pozdravlja zavezanost avstrijskega predsedstva k nadaljevanju prakse sprejemanja demarš za vse mednarodne partnerje EU v zvezi z ratifikacijo mednarodnih konvencij, ki prepovedujejo mučenje; poziva Svet in Komisijo, da preučita nove in inovativne načine za izvajanje smernic proti mučenju; poudarja, da so te smernice, čeprav so bile sprejete že leta 2001, med najslabše izvajanimi; glede na dejstvo, da zaradi mednarodnega boja proti terorizmu lahko pride do prekinitve absolutne prepovedi mučenja in slabega ravnanja; poziva Svet, da v prihodnje vrednotenje smernic vključi Evropski parlament; sporoča Svetu, da je pododbor za človekove pravice EP naročil študijo, katere cilj je izboljšati izvajanje smernic EU proti mučenju in sredstva, ki jih predpisujejo te smernice; priporoča avstrijskemu in finskemu predsedstvu, da sprejmeta demarše proti mučenju v vseh državah, ki so podpisnice ustreznih konvencij, vendar očitno ne sodelujejo; poudarja, da bi redna prisotnost predsedstva ali sekretariata Sveta v Odboru ZN proti mučenju lahko prinesla bistven materialni vložek k strateški analizi tega, za katere države in kdaj se sprejmejo demarše; poziva Svet, da preuči, ali Evropska unija ne bi delovala močneje in bolj prepričljivo nasproti tretjim državam, če bi vse države članice podpisale in ratificirale Izbirni protokol h Konvenciji ZN proti mučenju Dne 23. januarja 2006 je bilo stanje podpisov in ratifikacij med 25 članicami EU naslednje: podpisale in ratificirale (le 5 držav članic): Danska, Malta, Poljska, Švedska in Združeno kraljestvo (ter tudi država kandidatka Hrvaška); podpisale (11 držav članic): Avstrija, Belgija, Ciper, Češka republika, Estonija, Finska, Francija, Italija, Luksemburg, Nizozemska in Španija (ter tudi državi kandidatki Romunija in Turčija); niti podpisale niti ratificirale (9 držav članic): Nemčija, Grčija, Madžarska, Irska, Latvija, Litva, Portugalska, Slovaška in Slovenija (ter tudi država kandidatka Bolgarija).
Welcomes the commitment of the Austrian Presidency to continue the practice of demarches in respect of all of the EU's international partners regarding the ratification of international conventions banning the use of torture; asks the Council and the Commission to consider new and innovative ways to implement the Guidelines on Torture; emphasises that, although those Guidelines were adopted as long ago as 2001, they are among the least implemented; in view of the current threats facing the absolute prohibition of torture and ill-treatment in the international context of counter-terrorism; calls on the Council to associate Parliament in the future evaluation process of the Guidelines; in that connection, informs the Council that its sub-committee on Human Rights has asked for a study aimed at optimising the implementation of the EU Guidelines on Torture and improving the means provided for by those Guidelines; recommends to the Austrian and Finnish Presidencies that they conduct demarches on torture in all countries that are signatories to the relevant conventions but appear not to be cooperating; emphasises that the regular presence of the Presidency or the Council Secretariat in the relevant UN Committee on Torture could bring substantial material input into a strategic analysis of which countries to demarche at which point in time; asks the Council to consider whether the European Union could not act more forcefully and more convincingly vis-à-vis third countries if all Member States were to sign and ratify the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment On 23 January 2006, the status of signatures and ratifications among the EU-25 was as follows: signed and ratified (only 5 Member States): Denmark, Malta, Poland, Sweden, and the UK (as well as candidate country Croatia); signed (11 Member States): Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, and Spain (as well as candidate countries Romania and Turkey); neither signed nor ratified (9 Member States): Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovakia, and Slovenia (as well as candidate country Bulgaria).