Activities of Timothy Charles Ayrton TANNOCK related to 2015/2274(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
EU strategy towards Iran after the nuclear agreement (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on EU strategy towards Iran after the nuclear agreement PDF (327 KB) DOC (73 KB)
Amendments (33)
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Believes that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), otherwise known as the Iran Nuclear Deal, was a notable achievement for European diplomacy in particular, and that Europe and that the international community, led by the P5+1 group, is now responsible for not simply ensuring its strict and full implementation, but for maintaining the spirit of negotiations in a way that benefits the peoples of both Iran and the EUEU Member States; regrets, however, that the deal does not include aspects which address Iran's regional ambitions or longer term solutions to tackle regional instability;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that EU-Iran relations should beEncourages a renewed relationship between the EU and its Member States, and Iran, with both sides working closely on bilateral and multilateral issues to ensure a more stable region and effective implementation of the nuclear deal developed through multi- layered dialogue involving political, technical and people-to-people contacts; supports the opening of EU-Iran relations for the mutual benefit of both parties, based on a realistic assessment of common interests and differences, with a view to encouraging step-by-step expansion of cooperation in a climate of confidence- building, foremost for the benefit of the peoples of Iran and the EU; support, and in order to deepen our understanding of Iran and its people; notes, in this regard, the Commission’s commitment to a renewed engagement with Iran based on ‘a dialogue of the four Cs’: a dialogue that is comprehensive in scope; cooperative in the fields where Iran and the EU have mutual interests; critical, open and frank in areas where Iran and the EU disagree but are looking for common ground; and that is overall constructive in tone and practice; and further believes EU Member States and Iran have shared interests in a wide range of areas, but also underlines the importance of dialogue in areas where there are differences;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Insists on the importance of developing theEncourages the development of a parliamentary dimension of EU-Iran relations as part of the strategy for re- establishing mutual trust; reiterates its support, in this regard, for the proposal discussed between Parliament and the Majlis for an inter-parliamentary dialogue on counter-terrorism; welcomes the renewed political dialogue between the EU and Iran, including on human rights, that should be extended to arms trafficking, as well as wider issues affecting the Middle East; welcomes the renewed political dialogue between the EU and Iran, including on human rights but regrets that despite a pledge by President Rouhani to improve the rights and freedoms of Iranian citizens when he was elected in 2013 the situation appears to have worsened, particularly in areas such as discrimination against women and members of religious and ethnic minorities, freedom of the press, media and bloggers, and those using social media sites, and on freedom of expression and opinion; recognises that while there is suspicion and mistrust on both sides, there is also a long history between many Member States and Iran and that Iran has a strong ambition to have good relations with Europe, which provides the potential for a relationship based on mutual trust and respect; reiterates that the EU does not seek to interfere in internal political choices in this country or in any other, but seeks cooperation based on mutual respect for international standards and principles; believes that the full normalisation of relations can only occur by means of regular and sustained dialogue and that the immediate priority should be to broaden the scope of EU-Iran relations in areas where there is common agreement to do so; believes, however, that the ultimate aim must be one of partnership between Iran and the EU;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Encourages EU Member States and the European External Action Service to initiate an enhanced human rights dialogue with Iran, including by raising individual cases with the Iranian government, in addition to Iran's continued use of the death penalty, execution of juveniles, and the persecution of religious and ethnic minorities, and LGBTI people; further insists that such dialogue must include measurable, achievable targets in order to improve the human rights situation for all Iranians in line with international conventions;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recognises that differences exist between the EU and Iran on the use of the death penalty; nevertheless believes cooperation on anti-narcotics programmes and on the question of juvenile executions, in line with Iran’s own commitments, could provide a common agenda for addressing this question; encourages the EEAS to ensure strict criteria and monitoring are in place so that any European Union funding for anti- narcotics programmes for Iran does not directly or indirectly result in any person convicted of a drugs offence facing the death penalty for their crime;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Supports the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran and encourages the Government of Iran to use the recent extension of their mandate to engage with the UN, EU, and other international organisations on human rights issues;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the EEAS to explore the possibility of establishing an institutional framework for cooperation with Iran, such as a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) or a Framework Agreement. should Iran fulfil all its commitments under the terms of the JCPOA and make significant progress on economic, political, social and human rights reform;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Takes note of Iran’s stated objective of achieving a yearly growth rate of 8 %; believes that European investments are key for Iran to achieve this goal; stresses that for Iran to realise its economic potential, it will have to take steps to create a transparent economic environment conducive to international investment and take anti-corruption measures, particularly regarding compliance with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force; calls on the EUEU Member States to fully support Iran’s efforts in this process via, in particular, support for work towards forging a bilateral investment treaty between the EU and Iran; supports the expansion of the EU's trading relationship with Iran and calls for the EU to further develop economic cooperation with Iran; takes note that Iran is the world’s largest economy outside the