Activities of Marie-Christine VERGIAT related to 2013/2152(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Human rights in the world 2012 and EU policy on the matter (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the Annual Report on Human Rights in the World 2012 and the European Union's policy on the matter PDF (506 KB) DOC (416 KB)
Amendments (40)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Heading 1
Heading 1
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
- having regard to the United Nations Millennium Declaration of 8 September 2000 (A/Res/55/2 ) and the resolutions adopted by its General Assembly,
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)
Citation 21 a (new)
- having regard to the UNESCO Convention of 20 October 2005 on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions,
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 b (new)
Citation 21 b (new)
- having regard to the ILO Convention on Migrant Workers (1949)
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the EU is bound to help countries with which it has signed international agreements, including trade agreements, to implement all these fundamental principles, and in particular by ensuring strict compliance with the human rights and democracy clauses in said agreements;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the uprisings in the Arab world, motivated in part by economic and social factors, prompted the European Union to acknowledge the failure of past policies and to commit to a ‘more for more’ approach in the Review of the Neighbourhood Policy, based on a commitment to ‘adapt levels of EU support to partners according to progress on political reforms and building deep democracy’, including free and fair elections, freedom of association, expression and assembly, a free press and media, and the rule of law administered by an independent judiciary;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers human rights to be at the centre of EU relations with all third countries, including its strategic partners; stresses that EU human rights policy needs to be consistent in complying with the Treaty obligatavoid double standards in external policies; stresses that for this to happen the European Union's internal and external policies must be coherent; deplores the fact that the European Union’s and avoiding double standards in external policiehuman rights policy is restricted, and even contradicted, by diplomatic, political or economic considerations, creating double standards which damage all EU policies in this field and are in total contradiction to a universal vision of human rights;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses once again the inalienable right of peoples to self-determination without any outside interference in the political, economic and social life of third countries; warns the EU and its Member States once more against any exploitation of the human rights issue, which would undermine its very credibility;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that companies which come under national or EU law do not disregard human rights and the social, health and environmental standards they are subject to when moving to or carrying out their activities in a third country;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recognises that the current economic and financial crisis is having a severe social impact on communities within and outside the European Union, notes that the various austerity plans adopted by the EU and other international institutions, such as the IMF, have led to an erosion in civil liberties and social and democratic rights, and a significant deterioration in living conditions, particularly among the weakest and most vulnerable groups;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Reiterates its condemnation of the practices of extraordinary rendition, secret prisons and torture, in which USA and some EU Member States were involved, which are prohibited under domestic and international human rights law and which breach inter alia the rights to liberty, security, humane treatment, freedom from torture, presumption of innocence, fair trial, legal counsel and equal protection under the law; regrets that up to the moment no responsibility have been depurated neither in the US non at the EU level; demands the immediate closure of the centre of detention and torture of Guantanamo;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Considers that the climate of impunity regarding the CIA programme has enabled the continuation of fundamental rights violations in the counterterrorism policies of the EU and the US as further revealed by the mass spying activities of the US National Security Agency surveillance programme, and surveillance bodies in various Member States currently being investigated by Parliament; demands the immediate suspension of negotiations on a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the US;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Commends the EU SR on the openness of the dialogue conducted with the European Parliament and civil society, thus establishing an important practice that should be continued and consolidated to ensure due transparency and accountability; welcomes, furthermore, the attention given by the EU SR to a number of countries of concern, including Russia, Egypt and Bahrain;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Welcomes the adoption of the EU Guidelines on Freedom of Religion and BeliefThought, Conscience or Religion, and on LGBTI rights; reminds the EEAS, however, to respect good inter- institutional practice and engage in a timely manner with the proper political bodies within the European Parliament; commends the practice adopted by the EEAS and the Council of reviewing and revising older guidelines; encourages the EEAS to adopt a more rigorous review process involving the thorough consultation of stakeholders in order to adapt to changing circumstances;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Urges the EEAS and the Council to pay particular attention to the issue of proper implementation plans for the guidelines; recommends further training and awareness-raising among EEAS and EU delegation staff, as well as among Member State diplomats; expresses its particular concern regarding the implementation of the guidelines on international humanitarian law, the guidelines on the rights of the child and the guidelines on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes the efforts made by the EEAS to finalise the first cycle of EU human rights country strategies; reiterates its support for the