59 Amendments of Michael GAHLER related to 2017/2036(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15
Citation 15
— having regard to its previous resolutions on Cuba, in particular the ones of 17 November 2004 on Cuba, of 2 February 2006 on the EU's policy towards the Cuban Government, of 21 June 2007 on Cuba and of 11 March 2010 on prisoners of conscience in Cuba,
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
- having regards to the findings of the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances on Cuba issued on 17 March 2017,
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 b (new)
Citation 15 b (new)
- having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights treaties and instruments,
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the historical, economic and cultural ties linkingexist between Europe and Cuba are characterised by their depth and strength;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas pursuant to Article 21 of the Treaty of the European Union, the external action of the Union should be guided by the principles of democracy, rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for human dignity, the principles of equality and solidarity, and the respect for the principles of the UN Charter and the international law;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the European Union maintain's relations with the Community of Latin America and the Caribbean and there is broad consensus among its 33 member states on the desirability of expanding relations between the European Union and Cubaoffer an opportunity to expand relations between the European Union and Cuba on the basis of democratic principles, the rule of law, human rights, fundamental freedoms and international law;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas Cuba was the only country in Latin America and the Caribbean with which the EU had not signed any type of agreement; whereas 20 of its Member States have signed various types of bilateral agreements;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas what is known as the ‘cCommon pPosition of the EU’, adopted in 1996, has been superseded by the bilateral agreements with Cuba that have been signed during this period by 20 EU Member States96/697/CFSP was replaced by Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/2233 of 6 December 2016;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas what is known as the ‘common position of the EU’, adopted in 1996, has been superseded by the bilateral agreements with Cuba that have been signed during this period by 20 EU Member States;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas human rights feature in both the political dialogue and cooperation chapters; whereas in particular the protection of the universality and indivisibility of human rights, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights is one of the main objectives of the European Union, both internally and in its relations with third countries; whereas in this sense the full compliance with human rights and the defence of democracy and the rule of law, must be an essential condition of the EU- Cuba Agreement;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas the communist regime still denies its citizens fundamental human and civil rights;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the human rights dialogue between the EU and Cuba, led by the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, began in 2015; whereas no tangible results have been achieved and the situation of human rights remains extremely worrying, despite the setup of the Human rights dialogue;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas on three occasions the European Parliament have awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to Cuban activists, Oswaldo Payá in 2002, the Ladies in White in 2005 and Guillermo Fariñas in 2010;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas Cuba has been highly criticised for being elected as an UNHRC Member for 2016 - 2019 term due to the violations of all applicable Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas according to Freedom House Organisation, Cuba is one of the "least free" countries in the world;
Amendment 37 #
K. whereas issues discussed at the second meeting of the human rights dialogue held in Cuba in June 2016 with the participation of line ministries and agencies included freedom of association and human rights issues in a multilateral context, such as the death penalty; whereas the next meeting of the human rights dialogue is due to be held in Brussels during the first half of 2017; whereas the political dialogue between the EU and the Cuban Government, must include the direct 'intensive dialogue with civil society and the peaceful opposition' without any restriction, and must follow the EU's criteria on democracy, universal human rights and fundamental freedoms' such as freedom of expression, assembly and political association, as well as its 'worldwide policy of support to human rights defenders';
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas the PDCA includes a so- called ‘human rights clause’, which is a standard fundamessential element of EU international agreements that allows the PDCA to be suspended in case of violation of the provisions on human rights;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)
Recital L a (new)
La. whereas on 20 March 2017 Eduardo Cardet Concepcion, national coordinator of the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL) was sentenced for three years imprisonment as a result of criticism of former Cuban leader Fidel Castro; whereas for decades the Cuban authorities have harassed and intimidated members of the Christian Liberation Movement in an attempt to silence and dissenting ideas; whereas such proceedings are in breach of freedom of speech and expression;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)
Recital L a (new)
La. whereas independent journalists, peaceful dissidents and human rights defenders, mostly members of the democratic opposition, are still persecuted, arbitrarily detained or being held in jail in Cuba for exercising the basic rights of expression, assembly and political association;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L b (new)
Recital L b (new)
