Activities of Cristian Dan PREDA related to 2015/2274(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
EU strategy towards Iran after the nuclear agreement (debate) FR
Amendments (33)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B (new)
Recital B (new)
B. whereas following the Iran Nuclear Deal and internal political developments in Iran, there is now an opportunity for reforms in the country and for improvement of its relations with the European Union,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C (new)
Recital C (new)
C. whereas the human rights situation in Iran is still characterized by continued and pervasive violations of fundamental rights,
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
– having regard to the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 70/173 on the "Situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran", A/RES/70/173, adopted on 17 December 2015,
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 b (new)
Citation 1 b (new)
– having regard to the Report of the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran of 10 March 2016, A/HRC/31/69 and his recent statements raising concern for imprisonments of human rights defenders and a sharp rise in hate speech against religious minorities,
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2
Citation 2
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Iran, in particular those of 10 March 2011 on the EU’'s approach towards Iran1[1], 17 November 2011 on Iran – recent cases of human rights violations, 14 June 2012 on situation of ethnic minorities in Iran, and of 3 April 2014 on the EU strategy towards Iran2 , __________________ 2 Texts adopted, P7_TA(2014)0339. Texts adopted, P7_TA(2014)0339.
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
– having regard to the EU Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy; having regard to the EU Annual reports on Human Rights,
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 b (new)
Citation 3 b (new)
– having regard to its previous resolutions on EU Annual reports on Human Rights; having regard to its resolution of 8 October 2015 on death penalty,
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Is concerned about Iran's repeated ballistic missile tests in breach of UN Security Council Resolution 2231(2015) and which are not consistent with the spirit of the nuclear deal; notes with deep concern German intelligence reports that Iran is illicitly attempting to acquire nuclear weapons technology, which would contravene the terms of JCPOA; calls on Iran to refrain from activities that put into question its commitment to the JCPOA and undermine efforts to build confidence;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that EU-Iran relations should be 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-buildingparticular attention to fundamental human rights, foremost for the benefit of the peoples of Iran and the EU; supports, 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;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Condemns Iran's repeated calls for annihilation of Israel and denial of the Holocaust; believes that these elements should be properly factored into the new EU strategy towards Iran;
Amendment 97 #
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 believesalls the EU's strong and principled position against the death penalty and that the abolition of the capital punishment is a key objective of the Union's human rights policy; hopes that cooperation on anti-narcotics programmes and on the question of juvenile executions, in line with Iran’s own commitments, could provide a common agendastarting point for addressing this question;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Takes note of the fact that eliminating the death penalty for drug- related offences wcould drastically reduce the number of executions (up to 80 % according to Iranian estimates); is deeply concerned that trumped-up drug trafficking charges are often used to eliminate political opponents; calls for EU-Iran cooperation in the fight against drugs as aone way of addressing the issue of executions in the country; calls on the Commission to provide technical assistance and administrative capacity- building for Iran to enable it to secure its borders with Afghanistan and Iraq, while respecting human rights norms;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls for EU-Iran cooperation in the fight against drugs as one measure addressing the issue of executions related to drug offences in the country; calls on the Commission to provide technical assistance and administrative capacity- building for Iran to enable it to secure its borders with Afghanistan and Iraq;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Believes that cooperation on anti- narcotics must be limited to addiction prevention and harm reduction programmes and avoid technical assistance to law enforcement and security forces until Iran eliminates death penalty for narcotics offences;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 169 #
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 in line with FATF recommendations to create the necessary conditions for businesses to prosper in Iran and contribute to Iranians feeling relief from sanctions in their everyday lives;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. 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 including in the field of environment, renewable energies, justice and human rights, good governance;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Takes note of the June 2016 U.S. State Department annual report on global terrorism listing Iran as the top state sponsor of terrorism;
Amendment 256 #
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; leads attention to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) interferences in the region, particularly in supporting the Syrian regime; remains concerned about Iran's financial and arms support for Hezbollah;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. BelievNotes that the nuclear deal could 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;
Amendment 300 #
