P5_TA(2004)0379
Cuba
EuropeanParliamentresolutiononCuba
TheEuropeanParliament ,
/dash havingregardtoitsearlierresolutionsonthesituationinCuba,andinparticularitsresolutionof
4September2003(1),
/dash havingregardtotheresolutionsadoptedbytheACP-EUJointParliamentaryAssembly,/dash havingregardtothedeclarationof26March2003bythePresidencyonbehalfoftheEuropean
UniononthearrestsofoppositionfiguresanddissidentsinCuba,
/dash havingregardtoCommonPosition96/697/CFSP(
2)onCuba,adoptedon2December1996,defined
bytheCouncilpursuanttoArticleJ.2oftheTreatyonEuropeanUnionandregularlyrenewed,
/dash havingregardtotheprovisionsoftheACP-EUAssociationAgreement(theCotonouAgreement)(3),
/dash havingregardtoRule50(5)ofitsRulesofProcedure,
A. whereasthedefenceoftheuniversalityandindivisibilityofhumanrights,includingcivil,political,
economic,socialandculturalrights,remainsoneoftheprincipalobjectivesoftheEuropeanUnion,
B. havingregardtothearrestoverayearagoof75dissidentsbelongingtothedemocraticoppositionto
theCastroregime,mostlylinkedtotheVarelaProject,
C. whereasinJune2003theEUdecidedtostepuppoliticalpressureonHavanafollowingthesearrests,D. whereastheabovecitizenswere,aftersummarytrials,sentencedtoharshprisontermsofbetween14
and27years,
E. whereastheyarebeingheldininhumanconditions,hundredsofkilometresfromtheirhomes,with
restrictionsonvisitsandinadequatehygieneandmedicalcare;whereasthecaseoftheseriouslyillOscarEspinosaChepegivesespecialcauseforconcern,
F. whereastheexerciseoffreedomofexpressionisafundamentalhumanright,G. recallingitsappealtotheCouncilandCommissiontokeepaclosewatchonthesituationofpolitical
prisonersinCubanjails,
H. regretting the fact that Mr OswaldoPayá Sardiñas, who was awarded the SakharovPrize by the
EuropeanParliamentin2002,wasrecentlydeniedthepermitswhichwouldhaveallowedhimtoleaveCubaandacceptaninvitationfromthisParliament,
I. havingregardtothe‘SakharovInitiative’,whichwassignedby206MEPsevenpriortotheinvitation
toMrOswaldoPayáSardiñastovisitEuropeissuedbytheCommitteeonForeignAffairs,HumanRights,CommonSecurityandDefencePolicyandtheConferenceofPresidents,andwhichwaswel-comedbythePresidencyoftheEuropeanParliament,theCommissionandtheCouncil,
J. havingregardtothepresentsituationconcerningrespectforhumanrightsinCuba,
(1) P5_TA(2003)0374.
(2) OJL322,12.12.1996,p.1.
(3) OJL317,15.12.2000,p.3.C104E/1066 EN30.4.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday22April2004
1. Reiterates its condemnation of these arrests, which constitute a breach of the most elementary
humanrights,especiallyasregardsfreedomofexpressionandpoliticalassociation;
2. CallsoncemoreontheCubanauthoritiestoreleaseallpoliticalprisonersimmediately,andcallson
theCouncilandCommissiontocontinuetotakeallnecessaryinitiativestodemandtheirrelease;
3. WelcomesthereleaseonhealthgroundsofJulioAntonioValdés;4. CallsontheCubanauthoritiestomakesignificantchangeswithaviewtomovingtowardsfull
respectforfundamentalfreedomsand,inparticular,freedomofexpressionandpoliticalassociation;
5. ExpectstheCubanauthoritiestoresumethedefactomoratoriumonthedeathpenalty;6. Callsformaximumrespectfortheconstitutionalprocessofcollectionofsignaturesundertakenby
theVarelaProjectunderArticle88ofthepresentCubanconstitution,whichauthorisescitizenstosubmitalegislativeinitiativesubjecttothecollectionofatleast10000signatures;
7. StressesoncemorethecontinuingfullvalidityoftheEU’scommitmentandwillingnessasregardsaid
fortheCubanpeople;
8. RecallsthattheobjectivesoftheEU’sexternalpolicyarebasedonthepromotionofrespectfor
humanrightsandfundamentalfreedoms,encouragementofprocessesoftransitiontopluralistdemocracyandsupportforsustainableeconomicdevelopmentaimedatimprovingthelivingstandardsofthepeople;
9. CallsonalltheCommunityinstitutionstoendorsethe‘openinvitation’toMrOswaldoPayáSardi-
ñas,the2002SakharovPrizewinner,asrecentlyembodiedinthe‘SakharovInitiative’withthesupportofthePresidencyofParliament,andcallsontheCubanauthoritiesnottoputfurtherobstaclesinthewayofhisvisitingEurope;
10. CallsontheMemberStatestoexertunequivocalpressureontheCubanauthoritiestopromotethe
defenceofdemocracyandrespectforhumanrights,andtoreceiveMrOswaldoPayáSardiñasatthehighestlevelwhenhevisitsEurope;
11. Welcomestheadoptionon15April2004oftheresolutionoftheUNCommissiononHuman
Rightscondemninglastyear’sharshsentencesagainstdissidents;
12. CallsontheCommitteeonForeignAffairs,HumanRights,CommonSecurityandDefencePolicy
andtheDelegationforrelationswiththecountriesofCentralAmericaandMexicototakeuptheissueofhumanrightsinCubawithallduefirmnessandtomonitordevelopmentsparticularlycloselyasfromtheirfirstmeetingsaftertheJune2004electionstotheEuropeanParliament;
13. InstructsitsPresidenttoforwardthisresolutiontotheCouncilandCommission,totheGovernment
andtheNationalAssemblyofPeople’sPoweroftheRepublicofCuba,andtotheEuropeanParliament
SakharovPrizelaureateMrOswaldoPayáSardiñas.
P5_TA(2004)0380
SportproductsfortheOlympicgames
EuropeanParliamentresolutiononrespectforcorelabourstandardsintheproductionofsports
goodsfortheOlympicGames
TheEuropeanParliament ,
/dash havingregardtotheILODeclarationonFundamentalPrinciplesandRightsatWork,adoptedbythe
InternationalLabourConferenceatits86thsessionon18June1998,
/dash havingregardtotheILODeclarationofPrinciplesconcerningMultinationalEnterprisesandSocial
Policy,30.4.2004EN C104E/1067 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday22April2004