Free Trade Agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (debate)
President
The next item is the debate on the oral question to the Commission by Helmuth Markov, on behalf of the Committee on International Trade, on the recent developments in negotiations on the free trade agreement between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council - B6-0020/2008).
Androula Vassiliou
Member of the Commission. - Madam President, some may say that negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement with the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council have lasted for 17 years. In fact, it is only since 2002 that the substance has been discussed. We the Commission, but also the representatives of the Member States in the Council, hope to finish the negotiations sooner rather than later. We know that the FTA will contribute to the deepening of relations between our regions. The FTA negotiations were conducted at an accelerated pace in 2007, culminating in Commissioner Mandelson's visit to Doha in December 2007, which gave a significant political push. We have made good progress on all chapters and are closer than ever to an agreement.
There are, however, some outstanding issues which are important to guarantee real preferential access for the EU to the GCC market and no discrimination compared to others. These issues are export duties, some exceptions in the area of energy services, notably by the UAE, and certain horizontal provisions of the agreement, such as competition and intellectual property. A negotiating round was cancelled in January. Since then, there has been no feedback from the GCC side at all. We now hope to be able to have the next round in early May, at the same time as the EU-GCC Joint Committee meeting, which is scheduled for 6 May.
Our objective remains to make progress in the next round and to conclude the negotiations as soon as possible, hopefully in the early months of the French presidency. The Free Trade Agreement aims at creating a preferential relationship between the EU and the GCC, in line with WTO principles and disciplines. It will thus lead to the liberalisation of substantially all trade between parties. It also aims at supporting the Member States of the GCC in their policies of economic diversification through encouraging further economic reforms and offering the potential of bringing increased foreign investments, in addition to the increasing dynamics of inward investments in the region.
The FTA includes significant commitments on trade in services and investments by both sides and mutual access to public procurement markets, also in the energy and transport sectors. It covers ambitious tariff liberalisation schedules, including in the chemicals sector. Last but not least, it covers non-tariff areas, such as technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary standards or intellectual property rights.
This House has expressed concern that the Free Trade Agreement being negotiated with the Gulf Cooperation Council does not contain clauses on human rights and social and environmental standards. Let me, therefore, first of all clarify that the current draft of the EU-GCC Free Trade Agreement does include a number of non-trade clauses - on human rights, migration, counter-terrorism and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. These clauses were agreed with the GCC some years ago. However, it emerged at the last round that the GCC side had some outstanding questions on the wording regarding the suspension clause linked to the application of the essential political elements of the agreement. In addition to these clauses, the preamble of the agreement refers to the need to strengthen the process of economic and social development in the GCC countries, while protecting the environment. It also refers to the fact that the parties shall not encourage foreign direct investment by lowering or relaxing their domestic environment or label standards. It also foresees consultations if it appears that an actual or proposed measure is inconsistent with these principles.
The EU-GCC FTA negotiations took into account the results and conclusions of a sustainability impact assessment study which was carried out between 2001 and 2004. This was the case, in particular, in sectors which were identified by the consultants as important for a more sustainable economic development in the GCC, namely services and some industrial sectors. Further to the request of this House, in February we provided the negotiating directives for the EU-GCC FTA, including all its updates according to the agreed procedures and in respect of the confidentiality rules.
Finally, let me just stress that the European Parliament has been regularly updated on the state of play of the EU-GCC FTA negotiations and that the European Commission will continue to keep it updated.
Tokia Saïfi
on behalf of the PPE-DE Group. - (FR) Madam President, the conclusion of a free trade agreement between the European Community and the Gulf Cooperation Council has been the subject of negotiations since 1988 and it would seem that they will soon be concluded for once and for all.
I welcome the recent progress because the conclusion of a free trade agreement is essential in order to increase and regulate the trade between the European Union and the Gulf states. It should thus launch a new, more dynamic era of cooperation in numerous strategic fields between two regions that are vitally important for one another, but whose relations have been lacking in substance.
The free trade agreement must help to dismantle non-tariff barriers and eliminate all public subsidies and compensation, notably for access to raw materials, in accordance with current WTO rules. The opportunities and challenges posed by the growing importance of sovereign funds should be the subject of in-depth examination, dialogue and constructive cooperation between the European Parliament and the Gulf states.
The objective here is to maintain an environment that is open to investment while making the latter more transparent. The managers of these funds must therefore be able to provide the market with additional information on the origin of their resources, their investment goals and their strategies. However, Europe must also ensure that it can attract these funds, which generate growth, innovation and jobs, in the face of the strong international competition to attract productive capital.
The conclusion of the free trade agreement will encourage the Gulf states to be more receptive to the views of their European partners and will thus enable us to diversify and accelerate our trade and exchanges.
Carlos Carnero González
on behalf of the PSE Group. - (ES) Madam President, I firstly wish to thank the Commissioner for her explanations, and immediately state that the Socialist Group in the European Parliament feels signing the FTA with the Gulf Cooperation Council is an objective we share.
We must, in fact, do this as soon as possible. This will be to the benefit of Europe, and to the countries that comprise the GCC. It is also true, however, that the mandate for negotiating this agreement is rather old. It is a mandate which does not contain the necessary clauses to focus on today's key issues such as human rights, employment or the environment.
