Progress: Procedure completed
Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
---|---|---|---|
Lead | AFET | WISELER-LIMA Isabel ( EPP) | COZZOLINO Andrea ( S&D), GOERENS Charles ( Renew), NEUMANN Hannah ( Verts/ALE), KARSKI Karol ( ECR), URBÁN CRESPO Miguel ( GUE/NGL) |
Committee Opinion | FEMM | REGNER Evelyn ( S&D) | María Soraya RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS ( RE), Andżelika Anna MOŻDŻANOWSKA ( ECR) |
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54
Legal Basis:
RoP 54Events
The European Parliament adopted by 496 votes to 113, with 103 abstentions, a resolution on human rights and democracy in the world and the EU's policy on the matter - annual report 2018.
Human rights and democracy: general trends and key challenges
Members expressed deep concern about the attacks on democracy and the rule of law worldwide in 2018, reflecting the rise of authoritarianism as a political project, embodying disregard for human rights, repression of dissent, politicisation of justice and elections, shrinking space for civil society and limitations on freedom of assembly and expression. They stressed the need to ensure full respect for, and adherence to, the principle that human rights are universal, while regretting that a number of countries have still not put in place a moratorium on the abolition of the death penalty.
Parliament expressed concern about the links between authoritarian regimes and populist and nationalist parties and governments, considering that these links undermined the credibility of the EU’s efforts to promote fundamental values.
The resolution drew attention to the scourge of armed conflicts aimed, inter alia , at ethnic cleansing, which continue to cause civilian casualties and mass displacement. It also denounced the retreat of multilateralism and the rules-based international order.
Members stressed the importance of promoting gender equality and women's rights worldwide, respecting children's rights and incorporate the fight against discrimination on the grounds of disability in the EU's external action and development aid policies. They expressed their deep concern about the increase in hateful and intolerant reactions targeting those who are victims of human rights violations, which continue to occur in many countries and societies. They also drew attention to the impact of environmental degradation on human rights.
Enhancing the effectiveness of the Union's human rights policies
Parliament called for the objective of promoting human rights and democracy in the world to be mainstreamed in all Union policies which have an external dimension. It called for the adoption of a new Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy for the next five years that is ambitious, comprehensive and binding, with a strong monitoring mechanism to assess the implementation and impact of the Action Plan.
It insisted that all human rights challenges (digital rights, environmental rights, the rights of the elderly, sport and migrants) should be addressed in this future action plan.
Stressing that trade, EU trade policies and human rights can be mutually reinforcing, Members called on the Commission and the EEAS to make effective use of human rights clauses in international agreements by creating an effective mechanism for monitoring serious human rights violations that may be committed by companies.
Developing solutions to protect and promote human rights and democracy
Parliament called on the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to:
monitor developments that have a negative influence on governance and civil society space in the world, and systematically respond to political and legislative changes introduced by authoritarian governments with a view to weakening governance based on fundamental democratic principles and restricting the space available to civil society; foster an EU approach to conflict and accountability for human rights violations: Members called on the EEAS and the Commission to include an ambitious strategy to combat impunity as part of the EU's Third Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy. The Council was invited to adopt the necessary legislation for the establishment of an EU international mechanism (on the model of the Magnitski List) to sanction human rights violations through targeted sanctions against persons complicit in serious human rights violations; adopt a strategic, visible and effective European approach to protect human rights defenders and to allocate sufficient funding for the protection of human rights defenders in the relevant thematic programmes of the Neighbourhood, Development Cooperation and International Cooperation Instrument (NDI) ; adopt a comprehensive gender equality strategy after the expiry of the strategic commitment; the Commission is invited to prepare and adopt a Communication aimed at renewing the Action Plan on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Development Cooperation after 2020; take new initiatives to promote and protect children's rights, prevent and combat child abuse worldwide, reintegrate children affected by conflict and provide them with a protective family and social environment. Members called for the EU to launch an international movement to defend children's rights; step up advocacy in relation to freedom of religion or belief: According to Members, freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, which includes the rights not to believe, to espouse theistic, non-theistic, agnostic or atheistic views, as well as the right to apostasy and not to profess any religion, should be unconditionally guaranteed throughout the world; better monitor all forms of restrictions (online and offline) on freedom of expression and the media and to systematically condemn such restrictions using all available diplomatic means; establish a binding international instrument to regulate the activities of transnational corporations and other companies in international human rights law; adopt a Union strategy to put new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, at the service of the population and to respond to the threat these technologies can pose to human rights, including fake news, mass surveillance and hate speech; tackle the root causes of migration flows, Members stressed the need to create legal channels for migration and to facilitate voluntary returns, as far as possible, including in compliance with the principle of non-refoulement. They called for the external dimension of the refugee crisis to be addressed, including providing durable solutions to conflicts through cooperation and partnerships with the third countries concerned. They called for the external dimension of the refugee crisis to be addressed, including by finding durable solutions to conflicts through cooperation and partnerships with the third countries concerned.
