VP/HR — State of play of the EU-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement

13.2.2015

Question for written answer E-002412-15
to the Commission (Vice-President/High Representative)
Rule 130
Fabio Massimo Castaldo (EFDD) , Marco Valli (EFDD) , Marco Zanni (EFDD)

On 12 November 2014 the EU-Kazakhstan Human Rights Dialogue took place in Brussels. Given the recently concluded negotiations for the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Kazakhstan, this year’s edition of the Human Rights Dialogue was of particular importance. It was an occasion not only to underline the need for an improvement in the situation and greater respect for fundamental rights in Kazakhstan, but also to put forward requests for concrete steps to be undertaken by the Kazakh counterpart.

Given the worrying conclusions of the recent Universal Periodic Review of Kazakhstan, which did not implement a number of previous recommendations and seems to be refusing to accept a large number of the new ones, as well as numerous reports by international organisations — Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the Open Dialog Foundation, Reporters without Borders and Action by Christians against Torture (ACAT) — on negative developments in Kazakhstan in areas such as the use of torture, inhumane treatment of prisoners, political persecution, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, the situation remains highly concerning.

Can the Vice-President/High Representative share the conclusions from the EU-Kazakhstan Human Rights Dialogue in view of the future ratification of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement?

Does the Vice-President/High Representative believe that Kazakhstan has fulfilled the recommendations listed in Parliament’s resolution on the negotiations for the new PCA?