Motion for a resolution - B6-0633/2006Motion for a resolution
B6-0633/2006

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

6.12.2006

to wind up the debate on statements by the Council and Commission
pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Elmar Brok, José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra, Charles Tannock, Camiel Eurlings, Laima Liucija Andrikienė, Tunne Kelam, Vytautas Landsbergis and Jacek Emil Saryusz-Wolski
on behalf of the PPE-DE Group
on the EU-Russia Summit

Procedure : 2006/2658(RSP)
Document stages in plenary
Document selected :  
B6-0633/2006
Texts tabled :
B6-0633/2006
Texts adopted :

B6‑0633/2006

European Parliament resolution on the EU-Russia Summit

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the EU-Russia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which entered into force in 1997 and expires in 2007,

–  having regard to the European Parliament’s previous resolutions on Russia, and in particular the report by Cecilia Malmström adopted on 26 May 2005,

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

A.  whereas the 8th EU-Russia Summit in Helsinki was intended to mark the start of a new phase in EU-Russia relations and, in particular, to launch negotiations for a new framework agreement between the EU and Russia to replace the current Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA), which expires in 2007,

B.  whereas Poland has blocked the start of the negotiations on the new framework agreement, making the start of the negotiations conditional upon Moscow lifting a ban on Polish meat imports introduced a year ago,

C.  whereas on 10 November Russia introduced a new embargo on imports of Polish meat and poultry products, saying it was concerned over violations of veterinary regulations; whereas ahead of the summit Russia threatened to extend the ban to the whole of the EU over concerns about swine fever in Romania and Bulgaria,

D.  whereas the summit was also overshadowed by news that Russian former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko, a major critic of President Vladimir Putin and his government, had died in London from mysterious radioactive poisoning,

1.  Acknowledges the importance of Russia as a strategic partner for cooperation, with whom the European Union shares not only economic and trade interests, but also the objective of cooperating closely in the international arena as well as in the common neighbourhood;

2.  Regrets, therefore, the failure of the summit to launch negotiations for a new framework agreement between the EU and Russia, and encourages the Finnish Presidency to continue work to enable the negotiating mandate for a new agreement to be adopted as soon as possible and to start negotiations without further delay;

3.  Underlines that the robust defence of human rights and democratic values should be a core principle of any EU engagement with Russia; urges the Commission to send a clear signal to all involved parties that these values will not have a subsidiary status in the EU-Russia negotiating package; underlines in this context that the Russian rhetoric about implementation of ‘artificial standards’ is counter-productive;

4.  Expresses its full solidarity with Poland in its trade dispute with Russia and calls upon the Commission to start immediately tripartite talks involving the EU, Poland and Russia to settle the issue; underlines that demonstration of solidarity by EU institutions and governments is particularly relevant to current Polish-Russian and Baltic-Russian relations;

5.  Considers the ban on Polish meat to be entirely unjustified, representing as it does a discretionary and politically motivated measure which does not comply with international rules of conduct as expected from a future member of the WTO; urges Russia to refrain from using its commercial and energy policy as a tool to exert pressure on neighbouring countries, as is the case in relation to Georgian, and was the case in relation to Moldovan, products, seriously affecting their economies; calls on the European Commission to infer from the incident involving an EU Member State (Poland) that more assertive and coherent action is required in line with Article 133 of the EU common commercial policy, which is designed to guarantee that the interests of Member States are duly preserved in relations with third countries and that appropriate action is taken to counter the risks of unfair treatment, including sanctions under Article 301 of the Treaty;

6.  Expresses its deepest concern about the continuing series of murders of prominent persons, such as Anna Politkovskaya, who oppose the current Russian government or who have stood up for the basic rights of Russian citizens; emphasis that the Council and Commission must react with all their authority, and stresses that it will be extremely hard to proceed with routine partnership as long as the Russian government is not demonstrating its ability and strong willingness to assist in the investigations aimed at finding the killers and to fulfil its duty to stop this vicious circle and bring those responsible to justice;

7.  Welcomes the agreement reached at the summit to phase out the fees Russia charges EU airlines flying over Siberia, resolving a 20-year dispute between the two sides and paving the way for EU carriers to increase the number of routes to the growing markets in Asia; notes that the row over charges, which cost EU airlines more then €250 million a year, was one of the last hurdles the EU identified after its agreement with Russia on the country’s entry to the World Trade Organisation (WTO);

8.  Welcomes recent declarations made by the Russian authorities about the solidity of the EU-Russia energy partnership, stressing that Europe ‘will never have a more reliable energy supplier than Russia’, but is concerned about the lack of investment in the Russian energy sector, which might lead to shortages in Russian domestic supply and difficulties in honouring its export obligations; calls, therefore, on Russia to ratify and apply the Energy Charter and to sign and ratify the Transit Protocol, which should be part of its WTO accession package, in order to ensure transparent and fair mutual investment conditions, equal access and a rules-based market;

9.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Governments and Parliaments of the Member States and of the Russian Federation.