Progress: Procedure completed
Legal Basis:
RoP 144Events
The European Parliament adopted by 564 votes to 61, with 37 abstentions, a resolution on the listing of German NGOs as ‘undesirable organisations’ by Russia and the detention of Andrei Pivovarov.
The text adopted in plenary was tabled as a joint resolution by the EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA and ECR groups.
Members recalled that Russian federal law allows the activities of foreign and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to be considered undesirable on Russian territory. NGOs designated as undesirable by the Russian authorities are subject to restrictions on their freedom of association, including the prohibition of their activities and the introduction of criminal and administrative sanctions related to these activities.
‘Foreign agents’ and ‘undesirable NGOs’
Russia has designated numerous international and foreign NGOs as ‘undesirable’. On the 26 May 2021, the Russian Prosecutor General decided to list three German NGOs as ‘undesirable’, which include the Forum Russischsprachiger Europäer e.V., Zentrum für die Liberale Moderne GmbH and Deutsch-Russischer Austausch e.V..
The State Duma, by adopting these bills which include an immediate application of criminal liability, has been targeting the Open Russia civic movement, a networked pro-democracy and human rights structure, which was thereby forced to dissolve in order to protect its activists and supporters from further prosecutions.
On 31 May 2021, at St Petersburg airport, law enforcement officials removed Andrei Pivovarov, former leader of Open Russia, from a Polish LOT plane about to take off, arbitrarily arrested him and two days later remanded him in custody for two months on charges of ‘participation in the activities of an undesirable organisation’, for which he faces up to six years in prison.
Parliament urged the Russian authorities to release Andrei Pivovarov immediately and unconditionally, and to drop all charges against him and all other persons prosecuted under the law on ‘undesirable organisations’ or who have been arbitrarily arrested.
The Russian authorities are called upon to:
- stop the criminal prosecution of human rights activists and defenders under the Law on ‘Foreign Agents’;
- repeal the Law on ‘Foreign Agents’ and the Law on ‘Undesirable Organisations’ and to annul the decision of the Russian Prosecutor General to include three German NGOs on the list of ‘Undesirable Organisations’, as well as other foreign NGOs, a total of 34;
- stop creating new special laws introducing new restrictions on independent civil society, the rights and freedoms of peaceful assembly and association, and access to online information;
- review legislative acts used to restrict freedom of expression, including Russian legislation on disinformation campaigns, countering extremism and combating terrorism, and bring these legislative acts into line with international human rights law;
- immediately and unconditionally release all peaceful protesters and other civil society activists and political figures, including Alexei Navalny and those facing spurious criminal charges for simply peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
Comprehensive EU strategy towards Russia
In response to the deterioration of the rule of law, fundamental freedoms and human rights in Russia, Members called on the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the institutions to focus on the following points when developing the EU's comprehensive strategy on Russia:
- introduce new conditionality in EU-Russia relations aimed at ending Russia's internal repression of political and civil society activists and human rights defenders and, if the situation is not resolved, introducing new EU sanctions , for example by ensuring that Russian oligarchs and dignitaries responsible for human rights abuses are no longer able to acquire property, obtain visas, access financial products, etc., in the EU;
- take steps in EU-Russia relations to address the issue of human rights and to maintain unity of action, with a view to coordinating their positions vis-à-vis Russia
- stop strategic projects such as Nord Stream 2 and complement the EU's global human rights sanctions regime with a similar regime to tackle corruption;
- support human rights defenders, independent NGOs and the media, civil society and those defending civil and political liberties in Russia, and consider hosting NGOs threatened or banned in Russia and allowing them to work from EU territory if necessary;
- urgently address the issue of Russia's recent adoption of authoritarian legislation, to be examined in the light of its international obligations to the Council of Europe
- undertake regular human rights impact assessments to ensure that engagement with the Russian authorities does not undermine human rights objectives;
- avoid lending legitimacy to officials who are responsible for human rights violations and repression.
Parliament reminded all EU businesses operating in Russia to be particularly vigilant and to assume their responsibility to respect human rights. It expressed concern that senior European politicians are accepting lucrative contracts with companies owned by or linked to the Kremlin, such as Gazprom or Rosnieft.
