Brussels, 08/04/2010 (Agence Europe) - Ahead of the municipal elections in Tunisia on 9 May, “access to the headquarters and premises of several NGOs and legal political parties has been largely blocked and preventive measures are growing against members of Tunisian civil society,” says Marie-Christine Vergiat (GUE/NGL, France) condemning the political situation in the country and criticising what she sees as the EU's lack of action in an “ever-worsening human rights situation”. She is highly critical of the €240 million allocated by the EU at the end of March under the terms of cooperation with Tunisia. Discussions are also on-going on granting this country “advanced status”, which would be a step up from the association agreement which currently governs cooperation.
“Signing this agreement is, then, more than a wrong signal, it sets a very bad example on the way the EU intends to act in this area and can only provide ammunition for those who claim that human rights are nothing more than a tool used by the West to maintain its supremacy throughout the world,” Vergiat said. In her opinion, continuing and enhancing cooperation with Tunisia, “as if nothing was wrong”, was “a snub to human rights, and even more revealing of the interest human rights have for most EU leaders when European economic interests are at stake,” she added. (F.B./transl.rt)