Brussels, 21/04/2006 (Agence Europe) - In adopting the report from British Labour MEP Richard Howitt in reaction to the EU Council's report on human rights in 2005, the European Parliament foreign affairs committee called for greater involvement in future in drawing up the report. Approving the amendment from Simon Coveney (EPP-ED, Ireland), the committee called for a single report which was “representative of the views of the Council, the Commission and the Parliament”. “I do not believe there is any point in the duplication of work. The role of the Parliament should be to critically analyse the performance of the Council and Commission in relation to meeting targets set out in key areas outlined in an EU Annual Human Rights Report,” said Mr Coveney in a press release.
The Howitt report, which will be voted on in the Strasbourg plenary of 15 to 18 May, concentrates on the outcome of EU efforts on human rights, while assessing the situation in several third countries. It warns that the EU fails to address “systematically and continuously” human rights concerns, and calls for more European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights funding for grass-roots projects (see EUROPE 9174 for Edward McMillan-Scott's proposal for the management of this project to be given to an independent foundation). The report comes out in favour of a “clear system of sanctions” against countries that violate the human rights clauses in agreements with the EU, and calls for future reports on human rights to “address explicitly discrimination issues” based on ethnicity, religion, gender, disability or sexual orientation. The committee, which wants to see a list of “Countries of Particular Concern”, welcomes the inclusion of human rights issues in the European Neighbourhood Policy and commends the “increasing effectiveness of EU electoral observation activities”. The report also praises the UK Presidency's efforts for the abolition of the death penalty and the promotion of freedom of expression and the Austrian Presidency's promise to pursue efforts with EU partners to obtain ratification of international conventions banning torture. The report also calls for greater funding to enable the EP sub-committee on human rights to carry out more field trips. It is concerned about continuing human rights violations in Iraq and calls for the EU to do more to bring political and economic stability to the country, and for the Commission Delegation in Baghdad to become fully operational, provided that security concerns can be addressed. The report deplores the deteriorating security situation in Darfur and calls on the EU to support the transition of the present African Union Mission towards a fully-fledged UN peace-keeping force. It encourages the EU to adopt a more proactive role in relation to Burma, particular on the release of political prisoners and in particular Aung San Suu Kyi. The report praises the EU for imposing sanctions on Uzbekistan in 2005, and deplores the continuation of human rights abuses in Chechnya, China, Ethiopia and Tunisia. MEPs also ask once again on the Council and Commission to call on the United States immediately to close the Guantanamo detention centre.