Activities of Willy MEYER related to 2013/2147(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on Saudi Arabia, its relations with the EU and its role in the Middle East and North Africa PDF (209 KB) DOC (108 KB)
Amendments (14)
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas KSA is a hereditary, feudal, absolute monarchy without an elected parliament; whereas it faces the challenge of royal succession; whereas KSA has a population of 28 million, including 9 million foreigners, mostly from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Egypt and Yemen, and 10 million aged under 18; whereas some reforms have been implemented in KSA since 2001, but are not institutionalised and can thus be easily reversed; whereas the country’'s record in the field of human rights remains dismalalarming, particularly with regard to discrimination against women, lack of democratic rights and the existence of corporal punishment and the death penalty, with fundamental gaps between its international obligation and their implementation;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the death penalty is still applied in KSA for a wide variety of crimes and at least 82 people were executed in 2011, including minors and foreigners; whereas public executions take place and those executed can be crucified and publicly displayed;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas women's rights are being violated in KSA, as they are considered inferior to men and are under the control of a male member of their family rather than having the freedom to make their own decisions on matters such as going out or travelling; whereas Saudi women do not have the right to vote and are prohibited from driving and are therefore discriminated against in public life and public space;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas freedom of religion is not guaranteviolated in KSA, since public practice of any religion but Islam is forbidden; whereas minority Islamic groups, such as Shias and Sufis, are targets of discrimination and prejudice which are often condoned by the country´s religious establishment;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas KSA plays a leading role in financing, disseminating and promoting worldwide a particularly rigorous Salafi/Wahhabi interpretation of Islam; whereas the most extreme manifestations of Salafism/Wahhabism have inspired terrorist organisations such as Al-Qaeda and pose a global security threat, including for KSA itself; whereas KSA has developed a system to control financial transactions to ensure that no funds are being channelled into terrorist organisations, but no such control can be guaranteed regarding private charities or entities operating outside KSA;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines the European interest in a peaceful and orderly evolution and political reform procDeplores the EU policy of double standards demonstrated in the hypocritical and preferential treatment of KSA, motivated by the EU's economic and geostrategic interests in KSA, as a key factor for long-term peace, stability and development in the regionand its dependence on oil; condemns European complicity which allows and encourages the sale of arms to said government;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Reiterates its call for the universal abolition of the death penalty and calls for an immediate moratorium on the carrying out of death sentences in KSA; regrets that KSA continues to apply the death penalty for a wide variety of crimes, including homosexuality, drug offences, apostasy, sorcery and witchcraft;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Deplores the fact that despite KSA's ratification in October 2004 of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), in practice Saudi women are still discriminated against in many ways, in their personal lives, in matters of employment, participation in public life, submission to men, widespread domestic violence, or by restrictions on their rights to free movement and on the freedom to choose their partner; condemns the criminalisation of women who are victims of rape and sexual exploitation, who are not protected as victims but rather condemned as prostitutes;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. WelcomNotes the King’s appointment in 2013 of the first women to serve in the Consultative Assembly (Shura council) of KSA, occupying 30 seats out of 150;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. CExpresses its concern and calls on the authorities to improve the working conditions and treatment of immigrant workers, with special attention to the situation of women working as domestic helpers, who often find themselves in conditions of virtual slavery; welcomes recent efforts tonotes the recent introducetion of national labour laws in order toand hopes that they provide standardised protection for domestic workers and ensure the prosecution of employers responsible for sexual, physical and labour rights abuses;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Rejects the zero-sum game logic as a paradigm for international relations in the Middle East, since it fuels distrust, sectarian hatred and the arms race in the region, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; in this connection, deplores the destabilising effects of arms sales by some EU Member States to KSA and other countries in the region; deplores the involvement of Spain, which increased arms sales from EUR 14 million in 2011 to EUR 21.3 million in 2012 and recalls the close and publicly notorious relationship between the Spanish royal family and the Al Saud dynasty and their shared interests; believes that the solution to the region’s escalating security problems lies in establishing a common security framework, from which no country is excluded and in which the legitimate security interests of all countries are taken into consideration;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Is concerned that KSA’s financial and political support for religious and political groups in North Africa may result in reinforcing fundamentalist and obscurantist forces that undermine efforts to create democratic governance and oppose the participation of women in public life; is further concerned that the unconditional political and financial support offered to the leaders of the military coup in Egypt is undermining the efforts of the EU to promote a peaceful and inclusive political solution to the Egyptian crisis;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the KSA authorities to act to stop Salafi movements supporting the anti- state activities of the military rebels in Mali, which are leading to the destabilisation of the entire region; condemns any form of direct and indirect interference in the region from either Saudi Arabia or the European Union;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Reiterates its condemnation of KSA's military intervention to suppress the popular protests in Bahrain in 2011; in this regard, urges KSA to abstain from taking this kind of action and reiterates its call on KSA to contribute constructively and to mediate in the interests of peaceful reforms and national dialogue in Bahrain;