Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-12-13-Speech-2-274"
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Madam President, I shall begin by thanking the European Parliament for proposing this timely debate on Tunisia. I would like to record our appreciation of Tunisia’s recent hosting of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society from 16 to 18 November. We welcome the summit’s agreement to the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, an important contribution to the global effort needed to bridge what is known as the digital divide.
During the summit itself, the EU Troika made representations to the Tunisian authorities following an incident at the Goethe Institute, where NGOs were prevented from meeting to discuss plans for an alternative ‘Citizens’ Summit’.
The EU is also concerned about a number of other incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, also reported during the summit. These include the disruption of the activities of a Belgian TV crew, as well as the disruption of the European Commission workshop for MEPs to meet members of civil society in the summit’s conference centre.
Tunisia’s Constitution provides for freedom of association, but within certain defined limits. The law provides for freedom of assembly, as long as a permit is obtained from the Minister of Interior. However, some NGOs experience difficulties in renting space and the control of funding. A number of associations have applied for legal status and have been refused, for example the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia. NGOs also report that Internet access is routinely blocked and e-mails addressed to certain e-mail accounts never reach the intended recipient.
During the presidential campaign of October 2004, the electoral code prohibited Tunisians from discussing politics in the international press, and opposition parties were given little opportunity to campaign. Whilst recognising that the election law safeguards female representation in parliament as well as the representation of minority views, we noted that the overall process leading to the elections did not provide a level playing field for contenders. We therefore encourage the Tunisian authorities to continue to improve the framework for elections and to take the necessary steps to ensure that the next elections fully meet international standards.
The EU is also concerned by reports from NGOs, including Amnesty International, about prison conditions in Tunisia. These reports state that overcrowding in prisons and discriminatory treatment of political prisoners continue as well as a lack of basic medical care, poor hygiene, torture and ill-treatment. We therefore welcome the fact that since June 2005 Tunisia’s authorities have allowed the International Committee of the Red Cross access to prisons.
Earlier this year, the Tunisian authorities announced their intention to allow Human Rights Watch representatives access to prisons in a similar way to that of the International Committee of the Red Cross, although no timeframe was specified. The Minister for Justice and Human Rights also announced that the practice of detaining prisoners in solitary confinement beyond 10 days, the maximum allowed under the Constitution, would cease. The EU welcomes these announcements and hopes that both undertakings will be put into practice.
I should also like to say a few words about the judiciary in Tunisia. Under its Constitution, it is independent. However, Amnesty International and others report that the authorities interfere in the judicial process. The trial in April 2005 of a lawyer and member of the National Council for Civil Liberties in Tunisia, Mohamed Abou, who wrote an article criticising Tunisia’s President Ben Ali, seems to support this contention. The Tunisian Magistrates’ Association has complained of increased intimidation by the Government after its board issued a communiqué criticising the attack on Abou. The Public Prosecutor closed the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association’s office in August. A law passed on 12 August 2005 making provision for the statute of magistrates does not take into consideration earlier calls by the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association concerning terms and conditions of service and would appear to weaken its position. We also note that despite several requests to visit, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers has yet to receive an invitation from the Tunisian Government.
The EU wishes to work with Tunisia to support the modernisation of its judiciary. The EU has provided money through MEDA to fund a project that will support this work and hopes to see progress on this. I am sure that the Commission will want to say something about this.
In conclusion, the EU welcomes the agreements reached at the World Summit on the Information Society as an important contribution to the global effort to bridge the digital divide. In terms of the EU’s relationship with Tunisia itself, we wish to see Tunisia maintain and develop its security and prosperity. We regret the serious restrictions on freedom of expression and association and the incidents which occurred prior to and during the World Summit on the Information Society.
The Council should like to assure honourable Members that the EU will continue to express its concern over specific human rights violations and to impress on the Tunisian authorities the need for full respect for human rights and democratic principles.
At the same time, it is right for us to consider more generally the issues of human rights and freedom of the press in Tunisia. The Council shares the concerns of Members of this House about the human rights situation in Tunisia and is well aware of the shortcomings in Tunisia’s performance, particularly with respect to acts of intimidation and harassment by the authorities against civil society and human rights activists. The meeting convened on Thursday, 1 December, involving MEPs, certain committees and other EU institutions involved in the summit, specifically to discuss human rights concerns in Tunisia, further highlighted the importance of these issues.
It is now time for us to look forward to the implementation by the Tunisian authorities of the commitments made by President Ben Ali on democracy, good governance and human rights set out in the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan. Implementation of these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations.
Human rights is an essential element in the EU’s relationship with Tunisia, as set out in the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement, which came into force on 1 March 1998, and the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan which came into force on 4 July this year. Under its action plan, Tunisia has signed up to commitments in the area of democracy, good governance and human rights. Implementing these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations. They include, for example, the establishment of an EU-Tunisia subcommittee on human rights. To this end we continue to urge the Tunisians to establish and hold a first session of a human rights subcommittee as soon as possible.
In addition to this, the EuroMed tenth anniversary summit on 27 and 28 November in Barcelona represented an important opportunity to help the EU’s Mediterranean partners, including Tunisia, to address the challenges of the 21st century, including in relation to good governance. At the EuroMed Summit, leaders endorsed an outcome-oriented five-year work plan. That plan included the creation of a governance facility to help those countries that make progress on good governance, allowing them access to additional funds to spend on their priorities.
Tunisia is a state party to the six core United Nations human rights treaties. Tunisia scores well on most socio-economic indexes of multilateral institutions, and social and economic rights are recognised and protected. Tunisia plays an active role within international human rights institutions and was elected to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in April 2004. Tunisia has not yet, however, signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The EU welcomes Tunisia’s record of promoting reform in the Arab world, notably on the position of women and the right to education. However, the EU remains concerned about the human rights situation in Tunisia, particularly in relation to freedom of expression and assembly and the independence of the judiciary.
This debate has raised in particular the issue of the freedom of the press in Tunisia. All books and publications, with the exception of newspapers, are still subject to censorship. Until May 2005, all newspapers had to clear articles with the Ministry of the Interior in advance of publication. Whilst this is no longer the case, we remain concerned that the fear of reprisals appears to have resulted in some self-censorship, as no newspaper offers any political criticism or opinion on domestic issues contrary to the government’s view. Access to foreign television, however, is common, as most Tunisian households have access to satellite television.
As I already made clear, the EU welcomes the agreement on the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society reached at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis. The EU looks forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure the full and effective implementation of both stages of the summit process, both on substance and on follow-up.
A number of incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly were reported in the run-up to and during the summit itself. The Tunisian Human Rights League, the oldest human rights body in Tunisia, claimed police harassment of its activists and says that it has been prevented from functioning properly. A court decision in September 2005 postponed its Congress. The EU consequently made representations to the Tunisian authorities and issued a statement reminding the Tunisians of the EU’s expectations of its human rights responsibilities."@en4
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"Mr President, I shall begin by thanking the European Parliament for proposing this timely debate on Tunisia. I would like to record our appreciation of Tunisia’s recent hosting of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society from 16 to 18 November. We welcome the summit’s agreement to the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, an important contribution to the global effort needed to bridge what is known as the digital divide.
During the summit itself, the EU Troika made representations to the Tunisian authorities following an incident at the Goethe Institute, where NGOs were prevented from meeting to discuss plans for an alternative ‘Citizens’ Summit’.
The EU is also concerned about a number of other incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, also reported during the summit. These include the disruption of the activities of a Belgian TV crew, as well as the disruption of the European Commission workshop for MEPs to meet members of civil society in the summit’s conference centre.
Tunisia’s Constitution provides for freedom of association, but within certain defined limits. The law provides for freedom of assembly, as long as a permit is obtained from the Minister of Interior. However, some NGOs experience difficulties in renting space and the control of funding. A number of associations have applied for legal status and have been refused, for example the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia. NGOs also report that Internet access is routinely blocked and e-mails addressed to certain e-mail accounts never reach the intended recipient.
During the presidential campaign of October 2004, the electoral code prohibited Tunisians from discussing politics in the international press, and opposition parties were given little opportunity to campaign. Whilst recognising that the election law safeguards female representation in parliament as well as the representation of minority views, we noted that the overall process leading to the elections did not provide a level playing field for contenders. We therefore encourage the Tunisian authorities to continue to improve the framework for elections and to take the necessary steps to ensure that the next elections fully meet international standards.
The EU is also concerned by reports from NGOs, including Amnesty International, about prison conditions in Tunisia. These reports state that overcrowding in prisons and discriminatory treatment of political prisoners continue as well as a lack of basic medical care, poor hygiene, torture and ill-treatment. We therefore welcome the fact that since June 2005 Tunisia’s authorities have allowed the International Committee of the Red Cross access to prisons.
