The EU should do more to protect independent journalists, bloggers and human rights activists, said MEPs on Wednesday 14 December when they adopted by 463 to 115 with 113 abstentions, the 2015 annual report on human rights and democracy around the world and the EU’s policy in this domain. This was a report by Josef Weidenholzer (S&D, Austria).
In their marathon report, they ask the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and foreign ministers to regularly add to the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council a discussion on the EU’s work to protect human rights activists, humanitarian workers, journalists and political activists. They point out that the universality of human rights is coming under severe challenge in many parts of the world and criticise abuse and violence that is made possible by repressive laws, particularly in Russia, Turkey and China, under the pretext of fighting terrorism.
The MEPs ask the EU to boost coherence among its domestic and foreign policies when it comes to respect of human rights and democratic values. They point out that clauses on human rights should be added as a matter of course to all international agreements. The MEPs call on the member states to improve the coherence of migration policies. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)