objective of giving ownership of the country strategy to the EU delegation on the ground, while ensuring quality control at headquarters level; regrets, however, the lack of transparency regarding the contents of the country strategies and the fact that women's rights and children's rights are not sufficiently taken into account in country strategies;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Supports the practice of including legally binding human rights clauses in the EU’s international agreements, and considers that these clauses should also be included in all sectoral trade agreements; tresses that while human rights and democracy clauses have been included in political framework agreements with third countries since 1995, and in agreements concluded with more than 120 countries, these clauses have mostly remained a dead letter; supports the practice of including legally binding human rights clauses in the EU’s international agreements, and considers that these clauses should also be included in all sectoral trade agreements; remains convinced that this clause ought in reality to be a legally binding commitment on the EU and partner countries and to be complemented by an operational enforcement mechanism so that it can be given concrete shape; sees a need for ex ante monitoring mechanisms prior to a framework agreement being concluded and on which such conclusion is made conditional as a fundamental part of the agreement, and for ex post monitoring mechanisms which enable tangible action to be taken in response to infringements of these clauses, including the possible suspension of the agreement;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Supports the practice of including legally binding human rights clauses, including on child labour, abuse and recruitment in armed groups in the EU's international agreements, and considers that these clauses should also be included in all sectoral trade agreements;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Welcomes the continuation of the GSP+ scheme whereby countries can enjoy additional preferential tariffs as incentives for ratification and implementation of 27 core human rights, labour and environment conventions; sStresses that GSP+ preferences must only be granted to countries that have ratified and effectively implemented the 27 core human rights, labour and environment conventions; recalls also the possibility of temporal withdrawal of GSP+ preferences for countries in violation of human rights; calls therefore on the European Commission, when conducting the monitoring exercise, to open genuine channels of communication and carry out broad consultations with a wide range of partners, including the European Parliament and local civil society and social actors; calls on the European Commission to make the assessments for GSP+ eligibility publicly available, in order to increase transparency and accountability;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Emphasises that political transition and democratisation need to be bonded with respect for human rights, the promotion of justicegender equality and justice, including justice for children, accountability, reconciliation, the rule of law and the establishment of democratic institutions; stresses the importance of redressing human rights abuses committed by former regimes; insists that the EU always advocate a context-sensitive approach to transitional justice;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Emphasises that the EU should give its full support to countries that have dislodged authoritarian regimes and are undergoing a transition to democracy; Considers that, in view of its responsibilities and those of some of its Member States in the economic, social and political situation that led to the popular uprisings in the ‘Arab Spring’ countries, the European Union has a duty to help the institutions in those countries to carry out audits of their debts, and particularly their European debts, in order to ascertain what proportion of those debts illegitimately did not benefit the people of those countries, and that it also has a duty to do its utmost to ensure that those debts are swiftly written off; urges the EU and its Member States once more to make further significant efforts aimed at facilitating the return of misappropriated assets stolen by the former regimes to the people of Arab Spring countries within a reasonable timeframe; is concerned that the partnership guidelines seem to follow the same lines as previous discussions; recalls that the police, the military and the judiciary are often used as mechanisms to perform systematic violations of human rights; stresses therefore that institutional reform of these bodies needs to provide for greater accountability and transparency in transition processes; is concerned by the rising number of attacks on freedom of expression in a certain number of these countries and in Tunisia and Egypt in particular;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Stresses the momentous importance of the enlargement process as a means of supporting democratisation andCondemns the fact that the enlargement process serves more nowadays to introduce economic and social policies that are disastrous for candidate countries, than for the democratic development of these societies; believes that, to achieve a true Europe of the people, the Copenhagen criteria need to be radically reformed to enhancinge human rights protection;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Notes with concern that respecting the rights of minorities is one of the key challenges identified in the Commission’s Enlargement Strategy for 2012-2013; encourages the Member States to launch a general public debate on the acceptance of minorities through education, civil society engagement, and awareness-raising in general; regrets that the Roma community is particularly disadvantaged throughout the Western Balkans; condemns thediscrimination based on genderally negative soc, sexual oriental attitudes towards vulnerable groups such as the LGBT communitytion or in regard to vulnerable groups and people with disabilities, which; stresses that this is a recurring issue in many enlargement countries as well as in the majority of the Member States;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. WelcomNotes the new EU approach aimed at strengthening the partnership between the EU and the countries and societies of its Neighbourhood, based on mutual accountability and shared commitment to the universal values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law; supports the ‘more for more’ approach which should