JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the crisis in Egypt
3.7.2013 - (2013/2697(RSP))
replacing the motions by the following groups:
PPE (B7‑0362/2013)
S&D (B7‑0364/2013)
ECR (B7‑0365/2013)
Verts/ALE (B7‑0366/2013)
ALDE (B7‑0367/2013)
Cristian Dan Preda, Bernd Posselt, Tokia Saïfi, Roberta Angelilli, Arnaud Danjean, Krzysztof Lisek on behalf of the PPE Group
Véronique De Keyser, Libor Rouček, Pino Arlacchi, Emine Bozkurt, Saïd El Khadraoui, Ana Gomes, Richard Howitt, María Muñiz De Urquiza, Raimon Obiols, Pier Antonio Panzeri, Joanna Senyszyn, Boris Zala on behalf of the S&D Group
Guy Verhofstadt, Marietje Schaake, Graham Watson, Edward McMillan-Scott, Sarah Ludford, Kristiina Ojuland, Louis Michel, Angelika Werthmann, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Alexandra Thein, Hannu Takkula, Robert Rochefort, Ramon Tremosa i Balcells, Marielle de Sarnez on behalf of the ALDE Group
Judith Sargentini, Franziska Katharina Brantner, Hélène Flautre, Barbara Lochbihler, Raül Romeva i Rueda, Bart Staes, Tarja Cronberg, Nicole Kiil-Nielsen, Helga Trüpel on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group
Charles Tannock, Ryszard Czarnecki, Sajjad Karim, Adam Bielan on behalf of the ECR Group
European Parliament resolution on the crisis in Egypt
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Egypt, in particular that of 14 March 2013[1],
– having regard to the European Council conclusions of 8 February 2013 on the Arab Spring,
– having regard to the Foreign Affairs Council conclusions of 27 February 2012, 25 June 2012, 31 January 2013 and 8 February 2013 on Egypt, and of 31 January 2013 on EU support for sustainable change in transition societies,
– having regard to the statements of 28 June 2013 by High Representative Catherine Ashton on the planned demonstrations in Egypt,
– having regard to the statements by High Representative Catherine Ashton of 3 July 2013 on the situation in Egypt and of 28 June 2013 on the demonstrations planned in Egypt for the first anniversary of President Morsi’s inauguration in office,
– having regard to the statement of European Parliament President Martin Schulz of 6 June 2013 on the conviction of 43 NGO workers in Egypt, the joint statement of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Štefan Füle of 5 June 2013 on the Egyptian NGO trial verdicts, and the statement by the spokesperson of High Representative Catherine Ashton of 2 June 2013 on the new NGO law in Egypt,
– having regard to the EU-Egypt Association Agreement of 2001, which entered into force in 2004 and was strengthened by the Action Plan of 2007, and to the Commission’s progress report of 20 March 2013 on its implementation,
– having regard to the EU Task Force meetings of 13 and 14 November 2012, and to its conclusions,
– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,
– having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966, to which Egypt is a party,
– having regard to the statement of 1 July 2013 by General Abdul Fatah Khalil Al-Sisi, Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces of Egypt, and to the political roadmap presented by the April 6 Movement,
– having regard to the statements on the draft legislation on civil society in Egypt by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights of 8 May 2013 and by the UN Secretary-General of 5 June 2013,
– having regard to the interim opinion on the draft law on civic work organisations of Egypt of the European Commission for Democracy Through Law (Venice Commission) of 15 June 2013,
– having regard to the statement by 40 Egyptian civil society organisations of 30 May 2013,
– having regard to the eight core ILO conventions, which Egypt has ratified,
– having regard to the special report of the European Court of Auditors on ‘EU cooperation with Egypt in the field of governance’ of 18 June 2013,
– having regard to Rule 110(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas Egypt is the largest Arab Spring country, a pivotal country in the Southern Mediterranean, an important trade partner of the EU and a major recipient of EU aid; whereas political, economic and social developments in Egypt have significant implications for the whole region and beyond;
B. whereas Egypt is in a critical period of transition towards democracy; whereas the country is facing fundamental challenges in the fields of the rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and social justice; whereas mounting political tensions are deepening internal polarisation within Egyptian society, leading to demonstrations and violent clashes; whereas cases of excessive use of force and violence against peaceful demonstrators by security forces and unidentified groups remain unpunished;
C. whereas on 22 November 2012, eight days after the conclusion of the EU-Egypt Task Force meeting, President Morsi issued a Constitutional Declaration whereby, inter alia, he placed the presidency beyond judicial control; whereas days later the President nullified that declaration, but escalating demonstrations were already taking place;