I am therefore pleased to hear the Commissioner tell us that the Commission intends to do all it can to include these matters in the agreement. This would otherwise be totally incomprehensible, because we are not only talking about trade or economic exchanges.
We are all aware that these are important countries, with one of the planet's greatest sources of wealth, oil, an essential component of our modern societies.
These countries, however, do not just have oil. They have people, men and women; men and women born in these countries, and other men and women who come from other countries to work there, and I feel that human rights are not respected in these countries as they ought to be, for example, in terms of freedom of expression or freedom of association. With respect to the women's lack of equality, we cannot but feel ashamed and indignant when, for instance, we read news such the reports by Human Rights Watch, stating that women in some of these countries require permission from a so-called 'guardian', who may be a father, a husband, or even a son, to work, travel, study, or even get access to health services. This is simply unacceptable, totally unacceptable.
However, we could of course also talk about the situation that was previously mentioned of the immigrants working in those countries, who constitute a strong workforce. Are their rights guaranteed or not? Moreover, what are the environmental concerns of major oil-producing countries such as the GCC states? Are they interested in climate change or in the price of crude oil?
This must be said amicably, but in all clarity. It is for this reason that we are pleased that the resolution we will be voting on tomorrow has finally included paragraphs as important as paragraphs 17 and 19, of which we feel we are the joint authors. They refer, for example, to human rights as the subject of a clause that ought to be an essential part of the free trade agreement to be signed with the Gulf Cooperation Council, or the need for the parties to ratify the conventions of the International Labour Organisation.
We have also tabled additional amendments, which we hope the groups can support, thereby reinforcing these issues. We must be careful, however, not to send out the wrong kind of message to our allies: human rights must be defended whether or not there is any oil in the picture.
Ramona Nicole Mănescu
on behalf of the ALDE group. - (RO) The discussion on the evolution of negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement between the European Community and the Gulf Cooperation Council caught my attention, taking into account the visit I recently made to the region, together with the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with the Gulf States.
The subjects discussed during the interparliamentary meetings included the negotiation of this agreement as well.
The GCC representatives declared that Europeans were creating pressure for unlimited access to numerous investment opportunities, while the GCC is interested not only in acquiring capital, but also in the need for technology and managerial know-how.
On the one hand, the negotiations started should have been completed in 2006, but, as we say, they are continuing and the reasons are imputable to both parties.
The European Union feels that the GCC members lack coordination and reform and the latter complain of an interminable list of requirements that the Gulf States must meet.
Some of the most important were brought to mind by the Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson: market access, marking the origin of products, governmental licences, measures for protecting investment, as well as criteria for their guarantee in the GCC.
For this reason, I believe that, by concluding the Free Trade Agreement, both parties would officially commit to economic cooperation with mutually important gains: development of energy cooperation, economic and technological development of the region and, implicitly, an increased impact on environmental protection, creation of a common market and an increase in European investments are only some of them.
On the other hand, a sensitive debate in the region refers to the problem of respect for human rights. The Union has a very important role in the international economy but, at the same time, it is also one of the main promoters of the respect for fundamental human rights.
The discussions I had with the representatives of the most active NGOs in the region revealed very clearly the opportunity provided by the negotiations for the Free Trade Agreement to put pressure on the Gulf States to provide more civil and political freedoms to the citizens of these countries.
For this reason, when economic issues are negotiated, increased attention should implicitly be given to the laws regarding the respect for the rights of immigrant workers and women.
Caroline Lucas
on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. - Madam President, my group strongly supports calling on the Commission to supply Parliament with more information about these FTA negotiations and in particular to transmit the actual negotiating mandate and an updated sustainability impact assessment.
We also support the emphasis on the need for a strong chapter within the FTA on sustainable development, given the poor record of the Gulf States with regard to social and environmental standards. That is what makes us concerned about suggestions from the Trade DG that since the FTA negotiations with the Gulf States started a long time ago, when sustainable development issues were apparently less relevant, it is somehow now too late to burden the negotiations with new issues like human rights clauses.
I think we need to say that this is politically unacceptable and we hope that the Trade DG will keep in mind that Parliament will need to give its assent to any final results of the negotiations.
But beyond our concern about the social and environmental standards of trade within the Gulf region, we need to ask more carefully what kind of trade an FTA with the Gulf aims to liberalise. We know of course that the EU interest is about unlimited access to energy resources, about doing away with any barriers to trade like export taxes or quantitative restrictions. Of course we know the EU is trying to out-compete other industrialised and emerging economies to get the best access conditions, that the EU sees rising energy prices and wants to sell more to the region in order to redress its trade balance. Of course, this is completely inconsistent with the EU's stated goals with regard to its policy on climate change.
But let us just imagine a different scenario: that the EU would not seek to balance its trade relations through all-out liberalisation but would use the incentive of trade imbalance to foster the development and application of renewable energy; that the EU would not participate in the international race to secure access to oil but would insist on multilateral agreements giving all countries a fair share of diminishing global resources.
In comparison to this kind of ambitious scenario that we would like to see, the insistence of Parliament on a strong chapter in the FTA on sustainable development is absolutely the minimum we need in terms of deciding whether or not this House can give its assent to the upcoming agreement.