Lb. whereas a humane treatment must to be ensured for the political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Cuba; whereas on 24 February 2017, political prisoner Hamel Santiago Maz Hernández, a member of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), died in the great prison of Havana, known as Combinado del Este; whereas since 3 June 2016 he was in jail accused of disrespect to any government official, without being subjected to any trial; whereas on 9 March 2017, 10 Members of UNPACU were detained, including their leader Jose Daniel Ferrer;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital L b (new)
Recital L b (new)
Lb. whereas throughout March 2017 the Cuban Commission for Human Rights and National Reconciliation verified at least 432 arbitrary detentions of peaceful dissidents in Cuba; whereas 11 cases of physical assaults and 8 cases of harassment by secret political police and para-police agents, of which peaceful opponents were also victims, were also documented;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital P
Recital P
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q
Recital Q
Amendment 60 #
Qa. whereas the Cuban economic system is in need of trade liberalization, economic and financial investments, technological innovation and overall market freedoms that would allow the island to modernize its economy;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q b (new)
Recital Q b (new)
Qb. whereas this economic and trade liberalization should enable the country to overcome the limitations to the population in the provision of goods and services and bring inevitably a progressive move towards free social spaces, coexistence, technology and communication, that the Cuban population appreciate and demand;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital S
Recital S
S. whereas Cuba is a signatory to only 11 of the 18 United Nations human rights conventions and has ratified only eight of them;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital S
Recital S
S. whereas Cuba is a signatory to 11 of the 18 United Nations human rights conventions and has ratified eight of them; whereas Cuba has not ratified the International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital U
Recital U
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital V
Recital V
V. whereas the United Nations General Assembly has adopted 26 consecutive resolutions calling for the end of the United States embargo on Cuba, and the resolution was adopted unanimously for the first time in October 2016; whereas Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament decided to send a long -pending delegation to Cuba without any positive response from the Cuban authorities yet;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. WelcomNotes the signing in Brussels, on 12 December 2016, of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Cuba and states that it constitutes an instrument that will offer an appropriate new framework for relations, in keeping with the EU’s interests in its relationship with between the EU and Cuba;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Affirms the high strategymbolic value of the relationship between the EU and Cuba;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the structure, content and dynamic of the agreement match the principles and valuoutlines established by the EU institutions for its external relations;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. WelcomUnderlines the fact that the Council of the EU understood the nedecided to establish a new framework for relations with Cuba and took the decision to embark on negotiations and conclude them successfully within a significantly brief timeframe;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. RecogniStresses the high level of commitment that the Republic of Cuba is undertaking with the European Union in a wide range of fields and through a sophisticated system of political dialogueresponsibility which Cuba is undertaking with the European Union to meet the commitments set out in the agreement;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Urges the Cuban authorities to immediately release all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, arbitrarily detained solely for exercising their freedom of expression and assembly and strongly condemns such detentions; urges the authorities to stop harassing, persecuting and intimidating independent journalists, peaceful dissidents and human rights defenders and to hold those responsible accountable; considers the civil society to be a vital part of democratic regimes;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Urges the Cuban government to align its human rights policy with the international standards defined in the Charters, declarations and international instruments to which Cuba is a signatory; insists that the persecution and imprisonment of dissidents for their ideals and their peaceful political activity is in breach of the provisions set up in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Demands that the Cuban authorities permit members of the political opposition, human rights activists and all citizens to travel abroad and return freely to Cuba; calls for free and full access for the Cuban population to information in all forms;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Denounces imposed charges against Eduardo Cardet Concepcion, national coordinator of the Christian Liberation Movement (MCL), for exercising his right of freedom of speech; condemns violent detentions of 10 Members of Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU), including its leader Jose Daniel Ferrer; calls on the Cuban authorities for their immediate and unconditional release; urges to stop the harassment and intimidation of members of MCL as well as UNPACU;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Affirms the European Parliament’s aspiration to see relations between the EU and Cuba develop to the greatest possible extent, with full respect for the independence and autonomy of the partieStresses that the future of Cuba must be based on the sole will of its citizens; recalls that political reconciliation and mutual understanding must include all Cubans who are willing to peacefully work for freedom, democracy and adherence to human rights;
Amendment 111 #