D. whereas several million have taken to the streets in Cairo and across Egypt in peaceful protests of an unprecedented size to demand that President Morsi leave power; whereas supporters of President Morsi have staged demonstrations in support of the President and the Muslim Brotherhood; whereas dozens of people were killed and many injured in the demonstrations; whereas several ministers and officials have resigned in support of the massive popular protest movement; whereas the Egyptian Armed Forces issued a statement on 1 July 2013 giving Egyptian political forces 48 hours to fulfil the people’s demands, otherwise the military would step in and present a political roadmap for the country;
E. whereas demonstrators have been protesting against President Morsi for months, claiming that the general situation in the country under the government led by the Muslim Brotherhood has not improved, but deteriorated; whereas the Rebel Movement (Tamarod) announced that its activists had collected more than 22 million signatures in their petition campaign for the withdrawal of confidence from President Mohamed Morsi and the holding of an early presidential election, and warned that it would launch a civil disobedience campaign if the President failed to do so; whereas the opposition National Salvation Front, in its ‘Revolution Statement 1’, called on protesters across Egypt to maintain their peaceful rallies until the current regime falls;
F. whereas an inclusive political process based on consensus, joint ownership and a genuine national dialogue with meaningful participation of all democratic political forces is the only way to overcome the current political and social divisions, to build deep and sustainable democracy in Egypt, and to allow the necessary economic reform and governance; whereas Egypt should not reverse its democratic achievements by reverting to military dictatorship;
G. whereas women are in a particularly vulnerable situation in the current period of transition in Egypt; whereas female protesters are often subject to violence, sexual assaults, virginity tests and other forms of degrading treatment, while women’s rights activists face regular harassment and intimidation; whereas women have experienced major setbacks in the field of political participation in the country;
H. whereas Egypt is facing aggravating economic difficulties; whereas economic prosperity in the country requires political stability, sound economic policies, fighting corruption, and international support; whereas social justice and a higher standard of living for citizens are crucial dimensions of the transition towards an open, stable, democratic, free and prosperous Egyptian society;
I. whereas civil society has a crucial role to play in the democratic transition in Egypt, and must be allowed to operate freely; whereas the right of association goes hand in hand with, and is dependent on, the right to access funding; whereas international and domestic NGOs are facing increasing pressure, hostile attacks, harassment and intimidation in the country; whereas, on 4 June 2013, a Cairo criminal court sentenced 43 foreign and Egyptian NGO workers to up to five years in prison for civil society activities and ordered the closure and the confiscation of assets of local branches of five international NGOs which had been operating in Egypt for a long time, namely the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute, Freedom House and the International Center for Journalists; whereas these court sentences are part of a campaign of intimidation by Egyptian government authorities against NGOs;
J. whereas a new draft law on associations was submitted by President Morsi to the Shoura Council on 29 May 2013; whereas this draft law has been strongly criticised, both in Egypt and abroad, for allowing excessive and discretionary restrictions by state authorities on the operations of NGOs; whereas any new law on associations has to be in line with international standards and Egypt’s obligations;
K. whereas independent trade unions have a crucial role to play in the field of labour relations in this critical period of political, economic and social transition in Egypt; whereas there are regular reports of cases of restrictions on the right of workers to establish independent unions and of reprisals and acts of intimidation against those attempting to organise and to strike; whereas the failure of employers to recognise or negotiate with independent unions is a source of considerable social tension;
L. whereas there are growing concerns about restrictions being placed on the freedoms of conscience, belief and religion in Egypt;