Lastly, stressing that the climate emergency and mass biodiversity constitute a major threat to the population, the resolution highlighted the key obligations and responsibilities under the 2015 Paris Agreement to mitigate the effects of climate change, including its negative impact on human rights.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the own-initiative report by Isabel WISELER-LIMA (EPP, LU) on human rights and democracy in the world and the EU's policy on the matter - annual report 2018.
Continuing human rights abuses
In general, Members expressed deep concern about the attacks on democracy and the rule of law worldwide in 2018, reflecting the rise of authoritarianism as a political project, embodying disregard for human rights, repression of dissent, politicisation of justice and elections, shrinking space for civil society and limitations on freedom of assembly and expression. They expressed concern that there are still regimes that deny the very principle of universality of human rights enshrined in international law and regretted that a number of countries have still not put in place a moratorium on the abolition of the death penalty.
The report drew attention to the scourge of armed conflicts aimed, inter alia, at ethnic cleansing, which continue to cause civilian casualties and mass displacement. It also denounced the retreat of multilateralism and the rules-based international order, stressing that approaches adopted in the context of multilateral relations, including in the framework of the United Nations, were the most effective means of finding lasting solutions to conflicts on the basis of the norms and principles of international law.
Members denounced the fact that some governments had adopted legislation restricting the activities of civil society movements, including by banning NGOs or freezing their assets, while deploring the use of repressive cyber security and counter-terrorism legislation to repress human rights defenders. They stressed the importance of promoting gender equality and women's rights worldwide, of respecting children's rights and combating all forms of child abuse and of mainstreaming the fight against discrimination on the grounds of disability in the EU's external action and development aid policies.
Members expressed deep concern about the increase in hateful and intolerant reactions targeting people who are victims of persecution and discrimination based on ethnicity, nationality, class, caste, religion, belief, language, age, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, which continue to occur in many countries and societies.
Enhancing the effectiveness of the Union's human rights policies
The report called for the objective of promoting human rights and democracy in the world to be mainstreamed in all Union policies which have an external dimension. It called for the adoption of a new Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy for the next five years that is ambitious, comprehensive and binding, with a strong monitoring mechanism to assess the implementation and impact of the Action Plan. It called on the Commission and the EEAS to make effective use of human rights clauses in international agreements.
Developing solutions to protect and promote human rights and democracy
Members called on the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to:
monitor developments that have a negative influence on governance and civil society space in the world, and systematically respond to political and legislative changes introduced by authoritarian governments with a view to weakening governance based on fundamental democratic principles and restricting the space available to civil society; foster an EU approach to conflict and accountability for human rights violations: Members called on the EEAS and the Commission to include an ambitious strategy to combat impunity as part of the EU's Third Action Plan for Human Rights and Democracy. They recommended the creation of a European observatory on prevention, accountability and combating impunity and the appointment of an EU Special Representative for International Humanitarian Law and International Justice. They called on all EU Member States to comply strictly with the European Union Code of Conduct on Arms Exports; adopt a strategic, visible and effective European approach to protect human rights defenders and to allocate sufficient funding for the protection of human rights defenders in the relevant thematic programmes of the Neighbourhood, Development Cooperation and International Cooperation Instrument (NDI) ; adopt a comprehensive gender equality strategy after the expiry of the strategic commitment; the Commission is invited to prepare and adopt a Communication aimed at renewing the Action Plan on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment in Development Cooperation after 2020; take new initiatives to promote and protect children's rights, prevent and combat child abuse worldwide, reintegrate children affected by conflict and provide them with a protective family and social environment. Members called for the EU to launch an international movement to defend children's rights; step up advocacy in relation to freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, and to initiate dialogue with states and representatives of civil society and faith, non-confessional, humanistic and philosophical groups in order to prevent acts of violence, persecution, intolerance and discrimination against persons on the grounds of thought, conscience, philosophical opinions, and religion or belief; better monitor all forms of restrictions (online and offline) on freedom of expression and the media and to systematically condemn such restrictions using all available diplomatic means; establish a binding international instrument to regulate the activities of transnational corporations and other companies in international human rights law; adopt a Union strategy to put new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, at the service of the population and to respond to the threat these technologies can pose to human rights, including fake news, mass surveillance and hate speech.
