Text tabled : A7-0174/2012

  Elena Oana Antonescu (PPE), in writing. – (RO) Appointing an EU Special Representative for Human Rights reflects the strong commitment of Member States and European institutions to protecting the system of human rights and democratic values at a regional and global level. To ensure that the special representative’s activities can fully leverage the potential offered by this post, active, effective cooperation is required between this person and the European legislative. Although it remains the Council’s privilege to appoint the representative, I think that submitting an annual report on this person’s activities to all the EU authorities, along with holding a hearing/having an exchange of views with the relevant committee in Parliament, is a prerequisite for making the EU’s actions in protecting human rights globally transparent and legitimate. I also endorse the need to establish effective relations promoting cooperation between the special representative and the international institutions or NGOs with a long tradition in protecting human rights, as well as the provision of consistent institutional and financial support on behalf of the European authorities to implement the mandate of the future representative.