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 Esko Seppänen and Gabriele Zimmer
on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
on the EU-Russia Summit

B6‑0638/2006

European Parliament resolution on the EU-Russia Summit

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the outcome of the EU-Russia Summit and related documents,

–  having regard to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between the European Communities and their Member States and the Russian Federation, which entered into force on 1 December 1997 and will expire in 2007,

–  having regard to its previous resolutions on relations between the EU and Russia,

–  having regard to the EU-Russia Human Rights Dialogue,

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

A.  whereas 2007 will be an important year for the future of EU-Russia relations, since the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between Russia and the EU expires in 2007 and the EU needs to decide on a new long-term strategy on Russia,

B.  whereas the development of relations is overshadowed by controversial issues, such as the situation in Chechnya, the neighbourhood countries, energy supply, the embargo against meat exports from EU Member States to Russia, the killing of Anna Politkovskaya, and human and democratic rights,

C.  whereas major differences between the Member States are preventing the EU from implementing an effective policy towards Russia,

1.  Takes note of the results of the EU-Russia Summit; deplores the failure to start negotiations on a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with Russia;

2.  Deeply deplores the fact that the problems concerning food exports from current and future EU Member States could not be solved, and even became worse as a result of the announcement by Russia that it would be stopping meat imports from the EU after the accession of Bulgaria and Romania; takes the view that Russia’s embargo is disproportionate, and calls on the Russian authorities to cooperate with the EU with a view to making a lifting of the embargo possible before the next EU-Russia Summit;

3.  Deplores the fact that the EU has taken up the years-old Russian embargo on Polish food exports only after Poland vetoed the start of the EU-Russia negotiations; reminds the Commission and the Member States that solidarity is one of the basic principles of the EU;

4.  Stresses the strategic importance of cooperation on energy and the need to enhance mutually beneficial EU-Russia energy relations; deplores the fact that this summit again failed to result in concrete progress towards the solution of controversial issues; calls on the German Presidency to launch renewed consultations with Russia in a fresh approach to solving these controversies;

5.  Notes the regular consultations between the EU and Russia on human rights and fundamental freedoms; deplores the lack of concrete results; reiterates its concern about the human rights and democracy situation in Russia;

6.  Emphasises that the war in Chechnya continues to be an obstacle to the development of relations between the EU and Russia; reiterates its condemnation of Russia’s policy in Chechnya and the numerous human rights violations there; expresses its serious concerns about the findings of Human Rights Watch regarding torture in both official and secret detention facilities in Chechnya; deplores the fact that Russia refused to allow the UN special rapporteur on torture to visit Russia and Chechnya and calls on Russia to review this decision;

7.  Deplores the lack of progress in the investigations aimed at finding and punishing those responsible for the murder of Anna Politkovskaya; voices its concern over the cases of intimidation, poisoning and murder of persons critical of the current government; calls on the Russian authorities to conduct full and thorough investigation into these cases, to do everything in their power to bring the perpetrators to justice and to inform the public adequately;

8.  Stresses the importance of contacts between EU and Russian civil society for the promotion of mutual understanding; welcomes the decisions of the summit to promote cooperation between higher education institutions and student exchanges between the EU and Russia; calls on the Commission to make the implementation of these decisions a priority in relations with Russia;

9.  Notes the differences between the EU and Russia concerning neighbourhood policy; rejects foreign policies aimed at creating spheres of influence; stresses the need to respect fully the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States, including the right of every State to seek to develop its relations with other States and organisations on the basis of its own definition of its interests, without outside interference; calls on the EU and Russia to act accordingly;

10.  Welcomes the results of the intensified political dialogue between the EU and Russia on international issues; calls on the EU and Russia to assume their responsibility as members of the Quartet for the solution of the Middle East conflicts and to promote the call for an international peace conference on a regional Middle East peace agreement;

11.  Welcomes the progress made in the development of EU-Russia relations during the Finnish Presidency, particularly the agreement on the issue of Siberian overflight payments, the Environment Partnership Council in October and the progress made in the implementation of the Common Space Road Map; calls on the German Presidency to continue along this path, focusing on making the start of negotiations on the new PCA possible;

12.  Looks forward to the implementation of the agreements reached at the Northern Dimension Summit of 24 November; calls on the EU and Russia to increase their cooperation in the field of maritime and nuclear safety in the northern dimension framework; emphasises the need to involve elected representatives, trade unions and NGOs at all levels in the Northern Dimension cooperation;

13.  Recalls that, according to the EU guidelines on human rights dialogues, the European Parliament and non-governmental organisations should be involved in the human rights dialogue with Russia; deplores the lack of progress in this field; recalls also its calls on the Council and the Commission to associate Parliament closely in the elaboration of the new long-term strategy on Russia and to inform Parliament about preparatory work for the negotiations on a new PCA;

14.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Governments and Parliaments of the Member States and of Russia.