The European Parliament adopted by 499 votes to 43 with 89 abstentions a resolution on Iran.

The resolution had been tabled by the EPP-ED, ALDE, UEN, and PES groups.

On the nuclear issue , Parliament warmly welcomes the EU-3's (France, UK and Germany) attempt to find a negotiated solution to the nuclear dispute with Iran, and urges the IAEA to exploit its control and inspection capacities to the full. It gives its full support to the resolution adopted on 24 September 2005 by the IAEA Board of Governors, criticising Iran for non-compliance with the IAEA's Statute and underlining the resulting absence of confidence that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes. Parliament urges Iran to re-establish full suspension of all aspects of its uranium enrichment activities including through tests or production at the uranium conversion facility in Isfahan and to permit the IAEA Director General to reinstate the seals that have been removed at that facility. It also calls on Iran to: (i) fully cooperate with the IAEA inspectors; (ii) reconsider the construction of a research reactor moderated by heavy water; (iii) promptly ratify and implement in full the additional Protocol to the NPT, as these measures would help build further confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme.

It calls on the US Government to support the negotiations between the EU-3 and Iran by delivering security guarantees to Iran.

On EU action , Members welcome the statement made by UK Foreign Secretary and President-in-Office of the Council Jack Straw on 28 September 2005 in Brighton that, despite US President George Bush's remark that 'all options are open', neither the US nor Europe is considering military action against Iran over its controversial nuclear programme because it would not resolve the issue. Members strongly supports the Council conclusions on Iran of 3 October 2005 and especially the EU's continuing support for a diplomatic solution to international concerns over Iran's nuclear programme in the interests of a de-escalation of the situation. They call on the Council to launch an initiative on a security dimension for the whole Middle East region in order to prevent proliferation and any sources of conflict. They also underline that the conclusion of a cooperation and trade agreement between Iran and the EU depends on the substantial improvement of Iran's human rights situation as well as on Iran's full cooperation with the IAEA and objective guarantees regarding the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme.

At international level , the resolution also stresses the importance of cooperation with the US, Russia, China and non-aligned countries in order to consider complementary concepts with a view to achieving a comprehensive agreement with Iran on its nuclear facilities and their use which takes into account Iran's security concerns. No military options should be taken into consideration in order to reach a solution to the present crisis. Such a comprehensive agreement should help to achieve a sustainable regional security system comprising India, Pakistan and other nuclear powers. Parliament considers that Iran has the right to develop a nuclear programme in conformity with Article IV of the NPT and supports the proposals of the EU for cooperation with Iran in the nuclear field for peaceful use. It deplores the existing double standards applied to nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states , which can only be countered by credible nuclear disarmament steps, and calls on the EU to take the lead in bringing the nuclear disarmament negotiations out of the current state of deadlock.

Moving on to human rights , Parliament strongly condemns the death sentences passed against and execution of juvenile offenders and minors, which in numerous cases represent a punishment for sexual acts and sexual orientation not considered crimes on the basis of international legal standards, and calls upon the Iranian authorities to respect internationally recognised legal safeguards, inter alia with regard to minors. All executions of juvenile offenders should be halted and the Iranian authorities should prevent any further application of the death penalty, especially to minors.

Parliament expressed condemnation for several breaches of human rights by Iran, detailing the treatment of minorities such as the Kurds, who amount to 9 per cent of the total population and the arrests and imprisonment of cyberjournalists and webloggers and the parallel censorship of several online publications, and the punishment of women on grounds of 'improper veiling'. It calls on Iran to fulfil its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Presidency of the Council and the Member States’ diplomatic representatives in Iran are urged urgently to undertake concerted action with regard to the abovementioned concerns, in particular striving for the immediate release of the journalists, cyberjournalists and webloggers prosecuted or sentenced for press- and opinion-related offences. Parliament calls on the Commission to make effective use of the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights in order to intensify contacts and cooperation with Iranian civil society and independent media and furthermore to support, together with the European Parliament, democracy and respect for human rights in Iran. The Council is asked to examine the way in which Parliament may become involved in the regular updating of Council Common Position No 2001/931/CFSP of 27 December 2001 on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism, taking into account developments from 2001 onwards.

Lastly, Parliament calls on Iran to recommence the EU-Iran human rights dialogue and, further, calls upon the Council and the Commission to monitor developments in Iran and also to raise concrete cases of human rights abuses within the framework of the dialogue.

