Activities of Paul MURPHY related to 2012/2153(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
Negotiations for an EU-Kazakhstan enhanced partnership and cooperation agreement (debate)
Negotiations for an EU-Kazakhstan enhanced partnership and cooperation agreement (debate)
Amendments (27)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
- having regard to the Annual Report on Human Rights in the world and the European Union's policy on the matter, including implications for the EU’s strategic human rights policy and in particular paragraph 26 thereof;1 __________________ 1 text adopted P7_TA(2012)0126
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. WelcomesTakes note of the ongoing negotiations for an enhanced PCA and calls for this update to be ambitious, comprehensive and mutually beneficial; insists that these negotiations must be accompanied by political and economic reform in Kazakhstan; reiterates its position that progress in the negotiation of the new enhanced PCA between the EU and Kazakhstan must depend on the progress of political reform;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 b (new)
Citation 11 b (new)
- having regard to the Human Rights Watch report, 'Striking Oil, Striking Workers: Violations of Labour Rights in Kazakhstan's Oil Sector' published in September 2012;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a (new). Recalls and insists on its recommendation that, whenever a gross breach of human rights is committed by a partner country with which an international agreement, such as a partnership and cooperation agreement, has been concluded, the EU take bolder steps in carrying out the appropriate sanctions as stipulated in the human rights clauses of the agreement, including possible temporary suspension of the agreement;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Draws attention to the critical situation as regardsontinuous violation of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms, especially workers’ rights, which also gives rise to unfair competitive advantages; stresses, therefore that a binding trade and s in the wake of the killing of oil workers in December 2011, and is deeply concerned about the unfair trial against Vladimir Kozlov and others, charged to have incited the December protest; is ready to reject any enhanced PCA which fails to include a Sustainable dDevelopment chapter must be included in the new agreementproviding for binding social and environmental standards and subject to the PCA dispute settlement mechanism;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the people in the EU and Kazakhstan should benefit mutually from closer cooperation; whereas the conclusion of the new PCA negotiation should provide a comprehensive, human and democratic rights based framework for cooperation;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Encourages Kazakhstan to take the necessary steps toIs not convinced that a swiftly concludsion of the negotiations on its accession to the WTO; calls on Kazakhstan to ensure that the Russia-Kazakhstan-Belarus Customs Union does not constitute a barrier to trade with the EU or to fulfilling its obligations arising from WTO membership and the subsequent obligations arising from WTO membership is going to be in the interest of working people and small farmers in Kazakhstan; firmly rejects any further privatisation programmes in industry, services and agriculture sector;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Kazakhstan has been admitted to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe; whereas, however, the past year has been marked by the substantial deterioration of the situation of fundamental rights, including workers’ and democratic rights and freedoms;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a (new). Notes with great concern the amendments to the Labour Code, in particular amended articles 55, 74, 266, 287, 289, 303 and 305, signed on 17 February 2012 by the President of Kazakhstan; is of the opinion that they mark a severe regression in the field of labour relations, workers’ rights and social dialogue and demonstrate that while the Kazakhstan government presents its new laws as bringing them into line with modern international best practice they are consciously and intentionally breaching many of the required conditions of the ILO and other international conventions; therfore calls for a strongly worded Sustainable Development Chapter providing for binding social and environmental standards as a precondition for concluding the negotiations on the new enhanced PCA;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b (new). In light of recent allegations of corruption against European based corporations operating in Kazakhstan, calls for stronger and binding provisions in relation to Corporate Social Responsibility and the exclusion of EU based corporations involved in corruption from any EU and partner countries´public tenders;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on Kazakhstan not to restrict trade and investment in the raw material sectors in an unfair and unjustified mannerfor an international agreement on regulatory standards on sustainable extraction of raw materials and an efficient use of resources and investment in recycling facilities and technology, aimed at the prevention of commodity speculation, environmental destruction, the protection of ecologically sensitive areas which binds all parties to respect common environmental, social, labour and human rights standards; calls on Kazakhstan to comply with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the politically motivated barriers to registering opposition parties, independent trade unions and civil society organisation remain a fundamental issue of concern;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. Whereas on 4 June 2012, 13 out of 37 oil workers received prison sentences of between 3 and 7 years for their alleged responsibility for the events in Zhanaozen, while video evidence shows that participants in the demonstration of 16 December 2011 did not use any violence against