Earlier this year, the Tunisian authorities announced their intention to allow Human Rights Watch representatives access to prisons in a similar way to that of the International Committee of the Red Cross, although no timeframe was specified. The Minister for Justice and Human Rights also announced that the practice of detaining prisoners in solitary confinement beyond 10 days, the maximum allowed under the Constitution, would cease. The EU welcomes these announcements and hopes that both undertakings will be put into practice.
I should also like to say a few words about the judiciary in Tunisia. Under its Constitution, it is independent. However, Amnesty International and others report that the authorities interfere in the judicial process. The trial in April 2005 of a lawyer and member of the National Council for Civil Liberties in Tunisia, Mohamed Abou, who wrote an article criticising Tunisia’s President Ben Ali, seems to support this contention. The Tunisian Magistrates’ Association has complained of increased intimidation by the Government after its board issued a communiqué criticising the attack on Abou. The Public Prosecutor closed the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association’s office in August. A law passed on 12 August 2005 making provision for the statute of magistrates does not take into consideration earlier calls by the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association concerning terms and conditions of service and would appear to weaken its position. We also note that despite several requests to visit, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers has yet to receive an invitation from the Tunisian Government.
The EU wishes to work with Tunisia to support the modernisation of its judiciary. The EU has provided money through MEDA to fund a project that will support this work and hopes to see progress on this. I am sure that the Commission will want to say something about this.
In conclusion, the EU welcomes the agreements reached at the World Summit on the Information Society as an important contribution to the global effort to bridge the digital divide. In terms of the EU’s relationship with Tunisia itself, we wish to see Tunisia maintain and develop its security and prosperity. We regret the serious restrictions on freedom of expression and association and the incidents which occurred prior to and during the World Summit on the Information Society.
The Council should like to assure honourable Members that the EU will continue to express its concern over specific human rights violations and to impress on the Tunisian authorities the need for full respect for human rights and democratic principles.
At the same time, it is right for us to consider more generally the issues of human rights and freedom of the press in Tunisia. The Council shares the concerns of Members of this House about the human rights situation in Tunisia and is well aware of the shortcomings in Tunisia’s performance, particularly with respect to acts of intimidation and harassment by the authorities against civil society and human rights activists. The meeting convened on Thursday, 1 December, involving MEPs, certain committees and other EU institutions involved in the summit, specifically to discuss human rights concerns in Tunisia, further highlighted the importance of these issues.
It is now time for us to look forward to the implementation by the Tunisian authorities of the commitments made by President Ben Ali on democracy, good governance and human rights set out in the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan. Implementation of these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations.
Human rights is an essential element in the EU’s relationship with Tunisia, as set out in the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement, which came into force on 1 March 1998, and the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan which came into force on 4 July this year. Under its action plan, Tunisia has signed up to commitments in the area of democracy, good governance and human rights. Implementing these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations. They include, for example, the establishment of an EU-Tunisia subcommittee on human rights. To this end we continue to urge the Tunisians to establish and hold a first session of a human rights subcommittee as soon as possible.
In addition to this, the EuroMed tenth anniversary summit on 27 and 28 November in Barcelona represented an important opportunity to help the EU’s Mediterranean partners, including Tunisia, to address the challenges of the 21st century, including in relation to good governance. At the EuroMed Summit, leaders endorsed an outcome-oriented five-year work plan. That plan included the creation of a governance facility to help those countries that make progress on good governance, allowing them access to additional funds to spend on their priorities.
Tunisia is a state party to the six core United Nations human rights treaties. Tunisia scores well on most socio-economic indexes of multilateral institutions, and social and economic rights are recognised and protected. Tunisia plays an active role within international human rights institutions and was elected to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in April 2004. Tunisia has not yet, however, signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The EU welcomes Tunisia’s record of promoting reform in the Arab world, notably on the position of women and the right to education. However, the EU remains concerned about the human rights situation in Tunisia, particularly in relation to freedom of expression and assembly and the independence of the judiciary.
This debate has raised in particular the issue of the freedom of the press in Tunisia. All books and publications, with the exception of newspapers, are still subject to censorship. Until May 2005, all newspapers had to clear articles with the Ministry of the Interior in advance of publication. Whilst this is no longer the case, we remain concerned that the fear of reprisals appears to have resulted in some self-censorship, as no newspaper offers any political criticism or opinion on domestic issues contrary to the government’s view. Access to foreign television, however, is common, as most Tunisian households have access to satellite television.
As I already made clear, the EU welcomes the agreement on the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society reached at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis. The EU looks forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure the full and effective implementation of both stages of the summit process, both on substance and on follow-up.
A number of incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly were reported in the run-up to and during the summit itself. The Tunisian Human Rights League, the oldest human rights body in Tunisia, claimed police harassment of its activists and says that it has been prevented from functioning properly. A court decision in September 2005 postponed its Congress. The EU consequently made representations to the Tunisian authorities and issued a statement reminding the Tunisians of the EU’s expectations of its human rights responsibilities."@cs1
"Fru formand, først vil jeg gerne takke Europa-Parlamentet for at have foreslået denne betimelige forhandling om Tunesien. Jeg vil fastslå, at vi sætter stor pris på Tunesiens nylige værtskab for FN's Verdenstopmøde om Informationssamfundet fra den 16. til den 18. november. Vi glæder os over, at man på topmødet blev enige om Tunis-forpligtelsen og Tunis-dagsordenen for Informationssamfundet, der er et vigtigt bidrag til den nødvendige globale indsats for at slå bro over den såkaldte digitale kløft.
Under selve topmødet fremsatte EU's trojka sine synspunkter over for de tunesiske myndigheder efter en hændelse på Goethe-instituttet, hvor ngo'er blev forhindret i at mødes for at diskutere planerne for et alternativt "borgertopmøde".
EU er også bekymret over en række andre hændelser under topmødet vedrørende ytrings- og forsamlingsfriheden. Det drejer sig bl.a. om afbrydelse af det belgiske fjernsyns aktiviteter samt afbrydelsen af Kommissionens workshop, hvor medlemmer af Europa-Parlamentet skulle møde medlemmer fra det civile samfund i topmødets konferencecenter.
Ifølge den tunesiske forfatning er der foreningsfrihed inden for visse grænser. Loven tillader foreningsfrihed, når blot der indhentes tilladelse fra indenrigsministeren. Nogle ngo'er har imidlertid problemer med at leje lokaler samt med kontrollen af deres finansiering. En række foreninger har søgt om retlig status og er blevet afvist. Det gælder f.eks. for Tunesiens Nationale Frihedsråd. Der er også indløbet beretninger fra ngo'er om, at internetadgangen rutinemæssigt blokeres, og at e-mails til visse e-mail-konti aldrig når frem til modtageren.
Under valgkampen forud for præsidentvalget i oktober 2004 forbød valgloven tuneserne at diskutere politik i den internationale presse, og oppositionspartierne fik kun ringe mulighed for at føre en valgkampagne. Vi erkender, at valgloven beskytter kvinders deltagelse i parlamentet samt repræsentationen af minoriteternes synspunkter, men samtidig bemærkede vi, at den overordnede proces forud for valgene ikke gav lige konkurrencevilkår for deltagerne. Vi opfordrer derfor de tunesiske myndigheder til fortsat at forbedre rammerne for valgene og træffe de nødvendige foranstaltninger for at sikre, at de næste valg fuldt ud lever op til de internationale standarder.
EU er også bekymret over rapporter fra ngo'er som f.eks. Amnesty International om fængselsforholdene i Tunesien. Ifølge rapporterne er der fortsat overfyldte fængsler, hvor de politiske fanger diskrimineres, hvor der er mangel på grundlæggende lægetjenester, og hvor der forekommer dårlig hygiejne, tortur og mishandling. Vi glæder os derfor over det faktum, at de tunesiske myndigheder siden juni 2005 har givet Den International Røde Kors Komité adgang til fængslerne.
Tidligere på året bekendtgjorde de tunesiske myndigheder, at de agter at give repræsentanter fra Human Rights Watch samme adgang til fængslerne som Den International Røde Kors Komité. Der blev imidlertid ikke opstillet nogen tidsramme. Justits- og menneskerettighedsministeren bekendtgjorde også, at praksissen med at isolationsfængsle fanger i mere end de 10 dage, der er maksimum ifølge forfatningen, vil ophøre. EU glæder sig over disse bekendtgørelser og håber, at begge tilsagn bliver ført ud i livet.
