ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
A4-0105/97

Resolution on the report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament: Review of the facility providing medium-term financial assistance for Member States' balances of payments - Council Regulation 88/1969/EEC (COM(96)0545 - C4-0588/96)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament (COM(96)0545 - C4-0588/96),

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy and the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (A4-0105/97),

A. whereas the facility for Member States' balances of payments can, and from time to time does, perform a useful stabilising function,

B. whereas Member States which are not part of EMU from 1 January 1999 may continue to require support in stabilizing their balances of payments,

C. whereas a possibility of support for balance of payments problems will continue to be required by new Member States joining the European Union which do not immediately join EMU,

D. whereas the costs of the balances of payment facility are borne in their entirety by the beneficiary countries, while thanks to the guarantee from the Community's budget the interest payable is exceptionally low,

E. whereas the EC Treaty has opened up the possibility of a Community loan instrument for the third stage of EMU but whereas the preparatory work has not yet been carried out by the Commission,

F. whereas the instruments available to the Union and the Member States for cushioning economic shocks in EMU are not excessive, and whereas a Community loan facility similar to the facility for assistance for balances of payments would be useful and is necessary,

1. Recommends to the Council that the current facility for assistance for balance of payments be retained even when EMU commences;

2. Calls on the Commission to draw up and submit to Parliament and the Council, pursuant to Article 103a(2) of the EC Treaty, a regulation for an assistance facility to help a Member State in difficulties or seriously threatened with severe difficulties;

3. Recommends to the Commission that when drawing up an assistance facility to promote economic and monetary stability it be guided by the existing facility for assistance for balances of payments, but that it make the maximum level of the facility dependent on a percentage of the GDP of the participating Member States;

4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and the Council.
B4-0358, 0374, 0402, 0408, 0430 and 0433/97

Resolution on Iran

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Iran, in particular those of 13 March 1996 ((OJ C 96, 1.4.1996, p. 295.)) and 20 February 1997 ((Minutes of that Sitting, Part II, Item 11(b).)),

- having regard to the resolution of the UN Human Rights Commission of 15 April 1997,

A. whereas Iran is suspected of state terrorism in several cases, and has a poor overall record of human rights, which has shown no sign of improvement over the past year,

B. noting the ruling by a Berlin Court on 10 April 1997, affirming that the political and religious leadership of the Iranian regime are behind the assassination of Iranian dissidents abroad,

C. noting the Council's decision to suspend the 'critical dialogue' with Iran and defer the return of the Member States' ambassadors to Tehran pending clarification of the position by the Iranian authorities, who have given to understand that the return of the German and Danish ambassadors would be unwelcome,

D. noting furthermore the Council's decision to suspend official bilateral ministerial visits, to confirm the policy of not supplying arms to Iran, to ensure that visas are not granted to Iranians with intelligence and security functions and to exclude Iranian intelligence personnel from the EU,

E. appalled by the continuing threats against Salman Rushdie which have the support of the Iranian government, and recent statements by government agents in Tehran of intent to kill German nationals,

F. noting with dismay the rejection by Iran's Supreme Court of the appeal against the conviction and death sentence against Mr Mohammad Assadi,

G. expressing its profound sympathy and solidarity with the great number of victims of the recent earthquake disaster and their families, and urging the European Agency for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) to respond immediately to the Iranian calls for humanitarian aid,

1. Condemns in the sharpest possible terms the persistent acts of state terrorism perpetrated by the Iranian Government at home and abroad;

2. Demands that the Council establish a common and united policy between all Member States regarding the diplomatic representation of the Member States in Iran;

3. Calls on the Council to put a definite end to the 'critical dialogue' with the Iranian authorities and to enhance the dialogue with all those promoting the transformation of Iran into a democratic state;

4. Asks the Council and the Member States, in the absence of positive steps by Tehran, to elaborate ways and means to bring increased and progressively stronger pressure to bear upon the authorities in Tehran;

5. Expresses solidarity with the victims of the Iranian regime's terrorism and supports all the democrats opposed to the present Iranian regime who are fighting to establish a truly democratic state in Iran;

6. Reiterates its utter condemnation of the fatwa against Mr Rushdie and demands that it be considered null and void by the Iranian authorities;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the Iranian government.
B4-0069/98

