European Parliament resolution on Nepal
Date: 2006-05-18
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Nepal, democratisation, peace, political cooperation, political crisis, the EU's international role

7.12.2006

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 297 E/381

Thursday, 18 May 2006

12.
Seeks clarification by the Council and the Commission of the effective contribution of the ECT to
support for energy reforms in contracting parties, as Western Balkan countries appear to be at an earlier
reform stage; notes, in particular, that they need to establish their energy policies and institutions to develop
sound and comprehensive energy reforms on both the demand and the supply side of the energy market, in
addition to adhering to the rule of law;

Seeks clarification by the Council and the Commission of the role and functions of the various institu-

13.
tions created by the ECT, including the Energy Community Secretariat and the Regulatory Board;

14.
Seeks clarification by the Council and the Commission of measures taken by donors, Member States
and the ECT countries to ensure market transparency, in particular regarding the development of offshore
energy traders in the ECT area with dominant market positions, and their extension to EU energy markets;

Seeks clarification by the Council and the Commission of the criteria to be fulfilled by a neighbouring

15.
third country in order to be accepted by the Ministerial Council as an Observer or as a Participant;

16. Calls for Parliament to be informed and consulted prior to any future extension of the ECT to other
energy sources or sectors;

17. Calls upon the Commission to report in writing to Parliament at least once per year on the achieve-
ments of and problems faced by the contracting parties in the implementation of the ECT; considers that
this report should include at least the following elements:

— the state of affairs with regard to implementing the relevant energy, social (the MoU) and environmental

acquis;

— an overview of the work of the regulatory authorities, their resources and procedures for consulting rele-

vant stakeholders;

— the level of market concentration, affordability and investment in new capacity and networks;

— an overview of the opinions of relevant stakeholders, particularly social partners, consumer and environ-

mental organisations and municipalities;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission and to the govern-

18.
ments and parliaments of the contracting parties to the Energy Community Treaty.

P6_TA(2006)0226

Nepal

European Parliament resolution on Nepal

The European Parliament,

— having regard to its previous resolutions on Nepal,

— having regard to the public hearing on the situation in Nepal held by the Subcommittee on Human

Rights of its Committee on Foreign Affairs held on 20 February 2006,

— having regard to the support of the Commission, as expressed on 3 January 2006, for the restoration of

peace and democracy in Nepal,

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Official Journal of the European Union

7.12.2006

Thursday, 18 May 2006

— having regard to the Declaration of 4 May 2006 by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union

concerning developments in Nepal,

— having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas on 1 February 2005 King Gyanendra, in an unconstitutional act, dismissed the government,

assumed direct power and declared a state of emergency,

B. whereas violently repressed pro-democracy and peace rallies finally forced the King to abandon de facto
military rule on 24 April 2006, to reinstate parliament, and to hand over the administration to a multi-
party government formed by the seven-party alliance,

C. whereas it is hoped that the return to democracy will mean the end of a civil war which has lasted for

10 years and has cost over 13 000 lives,

D. whereas the excessive action of the security forces drew heavy criticism from the international com-
munity, including the EU and the UN, since many people were killed during the protests and hundreds
were injured and arrested,

E. whereas the new multi-party government of Nepal, chaired by Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, has
announced that it will hold peace talks, thus responding positively to the ceasefire offer by the CPN-M
(Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists), which the King had earlier rejected,

F. whereas the reinstated House of Representatives has placed itself in line with the 12-point agreement
reached between the seven-party alliance and the Maoists in November 2005, including holding consti-
tuent assembly elections for drafting a new constitution,

G. whereas the new government annulled the municipal elections conducted by the previous government
on 8 February 2006, arrested five former royal government ministers, including the home and foreign
ministers and the government's most visible spokesman; whereas the new government has also
appointed a judicial commission to investigate charges of excessive use of force by State security forces
against the demonstrators and suspended the heads of three security forces on charges of excessive use
of force and human rights violations in suppressing the pro-democracy movement in Nepal,

H. whereas the government has repealed 6 of 19 of the King's laws on media freedom, land reform and aid

groups,

I. whereas the most fundamental rights of children are being violated routinely in Nepal and the EU has

condemned Nepal's Maoist rebels for using children as soldiers,

J. whereas the government's decision from November 2005 to suspend issuing exit permits to Tibetan refu-
gees for their onward travel to India has left hundreds of Tibetans stranded in Nepal, and has exacerbated
severe overcrowding at a shelter for Tibetans in Kathmandu,

Strongly welcomes Nepal's return to democratic rule, which was achieved thanks to the engagement of

1.
millions of citizens in a people's movement;

2. Conveys its deepest sympathy to the families of all who have lost their lives or have been seriously
injured during the protests;

3. Welcomes recent developments in Nepal encouraging a return to political stability, including:

— the restoration of parliament;

— the establishment of an interim government on 2 May 2006 and the initiative to set up a Constituent

Assembly to draft a new Constitution;