Avril Doyle
Madam President, the importance of concluding a properly functioning free trade agreement cannot be overstated. EU exports to the GCC member states have been increasing since the 1980s. The GCC is currently the EU's sixth largest export market and the EU is the GCC's first trading partner. In 2005, EU exports to the GCC were around EUR 50 billion, whereas EU exports from the GCC amounted to around EUR 37 billion.
The Commission expects the trade volume to double soon after the agreement is signed. Furthermore, for the first time, as I understand, the proposed agreement foresees clauses on human rights, non-proliferation and counter-terrorism, and this is certainly to be welcomed.
Unfortunately, there has been a long delay in reaching an agreement and, when Mr Mandelson visited the region in February 2007, you said, Commissioner, that he gave the free trade agreement a push, if I quote you correctly.
I understand, however, that he went on the record, when he was there, to blame Gulf Arab protectionism as a cause of delaying the signing of the free trade agreement. Does the Commission still believe this to be the case and is this the sort of language to foster international agreements?
Despite setbacks with reaching a trade agreement, GCC member states are engaging in a positive way with the Commission on the harmonisation of airport security regulations. Passengers currently purchasing duty-free products and transferring either within the Gulf or in the European Union could potentially have their goods confiscated because of present airport liquid security restrictions.
But, thankfully, a number of Gulf Cooperation states have engaged with the Commission by applying for security recognition under Regulation (EC) No 915/2007. This, I understand, will allow passengers to transfer from third countries with their duty-free purchases, provided that the country has been recognised as secure. Through this application, they have successfully established technical and practical cooperation with the EU, and the Commission should be commended for taking action in this area.
Such an example of practical cooperation is encouraging for any broader free trade agreement that may come into force later. However, I would like to see such cooperation and agreements speeded up and extended.
An FTA should also be a way to promote scientific cooperation with the Gulf States and thereby support sustainable development in that region. At the moment, there is very little scientific cooperation between Europe and the Gulf States, even though the potential could be great.
Cooperation in science is particularly important when it comes to climate change and energy policy. The European Union currently imports about 50% of its energy needs, of which approximately 20% are sourced in the Gulf.
An FTA needs to be strengthened in the areas of combating climate change and I therefore welcome the Commission's planned feasibility study in this area.
David Martin
Madam President, let me begin with the positive. Firstly, let me put on record my thanks to Mr O'Sullivan, the Director-General for Trade, who responded quickly and positively to our request for the negotiating mandates. We received them within a week or so of him coming to the committee and being asked to provide us with those mandates.
I also welcome the significant progress that is being made in these negotiations and acknowledge, as others already have as well, that this should open up the Gulf States to EU trade and should be good for EU business.
I also accept wholeheartedly that any FTA we negotiate is going to be an improvement on the 1989 Cooperation Agreement, and as you yourself, Commissioner, reminded us and Ms Doyle has just repeated, I welcome the fact that the FTA does contain a number of non-trade clauses on subjects such as human rights, migration, counter-terrorism and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
But I do regret that the social, environmental and labour clauses that we are negotiating with the Gulf States are significantly weaker than those that we are negotiating in our modern round of free trade agreements. We would not accept the standards that we appear to be prepared to accept for the Gulf States for Korea or for the ASEAN negotiations, for example.
The Commission has already told us - and we could have anticipated this - that this is because we are negotiating on the basis of an old negotiating mandate, a mandate that has not been updated since 2001. What I have not heard from anyone on the Commission, be it the Commissioner responsible, be it the DG for Trade or the Commissioner here this evening, is why we are still negotiating on the basis of an old mandate. It is difficult not to be suspicious that the Commission felt it was going to be too difficult to negotiate modern sustainability, development clauses and labour clauses with the Gulf States. Similarly, why has the sustainability impact assessment not been updated since 2004? Again, I have yet to hear convincing reasons for this.
I must say that I am particularly concerned - Mr Carnero has mentioned the situation of women, and that is a concern that I share - but I am particularly concerned about the rights of migrant workers in the Gulf States. Of course, these people make up the majority of the workforce in the Gulf States, and I do not see how in any sense they are protected by this free trade agreement. What will the Commission do to ensure that ILO core standards are respected by the Gulf States in respect of migrant workers?
Finally, Commissioner, your colleague Ms Ferrero-Waldner met the Bahrain Human Rights Society last week and raised with her a number of concerns over human rights and migrant workers. She is quoted in the Gulf Daily News as giving her full support to human rights clauses in any free trade agreement. How will the Commission plan to implement that promise?
Kader Arif
(FR) Madam President, as already stated, the European Union has been negotiating the conclusion of a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council for nearly 20 years.
Since then the Commission's negotiating mandate has barely changed and has certainly not been properly updated. The result is a somewhat surprising situation whereby the Union is not using the same criteria as a basis for its negotiations with the Gulf states as it uses with its other trade partners, such as Korea or the ASEAN countries. In particular, the negotiating mandate makes no provision for inclusion in the future agreement of any clause on social standards, nor any ambitious chapter on sustainable development. The issue of respect for human rights is scarcely mentioned. Since these elements must be part of the priorities of European action, not only should they be fully integrated in the future free trade agreement, they should also be subject to suspension clauses for cases where the commitments are not fulfilled. It is the EU's responsibility to ensure that all the trade agreements it negotiates guarantee promotion of, and respect for, the democratic principles of human rights, the conventions of the International Labour Organisation and environmental standards.
