European Parliament resolution on the EU-Russia summit held in Sochi on 25 May 2006
Date: 2006-06-15
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: European neighbourhood policy, Russia, cooperation policy, human rights, summit meeting

C 300 E/482

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

9.12.2006

Thursday 15 June 2006

Reiterates its request to the Council and the Commission to organise a meeting of the Association

5.
Council in order to discuss the human rights situation in Tunisia;

6.
Calls on the Council and the Commission, in this context, to take swiftly all necessary steps vis-à-vis
the Tunisian authorities to ensure that European funding allocated to civil society projects is unblocked and
that Mr Mohammed Abbou is released; calls for the activities of human rights defenders to be fully guaran-
teed, in accordance with the relevant EU guidelines;

Calls on the Commission to do everything possible to ensure that the project for the support of
7.
reform of the justice system guarantees the independence of the judiciary and freedom of action for judges;
in parallel with this, calls on the Tunisian authorities to agree to a visit by the United Nations Special
Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers;

Takes the view that the implementation of the current reforms must be regarded as a priority in the
8.
partnership between the EU and Tunisia and must constitute a fundamental element of the harmonious
development of relations between the EU and Tunisia;

Calls for the work of the EMPA to be facilitated by better cooperation between the Tunisian Presidency
9.
in terms of respecting human rights, and expects to see significant improvements in this area, particularly
with a view to the EMPA's forthcoming plenary session;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Tunisian gov-

10.
ernment and parliament, and the Bureau of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly.

P6_TA(2006)0270

17th EU-Russia summit

European Parliament resolution on the EU-Russia summit held in Sochi on 25 May 2006

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between the European Commun-
ities and their Member States and the Russian Federation (1), which entered into force on 1 December
1997 and will expire in 2007,

— having regard to its previous resolutions on Russia and Chechnya and, in particular, its recommen-
dation of 26 February 2004 to the Council on EU-Russia relations (2), as well as its resolution of
15 December 2004 on the EU-Russia Summit held in The Hague on 25 November 2004 (3),

— having regard to the outcome of the 17th EU-Russia Summit, held in Sochi on 25 May 2006,

— having regard to the EU-Russia Human Rights dialogue,

— having regard to the current international and European responsibilities of Russia, in its capacity as
President-in-Office of the G8 and Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe,

— having regard to Rule 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas enhanced cooperation and good neighbourly relations between the EU and Russia are of key

importance to the stability, security and prosperity of the whole of Europe,

B. whereas both sides underline the importance of the strategic EU-Russia partnership and their intention
to further intensify their cooperation in Europe and beyond on the basis of shared interests and com-
mon values, in particular democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights,

(1) OJ L 327, 28.11.1997, p. 1.
(2) OJ C 98 E, 23.4.2004, p. 182.
(3) OJ C 226 E, 15.9.2005, p. 224.

9.12.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 300 E/483

Thursday 15 June 2006

C. whereas the EU-Russia Summit held in St Petersburg in May 2003 decided to adopt four common
spaces, adding a space of freedom, security and justice, a space of external security and a space of
research, education and culture to the Common Economic Space that had been agreed on two years
earlier; whereas both sides reviewed the progress made to date in the implementation of the four
common spaces,

D. whereas, in the field of energy in particular, relations must be further enhanced on the basis of trans-
parency and improved governance of this sector, reliability of supply, non-discriminatory use of transit
facilities and an improved climate for further investment,

E. whereas the EU, following its last enlargement,

is deeply committed to the implementation of the
European Neighbourhood Policy as one of the top priorities of its external actions, with the subsequent
further involvement in the resolution of conflicts in Transnistria and the South Caucasus; whereas the
EU and Russia have a joint responsibility to bring about peaceful solutions to conflicts in their immedi-
ate vicinities,

F. whereas there are continuing and increasing concerns over the weakening of democracy in Russia, the
increased State control of the media, the worsening climate for non-governmental organisations, the
increased political control of the judiciary, the increased difficulties impeding the ability of the political
opposition to operate, and other measures which have considerably strengthened the power of the
Kremlin,

G. whereas increased cooperation should take place with a view to strengthening democracy, security and
stability in the common neighbourhood, in particular through joint activities to establish democracy
and respect for basic human rights in Belarus,

H. whereas since May 2006 the Russian Federation has held the rotating chairmanship of the Committee
of Ministers of the Council of Europe; whereas the first priority of Russia for its chairmanship, as
presented by its Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, is ‘Reinforcing national human rights protection mech-
anisms, development of human rights education and rights of national minorities’,

1.
Stresses the importance of a strengthened and enhanced partnership between the European Union and
the Russian Federation based on interdependence and shared interests in the development of all four com-
mon spaces, but takes the view that the present partnership with Russia is more pragmatic than strategic
since it reflects in the first place common economic interests without achieving major results as regards
human rights and the rule of law;

2. Welcomes the ongoing work on the Common Economic Space (CES), which has the overall objective
of bringing down barriers to trade and investment and promoting reforms and competitiveness, based on
the principles of non-discrimination, transparency and good governance, but regrets the lack of substantial
progress on the practical implementation of the Road Maps for the other three Common Spaces;

Urges the Commission to give a full explanation in a timely and transparent way of its policy regard-

3.
ing Russia's accession to the WTO, taking into account all negotiated areas and sectors;

4.
Urges the Commission to investigate existing cases of discrimination in trade in agricultural products
by the Russian authorities against Member States such as Poland, but also against states in the common
neighbourhood such as Moldova and Georgia;

