ddrg/super_eurlex huggingface dataset:
B4-0732/96

Resolution on a Community initiative for ornamental horticulture

The European Parliament,

- having regard to Article 43 of the EC Treaty,

- having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 234/68 on the establishment of the common organization of the market in live trees and other plants, bulbs, roots and the like, cut flowers and ornamental foliage ((OJ L 55, 2.3.1968, p. 1.)),

A. whereas ornamental horticulture in the Union, which covers an area of 68 000 hectares and has a value of about ECU 11 bn and a turnover of ECU 19 bn, provides employment for more than half a million people,

B. whereas this sector is therefore an extremely important part of the economy in the Member States of the European Union,

C. whereas some recent association agreements and the Union's policy of general trade liberalization are leading to a significant increase in imports of cut flowers, in particular from non-member Mediterranean countries,

D. whereas this situation has caused a serious crisis in the sector,

1. Calls on the Commission to bring forward as soon as possible practical measures to support producers and promote this sector;

2. Calls for sufficient funding, and hence not less than ECU 60 m a year, to be allocated to such measures;

3. Calls on the Commission to maintain its position that all agricultural products, including cut flowers, should be subject to the same, lowest, VAT rate;

4. Calls on the Commission to forward in the near future proposals with regard to the development of a quality label so that it will be easy for the consumer to recognize the way an agricultural product has been produced with regard to environmental and ethical production components;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission.
B4-0992, 1021, 1042, 1050, 1059 and 1060/96

Resolution on the establishment of the Permanent International Criminal Court

The European Parliament,

A. having regard to the growing number of war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed in a large number of countries and going unpunished,

B. whereas it is urgently necessary to create the basic core of an impartial international justice system, mainly in order to try war crimes and crimes against humanity wherever they may be committed,

C. whereas significant progress has been made in this direction thanks to the creation and the first concrete actions of the ad hoc international tribunals on former Yugoslavia and Rwanda,

D. welcoming the fact that there is no provision for the death penalty either in the statutes of the ad hoc tribunals or in the draft statutes of the permanent court,

E. whereas the 50th session of the UN General Assembly formally decided in autumn 1995 to instruct a preparatory committee to complete the work on putting the statutes of the international court into their definitive form with a view to enabling the UN to convene the constituent conference of the Permanent International Criminal Court,

F. whereas the preparatory committee closed its last session on 30 August 1996, calling on the UN General Assembly to convene the plenipotentiary diplomatic conference before the end of 1998,

G. whereas in spite of this positive outcome, obtained chiefly as a result of the determination of a large number of Member States of the European Union, there is still strong opposition from some non-member countries as well as reservations from two Member States of the EU,

H. whereas the Italian Government has already stated its willingness to host the plenipotentiary diplomatic conference for the establishment of the Court,

The European Parliament,

1. Calls on the Council and the Member States to reach a common position as soon as possible on the need to establish the Permanent International Criminal Court, and to act in concert at the 51st General Assembly of the UN to ensure that it renews the mandate of the Preparatory Committee and takes the decision to convene a plenipotentiary diplomatic conference to establish a Permanent International Criminal Court before the end of 1998;

2. Calls, therefore, on the Irish Presidency and the Commission to do all within their power to ensure that the Union speaks with one voice on this important issue;

3. Stresses that the Union must be involved, in budgetary terms, in the efforts to set up the permanent Court;

4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the President of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
B4-0995, 1020, 1036 and 1046/96

Resolution on the case of Alexander Nikitin

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its resolutions of 16 November 1995 on the harassment of the Bellona Foundation by Russian security authorities ((OJ C 323, 4.12.1995, p. 112.)) and 15 February 1996 on the arrest of Alexander Nikitin ((OJ C 65, 4.3.1996, p. 162.)),

A. whereas following the arrest of Alexander Nikitin on 6 February 1996 he remains in custody at the FSB prison in St Petersburg, where his health is deteriorating,

B. whereas Mr Nikitin was arrested and imprisoned for taking part in the production of a report by the Norwegian ecological organization Bellona on the pollution caused by the Russian nuclear fleet's installations and submarines, in particular in the Kola peninsula,

C. whereas Amnesty International, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Helsinki Committee have declared Alexander Nikitin a prisoner of conscience,

D. deploring the fact that, despite protests all over the world, the Russian Government has shown no willingness to release Alexander Nikitin and has even openly refused to make any information available,

E. whereas there is widespread concern that the trial of Alexander Nikitin might be held in a military court, which would prevent public access to the trial and information, thereby denying the chance of a fair trial,