Resolution on the terrorist attacks in the Basque country

The European Parliament,

A. shocked at the latest appalling attack by the terrorist group ETA in which José Ignacio Iruretagoyena, a local councillor for the Partido Popular (People's Party), was assassinated in Zarauz (Guipúzcoa province) on Friday 9 January 1998,

B. whereas this criminal organization is persisting with its bloody campaign with the sole objective of destroying democracy and the rule of law, both in Basque society and in the whole of Spain,

The European Parliament,

1. Condemns unequivocally this savage attack, and reiterates its total rejection of all forms of violence;

2. Forwards its most sincere condolences to the relatives, friends and colleagues of the murdered councillor, and reaffirms its total solidarity with all the many victims of this group of criminals;

3. Reiterates its support for the Ajuria-Enea pact and the Madrid agreement, and urges the signatories to continue to respect the undertakings made and take further action on them;

4. Expresses its full and sincere support for all democrats who are in a similarly exposed situation in the face of such crimes, and urges them to continue, within a democratic framework, with their defence of freedom and the rule of law as they exist both in Basque society and in all of Spain;

5. Stresses its rejection of any form of dialogue with all those who collaborate in, tolerate, encourage, abet or carry out criminal acts of this nature;

6. Reiterates once again its commitment to the fight against terrorism by means of seamless cooperation at police and judicial levels among the Member States;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Spanish and Basque authorities and the relatives of the victim.
B4-0340/98

Resolution on Jamaica's withdrawal from the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

The European Parliament,

A. whereas Jamaica withdrew from the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on 22 January 1998, the first state ever to do so,

B. whereas the Jamaican Government's stated reason for withdrawal is to allow it to modify the existing legal provisions with regard to capital punishment,

C. whereas Jamaicans are no longer able to file petitions with the United Nations Human Rights Commission alleging that their government has violated the rights guaranteed by the ICCPR,

D. whereas Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago are considering following the Jamaican example,

E. whereas withdrawal sets a bad precedent and undermines the international human rights protection system,

The European Parliament,

1. Strongly urges the Jamaican Government to reverse its decision and appeals to the governments of Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago not to withdraw from the Optional Protocol;

2. Reiterates its view that capital punishment is never justifiable;

3. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago, and the Co-Presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Assembly.

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B4-0332, 0346, 0356 and 0363/98

Resolution on the food crisis in North Korea

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its resolutions of 15 May 1997 ((OJ C 167, 2.6.1997, p. 157.)) and 23 October 1997 ((Minutes of that Sitting, Part II, Item 8.)) on the famine in North Korea,

A. whereas the shortfall of millions of tonnes of rice and maize as a result of the failed harvest of 1997 is now beginning to take full effect,

B. aware of the chronic shortage of energy in the country and the EU membership of the Korean Energy Development Organisation designed to provide 2 nuclear power stations for North Korea by 2005,

C. aware of the announcement on 2 March 1998 by the North Korean Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committee that even if the current daily ration of grain were halved from 200 grammes to a starvation-level 100 grammes the present stock of grain would still run out by the middle of March,

D. equally aware of other sources which dispute the full gravity of the situation,

E. noting, however, that official UN figures indicate that there are tens of thousands of children already suffering from severe malnutrition,

F. aware of the continuing humanitarian work of NGOs, the Red Cross Children Aid Direct and Médecins Sans Frontières and the United Nations agencies,

G. noting that the causes of the famine are also to be attributed to the country¨s failed economic and agricultural policies of the past decades,

H. whereas the North Korean authorities keep their people extremely isolated and whereas restrictions on visits to North Korea and on access to impartial information prevent the assessment of the exact scale of the spread of famine, as well as proper monitoring of the food aid given,

I. aware that the European Union has been the largest aid donor,

1. Criticizes the North Korean government for preventing a full assessment of the food crisis and for hampering the monitoring of aid distribution, and calls on it to make possible an objective assessment of the current situation as concerns food and energy supplies;

2. Calls on the European Union and its Member States to make preparations for further humanitarian aid, but to make it conditional on the donors' ability to monitor its distribution;

3. Insists that North Korea allow a delegation to investigate both the humanitarian aid needs and the problems of energy supply which exacerbate the former;

4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments of the Member States and the governments of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan.