Jeg vil også gerne sige et par ord om domstolene i Tunesien. Ifølge forfatningen er domstolene uafhængige. Amnesty International og andre har imidlertid berettet om, at myndighederne blander sig i retssagerne. Retssagen i april 2005 mod Mohamed Abou, der er advokat og medlem af Tunesiens Nationale Frihedsråd, og som skrev en kritisk artikel om Tunesiens præsident, Ben Ali, synes at understøtte denne påstand. Den tunesiske dommerforening har klaget over øgede chikanerier fra regeringens side, efter at dens bestyrelse udsendte et kommuniké med en kritik af angrebet på Abou. Den offentlige anklager lukkede den tunesiske dommerforenings kontor i august. I den lov om dommere, der blev vedtaget den 12. august 2005, tages der ikke hensyn til tidligere opfordringer fra den tunesiske dommerforening om ansættelsesvilkår, og loven svækker angiveligt foreningens position. Vi har også bemærket, at FN's særlige ekspert inden for dommeres og advokaters uafhængighed trods flere forespørgsler om et besøg endnu ikke har modtaget en invitation fra den tunesiske regering.
EU ønsker at samarbejde med Tunesien om at støtte en modernisering af domstolene. EU har givet mange penge via Meda til finansiering af et projekt, der skal støtte dette arbejde, og vi håber, at der snart sker fremskridt på området. Jeg er sikker på, at Kommissionen ønsker at sige noget herom.
Afslutningsvis vil jeg sige, at EU glæder sig over de aftaler, der blev indgået på Verdenstopmødet om Informationssamfundet som et vigtigt bidrag til den globale indsats for at slå bro over den digitale kløft. Hvad angår EU's forhold til selve Tunesien, ser vi gerne, at Tunesien bevarer og udvikler sin sikkerhed og velstand. Vi beklager de alvorlige begrænsninger i ytrings- og forsamlingsfriheden samt hændelserne forud for og under Verdenstopmødet om Informationssamfundet.
Rådet vil gerne forsikre de ærede medlemmer om, at EU fortsat vil udtrykke sin bekymring over konkrete menneskerettighedskrænkelser og indskærpe over for de tunesiske myndigheder, at de fuldt ud skal respektere menneskerettighederne og de demokratiske principper.
Samtidig bør vi også mere generelt overveje spørgsmålene om menneskerettigheder og pressefrihed i Tunesien. Rådet deler parlamentsmedlemmernes bekymring over menneskerettighedssituationen i Tunesien, og det er udmærket klar over Tunesiens manglende resultater specielt med hensyn til myndighedernes chikanerier over for det civile samfund og menneskerettighedsaktivister. Det møde, der blev afholdt torsdag den 1. december mellem medlemmer af Europa-Parlamentet, visse udvalg og andre EU-institutioner, der var involveret i topmødet, og som specifikt handlede om menneskerettighedsproblemer i Tunesien, kastede yderligere lys over vigtigheden af disse emner.
Nu er det på tide, at vi skuer fremad mod de tunesiske myndigheders gennemførelse af de forpligtelser, som præsident Ben Ali har indgået vedrørende demokrati, god forvaltningspraksis og menneskerettigheder i henhold til handlingsplanen for EU-naboskabspolitik. En gennemførelse af disse forpligtelser bliver et væsentligt element i udviklingen af forbindelserne mellem EU og Tunesien.
Menneskerettigheder er et væsentligt element i EU's forhold til Tunesien, sådan som det fremgår af associeringsaftalen mellem EU og Tunesien, der trådte i kraft den 1. marts 1998, og handlingsplanen for EU-naboskabspolitik, der trådte i kraft den 4. juli i år. Under denne handlingsplan har Tunesien skrevet under på forpligtelser inden for demokrati, god regeringsførelse og menneskerettigheder. En gennemførelse af disse forpligtelser bliver et væsentligt element i udviklingen af forbindelserne mellem EU og Tunesien. Det drejer sig f.eks. om oprettelse af et underudvalg om menneskerettigheder EU-Tunesien. Til dette formål opfordrer vi fortsat tuneserne til snarest muligt at oprette og afholde en første session i et underudvalg om menneskerettigheder.
Ud over dette repræsenterede Euro-Middelhavs-partnerskabets 10-års jubilæumstopmøde den 27. og 28. november i Barcelona en vigtig mulighed for at hjælpe EU's Middelhavspartnere inklusive Tunesien med at tage fat på udfordringerne for det 21. århundrede - herunder også god forvaltningspraksis. På Euro-Middelhavs-topmødet tilsluttede lederne sig en resultatorienteret femårig arbejdsplan. Planen omfattede oprettelsen af en forvaltningsfacilitet, der skal hjælpe de lande, der gør fremskridt med hensyn til god forvaltning, og give dem adgang til yderligere midler til deres prioriterede indsatsområder.
Tunesien er part i de seks grundlæggende FN-menneskerettighedstraktater. Tunesien har opnået gode resultater på de fleste multilaterale institutioners indekser, og de sociale og økonomiske rettigheder anerkendes og beskyttes. Tunesien spiller en aktiv rolle i de internationale menneskerettighedsinstitutioner, og det blev valgt til FN's Menneskerettighedskommission i april 2004. Tunesien har imidlertid endnu ikke underskrevet Rom-statutten for Den Internationale Straffedomstol.
EU glæder sig over Tunesiens resultater med hensyn til at fremme reformer i den arabiske verden inden for specielt kvindernes position og retten til uddannelse. EU er imidlertid fortsat bekymret over menneskerettighedssituationen i Tunesien - særligt med hensyn til ytrings- og forsamlingsfrihed og domstolenes uafhængighed.
Under denne forhandling stilles der specielt spørgsmålstegn ved pressefriheden i Tunesien. Alle bøger og publikationer med undtagelse af aviser udsættes fortsat for censur. Indtil maj 2005 skulle alle aviser have godkendt deres artikler af indenrigsministeriet, inden de gik i trykken. Det er ikke længere tilfældet, men vi er fortsat bekymret over, at frygten for repressalier åbenbart har skabt en vis selvcensur, da ingen af aviserne indeholder kritiske artikler om regeringen og dens politik. Der er imidlertid udbredt adgang til udenlandske fjernsynskanaler, da de fleste tunesiske husstande har adgang til satellitfjernsyn.
Som tidligere nævnt glæder EU sig over, at der blev skabt enighed om Tunis-forpligtelsen og Tunis-dagsordenen for Informationssamfundet på Verdenstopmødet om Informationssamfundet i Tunis. EU ser frem til at samarbejde med alle interessenter om at sikre en fuld og effektiv gennemførelse af begge trin af topmødeprocessen, både om indhold og opfølgning.
Der blev rapporteret om en række hændelser, der berørte ytrings- og forsamlingsfriheden, forud for og under selve topmødet. Ifølge den tunesiske menneskerettighedsliga, der er det ældste menneskerettighedsorgan i Tunesien, blev dens aktivister chikaneret af politiet, og den blev forhindret i at fungere ordentligt. Dens kongres blev udskudt efter en retsafgørelse i september 2005. EU fremsatte efterfølgende sine synspunkter over for de tunesiske myndigheder og udsendte en erklæring, der mindede tuneserne om EU's forventninger til landets menneskerettighedsansvar."@da2
".
Herr Präsident! Ich möchte eingangs dem Europäischen Parlament dafür danken, dass es diese aktuelle Aussprache über Tunesien vorgeschlagen hat. Ferner bitte ich unsere Anerkennung dafür zu Protokoll zu nehmen, dass Tunesien als Gastgeber des UNO-Weltgipfels zur Informationsgesellschaft fungierte, der vom 16. bis 18. November stattfand. Wir begrüßen die Einigung der Teilnehmer auf die Abschlusserklärung (Tunis Commitment) und die Tunis-Agenda für die Informationsgesellschaft, die einen wichtigen Beitrag zu den weltweiten Bemühungen um die Überbrückung der so genannten digitalen Kluft darstellen.
Während des Gipfels selbst wurde die EU-Troika nach einem Vorfall am Goethe-Institut bei den tunesischen Behörden vorstellig, und zwar hatte man NRO dran gehindert zusammenzukommen, um Pläne für einen alternativen „„Bürger“„-Gipfel zu diskutieren.
Die EU ist außerdem besorgt über eine Reihe weiterer Vorfälle im Zusammenhang mit der freien Meinungsäußerung und der Versammlungsfreiheit, über die ebenfalls während des Gipfels berichtet wurde. So wurde beispielsweise ein belgisches Fernsehteam in seiner Arbeit behindert, und ein Workshop der Europäischen Kommission, der Europaabgeordneten die Möglichkeit geben sollte, mit Vertretern der Zivilgesellschaft im Konferenzzentrum des Gipfels zusammenzutreffen, konnte nicht wie geplant durchgeführt werden.
