BETA


2008/2543(RSP) Resolution on Armenia

Progress: Procedure completed

Legal Basis:
RoP 135

Events

2008/04/09
   EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2008/03/13
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2008/03/13
   EP - Debate in Parliament
Details

The House held a debate on Armenia pursuant to Rule 115 of the Rules of Procedure (debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law).

The debate was followed by a vote on a motion for a resolution.

2008/03/13
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

Following the debate held in plenary on the same date, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Armenia. The text adopted in plenary was tabled as a joint resolution by the EPP-ED, PES, ALDE, UEN, Greens/ALE and GUE/NGL groups.

Parliament recalls that the official results of the presidential elections in Armenia on 19 February 2008 showed a first-round victory for Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian but were contested by one of the opposition leaders, Levon Ter-Petrosian, as being fraudulent.

Opposition supporters began peaceful rallies on 20 February 2008 in Yerevan to protest against the election result and demand a rerun. On the evening of 1 March 2008, after eleven days of protest by opposition supporters, violence erupted when police moved into Freedom Square in central Yerevan to disperse the protesters camped out in tents, leaving eight people dead, including one police officer, and dozens injured. A state of emergency was declared on 1 March 2008, which imposed restrictions on the freedom of the media, freedom of assembly and political parties.

In its resolution, Parliament expresses its concern at recent developments in Armenia, with the violent police crackdown on opposition demonstrations, and calls on all parties to show openness and restraint and to engage in a constructive and fruitful dialogue aimed at consolidating the country's democratic institutions.

Members call for a prompt, thorough, transparent, independent and impartial investigation of the events of 1 March 2008, including an independent investigation of the police intervention, and for all those responsible to be brought to justice and punished for misconduct and criminal acts of violence. The Council and the Commission are asked to offer EU assistance to the Armenian authorities with such an investigation.

The Armenian authorities are called upon to lift the state of emergency, which was mitigated by a presidential decree on 10 March 2008, to restore media freedom and take all the measures necessary to ensure a return to normality. They are also asked to release citizens detained for having exercised their right of peaceful assembly.

Parliament stresses that Priority Area 1 of the ENP Action Plan deals with the strengthening of democratic structures and the rule of law. It urges the Commission in this context to focus its assistance to Armenia on the independence of the judiciary and the training of police and security forces, and calls on the Armenian authorities to implement swiftly all the remaining recommendations made by the International Election Observation Mission. Lastly, Parliament reiterates the clear EU commitment to building closer ties with Armenia and the South Caucasus countries. It emphasises, however, that closer cooperation with the EU must be based on real and tangible progress and reforms and a full commitment to democracy and the rule of law.

Documents
2008/03/13
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2008/03/11
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2008/03/11
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2008/03/11
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2008/03/11
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2008/03/11
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2008/03/11
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2008/03/11
   Joint motion for resolution
Documents

Documents

Activities

Votes

RC B6-0110/2008 - Arménie - résolution #

2008/03/13 Outcome: +: 60, 0: 2, -: 1
PL DE FR IT EL NL ES SK RO SE CZ BG PT LT CY GB BE HU AT
Total
12
8
7
4
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
3
1
1
1
icon: PPE-DE PPE-DE
28

Italy PPE-DE

2

Spain PPE-DE

1

Slovakia PPE-DE

2

Romania PPE-DE

1

Czechia PPE-DE

2

Bulgaria PPE-DE

1

Portugal PPE-DE

1

United Kingdom PPE-DE

For (1)

1
icon: PSE PSE
15

Germany PSE

1

France PSE

1

Netherlands PSE

For (1)

1

Spain PSE

1

Slovakia PSE

For (1)

1

Sweden PSE

For (1)

1

Bulgaria PSE

For (1)

1

Portugal PSE

For (1)

1

Lithuania PSE

2

Belgium PSE

For (1)

1

Hungary PSE

1

Austria PSE

For (1)

1
icon: ALDE ALDE
8

Poland ALDE

1

France ALDE

For (1)

1

Italy ALDE

2

Netherlands ALDE

1

Romania ALDE

1

Sweden ALDE

For (1)

1

Cyprus ALDE

For (1)

1
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
4

France Verts/ALE

2

Spain Verts/ALE

1

United Kingdom Verts/ALE

For (1)

1
icon: UEN UEN
3
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
2

Germany GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Netherlands GUE/NGL

For (1)

1
icon: IND/DEM IND/DEM
3

Poland IND/DEM

2

United Kingdom IND/DEM

Against (1)