WTO; supports, in this regard, Iran’s bid to join the WTO;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Notes that Iran is the second largest economy in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia with an estimated nominal GDP of $397 billion in 2015 and that the Iranian economy is currently reliant on the oil and gas sector, with significant agricultural, industrial, and service sectors; further notes that EU trade with Iran currently stands at about $8 billion and is expected to quadruple in the next two years;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Welcomes the fact the Iranian Government is keen to attract foreign investment, with foreign direct investment needed across all major economic sectors; notes that more than $1 trillion of investment in infrastructure is likely to be needed over the next 10 years, providing opportunities for European businesses, including in the energy, automotive and airline manufacturing sectors;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Encourages the EU to use its relationship with Iran to insist the authorities tackle problems in the country's banking system, including measures to bolster anti-money laundering and terrorism-financing laws;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recalls the impact that extraterritorial US sanctions, in particular US-related sanctions on banks, have on businesses willing to invest in Iran; insists on the need to address this and other financial matters to create the necessary conditions for businesses to prosper in Iran and contribute to Iranians feeling relief from sanctions in their everyday lives; further notes that some US sanctions are not affected by the nuclear deal and will remain in place, in particular sanctions related to human rights abuses, support for terrorism, and the testing of ballistic missiles;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Believes that the lifting of sanctions by the EU and the international community as laid down in the JCPOA is an important element in demonstrating European good faith towards Iran, as well as providing mutual economic benefit; notes, however, that while most economic and financial sanctions have now been lifted, some remain in place and are not affected by the nuclear deal; calls for emphasis to be placed on the quality as well as on the quantity of investments, and for an initiative to assess whether new investments uphold the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights similar to that undertaken when sanctions were lifted in Myanmar/Burma;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. BNotes that Iran has the second largest gas reserves in the world and fourth largest oil reserves and wishes to increase oil output to one billion barrels per day in 2016; further notes that Iran shares the world's largest gas asset with Qatar and has the potential to become a leading LNG exporter if it can access the right technology; believes the lifting of economic sanctions has the potential to unlock significant spending on the oil and gas industry as well as other sectors of the economy, which would benefit from investment and access to new technology; believes that energy cooperation can play a significant role in diversifying the sources of energy supply to the EU, thereby contributing to the EU’s energy security;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Encourages the EU and its Member States to continue exploring all areas of business cooperation with Iran, including through the facilitation of trade export credits, project financing and investment; further offers assistance to the Iranian authorities on sectoral reform, market liberalisation, and measures to improve Iran's economic progress; encourages those businesses from the European Union seeking to do business in Iran to ensure contracts adhere to internationally accepted guidelines on human rights and workers’ rights;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. RNotes that with a population of around 80 million people more than 60% are estimated to be under 30 years old and the workforce is highly educated; further recognises that the young, educated and technologically advanced population in Iran can provide particular opportunities for advancing people-to- people contacts with the EU; calls for increased cooperation in the field of education, research and innovation via increased exchanges of students and researchers; calls for the Commission to study the possibility of visa liberalisation for Iranian academics and researchers to study and undergo training in European universities;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Notes with concern that Iran is strongly developing its cyber capabilities, both for monitoring internal dissent and deploying hackers to disrupt or attack foreign targets;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Expresses concern about growing militarisation in the wider region and supports efforts towards greater arms control, while recognising legitimate defence concerns, but within a context of seeking to promote full respect for sovereignty of all countries in the region itself;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Notes the outcome of the Parliamentary elections in February 2016 and believes the results offer an opportunity for further engagement with the European Union, its Member States, and other powers, as well as the possibility of internal economic, political and social reforms; Notes with concern, however, that Iran's Guardian Council disqualified the majority of reform candidates based on discriminatory and arbitrary criteria and that dozens of political activists and journalists have been jailed for exercising their rights;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Insists on the full implementation by Iran of its commitments under the JCPOA, including the Roadmap agreed with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and believes that fulfilment is essential in building international confidence in the exclusively peaceful development of the Iranian nuclear programme;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Believes that the nuclear deal opens the possibility for cooperation in resolving the region’s security crisis; believes that Iran can and should play a stabilisation role in the region; believes that the whole region can benefit from a normalisation of relations with Iran; further expects the Iranian authorities to fulfil their commitments under the JCPOA in full and as a clear indication to the gradual improvement in relations between the European Union, its Member States and Iran;
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Notes that the Iranian military doctrine of asymmetric warfare poses a substantial threat to Middle East stability;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Believes EU-Iran political dialogue should call on Iran to play a constructive role in solving the political crises in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Afghanistan, based on respect for international law and the sovereignty of these countries; calls, in this regard, for a model of EU diplomacy based on political rather than religious differences and on the principle of ensuring respect, safety and security for peoples in all countries in the Middle East, without exception;