Die tunesische Verfassung sieht die Vereinigungsfreiheit vor, allerdings innerhalb bestimmter Grenzen. Auch die Versammlungsfreiheit ist gesetzlich vorgesehen, vorausgesetzt man holt eine entsprechende Genehmigung des Innenministers ein. Einige NRO haben jedoch Schwierigkeiten in Bezug auf das Anmieten von Räumen und die Kontrolle ihrer Finanzen. Mehreren Vereinigungen wie z. B. dem Nationalrat für Freiheiten in Tunesien wurde die beantragte Zulassung verweigert. Ferner berichten NRO, dass der Internetzugang häufig blockiert wird und an bestimmte E-Mail-Adressen gerichtete E-Mails ihren Empfänger grundsätzlich nicht erreichen.
Während der Präsidentschaftswahlen im Oktober 2004 waren den Tunesiern laut Wahlgesetz politische Diskussionen in der internationalen Presse verboten, und den Oppositionsparteien gab man kaum Gelegenheit für einen eigenen Wahlkampf. Obwohl wir anerkennen, dass das Wahlgesetz sowohl die Vertretung von Frauen im Parlament als auch die Vertretung von Minderheitsinteressen gewährleistet, stellten wir fest, dass der Prozess im Vorfeld der Wahlen insgesamt nicht für gleichberechtigte Bedingungen für die Kandidaten sorgte. Deshalb fordern wir die tunesischen Behörden auf, die Rahmenbedingungen für Wahlen weiter zu verbessern und die erforderlichen Schritte einzuleiten, damit die nächsten Wahlen internationalen Standards entsprechen.
Sorgen bereiten der EU ferner Berichte von NRO, darunter von Amnesty International, über die Bedingungen in tunesischen Haftanstalten. Diesen Berichten zufolge sind die Haftanstalten nach wie vor überfüllt, politische Häftlinge werden noch immer diskriminiert, medizinische Grundversorgung und hygienische Bedingungen sind schlecht, und Folter und Misshandlungen sind an der Tagesordnung. Deshalb begrüßen wir die Tatsache, dass die tunesischen Behörden dem Internationalen Komitee vom Roten Kreuz seit Juni 2005 Zugang zu den Haftanstalten gewähren.
Vor einigen Monaten kündigten die tunesischen Behörden an, dass sie Vertretern von Human Rights Watch analog zum Internationalen Komitee vom Roten Kreuz Zugang zu ihren Haftanstalten gewähren wollten, obwohl kein zeitlicher Rahmen festgelegt wurde. Ferner kündigte der Minister für Justiz und Menschenrechte an, dass man die Praxis einer länger als zehn Tage dauernden Isolationshaft, wie sie von der Verfassung maximal gestattet ist, einstellen werde. Die EU begrüßt diese Ankündigungen und hofft, dass beide umgesetzt werden.
Ich möchte kurz auf das tunesische Justizsystem eingehen, das laut Verfassung unabhängig ist. Amnesty International und andere berichten jedoch, dass die Behörden in den Prozess der Rechtsprechung eingreifen. Das Verfahren, das im April 2005 gegen den Anwalt und das Mitglied des Nationalrates für Freiheiten in Tunesien, Mohamed Abou, stattfand, der in einem Artikel den tunesischen Präsidenten, Ben Ali, kritisiert hatte, scheint diese Behauptung zu bestätigen. Der tunesische Richterbund hat sich über die zunehmende Einschüchterung durch die Regierung beschwert, nachdem sein Vorstand in einem Kommuniqué die Angriffe gegen Abou kritisiert hatte. Im August veranlasste der Staatsanwalt die Schließung des Büros des tunesischen Richterbundes. Ein am 12. August 2005 verabschiedetes Gesetz über das Richterstatut berücksichtigt frühere Forderungen seitens des tunesischen Richterbundes bezüglich der Dienstbedingungen nicht und scheint die Position des Bundes zu schwächen. Wir stellen ferner fest, dass eine Einladung seitens der tunesischen Regierung für den Sonderberichterstatter der Vereinten Nationen für die Unabhängigkeit von Richtern und Rechtsanwälten noch aussteht.
Die EU möchte Tunesien bei der Modernisierung seines Justizsystems unterstützen. Im Rahmen von MEDA hat die EU Mittel zur Finanzierung eines Projekts in diesem Zusammenhang bereitgestellt und hofft, dass dies entsprechende Fortschritte bewirken wird. Ich bin sicher, dass sich die Kommission dazu äußern möchte.
Abschließend sei festgestellt, dass die EU die auf dem Weltgipfel zur Informationsgesellschaft erzielten Vereinbarungen als einen wichtigen Beitrag zu den globalen Bemühungen um Überwindung der digitalen Kluft begrüßt. Im Hinblick auf die Beziehungen zwischen der EU und Tunesien selbst wünschen wir uns, dass Tunesien seine Sicherheit und seinen Wohlstand bewahrt und ausbaut. Wir bedauern die ernsten Einschränkungen der freien Meinungsäußerung und der Vereinigungsfreiheit sowie die Vorkommnisse vor und während des Weltgipfels zur Informationsgesellschaft.
Der Rat möchte den Abgeordneten versichern, dass die EU auch künftig ihre Sorge über konkrete Menschenrechtsverletzungen zum Ausdruck bringen und bei den tunesischen Behörden die vollständige Achtung der Menschenrechte sowie demokratischer Grundsätze anmahnen wird.
Gleichzeitig ist es angebracht, dass wir uns etwas allgemeiner mit Fragen der Menschenrechte und der Pressefreiheit in Tunesien befassen. Der Rat teilt die Bedenken der Abgeordneten dieses Hauses bezüglich der Menschenrechtslage in Tunesien und ist sich der diesbezüglichen Defizite des Landes bewusst, und zwar vor allem was Akte der Einschüchterung und der Schikanierung von Vertretern der Zivilgesellschaft und von Menschenrechtsaktivisten seitens der Behörden betrifft. Das am Donnerstag, dem 1. Dezember, zur Erörterung von Menschenrechtsfragen in Tunesien durchgeführte Treffen, an dem Europaabgeordnete, bestimmte Ausschüsse und andere EU-Institutionen, die auf dem Gipfel vertreten waren, teilnahmen, unterstrich ebenfalls die Bedeutung dieser Problematik.
Jetzt ist es an der Zeit, der Erfüllung der von Präsident Ben Ali eingegangen Verpflichtungen in Bezug auf Demokratie, verantwortungsvolle Regierungsführung und Menschenrechte, wie sie im Aktionsplan im Rahmen der europäischen Nachbarschaftspolitik vorgesehen sind, entgegenzusehen. Die Einlösung dieser Zusagen wird für die weitere Entwicklung der Beziehungen zwischen der EU und Tunesien von entscheidender Bedeutung sein.
Die Menschenrechte stellen ein zentrales Element in den Beziehungen der EU zu Tunesien dar, wie aus dem Assoziierungsabkommen der EU mit Tunesien, das am 1. März 1998 in Kraft trat, und dem Aktionsplan im Rahmen der europäischen Nachbarschaftspolitik, der am 4. Juli dieses Jahres in Kraft trat, hervorgeht. Im Rahmen dieses Aktionsplans ist Tunesien Verpflichtungen in den Bereichen Demokratie, verantwortungsvolle Regierungsführung und Menschenrechte eingegangen. Die Umsetzung dieser Verpflichtungen wird einen wesentlichen Bestandteil der weiteren Ausgestaltung der Beziehungen zwischen der EU und Tunesien darstellen. So ist beispielsweise die Einrichtung eines Unterausschusses Menschenrechte EU-Tunesien vorgesehen. Daher fordern wir Tunesien erneut auf, baldmöglichst die erste Sitzung eines solchen Unterausschusses einzuberufen.
Ferner stellte der aus Anlass des zehnjährigen Bestehens der Partnerschaft Europa-Mittelmeer am 27./28. November in Barcelona durchgeführte Gipfel eine wichtige Gelegenheit für die Mittelmeerpartner der EU, einschließlich Tunesien, dar, die großen Aufgaben des 21. Jahrhunderts zu thematisieren, zu denen auch Fragen der verantwortungsvollen Staatsführung gehören. Die Teilnehmer des EuroMed-Gipfels nahmen einen ergebnisorientierten Fünfjahrplan an. Der Plan sieht unter anderem die Einrichtung einer speziellen Fazilität vor, die es Ländern, die im Bereich der verantwortungsvollen Regierungsführung Fortschritte verzeichnen, ermöglicht, zusätzliche Mittel für ihre Schwerpunktaufgaben in Anspruch zu nehmen.