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B4-0614 and 0659/98

Resolution on the blasphemy laws in Pakistan

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the consultation on the cooperation agreement between the European Union and Pakistan, which has already been initialled, and in which human rights and democratic principles are laid down as fundamental conditions of the agreement,

- having regard to the United Nations Human Rights Charter,

A. concerned at the effects of the 1991 blasphemy law, which has frequently led to death sentences being passed and severe penalties being imposed on members of religious minorities,

B. noting that this law has also led to acts of violence against religious minorities,

C. noting that members of these minorities are arrested, often held on remand awaiting trial for a very long time without reason and are subjected to severe penalties,

D. whereas representatives of the Catholic and Protestant churches and Moslems have repeatedly protested against the increased harshness of the law on blasphemy,

E. whereas the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) assessed 1997 as the worst year for human rights in the history of the country,

F. whereas the blasphemy law in Pakistan is frequently abused to settle personal disputes,

G. whereas it is noteworthy that the death of Catholic Bishop John Joseph is being seen as a symbol of the protest against the deterioration of the situation of religious minorities,

1. Calls for the immediate revision of the blasphemy law, which has also been called for by the various representatives of the churches in Pakistan;

2. Calls for the revision of the separate electoral law for religious minorities and religious communities, in consultation with the representatives of the religious minorities, in order to ensure greater representation of these minorities;

3. Protests against the arrest of members of religious minorities who protest against the religious laws;

4. Calls for an end to threats to political and religious organizations and institutions, judges, lawyers and spokesmen of NGOs who advocate a change in the law;

5. Calls for the protection of people threatened by persecution and attacks by religious fanatics and for fair trials for all accused persons;

6. Calls on the Commission, in the implementation of the cooperation agreement which is shortly to be concluded, to ensure together with the Pakistan authorities that respect for human rights also covers the right to freedom of religion;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the government and parliament of Pakistan.

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B4-0901, 0907, 0912, 0918, 0922, 0932 and 0943/98

Resolution on financial contributions to the UN

The European Parliament,

A. whereas the United States owes the United Nations about USD 1.6 billion in arrears to the regular and peacekeeping budgets, a sum that represents two thirds of the total arrears, which puts the UN under increasing pressure to curtail its activities, with regard to both peacekeeping activities and humanitarian work,

B. concerned that failure to settle arrears sets a dangerous precedent for other member states,

C. whereas the EU Member States provide the largest share of contributions and Japan, as one of the largest single State contributors, has kept up with its dues despite recession,

D. whereas Japan and Europe and many developing countries have not been reimbursed for providing peacekeeping forces,

The European Parliament,

1. Calls upon the US Congress and President Clinton to fulfil US financial obligations towards the UN;

2. Calls on the Council and the Member States to exert the necessary pressure on the US to pay its arrears immediately and to work actively to break the stalemate concerning payment and other reforms of the UN;

3. Calls upon all UN member states that are lagging behind to pay their arrears;

4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the governments of the Member States and the Congress and the President of the USA.
B4-0374, 0390, 0400, 0407 and 0422/99

Resolution on Cambodia

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on Cambodia,

A. considering that following the arrest and the military detention on 6 March 1999 vof Ta Mok, a senior member of the Khmer Rouge, the opportunity at last exists to hold to account some of those responsible for crimes against humanity in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979,

B. taking note of the decision of the Cambodian government that Khmer Rouge leader Ta Mok will not be prosecuted by an independent international tribunal as called for by international human rights organisations, and worried about reports that Cambodian government officials themselves have acknowledged the country's lack of capacity to bring the Khmer Rouge to justice,

C. concerned about the risk that a trial in Cambodia is not likely to bring out the full truth about the crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by the Khmer Rouge while in power,

D. concerned about fears that international aid for trials under domestic treason law, as proposed by Hun Sen for the case of Ta Mok, could ultimately be used to legitimise prosecutions of Hun Sen's current political opponents for reasons that have nothing to do with the atrocities perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge,

E. whereas Ta Mok is the only Khmer Rouge leader to be charged and detained and Hun Sen has warned of renewed civil war if all of them are put on trial,

F. deploring the fact that the Hun Sen government, despite having called on the United Nations in June 1997 to set up an ad hoc UN tribunal, is currently refusing to let such a tribunal be constituted,

G. whereas legal proceedings against those responsible for the acts of genocide are an essential measure to reinforce the democratic process in Cambodia and contribute to the stability of the new institutions and the reconstitution of civil society;

