Peace conference on Syria
2.9.2016
Question for written answer E-006643-16
to the Commission
Rule 130
Dimitrios Papadimoulis (GUE/NGL)
The ongoing war in Syria is one of the greatest tragedies in modern history: thousands of people have died and millions have been displaced, emigrating mainly to the Middle East, Turkey and the EU.
According to the latest UNHCR figures, the number of refugees from Syria now exceeds 4.8 million, while 6.6 million have been forcibly displaced within the country and 13.5 million need urgent humanitarian assistance.
EU and UN humanitarian aid is not enough to find a viable solution to the tragedy of the people thus affected, while the EU refugee resettlement programme is not being adequately implemented: many EU countries are failing to honour their commitments which means that the States of first entry (Greece and Italy) are having to bear an increasingly disproportionate amount of the burden of managing refugee flows.
In view of the above, will the Commission, in particular the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Ms Morgherini, say:
- —What initiatives has she taken to ensure that the EU contributes politically to efforts to broker a ceasefire and end the war in Syria?
- —Will she take the initiative to table a proposal for a peace conference on Syria at the UN General Assembly and the Security Council?