BETA


2006/2525(RSP) Resolution on the right to freedom of expression and respect for religious beliefs

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 123-p2

Events

2006/03/09
   Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2006/02/27
   CSL - Resolution/conclusions adopted by Council
2006/02/27
   CSL - Council Meeting
2006/02/16
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2006/02/16
   EP - Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
Details

The European Parliament adopted a resolution in the wake of the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in some European newspapers. Parliament d efended freedom of expression as a fundamental value of the EU. However, freedom of expression must be exercised within the limits of the law and should coexist with personal responsibility and with respect for human rights, religious feelings and beliefs, whether they be connected with the Islamic, Christian, Jewish or any other religion. It acknowledged that balancing these concerns necessitated ongoing debate in a democracy. All those who enjoy freedom of expression must commit themselves to supporting the fundamental values of the EU - democracy, pluralism and tolerance - and not abuse that freedom by incitement to religious hatred or the dissemination of xenophobic or racist attitudes aimed at excluding any persons, whatever their origin or religious beliefs

Parliament considered that freedom of expression and the independence of the press were universal rights which cannot be undermined by any individual or group that feels offended by what is being said or written. It expressed, at the same time, its respect for those who have felt offended by the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, but pointed out that redress for any possible offence may be sought through the courts in accordance with existing national and European legislation.

Parliament condemned in the strongest possible terms the burning down of embassies of Member States, as well as the threats against individuals. It deplored the failure of some governments to prevent violence and the toleration by other governments of violent attacks. Countries where these incidents took place must show in practice that such incidents will not be accepted in the future. It pointed out that many of the countries where the violence and demonstrations over the cartoons took place are countries where freedom of expression, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly were regularly violated. However, Parliament welcomed the support of leaders of European Muslim communities and in the Arab world who have expressed their firm condemnation of the violent attacks on embassies and expressed its solidarity with journalists in Jordan, Egypt and Algeria who have courageously reprinted and pointedly commented on the cartoons.

Parliament expressed its full support for and solidarity with Denmark and the countries and people that have been affected under these unprecedented and difficult circumstances. It welcomed the initiative of Turkey to join diplomatic forces and act as a mediator in this conflict. It strongly regretted that there seemed to be organised extremist groups both in Europe and in the Muslim world which see an advantage in escalating the present tensions and using the cartoons as a pretext for incitement to violence and discrimination.

It also regretted the increased anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli propaganda in some Arab countries and in Iran. In these countries degrading and humiliating cartoons of Jews are regularly printed, thus showing that those countries obviously do not apply the same standards to all religious communities.

Parliament called for a return to a climate of peaceful dialogue, and on local political and religious leaders to take active steps to end the violence. The Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly is the appropriate forum for working together with the EU's partners on the southern bank of the Mediterranean for a democratic, pluralist and tolerant society based on the values of human rights.

Documents
2006/02/16
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2006/02/15
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2006/02/15
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2006/02/15
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2006/02/15
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2006/02/15
   Joint motion for resolution
Documents
2006/02/15
   EP - Debate in Parliament

Documents

Activities

Votes

RC B6-0136/2006 - Liberté d'expression - par. 5 #

2006/02/16 Outcome: +: 483, 0: 29, -: 22
DE FR IT GB ES NL CZ BE PL EL HU PT SE AT FI IE SK LV LT DK SI CY LU EE MT
Total
73
56
47
45
28
22
22
21
52
20
16
16
14
13
11
10
12
9
9
10
6
6
6
5
5
icon: PPE-DE PPE-DE
205

Lithuania PPE-DE

1

Denmark PPE-DE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE-DE

3

Estonia PPE-DE

For (1)

1

Malta PPE-DE

2
icon: PSE PSE
140

Czechia PSE

For (1)

1

Ireland PSE

1

Lithuania PSE

2

Slovenia PSE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PSE

For (1)

1
icon: ALDE ALDE
65

Hungary ALDE

1

Sweden ALDE

2

Austria ALDE

1

Ireland ALDE

For (1)

1

Latvia ALDE

1

Denmark ALDE

For (1)

Against (1)

2

Slovenia ALDE

1

Cyprus ALDE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg ALDE

For (1)

1

Estonia ALDE

For (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
35

Italy Verts/ALE

2

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

5

Spain Verts/ALE

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

2

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Sweden Verts/ALE

Abstain (1)

