MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Belarus
8.9.2015 - (2015/2834(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 123(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Urmas Paet, Petras Auštrevičius, Fernando Maura Barandiarán, Marietje Schaake, Pavel Telička, Ivo Vajgl, Johannes Cornelis van Baalen on behalf of the ALDE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0866/2015
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Belarus, in particular those of 29 March 2012[1], 16 February 2012[2], 15 September 2011[3], 12 May 2011[4], 10 March 2011[5] and 20 January 2011[6],
– having regard to the recent release of six political prisoners in Belarus – Mikola Statkevich, Mikola Dziadok, Ihar Alinevich, Jury Rubtsov, Euheny Vaskovich and Artyom Prakapenka,
– having regard to the forthcoming presidential elections in Belarus scheduled for 11 October 2015,
– having regard to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, which also has direct and indirect consequences for Belarus,
– having regard to the statement by the Vice-President / High Representative, Federica Mogherini, and the Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, on the release of political prisoners in Belarus,
– having regard to the human rights dialogue between the European Union and Belarus that took place on 28 July 2015,
– having regard to Rule 123(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the European Union is prepared to improve relations and cooperation with Belarus once the conditions inside the country make this possible, in terms of respect for democratic standards, the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights;
B. whereas the recent release of the six political prisoners is a welcome and much needed step in the right direction and will hopefully be followed by other measures;
C. whereas a significant improvement in the freedom of speech and freedom of the media, respect for the political rights of ordinary citizens and opposition activists alike and full respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights are all prerequisites for better relations between the EU and Belarus;
1. Welcomes the release of the six political prisoners as an undeniable improvement in the way in which Belarus deals with opposition activists, but urges the authorities to follow up on this step with measures that fully guarantee freedom of speech and freedom of the media and possibilities for Belarusian citizens and Belarusian activists to fully take part in the political life of their country;
2. Calls on the Belarusian authorities to create fair conditions and opportunities for all candidates to conduct a genuine electoral campaign and to ensure that all parties participating in the elections are represented at all election commission levels; expresses doubt, however, as to whether the elections will comply with the international standards that Belarus has signed up to;
3. Calls, nevertheless, on the Belarusian authorities to adopt and implement recommended changes to the electoral law and to engage with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Venice Commission in such a process;
4. Emphasises that the EU remains ready to extend commercial and trade links with Belarus and that the country’s membership of the Eurasian Union is not incompatible with such measures;
5. Calls on the European External Action Service and on the Commission to find new ways to support civil society organisations in Belarus, in line with the EU policy of critical engagement with Belarus;
6. Regrets the fact that Belarus was among 11 countries which voted against UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262 of 27 March 2014, adopted in response to the Russian annexation of Crimea; notes, however, that Belarus has played a role of moderation in the current conflict in the eastern part of Ukraine and has not recognised the Russian annexation of Crimea; calls on the Belarusian leadership to continue taking part in the efforts to bring about a peaceful solution to the conflict along the lines of the Minsk Protocol;
7. Notes the launch in January 2014 of the negotiations on visa facilitation aimed at improving people-to-people contact and encouraging civil society;
8. Condemns the fact that Belarus is the only country in Europe which still has the death penalty, contrary to European values; calls for an immediate moratorium on executions and for corresponding changes to the penal code in order to abolish capital punishment;
9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the parliaments and governments of the Member States, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Parliamentary Assemblies of the OSCE and the Council of Europe, the Secretariat of the CIS and the Belarusian authorities.