The European Parliament adopted by 499 votes to 43 with 89 abstentions a resolution on Iran.

The resolution had been tabled by the EPP-ED, ALDE, UEN, and PES groups.

On the nuclear issue , Parliament warmly welcomes the EU-3's (France, UK and Germany) attempt to find a negotiated solution to the nuclear dispute with Iran, and urges the IAEA to exploit its control and inspection capacities to the full. It gives its full support to the resolution adopted on 24 September 2005 by the IAEA Board of Governors, criticising Iran for non-compliance with the IAEA's Statute and underlining the resulting absence of confidence that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes. Parliament urges Iran to re-establish full suspension of all aspects of its uranium enrichment activities including through tests or production at the uranium conversion facility in Isfahan and to permit the IAEA Director General to reinstate the seals that have been removed at that facility. It also calls on Iran to: (i) fully cooperate with the IAEA inspectors; (ii) reconsider the construction of a research reactor moderated by heavy water; (iii) promptly ratify and implement in full the additional Protocol to the NPT, as these measures would help build further confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme.

It calls on the US Government to support the negotiations between the EU-3 and Iran by delivering security guarantees to Iran.

On EU action , Members welcome the statement made by UK Foreign Secretary and President-in-Office of the Council Jack Straw on 28 September 2005 in Brighton that, despite US President George Bush's remark that 'all options are open', neither the US nor Europe is considering military action against Iran over its controversial nuclear programme because it would not resolve the issue. Members strongly supports the Council conclusions on Iran of 3 October 2005 and especially the EU's continuing support for a diplomatic solution to international concerns over Iran's nuclear programme in the interests of a de-escalation of the situation. They call on the Council to launch an initiative on a security dimension for the whole Middle East region in order to prevent proliferation and any sources of conflict. They also underline that the conclusion of a cooperation and trade agreement between Iran and the EU depends on the substantial improvement of Iran's human rights situation as well as on Iran's full cooperation with the IAEA and objective guarantees regarding the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme.

At international level , the resolution also stresses the importance of cooperation with the US, Russia, China and non-aligned countries in order to consider complementary concepts with a view to achieving a comprehensive agreement with Iran on its nuclear facilities and their use which takes into account Iran's security concerns. No military options should be taken into consideration in order to reach a solution to the present crisis. Such a comprehensive agreement should help to achieve a sustainable regional security system comprising India, Pakistan and other nuclear powers. Parliament considers that Iran has the right to develop a nuclear programme in conformity with Article IV of the NPT and supports the proposals of the EU for cooperation with Iran in the nuclear field for peaceful use. It deplores the existing double standards applied to nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states , which can only be countered by credible nuclear disarmament steps, and calls on the EU to take the lead in bringing the nuclear disarmament negotiations out of the current state of deadlock.

Moving on to human rights , Parliament strongly condemns the death sentences passed against and execution of juvenile offenders and minors, which in numerous cases represent a punishment for sexual acts and sexual orientation not considered crimes on the basis of international legal standards, and calls upon the Iranian authorities to respect internationally recognised legal safeguards, inter alia with regard to minors. All executions of juvenile offenders should be halted and the Iranian authorities should prevent any further application of the death penalty, especially to minors.

Parliament expressed condemnation for several breaches of human rights by Iran, detailing the treatment of minorities such as the Kurds, who amount to 9 per cent of the total population and the arrests and imprisonment of cyberjournalists and webloggers and the parallel censorship of several online publications, and the punishment of women on grounds of 'improper veiling'. It calls on Iran to fulfil its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Presidency of the Council and the Member States’ diplomatic representatives in Iran are urged urgently to undertake concerted action with regard to the abovementioned concerns, in particular striving for the immediate release of the journalists, cyberjournalists and webloggers prosecuted or sentenced for press- and opinion-related offences. Parliament calls on the Commission to make effective use of the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights in order to intensify contacts and cooperation with Iranian civil society and independent media and furthermore to support, together with the European Parliament, democracy and respect for human rights in Iran. The Council is asked to examine the way in which Parliament may become involved in the regular updating of Council Common Position No 2001/931/CFSP of 27 December 2001 on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism, taking into account developments from 2001 onwards.

Lastly, Parliament calls on Iran to recommence the EU-Iran human rights dialogue and, further, calls upon the Council and the Commission to monitor developments in Iran and also to raise concrete cases of human rights abuses within the framework of the dialogue.