— the announcement of a unilateral three-month ceasefire;

— the reaffirmed commitment from the seven-party alliance and the Maoists to the 12-point peace agree-

ment of November 2005;

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 297 E/383

Thursday, 18 May 2006

4.
Believes that the restoration of the sovereignty of the parliament's democratic authorities is only a first
step towards real peace and a lasting democracy, and that substantial progress needs to be made in a
number of areas in order to consolidate the situation:

— democratic control of the Royal Nepalese Army and local militia to end the human rights abuses;

— addressing the root causes of the conflict and ensuring that there is greater economic prosperity and a

better redistribution of wealth for all throughout the country;

— respect for minority rights;

— the necessary devolution of power to the regional and local levels;

— a more representative electoral system;

5. Welcomes the three months' ceasefire announced by the Maoists and encourages them to go further, to
permanently renounce violence and to return to the political arena;

6. Calls for parliamentary elections to be held at an early stage, and suggests an EU election observation
mission; in the meantime, calls for the sending of an ad hoc European Parliament delegation to assess the
situation and to conduct talks with all relevant forces;

7.
Is deeply concerned about alleged extrajudicial killings, widespread torture, impunity and other human
rights violations committed by both sides; calls on the Nepalese government and other parties to the conflict
to do all in their power to ensure full and transparent investigations of human rights violations, including
unresolved cases of forced disappearances, and insists that adequate sentencing of those convicted will be
essential for the re-establishment of social peace;

Stresses that all restrictions on media freedom should be lifted immediately, and that all political pris-

8.
oners, including journalists and human rights activists, should be released;

9. Welcomes the fact that the government has already repealed a number of controversial royal ordinances
curbing press freedom and controlling non-governmental organisations;

10. Reiterates its support for the UN Office of Human Rights in Nepal, established since April 2005,
which must continue to carefully monitor the human rights situation;

11.
Supports Nepal's new government's decision to freeze the previous administration's purchase of mili-
tary planes and weapons and the recruitment of soldiers, and calls on the Council and the Member States to
continue the freeze on all military aid;

12. Calls on the international community to establish a Contact Group, to be made up of Nepal's key
partners and international organisations (the EU, the US, India and the UN), to provide coordinated interna-
tional action with regard to Nepal; proposes that the European Parliament appoint a special rapporteur to
monitor the situation;

13. Calls on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to support the peace process by:

— assisting all armed groups to demobilise and disarm;

— using development and humanitarian assistance to consolidate peace and economic development;

— sending human rights observers;

— encouraging international financial institutions to give priority to macro-economic stability and transpar-

ency, rather than forcing ambitious economic reform proposals on a fragile democracy;

14. Urges the Council and the Commission to work closely with the UN and other members of the inter-
national community to support the Nepalese Government on the road to democracy;

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Thursday, 18 May 2006

15. Calls on the Council and Commission to offer further technical, logistical and financial assistance to
Nepal, including practical planning for a ceasefire monitoring mission in cooperation with other donors,
should this be requested by Nepal;

16. Calls on the Council to consider appointing a Special Representative for Nepal; his or her role would
be to encourage greater political engagement in Nepal on the part of the EU and to sharpen its political
analysis and level of understanding during the delicate transition;

17. Calls again for a follow-up to the 2002 London International Conference, to be organised by the
Contact Group of key partners, which should set out the principles and values needed to underpin a peace
process in Nepal; welcomes the plan of Nepali civil society activists to start the process by organising their
own conference in Kathmandu this coming year;

18. Calls on the Nepalese government to protect Tibetan refugees in transit to India, and end the suspen-
sion of exit permits without delay;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments
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of the Member States, the Commission, the interim government of Nepal, King Gyanendra, the governments
of India and the other Member States of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the UN
Secretary-General, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

P6_TA(2006)0227

Sri Lanka

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Sri Lanka

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the armed conflict which has torn Sri Lanka since 1983, taking over 60 000 lives and

causing the displacement of more than 800 000 people,

— having regard to its previous resolutions of 18 May 2000 (1), 14 March 2002 (2) and 20 November

2003 (3) on Sri Lanka, and of 13 January 2005 (4) on EU aid after the tsunami disaster,

— having regard to the Oslo Declaration of December 2002, in which the Sri Lankan Government and the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) agreed to try to find a federal solution within a united Sri Lanka,

— having regard to the Tokyo Declaration on Reconstruction and Development of Sri Lanka of 10 June
2003, which linked donor support to progress in the peace process, insisting on compliance with the
ceasefire agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and LTTE, which entered into force on
23 February 2002, participation of the Muslim minority in the talks, promotion and protection of
human rights, gender equality and progress towards a final political settlement,

(1) OJ C 59, 23.2.2001, p. 278.
(2) OJ C 47 E, 27.2.2003, p. 613.
(3) OJ C 87 E, 7.4.2004, p. 527.
(4) OJ C 247 E, 6.10.2005, p. 147.