1

Austria Verts/ALE

2

Finland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
30

France GUE/NGL

3

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

1

Spain GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Netherlands GUE/NGL

2

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2
icon: NI NI
22
3

Czechia NI

1

Belgium NI

2

Austria NI

1

Slovakia NI

2
icon: UEN UEN
21

Ireland UEN

2

Lithuania UEN

Against (1)

1

Denmark UEN

Against (1)

1
icon: IND/DEM IND/DEM
16

Italy IND/DEM

2

Netherlands IND/DEM

2

Sweden IND/DEM

3

Ireland IND/DEM

For (1)

1

Denmark IND/DEM

1

RC B6-0136/2006 - Liberté d'expression - cons. G #

2006/02/16 Outcome: +: 515, -: 11, 0: 9
DE FR IT GB PL ES NL BE CZ EL PT HU SE AT FI SK DK IE LV LT SI CY LU EE MT
Total
74
66
44
50
50
27
22
21
21
18
17
15
13
12
11
12
10
10
7
7
6
6
6
5
5
icon: PPE-DE PPE-DE
193

Finland PPE-DE

2

Denmark PPE-DE

For (1)

1

Latvia PPE-DE

2

Luxembourg PPE-DE

3

Estonia PPE-DE

For (1)

1

Malta PPE-DE

2
icon: PSE PSE
147

Czechia PSE

For (1)

1
3

Ireland PSE

1

Lithuania PSE

For (1)

1

Slovenia PSE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PSE

For (1)

1
icon: ALDE ALDE
69

Hungary ALDE

1

Sweden ALDE

2

Austria ALDE

1

Ireland ALDE

For (1)

1

Latvia ALDE

1

Slovenia ALDE

1

Cyprus ALDE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg ALDE

For (1)

1

Estonia ALDE

For (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
33

Italy Verts/ALE

2

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

4

Spain Verts/ALE

2

Netherlands Verts/ALE

2

Belgium Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Sweden Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Austria Verts/ALE

1

Finland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
31

France GUE/NGL

3

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

1

Spain GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Netherlands GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Greece GUE/NGL

1

Portugal GUE/NGL

2

Sweden GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Finland GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2
icon: NI NI
20

Belgium NI

2

Austria NI

1

Slovakia NI

Abstain (1)

2
icon: UEN UEN
18

Denmark UEN

For (1)

1

Ireland UEN

2

Lithuania UEN

1
icon: IND/DEM IND/DEM
24

Italy IND/DEM

For (1)

1

Netherlands IND/DEM

2

Czechia IND/DEM

1

Sweden IND/DEM

Abstain (1)

3

Denmark IND/DEM

1

Ireland IND/DEM

For (1)