Stressing the urgent need to tackle the root causes of migration flows, Members called for the external dimension of the refugee crisis to be addressed, including by finding durable solutions to conflicts through cooperation and partnerships with the third countries concerned.
Lastly, stressing that the climate emergency and mass biodiversity constitute a major threat to the population, the report highlighted the key obligations and responsibilities under the 2015 Paris Agreement to mitigate the effects of climate change, including its negative impact on human rights.
Documents
- Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
- Decision by Parliament: T9-0007/2020
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Committee report tabled for plenary: A9-0051/2019
- Specific opinion: PE642.863
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE642.943
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE642.989
- Committee draft report: PE641.241
- Committee draft report: PE641.241
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE642.943
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE642.989
- Specific opinion: PE642.863
Activities
- Jiří POSPÍŠIL
Plenary Speeches (2)
- Isabel WISELER-LIMA
- Maria ARENA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Dita CHARANZOVÁ
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Fabio Massimo CASTALDO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Andrea COZZOLINO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Peter van DALEN
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Ryszard CZARNECKI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Heidi HAUTALA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Dietmar KÖSTER
Plenary Speeches (1)
- María Soraya RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Michaela ŠOJDROVÁ
- Miguel URBÁN CRESPO
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Julie WARD
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Tatjana ŽDANOKA
- Clare DALY
- Arba KOKALARI
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Hannah NEUMANN
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Isabel SANTOS
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Mick WALLACE
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Simona BALDASSARRE
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Frances FITZGERALD
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Irina VON WIESE
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Janina OCHOJSKA
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Nicola BEER
Plenary Speeches (1)
- Antoni COMÍN I OLIVERES
Plenary Speeches (1)
Votes
A9-0051/2019 - Isabel Wiseler-Lima - Am 9 #
A9-0051/2019 - Isabel Wiseler-Lima - Am 1 #
IT | HU | PL | SI | EE | SK | LV | CY | MT | ES | LU | HR | LT | AT | FI | EL | SE | IE | DK | FR | NL | BE | CZ | BG | PT | RO | GB | DE | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total |
66
|
18
|
48
|
8
|
5
|
13
|
8
|
5
|
6
|
37
|
6
|
11
|
11
|
17
|
12
|
18
|
19
|
10
|
13
|
69
|
24
|
20
|
21
|
16
|
21
|
30
|
65
|
92
|
|
ID |
66
|
Italy IDFor (25)Alessandra BASSO, Alessandro PANZA, Andrea CAROPPO, Angelo CIOCCA, Anna BONFRISCO, Antonio Maria RINALDI, Danilo Oscar LANCINI, Elena LIZZI, Gianantonio DA RE, Gianna GANCIA, Isabella TOVAGLIERI, Lucia VUOLO, Luisa REGIMENTI, Mara BIZZOTTO, Marco CAMPOMENOSI, Marco DREOSTO, Massimo CASANOVA, Matteo ADINOLFI, Paolo BORCHIA, Rosanna CONTE, Silvia SARDONE, Simona BALDASSARRE, Stefania ZAMBELLI, Susanna CECCARDI, Valentino GRANT
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
France IDFor (19)André ROUGÉ, Annika BRUNA, Aurélia BEIGNEUX, Catherine GRISET, Dominique BILDE, France JAMET, Gilbert COLLARD, Gilles LEBRETON, Hélène LAPORTE, Jean-François JALKH, Jordan BARDELLA, Julie LECHANTEUX, Jérôme RIVIÈRE, Mathilde ANDROUËT, Maxette PIRBAKAS, Nicolas BAY, Philippe OLIVIER, Thierry MARIANI, Virginie JORON