1. Calls on the Russian authorities to provide a full and detailed explanation of the charges made against Alexander Nikitin and to provide a clear timetable for a fair and open trial in a civilian court system, and calls for his immediate release pending his trial;

2. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Government of Russia and the Bellona Foundation.
B4-1256, 1282, 1302, 1312 and 1323/96

Resolution on Nigeria

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on Nigeria,

A. outraged by the arrogant attitude of the Nigerian government and its defiance in the face of the appeals by the international community to restore democracy, independence, the judicial system, the rule of law and respect for human rights in the country,

B. whereas two and a half years after the brutal interruption of the election process the military regime is still using violence as a means of retaining power, and whereas the continuing arrests of political figures and representatives of civil society are evidence of the anti-democratic and dictatorial nature of this military regime,

C. having regard to the ineffectiveness of EU sanctions against Nigeria which have been provoked by the military regime's systematic violation of human rights and the principles of democracy,

D. whereas the sanctions adopted by the Council in late 1995 expire on 4 December 1996,

E. recalling the first anniversary of the execution of Mr Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other environmental activists of Ogoniland, members of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP); whereas the Nigerian authorities have banned demonstrations to mark this anniversary,

F. whereas international oil companies are still operating in the Ogoniland despite human rights violations and environmental degradation,

1. Reiterates its condemnation of the Nigerian regime which continues its brutal oppression of its opponents and all the democratic forces of the country;

2. Honours the memory of Mr Ken Saro-Wiwa and the other opponents of the Nigerian regime;

3. Urges the Nigerian authorities to release all political prisoners immediately;

4. Notes that the present sanctions imposed by the EU in relation to Nigeria have not really been effective and believes that further measures should be adopted by the General Affairs Council at its meeting on 25 and 26 November 1996, such as extending the ban on arms exports to contracts signed before the current embargo came into force, and measures necessary to freeze the financial assets of the Nigerian Government, the members of the Provisional Ruling Council and the Federal Executive Council;

5. Insists that an international oil embargo is the most efficient instrument to deprive the military junta of its main source of income and oblige the Nigerian authorities to restore democracy;

6. Asks the Member States of the EU to grant refugee status to exiled Nigerian opposition activists opposing the military regime of General Abasha, in accordance with the Geneva Convention on the status of refugees;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission, the governments of the Member States, the Security Council of the United Nations, the OAU, the joint Presidents of the ACP/EU Joint Assembly and the Government of Nigeria.
B4-1132, 1134, 1156, 1163 and 1179/96

Resolution on violations of religious freedom in Turkey

The European Parliament,

A. saddened by the bombing of the Cathedral Church of St. George, Istanbul - Constantinople on 30 September 1996, by the extreme right-wing organization 'Great Eastern Islamic Raiders',

B. having regard to the importance of the Patriarch of Constantinople for millions of Orthodox Christians throughout the world,

C. concerned at the climate created by the recent statement by the Minister for the Presidency of the Turkish Government on the conversion of the church of Saint Sophia into a mosque, which produced strong reactions from religious, cultural and political organizations in Turkey and the world,

D. whereas religious monuments and Christian graveyards are very often the targets of vandalism in Turkey,

E. whereas members of religious minorities have been emigrating from Turkey as a result of this insecurity for decades,

F. aware of the commitment of the Turkish authorities to the full protection of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, exemplified by the prison sentences currently being served by other members of the Great Eastern Islamic Raiders' organization for a previous attack on the Ecumenical Patriarchate,

G. noting with regret the fact that the Turkish government has not yet condemned this act of sacrilege,

H. believing that Europe can best be united and enriched through mutual esteem of the religious and cultural traditions of its peoples,

I. whereas the City of Istanbul is one of the most important cultural heritage sites in Europe and special measures are needed to protect its religious and cultural diversity and historical treasures,

J. mindful of the mutual obligation resulting from the customs union between the European Union and the Turkish Republic,

The European Parliament,

1. Deplores in the strongest terms the attack of 30 September 1996 on the Ecumenical Patriarchate as an offence against the values of Islam and Christianity;

2. Calls on the government to distance itself unequivocally from the declarations concerning the conversion of Saint Sophia into a mosque and to condemn firmly all attacks on religious freedom;

3. Calls for steps to be taken in cooperation with the Turkish authorities for the immediate restoration of the Cathedral Church of St. George;

4. Calls on the Turkish authorities to take the necessary measures for protection of the buildings of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and other religious places;