Tunesien ist Mitunterzeichner der sechs wichtigsten UNO-Menschenrechtsabkommen. Das Land weist bezüglich der meisten sozioökonomischen Indices multilateraler Institutionen eine recht gute Bilanz auf, und die sozialen und ökonomischen Rechte genießen Anerkennung und Schutz. Tunesien arbeitet aktiv in internationalen Menschenrechtsinstitutionen mit und wurde im April 2004 in die Menschenrechtskommission der UNO gewählt. Allerdings steht die Unterzeichnung des Römischen Statuts des Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs durch Tunesien noch aus
Die EU begrüßt die tunesische Bilanz bei der Förderung von Reformen in der arabischen Welt, insbesondere in Bezug auf den Status der Frau und das Recht auf Bildung. Die Menschenrechtslage in Tunesien bereitet der EU jedoch nach wie vor Sorgen, und zwar insbesondere was die Freiheit der Meinungsäußerung, die Versammlungsfreiheit und die Unabhängigkeit der Justiz betrifft.
In dieser Debatte geht es vor allem auch um das Problem der Pressefreiheit in Tunesien. Mit Ausnahme der Tageszeitungen unterliegen sämtliche Bücher und Publikationen noch immer der Zensur. Bis Mai 2005 mussten alle Tageszeitungen ihre Artikel im Voraus vom Innenministerium absegnen lassen. Obwohl das nicht mehr der Fall ist, befürchten wir, dass die Furcht vor Repressalien möglicherweise Selbstzensur bewirkt, da in den Tageszeitungen keine politische Kritik oder Meinungen zu finden sind, die vom Standpunkt der Regierung abweichen. Ausländische Fernsehsender können jedoch problemlos empfangen werden, da die meisten tunesischen Haushalte Zugang zu Satellitenfernsehen haben.
Wie ich bereits sagte, begrüßt die EU die auf dem Weltgipfel zur Informationsgesellschaft in Tunis erzielte Einigung auf das Tunis Commitment und die Tunis-Agenda für die Informationsgesellschaft. Die EU möchte mit allen Akteuren zusammenarbeiten, um eine vollständige und effektive Umsetzung beider Stufen des Gipfelprozesses zu gewährleisten, und zwar sowohl was die inhaltliche Seite als auch was Folgemaßnahmen betrifft.
Im Vorfeld des Gipfels wie auch während des Gipfels selbst wurde über eine Reihe von Vorfällen in Verbindung mit der freien Meinungsäußerung und der Versammlungsfreiheit berichtet. Die tunesische Menschenrechtsliga, die älteste Menschenrechtsorganisation in Tunesien, beklagte sich über Polizeischikane gegen ihre Vertreter und stellte fest, dass ihre Arbeit stark behindert werde. Im September 2005 wurde ihr Kongress per Gerichtsbeschluss aufgeschoben. Daraufhin legte die EU bei den tunesischen Behörden Protest ein und erinnerte Tunesien in einer Erklärung an die gegenüber der EU eingegangenen Verpflichtungen im Bereich der Menschenrechte."@de9
"Κυρία Πρόεδρε, θα ήθελα να αρχίσω ευχαριστώντας το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο διότι πρότεινε αυτήν την επίκαιρη συζήτηση για την Τυνησία. Θα ήθελα να εκφράσω την ευγνωμοσύνη μας στην Τυνησία για την πρόσφατη διοργάνωση της Παγκόσμιας Διάσκεψης των Ηνωμένων Εθνών σχετικά με την Κοινωνία της Πληροφορίας από τις 16 έως τις 18 Νοεμβρίου. Χαιρετίζουμε τη συμφωνία που επιτεύχθηκε στη διάσκεψη για τη δέσμευση και την ατζέντα της Τύνιδας σχετικά με την Κοινωνία της Πληροφορίας, σημαντική συμβολή στην παγκόσμια προσπάθεια που απαιτείται για τη γεφύρωση του γνωστού ως ψηφιακού χάσματος.
Κατά τη διάρκεια της διάσκεψης κορυφής, η τρόικα της ΕΕ προέβη σε διαβήματα προς τις αρχές της Τυνησίας μετά από ένα επεισόδιο στο Ινστιτούτο Γκαίτε, όπου παρεμποδίστηκε συνάντηση ΜΚΟ στην οποία θα συζητούσαν σχέδια για μία εναλλακτική διάσκεψη κορυφής των πολιτών.
Η ΕΕ ανησυχεί επίσης για αρκετά περιστατικά που αφορούν την ελευθερία έκφρασης και την ελευθερία του συνέρχεσθαι, που καταγγέλθηκαν επίσης στη διάσκεψη κορυφής. Σε αυτά περιλαμβάνεται η παρεμπόδιση των δραστηριοτήτων ενός βελγικού τηλεοπτικού συνεργείου, καθώς και η παρεμπόδιση της συνάντησης του εργαστηρίου της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής στο πλαίσιο της οποίας βουλευτές του ΕΚ θα συναντούσαν μέλη της κοινωνίας των πολιτών στο συνεδριακό κέντρο της διάσκεψης κορυφής.
Το σύνταγμα της Τυνησίας προβλέπει την ελευθερία του συνεταιρίζεσθαι, αλλά εντός συγκεκριμένων καθορισμένων ορίων. Η νομοθεσία προβλέπει την ελευθερία του συνέρχεσθαι, υπό την προϋπόθεση της χορήγησης άδειας από το υπουργείο εσωτερικών. Ωστόσο, ορισμένες ΜΚΟ αντιμετωπίζουν δυσκολίες στην ενοικίαση χώρου και στον έλεγχο της χρηματοδότησης. Αρκετές ενώσεις έχουν υποβάλει αίτηση απόκτησης νομικού καθεστώτος η οποία έχει απορριφθεί, επί παραδείγματι το Εθνικό Συμβούλιο Ελευθεριών στην Τυνησία. ΜΚΟ καταγγέλλουν επίσης ότι συνήθως παρε μποδίζεται συστηματικά η πρόσβαση στο διαδίκτυο και ότι μηνύματα ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου που απευθύνονται σε ορισμένες θυρίδες ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου δεν φθάνουν ποτέ στον αποδέκτη.
Κατά τη διάρκεια της προεδρικής προεκλογικής εκστρατείας τον Οκτώβριο του 2004, ο εκλογικός κώδικας απαγόρευε στους Τυνήσιους να διεξάγουν πολιτικές συζητήσεις στον διεθνή Τύπο, ενώ στα κόμματα της αντιπολίτευσης δόθηκαν ελάχιστες ευκαιρίες να διεξαγάγουν προεκλογικό αγώνα. Αν και αναγνωρίστηκε ότι η εκλογική νομοθεσία διασφαλίζει τη γυναικεία εκπροσώπηση στο κοινοβούλιο, καθώς και την εκπροσώπηση των απόψεων των μειονοτήτων, παρατηρήσαμε ότι η συνολική διαδικασία που οδηγεί στις εκλογές δεν διασφαλίζει την ισότητα μεταξύ των αντιπάλων. Προτρέπουμε, συνεπώς, τις αρχές της Τυνησίας να συνεχίσουν να βελτιώνουν το πλαίσιο των εκλογών και να λάβουν τα απαραίτητα μέτρα, προκειμένου να διασφαλιστεί ότι οι επόμενες εκλογές θα ανταποκρίνονται πλήρως στα διεθνή πρότυπα.
Η ΕΕ ανησυχεί επίσης για εκθέσεις διαφόρων ΜΚΟ, συμπεριλαμβανομένης της Διεθνούς Αμνηστίας, σχετικά με τις συνθήκες που επικρατούν στις φυλακές της Τυνησίας. Αυτές οι εκθέσεις δηλώνουν ότι εξακολουθεί να υφίσταται συνωστισμός στις φυλακές και διακριτική μεταχείριση των πολιτικών κρατουμένων, καθώς επίσης και έλλειψη βασικής υγειονομικής περίθαλψης, κακές συνθήκες υγιεινής, βασανιστήρια και κακοποίηση. Χαιρετίζουμε, συνεπώς, το γεγονός ότι μετά τον Ιούνιο του 2005, οι αρχές της Τυνησίας επέτρεψαν την πρόσβαση της Διεθνούς Επιτροπής του Ερυθρού Σταυρού στις φυλακές.
Στις αρχές του χρόνου, οι αρχές της Τυνησίας ανήγγειλαν την πρόθεσή τους να επιτρέψουν στους εκπροσώπους του Παρατηρητηρίου της ΕΕ για τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα την ίδια πρόσβαση στις φυλακές με αυτήν την οποία παρέχουν στη Διεθνή Επιτροπή του Ερυθρού Σταυρού, αν και δεν καθορίστηκε χρονοδιάγραμμα. Ο υπουργός δικαιοσύνης και ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων εξήγγειλε επίσης ότι η πρακτική κράτησης των κρατουμένων σε απομόνωση πέραν των 10 ημερών, το μέγιστο που επιτρέπεται σύμφωνα με το σύνταγμα, θα παύσει. Η ΕΕ χαιρετίζει αυτές τις εξαγγελίες και ελπίζει ότι θα εφαρμοστούν στην πράξη και οι δύο δεσμεύσεις.