7. Recognises the efforNotes the statements made by Cuba ton incorporateing the United Nations fundamental principles on human and labour rights into its national legislation, and calls on Cuba to ratify the United Nations human rights conventions still pending, specifically the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Supports the findings of the UN Committee on enforced disappearances in Cuba of 17 March 2017 urging Cuba to take the necessary measures to guarantee the full independence of its judicial system as well as to set up an independent National Institution of Human Rights in lines with the Paris Principles;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. WelcomNotes the process of normalising relations that has been achieved between Cuba and the United States of America with the restoration of diplomatic ties in 2015;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the fact that the human rights dialogue between the EU and Cuba was launched before the conclusion of the PDCA negotiations; reiterates that the objectives of the European Union's policy towards Cuba has to continue to be the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, encouragement of a process of transition to a pluralist democracy and a lasting economic recovery aimed at improving the living standards of the Cuban population;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Calls for a transitional provision establishing a graduated entry into force of the different areas of cooperation, postponing the economic and financial cooperation until the progress made by the Cuban government in the areas of human rights and economic freedoms is demonstrated;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recognises that the PDCA can contribute to the reform, adjustment and modernisation processes already proposed in Cuba, in particular with regard to the diversification of Cuba’s international partners and the establishment of a general framework of political and economic development; urges the European institutions and the Member States to assist the economic and political transition in Cuba, encouraging the evolution towards a fully democratic regime that respects the basic rights of all its citizen; supports the use of the various EU's foreign policy instruments, and in particular the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) in order to reinforce EU's dialogue with Cuba's civil society and those who support a peaceful transition in Cuba;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Expects the PDCA, along the lines of the Helsinki Final Act, to become the benchmark for a genuine democratisation process, with the aim of bringing about free elections and overcoming one-party rule;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Calls on the HR/VP Federica Mogherini to recognise the existence of a political opposition to the Cuban Government and to allocate all available tools to restore democratic and inclusive political dialogue in Cuba;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recalls that the PDCA, as the first agreement between the EU and Cuba, will mark a turning point in bilateral relations between the two Parties; welcomes the fact that both Parties have agreed to develop this relationship in a structured manner, mutually subscribing to an agenda and binding obligations for both signatories;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Underlines the relevance of the inclusion of the political dialogue chapter and the establishment of an institutionalised EU-Cuba Human Rights dialogue; urges the EU to promote and provide guarantees for the work of the human rights defenders and the active participation of civil society actors in this process, including all peaceful dissidents;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Recalls that the PDCA includes a provision for suspension of the agreement in case of violation of the provisions on human rights; calls to ensure the establishment of a transparent and binding road map which should be aimed at safeguarding and monitoring all human ,environmental and labour rights provisions mentioned in this resolution; in this sense calls on the EU to closely follow and report back to the European Parliament about the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Cuba within the provision of suspension of the agreement;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Recalls that the PDCA includes a provision for suspension of the agreement in casethe event of violation of the provisions on human rights, and expects specific criteria to be drawn up which, if they were met, would result in immediate referral to the bodies with responsibility for suspension of the agreement;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Stresses that the PDCA should contribute to improving the living conditions and social rights of Cuban citizens, reaffirming the importance of working systematically in promoting the values of democracy and human rights, including freedom of expression, association and assembly;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Looks to the EU, represented by its delegation in Havana, to take a public stand against any reprisals or discrimination against the democratic opposition and civil society in Cuba;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Takes note of some liberalisation measures that the Cuban authorities have adopted in the recent months, while emphasizing that the development of strong foreign investment to improve the physical and technological infrastructure of the country and build a competitive Cuban production system will require many other economic and financial measures with regulations that give legal certainty and economic stability to the country;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls for Cuba to be included as an eligible country under the EIB’s external mandate provided it meets the requirements laid down by the EIB;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Welcomes the PDCA’s explicit references to civil society as an actor of cooperation; voices its profound solidarity with the entire Cuban population and its support for needed progress towards democracy and respect and promotion of fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Confirms its decision to send an official long- pending delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament to Cuba, and urges the Cuban authorities to allow the entry of such a delegation without any further delays in the view of the upcoming PDCA; calls on the Cuban authorities to ensure unimpeded access to all venues and meetings with the requested interlocutors;