5. Calls for the immediate reopening of theological college of Chalki, which is directly linked to the Patriarchate;

6. Calls on the Commission, in cooperation with the Turkish Government, representatives of religious organizations and UNESCO, to support initiatives seeking to draw up an inventory of religious monuments and to put forward proposals for their restoration and maintenance;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission and Council, and to the Turkish Government and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
B4-1140, 1152, 1159 and 1200/96

Resolution on the human rights situation in Sudan

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Sudan,

- endorsing the resolution on the Sudan adopted by the ACP-EU Joint Assembly on 26 September 1996 in Luxembourg,

A. concerned that the continuing civil war situation mainly in the South continues to cause immense human suffering, hunger, an increasing flow of refugees and the complete collapse of social and economic structures,

B. welcoming the unanimous adoption of resolutions 1054 and 1070 by the UN Security Council (August 1996) that add to resolution 1044 (January 1996) and call on the Sudanese government to close down the training camps for international terrorists, to stop destabilizing the neighbouring States and to expel all foreign terrorists from Sudan,

C. noting that the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva has, for the last four years, continuously condemned the NIF Regime for state-managed human rights abuses and institutionalised slavery in particular against the non-muslim Sudanese,

D. Concerned also that the newly founded International Feminist Islamic Association to be based in Khartoum may intensify the forced Islamic proselytization and Sudan's policy of destabilization against its neighbours,

1. Condemns the government of Sudan and all warring guerrilla factions for the continuation of the civil war, the killings, torture, enslaving and other human rights abuses that they inflict on the Sudanese population;

2. Calls upon all parties to the Sudanese conflict to cease all atrocities, stop fighting and respect basic human rights for all Sudanese while negotiating a peace agreement that will stop the plight of the Sudanese people;

3. Calls on the international community to maintain sanctions against the Sudanese government and on the EU not to resume development cooperation until the Sudanese government stops atrocities against the Sudanese people and its denial of humanitarian and other essential services to non-muslim communities;

4. Insists that the Sudanese Government stops its effort to transform by force the ethnically and religiously diverse country into an Arab Islamic State, against the wishes of the vast majority of its population;

5. Hopes that all those involved will finally grasp that a just peace agreement for Sudan is the only possibility of successfully achieving a future for all parts of the population;

6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments of the ACP and EU Member States, the UN and OAU Secretaries-General and the Government of Sudan.
A4-0372/96

Resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the appointment of the President of the European Monetary Institute from 1 July 1997

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Council's letter of 8 November 1996 (C4-0604/96),

- having regard to the recommendation dated 13 May 1996 of the Council of the European Monetary Institute,

- having regard to the opinion of the Council of 3 June 1996,

- having regard to Article 109f of the EC Treaty,

- having regard to Rule 36 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy (A4-0372/96),

A. whereas at its meeting of 30 October 1996 the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy heard Dr W.F. Duisenberg, the nominee of the Council of the European Monetary Institute for the office of President of the European Monetary Institute, and considered the nominee's qualifications in the light of the criteria laid down by Article 109f of the EC Treaty,

1. Delivers a favourable opinion on the appointment of Dr W.F. Duisenberg to the office of President of the European Monetary Institute;

2. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments of the Member States.
B4-0197, 0221, 0241 and 0253/97

Resolution on the Non-Proliferation Treaty

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on non-proliferation,

A. whereas the first nuclear NPT Preparatory Committee (Prepcom) since the Treaty's indefinite extension in 1995 will meet on 7-18 April 1997 in New York,

B. recalling the active role played by the EU during the NPT Review Conference in May 1995,

C. whereas the NPT Conference in 1995 resulted in agreements on strengthening the review process of the Treaty, principles and objectives for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament and an indefinite extension of the Treaty,

D. welcoming the conclusion of the negotiations for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and its adoption by the UN General Assembly in September 1996 and the signature by all Member States of the Union, and believing early ratification to be essential,

E. believing moves towards nuclear disarmament by the nuclear weapons states to be an essential complement to non-proliferation measures taken under the Treaty and in other fora, according to their obligations under Article 6 of the NPT,

F. whereas the first Prepcom will establish a precedent for the future review of the NPT,

G. believing that the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the report of the Canberra Commission and the statement by former generals and admirals of 4 December 1996 on the obligation to pursue nuclear disarmament in good faith are important contributions to the implementation of Article 6 of the NPT,

H. welcoming resolution 51/45M of the UN General Assembly on the advisory opinion of the ICJ and calling for the commencement of negotiations leading to a nuclear weapons convention in 1997,