1

History

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

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type
Decision by Parliament
body
EP
docs
url: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-6-2008-0104_EN.html title: T6-0104/2008
summary
events/2
date
2008-03-13T00:00:00
type
Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
body
EP
docs
url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-6-2008-0104_EN.html title: T6-0104/2008
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activities
  • date: 2008-03-13T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=14810&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20080313&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2008-104 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0104/2008 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
commission
  • body: EC dg: External Relations commissioner: FERRERO-WALDNER Benita
committees
    docs
    • date: 2008-03-11T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2008-110&language=EN title: B6-0110/2008 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2008-03-11T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2008-113&language=EN title: B6-0113/2008 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2008-03-11T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2008-114&language=EN title: B6-0114/2008 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2008-03-11T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2008-119&language=EN title: B6-0119/2008 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2008-03-11T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2008-120&language=EN title: B6-0120/2008 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2008-03-11T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B6-2008-121&language=EN title: B6-0121/2008 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
    • date: 2008-03-11T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=P6-RC-2008-110&language=EN title: RC-B6-0110/2008 type: Joint motion for resolution
    • date: 2008-04-09T00:00:00 docs: url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=14810&j=0&l=en title: SP(2008)2060 type: Commission response to text adopted in plenary
    events
    • date: 2008-03-13T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=14810&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
    • date: 2008-03-13T00:00:00 type: Debate in Parliament body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20080313&type=CRE title: Debate in Parliament summary: The House held a debate on Armenia pursuant to Rule 115 of the Rules of Procedure (debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law). The debate was followed by a vote on a motion for a resolution.
    • date: 2008-03-13T00:00:00 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-2008-104 title: T6-0104/2008 summary: Following the debate held in plenary on the same date, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Armenia. The text adopted in plenary was tabled as a joint resolution by the EPP-ED, PES, ALDE, UEN, Greens/ALE and GUE/NGL groups. Parliament recalls that the official results of the presidential elections in Armenia on 19 February 2008 showed a first-round victory for Prime Minister Serzh Sarkisian but were contested by one of the opposition leaders, Levon Ter-Petrosian, as being fraudulent. Opposition supporters began peaceful rallies on 20 February 2008 in Yerevan to protest against the election result and demand a rerun. On the evening of 1 March 2008, after eleven days of protest by opposition supporters, violence erupted when police moved into Freedom Square in central Yerevan to disperse the protesters camped out in tents, leaving eight people dead, including one police officer, and dozens injured. A state of emergency was declared on 1 March 2008, which imposed restrictions on the freedom of the media, freedom of assembly and political parties. In its resolution, Parliament expresses its concern at recent developments in Armenia, with the violent police crackdown on opposition demonstrations, and calls on all parties to show openness and restraint and to engage in a constructive and fruitful dialogue aimed at consolidating the country's democratic institutions. Members call for a prompt, thorough, transparent, independent and impartial investigation of the events of 1 March 2008, including an independent investigation of the police intervention, and for all those responsible to be brought to justice and punished for misconduct and criminal acts of violence. The Council and the Commission are asked to offer EU assistance to the Armenian authorities with such an investigation. The Armenian authorities are called upon to lift the state of emergency, which was mitigated by a presidential decree on 10 March 2008, to restore media freedom and take all the measures necessary to ensure a return to normality. They are also asked to release citizens detained for having exercised their right of peaceful assembly. Parliament stresses that Priority Area 1 of the ENP Action Plan deals with the strengthening of democratic structures and the rule of law. It urges the Commission in this context to focus its assistance to Armenia on the independence of the judiciary and the training of police and security forces, and calls on the Armenian authorities to implement swiftly all the remaining recommendations made by the International Election Observation Mission. Lastly, Parliament reiterates the clear EU commitment to building closer ties with Armenia and the South Caucasus countries. It emphasises, however, that closer cooperation with the EU must be based on real and tangible progress and reforms and a full commitment to democracy and the rule of law.
    • date: 2008-03-13T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
    links
    other
    • body: EC dg: External Relations commissioner: FERRERO-WALDNER Benita
    procedure/legal_basis/0
    Rules of Procedure EP 135
    procedure/legal_basis/0
    Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 135
    procedure/subject
    Old
    • 6.10.08 Fundamental freedoms, human rights, democracy in general
    New
    6.10.08
    Fundamental freedoms, human rights, democracy in general
    activities
    • date: 2008-03-13T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=14810&l=en type: Results of vote in Parliament title: Results of vote in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?secondRef=TOC&language=EN&reference=20080313&type=CRE type: Debate in Parliament title: Debate in Parliament url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P6-TA-2008-104 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T6-0104/2008 body: EP type: Results of vote in Parliament
    committees
      links
      other
      • body: EC dg: External Relations commissioner: FERRERO-WALDNER Benita
      procedure
      legal_basis
      Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 135
      reference
      2008/2543(RSP)
      title
      Resolution on Armenia
      geographical_area
      Armenia
      stage_reached
      Procedure completed
      subtype
      Urgent debate or resolution
      type
      RSP - Resolutions on topical subjects
      subject
      6.10.08 Fundamental freedoms, human rights, democracy in general