In the case of the Gulf states, special attention - and Mr Martin has just mentioned this - must be paid to the living conditions and rights of migrant workers. There are many such workers in the region to support the rapid growth there but they often work under disgraceful and unacceptable conditions.
More generally, over and above the trade that must be developed within the framework of harmonious trade relations, Europe and its Member States must step up their political and social dialogue. We must therefore implement a free trade agreement that not only does not have a negative impact on the people living in the region but, on the contrary, consolidates their political, economic and social rights. That is why it is essential, for example, to ensure that during negotiations on services, the need to guarantee a universal public service that is accessible, sustainable and cheap, and that meets high quality standards, is respected.
Paul Rübig
(DE) Madam President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we all agree that it is very important to make improving our relations with the Gulf states a priority. Europe and the Gulf states have many interests in common: on the one hand, Europe is the world's strongest market, and on the other, the Gulf supplies us with resources which are unique. From that perspective, it is essential to intensify our relations with these countries with an eye to the global context.
In the WTO, we have the 'Everything But Arms' issue, and that should be the standard. We must achieve a sensible solution as quickly as possible here, as this is in both sides' interest. We should also do more to foster exchange in research, knowledge and know-how, and try to build closer links in the education sector. Joint conclusion of the Energy Charter is also important.
Androula Vassiliou
Member of the Commission. - Madam President, I thank the honourable Members for their comments with respect to the EU-GCC FTA negotiations. I would like to stress that the Commission will continue to update the Parliament on the state of play of these negotiations.
I was particularly struck by the honourable Members' interest in the inclusion of a political clause in the negotiated agreement and I would like to assure you that these concerns are indeed addressed in the negotiations. I can also confirm something that was said, that this point was addressed during Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner's visit to the Gulf region last week. In fact, Gulf countries expressed their determination to conclude the free trade agreement and recognise the importance of further flexibility on the issue.
President
Mrs Doyle, did you want to make a point of order?
Avril Doyle
Madam President, I will leave it now, but, as we did not use the five-minute catch-the-eye, it has been practice in other debates that, even if a Member has contributed, you can have a quick question that has arisen, so we can use all the catch-the-eye, or at least another minute, if it was there.
I will leave it now on this occasion, but it was only on that basis, as there was only one catch-the-eye tonight. I had a supplementary question for the Commissioner, but I will leave it.
President
Mrs Doyle, you can ask the question if you wish. The point is that you did not request it.
Avril Doyle
Madam President, really I just wanted to press home the point to the Commissioner that, given the prevarication and the delay and the cancellation of last January's negotiations and the little contact since and the years this has been going on - with one or two meetings a year - are we convinced that there is any real will on the side of the GCC to have an FTA?
You have sort of just answered that, but is there a real will to have an FTA with the EU? Is that not a fair question, given the time we have been negotiating?
Androula Vassiliou
Member of the Commission. - I would like to simply say that we hope that there is. As you know, the meeting that was scheduled for last January did not take place, but we hope that in the forthcoming meeting in May we shall have substantial negotiations. Let us hope.
President
I have received one motion for a resolution pursuant to Rule 108(5) of the Rules of Procedure.
The debate is closed.
The vote will take place tomorrow at 12 noon.
Written statements (Rule 142)
Roberta Alma Anastase
in writing. - (RO) As a member of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with the Gulf States, I would like to emphasize the importance of signing the Free Trade Agreement between the European Community and the Gulf Cooperation Council as soon as possible. The conclusion of this agreement in 2008 would constitute an essential premise to intensify the economic relations between the two regions and the need to ensure the European Union's energy security reflects the importance and urgency of this theme.
Taking into consideration that the present trade focuses on the energy field, it is essential for the future agreement to clearly and thoroughly approach cooperation in this field and its consolidation. This would multiply and facilitate the achievement of common projects in the energy field, including with the EU Member States in the Black Sea region, which would benefit from new development and cooperation opportunities.
Therefore, it is a priority to set a well-defined schedule for completing the current negotiations, as well as to formulate the major purpose of mutual benefits, which would lead not only to strengthening the economic relations between the EU and the Gulf States, as well as consolidating stability and sustained development in general.


1. Murder of human rights activists in Russia
President
I have received six motions for a resolution concerning the murders of human rights lawyers in Russia (Rule 122).
Heidi Hautala
author. - (FI) Mr President, we really ought to spare a thought here for the human rights activists who were recently murdered in the North Caucasus and light a candle in memory of them. We have to remember that Natalia Estemirova, Zarema Sadulayeva, Alik Dzhabrailov and many others who have suffered and lost their lives in their defence of human rights deserve the support of all of us. Unfortunately, we were not able to support them enough while they were alive.
It is alarming that Russia has not been able to conduct criminal investigations rigorous enough to solve these murders and bring the guilty to justice. I have noted that the European Union has communicated with Russia officially on the subject. Quite obviously, however, our efforts are insufficient, and we will have to consider seriously how we can make the rule of law work in Russia and how we can raise this issue's profile a lot higher when we negotiate the new partnership and cooperation agreement with that country .