|
3
|
2
|
Germany IDFor (10) |
|||||||||||||||||||
ECR |
63
|
Italy ECR |
Poland ECRFor (25)Adam BIELAN, Andżelika Anna MOŻDŻANOWSKA, Anna FOTYGA, Anna ZALEWSKA, Beata KEMPA, Beata MAZUREK, Beata SZYDŁO, Bogdan RZOŃCA, Elżbieta KRUK, Elżbieta RAFALSKA, Grzegorz TOBISZOWSKI, Izabela-Helena KLOC, Jadwiga WIŚNIEWSKA, Joachim Stanisław BRUDZIŃSKI, Joanna KOPCIŃSKA, Karol KARSKI, Kosma ZŁOTOWSKI, Krzysztof JURGIEL, Patryk JAKI, Ryszard Antoni LEGUTKO, Ryszard CZARNECKI, Tomasz Piotr PORĘBA, Witold Jan WASZCZYKOWSKI, Zbigniew KUŹMIUK, Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
4
|
3
|
Czechia ECRAgainst (3)Abstain (1) |
2
|
United Kingdom ECRFor (1)Against (1)Abstain (4) |
1
|
|||||||||||||
NI |
45
|
Italy NIFor (1) |
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
United Kingdom NIFor (4)Against (12) |
1
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
GUE/NGL |
38
|
2
|
Spain GUE/NGLAgainst (1)Abstain (3) |
1
|
Greece GUE/NGLFor (1)Against (5) |
1
|
3
|
1
|
France GUE/NGLAgainst (1)Abstain (5) |
1
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
1
|
Germany GUE/NGLAgainst (6) |
||||||||||||||
Verts/ALE |
73
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
France Verts/ALEAgainst (12) |
3
|
3
|
3
|
1
|
United Kingdom Verts/ALEAgainst (10) |
Germany Verts/ALEAgainst (25)
Alexandra GEESE,
Anna CAVAZZINI,
Anna DEPARNAY-GRUNENBERG,
Damian BOESELAGER,
Daniel FREUND,
Erik MARQUARDT,
Hannah NEUMANN,
Henrike HAHN,
Jutta PAULUS,
Katrin LANGENSIEPEN,
Klaus BUCHNER,
Martin HÄUSLING,
Michael BLOSS,
Nico SEMSROTT,
Niklas NIENASS,
Patrick BREYER,
Pierrette HERZBERGER-FOFANA,
Rasmus ANDRESEN,
Reinhard BÜTIKOFER,
Romeo FRANZ,
Sergey LAGODINSKY,
Ska KELLER,
Sven GIEGOLD,
Terry REINTKE,
Viola VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL
|
||||||||||||
PPE |
167
|
Italy PPEAgainst (2) |
Hungary PPEFor (11) |
Poland PPEAgainst (15) |
4
|
Slovakia PPEFor (1)Against (2)Abstain (1) |
2
|
2
|
2
|
Spain PPEFor (10)Against (1) |
2
|
4
|
4
|
Austria PPEFor (1)Against (5) |
2
|
Sweden PPEAgainst (4)Abstain (2) |
4
|
1
|
France PPEFor (6)Against (1) |
Netherlands PPEFor (1)Against (3) |
4
|
Czechia PPEFor (1)Against (4) |
Bulgaria PPEAgainst (6) |
Portugal PPEAgainst (7) |
Romania PPEFor (1)Against (12) |
Germany PPEFor (1)Against (26)
Andreas SCHWAB,
Angelika NIEBLER,
Axel VOSS,
Christian DOLESCHAL,
Christian EHLER,
Daniel CASPARY,
Dennis RADTKE,
Hildegard BENTELE,
Jens GIESEKE,
Lena DÜPONT,
Manfred WEBER,
Marion WALSMANN,
Markus PIEPER,
Marlene MORTLER,
Michael GAHLER,
Monika HOHLMEIER,
Niclas HERBST,
Norbert LINS,
Peter JAHR,
Peter LIESE,
Rainer WIELAND,
Ralf SEEKATZ,
Sabine VERHEYEN,
Stefan BERGER,
Sven SCHULZE,
Sven SIMON
Abstain (1) |
|||
Renew |
106
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
Spain RenewAgainst (8) |
2
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
Denmark RenewAgainst (5) |
France RenewFor (1)Against (18)
Catherine CHABAUD,
Christophe GRUDLER,
Chrysoula ZACHAROPOULOU,
Fabienne KELLER,
Gilles BOYER,
Irène TOLLERET,
Jérémy DECERLE,
Laurence FARRENG,
Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE,
Nathalie LOISEAU,
Pascal CANFIN,
Pascal DURAND,
Pierre KARLESKIND,
Stéphane BIJOUX,
Stéphane SÉJOURNÉ,
Sylvie BRUNET,
Valérie HAYER,
Véronique TRILLET-LENOIR
Abstain (1) |
Netherlands RenewAgainst (6) |
4
|
Czechia RenewAgainst (6) |
3
|
Romania RenewAgainst (8) |
United Kingdom RenewAgainst (17) |
Germany RenewAgainst (7) |
||||||
S&D |
131
|
Italy S&DAgainst (8)Abstain (4) |
5
|
Poland S&DAgainst (8) |
2
|
1
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
4
|
Spain S&DFor (1)Against (6) |
1
|
3
|
2
|
Austria S&DAgainst (5) |
2
|
1
|
5
|
3
|
France S&DAgainst (5) |
Netherlands S&DAgainst (6) |
2
|
Bulgaria S&DAgainst (5) |
Portugal S&DAgainst (9) |
Romania S&DFor (1)Against (8) |
United Kingdom S&DAgainst (9) |
Germany S&DAgainst (14) |