Brussels, 09/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission continues to give a positive assessment of the ongoing political changes in Cuba, but criticises the recent arbitrary arrests.
“We should not miss the opportunities that are arising. And Europe cannot take a back seat while someone else makes history. We should be driving the change also, to make sure the outcomes reflect our values and priorities on human rights”, said European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn on behalf of High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini at a European Parliament debate on Wednesday 8 July on the relations between the European Union and Cuba. Hahn looked favourably at the recent re-opening of the US embassy in Cuba, and of the Cuban embassy in the US. “Further normalisation is necessary” including “ending the [US] embargo” on Cuba, he added.
As regards the negotiations to conclude a cooperation agreement between the EU and Cuba by the end of 2015, Hahn said he believed the talks on the cooperation and trade chapters were “very advanced” and could be concluded “in the next round, early September”.
Speaking about the launch of a human rights dialogue on the sidelines of the negotiations for the cooperation agreement (see EUROPE 11344), Hahn described the violence that took place last Sunday as “disappointing” and “unjustified” - as were a significant number of arrests on the sidelines of a march by the Ladies in White movement. “There is no reason to limit peaceful expression of opinions, and the use of excessive violence against peaceful protests is unacceptable”, he said, calling on the Cuban authorities to take “all necessary measures” to remedy the situation.
Luis de Grandes Pascual (EPP, Spain) would like the “timid” changes seen in Cuba to be “quicker”. Fernando Maura Barandiarán (ALDE, Spain) criticised the member states' “mad race” to Cuba “to share out what remains of the cake” without anticipating specific conditions linked to human rights. “An unconditional agreement is needed on the release of political prisoners”, he said. In the view of Carlos Zorrinho (S&D, Portugal), on the other hand, the EU's common position should be reviewed as it is “obsolete”, but this should be done “without giving up our values”. He was joined on this point by Ernest Urtasun (Greens/EFA, Spain), who advocated an opening-up of trade - not only between multinationals but between people. (Mathieu Bion)