The European Parliament,

–   having regard to Article 2 of the Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreement between the European Union and Tunisia(1),

–   having regard to its previous resolutions on the human rights situation in Tunisia, and in particular its resolution of 29 September 2005(2),

–   having regard to the Commission Communication of 21 May 2003, entitled 'Reinvigorating EU actions on human rights and democratisation with Mediterranean partners' (COM(2003)0294),

–   having regard to the Commission Communication of 11 March 2003, entitled 'Wider Europe - Neighbourhood: A New Framework for Relations with our Eastern and Southern Neighbours' (COM(2003)0104),

–   having regard to the Commission Communication of 12 April 2005, entitled the 'Tenth Anniversary of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership: A work programme to meet the challenges of the next five years' (COM(2005)0139),

–   having regard to the EU guidelines on human rights defenders, adopted by the Council in June 2004,

–   having regard to the resolutions of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly adopted in Cairo on 15 March 2005 and Rabat on 21 November 2005,

–   having regard to the Barcelona Summit of 27 and 28 November 2005, which brought together the Heads of State of the European Union and of the Mediterranean partner countries,

–   having regard to the statement of 13 September 2005 by the Presidency of the European Union on the obstacles placed in the path of the activities of the Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH), and the steps taken following the prohibition of the Congress of the LTDH,

–   having regard to the statements made by the Council and the Commission at Parliament's sitting on 13 December 2005,

–   having regard to its resolution of 23 June 2005 on the information society(3),

–   having regard to the conclusions of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) held in Tunis from 16 to 18 November 2005,

–   having regard to Rule 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.   whereas Tunisia was the first Mediterranean country to sign an association agreement with the European Union, and whereas Article 2 of that agreement states that the domestic and international policies of the parties must be guided by respect for human rights and democratic principles,

B.   whereas the EU's neighbourhood policy is based on a mutually recognised commitment to what are regarded as shared values, such as democracy, the rule of law, good governance and respect for human rights,

C.   pointing out, in that connection, that Tunisia and the EU have jointly drawn up an action plan which sets priority actions, including the strengthening of reforms to safeguard democracy and the rule of law and, in particular, the promotion of freedom of expression, freedom of opinion, freedom of association and freedom of assembly,

D.   whereas there is an inconsistency between the aim of the summit and certain incidents which took place at the summit, in particular the conduct of the Tunisian security services vis-à-vis a European Commissioner and Members of the European Parliament and the disruption of the 'human rights' workshop organised by the European Commission, in the presence of the European Parliament delegation; welcoming, in this connection, the steps taken by the Council to draw to Tunisia's attention its undertakings with regard to respect for human rights and democratic principles,

E.   whereas there were many incidents during and in the weeks leading up to the WSIS, including cancellation of the citizens' summit, attacks on journalists and human rights activists, the failure by the Tunisian authorities to respond to representations made concerning hunger strikers and imprisonments linked to the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), the verbal attacks to which European parliamentarians were subject during the Summit and the deliberate sabotage of interventions by persons accredited by the United Nations - incidents which hampered freedom of expression and seriously damaged the country's image,

F.   whereas the WSIS process is continuing after the Tunis Summit, which has produced positive results and opened a new stage, building on the conclusions of the second phase,

G.   whereas the principles and main objectives of the WSIS remain the following:

H.  noting the importance it attaches to the concrete implementation of the action plan, the allocation of the relevant funds and the participation of civil society, including local communities, business and non-governmental organisations, in the information society,

1.  Notes that Tunisia and the EU have been linked since 1998 by an association agreement, Article 2 of which contains a human rights clause that constitutes an essential element of that agreement;

2.  Welcomes the significant economic and social progress made in Tunisia, not least in the areas of education and training, health and social security, and hopes that this progress will be accompanied by progress in the areas of the strengthening of democracy, the rule of law and human rights, and in particular freedom of expression and association and judicial independence, which form part of the Barcelona Process acquis;

3.  Calls on the Tunisian Government to abide by the undertakings on fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression and association, guaranteed in the international instruments ratified by Tunisia;

4.  Points out the clear contradiction between the final Summit declaration, in which the States taking part recognise that full and absolute respect for human rights and democracy constitutes the cornerstone of the information society, and the disregard of this undertaking by the host country;

5.  Calls on the Tunisian authorities to allow the LTDH and the Union of Tunisian Journalists (SJT) to hold their congresses and to release the European funds allocated to the LTDH, the Association of Tunisian Women for Research and Development (AFTURD) and Santé Sud; also calls on the Tunisian authorities to cooperate fully with the Commission with a view to implementing promptly the "Modernisation of justice" project financed under the MEDA programme 2004-2006 which, as a matter of priority, should strengthen safeguards concerning judicial independence;

6.  Calls, consequently, on the Council and the Commission to take, in cooperation with Parliament, the tangible initiatives and appropriate measures provided for in this respect, at the imminent meeting of the EU-Tunisia Association Council, in order to discuss the human rights situation; points, in this connection, to the initiative on the setting up of an EU-Tunisia Subcommittee on Human Rights within the framework of the Association Agreement;

7.  Calls on the Council and the Commission to fully inform Parliament of the steps taken and the decisions adopted at the forthcoming EU-Tunisia Association Council meeting; urges, in this context, the Council and the Commission to inform the public of the steps taken, in particular as far as human rights defenders are concerned;

8.  Welcomes the fact that the European Union, speaking with a single voice, was able to adopt a firm standpoint in the discussions in Tunis, at the same time acting as a driving force by means of its proposals, in particular as regards improved Internet governance and the implementation of the action plan; welcomes the fact that it has been involved throughout this process and hopes that this method will continue to be employed in the future;

9.  Notes with satisfaction the decision to continue the process following the agreement reached on Internet governance and the confirmation of the independence of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers; welcomes the decision to opt for closer cooperation between governments with regard to the principle of equal treatment between States and the establishment of a Forum on Internet governance; emphasises that these advances reflect its call to develop balanced Internet governance arrangements;

10.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, the government of the Republic of Tunisia, the International Telecommunication Union, and the High-Level Summit Organizing Committee and Executive Secretariat of the WSIS.

(1) OJ L 97, 30.3.1998, p. 2. (2) Texts Adopted of that date, P6_TA(2005)0368. (3) Texts Adopted of that date, P6_TA(2005)0260.