1. Calls on the Council to make sure the Prepcom is used to assess progress made on the 1995 principles and objectives and to make concrete recommendations to the next Prepcom and to the Review Conference in the year 2000;

2. Calls on the Council to focus on making the implementation of the Treaty as efficient as possible and to promote the universality of the Treaty;

3. Calls on the Council to adopt a common position aimed at promoting the review process and strengthening the NPT and further EU non-proliferation policy;

4. Calls on all Member States of the European Union to ratify the CTBT urgently, and to adopt a joint action under Article J.3 TEU to promote signature and ratification by other states, to include all necessary assistance to these states to enable them to comply with the provisions of the Treaty;

5. Calls on the Member States to support the commencement of negotiations in 1997 leading to the conclusion of a convention for the abolition of nuclear weapons;

6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the President of the first NPT Prepcom.
B4-0198, 0219, 0224, 0233, 0248 and 0264/97

Resolution on Israel's policy of new settlement and the peace process in the Middle East

The European Parliament,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in the Middle East and in particular its resolution of 14 November 1996 ((OJ C 362, 2.12.1996, p. 255.)),

- having regard to the Council Declarations of 1 October 1996 and 27 February 1997,

- having regard to UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338,

A. concerned by the decision of the Israeli government to build a new Jewish neighbourhood in Jabal Abu Ghneim in Arab East Jerusalem and by the announcement of the Israeli Housing Ministry of its plan to sell plots of land in 1997 for new Jewish settlements on the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip,

B. whereas that decision constitutes a violation of UN Resolution 242,

C. whereas that decision forms part of the resumption of the Israeli policy of colonizing the Occupied Territories of Gaza and the West Bank,

D. recalling that the ultimate status of Jerusalem will have to be discussed during the third phase of negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and that all parties must therefore refrain from any act designed to modify their positions in East Jerusalem,

1. Deplores the decision by the Israeli Government to approve construction plans for the Har/Homa Ghneim area, because such action is bound to have a negative impact on the peace negotiations, and calls for the immediate stop of the Har Homa project;

2. Calls upon Israel and the Palestinian Authority to adhere strictly to the principles and agreements which both agreed to, with a view to reaching the permanent status negotiations, and to refrain from actions, declarations and practices that may have a negative impact on these negotiations;

3. Espouses the declaration made by the Council Presidency and consequently urges the Council to act accordingly and to cooperate with all the signatories to the Oslo Agreements in order to guarantee the effective resumption of the peace process;

4. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Israeli Government, the Palestinian Authority, the UN Secretary-General and to the Governments of the United States and Russia.
B4-0057 and 0118/97

Resolution on human rights violations in Chad

The European Parliament,

A. alarmed at the continuing human rights violations in Chad, a country where the armed forces and the police are systematically resorting to extrajudicial executions of citizens suspected of belonging to opposition groups or considered to be criminals,

B. appalled by the fact that rape is among the usual means of persecuting and intimidating victims and by the widespread use of torture, certain traditional and particularly cruel forms of which, such as 'arbatachar', are considered to be perfectly normal by the security forces,

C. appalled by the telegram of instructions to the 'specialized army units' which legalized violence in the most arbitrary form possible, ordering the physical elimination of anyone caught in the act of stealing,

D. whereas certain Member States have given their political, financial and, above all, military backing to the Chad regime, without considering the consequences for victims of human rights violations,

E. having regard to the elections under way in Chad and the fact that Chad is a signatory to the Lomé Convention, which requires full respect for human rights,

The European Parliament,

1. Condemns all the forms of violence currently being perpetrated in Chad, including executions, arbitrary arrests, torture and rape;

2. Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, journalists and human rights activists;

3. Calls on the Chad authorities to revoke forthwith the instructions to the 'specialized army units' and to defend the rule of law and the notion of justice based on respect for human dignity;

4. Considers that human rights violations must be ended, their perpetrators brought to justice and the judicial system and the forces of law and order reorganized; calls on the Council and Commission to make these reforms a priority for the indicative programme for Chad;

5. Calls on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to assume their responsibility in relation to the situation in Chad, to tie their cooperation to respect by the authorities for human rights and to ensure, especially, that military aid is not used to violate human rights;

6. Considers that Chad's status as a recipient of aid under the Lomé Convention should be reviewed in the light of the progress made on respect for human rights by the new national authorities;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Government of Chad, the Co-Presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Assembly, the UN Commission on Human Rights and the OAU.