Progress: Procedure completed
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | AFET |
WEIDENHOLZER Josef ( S&D)
|
QUISTHOUDT-ROWOHL Godelieve ( PPE),
HENKEL Hans-Olaf ( ECR),
SCHAAKE Marietje ( ALDE),
LOCHBIHLER Barbara ( Verts/ALE),
CORRAO Ignazio ( EFDD)
|
| Committee Opinion | DEVE |
PREDA Cristian Dan ( PPE)
|
Louis MICHEL ( ALDE),
Eleni THEOCHAROUS ( ECR)
|
| Committee Opinion | FEMM |
BECERRA BASTERRECHEA Beatriz ( ALDE)
|
Mariya GABRIEL ( PPE),
Liliana RODRIGUES ( S&D),
Beatrix von STORCH ( EFDD)
|
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54
Legal Basis:
RoP 54Events
The European Parliament adopted by 463 votes to 115 with 113 abstentions a resolution on the Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2015 and the European Union’s policy on the matter.
Centrality of human rights in EU external policies : Parliament expressed its serious concern that the protection of human rights and democratic values are under threat worldwide . It called on all the EU institutions and Member States to act on their commitments to promote democracy and the rule of law, protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development by all peaceful means, and to place human rights at the centre of the EU's relations with all third countries
It was also deeply concerned that many human rights defenders are under attack nowadays, and called on the EU, and the VP/HR in particular, to adopt a policy to denounce, systematically and unequivocally, the killing of HRDs and any attempt to subject them to any form of violence or threat. The resolution also wanted to see the EU and its Member States promoting a free space for civil society , calling for the establishment of a system to monitor civil society space effectively and with clear benchmarks and indicators. It reiterated the importance of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) in providing urgent direct financial and material support for HRDs at risk. It supported the EU Special Representative's focus, as a key priority during his mandate, on the promotion and protection of an open space for civil society and HRDs, and called for regular reports to Parliament after his visits.
In addition, Members encouraged:
the establishment of national human rights institutions (NHRIs), in accordance with the United Nations' Paris Principles, with sufficient mandate, resources and expertise to fulfil the safeguarding of human rights. further inter-parliamentary relations between the Union and its partner countries.
They went on to welcome the adoption of the EU Strategic Framework and the new Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy (2015-2019), calling also for sufficient resources and expertise, both in terms of dedicated human resources in delegations and at the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS).
United Nations : Parliament underlined the need for the EU leadership to push for reforms of the UN with the goal of ensuring more efficient human rights protection and the advancement of international law. It encouraged the EU to intensify the practice of cross-regional initiatives, to initiate and co-sponsor resolutions, and to closely follow the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) procedure. The resolution condemned the fact that seats on the UNHRC are often occupied by countries with proven track record of grave human rights violations, and called on the EU Member States to publicise their UNHRC votes.
Parliament made the following recommendations:
Human Rights and Democracy Country Strategies (HRDCSs) should correspond to EU actions to be implemented in each country depending on specific situations, and should contain measurable progress indicators. The European Parliament should give access to the HRDCSs and as well as information on how the EU implements these strategies; the EEAS should develop a mechanism for reviewing Human Rights Dialogues , with a view to improving them, and alternative tools to support the advancement of human rights should dialogues fail ; the Commission should conduct a thorough evaluation of the implementation of the Guidelines on human rights by EU Delegations and Member States' diplomatic representations in all third countries; further European military integration is needed improve European armed forces' readiness and flexibility, in order to allow them to respond to threats and to instances of grave violations of human rights, genocide or ethnic cleansing; the concept of 'Responsibility to Protect' should be consolidated into international law.
On migration, Parliament called urgently for measures to improve the coherence of the migration policies, and stressed the need for a holistic approach to find sustainable, long-term and coherent solutions, based on international human rights standards while tackling the root causes of the refugee crisis. The EU and the Member States were asked to establish full transparency concerning the funds allocated to third countries for cooperation on migration, and ensure that such cooperation does not benefit, directly or indirectly, security, police and justice systems involved in human rights violations.
In addition, Parliament pointed out that CSDP missions such as European Union Naval Force – Mediterranean Operation Sophia (EUNAVFOR MED) are an effective way of tackling migrant smuggling, calling for such operations to be stepped up.