We also need to think about how we might support human rights defenders in Russia better than we do now. We should discuss whether we could offer protection to those in danger and whether the EU institutions can arrange visas for them promptly, so that they can escape from Russia, where they and their lives are at risk. In the opinion of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, it is important that the European Parliament should have a centre which disseminates information on the situation of human rights activists whose lives are in danger and which endeavours to help them in collaboration with the other institutions. There is much we can do. Anna Politkovskaya once said that the West can do so much, but the West does so little.
(Applause)
Véronique De Keyser
Mr President, I am going to use the brief amount of time I have to clarify the position of my group, which did not sign the joint declaration and which is tabling a separate resolution.
I would like to tell you, firstly, that we are fully in agreement with the joint resolution with regard to Natalia Estemirova, Zarema Sadulayeva and Alik Dzhabrailov.
We have been shocked by these new assassinations which, in fact, are just a sample of the assassinations of human rights activists in Chechnya.
In our resolution, we have called for exactly the same thing as the joint resolution calls for: we condemn the attack, we call for an enquiry, and we express our concern over the deterioration of human rights for militants in Russia.
Where our position diverges is with regard to the additional reference in the joint resolution to all human rights defenders and to the situation in the North Caucasus region in general. We think that there may be other places in which to make these points - and I undertake to do so - particularly in the resolution that will precede the summit between the European Union and Russia. We would like this agenda on human rights activists and the protection of these activists to form part of that resolution, but also of all the negotiations that we have in the future with Russia.
So, the problem here, I would add, is simply one of time and of place. This is a political issue that should be dealt with politically and not just here, when we are dealing with urgent cases. That is why we have decided to make the distinction but, of course, on the substance of the problem, we are fully in agreement with the other groups.
Renate Weber
author. - Mr President, allow me to present the Chamber with a few facts. Only this year in January, Stanislav Markelov, the human rights lawyer who represented the assassinated journalist Anna Politkovskaya, was gunned down in the middle of the afternoon in downtown Moscow. On the same occasion, Anastasia Baburova, a journalist who tried to protect him, was also shot and died.
In July, Natalia Estemirova, a well-known Russian human rights activist and journalist, was found dead in Ingushetia after being abducted by armed men in neighbouring Chechnya. Less than a month later, another non-governmental activist, Zarema Sadulayeva, and her husband were abducted and killed.
In August, journalist Malik Akhmedilov was shot dead shortly after leaving his home in Dagestan. Six outstanding journalists and human rights activists dead in less than eight months.
These abductions and murders are only the peak of what results from the deterioration of the human rights situation in Russia, where independent voices, including lawyers, journalists and other activists, face increasing violence, threats and unjustified prosecution.
Human rights violations in Russia, and especially in North Caucasus, can no longer be ignored. We cannot be so naive as to believe that super-powerful Russia, with one of the strongest intelligence services in the world, is not capable of finding the perpetrators and bringing them to justice.
We all, regardless of our political colour, have to understand that impunity for attacks against human rights defenders will contribute to more violence and a growing culture of lawlessness. The Russian authorities must ensure the physical safety and freedom of movement and expression of human rights defenders, in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on human rights defenders.
Bernd Posselt
author. - (DE) Mr President, our former Oldest Member, Otto von Habsburg, was once asked whether he regretted being an MEP rather than an emperor. He said no, because if he was an emperor he would have to call a fool 'Your Excellency' but as an MEP he could call a fool a fool. I am reminded of this story when human rights issues come up.
We are not a diplomatic body; we are a political parliamentary body. We can speak the truth. There is a saying that goes 'the fish stinks from the head down'. It is not the case - and I would like to thank Mrs Weber for giving such a clear speech - that these incidents and murders in the Caucasus are in any way random or the work of some dark force, but rather, since Mr Putin came to power, which is linked to the matter of Chechnya and the mysterious explosion of houses in Moscow, there has been a trail of blood there for years that always leads back to Chechnya and affects innocent people: civilians and, in particular, human rights activists who, like those mentioned - and many of these people were known to us personally - not only work for the human rights of Chechens but also for a democratic Russia, for an understanding between the peoples of Chechnya and Russia and for peace in the Caucasus. These people are being murdered one after the other.
Mrs De Keyser, this is why it was necessary to hold an emergency debate. We will make ourselves a laughing stock if a woman who received praise in this House and who visited us in Strasbourg on account of her commitment to human rights is murdered in front of our eyes and we then postpone the debate on the subject to some later date.
Russia is watching closely to see whether we are in a position to respond immediately - and we must respond immediately by saying very clearly: put an end to the murders, to the violation of human rights and grant freedom to Chechnya and Russia, but above all put an end to the systematic violation of human rights and murders in mysterious circumstances.
Tomasz Piotr Poręba
author. - (PL) Once again, the issue of human rights violations in Russia has appeared on the European Parliament's agenda.
In addition to the systematic persecution of religious and ethnic minorities, human rights activists are regularly being murdered. Journalists and NGO workers in Russia risk their lives every day in the course of their work. Threats, kidnappings, torture, arbitrary detentions and murders are becoming commonplace. The fact that the Russian authorities are not actively investigating these crimes, that no real results have been achieved and that the perpetrators remain at large, not only proves the complete ineffectiveness of the authorities' actions, but also their tacit consent and indifference.
