MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Ukraine
4.2.2014 - (2014/2547(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 110(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Rebecca Harms, Mark Demesmaeker, Werner Schulz, Tarja Cronberg, Raül Romeva i Rueda, Indrek Tarand on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0138/2014
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its resolution of 12 December 2013 on the outcome of the Vilnius Summit and the future of the Eastern Partnership, in particular as regards Ukraine[1],
– having regard to its resolution 23 October 2013 on the ‘European Neighbourhood Policy: towards a strengthening of the partnership – position of the European Parliament on the 2012 reports’[2],
– having regard to its resolution of 12 September 2013 on the pressure exerted by Russia on Eastern Partnership countries[3],
– having regard to the Joint Declaration of the Eastern Partnership Summit of 29 November 2013, entitled ‘Eastern Partnership: the way ahead’,
– having regard to the statements by the Vice-President / High Representative Catherine Ashton, of 22 January 2014 on the violence and reported deaths of protesters in Kyiv and of 17 January 2014 on developments in the Ukrainian Parliament,
– having regard to the Council conclusions on Ukraine adopted at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting of 20 January 2014,
– having regard to the EU-Russia Summit of 28 January 2014,
– having regard to the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) between the European Union and Ukraine, which entered into force on 1 March 1998, and to the new Association Agreement initialled on 30 March 2012,
– having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas, since the Ukrainian Government’s decision to suspend the signing of the Association Agreement, hundreds of thousands of people have taken spontaneously to the streets all over the country in favour of the European choice; whereas in Kyiv demonstrators have been peacefully occupying Independence Square, calling for a strong political change with a view to making the government review its decision;
B. whereas over recent weeks the situation has further deteriorated, with people taking to the streets to defend democracy and civil liberties after brutal crackdowns by Berkut riot police on demonstrators, human rights activists and journalists;
C. whereas despite the international pressure the policy of intimidation, repression and violence against protesters has not stopped, with the result that further arrests have taken place, more than 2 000 people have been injured, many abducted and at least six killed;
D. whereas on 28 January 2014 Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and his government offered their resignation; whereas on the same day the Verkhovna Rada abolished the laws adopted hurriedly on 16 January, which restricted the rights of assembly and freedom of speech and curtailed the activities of civil society organisations;
E. whereas on the following day the Ukrainian Parliament adopted an amnesty law without reaching a prior agreement with the opposition about the terms of the law and how to apply it, and without addressing the issue of the current widespread impunity enjoyed by law-enforcement officers;
F. whereas Ukraine was high on the agenda of the EU-Russia Summit which took place in Brussels on 28 January 2014;
1. Expresses its strong support for, and sympathy and solidarity with, all the people that have taken to the streets over the last two months in Ukraine to express their support for the European choice, democracy and respect for human rights;
2. Strongly condemns the brutal attacks by Ukrainian special police forces on demonstrators, the ongoing acts of intimidation and harassment by law-enforcement officers, the abductions of protesters, the arbitrary arrests and over-extended pre-trial detentions, as well as the strategy of provocation, and calls for the perpetrators to be brought to justice;
3. Calls on President Yanikovych to order a stop to these practices and demands the immediate and unconditional release and political rehabilitation of all the demonstrators and political prisoners illegally detained, including Yulya Tymoshenko; calls for the setting-up of an investigative committee in order to investigate all the human rights violations that have taken place since the demonstrations began;
4. Welcomes the Verkhovna Rada’s vote of 28 January 2014, which revoked the anti‑democratic laws of 16 January after an agreement had been reached between majority and opposition forces, and regrets that it was not possible to reach such an agreement on the Amnesty Law; calls, in this regard, for the continuation of the dialogue between the political leaders, and hopes that this will soon lead to a peaceful resolution of the crisis;
5. Is of the opinion that one of the important issues to be addressed with a view to resolving the crisis in Ukraine is the rebalance of powers of the institutions and an eventual return to the 2004 constitution, which was illegally abolished in 2010 by the Constitutional Court, bypassing the Ukrainian Parliament;
6. Takes the view that the active presence of Members of the European Parliament in Kyiv could prevent a further escalation of the crisis and calls, in this regard, for the deployment of a permanent parliamentary mission in Ukraine, also involving the national parliaments, with a view to defusing tension and facilitating dialogue between the parties;
7. Points out that the proposal to sign the association agreement is still valid and that the EU stands ready to sign it as soon as the current political crisis is resolved and as long as the benchmarks set by the Foreign Affairs Council of December 2012 are met;
8. Expects the Council and the Commission to deliver on their promises and to continue to assist Ukraine in overcoming this deep political and economic crisis; urges, in particular, the Commission to find ways of providing medical care and support for all victims of violence during the demonstrations;
9. Calls on the Council, in this connection, to take immediate action, including increased diplomatic pressure and the introduction of individual targeted measures and sanctions on travelling, an asset and property freeze for all those Ukrainian officials, legislators and their business sponsors who are responsible for crackdowns on and the deaths of protesters, and to step up efforts to stop money laundering and tax evasion by Ukrainian companies and businesspeople in European banks;
10. Calls on the Council and the Commission, in particular, to step up their efforts to involve the IMF, the World Bank, the EBRD and the EIB in order to adopt as quickly as possible a long-term package of concrete financial support measures to help Ukraine tackle its worsening economic and social situation and provide economic support to launch the necessary deep and comprehensive reforms of the Ukrainian economy;
11. Takes the view that the swift finalisation of a visa-free travel agreement between the EU and Ukraine is the best way to respond to the calls from Ukrainian civil society and students who have demonstrated over the last few days in the country’s squares in favour of Ukraine’s European choice; points out that this agreement will step up and facilitate exchanges and people-to-people contacts between civil societies, thus increasing mutual understanding and providing an opportunity for Ukrainian public opinion to familiarise itself with European standards and best practices in all areas; calls, in the meantime, for the immediate introduction of temporary, very simple and inexpensive visa procedures;
12. Calls on Moscow to adopt a constructive attitude and to stop retaliatory measures and undue pressure aimed at undermining the sovereign right of its neighbours freely to determine their future; urges the EU and its Member States to speak to Russia with one voice in support of the European aspirations of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries that freely choose to deepen their relations with the EU; calls on the EU, in this connection, to act in support of Ukraine or any other EaP country at the WTO or any other international organisations in the event of any controversy with the Russian Federation;
13. Calls, furthermore, on the Commission to work with the Ukrainian authorities in order to find ways to counterbalance the effects of the retaliatory measures adopted by Moscow to stop the signing of the Association Agreement;
14. Calls on the Commission to increase funding for civil society organisations in Ukraine significantly and to develop a sustainable, country-tailored and visible strategy regarding support for civil society in Ukraine; believes that adequate human resources should be provided for the management of such a civil society programme;
15. Believes, furthermore, that Ukraine should be offered a genuine European perspective once the country shows, in practical terms, its readiness to engage in reforms and adopt and share EU values;
16. Points out that the EU communication strategy in partner countries is still lacking in effectiveness; urges the Commission, in this connection, to step up its efforts to explain the potential benefits and advantages of the association agreement to public opinion in the relevant countries;
17. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States, the President, Government and Parliament of Ukraine and the President, Government and Parliament of the Russian Federation.
- [1] Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0595.
- [2] Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0446.
- [3] Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0383.