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 Iran’s participation in the Syrian peace talks; deplores Iran's continued support for the Assad regime and its warfare against the civilian populations; calls for itIran's 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 360 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Calls on the EU to mainstream human rights in all aspects of its relations with Iran; takes the view that the future policy framework for EU-Iran relations must include an effective human rights dialogue with Iran, based on clear benchmarks against which progress can be measured; points out the necessity of including in this dialogue independent civil society organisations; stresses the importance of taking into account the recommendations of international human rights monitoring mechanisms; underlines that benchmarks and targets on human rights must be constructed openly in order to enhance transparency and accountability;
Amendment 363 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Notes that the February 2016 parliamentary elections in Iran did not meet the standards free and fair elections, as the opposition was banned and thousands of candidates were filtered by the 'Guardian Council' under orders of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei;
Amendment 388 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Notes with deep concern that Iran has the highest level of death-penalty executions per capita in the world and deplores that 2015 saw the highest execution rate in 27 years; stresses that eliminating the death penalty for drug- related offences wcould dramatically decrease the number of executions; welcomes, in this regard, the possibility that the newly-elected Majlis is considering legislation to exclude some drug-related offences from the list of crimes punishable with the death penalty;
Amendment 402 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Welcomes the fact that the adoption of the 2013 Islamic Penal Code and Iran’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child prohibits child executions and allows all juvenile offenders sentenced to death prior to 2013 to seek retrial; regrets however the lack of full abolition and the continued practice of child executions; calls on Iran to ensure this prohibition is fully implemented and that all relevant offenders are made aware of this right; calls on Iran to declare a moratorium on the death penalty, at least forstarting with juvenile offenders;
Amendment 413 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Is deeply concerned about the rising number of individuals imprisoned from religious minority communities due to their beliefs, including Sunnis, Sufi Muslim dissenters, Baha'is, Christian converts and Jews, since President Hassan Rouhani took office in 2013; deplores that religious minority activists have been sentenced to death for "enmity against God";
Amendment 415 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Calls on Iran to fully cooperate with all UN human rights mechanisms and work towards application of recommendations set forth in that context, including the Universal Periodic Review;
Amendment 416 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 b (new)
Paragraph 28 b (new)
28b. Stresses that women's rights should remain high on the agenda of the dialogue between the EU and Iran ; remains concerned by the unacceptable discriminations that women face in Iran, particularly in legal matters, regarding family law and their participation in the economic and political life ; calls for the newly elected Majlis to adopt legislation criminalizing violence against women;
Amendment 417 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 b (new)
Paragraph 28 b (new)
28b. Believes that EU should use its improving relations with Iran to urge the country to grant access to the UN special rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran to visit Iran;
Amendment 419 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 c (new)
Paragraph 28 c (new)
28c. Expresses its concern regarding the continued arbitrary detention of human rights defenders and lawyers and the serious allegations of abuse of detainees during pre-charge and pre-trial detention; calls on the Commission to support civil society efforts to promote due process of law;
Amendment 420 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 d (new)
Paragraph 28 d (new)
28d. Calls on the EEAS and the Commission to support the creation of an environment allowing for proper and independent functioning of civil society organizations; stresses the importance of upholding the EU human rights guidelines, including on human rights defenders, in the context of EU Iran relations;
Amendment 423 #
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 as provided for in these instruments, without discrimination as to sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, or other status, as provided for in these instrumentgender, sexual orientation or other status, inter alia against Baha'i community, Christians, Muslim minorities, non- believers and converts, Kurds, Arabs, Azerbaijani Turks, Baluchis; 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 463 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Welcomes President Rohani’s campaign promise to present a charter for citizens’ rights; underlines the importance of respecting the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary in providing the necessary legal certainty required for foreign direct investments to take placebelieves the proposed charter should build upon and be in full compliance with Iran's international human rights obligations; underlines the importance of respecting the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary ; calls on the EEAS and the Commission to work together with the Iranian authorities in areas such as judicial reform, reform of the prison system, government accountability, respect for the rule of law, citizens’ rights and the fight against corruption; believes that these measures will increase legal certainty in Iran and the country’s attractiveness to foreign investors while also benefiting Iranian citizens.;