EU Memorandum of Understanding with Tunisia: lack of call for release of political prisoners, legal basis, and human rights conditionality
1.8.2023
Priority question for written answer P-002382/2023
to the Commission
Rule 138
Karen Melchior (Renew), Michael Gahler (PPE), Matjaž Nemec (S&D), Mounir Satouri (Verts/ALE), Anne-Sophie Pelletier (The Left), Theresa Bielowski (S&D), Abir Al-Sahlani (Renew), Dietmar Köster (S&D), Brando Benifei (S&D), Tineke Strik (Verts/ALE), Ignazio Corrao (Verts/ALE), Margrete Auken (Verts/ALE), Pascal Durand (S&D), Helmut Scholz (The Left), Margarida Marques (S&D), Barry Andrews (Renew), Kathleen Van Brempt (S&D), Thijs Reuten (S&D), Domènec Ruiz Devesa (S&D), Pierrette Herzberger-Fofana (Verts/ALE), Claudia Gamon (Renew), Sylvie Guillaume (S&D), Sylwia Spurek (Verts/ALE), José Gusmão (The Left), Jan-Christoph Oetjen (Renew), Fabio Massimo Castaldo (NI), Samira Rafaela (Renew), Giuliano Pisapia (S&D), Georgios Kyrtsos (Renew), Fabienne Keller (Renew), Damien Carême (Verts/ALE)
We find the EU’s signature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tunisia deeply concerning given the worsening of migrants’ rights in the country, including collective expulsions at unsafe borders, violations during interceptions at sea, and arrests of Black African migrants by police.
- 1.What measures will the Commission take to ensure that funding does not benefit institutions involved in human rights violations, and why did the MoU not include the EU’s long-standing demands for a comprehensive national dialogue and the release of political prisoners?
- 2.Will independent human rights assessments be conducted before funds are allocated, will there be independent third-party monitoring to ensure that human rights are respected in the implementation of the package’s migration components, and under what conditions would the EU suspend this cooperation with Tunisia?
- 3.Under what legal basis will this MoU be established, and what will Parliament’s role be in scrutinising the procedure?
Supporters[1]
Submitted: 1.8.2023
- [1] This question is supported by Members other than the authors: Rosa D'Amato (Verts/ALE), Petras Auštrevičius (Renew), Saskia Bricmont (Verts/ALE)