Brussels, 26/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption on Thursday 22 October of a resolution on strengthening democracy in EU external relations, the European Parliament calls for a uniform and more coherent framework to allow more effective EU support.
According to MEPs, democratisation and good governance are not an end in themselves, but are essential for reducing poverty, and for ensuring sustainable development, peace and stability. They call on the Commission and member states, as the new external action service is being set in place, to ensure that human rights and strengthened democracy are truly integrated by institutional means in all fields of action. Underlining the fact that democracy cannot be exported or imposed abroad, the Parliament also calls for greater support of NGOs and of political and academic organisations whose role is essential in democratic stabilisation and transition.
The EP also places emphasis on the creation of a European voluntary peace corps, taking into account the positive experience of the European Voluntary Service (EVS), and welcomes the positive contribution made by the EU electoral observation missions. The work of the EU, however, should not end with electoral observation and it is necessary to ensure there is coherent post-electoral policy, granting special attention to convergence between technical and political follow-up. The EP also suggests that the Commission systematically include a chapter on the state of democracy and human rights in its country-by-country strategy documents, comprising recommendations made by the corresponding European Union electoral observation missions. (A.B./transl.jl)