Activities of Raimon OBIOLS related to 2012/2062(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the review of the EU’s human rights strategy PDF (228 KB) DOC (138 KB)
Amendments (17)
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU is founded on the principle of respect for human rights and, according to its treaties, has a legal obligation to place human rights at the core of all its and the Member States’ external policies, without exception, whether they relate to foreign affairs, trade or development cooperation; whereas, consequently, the EU has sought to include respect for human rights as an essential element in all agreements with third countries;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas, in addition, the EU has established, in accordance with the variable nature of its contractual relations with third countries, a wide variety of tools for further engaging third countries in promoting human rights and democracy in third countries; whereas these range from the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), whereby human rights subcommittees are tasked with monitoring the implementation of agreed commitments and agreements reached, to the Cotonou Agreement (which includes a consultation procedure in the event of violations) and human rights dialogues and consultations, where discussions focus on improving the situation with regard to human rights and democracy as well as on issues of common interest and better cooperation within international bodies; whereas the EU’s role in supporting and observing electoral processes also has a very real impact in fostering human rights and democracy and in strengthening the rule of law;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the events of the ‘Arab Spring’ have demonstrated the need to reshape the Neighbourhood Policy in order to give higher priority to political dialogue with societies, which iscivil society(including NGOs, human rights defenders, trade unions, the media, organisations, universities and democratic political parties) and to defending fundamental freedoms, which are indispensable to democratisation and transition processes; whereas this renewed policy should aim at further engaging partner countries in deeper democratic reforms and respect for fundamental rights on the basis of the ‘more for more’ approach and of mutual accountability between partner countries, the EU and its Member States;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas promoting human rights and democracy is a joint responsibility shared between the European Union and its Member States; whereas progress in this area can only be made by means of coordinated, coherent action by both parties;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas technological changedevelopments in technology, new ICT tools, increasing levels of education throughout many regions of the world, the advent of certain developing countries as regional powers, the creation of new multilateral forums such as the G- 20 and the emergence of an informed and interconnected global civil society all point to the need to strengthen the current instruments under international law and in the context of global governance in order to ensure respect for human rights, put an end to impunity for human rights violations and improve the prospects for democracy across the world;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Stresses that the broad thrust and main elements of the new EU Strategic Framework on Human Rights and Democracy call for a high degree of consistency and political will to obtain tangible results;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that the strategic review initiative strives to respond to the main challenges identified by Parliament and other stakeholders; welcomes the comprehensive and inclusive approach adopted by the Council in this regard and, in particular, the Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy as a concrete expression of the EU’s commitment and accountability, along with the appointment of an EU Special Representative for Human Rights, which was something Parliament had called for in previous reports;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Welcomes the ambitious nature of the Strategic Framework; stresses the need, however, for better coordination and for greater clarification in respect of procedures and the division of tasks between the EU and the Member States with a view to implementing it in a more efficient and effective manner;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls for more effective coordination between the EU and the Member States with a view to making policies and programmes on human rights, security and development more consistent and complementary;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Considers that the EU will only be seen as a credible defender of human rights and democracy if its policies abroad are consistent with its actions within its own borders;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Points out that the EU Strategy on Human Rights and Democracy must be given sufficient visibility to enhance its legitimacy, credibility and accountability in the eyes of the public;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the need to increase the level of cooperation and consultation between the Council’s Working Party on Fundamental Rights (FREMP) and Human Rights Working Group (COHOM); calls for this cooperation and consultation to be extended to the EU Special Representative for Human Rights; calls on both bodies to make full use of the Council of Europe’s expertise and instruments and of UN special procedures, including when preparing new initiatives with a view to articulating and promoting common values and international standards;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Suggests that the EU and the Member States should adopt as key priorities human rights, the fight against the death penalty and combating discrimination against women, areas in which the EU has achieved admirable results and in which its experience is relevant enough to share and to generate practical outcomes;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the pivotal role of the human rights country strategies, which were a long-standing request from Parliament, and the fact that they have been developed as an inclusive process encompassing EU delegations, heads of mission and the COHOM; deems it essential to organise broad consultation, especially with local civil society organisations, representatives of national parliaments, human rights defenders and other social and environmental stakeholders; considers that country- specific identification of priorities, realistic objectives and forms of political leverage is essential to more effective EU action and measurable achievements;
Amendment Amendment1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4
Citation 4
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recommends that, as part of the human rights country strategies, the EU agree on a list of ‘minimumcommon items’ that Member States and EU institutions should raise with their relevant counterparts in third countries during meetings and visits, including at the highest political level and during summits;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Encourages the High Representative to reshapeexpand the annual report on the EU’s action in the field of human rights and democracy in the world, making it into aby adding a chapter on progress report on the implementation of the EU Action Plan for Democracy and Human Rights which also covers the application of the human rights and democracy clause in agreements in force, containing a case-by-case analysis of each consultation process and other appropriate measures initiated by the Council, the EEAS and the Commission, together with an analysis of the effectiveness and coherence of the action taken;