M. whereas an independent and free press and media form a key part of society in a true democracy; whereas physical violence and harassment against journalists has increased; whereas a number of legal proceedings against journalists and bloggers on the grounds of insulting the President have been initiated; whereas the number of blasphemy cases has increased in Egypt since President Morsi took office;
N. whereas Article 2 of the EU-Egypt Association Agreement declares that relations between the Parties shall be based on respect for democratic principles and fundamental human rights and lead to the policy of ‘more for more’, which is a cornerstone of the EU’s reviewed European Neighbourhood Policy;
O. whereas between 2007 and 2012 Egypt received approximately EUR 1 billion in EU aid, and whereas the EU has committed a further EUR 5 billion in aid, which can only become fully available once conditions tied to those set by the IMF are met;
P. whereas a recent special report by the European Court of Auditors on ‘EU cooperation with Egypt in the field of governance’ claims that little progress has been achieved in the country by EU interventions in support of democracy and human rights over the past few years;
1. Expresses its solidarity with the Egyptian people in this critical period of transition towards democracy and its sincere condolences to the families of the victims, and demands that those responsible be brought to justice;
2. Calls on the Egyptian Government to ensure the security of all citizens, regardless of their political views and affiliation and their confession, to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, to protect freedom of association and expression, and to respect and fulfil its international obligations; calls on all parties to act responsibly, with the aim of avoiding violent actions and provocations that could undermine or hinder the legitimate right of the people to demonstrate peacefully and freely express their will and opinions;
3. Urges all political actors to engage in a national dialogue towards reconciliation – built on tolerance, inclusiveness and non-violence – as soon as possible, with the aim of promoting democratic transition and building effective democratic institutions in the country;
4. Calls for an immediate end to all acts of violence, sexual assaults, virginity tests and other forms of degrading treatment against female protesters, women’s rights activists and the LGBT community, for serious and impartial investigations into all such cases, and for those responsible to be brought to justice;
5. Strongly denounces the judicial decision of 4 June 2013 by the Cairo Criminal Court to sentence 43 Egyptian and foreign NGO workers to jail, to close the local branches of the five foreign NGOs concerned and to confiscate their assets; considers that this politically motivated sentence, which criminalises the legitimate work of foreign organisations in Egypt, is an unacceptable attack on freedom of association and expression and constitutes a serious blow to international and EU efforts to support Egypt in its political transition; urges the Egyptian authorities to put an immediate end to all the forms of harassment and intimidation to which independent NGOs are subjected in the country and, especially, to drop all criminal charges against NGO workers;
6. Expresses its deep concern about the new draft law on NGOs, and supports the ongoing consultations between the Egyptian authorities and the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, which were initiated by the EU Special Representative for Human Rights;
7. Expresses its concern at the numerous reports of violations of labour rights in Egypt; calls on the Egyptian authorities to allow workers to exercise their right to associate and to carry out union activities, and to align domestic legislation with the ILO conventions to which Egypt is a party; calls for the limitation, set out in Article 53 of the new constitution, to one trade union per profession to be abolished;
8. Calls on the Egyptian authorities to meet their responsibility to fulfil the necessary requirements to make IMF and EU aid available; recalls that the EU is ready to assist Egypt in order to ensure that reforms leading to economic recovery are addressed responsibly and swiftly;
9. Urges the EU and its Member States to continue to provide substantial financial support and technical assistance to Egyptian NGOs and to work together with them to strengthen civil society awareness, the culture of civil action and civil society activities in the country, which are crucial elements of deep and sustainable democracy;
10. Calls on the Vice-President / High Representative to offer her offices as a mediator to broker a way out of the crisis;
11. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice‑President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the parliaments and governments of the Member States, and the Parliament and Government of Egypt.
- [1] Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0095.