Θα ήθελα επίσης να πω ορισμένα λόγια σχετικά με τη δικαστική εξουσία στην Τυνησία. Σύμφωνα με το σύνταγμα της χώρας, είναι ανεξάρτητη. Εντούτοις, η Διεθνής Αμνηστία και άλλοι φορείς καταγγέλλουν ότι οι αρχές παρεμβαίνουν στη δικαστική διαδικασία. Η δίκη, τον Απρίλιο του 2005, ενός δικηγόρου και μέλους του Εθνικού Συμβουλίου Πολιτικών Ελευθεριών της Τυνησίας, του Mohamed Abou, που έγραψε ένα άρθρο το οποίο επέκρινε τον πρόεδρο της Τυνησίας Ben Ali, φαίνεται ότι στηρίζει αυτόν τον ισχυρισμό. Η Ένωση Τυνήσιων Δικαστών κατήγγειλε έντονο εκφοβισμό εκ μέρους της κυβέρνησης κατόπιν της έκδοσης ανακοινωθέντος από το διοικητικό συμβούλιό της το οποίο επέκρινε την επίθεση κατά του Abou. Ο εισαγγελέας έκλεισε το γραφείο της Ένωσης Τυνήσιων Δικαστών τον Αύγουστο. Ένας νόμος που ψηφίστηκε στις 12 Αυγούστου 2005, ο οποίος προβλέπει το καθεστώς των δικαστών, δεν λαμβάνει υπόψη προγενέστερες εκκλήσεις της Ένωσης Τυνήσιων Δικαστών που αφορούν τους όρους και τις συνθήκες υπηρεσίας και φαίνεται να αποδυναμώνει τη θέση της. Παρατηρούμε επίσης ότι παρά τα πολυάριθμα αιτήματα επίσκεψης, ο ειδικός εισηγητής των Ηνωμένων Εθνών για την ανεξαρτησία δικαστών και δικηγόρων δεν έχει λάβει ακόμη πρόσκληση από την κυβέρνηση της Τυνησίας.
Η ΕΕ ευελπιστεί να συνεργαστεί με την Τυνησία προκειμένου να υποστηρίξει τον εκσυγχρονισμό του δικαστικού συστήματος. Η ΕΕ παρείχε χρήματα μέσω του MEDA για τη χρηματοδότηση προγράμματος το οποίο θα υποστηρίζει αυτό το έργο και ελπίζει ότι θα σημειωθεί πρόοδος σε αυτό. Είμαι βέβαιος ότι η Επιτροπή θα θέλει να πει κάτι επ’ αυτού.
Εν κατακλείδι, η ΕΕ χαιρετίζει τις συμφωνίες που συνάφθηκαν στην Παγκόσμια Διάσκεψη για την Κοινωνία της Πληροφορίας ως σημαντική συμβολή στην παγκόσμια προσπάθεια για τη γεφύρωση του ψηφιακού χάσματος. Από την άποψη της σχέσης της ΕΕ με την ίδια την Τυνησία, ευχόμαστε να δούμε την Τυνησία να διατηρεί και να αναπτύσσει την ασφάλεια και την ευημερία της. Λυπόμαστε για τους σοβαρούς περιορισμούς της ελευθερίας της έκφρασης και του συνεταιρίζεσθαι και τα επεισόδια που συνέβησαν πριν και κατά τη διάρκεια της Παγκόσμιας Διάσκεψης για την Κοινωνία της Πληροφορίας.
Το Συμβούλιο θα ήθελε να διαβεβαιώσει τους αξιότιμους βουλευτές ότι η ΕΕ θα συνεχίσει να εκφράζει την ανησυχία της για συγκεκριμένες παραβιάσεις των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων και να τονίζει στις αρχές της Τυνησίας την ανάγκη απόλυτου σεβασμού των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων και των δημοκρατικών αρχών.
Ταυτόχρονα, πρέπει να εξετάσουμε γενικότερα τα θέματα των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων στην Τυνησία. Το Συμβούλιο συμμερίζεται τις ανησυχίες των βουλευτών αυτού του Κοινοβουλίου σχετικά με την κατάσταση των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων στην Τυνησία και έχει απόλυτη επίγνωση των ανεπαρκειών στην απόδοση της Τυνησίας, ιδίως σε σχέση με τις ενέργειες εκφοβισμού και οχλήσεων στις οποίες προβαίνουν οι αρχές εις βάρος της κοινωνίας των πολιτών και των ακτιβιστών των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων. Η συνεδρίαση η οποία έλαβε χώρα την Πέμπτη, 1η Δεκεμβρίου, με τη συμμετοχή βουλευτών του ΕΚ, μελών ορισμένων επιτροπών και άλλων θεσμικών οργάνων της ΕΕ που συμμετείχαν στη διάσκεψη, ειδικά για τη συζήτηση των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων στην Τυνησία, υπογράμμισε περαιτέρω τη σημασία αυτών των θεμάτων.
Είναι πλέον καιρός να επιδιώξουμε την εκπλήρωση από τις αρχές της Τυνησίας των δεσμεύσεων που ανέλαβε ο πρόεδρος Ben Ali για τη δημοκρατία, τη χρηστή διακυβέρνηση και τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα που καθορίζονται στο Σχέδιο Δράσης της Ευρωπαϊκής Πολιτικής Γειτονίας. Η εκπλήρωση αυτών των δεσμεύσεων θα αποτελέσει θεμελιώδες στοιχείο στην ανάπτυξη των σχέσεων ΕΕ-Τυνησίας.
Τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα αποτελούν θεμελιώδες στοιχείο στη σχέση της ΕΕ με την Τυνησία, όπως ορίζεται στη συμφωνία σύνδεσης ΕΕ-Τυνησίας, η οποία τέθηκε σε ισχύ την 1η Μαρτίου 1998, και το Σχέδιο Δράσης της Ευρωπαϊκής Πολιτικής Γειτονίας το οποίο τέθηκε σε ισχύ στις 4 Ιουλίου φέτος. Σύμφωνα με το σχέδιο δράσης της, η Τυνησία αποδέχτηκε δεσμεύσεις στον τομέα της δημοκρατίας, της χρηστής διακυβέρνησης και των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων. Η εκπλήρωση αυτών των δεσμεύσεων θα αποτελέσει θεμελιώδες στοιχείο στην ανάπτυξη των σχέσεων ΕΕ-Τυνησίας. Περιλαμβάνουν, επί παραδείγματι, τη συγκρότηση μίας υποεπιτροπής ΕΕ-Τυνησίας για τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα. Για τον σκοπό αυτόν συνεχίζουμε να προτρέπουμε τους Τυνήσιους να συγκροτήσουν και να διεξαγάγουν μία πρώτη συνεδρίαση της υποεπιτροπής για τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα το συντομότερο δυνατόν.
Επιπλέον, η δέκατη επετειακή διάσκεψη κορυφής της EuroMed στις 27 και 28 Νοεμβρίου στη Βαρκελώνη αποτέλεσε μία σημαντική ευκαιρία για την παροχή βοήθειας στους μεσογειακούς εταίρους της ΕΕ, συμπεριλαμβανομένης της Τυνησίας, προκειμένου να αντιμετωπίσουν τις προκλήσεις του 21ου αιώνα, σε σχέση με τη χρηστή διακυβέρνηση. Στη διάσκεψη κορυφής της EuroMed, οι ηγέτες προσυπέγραψαν ένα πενταετές σχέδιο εργασιών προσανατολισμένο στην επίτευξη συγκεκριμένων αποτελεσμάτων. Αυτό το σχέδιο περιελάμβανε τη δημιουργία ενός μηχανισμού διακυβέρνησης προκειμένου να βοηθήσει αυτές τις χώρες που σημειώνουν πρόοδο στον τομέα της χρηστής διακυβέρνησης παρέχοντάς τους πρόσβαση σε πρόσθετα κονδύλια που θα μπορούσαν να δαπανήσουν για τις προτεραιότητες τους.
Η Τυνησία είναι συμβαλλόμενο κράτος στις έξι βασικές συνθήκες για τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα των Ηνωμένων Εθνών. Συγκεντρώνει υψηλή βαθμολογία στους περισσότερους κοινωνικοοικονομικούς δείκτες των πολυμερών οργανισμών, και τα κοινωνικά και οικονομικά δικαιώματα αναγνωρίζονται και προστατεύονται. Διαδραματίζει ενεργό ρόλο στο πλαίσιο των διεθνών οργανισμών για τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα και εκλέχτηκε στην Επιτροπή Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων των Ηνωμένων Εθνών τον Απρίλιο του 2004. Η Τυνησία δεν έχει, ωστόσο, υπογράψει ακόμη το Καταστατικό της Ρώμης για την ίδρυση του Διεθνούς Ποινικού Δικαστηρίου.
