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Parliamentary question - E-007117/2016Parliamentary question
E-007117/2016

Business and human rights in Ogaden

Question for written answer E-007117-16
to the Commission
Rule 130
Ilhan Kyuchyuk (ALDE)

Ogaden, the oil-rich Somali Regional State in Ethiopia, has been ravaged by famine, droughts and conflict for decades. Despite the humanitarian crisis, the Ethiopian Government has divided the territory into 22 blocks and auctioned them off to multinational companies for exploration, with complete disregard for the local population. Executed by a paramilitary force trained by the Ethiopian Government, entire areas are being forcefully depopulated through killings, rape and confiscation of livestock.

The EU has endorsed the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which is reinforced by the Commission’s ‘Renewed EU strategy 2011-14 for CSR’[1], which seeks to promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) through its external policies.

1. How is the Commission addressing CSR in its dialogue with the Ethiopian Government?

2. What steps does the Commission intend to take to prompt European companies involved in the Ogaden, such as New Age Energy and Delonex Energy, to comply with CSR guidelines?

3. Does the Commission intend to raise the issue of land-grabbing and human rights violations in the Ogaden with the Ethiopian Government?