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2016/2219(INI) Annual report on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter 2015
Next event: Debate in plenary scheduled 2016/12/13 more...
RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead AFET WEIDENHOLZER Josef (S&D) QUISTHOUDT-ROWOHL Godelieve (EPP), HENKEL Hans-Olaf (ECR), SCHAAKE Marietje (ALDE), VERGIAT Marie-Christine (GUE/NGL), LOCHBIHLER Barbara (Verts/ALE), CORRAO Ignazio (EFD)
Opinion DEVE PREDA Cristian Dan (EPP)
Opinion FEMM BECERRA BASTERRECHEA Beatriz (ALDE)
Lead committee dossier: AFET/8/07172
Legal Basis RoP 052

Activites

  • 2016/12/14 Vote in plenary scheduled
  • 2016/12/13 Debate in plenary scheduled
  • 2016/11/28 Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
  • 2016/11/14 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • #3484
  • 2016/09/20 Council Meeting
  • 2016/09/15 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading

Documents

  • Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A8-0355/2016
AmendmentsDossier
1086 2016/2219(INI)
2016/10/12 AFET 600 amendments...
source: 589.448
2016/10/13 DEVE 86 amendments...
source: 592.198
2016/10/18 AFET 266 amendments...
source: 592.068
2016/10/19 FEMM 134 amendments...
source: 592.214

History

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

activities/3/docs/0/text
  • 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.

activities/3/docs
  • url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A8-2016-0355&language=EN type: Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading title: A8-0355/2016
activities/4/type
Old
Indicative plenary sitting date, 1st reading/single reading
New
Debate in plenary scheduled
activities/5
date
2016-12-14T00:00:00
body
EP
type
Vote in plenary scheduled
activities/3
date
2016-11-28T00:00:00
body
EP
type
Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Awaiting committee decision
New
Awaiting Parliament 1st reading / single reading / budget 1st stage
activities/2/committees
  • body: EP shadows: group: EPP name: QUISTHOUDT-ROWOHL Godelieve group: ECR name: HENKEL Hans-Olaf group: ALDE name: SCHAAKE Marietje group: GUE/NGL name: VERGIAT Marie-Christine group: Verts/ALE name: LOCHBIHLER Barbara group: EFD name: CORRAO Ignazio responsible: True committee: AFET date: 2016-06-07T00:00:00 committee_full: Foreign Affairs rapporteur: group: S&D name: WEIDENHOLZER Josef
  • body: EP responsible: False committee: DEVE date: 2016-09-13T00:00:00 committee_full: Development rapporteur: group: EPP name: PREDA Cristian Dan
  • body: EP responsible: False committee: FEMM date: 2016-07-07T00:00:00 committee_full: Women’s Rights and Gender Equality rapporteur: group: ALDE name: BECERRA BASTERRECHEA Beatriz
activities/2/type
Old
Vote scheduled in committee, 1st reading/single reading
New
Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
procedure/Modified legal basis
Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 150
activities/1
date
2016-09-20T00:00:00
body
CSL
type
Council Meeting
council
General Affairs
meeting_id
3484
activities/0/committees/0/shadows/3
group
GUE/NGL
name
VERGIAT Marie-Christine
committees/0/shadows/3
group
GUE/NGL
name
VERGIAT Marie-Christine
activities/0
date
2016-09-15T00:00:00
body
EP
type
Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
committees
procedure/dossier_of_the_committee
AFET/8/07172
procedure/stage_reached
Old
Preparatory phase in Parliament
New
Awaiting committee decision
activities
  • date: 2016-11-14T00:00:00 body: EP type: Vote scheduled in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • date: 2016-12-13T00:00:00 body: EP type: Indicative plenary sitting date, 1st reading/single reading
committees
  • body: EP shadows: group: EPP name: QUISTHOUDT-ROWOHL Godelieve group: ECR name: HENKEL Hans-Olaf group: ALDE name: SCHAAKE Marietje group: Verts/ALE name: LOCHBIHLER Barbara group: EFD name: CORRAO Ignazio responsible: True committee: AFET date: 2016-06-07T00:00:00 committee_full: Foreign Affairs rapporteur: group: S&D name: WEIDENHOLZER Josef
  • body: EP responsible: False committee: DEVE date: 2016-09-13T00:00:00 committee_full: Development rapporteur: group: EPP name: PREDA Cristian Dan
  • body: EP responsible: False committee: FEMM date: 2016-07-07T00:00:00 committee_full: Women’s Rights and Gender Equality rapporteur: group: ALDE name: BECERRA BASTERRECHEA Beatriz
links
other
    procedure
    reference
    2016/2219(INI)
    title
    Annual report on human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter 2015
    legal_basis
    Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 052
    stage_reached
    Preparatory phase in Parliament
    subtype
    Annual report
    type
    INI - Own-initiative procedure
    subject
    6.10.09 Human rights situation in the world