Η ΕΕ χαιρετίζει τις επιδόσεις της Τυνησίας στην προώθηση της μεταρρύθμισης στον αραβικό κόσμο, κυρίως όσον αφορά τη θέση της γυναίκας και το δικαίωμα στην εκπαίδευση. Εντούτοις, η ΕΕ παραμένει ανήσυχη σχετικά με την κατάσταση των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων στην Τυνησία, ιδίως σε σχέση με την ελευθερία έκφρασης και του συνέρχεσθαι και με την ανεξαρτησία της δικαιοσύνης.
Αυτή η συζήτηση έχει εγείρει συγκεκριμένα το ζήτημα της ελευθερίας του τύπου στην Τυνησία. Όλα τα βιβλία και οι εκδόσεις, με εξαίρεση τις εφημερίδες, εξακολουθούν να υπόκεινται σε λογοκρισία. Έως τον Μάιο του 2005, όλες οι εφημερίδες έπρεπε να λάβουν έγκριση για τα άρθρα από το υπουργείο εσωτερικών πριν από τη δημοσίευση. Αν και αυτό δεν ισχύει πια, εξακολουθεί να μας ανησυχεί το γεγονός ότι ο φόβος αντιποίνων φαίνεται ότι είχε ως αποτέλεσμα κάποιο βαθμό αυτολογοκρισίας, εφόσον καμία εφημερίδα δεν προβαίνει σε οιονδήποτε πολιτικό σχολιασμό ή κρίση για εγχώρια θέματα αντίθετα με την άποψη της κυβέρνησης. Η πρόσβαση στην ξένη τηλεόραση, εντούτοις, είναι συνηθισμένη, εφόσον τα νοικοκυριά της Τυνησίας έχουν πρόσβαση σε δορυφορική τηλεόραση.
Όπως ήδη κατέστησα σαφές, η ΕΕ χαιρετίζει τη συμφωνία για τη Δέσμευση της Τύνιδας και την Ατζέντα της Τύνιδας για την Κοινωνία της Πληροφορίας που επιτεύχθηκε στην Παγκόσμια Διάσκεψη για την Κοινωνία της Πληροφορίας στην Τύνιδα. Η ΕΕ ανυπομονεί να συνεργαστεί με όλους τους ενδιαφερόμενους, προκειμένου να διασφαλιστεί πλήρης και αποτελεσματική εφαρμογή και των δύο σταδίων της διαδικασίας της διάσκεψης κορυφής, τόσο σε επίπεδο ουσίας όσο και σε επίπεδο παρακολούθησης.
Έχουν καταγγελθεί αρκετά περιστατικά που αφορούν την ελευθερία έκφρασης και την ελευθερία του συνέρχεσθαι κατά τη διοργάνωση και κατά τη διάρκεια αυτής καθεαυτής της διάσκεψης κορυφής. Η Κοινωνία Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων της Τυνησίας, το αρχαιότερο όργανο ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων στην Τυνησία, ισχυρίστηκε διωγμό των ακτιβιστών της από την αστυνομία και αναφέρει ότι παρεμποδίστηκε η ομαλή της λειτουργία. Το συνέδριό της αναβλήθηκε μετά από δικαστική απόφαση που εκδόθηκε τον Σεπτέμβριο του 2005. Η ΕΕ προέβη, κατά συνέπεια, σε διαβήματα προς τις αρχές της Τυνησίας και εξήγγειλε δήλωση η οποία υπενθυμίζει στους Τυνήσιους τις προσδοκίες της ΕΕ για τις ευθύνες της χώρας όσον αφορά τα ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα."@el10
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Señora Presidenta, comenzaré dando las gracias al Parlamento Europeo por proponer este oportuno debate sobre Túnez. Quiero dejar constancia de nuestro reconocimiento del hecho de que Túnez haya albergado recientemente la Cumbre Mundial de las Naciones Unidas sobre la Sociedad de la Información del 16 al 18 de noviembre. Nos complace el acuerdo alcanzando en la Cumbre sobre el Compromiso de Túnez y la Agenda de Túnez para la Sociedad de la Información, una contribución importante al esfuerzo global necesario para salvar lo que se conoce como la brecha digital.
Durante la propia Cumbre, la Troika de la UE hizo llegar sus protestas a las autoridades tunecinas a raíz de un incidente en el Instituto Goethe, donde se impidió a las ONG reunirse para debatir los planes para una «Cumbre de los ciudadanos» alternativa.
La UE está igualmente intranquila por otros incidentes relativos a la libertad de expresión y libertad de reunión, denunciados igualmente en el transcurso de la Cumbre. Entre ellos están la interrupción de las actividades de un equipo de la televisión belga, así como la anulación del taller de la Comisión Europea en el que los diputados al Parlamento Europeo debían reunirse con miembros de la sociedad civil en el centro de conferencias de la Cumbre.
La Constitución de Túnez contempla la libertad de asociación, aunque con ciertas limitaciones. La ley prevé la libertad de reunión, siempre que se solicite permiso al Ministerio del Interior. Sin embargo, algunas ONG encuentran dificultades para alquilar oficinas y sus subvenciones son controladas. Diversas asociaciones han solicitado su inscripción legal y les ha sido denegada, por ejemplo el Consejo Nacional para las Libertades en Túnez. Las ONG denuncian igualmente que el acceso a Internet se ve periódicamente bloqueado y los mensajes electrónicos dirigidos a determinadas cuentas de correo electrónico, jamás llegan a su destinatario.
Durante la campaña presidencial de octubre de 2004, el código electoral prohibió a los tunecinos tratar temas políticos en la prensa internacional, y a los partidos de la oposición apenas se les dio oportunidad de realizar campaña. Si bien reconocemos que la ley electoral salvaguarda la representación femenina en el Parlamento, así como la representación de las tendencias minoritarias, hemos advertido que el proceso global que condujo a las elecciones no proporcionaba un campo de juego homogéneo para los contendientes. Por tanto, alentamos a las autoridades tunecinas a que continúen mejorando el marco electoral y a que den los pasos necesarios para garantizar que las próximas elecciones cumplen totalmente las normas internacionales.
La UE también está preocupada por los informes de las ONG, incluida Amnistía Internacional, sobre las condiciones en las cárceles en Túnez. Dichos informes manifiestan que sigue habiendo hacinamiento en las prisiones y trato discriminatorio de los presos políticos, así como una falta de atención médica básica, una higiene deficiente, torturas y malos tratos. Acogemos con satisfacción, por tanto, el hecho de que a partir de junio de 2005, las autoridades de Túnez hayan permitido el acceso a los presos por parte del Comité Internacional de la Cruz Roja.
A principios de este año, las autoridades tunecinas anunciaron su intención de permitir a los representantes del Human Rights Watch el acceso a las prisiones, como ocurre con el Comité Internacional de la Cruz Roja, aunque no se especificaba ninguna fecha. El Ministro de Justicia y Derechos Humanos anunció asimismo el fin de la práctica de la reclusión de los presos en régimen de aislamiento más allá de 10 días, el plazo máximo permitido con arreglo a la Constitución. La UE aplaude estos anuncios y espera que ambas iniciativas sean llevadas a la práctica.
Quiero decir también algunas palabras acerca del sistema judicial en Túnez. Según su Constitución, es independiente. Sin embargo, Amnistía Internacional y otras organizaciones denuncian que las autoridades interfieren en el proceso judicial. El juicio en abril de 2005 del abogado y miembro del Consejo Nacional por las Libertades en Túnez, Mohamed Abbou, que había escrito un artículo criticando al Presidente tunecino Zin el Abidín ben Alí, parece confirmar esta denuncia. La Asociación de Magistrados tunecina se ha quejado del creciente acoso por parte del Gobierno después de que su junta emitiera un comunicado criticando el ataque contra Abbou. El fiscal clausuró en agosto la oficina de la Asociación de Magistrados tunecina. Una ley aprobada el 12 de agosto de 2005 para la creación del estatuto de los magistrados no tenía en cuenta peticiones anteriores por parte de la Asociación de Magistrados tunecina en cuanto a términos y condiciones del servicio y al parecer debilita su posición. Constatamos asimismo que a pesar de las reiteradas solicitudes para realizar una visita, el Ponente especial de las Naciones Unidas para la independencia de los jueces y abogados todavía está a la espera de la invitación del Gobierno tunecino.
La UE desea trabajar con Túnez para apoyar la modernización de su sistema judicial. La UE ha facilitado dinero a través del programa MEDA para subvencionar un proyecto que apoya esta labor y espera ver los progresos al respecto. Estoy seguro de que la Comisión querrá decir algo sobre este tema.