police forces, while on the other hand, policemen accused of shooting at demonstrators, killing at least 17 people, received prison sentences of between 5 and 7 years, whereas these verdicts have to be seen as grossly disproportionate;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a (new). Supports the demand of the oil workers´ strike for nationalisation of the industry under democratic and workers´control in order for Kazakhstan´s rich natural resources to be managed in an environmentally sustainable way and to be used to increase the living standards of the majority of its population;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. Whereas on 16 August the trial against the leader of the opposition party ALGA, Vladimir Kozlov, the social activist of ' Khalyk Maidany', Serik Sapargali and former oil worker and strike leader, Akzhanat Aminov, started; whereas numerous violations of law during the pre-trial custody and the judicial process of Vladimir Kozlov in particular have been noted, e.g.: remanding the defendant in poor humanitarian conditions; an insufficient period of time given to the defendant to familiarise himself with the case file; conducting the process in the Kazakh language which the defendant does not speak, while the interpretation into Russian is being distorted; discrepancies between the Russian and Kazakh versions of the official testimony of witnesses;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a (new)
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point a (new)
(a) Recall and insist on the Parliament's recommendation that, whenever a gross breach of human rights is committed by a partner country with which an international agreement, such as a partnership and cooperation agreement, has been concluded, the EU take bolder steps in carrying out the appropriate sanctions as stipulated in the human rights clauses of the agreement, including possible temporary suspension of the agreement1; __________________ 1 text adopted P7_TA(2012)0126
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(aa) call for the negotiations to be transparent and to allow for full participation of trade unions and civil society organisations from both sides to take part in them;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) welcomnote Kazakhstan's political will to further deepen partnership with the EU; ensure that the EU's engagement is consistent with other Union policies and that the principle of ‘more for more’ is applied;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
(c) work with Kazakhstan to promote regional cooperation and the improvement of neighbourly relations in the Central Asia region; insist that this cooperation fosters exchange of experiences and takes on board recommendations from registered and unregistered trade unions and civil society organisations in the region;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
(f) reinforce the EU's action in the fields of education, the rule of law, the environment and water, inter alia through newly established support platforms and targeted assistance; bring local NGOs and CSOs into the EU's dialogue with the Kazakh government in those areas; demand that given the current difficulties in registering NGOs and CSOs, this dialogue is not limited to officially registered NGOs and CSOs;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
(h) underline that progress in the negotiation of the new PCA must be linked to the progress of political reform and a genuine commitment on the part of Kazakhstan to human rights and democracy; offer adequate assistance on the EU's part for implementing the reforms; reserve the right to suspend the negotiations unless there is significant and proven improvement in the human rights situation;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point i a (new)
(ia) support the Parliament's position and call for an independent and credible investigation into the events of December 2011, with an international component3; in this regard call on the Kazakhstan authorities to allow Members of the European Parliament and others invited by Kazakh civil society organisations and trade unions unhindered access to the country; __________________ 3 Text adopted P7_TA(2012)0089
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o
Paragraph 1 – point o
(o) urge Kazakhstan to release, without further delay, political prisoners and end politically motivated arrests carried out on the basis of the vague criminal charges of ‘inciting social discord’;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point p a (new)
(pa) note with great concern the amendments to the Labour Code, in particular amended articles 55, 74, 266, 287, 289, 303, and 305, signed on 17 February 2012 by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and defend the position that they mark a severe regression in the field of labour relations, workers' rights and social dialogue and a breach of required conditions of the ILO and other international conventions; call for a strongly worded Sustainable Development Chapter providing for binding social standards as a precondition for concluding the negotiations on the new enhanced PCA;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point x
Paragraph 1 – point x
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point x a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point x a (new)
(xa) in light of recent allegations of corruption against European based corporations operating in Kazakhstan, call for stronger and binding provisions in relation to Corporate Social Responsibility and the exclusion of EU based corporations involved in corruption from any EU and partner countries´ public tenders;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point x b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point x b (new)
(xb) consider it of utmost importance that European based corporations respect ILO standards on trade union rights as well as to respect environmental and health and safety standards when operating in Kazakhstan and particularly in the extractive sector of the economy;