Strasbourg, 13/12/2007 (Agence Europe) - In a joint resolution from the EPP-ED, PES, ALDE, UEN, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL groups, adopted on Thursday 13 December, the European Parliament deplored the fact that “once again” the Council and Commission had failed to tackle the problem of human rights abuses “with firmness” at the last EU-China summit at the end of November. The resolution adopted on Thursday echoes the indignation shown by some MEPs the previous day (see EUROPE 9563). In this context, the EP called for “greater coherence” in ensuring that the improvement in trade relations with China be conditional on human rights reforms. While welcoming the fact that the partnership and cooperation agreement being negotiated with Beijing includes a clause on human rights, the EP was critical that, in general terms, China's record in this area remains worrying. It confirmed, then, the need to enhance and improve EU-China dialogue by including in it the essentials of human rights: reform of the criminal judicial system, including the death penalty and systems of re-education through work, freedom of expression (in particular via the internet), freedom of the press, freedom of conscience, thought and religion, minority rights, freeing political prisoners and social and labour rights. The EP stressed that the EU must keep its embargo on arms in place until there is substantial progress and re-iterated its call for Beijing to ratify the international pact on civil and political rights. With the approach of the 29th Summer Olympic Games in Beijing in August next year, the EP noted the importance that the first two Articles of the Olympic Charter confer on respect for basic, universal ethical principles and the encouragement of a peaceful society that seeks to maintain human dignity. It called on the IOC, therefore, to publish its assessment of China's compliance with commitments made before Beijing was selected to host the Games, and underlined the EU's responsibility to take account of this assessment to lay the foundations for responsible conduct before, during and after the Olympics. Finally, it called on Beijing to put in place a moratorium on executions during the Games and to remove 42 categories of banished persons. (E.H.)