1

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

docs/0/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-136&language=EN
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0136_EN.html
docs/1/docs/0/url
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http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-138&language=EN
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http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0138_EN.html
docs/2/docs/0/url
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http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-139&language=EN
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http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0139_EN.html
docs/3/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-141&language=EN
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-6-2006-0141_EN.html
docs/4/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=P6-RC-2006-136&language=EN
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/RC-6-2006-0136_EN.html
docs/5/body
EC
events/2/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2006-64
New
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-6-2006-0064_EN.html
activities
  • date: 2006-02-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20060215&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
  • date: 2006-02-16T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=12620&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2006-64 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0064/2006 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
  • date: 2006-02-27T00:00:00 body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: General Affairs meeting_id: 2712
committees
    council
    • body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: General Affairs meeting_id: 2712 url: http://register.consilium.europa.eu/content/out?lang=EN&typ=SET&i=SMPL&ROWSPP=25&RESULTSET=1&NRROWS=500&DOC_LANCD=EN&ORDERBY=DOC_DATE+DESC&CONTENTS=2712*&MEET_DATE=27/02/2006 date: 2006-02-27T00:00:00
    docs
    • date: 2006-02-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-136&language=EN title: B6-0136/2006 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2006-02-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-138&language=EN title: B6-0138/2006 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2006-02-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-139&language=EN title: B6-0139/2006 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2006-02-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2006-141&language=EN title: B6-0141/2006 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2006-02-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=P6-RC-2006-136&language=EN title: RC-B6-0136/2006 type: Joint motion for resolution
    • date: 2006-03-09T00:00:00 docs: url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=12620&j=0&l=en title: SP(2006)1012 type: Commission response to text adopted in plenary
    events
    • date: 2006-02-15T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20060215&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament
    • date: 2006-02-16T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=12620&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
    • date: 2006-02-16T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2006-64 title: T6-0064/2006 summary: The European Parliament adopted a resolution in the wake of the publication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in some European newspapers. Parliament d efended freedom of expression as a fundamental value of the EU. However, freedom of expression must be exercised within the limits of the law and should coexist with personal responsibility and with respect for human rights, religious feelings and beliefs, whether they be connected with the Islamic, Christian, Jewish or any other religion. It acknowledged that balancing these concerns necessitated ongoing debate in a democracy. All those who enjoy freedom of expression must commit themselves to supporting the fundamental values of the EU - democracy, pluralism and tolerance - and not abuse that freedom by incitement to religious hatred or the dissemination of xenophobic or racist attitudes aimed at excluding any persons, whatever their origin or religious beliefs Parliament considered that freedom of expression and the independence of the press were universal rights which cannot be undermined by any individual or group that feels offended by what is being said or written. It expressed, at the same time, its respect for those who have felt offended by the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, but pointed out that redress for any possible offence may be sought through the courts in accordance with existing national and European legislation. Parliament condemned in the strongest possible terms the burning down of embassies of Member States, as well as the threats against individuals. It deplored the failure of some governments to prevent violence and the toleration by other governments of violent attacks. Countries where these incidents took place must show in practice that such incidents will not be accepted in the future. It pointed out that many of the countries where the violence and demonstrations over the cartoons took place are countries where freedom of expression, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly were regularly violated. However, Parliament welcomed the support of leaders of European Muslim communities and in the Arab world who have expressed their firm condemnation of the violent attacks on embassies and expressed its solidarity with journalists in Jordan, Egypt and Algeria who have courageously reprinted and pointedly commented on the cartoons. Parliament expressed its full support for and solidarity with Denmark and the countries and people that have been affected under these unprecedented and difficult circumstances. It welcomed the initiative of Turkey to join diplomatic forces and act as a mediator in this conflict. It strongly regretted that there seemed to be organised extremist groups both in Europe and in the Muslim world which see an advantage in escalating the present tensions and using the cartoons as a pretext for incitement to violence and discrimination. It also regretted the increased anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli propaganda in some Arab countries and in Iran. In these countries degrading and humiliating cartoons of Jews are regularly printed, thus showing that those countries obviously do not apply the same standards to all religious communities. Parliament called for a return to a climate of peaceful dialogue, and on local political and religious leaders to take active steps to end the violence. The Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly is the appropriate forum for working together with the EU's partners on the southern bank of the Mediterranean for a democratic, pluralist and tolerant society based on the values of human rights.
    • date: 2006-02-16T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
    • date: 2006-02-27T00:00:00 type: Resolution/conclusions adopted by Council body: CSL
    links
    other
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure EP 123-p2
      procedure/legal_basis/0
      Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 123-p2
      procedure/subject
      Old
      • 1.10 Fundamental rights in the EU, Charter
      • 6.10.08 Fundamental freedoms, human rights, democracy in general
      New
      1.10
      Fundamental rights in the EU, Charter
      6.10.08
      Fundamental freedoms, human rights, democracy in general
      procedure/subtype
      Old
      Resolution on statements
      New
      Resolution on statement
      procedure/subject/0
      Old
      1.10 Fundamental rights in the Union, Charter
      New
      1.10 Fundamental rights in the EU, Charter
      activities
      • date: 2006-02-15T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20060215&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament body: EP type: Debate in Parliament
      • date: 2006-02-16T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=12620&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2006-64 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0064/2006 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
      • date: 2006-02-27T00:00:00 body: CSL type: Council Meeting council: General Affairs meeting_id: 2712
      committees
        links
        other
          procedure
          reference
          2006/2525(RSP)
          title
          Resolution on the right to freedom of expression and respect for religious beliefs
          legal_basis
          Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 123-p2
          stage_reached
          Procedure completed
          subtype
          Resolution on statements
          type
          RSP - Resolutions on topical subjects
          subject