Human rights and democracy clauses in EU trade agreements should be either upheld or abolished
Conservative MEP says EU risks ridicule unless it retains the threat of sanctions
Inserting human rights and democracy clauses into trade agreements that the EU signs with third countries is a waste of time without genuine intent to back them up with sanctions, Conservative MEP Charles Tannock said today.
Dr Tannock made his comments in a debate in the European Parliament on a proposed EU trade agreement with Vietnam.
He said that the human rights and democracy clauses, which are now standard for such agreements, were not worth the paper they were written on if the European commission was not genuinely prepared to impose sanctions in the case of human rights abuses.
Dr Tannock highlighted the case of the People's Republic of China, which is the EU's second-largest trading partner but shows no sign of heeding EU pleas to respect human rights and accord political freedoms.
He said:
"I am sceptical as to whether the human rights and democracy clause within the Vietnam trade agreement is actually worth the paper it's written on.
"The intentions contained within it are a reflection of our common European values but I believe it is little more than window-dressing. After all, China is now the EU's second largest trading partner, yet the communist dictatorship in Beijing pays no attention to our concerns about human rights. Indeed, I sometimes wonder whether it is even worth raising the issue any more.
"The political repression and human rights violations so commonplace in China tend to distract us from what is going on in neighbouring Vietnam where things are every bit as brutal there. Pro democracy dissidents and religious minorities are imprisoned, journalists are intimidated into silence and the liberties we take for granted here in Europe such as an uncensored internet simply don’t exist.
"The Commission and Council should either scrap the pretence by abolishing these human rights and democracy clauses or genuinely and sincerely hold third countries to account for their wanton abuses of values we hold sacrosanct."
(Source: http://www.conservativeeurope.com/news/902/human-rights-and-democracy-clauses-in-eu-trade-agreements-should-be-either-upheld-or-abolished.aspx, Posted, October 23, 2008 @ 10:00)
Conservative MEP says EU risks ridicule unless it retains the threat of sanctions
Inserting human rights and democracy clauses into trade agreements that the EU signs with third countries is a waste of time without genuine intent to back them up with sanctions, Conservative MEP Charles Tannock said today.
Dr Tannock made his comments in a debate in the European Parliament on a proposed EU trade agreement with Vietnam.
He said that the human rights and democracy clauses, which are now standard for such agreements, were not worth the paper they were written on if the European commission was not genuinely prepared to impose sanctions in the case of human rights abuses.
Dr Tannock highlighted the case of the People's Republic of China, which is the EU's second-largest trading partner but shows no sign of heeding EU pleas to respect human rights and accord political freedoms.
He said:
"I am sceptical as to whether the human rights and democracy clause within the Vietnam trade agreement is actually worth the paper it's written on.
"The intentions contained within it are a reflection of our common European values but I believe it is little more than window-dressing. After all, China is now the EU's second largest trading partner, yet the communist dictatorship in Beijing pays no attention to our concerns about human rights. Indeed, I sometimes wonder whether it is even worth raising the issue any more.
"The political repression and human rights violations so commonplace in China tend to distract us from what is going on in neighbouring Vietnam where things are every bit as brutal there. Pro democracy dissidents and religious minorities are imprisoned, journalists are intimidated into silence and the liberties we take for granted here in Europe such as an uncensored internet simply don’t exist.
"The Commission and Council should either scrap the pretence by abolishing these human rights and democracy clauses or genuinely and sincerely hold third countries to account for their wanton abuses of values we hold sacrosanct."
(Source: http://www.conservativeeurope.com/news/902/human-rights-and-democracy-clauses-in-eu-trade-agreements-should-be-either-upheld-or-abolished.aspx, Posted, October 23, 2008 @ 10:00)