Respect for human rights should be a key issue in relations between the European Union and Russia. It is our duty to demand that Russia ensures that proper and effective investigations are implemented, that the perpetrators are punished and that it puts an end to these horrific murders.
Cornelia Ernst
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, as a new MEP, let me start by saying that human rights issues are also extremely important to my party, the German Left, and that we condemn any violation of human rights - irrespective of where or by whom they are committed. That has nothing to do with interfering in national affairs.
I have for years been genuinely concerned and outraged by the fact that, time and again, human rights activists involved with the situation in Chechnya are being murdered. Natalia Estemirova, Stanislav Markelov, Zarema Sadulayeva, these are examples of murders that are truly shocking. It is therefore important that we in this House concern ourselves with this issue.
I am concerned that cases like the murder of Anna Politkovskaya are not investigated. If this process is now re-opened, I most sincerely hope that the perpetrators are found and arrested, because otherwise there is a risk of more bloodshed and it will be seen as a licence to commit acts of this kind. What we expect is simply for an immediate and full investigation to be carried out into these murders and for this matter to be dealt with ruthlessly, for Russia not to wait any longer but to take up the fight to protect human rights itself. It must not be the case that protecting human rights somehow condemns people to death. I also believe that the forthcoming EU-Russia summit needs to tackle these issues as a matter of urgency, and not merely as side issues, but with the prominence that they deserve.
Personally, I also expect human rights issues to be discussed honestly in this House. I would have preferred not to debate issues such as these on Thursday afternoon and I believe this topic should also concern us even if it was about enterprise and trade. Such issues are often given secondary priority. That is what we want to change and that is also something I wanted to say here.
Filip Kaczmarek
Mr President, in a country with a high crime rate, one could put forward the theory that the deaths of human rights activists are a coincidence. They are coincidental because, generally speaking, many people fall victim to crime in these countries. Today, on 17 September, I have to remind you all of a sad anniversary, namely the 70th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland. Following this invasion, Soviet troops shot at least 21 768 Polish citizens. Why have I mentioned this fact? It is because the Russians now claim that this was an ordinary crime, in the same way that the murders of human rights activists are 'ordinary crimes'.
The scale on which human rights activists are being murdered in Russia is such that to interpret this phenomenon as the result of 'ordinary crime' is utterly reckless. The theory that these murders are 'coincidental' is not a viable one. The systematic nature of these killings means that there has to be something in the political and social climate in Russia that has caused such frequent killings. The moral crisis in that country, a tendency to trivialise death, dehumanisation, relativism and vanishing values are to blame for the fact that this problem is not taken seriously. I think that our resolution is well-balanced and will help the Russians resolve this matter.
Justas Vincas Paleckis
on behalf of the S&D Group. - (LT) The Social Democrat Group cannot remain indifferent to the recent murders of human rights activists in Russia. The deaths of Anna Politkovskaya, Natalya Estemirova, Zarema Sadulayeva, Andrei Kulagin must not remain meaningless. We condemn utterly the perpetrators of these barbarous actions and the fact that sadly in some regions of Russia there is an atmosphere of impunity and political murders are not investigated.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has promised that the perpetrators of the murders will be found and punished. His reaction was stronger than the previous president's, but so far these are only words. Time will tell if the Russian authorities are able to carry through the commitments made, so important to the country's citizens and the international community. In our opinion, evaluation in the proposed resolution of Russian actions in the Northern Caucasus has exceeded the resolution's area of application, therefore the social democrats have decided to adopt their own separate document. The social democrats are convinced that the human rights situation in Russia would really improve if EU-Russia human rights consultations were stepped up. The European Parliament, the State Duma, civil, social and human rights organisations in the EU and Russia should make an active contribution to these consultations. We stress that the protection of human rights must be discussed at length at the next meeting of the leaders of the EU and Russia. This matter is becoming an inherent part of the new agreement between the EU and Russia.
Laima Liucija Andrikien
(LT) This debate and the European Parliament resolution on the murder of human rights activists in Russia is particularly important, especially now as we hear one news report after another on the murders in Russia of the human rights defenders Natalya Estemirova, Alik Jabrailov, Zarema Sadulayeva and others. The European Union cannot remain indifferent to the brutal killing of human rights activists. In our relations with Russia we must underline and we do underline that investigations into these murders take too long and as a rule end without establishing who was guilty. Such an unacceptable practice is becoming the norm in Russia, especially in the case of crimes in Chechnya, where impunity is thriving. One of our fundamental values is respect for human rights, human dignity and human life, and no pragmatic interests can be above these values. I think that as a matter of honour Russian President Dmitry Medvedev should ensure that everything is done to fully investigate the kidnapping and murder cases involving human rights defenders, and to bring those who are guilty to justice.
Tunne Kelam
Mr President, the human rights situation in Russia has changed for the worse. We now call on the Russian authorities to do everything in their power to ensure the protection of human rights defenders. We know that the crucial thing that is lacking is a will to do that 'everything'. It can be done, as the Kremlin exercises a decisive influence on Russia's power structures and judiciary. Because of this, the failure of the Russian judiciary to protect human rights defenders makes one assume the complicity of the regime in these crimes.