provide greater support to partners engaged in building deep and sustainable democracy and protecting human rightsdeplores the policies of the European Union and the Member States aimed at ensuring the policing of the EU’s immigration and asylum policy by third countries participating in its Neighbourhood Policy, which is very often done with contempt for the most basic rights of persons trying by all means to reach Europe; deplores the fact that aid to these countries is often conditional upon the signature of agreements on readmission of their nationals or of people transiting through these countries prior to arriving on EU soil; is concerned that this leads to violations of the right to asylum and infringes international law and in particular obligations regarding rescue at sea; calls on the EEAS and the Commission to ensure the efficient and transparent implementation of this approach, giving due consideration to Parliament’s reports;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36a. Condemns severely the inability of the European Union and its Member States and their partner countries to uphold the right of asylum and ensure rescue at sea; considers these immigration policies to be indicative of prejudice towards the inhabitants of the countries of the South; is concerned about restrictive visa policies vis-à-vis nationals of countries of the South, which affect students and artists in particular;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Notes with concern instances of selective justice in certain Eastern Neighbourhood countries; recalls that the EU has continually asked for the release of political prisoners, such as Yuliya Tymoshenko in Ukraine; reiterates that political and criminal responsibility should be clearly separated in countries that are committed to democratic values;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Notes the particular complexity of developing consistent policies for transitions in post-conflict contexts; emphasises, therefore, the need to enhance compliance with, and monitoring of, international human rights and humanitarian law norms in armed conflict situations, with a special focus on women's rights and the best interest of the child;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53
Paragraph 53
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 55
Paragraph 55
55. Welcomes the EU’s continued support for electoral processes around the globe by deploying Election Observation Missions (EOMs) and Electoral Expert Missions (EEMs) and providing electoral assistance and support for domestic observers; stresses the importance of providing electoral assistance and observation together with the United Nations; considers that this assistance should never become a form of EU interference in the political affairs of third countries; notes that these missions have recently contributed to support for democratic development in the EU’s neighbourhood, and have witnessed the transfer of power to the opposition (Senegal) and the consolidation of democracy emerging from conflict (Sierra Leone);
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59 a (new)
Paragraph 59 a (new)
59a. States once more that climate change undermines the most basic human rights, causes displacement of people and thereby creates a new forced migration which has to be suitably addressed by the European Union; calls on the international community to identify and address the legal shortfalls that exist in respect of the protection of climate refugees, and to initiate a specific assistance and protection system;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69
Paragraph 69
69. Reiterates its univocal opposition to capital punishment, and considers the implementation of a universal moratorium with a view to global abolition of the death penalty as a central objective of the EU’s policy on human rights; emphasises that the death penalty has never been proved to be an effective deterrent to crime and that, according to data available, it is the disadvantaged who are punished most by the death penalty; applauds the efforts of the European Union and its Member States in the United Nations that led to the adoption of the General Assembly resolution regarding the moratorium on the use of death penalty in December 2012; is however concerned by the resumption of executions in a number of countries, including Japan;
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70
Paragraph 70
Amendment 307 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 20
Subheading 20
Eradication of all forms of discrimination
Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75
Paragraph 75
75. Expresses its full support for the UN’s work on ensuring the rights and empowerment of women; supports the implementation of the Plan of Action on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Development; calls on the EU delegations to introduce specific measures on the role of external assistance and development co-operation in their local strategies for the implementation of the EU guidelines on violence against women and girls and combating all forms of discrimination against them; considers that violence towards women is also expressed psychologically by the presence of a relationship of domination in society and by the dissemination of degrading images of women; highlights that the role of the Commission and the Member States in this area, both within and outside the EU, cannot be limited to combating violence towards women in all forms, whether physical, psychological, social or financial, and that priority must be given to non-gender based education for girls and boys and from the youngest possible age, in the battle against gender stereotypes;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75 a (new)
Paragraph 75 a (new)
75a. Expresses alarm concerning the situation of women who flee forced marriages, the excision of their daughters, threatened honour killings, human trafficking or other forms of violence, and not having managed to obtain the right to asylum on EU territory are living with the threat of expulsion; calls on the Union and its Member States to grant a residence permit to all women who are victims of violence;
Amendment 341 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 77
Paragraph 77
77. Calls for a targeted campaign on the rights of the child with a specific focus on violence against children and on ending child marriage; looks forward to efficient implementation of the integrated EU Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings 2012-2016, which identified child labour as a root cause of trafficking in human beings;