1. Condemns all attempts by the Cambodian government to prevent the constitution of an international ad hoc tribunal by the UN, and is therefore of the opinion that real justice to the victims of the Khmer Rouge's cruel regime and the ending of the deeply entrenched culture of impunity in Cambodia would best be served by handing over Ta Mok and other top Khmer Rouge leaders to an international tribunal;

2. Calls on the UN to institute an ad hoc tribunal on genocide in Cambodia; calls on all the EU Member States and the Council to offer their full cooperation for its creation;

3. Calls on the Commission to help Cambodia in its efforts to reconstitute and develop its national legal system;

4. Considers that the difficulties encountered in the attempts to create an international ad hoc tribunal for Cambodia demonstrate the imperative need to act as swiftly as possible in order to set up a permanent international criminal tribunal;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the UN, ASEAN and the Government and Parliament of Cambodia.

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B4-0391, 0398 and 0421/99

Resolution on the murder of Rosemary Nelson

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its resolutions on the peace process in Northern Ireland,

A. whereas Rosemary Nelson, a leading human rights lawyer, was murdered in a car bomb attack while leaving her home on 15 March 1999,

B. whereas many of Ms Nelson's clients over the last 10 years were people detained for questioning about alleged politically motivated offences,

C. whereas Ms Nelson testified to the US Congressional SubCommittee on International Operations and human rights in September 1998 on the death threats, harassment, physical and verbal abuse she claimed to receive from officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC),

D. whereas the Independent Commission for Police Complaints (ICPC) report on the investigation into alleged threats against Rosemary Nelson concluded that there were a number of serious concerns,

E. whereas RUC Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan announced that the investigation into the murder would be undertaken by the RUC but overseen by David Philips, a UK Chief Constable, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),

F. whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur, Dato Param Cumarasawamy, reporting to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on the shooting of another Irish lawyer, Pat Finucane, 10 years ago, has criticised the RUC for failing to take note of complaints that defence lawyers had been harassed and intimidated by the police,

1. Condemns the murder of Rosemary Nelson and offers its condolences to her family, friends and colleagues;

2. Calls for the police investigation into her murder to be conducted by an independent team of investigators, as a guarantee of the objectivity of the investigation and the only way to be assured of the confidence and cooperation of the public;

3. Furthermore, calls for a full independent judicial enquiry into all of the circumstances surrounding the murder of Ms Nelson;

4. Believes that any democratic society should ensure the safety of members of the legal profession and that such people should not be in danger of assassination because of their work;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the British and Irish governments, the governments of the Member States, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers and the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
14. Human rights: Jammu and Kashmir
B5-0250, 0258, 0283 and 0285/2000
European Parliament resolution on Jammu and Kashmir
The European Parliament,
Ndash having regard to its previous resolutions on the Jammu and Kashmir conflict,
A. whereas the Kashmir and Jammu conflict remains unresolved since 1947,
B. concerned about the recent rise in tension in the region which has been aggravated bythe fact that
both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers,
C. condemning the continuing violations of human rights in Kashmir, due in part to activities of cross-
border terrorists who systematically attack defenceless civilians,
D. whereas its Members discussed the issue of Kashmir with US Congress Members in the framework of
their regular contacts on 14 January2000,
1. Underlines the growing danger in South Asia of a lack of progress in resolving the outstanding issue,
between India and Pakistan, of Jammu and Kashmir;
2. Calls on India and Pakistan to refrain from anyprovocation and to respect strictlythe Line of Control
in order to create an atmosphere conducive to talks about all outstanding issues between India and Paki-
stan, including Kashmir and involving the population concerned;
3. Calls on both parties to create the conditions for meaningful bilateral talks, considering for this pur-
pose also international support or mediation if necessary, involving the United Nations, and to recapture
the spirit that in February1999 led to the Lahore Declaration issued bythe Prime Ministers of India and
Pakistan;
4. Instructs its own Delegation, on its visit to India, and asks Commissioner Patten, in formulating EU
policytowards South Asia, to make everyeffort to promote the process of reconciliation between India
and Pakistan;
5. Instructs its Committee for Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Securityand Defence Policyto
report on the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir including an historic account of the issue;
6. Is convinced that the EU should commit itself to contribute to an economic upturn in the region,
once a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue has been reached;
7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Governments of
India and Pakistan and the UN Secretary-General.C 377/362 EN 29.12.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities
Thursday 16 March 2000