Our message today should be addressed to the EU governments and the Commission. As long as the Kremlin assumes that worries about the fate of human rights defenders remain on the level of declarations, with no consequences on economic relations, Mr Putin and Mr Medvedev can conclude that the EU has not been able to draw lessons from the blatant murder of Anna Politkovskaya.
Bogusław Sonik
(PL) We are indeed discussing human rights violations in Russia on a day of significant symbolic value. Exactly 70 years ago, on 17 September 1939, the Red Army - in collusion with Hitler - occupied one third of Poland, which was then fighting against the German invasion. Stalin's forces murdered thousands of Poles, and hundreds of thousands were taken away to Soviet labour camps. In Katyń, thousands of Polish officers were murdered on Stalin's orders. To us, 17 September will forever remain a day of shame for Stalin's Russia.
Today's Russia is not brave enough to face this horrific truth. Its current government is providing unconvincing justifications for their former alliance with Hitler. To this day, Moscow is refusing to grant access to the archives on the Katyń massacre.
The histories of many countries contain horrific events. It is a measure of the maturity of a nation when it is able to confront its past and denounce that which needs to be denounced in its history. Today's Germany is an example of such an attitude. It is only then that the past will cease to be a burden for today's Russia and will allow it to enter the community of free and democratic nations with its head held high. Only then will Russia be able, once and for all, to drop the millstone of its Stalinist past from around its neck, and to stop fighting against its own citizens, who are currently risking their lives to defend fundamental freedoms and human rights.
We honour the victims of those murders. We will remember you all.
Rui Tavares
(PT) Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. The murder of Natalia Estemirova prompted great sadness in all of us in this House, since we learnt of her abduction on the very day when we gathered here for the first time, and heard of her murder just a few hours later. That is something that cannot fail to move anyone, wherever in the world they may be. As my colleague Mrs Ernst has already said, I firmly believe that the left must defend human rights and the defenders of human rights everywhere, regardless of the country they are in.
These attacks, this onslaught against human rights activists in Russia, have had very worrying effects. They work as intimidation and will certainly be extremely traumatic for all those who want to defend human rights in Russia. They are therefore the first layer in an offensive that will later result in the deterioration of the whole human rights situation, not to mention the human rights of the activists themselves.
The effects of these murders are therefore unpredictable and worrying. Without a swift and effective judicial investigation and with no guarantee that the safety of human rights activists will be respected, the situation may in fact become extremely worrying. That is why I shall take great pleasure in voting in favour of this resolution and in following up its appeals to the Russian authorities to protect human rights activists.
I come from Portugal, from the other end of Europe, and next week I shall be going to Russia. In fact, I am going to the Russian embassy tomorrow to get my visa. I believe that the relations between Europe and Russia are of the greatest importance and that Europe owes much to Russia. The first thing that Europe owes Russia is sincerity and clarity in the protection of the human rights and freedoms of our Russian fellow citizens of Europe.
Eija-Riitta Korhola
(FI) Mr President, your language is so beautiful that I decided to try to thank you in Hungarian: köszönöm. Mr Tavares, I would like to respond to your comments. Work on behalf of human rights is not just the concern of the left; it also concerns us on the centre-right, and let us hope this will encourage us to cooperate. Mrs Ernst mentioned something that is absolutely right. We are discussing this here, while in plenary most Members are already on their way home, and we have to work together to make this a political priority.
I was once a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and when the Subcommittee on Human Rights was set up I was a member of that too. When I tabled amendments, sometimes I submitted them to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and my colleagues would ask why I was still tabling amendments on human rights there, as we had a Subcommittee on Human Rights for that. At the time I thought that something was wrong if our Subcommittee on Human Rights was to become a ghetto or human rights were to become the preserve of such a body. Let us work together to prevent this from happening to human rights.
Kristian Vigenin
(BG) Mr President, Commissioner, Mr Posselt's statement has annoyed me. I would like to underline that Mrs De Keyser's achievements in defending human rights cannot be brought into question in a discussion of this nature. She has proven herself as a key person working on this issue in this House.
I will not under any circumstances allow, and do not believe it is right for us to question the commitment of the S&D Group to the protection of human rights, because we also did this when your group, Mr Posselt, was attempting to trivialise the crimes at Guantanamo and the treatment of prisoners in Iraq by US troops.
On the subject of human rights in Russia, there is indeed a serious problem, which we acknowledge, and the resolution which we are submitting is sufficiently tough and incisive. However, we do think this Parliament needs to focus on the issues, and not simply to come up every time with a long list of problems in our relations with Russia, when these have no effect over there.
What we are doing in this respect is continuing to send a delegation from the S&D Group to talks in Moscow next week, where this particular issue will be raised. Do not use human rights emergencies like this one to produce a long list of issues. This is not the purpose of today's debate.
Miroslav Mikolášik
(SK) I would like to express my sadness and profound disquiet over the events which took place in June this year in the Russian Federation. I feel shaken by the brutal murders of Russian activists such as Natalia Estemirova and Andrei Kulagin and others who were involved in supporting human rights and who advocated truth and justice. Every effort must be made to detain and punish the murderers. I welcome and support measures which must be taken in order to solve these murders.
