On Thursday 13 September, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini announced the EU could take out measures against Cambodia due to its worsening rule of law.
"If we continue to see this negative trend without any change, we are ready to take the appropriate measures at the Council", she said during a debate on the situation in the country at the European Parliament.
"At the Foreign Affairs Council in February, we said that specific targeted measures could be considered if the situation did not improve. The situation has not improved, and we are now in the process considering the possibility of further measures", Mogherini stated (see EUROPE 11969). The EU has already suspended its aid to the Cambodian national election committee and has refused to observe the elections (see EUROPE 12073).
Underlining that the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms was "essential" for maintaining EU trade preferences (Cambodia benefits from the Everything But Arms initiative), Mogherini said that the EU had sent a fact-finding mission in July to assess the situation. "Decisions on all further measures will be based on information gathered during this mission", she said.
The Parliament's position was similar to that of Mogherini. In a joint resolution of the ECR, Greens/EFA, S&D, EPP and ALDE Groups that they adopted a few minutes after the debate, the MEPs say that the Commission should assess the possible consequences, as regards trade preferences, notably to consider carrying out an investigation under the mechanisms provided for as part of the Everything But Arms regime.
The European Parliament says that the EEAS and European Commission should draw up a list of people responsible for the dissolution of the opposition and other serious human rights violations, "with a view to imposing possible restrictions on visas and an assets freeze against them" – which already seems to be the case according to what Mogherini says.
The MEPs also ask the EEAS and member states to ensure that a strong resolution on the human rights situation in Cambodia is adopted at the 39th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Addressing the Cambodian government, the MEPs call for work on strengthening democracy and the rule of law, and for the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms. More specifically, they push for the release of politicians and citizens who are currently in prison because they exercised their fundamental rights. The MEPs want measures quickly to reverse the decision to dissolve the CNRP opposition party, and they also want the end to all forms of harassment, abuse and politically motivated criminal charges against members of the opposition, human rights defenders, journalists or members of civil society. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)