The European Parliament,

–  having regard to Rule 108(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  whereas we commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the opening of the gates of the Auschwitz extermination camp by allied forces on 27 January 1945,

B.  whereas the Auschwitz camp, established by Nazi Germany in 1940, initially functioned to eliminate the elite of Polish society: political, civic and spiritual leaders, members of the intelligentsia, cultural and scientific figures, and members of the resistance movement,

C.  whereas the Auschwitz camp became the largest extermination camp of European Jews by Nazi Germany,

D.  whereas millions of people, mainly Jews but also Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, disabled people, Czechs, Yugoslavs and nationals of France, Greece, Belarus, Ukraine and other countries, were exterminated at Auschwitz,

E.  whereas we grieve for and mourn the lives that perished inside the Auschwitz camp,

F.  whereas we express our hope that no nation or state, whether in the name of National Socialism or any other ideology, political or otherwise, will rise again to commit such barbaric and merciless crimes against humanity as Germany did during World War II,

1.  Believes that the citizens of Europe must remember the events of World War II in order to prevent them from ever happening again;

2.  Points out that, besides Auschwitz, there were other extermination camps set up by Nazi Germany, such as http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BelzecBelzec, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelmno_concentration_campChelmno (Kulmhof), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MajdanekMajdanek, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sobib%F3rSobibor and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treblinka_extermination_campTreblinka , which are not remembered enough;

3.  Asks the Commission and Council to ensure that all nationals who perished in all the Nazi camps are remembered when the tragic extermination policies conducted by Germany in World War II are commemorated;

4.  Reiterates its belief that only through remembrance and education will intolerance, discrimination and racism be halted in the future;

5.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments of the Member States.