European Parliament resolution on ASEM
Date: 2000-11-16
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Asia, EU relations, Europe, cooperation policy, democracy, human rights, political cooperation, summit meeting

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8.8.2001

Thursday 16 November 2000

TEXT PROPOSED
BY THE COMMISSION

AMENDMENTS
BY PARLIAMENT

2. The following shall be published in the Official Jour-
nal unless the Council or the Committee of Permanent
Representatives, acting by a qualified majority, decides on
a case-by-case basis that they should not be so published:

(a) common strategies, joint actions and common posi-
tions referred to in Article 12 of the Treaty on Eur-
opean Union and measures
joint
actions;

implementing

(b)

joint actions, common positions or other decisions
adopted on the basis of a common strategy, as pro-
vided for in the first indent of Article 23(2) of the
Treaty on European Union;

(c) measures implementing the decisions referred to in
Article 34(2) of the Treaty on European Union and
measures implementing conventions drawn up by the
Council in accordance with Article 34(2) of the Treaty
on European Union.

3. Where an agreement concluded between the Commu-
nities and one or more States or international organisa-
tions sets up a body vested with decision-making powers,
the Council shall decide, when such an agreement is con-
cluded, whether decisions to be taken by that body are to
be published in the Official Journal.

(Amendment 62)
Annex V (new)

Annex V

Documents to be included as a minimum in the register:

(a) all documents created in the course of a procedure for

the adoption of legally binding measures;

(b) all documents relating to the formulation and adop-

tion of policy or strategy;

(c) all documents relating to the implementation of EU

legal instruments.

6. ASEM III

B5-0872, 0874, 0876, 0877, 0879 and 0882/2000

European Parliament resolution on ASEM

The European Parliament,

(cid:11) having regard to the Chairman’s Statement, the Asia-Europe Cooperation Framework (AECF) 2000
and the Seoul Declaration for Peace on the Korean Peninsula which were adopted by the 25 ASEM
governments and the Commission at the Third Asia-Europe Meeting in Seoul on 20/21 October 2000,
and having regard to the 16 draft texts adopted by the Heads of State and Government,

(cid:11) having regard to the ASEM 2000 People’s Forum bringing together representatives of social move-
ments, trade unions, NGOs and parliamentarians from Asia and Europe, which was held at the same
time,

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(cid:11) having regard to its previous resolutions on ASEM, and, in particular, the most recent one of 4 Octo-

ber 2000 on ASEM III (1),

(cid:11) having regard to the conclusions of the Asia-Europe Trade-Union Conference held in Seoul by the
ICFTU calling for ratification of the Declaration on fundamental principles and rights at work and its
follow-up, adopted in 1999 by the ILO,

A. whereas the third ASEM Heads of State meeting has been seen as a milestone in the process of mov-
ing EU−Asia relations away from an agenda dominated by economic concerns towards a political
agenda, in particular by tackling the topic of respect for human rights, through the discussions on
regional and global security issues, the protection of children and the impact of globalisation, and
through the undertakings given on conflict prevention and compliance with disarmament treaties,

B. whereas discussions at the meeting were greatly influenced by the encouraging developments in rela-

tions between the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK),

C. whereas, without any concertation at EU level, 10 EU Member States have now announced their deci-

sion to take steps to normalise diplomatic relations with North Korea,

D. whereas the ASEM process must still endow itself with a more effective organisation, given that even
the elected assemblies were only imperfectly and belatedly informed of the arrangements for and the
issues to be dealt with at the Seoul summit,

E. whereas, before the Seoul summit, the European Parliament expressed its determination to resume the

ASEP process (Asia-Europe parliamentary meetings),

Calls on ASEM III members to respect the principles of human rights, democracy and good govern-

1.
ance and the inclusion of the ‘democratic clause’ in all political negotiations;

2. Welcomes the efforts made by the various ASEM governments to support the process of dialogue
and confidence-building between the two Korean states, and supports all initiatives which might contribute
to a peaceful resolution of one of the last conflicts left over from the Cold War and encourage the reuni-
fication of the two countries in the interests of their peoples; also welcomes the award of the Nobel Peace
Prize to Korean President Kim Dae Jung;

3.
Regrets that, in the Seoul Declaration for Peace on the Korean Peninsula, the Heads of State once
again confirmed their unquestioning support for the Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organisation
(KEDO), in spite of the long-standing doubts concerning the economic and environmental feasibility of
supplying nuclear reactors to the DPRK;

