Activities of Viola VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL related to 2021/2230(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
EU-Armenia relations (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on EU-Armenia relations
Amendments (42)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
— having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights (‘ECHR’),
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8
Citation 8
— having regard to the reports of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) of the Council of Europe, notably the 2016 country monitoring report on Armenia1a and its adopted 2019 conclusions on the adoption of the recommendations,1b _________________ 1a https://rm.coe.int/fourth-report-on- armenia/16808b5539 1b https://rm.coe.int/conclusions-5th- cycle-on-armenia/1680972faa
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
— having regard to the report of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe following her visit to Armenia from 16 to 20 September 2018,1a _________________ 1a https://rm.coe.int/report-on-the-visit-to- armenia-from-16-to-20-september-2018- by-dunja-m/168091f9d5
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
— having regard to the Eastern Partnership Index 2021,
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas human rights defenders, activists and independent civil society often face online hate speech, smear campaigns and targeting by various right- wing groups linked to previous regimes in Armenia; whereas they lack protection and recognition for the work they do for the society and the democratic reforms in the country, in particular when it comes to the promotion of human rights, democracy and rule of law;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the defence of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including through the respect of the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention of Human Rights, is a crucial tenet of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between the EU and Armenia ('CEPA');
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas following the 2018 Velvet Revolution, Armenia initially made significant democratic improvements and positive strides against corruption, promised anti-corruption and judicial reforms slowed down in 2021 in the wake of the political and economic crisis triggered by the pandemic and renewed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas the human rights of LGBTIQ people in Armenia are at best discarded and at worst actively fought against by government and state institutions; whereas ILGA Europe’s Rainbow Index shows Armenia as having one of the largest deficits in legislation and policy aiming to protect LGBTIQ people, ranking it in the 3rd worst place among all Council of Europe countries, tied with the Russian Federation;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E d (new)
Recital E d (new)
Ed. whereas PACE adopted in 2022 a resolution on violations of the rights of LGBTI persons in the Southern Caucasus and made several calls to authorities to reform legislation in order to address them; whereas the recommendations reflect the 2016 ECRI findings; whereas already in 2019 ECRI had concluded that its recommendations had not been addressed sufficiently, including that none of the relevant provisions of the new Criminal Code had been adopted; whereas the lack of response of the government to international bodies’ recommendations is alarming;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E e (new)
Recital E e (new)
Ee. whereas the European Court of Human Rights recognized in its judgement on Cases 1367/12 and 72961/12 (Ogazenova v Armenia) that criminal law measures are required with respect to hate speech, notably on grounds of sexual orientation and sexual life; whereas domestic law currently prohibits hate speech, yet sexual orientation and gender identity continue not to be included in the characteristics of victims of the offence despite the recommendations of the relevant international bodies in that respect;1a _________________ 1a ECtHR, Cases 1367/12 and 72961/12 (Ogazenova v Armenia), ¶121-122
Amendment 119 #
4. Recalls that the EU’s passive stance during and immediately after the 2020 war gave other regional actors, such as Russia, Iran and Turkey, the opportunity to gain influence; strongly supports, therefore, the initiative taken by the President of the European Council Charles Michel to convene and mediate bilateral meetings of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels and encourages the work on the ground of the EU’s special representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia; urges the governments of both countries to fully engage in the drafting of a peace treaty and welcomes in this regard the meetings of the foreign affairs ministers of both countries;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the VP/HR and the EEAS to step up efforts to revitalise and effectively contribute to the peaceful resolution of this conflict, including through support for stabilisation, post- conflict rehabilitation, reconstruction, and confidence-building measures;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes note of the initial discussions on the process of border delimitation; welcomes the agreement to deploy a civilian EU mission to build trust and contribute to the border commissions; regrets Azerbaijan’s lack of consent in deploying the civilian mission on both sides of the border;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the humanitarian aid provided by the EU for the conflict- affected population in and around Nagorno-Karabakh and its assistance for humanitarian demining in the areas affected by the conflict; calls on the Commission to increase EU assistance to the people in need, including in Nagorno- Karabakh, facilitate the implementation of more ambitious confidence-building measures and enhance people-to-people contacts between citizens on both sides of the border; calls for finding mutual solutions for the safe return of displaced populations;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Emphasises the urgent need for increased and credible confidence- building measures in order to counter the perpetuated polarisation, lack of trust, hate speech and other inflammatory rhetoric between Armenia and Azerbaijan;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Continues to be concerned about the fate of Armenian prisoners, both military and civilian, detained during and after the conflict and still held by Azerbaijan and welcomes the release of some of them; demands the immediate and unconditional release of all the remaining detainees, including those captured during the recent military confrontations, and that they be treated in accordance with international humanitarian law; recalls that all captured or detained persons must be treated humanely and benefit from the protections of international law; calls on all sides to clarify the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared, and to treat dead bodies with dignity;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Condemns the footage that has appeared depicting the torture, mutilation and killing of an Armenian servicewoman and unarmed Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijani armed forces; calls for a full and impartial investigation of the videos to identify those responsible and hold them accountable for their actions; condemns all instances of torture and enforced disappearances, also when perpetrated in armed conflict, as well as ill-treatment and the desecration of bodies;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Strongly insists that Azerbaijan and Armenia refrain from destroying, misattributing or miscategorising cultural, religious or historical heritage; calls for the restoration of damaged sites in accordance with UNESCO standards and indications; calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to quickly allow a UNESCO mission to visit both countries without preconditions;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Insists that both states are under international obligations to conduct independent, prompt, public and effective investigations and prosecute all credible allegations of grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and other violations of international law and war crimes, in order to ensure accountability of those responsible and redress for the victims;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Stresses the need