringements of freedom of religion or belief in the European Union, and to advise as to how these could be tackled;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66
Paragraph 66
66. Calls on the EU to encourage governments of developing countries to commit to land reform where relevant in order to secure the land titles of indigenous people, nomadic populations especially women, and to prevent land-grabbing practices by corporations; stresses that it is necessary to protect the land, tenancy and land use rights of small local farmers and the access of local communities to natural resources, in order to prevent further land takeovers; highlights in this regard the importance of securing income for small farmers in order to empower them to contribute to the socio-economic and democratic development of these countries; urges the EU to assert the right of access to natural resources, in particular for native and indigenous peoples, in the negotiation of trade agreements;
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69
Paragraph 69
69. Notes that the Internet has become one of the most important vehicles through which individuals exercise their right to freedom of opinion and expression, and that it has played a crucial role in promoting human rights, democratic participation, accountability, transparency and economic development; bearing in mind that not all parts of society, in particular the elderly and rural population, have access to the Internet;
Amendment 325 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84
Paragraph 84
84. Acknowledges, in the wake of the Arab Spring, the focus on ‘bottom up’ tailor- made approaches and the need to move respect for human rights to the centre of EU foreign policy; therefore stresses that the EU needs to support and involve the governments, parliaments and civil society in the process of respecting and monitoring human rights; considers that the EU must learn from past mistakes epitomised by the fact that right up to the outbreak of civil war in Libya, negotiations were underway on a framework agreement with Libya, despite evidence of the murder of 1 200 prisoners over a decade before and a litany of torture, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions;
Amendment 326 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84
Paragraph 84
84. Acknowledges, in the wake of the Arab Spring, the focus on ‘bottom up’ tailor- made approaches and the need to move respect for human rights to the centre of EU foreign policy; considers that the EU must learn from past mistakes epitomised by the fact that right up to the outbreak of civil war in Libya, negotiations were underway on a framework agreement with Libya, despite evidence of the murder of 1 200 prisoners over a decade before and a litany of torture, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions; at the same time reiterates the fact that the EU's partnership in democratization processes and economic prosperity in the South needs to run in parallel with its engagements in the Eastern neighbourhood;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84
Paragraph 84
84. Acknowledges, in the wake of the Arab Spring, the focus on ‘bottom up’ tailor- made approaches and the need to move respect for human rights to the centre of EU foreign policy; considers that the EU must learn from past mistakes epitomised by the fact that right up to the outbreak of civil war in Libya, negotiations were underway on a framework agreement with Libya, despite evidence of the murder of 1 200 prisoners over a decade before and a litany of torture, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions; stresses that the funds that could not be allocated or transferred to the European Neighbourhood countries due to a negative evaluation, should be redistributed to other projects taking place in European Neighbourhood partner countries both in Southern and Eastern dimension;