4. Welcomes the spirit of equal partnership and strengthened political dialogue as guiding principles of
the Asia-Europe Cooperation Framework; considers, however, that this ever widening agenda is still not
reflected in the management of ASEM activities, which remain in the hands of the foreign, economics and
finance ministers, who are supposed to carry forward the ASEM work programme;

Strongly supports interparliamentary dialogue as a clear basis for mutual political understanding and,
5.
in that connection, calls for a prompt relaunching of the ASEP forum bringing together the European
Parliament and the national parliaments of the Asian countries involved in the ASEM process;

6.
Considers that the main aim to be pursued under the political ‘pillar’ must be to invest the ASEM
with the democratic dimension that is missing at present, by ensuring that the process is transparent, by
opening it up to participation by elected assemblies and by taking full account of the demands of civil
society; calls, in particular, for a social forum to be set up in which such demands can be freely expressed;

7. Welcomes the fact that ‘respect for democracy, the rule of law, equality, justice and human rights,
concern for the environment, and other global issues, eradication of poverty, protection of cultural heri-
tage and the promotion of intellectual endeavours, economic and social development, knowledge and edu-
cational resources, science and technology, commerce, investment and enterprise’ has been enshrined in

(1)

‘Texts Adopted’, Item 17.

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the Asia-Europe Cooperation Framework as an expression of the common interests shared by Asia and
Europe; calls, therefore, on ASEM members to implement promptly all the key priorities as laid out in
this agreement;

8. Welcomes,
in this respect, the new ASEM initiatives endorsed in the Chairman’s Statement on
Human Resources Development, Environment and Health; believes, however, that the cooperation efforts
between the EU and Asia, and on an international level, in the areas of human rights, democracy, the rule
of law, the environment and social issues still remain rather timid and should in future become much
more specific and concrete;

Emphasises that greater attention must be paid to the problem of the exploitation of child labour and

9.
abuses against minors, equal opportunities and the social rights of workers;

10. Welcomes the commitments given with regard to migratory flows and the fight against organised
crime, but considers that closer cooperation is required to step up the fight against drug trafficking, terror-
ism and sexual tourism;

Reaffirms the importance of EU-ASEAN cooperation and partnership, but calls for action to exclude
11.
Burma/Myanmar from all ASEAN-EU programmes unless fundamental freedoms, human rights and free-
dom of speech and movement are respected in that country; in this context, supports the decision taken by
the EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on 10 October 2000 to extend the common position on Burma/
Myanmar until April 2001;

Calls on the Commission, the Council and the Member States to invite India, one of the most

12.
important democracies in the world, to participate in the ASEM process within a reasonable time-frame;

13. Welcomes the undertakings given by the Heads of State regarding the early entry into force of the
Kyoto Protocol;

14.
Reiterates, further, its call for enhanced cooperation in the areas of analysis, planning and training
in relation to conflict prevention and peacekeeping, and regrets that no concrete measures have been
envisaged, such as the creation of a multilateral Forum for conflict resolution;

15. Welcomes the reference by the AECF to dialogue on the international financial framework and calls
on the ASEM Heads of State and Government to join forces in a vigorous reform effort, taking into
account the discussions on ways to combat financial speculation;

16. Welcomes the commitment of the Heads of State to UN reform with the goal of strengthening and
enhancing the representativeness, transparency and effectiveness of the UN system, including the Security
Council, and calls on the ASEM members to give a lead in this direction by speedily ratifying the protocol
on the creation of the International Criminal Court;

17. Welcomes the resolve to tackle jointly the ‘digital divide’ between rich and poor countries;

18. Welcomes the decision taken at the ASEM III meeting to set up a Trans-Eurasia Information Net-
work, since this will strengthen cooperation in the sphere of the information and communications society;
by using IT highways, regions within ASEM countries will be able to enhance their participation in globa-
lisation, step up R&D programmes and boost social and cultural interaction;

19.
Considers that the launching of the ‘DUO ASEM Fellowship Program’ is a first step towards boost-
ing exchanges of students and educators between the two regions; in this context, calls on the Commission
to play its role in fostering Community action programmes, creating, if necessary, new budget headings
which focus on promoting and encouraging cultural, intellectual and people-to-people exchanges;

20.
Calls on the Commission to present to ASEM IV, to be held in Copenhagen in 2002, an enhanced
proposal as a follow-up to its document entitled ‘Perspectives and Priorities for the ASEM process into the
new decade’ (COM(2000) 241);

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments

21.
and parliaments of the Member States and the ASEM countries.