Brussels, 17/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - The main thrust of the common resolution (EPP, S&D, Greens/EFA, ALDE and ECR) on the situation in Egypt, adopted on Thursday17 February in Strasbourg by the European Parliament, emphasises that “Egypt is a key partner of the EU in the Middle East”; and that the EU “should contribute to the emergence of a democratic, prosperous and stable Egypt by encouraging and supporting the renewal of the country”. It also highlights the fact that “Egypt is playing an active and crucial role in support of the Middle East Peace Process and in intra-Palestinian reconciliation”.
MEPs are pleased with assurances provided by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, confirming Egypt's “commitment to implementing all international treaties and covenants to which it is party” and maintaining agreements with Israel. MEPs also note the Council of the Armed Forces' commitment to hand over power to a “democratically elected civilian government” and that it has made a number of important decisions in this respect, as announced in its fifth declaration on 13 February 2011.
The EP underlines the main events which brought down the regime that had clung to power for 23 years and had rejected any kind of democracy (a state of emergency had existed from 1981). The regime had managed to hold on to power thanks to a modern police force, an industrial oligarchy and the silence observed by the major democratic countries involved in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the fight against terrorism. The resolution also states that “the quest for stability has often overshadowed the values of democracy, social justice and human rights” that the EU and its member states often emphasised, whereas human rights clauses in Association Agreements should be systematically backed up through an appropriate application mechanism. The MEPs' first conclusion is that neighbourhood policy must be subject to systematic scrutiny. The common resolution expresses its “solidarity with the Egyptian people, applauds their courage and determination, with special regard to the young generation, and strongly supports their legitimate democratic aspirations”. The resolution also calls for “the immediate and unconditional release of all peaceful demonstrators, prisoners of conscience, Egyptian and international human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers”.
MEPs consider that the standing down of President Hosni Mubarak “has opened up a new phase in the political transition in Egypt”. The MEPs also call for “a genuine and open national political dialogue to be launched immediately with the participation of all key political and civil-society actors with the aim of paving the way for lifting the state of emergency, revision of the Constitution and the electoral law, free and fair elections, a democratically elected civilian government” and stress the importance of “restoring all communication networks, including the internet, without delay and fully respecting freedom of information, expression and association in Egypt”.
MEPs declare their support for “reforms leading towards democracy, the rule of law and social justice in Egypt” and reiterate their call for the lifting of the state of emergency. They also stress the importance of “considerably accelerating economic and social reforms in Egypt” and recommend the idea of a European task force to help the country.
The resolution calls on the EU to “actively support a rapid transition towards a peaceful, pluralist and just Egypt” and “to help democratic political forces and civil-society organisations in Egypt to organise themselves in order to be able to participate fully in the transition to democracy”. MEPs urge the Egyptian authorities not to allow the Christian Coptic communities to fall victim to the security deficit. They call on the EU to freeze the assets held or controlled by people considered responsible for the embezzlement of public funds.
The MEPs' general conclusion on the action of the EU is that there is an urgent need to define more ambitious and efficient policies and instruments, which benefit from greater funding, to help promote economic and social policy reforms in countries covered by the Union's southern neighbourhood policy. MEPs also call for better coordination between other Union policies. They repeat their demand for the setting up of a mechanism for implementing the “human rights” clause in all agreements with non-EU countries. The Council is called on to define a comprehensive system of political criteria, which neighbourhood countries should meet in order to obtain advanced status. (F.B./transl.fl)