Role of women : Parliament supported the implementation of the UN Security Council’s recent Resolution 2242 making women a central component in all efforts to address global challenges and calling for additional efforts to integrate the women, peace and security agendas in all the different dimensions of peacekeeping. It recommended that a quota system be introduced in order to provide a way of promoting women’s participation at all political levels, and stressed the importance of women’s equal, full and active participation in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, and in the peace negotiation and peace-building process.
Moreover, the resolution stressed the following points:
the EU must make the fight against trafficking in human beings a priority in its external policies, addressing both the demand and supply side of the phenomenon, with all Member States implementing Directive 2011/36/EU; human rights for all must be a cross-cutting feature in the achievement of all goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ; the EU should ensure that the necessary guidelines, impact assessments and reporting mechanisms make Policy Coherence for Development a reality in EU policies and in those of its Member States; trade and human rights can go hand in hand, and there should be comprehensive implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; the Commission should ensure that implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is raised systematically in human rights dialogues with third countries; women’s rights cannot be compromised in deference to specific proscriptions by any religion or belief, and the EU should step up its support to the implementation of the obligations and commitments in the area of women’s rights; the EU should systematically consult with local and international child rights organisations, and raise, in its political and human rights dialogues with third countries, the issue of State parties’ obligations to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Child to which the EU should accede ; the EU should contribute further to reflections on the recognition of same-sex marriages or same-sex civil unions as a political, social, human and civil rights issue; the EU should further protect the rights of indigenous people and of persons belonging to minorities, who are particularly affected by human rights violations related to resource extraction; the EU should continue to use cooperation and diplomacy in all possible forums worldwide to advocate against the death penalty ; the VP/HR should launch an initiative aimed at imposing an EU arms embargo against countries that are accused of serious allegations of breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL), notably with regard to the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure.
Parliament expressed grave concern over the use of armed drones outside the international legal framework, urging Member States to articulate clear positions and reiterating its call for an EU common position on the use of armed drones, which upholds human rights and IHL.
Lastly, it reiterated its strong call for the systematic introduction of human rights clauses in all international agreements, including trade and investment agreements between the EU and third countries. There should be ex ante monitoring mechanisms before any framework agreement is concluded, and on which such conclusion is made conditional as a fundamental part of the agreement. Parliament also wanted to see ex post monitoring mechanisms that enable tangible action to be taken in response to infringements of these clauses, such as appropriate sanctions.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the own-initiative report by Josef WEIDENHOLZER (S&D, AT) on the Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2015 and the European Union’s policy on the matter.
Centrality of human rights in EU external policies : Members expressed their serious concern that the protection of human rights and democratic values are under threat worldwide . They called on all the EU institutions and Member States to act on their commitments to promote democracy and the rule of law, protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to development by all peaceful means, and to place human rights at the centre of the EU's relations with all third countries
They were also deeply concerned that many human rights defenders are under attack nowadays, and called on the EU, and the VP/HR in particular, to adopt a policy to denounce, systematically and unequivocally, the killing of HRDs and any attempt to subject them to any form of violence or threat. The report also wanted to see the EU and its Member States promoting a free space for civil society , calling for the establishment of a system to monitor civil society space effectively and with clear benchmarks and indicators. It reiterated the importance of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) in providing urgent direct financial and material support for HRDs at risk. It supported the EU Special Representative's focus, as a key priority during his mandate, on the promotion and protection of an open space for civil society and HRDs, and called for regular reports to Parliament after his visits.
In addition, Members encouraged:
the establishment of national human rights institutions (NHRIs), in accordance with the United Nations' Paris Principles, with sufficient mandate, resources and expertise to fulfil the safeguarding of human rights. further inter-parliamentary relations between the Union and its partner countries.
They went on to welcome the adoption of the EU Strategic Framework and the new Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy (2015-2019), calling also for sufficient resources and expertise, both in terms of dedicated human resources in delegations and at the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS).