Documents
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Decision by Parliament: T9-0291/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0360/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0322/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0347/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0348/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0351/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0352/2021
- Joint motion for resolution: RC-B9-0347/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0322/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0347/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0348/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0351/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0352/2021
- Joint motion for resolution: RC-B9-0347/2021
- Motion for a resolution: B9-0360/2021
Activities
- Heidi HAUTALA
Plenary Speeches (3)
- 2021/06/10 The listing of German NGOs as 'undesirable organisations' by Russia and the detention of Andrei Pivovarov
- 2021/06/10 The listing of German NGOs as 'undesirable organisations' by Russia and the detention of Andrei Pivovarov
- 2021/06/10 The listing of German NGOs as 'undesirable organisations' by Russia and the detention of Andrei Pivovarov
Institutional Motions (1) - Fabio Massimo CASTALDO
Plenary Speeches (2)Institutional Motions (1)
- Ryszard CZARNECKI
Plenary Speeches (1)Institutional Motions (2)
- Anna FOTYGA
Plenary Speeches (1)Institutional Motions (2)
- Witold Jan WASZCZYKOWSKI
Plenary Speeches (1)Institutional Motions (2)
- Helmut GEUKING
Plenary Speeches (1)Institutional Motions (2)
- Jerzy BUZEK
Institutional Motions (2)
- Dita CHARANZOVÁ
Institutional Motions (2)
- Andrea COZZOLINO
Institutional Motions (2)
- José Manuel FERNANDES
Institutional Motions (2)
- Norbert NEUSER
Plenary Speeches (1)Institutional Motions (1)
- Stanislav POLČÁK
Institutional Motions (2)
- Jiří POSPÍŠIL
Institutional Motions (2)
- Paulo RANGEL
Institutional Motions (2)
- Frédérique RIES
Institutional Motions (2)
- Jacek SARYUSZ-WOLSKI
Institutional Motions (2)
- Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ
Institutional Motions (2)
- Ivan ŠTEFANEC
Institutional Motions (2)
- Róża THUN UND HOHENSTEIN
Institutional Motions (2)
- Tom VANDENKENDELAERE
Institutional Motions (2)
- Clare DALY
Plenary Speeches (1)Institutional Motions (1)
- Peter POLLÁK
Institutional Motions (2)
- Pedro MARQUES
Institutional Motions (2)
- Vladimír BILČÍK
Institutional Motions (2)
- David LEGA
Institutional Motions (2)
- Ramona STRUGARIU
Institutional Motions (2)
- Dragoş TUDORACHE
Institutional Motions (2)
- Karen MELCHIOR
Institutional Motions (2)
- Elżbieta RAFALSKA
Institutional Motions (2)
- Sara SKYTTEDAL
Institutional Motions (2)
- Włodzimierz CIMOSZEWICZ
Institutional Motions (2)
- Christian SAGARTZ
Institutional Motions (2)
- Vlad GHEORGHE
Institutional Motions (2)
- Reinhard BÜTIKOFER
Institutional Motions (1)
- Ignazio CORRAO
Institutional Motions (1)
- Ryszard Antoni LEGUTKO
Institutional Motions (1)
- Javier NART
Institutional Motions (1)
- Bronis ROPĖ
Institutional Motions (1)
- Helmut SCHOLZ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Gunnar BECK
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Gwendoline DELBOS-CORFIELD
Institutional Motions (1)
- Michal ŠIMEČKA
Institutional Motions (1)
- Francisco GUERREIRO
Institutional Motions (1)
- Dace MELBĀRDE
Institutional Motions (1)
- Pierfrancesco MAJORINO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Dorien ROOKMAKER
Plenary Speeches (1)
Votes
Classification par la Russie d'ONG allemandes comme "organisations indésirables" et détention d'Andreï Pivovarov - The listing of German NGOs as 'undesirable organisations' by Russia and the detention of Andrei Pivovarov - Die Einstufung deutscher NGOs als „unerwünschte Organisationen“ durch Russland und die Festnahme von Andrei Piwowarow - RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 15 #
PPE
S&D
Renew
ECR
NI
The Left
ID
Verts/ALERC-B9-0347/2021 - § 2, point a #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - § 2, point b/1 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - § 2, point b/2 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - § 2, point b/3 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - § 2, point b/4 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - § 2, point b/5 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - § 2, point b/6 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - § 2, point c/1 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - § 2, point c/2 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - § 2, point c/3 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - § 2, point c/4 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - § 2, point d #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 13 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 16 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 6 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 7 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 8 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 9 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 14/1 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 14/2 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 14/3 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 11 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 10 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 1 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 12 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 2 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Considérant R #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 3 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 4 #
RC-B9-0347/2021 - Am 5 #
Classification par la Russie d'ONG allemandes comme "organisations indésirables" et détention d'Andreï Pivovarov - The listing of German NGOs as 'undesirable organisations' by Russia and the detention of Andrei Pivovarov - Die Einstufung deutscher NGOs als „unerwünschte Organisationen“ durch Russland und die Festnahme von Andrei Piwowarow - RC-B9-0347/2021 - Proposition de résolution #
History
(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)
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