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Believes that there can be no solution to conflicts in the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf region without all players being present at the table; welcomes, in this regard, Iran’s engagement in the Syrian peace talks via its participation in the International Syria Support Group (ISSG); notes, in this context that the Assad regime in Syria has become increasingly dependent on Iran for its own survival and therefore calls on the Iranian authorities to use its leverage to bring the Syrian conflict to a peaceful conclusion; calls for its contribution to further facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to increase protection of the civilian population from attacks and to continuously seek a long- term solution to the conflict;
Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Believes that regional rivalries are an underlying factor in conflicts in several countries in the region; calls for active EUinternational diplomacy to de-escalate tensions between Tehran and Riyadh, including confidence building, track II diplomacy and de- escalation measures in the normalisation of their relations; calls on the EU to work with the US and Russia to that end and, in particular, in supporting the development of a new regional security infrastructure that takes into account Iran and Saudi Arabia’s threat perceptions and legitimate security concerns and provides security guarantees both to Iran and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council; stresses that cooperation on maritime security in the Persian Gulf, including the signing of a charter on free navigation, could be a first confidence-building measure in developing regional trust and cooperation;
Amendment 336 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Notes with concern the worsening struggle between Iran and Saudi Arabia for political and religious influence, and warns of its implications for conflict resolution and security in the Middle East and beyond; further believes that a policy of rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia is essential in defusing regional tensions, as a path towards conflict resolution in Yemen and elsewhere, and in order to address the root causes of terrorism and extremism which are a threat to the region as well as to the European Union and beyond;
Amendment 340 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Condemns Iran's continuing support for Hezbollah and reminds the Iranian authorities that the organisation's armed wing is on the European Union's terrorism blacklist; notes that this decision was reached, in part, because of the group's involvement in a bus bombing in Bulgaria in 2013; believes that Iran's continued support for Hezbollah undermines the prospect for peace in the Middle East, acts as a destabilising regional influence, as well as increasing security concerns within EU Member States;
Amendment 391 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Expresses concern that according to the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran between 966 and 1,025 people were executed in Iran in 2015, a substantial increase on 2014 and the highest number in over a decade; further deplores the fact that Iran routinely uses the death penalty for crimes not internationally recognised as "most serious", such as drugs-related offences, and against juveniles; notes, however, the presentation of a Bill to the Iranian parliament that, if approved, would reduce the punishment for non-violent drug-related crimes from death to life imprisonment; notes that approximately two-thirds of executions in Iran in 2015 were for drug-related offences and, if approved, the Bill could significantly reduce the number of executions in Iran;
Amendment 394 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27 b. Deplores the use of torture, flogging, blinding, amputation, public execution, and stoning in Iran, demands an end to such practices, and calls for the exercise of justice in line with existing international practice and rule of law; further voices concern that defendants are often denied fair and independent legal representation;
Amendment 427 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls on Iran to live up fully to its commitments under the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights by ensuring the enjoyment by its citizens of individual rights without discrimination as to sexgender, sexuality, gender identity, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, or other status, as provided for in these instruments; points out that this includes a basic right to equality before the law, as well as the right of equal access to education, health care and professional opportunities;
Amendment 437 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Condemns the criminalisation of gay men and women in Iran and the fact homosexuality is punishable by imprisonment, corporal punishment or execution; urges the EU and its Member States to continue to raise concerns over the situation of the LGBTI community in Iran, including the practice of pressurising gay men and women into having gender reassignment surgery against their wishes;
Amendment 446 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 b (new)
Paragraph 29 b (new)
29b. Expresses concern that women do not enjoy the same rights and privileges as men in Iran and that recent legislative attempts in the Iranian Parliament could have significantly undermined their basic rights and freedoms; encourages the EU and its Member States to continue to raise issues relating to gender equality in all bilateral engagement with the Iranian authorities; notes that Iran is ranked 141st out of 145 countries in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2015 and that opportunities for Iranian women in the economy, education, health and politics have deteriorated since 2006;
Amendment 450 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 c (new)
Paragraph 29 c (new)
29c. Notes with concern that while some religious minorities are formally protected in the Iranian constitution many groups, including Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians, Baha'is, Christian converts, and Sunni Muslims, Sufi Muslims and dissenting Shi'a Muslims, face discrimination, persecution, harassment and detention; further regrets that since President Hassan Rouhani assumed office in August 2013, the number of individuals from religious minorities who are in prison because of their beliefs has increased; insists that the Iranian authorities ensure the rights of religious and ethnic minorities are fully respected and protected in law;