There was also a breach of international agreements in August 2008 when, during the conflict between Russia and Georgia, Russian armed forces attacked inhabited areas and failed to protect the civilian population from a violation of their rights by armed fighters from South Ossetia on territory which de facto came under Russian control. The Russian Government must state unequivocally that human rights violations will not be tolerated.
Charles Tannock
Mr President, a culture of criminal impunity is developing in Russia with regard to the abuse of human rights activists. Journalists who dare to challenge the official view of things are harassed; ethnic minorities suffer disproportionately from violent crime, which seems to go unsolved; campaigners for greater freedoms are at best marginalised and at worst forcibly silenced.
It is hard to see precisely where the threat to human rights defenders in Russia comes from, but time and again we see wanton abuses going unpunished and a lackadaisical approach from the judicial authorities.
Russia has got used to the equivocation of the EU. This is clear from the way the Union has reacted to Russia's bullying of Ukraine or Russia's invasion and occupation of sovereign Georgian territory last summer.
Clearly there are vital strategic questions at stake in the EU having good relations with Russia, but we cannot allow these questions to erase our obligation to speak out for our fundamental freedoms and shared European common values, freedoms and values the Russian people themselves should be enabled to share fully in peace and security.
Krisztina Morvai
(HU) I have been involved professionally for 25 years in protecting human rights. This is why, in particular as a lawyer, I feel a deep sense of sympathy when I think of my colleagues who have lost their lives in connection with this quite wonderful profession. I would also like, on this note, to express my sincere sympathy to their families and loved ones.
What would be the right course of action at a time like this? To call for an immediate, thorough investigation carried out by the relevant state agencies. I would like this Parliament to have the confidence and moral authority to do this. However, I am afraid this is not the case. Why? Because such demands are only made of states outside the European Union. However, things are different when it comes to human rights being grossly violated in a European Union Member State, as happened in my country, Hungary, where people were shot in the eye at a mass gathering of several thousand people staged by the party of the man currently presiding this session, Vice-President Pál Schmitt, to commemorate the anniversary of the 1956 revolution and fight for freedom. This Parliament has not had any investigation conducted into this case and the crisis situation which has continued since then.
I am afraid that as long as this does not happen and as long as someone who was a member of the government which sanctioned shooting at people can be Vice-Chairwoman of Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, , we cannot have any real confidence and the moral authority in another country, to ask for this kind of investigation to be carried out in a country outside the European Union. I would therefore ask you to propose and demand an immediate investigation into human rights violations in Hungary. Thank you.
Cristian Dan Preda
(RO) I wanted to say, first of all, that I am disappointed that, when the dairy crisis was being discussed, the chamber was full, and now, when human rights are being discussed, I do not think that there are any more than 40 of us left in the chamber. It is a pity that this is how things are. I am not saying that the dairy crisis is not important, but a problem such as human rights is of paramount political importance to each one of us.
I would also like to say that I find unacceptable the whole idea that this year when, as is well known, many countries in Central and Eastern Europe are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the collapse of Communism, a power right on our doorstep, which was the originator of these Communist regimes, demonstrates such indifference to crimes perpetrated against human rights activists. I believe that the break with totalitarianism must be clearly affirmed by every one of us.
Meglena Kuneva
Member of the Commission. - Mr President, today's debate on the situation of human rights defenders in Russia is timely and very appropriate. The recent wave of violence against human rights defenders has put the spotlight on the grave dangers they run in the course of their work. Many have paid the ultimate price for bringing to light violations of human rights. We pay tribute to all those who have lost their lives and to those who continue their work in such an environment.
Much of the violence against human rights defenders has taken place in the North Caucasus, against the background of growing instability. The Commission knows many of them. They are highly respected partners in the implementation of human rights projects. Innocent civilians, law enforcement personnel and government officials have lost their lives in the ongoing struggle in the region.
Violence against human rights defenders is not restricted to the North Caucasus. There are reports of activists, lawyers and independent journalists across the Russian Federation facing violence, harassment and intimidation. The EU must continue to speak out against this violence and insist that Russia uphold the commitments it has entered into as a member of the United Nations, the OSCE and the Council of Europe.
It is crucial that the attacks and violent deaths of civil society activists are properly investigated and that the perpetrators are promptly identified and punished. It is only through the effective and lawful prosecution of these killings that the climate of fear and impunity can be dissipated.
President Medvedev has spoken out against what he has termed the 'legal nihilism' prevailing in Russia. The EU stands ready to support Russia in its continuing reform of the judicial system. The EU highly values the opportunity it has to discuss its concerns on human rights with the Russian authorities. We welcome the more open attitude President Medvedev has taken to discussions with the EU on these issues.
The next EU-Russia summit is another opportunity to continue these discussions. This must be complemented by exchanges among experts. The regular EU-Russia human rights consultations offer an opportunity to broaden the scope of these discussions and the range of interlocutors with whom we discuss human rights issues.
The safety of human rights defenders must be the first concern. We urge the Russian authorities to make every possible effort to ensure that those who work on shedding light on violations of human rights are able to do so without fear of violence or intimidation.
President
The debate is closed.
The vote will take place at the end of the debate.