Brussels, 08/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - The European Union should promote human rights more effectively and ensure that it respects its own principles, for example in anti-terrorism and immigration. That was the message sent by Parliament in the own initiative report by Raimon Obiols i Germà (PES, Spain) which takes stock of the human rights situation in the world in 2008. The report was adopted by a large majority (429 votes to 36, with 55 abstentions).
On anti-terrorist policy Parliament regretted that Europe applies human rights when it suits. Immigration policy is a challenge for the credibility of EU action, it says. Parliament also calls on member states to sign the United Nations and Council of Europe human rights conventions and, particularly, to ratify the optional protocol to the Convention against Torture. Parliament says that human rights activists whose lives are in danger should be granted emergency visas to allow them refuge in member states. It calls on the EU to build economic, social and cultural rights into its external relations with third countries and to highlight the need to promote corporate social responsibility. In general, the EU should use its clout more effectively. Parliament welcomed the fact that overall the death penalty is on the retreat, although not in Iran, where its use has increased. China carries out the greatest number of death sentences, and Belarus is the only European country still to use this sentence. The report also highlights problems in Russia, Uzbekistan, Cuba, Zimbabwe and other countries. MEPs welcome the use of international arrest warrants to bring those responsible for human rights abuses to justice, but note that such warrants have had mixed results.
MEPs rejected an amendment (by 253 votes to 199, with 61 abstentions) condemning the Pope's recent comments on the use of condoms. On behalf of the EPP, German MEP Hartmut Nassauer spoke before the vote to call for this amendment to be declared inadmissible since the comments were made in 2009 and the report referred to 2008. “It compares the Pope's comments to the most terrible human rights violations,” making this “discrimination against the Pope”, he said. On the basis of the opinion of the legal service, Gérard Onesta, who was in the chair, informed the plenary session of President Hans-Gert Pöttering's decision that the amendment should be considered admissible. (B.C./transl.rt)