The report made the following recommendations:
Human Rights and Democracy Country Strategies (HRDCSs) should correspond to EU actions to be implemented in each country depending on specific situations, and should contain measurable progress indicators. The European Parliament should give access to the HRDCSs and as well as information on how the EU implements these strategies; the EEAS should develop a mechanism for reviewing Human Rights Dialogues , with a view to improving them, and alternative tools to support the advancement of human rights should dialogues fail ; the Commission should conduct a thorough evaluation of the implementation of the Guidelines on human rights by EU Delegations and Member States' diplomatic representations in all third countries; the EU and its Member States should support, in the process of building sustainable reconciliation, the systematic participation of women as a vital component of peace processes; further European military integration is needed improve European armed forces' readiness and flexibility, in order to allow them to respond to threats and to instances of grave violations of human rights, genocide or ethnic cleansing; the concept of 'Responsibility to Protect' should be consolidated into international law.
On migration, the report called urgently for measures to improve the coherence of the migration policies, and stressed the need for a holistic approach to find sustainable, long-term and coherent solutions, based on international human rights standards while tackling the root causes of the refugee crisis. The EU and the Member States were asked to establish full transparency concerning the funds allocated to third countries for cooperation on migration, and ensure that such cooperation does not benefit, directly or indirectly, security, police and justice systems involved in human rights violations.
Moreover, Members stressed the following points:
the EU must make the fight against trafficking in human beings a priority in its external policies, addressing both the demand and supply side of the phenomenon, with all Member States implementing Directive 2011/36/EU; human rights for all must be a cross-cutting feature in the achievement of all goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ; the EU should ensure that the necessary guidelines, impact assessments and reporting mechanisms make Policy Coherence for Development a reality in EU policies and in those of its Member States; trade and human rights can go hand in hand, and there should be comprehensive implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; the Commission should ensure that implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is raised systematically in human rights dialogues with third countries; women’s rights cannot be compromised in deference to specific proscriptions by any religion or belief, and the EU should step up its support to the implementation of the obligations and commitments in the area of women’s rights; the EU should systematically consult with local and international child rights organisations, and raise, in its political and human rights dialogues with third countries, the issue of State parties’ obligations to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of Child to which the EU should accede ; the EU should contribute further to reflections on the recognition of same-sex marriages or same-sex civil unions as a political, social, human and civil rights issue; the EU should further protect the rights of indigenous people and of persons belonging to minorities, who are particularly affected by human rights violations related to resource extraction; the EU should continue to use cooperation and diplomacy in all possible forums worldwide to advocate against the death penalty ; the VP/HR should launch an initiative aimed at imposing an EU arms embargo against countries that are accused of serious allegations of breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL), notably with regard to the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure.
Lastly, Members expressed grave concern over the use of armed drones outside the international legal framework, urging Member States to articulate clear policy and legal positions and reiterating their call for an EU common position on the use of armed drones, which upholds human rights and IHL.
Documents
- Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2017)243
- Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
- Decision by Parliament: T8-0502/2016
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Committee report tabled for plenary: A8-0355/2016
- Committee opinion: PE589.216
- Committee opinion: PE589.265
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE592.068
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE589.448
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE592.067
- Committee draft report: PE587.429
- Committee draft report: PE587.429
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE589.448
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE592.067
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE592.068
- Committee opinion: PE589.265
- Committee opinion: PE589.216
- Commission response to text adopted in plenary: SP(2017)243
Activities
- Steeve BRIOIS
Plenary Speeches (3)
- 2016/11/22 Annual Report on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter 2015 (A8-0355/2016 - Josef Weidenholzer) FR
