The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the situation in Egypt. The resolution was tabled by the ECR, Greens/EFA, EPP, ALDE, and S&D groups. Recalling the military takeover which deposed President Morsi and his government on 3 July 2013, Parliament condemns the disproportionate use of force by Egyptian security forces and the tragic loss of life during the dismantlement of the Rabaa and Nahda encampments. At the same time, it deplores the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood leadership failed to clearly instruct its political base to refrain from any form of violence against fellow citizens, the army and the police, and did not do anything to stop those attacks.

Parliament calls on the Egyptian authorities to end the state of emergency as soon as possible in order to create the necessary conditions for an inclusive political process , and to release all political prisoners, including the ousted former President Morsi, and to treat detainees with full respect for their international obligations. Power should be transferred to democratically elected civilian authorities as soon as possible. Constitutional reform must include consultation of all components of the Egyptian political spectrum, including the moderate components of the Muslim Brotherhood, and an adequate representation of women , and it should be followed by a referendum on a new, pluralistic constitution and by free and fair presidential and parliamentary elections.

Members remind the interim President, the interim government and the Egyptian army of their obligation to ensure the security of all citizens in the country regardless of their political views and affiliation and they express concern that the authorities failed to take adequate security measures to protect the Coptic community in spite of many warnings. They support the decision of the Foreign Affairs Council of 21 August 2013 that, in the light of the negative impact of the economic situation on the most vulnerable groups of Egyptian society, EU assistance in the socio-economic sector and to civil society will continue , but they call for guarantees from the interim government that civil society organisations and media can operate freely.

Parliament applauds the mediation efforts of the HR/VP, and urges the Union to take into consideration the principle of conditionality (‘more for more’) and calls for clear and jointly agreed benchmarks on the serious economic challenges. It welcomes the recent decision of the Foreign Affairs Council to suspend export licences to Egypt for any equipment which might be used for internal repression, to reassess export licences for other military equipment, and to review security assistance to Egypt. It also calls for greater transparency and accountability concerning the way EU funding is spent in Egypt , with special regard to projects fostering civil society and protecting minorities and women's rights.

Lastly, the resolution wants to see the establishment of a EU mechanism to provide legal and technical assistance to Arab Spring countries in the process of asset recovery . It believes that asset recovery is a highly political issue by reason of its symbolic value and can make a major contribution to restoring accountability, creating stability and building solid institutions in the spirit of democracy and the rule of law in the partner countries concerned.