5.
Underlines the strategic importance of cooperation on energy and the need to enhance EU-Russia
energy relations; regrets, therefore, that the summit failed to secure an agreement in this field and stresses
as a basis for further negotiations the principle of interdependence and transparency as well as the import-
ance of reciprocity in terms of access to markets, infrastructure and investment, with the objective of avoid-
ing oligopolistic market structures and diversifying the European Union's energy supply; in this context, calls
on Russia to ratify the Energy Charter Treaty and to increase cooperation on energy savings and renewable
energy,

C 300 E/484

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

9.12.2006

Thursday 15 June 2006

6. Welcomes the signing of agreements on visa facilitation and readmission aimed at easing visa restric-
tions on travel for certain categories of citizens as well as facilitating the expulsion of immigrants illegally
entering the EU from Russian territory;

7.
Emphasises the need to work together with Russia as a necessary strategic partner with a view to
providing peace, stability and security, and fighting international terrorism and violent extremism, as well
as addressing ‘soft security’
issues such as environmental and nuclear hazards, drugs, arms and human
trafficking, and cross-border organised crime in the European neighbourhood,
in cooperation with the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and other international fora;

8. Welcomes the agreement on the terms of the Commission's EUR 20 million programme of assistance
for socio-economic recovery in the North Caucasus as a further sign of the willingness of the EU and Russia
to cooperate in this region;

9.
Supports the work being jointly undertaken by both partners to intensify practical cooperation in
crisis management and stresses the need to cooperate also in strengthening multilateral non-proliferation
mechanisms;

10. Welcomes the proposal of the forthcoming Finnish Presidency to give priority to the Northern
Dimension in the programme for its Council Presidency; stresses that this could be an important tool for
enhancing the EU-Russia partnership, for which concrete proposals and projects should be drawn up with
the necessary accompanying financing;

Regrets that as regards the Common Space of External Security no progress was made on conflict
11.
resolution in Transnistria and South Caucasus, with no real improvement in Chechnya and no willingness by
the Russian side to engage with Belarus so as to start a genuine process of democratisation in that country;

Human Rights Dialogue

Recognises the importance of the various dialogues established to improve the functioning of EU-
12.
Russian cooperation and partnership and underlines in particular the need for an effective Human Rights
Dialogue;

Also calls on the Russian Government, within this framework, to contribute to the intensification of
13.
the EU-Russia Human Rights Consultations as an essential part of the EU-Russia partnership and to allow
the free functioning of domestic and international human rights organisations and other non-governmental
organisations;

14.
Takes note of the declaration of the Austrian Presidency on the outcome of the EU-Russia consul-
tation on human rights which took place in March 2006; welcomes, in this regard, the decision of the
Austrian Presidency to launch inquiries into cases of disappearances and torture in Chechnya;

15.
Urges the Russian Federation, as a member of the Council of Europe, to improve conditions for
prisoners and put an end to the difficulties faced by lawyers in seeking to gain access to some of those
prisoners; points out that, pursuant to the Russian Criminal Code, detainees should be imprisoned either
close to their residence or close to where their trial took place, as exemplified by the prisoners Mr Khodor-
kovsky and Mr Lebedev;

Calls on the partners to enhance the Human Rights Dialogue in the new agreement, following the
into a well structured and more transparent instrument for progress towards a

16.
expiration of the PCA,
common human rights policy;

17.
Expects that the existing version of the PCA, which expires in 2007 and focuses also on human
rights and civil liberties, will be the foundation of the new PCA and welcomes the agreement reached at
the summit that the current PCA will remain valid until the new agreement enters into force;

9.12.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 300 E/485

18.
Calls on the Russian Government to honour its responsibility as President of the G8 and as Chair of
the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to achieve tangible results in the further development
of transparent trade and reliable economic relations and in the establishment of stability, security, democ-
racy and respect for human rights;

Thursday 15 June 2006

*

*

*

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments
19.
and parliaments of the Member States, the President and Parliament of the Russian Federation, the OSCE
and the Council of Europe.

P6_TA(2006)0271

MIFID draft implementing measures

European Parliament resolution on the MiFID draft implementing measures

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the draft directive and draft regulation of the Commission of 6 February 2006, imple-
menting Directive 2004/39/EC (1) (respectively, Draft Implementing Directive and Draft Implementing
Regulation),

— having regard to the informal drafts of the implementing measures transmitted to the Parliament since

6 February 2006,

— having regard to Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the

exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission (2),

— having regard to the statement made to the Parliament by Commission President Romano Prodi on

5 February 2002 (3),

— having regard to its resolution of 5 February 2002 on the implementation of financial services legis-

lation (4),

— having regard to Article 64 of Directive 2004/39/EC: the ‘sunset clause’ provision,

— having regard to the proposed modifications of the draft implementing measures adopted by its Com-

mittee on Economic and Monetary Affairs on 30 May 2006,

— having regard to the Commission's answer to the proposed modifications, forwarded to the Parliament
by letter of 9 June 2006, addressed to the rapporteur and to the Chairwoman of the competent com-
mittee,

— having regard to the outcome of the meeting of the European Securities Committee of 8 and 9 June

2006,

— having regard to the Council (Economic and Financial Affairs) conclusions of 5 May 2006, stressing the

importance of supervision, coordination and convergence within the European Union,

— having regard to Rules 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

(1) Directive 2004/39/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 on markets in financial
instruments amending Council Directives 85/611/EEC and 93/6/EEC and Directive 2000/12/EC of the European
Parliament and of the Council and repealing Council Directive 93/22/EEC (OJ L 145, 30.4.2004, p. 1). Directive as
last amended by Directive 2006/31/EC (OJ L 114, 27.4.2006, p. 60).

(2) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.
(3) SPEECH/02/44.
(4) OJ C 284 E, 21.11.2002, p. 115.