- 2016/11/22 Annual Report on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter 2015 (debate) FR
- 2016/11/22 Annual Report on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter 2015 (debate) FR
- Alexander Graf LAMBSDORFF
Plenary Speeches (3)
- 2016/11/22 Annual Report on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter 2015 (debate) DE
- 2016/11/22 Annual Report on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter 2015 (debate) DE
- 2016/11/22 Annual Report on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter 2015 (debate) DE
- Kazimierz Michał UJAZDOWSKI
Plenary Speeches (3)
- 2016/11/22 Annual Report on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter 2015 (A8-0355/2016 - Josef Weidenholzer) PL
- 2016/11/22 Annual Report on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter 2015 (debate) PL
- 2016/11/22 Annual Report on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter 2015 (debate) PL
- Marina ALBIOL GUZMÁN
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA
Plenary Speeches (2)
- James CARVER
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Nicola CAPUTO
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Takis HADJIGEORGIOU
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Marek JUREK
- Ivan JAKOVČIĆ
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Tunne KELAM
- Afzal KHAN
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Notis MARIAS
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Branislav ŠKRIPEK
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Eleftherios SYNADINOS
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Tibor SZANYI
Plenary Speeches (2)
- László TŐKÉS
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Elena VALENCIANO
- Udo VOIGT
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Josef WEIDENHOLZER
- Lars ADAKTUSSON
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Jean ARTHUIS
- Marie-Christine ARNAUTU
- Jonathan ARNOTT
- Zigmantas BALČYTIS
- Bas BELDER
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Hugues BAYET
- Xabier BENITO ZILUAGA
- José BLANCO LÓPEZ
- Marie-Christine BOUTONNET
- Renata BRIANO
- Soledad CABEZÓN RUIZ
- Lorenzo CESA
- Nessa CHILDERS
- Alberto CIRIO
- Jane COLLINS
- Andi CRISTEA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Javier COUSO PERMUY
- Edward CZESAK
- Michel DANTIN
- William (The Earl of) DARTMOUTH
- Rachida DATI
- Mireille D'ORNANO
- Georgios EPITIDEIOS
- Edouard FERRAND
- Lorenzo FONTANA
- Mariya GABRIEL
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Doru-Claudian FRUNZULICĂ
- Ildikó GÁLL-PELCZ
- María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Ana GOMES
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Bruno GOLLNISCH
- Tania GONZÁLEZ PEÑAS
- Andrzej GRZYB
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Sergio GUTIÉRREZ PRIETO
- Jussi HALLA-AHO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Mike HOOKEM
- Cătălin Sorin IVAN
- Liisa JAAKONSAARI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Ramón JÁUREGUI ATONDO
- Teresa JIMÉNEZ-BECERRIL BARRIO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Marc JOULAUD
- Barbara KAPPEL
- Jaromír KOHLÍČEK
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Bernd KÖLMEL
- Agnieszka KOZŁOWSKA
- Cécile Kashetu KYENGE
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Giovanni LA VIA
- Marine LE PEN
- Barbara LOCHBIHLER
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Sabine LÖSING
- Bernd LUCKE
- Paloma LÓPEZ BERMEJO
- Monica MACOVEI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Vladimír MAŇKA
- Ivana MALETIĆ
- Andrejs MAMIKINS
- Jiří MAŠTÁLKA
- Dominique MARTIN
- Alex MAYER
- David MARTIN
- Valentinas MAZURONIS
- Jean-Luc MÉLENCHON
- Louis MICHEL
- Bernard MONOT
- Marlene MIZZI
- Sophie MONTEL
- Norica NICOLAI
- Liadh NÍ RIADA
- Franz OBERMAYR
- Pier Antonio PANZERI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Ioan Mircea PAŞCU
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Marijana PETIR
- Mirosław PIOTROWSKI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Pavel POC
- Miroslav POCHE
- Cristian Dan PREDA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Godelieve QUISTHOUDT-ROWOHL
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Franck PROUST
- Laurenţiu REBEGA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Julia REID
- Liliana RODRIGUES
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Claude ROLIN
- Virginie ROZIÈRE
- Fernando RUAS
- Marietje SCHAAKE
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Jill SEYMOUR
- Maria Lidia SENRA RODRÍGUEZ
- Siôn SIMON
- Monika SMOLKOVÁ
- Davor ŠKRLEC
- Csaba SÓGOR
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Igor ŠOLTES
- Joachim STARBATTY
- Jaromír ŠTĚTINA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Bart STAES
- Beatrix von STORCH
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Pavel SVOBODA
- Patricija ŠULIN
- Neoklis SYLIKIOTIS
- Adam SZEJNFELD
- Dubravka ŠUICA
- Claudiu Ciprian TĂNĂSESCU
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Claudia ȚAPARDEL
- Timothy Charles Ayrton TANNOCK
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Pavel TELIČKA
- Ivica TOLIĆ
- Mylène TROSZCZYNSKI
- Ramon TREMOSA i BALCELLS
- Paavo VÄYRYNEN
- Derek VAUGHAN
- Marie-Christine VERGIAT
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Miguel VIEGAS
- Lieve WIERINCK
- Boris ZALA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Anna ZÁBORSKÁ
- Jana ŽITŇANSKÁ
GUE/NGL
NI
ENF