to consult and cooperate with civil society and human rights defenders, in particular on issues of reconciliation and humanitarian assistance, as well as the importance of sustainable funding and the freedom of such organisations to conduct their work without restrictions;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Highlights the particular effect of the conflict on women and marginalised groups, including the rise in domestic violence in the aftermath of the recent war, as well as the exclusion of women from the official peace process; calls on the Armenian government, as well as international mediators to remove barriers to women's participation, across all tracks, and systematically include women experts and women human rights defenders in all consultations;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the full entry into force of CEPA on 1 March 2021 and Armenia’s commitment to its implementation; welcomes the fact that the government recognises CEPA as a strategic blueprint for key reforms in Armenia; commends Armenia for the significant reforms and thorough democratisation process implemented over the past few years and thus becoming a leader in democracy in the region;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Acknowledges Armenia’s successful fight against crime and corruption making it one of the safest countries in the region;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Regrets polarising language often used by political opponents and destructive attempts by some Russia- affiliated political groups to derail the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Underlines the important role of civil society in the shaping and implementation of key reforms; calls on the Armenian government to maintain and extend the key role of civil society in democratic policymaking and further strengthen government-CSO cooperation, as well as to introduce legislation to better protect human rights defenders; calls on the EU Delegation and Member States’ representations in Armenia to increase their support for civil society and human rights defenders’ work;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Welcomes Armenia’s association to Horizon Europe, the EU’s research and innovation programme for 2021-2027, enabling Armenian researchers, innovators and research entities to strengthen partnerships with their counterparts in the EU, and Armenia’s successful cooperation on Erasmus+ Programme;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Calls on the government to step up judicial and anti-corruption reforms and on the EU to increase support in those areas, in particular technical support and exchange of expertise;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. UHighlights that Article 1 of CEPA includes as an objective to enhance cooperation in the area of freedom, security and justice with the aim of reinforcing the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; underlines the importance of media freedom, anti-discrimination, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly for preserving a vibrant democracy; is concerned by the pervasive presence of discrimination, disinformation and harsh rhetoric; , as well as hate speech towards certain social groups; urges authorities to categorically uphold all human rights enshrined in the ECHR, notably when they concern vulnerable groups such as women, children, persons with disabilities and LGBTIQ persons1a; _________________ 1a Referring to Commissioner’s for Human Rights country reporting on Armenia: https://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/ -/report-on-armenia-recommends- measures-to-improve-women-s-rights- protection-of-disadvantaged-or- vulnerable-groups-and-establishing- accountability-for-p
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Underlines the importance of media freedom, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly for preserving a vibrant democracy; is concerned by the presence of disinformation and harsh rhetoric; calls on the Armenian government and the Commission to increase support for independent media in the country, also with a view to countering disinformation;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Recalls that the fight against discrimination is a cornerstone of democratic systems; considers that the democratic transition in Armenia is an opportunity to strengthen the human rights system; recalls that the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe encouraged the government to take a prompt stance and adopt several legal reforms1a; considers that the authorities have all recommendations at their disposal to make progress on human rights and calls for their implementation; _________________ 1a https://rm.coe.int/report-on-the-visit-to- armenia-from-16-to-20-september-2018- by-dunja-m/168091f9d5, ¶106-107
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls on the Armenian government to refrain from measures that limit the freedom of speech and freedom of media; insists on greater cooperation with diverse stakeholders around laws that have an impact on human rights and democratisation, such as the serious insult law, which has recently de facto been cancelled, and other laws that concern the work of media;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Considers that LGBTIQ persons are in dire need of protection; calls for the adoption of anti-discrimination legislation adding sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics as prohibited grounds, alongside the adoption of civil, administrative and/or criminal proceedings to protect people from hate speech and hate crimes; calls on authorities to reform criminal legislation by adding the previous grounds as aggravating circumstances; urges Armenia to stop considering homosexuality as a mental illness1a; _________________ 1ahttps://pace.coe.int/en/files/29711/html ¶10-11
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Calls on the Armenian government to launch joint efforts to address disinformation directed at civil society actors and human rights activists which intends to undermine their democratic role;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Calls on the Armenian government, including the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, to raise public awareness around the issue of LGBTIQ- phobia and the need to change prevailing patriarchal structures to counter gender stereotypes; calls on the Armenian government to adopt and implement action plans with the aim of strengthening the rights of LGBTIQ persons and their living conditions, and preventing and combating social exclusion, stigmatisation and all forms of discrimination against them;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Stresses the importance of reforms in the field of gender equality, women’s protection representation and equal treatment at all levels of political, economic and societal life, as well as non- discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, which would be of great benefit to the democratic development of Armenia and help advance human rights protection;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16d. Calls on the Armenian government to ratify the Istanbul Convention and to adopt and implement policies to combat domestic and gender- based violence;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes the potential of the Economic and Investment Plan to help Armenia build a sustainable, dynamic and resilient economy; welcomes Armenia’s progress in the implementation of flagship initiatives;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Calls on Armenia to further enhance its engagement in the fight against climate change and the protection of the environment; encourages Armenia to increase its emissions reduction targets under its NDC in order to mirror its commitment and good track record in cutting emissions;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Calls on the Armenian authorities to undertake crucial steps to accelerate the development of renewables, increase energy efficiency and reduce the energy dependence on nuclear energy and fossil fuel imports, coming in particular from Russia;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Reiterates its concerns regarding the ongoing operation of the outdated Metsamor nuclear power plant; calls for the swift adoption of a road map or action plan for the closure and safe decommissioning of the plant; urges to refrain from developing an additional nuclear unit in seismologically and militarily volatile region;