En conclusión, la UE acoge con satisfacción los acuerdos alcanzados en la Cumbre Mundial sobre la Sociedad de la Información como una contribución importante al esfuerzo global para salvar la brecha digital. En cuanto a la relación de la UE con el propio Túnez, deseamos que este país preserve y desarrolle su seguridad y prosperidad. Lamentamos las severas restricciones a la libertad de expresión y asociación y los incidentes ocurridos antes y durante la Cumbre Mundial sobre la Sociedad de la Información.
El Consejo quiere garantizar a sus Señorías que la UE va a continuar expresando su preocupación acerca de determinadas violaciones de los derechos humanos y a recalcar a las autoridades tunecinas la necesidad del pleno respeto por los derechos humanos y los principios democráticos.
Al mismo tiempo, procede que contemplemos con una visión más general los asuntos de los derechos humanos y de la libertad de prensa en este país. El Consejo comparte la preocupación de los diputados a esta Cámara acerca de la situación de los derechos humanos en Túnez y es muy consciente de las deficiencias de la actuación de las autoridades tunecinas, sobre todo con respecto a los actos de intimidación y hostigamiento contra la sociedad civil y los activistas de derechos humanos. La reunión celebrada el jueves, 1 de diciembre, en la que participaron diversos diputados al Parlamento Europeo, determinadas comisiones y otras instituciones de la UE participantes en la Cumbre, para debatir específicamente la problemática de los derechos humanos en Túnez, refrendó aún más la importancia de estos temas.
Ha llegado el momento de esperar a que las autoridades tunecinas apliquen los compromisos adquiridos por el Presidente Zin el Abidín ben Alí en cuanto a democracia, buena gobernanza y derechos humanos, contenidos en el Plan de Acción para la Política Europea de Vecindad. La ejecución de estos compromisos será un elemento esencial para desarrollar las relaciones UE-Túnez.
Los derechos humanos son un elemento esencial en la relación de la UE con Túnez, tal como se proclama en el Acuerdo de Asociación UE-Túnez, que entró en vigor el 1 de marzo de 1998, y en el Plan de Acción para la Política Europea de Vecindad, que lo hizo el 4 de julio de este año. En virtud de este plan de acción, Túnez ha suscrito compromisos en el ámbito de la democracia, la buena gobernanza y los derechos humanos. La ejecución de estos compromisos será un elemento esencial para desarrollar las relaciones UE-Túnez. Incluyen, por ejemplo, la creación de una subcomisión UE-Túnez de derechos humanos. A tal fin seguimos animando a los tunecinos a que fijen y celebren lo antes posible una primera sesión de dicha subcomisión.
Además, la Cumbre del décimo aniversario de Euromed, el 27 y 28 de noviembre en Barcelona, constituyó una ocasión notable para ayudar a los socios mediterráneos de la UE, incluido Túnez, a afrontar los retos del siglo XXI, incluidos los relacionados con la buena gobernanza. En la Cumbre de Euromed, los dirigentes refrendaron un plan de trabajo para cinco años orientado a la obtención de resultados. Dicho plan incluía la creación de un fondo de gobernanza para ayudar a aquellos países que hagan progresos en la buena gobernanza, permitiéndoles el acceso a fondos adicionales para invertir en sus prioridades.
Túnez es un Estado que forma parte de los seis tratados centrales sobre derechos humanos de las Naciones Unidas. Túnez aparece bien clasificada en la mayoría de los índices socioeconómicos de instituciones multilaterales, y los derechos sociales y económicos gozan de reconocimiento y protección. Túnez desempeña un papel activo dentro de las instituciones internacionales de derechos humanos y fue elegido miembro de la Comisión de Derechos Humanos de las Naciones Unidas en abril de 2004. Sin embargo, Túnez todavía no ha suscrito el Estatuto de Roma de la Corte Penal Internacional.
La UE aplaude el historial de Túnez de promoción de reformas en el mundo árabe, principalmente en cuanto a la situación de la mujer y el derecho a la educación. No obstante, la UE continúa preocupada por la situación de los derechos humanos en Túnez, sobre todo con relación a la libertad de expresión y de reunión y a la independencia del sistema judicial.
Este debate ha suscitado concretamente el tema de la libertad de prensa en Túnez. Todos los libros y publicaciones, con la excepción de los periódicos, siguen estando sujetos a censura. Hasta el mes de mayo de 2005, todos los periódicos tenían que presentar sus artículos al Ministerio de Interior antes de su publicación. Aunque ese ya no es el caso, nos sigue preocupando el hecho de que el temor a las sanciones parece haberse traducido en una cierta autocensura, ya que ningún periódico ofrece crítica ni opinión política alguna sobre asuntos internos contrarias a la versión gubernamental. No obstante, es habitual el acceso a la televisión extranjera, ya que la mayoría de los hogares tunecinos disponen de televisión por satélite.
Como ya he manifestado, la UE acoge con satisfacción el acuerdo sobre el compromiso tunecino y la agenda tunecina para la sociedad de la información, alcanzados durante la Cumbre Mundial sobre la Sociedad de la Información en Túnez. La UE espera trabajar con todos los interlocutores para garantizar la ejecución plena y eficaz de ambas fases del proceso de la Cumbre, tanto en la esencia como en el seguimiento.
Durante los preparativos y durante la propia Cumbre se denunciaron una serie de incidentes que afectaban a la libertad de expresión y a la libertad de reunión. La Liga Tunecina de Derechos Humanos, el órgano más antiguo de derechos humanos en Túnez, denunció el acoso de sus militantes por parte de la policía y afirmó que se le había impedido su funcionamiento normal. Una decisión judicial en septiembre de 2005 obligó a posponer su congreso. La UE presentó sus quejas ante las autoridades tunecinas y publicó una declaración recordando a los tunecinos las expectativas de la UE en cuanto a sus responsabilidades en el tema de los derechos humanos."@es20
"Mr President, I shall begin by thanking the European Parliament for proposing this timely debate on Tunisia. I would like to record our appreciation of Tunisia’s recent hosting of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society from 16 to 18 November. We welcome the summit’s agreement to the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, an important contribution to the global effort needed to bridge what is known as the digital divide.
During the summit itself, the EU Troika made representations to the Tunisian authorities following an incident at the Goethe Institute, where NGOs were prevented from meeting to discuss plans for an alternative ‘Citizens’ Summit’.
The EU is also concerned about a number of other incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, also reported during the summit. These include the disruption of the activities of a Belgian TV crew, as well as the disruption of the European Commission workshop for MEPs to meet members of civil society in the summit’s conference centre.
Tunisia’s Constitution provides for freedom of association, but within certain defined limits. The law provides for freedom of assembly, as long as a permit is obtained from the Minister of Interior. However, some NGOs experience difficulties in renting space and the control of funding. A number of associations have applied for legal status and have been refused, for example the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia. NGOs also report that Internet access is routinely blocked and e-mails addressed to certain e-mail accounts never reach the intended recipient.
During the presidential campaign of October 2004, the electoral code prohibited Tunisians from discussing politics in the international press, and opposition parties were given little opportunity to campaign. Whilst recognising that the election law safeguards female representation in parliament as well as the representation of minority views, we noted that the overall process leading to the elections did not provide a level playing field for contenders. We therefore encourage the Tunisian authorities to continue to improve the framework for elections and to take the necessary steps to ensure that the next elections fully meet international standards.
The EU is also concerned by reports from NGOs, including Amnesty International, about prison conditions in Tunisia. These reports state that overcrowding in prisons and discriminatory treatment of political prisoners continue as well as a lack of basic medical care, poor hygiene, torture and ill-treatment. We therefore welcome the fact that since June 2005 Tunisia’s authorities have allowed the International Committee of the Red Cross access to prisons.
Earlier this year, the Tunisian authorities announced their intention to allow Human Rights Watch representatives access to prisons in a similar way to that of the International Committee of the Red Cross, although no timeframe was specified. The Minister for Justice and Human Rights also announced that the practice of detaining prisoners in solitary confinement beyond 10 days, the maximum allowed under the Constitution, would cease. The EU welcomes these announcements and hopes that both undertakings will be put into practice.
I should also like to say a few words about the judiciary in Tunisia. Under its Constitution, it is independent. However, Amnesty International and others report that the authorities interfere in the judicial process. The trial in April 2005 of a lawyer and member of the National Council for Civil Liberties in Tunisia, Mohamed Abou, who wrote an article criticising Tunisia’s President Ben Ali, seems to support this contention. The Tunisian Magistrates’ Association has complained of increased intimidation by the Government after its board issued a communiqué criticising the attack on Abou. The Public Prosecutor closed the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association’s office in August. A law passed on 12 August 2005 making provision for the statute of magistrates does not take into consideration earlier calls by the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association concerning terms and conditions of service and would appear to weaken its position. We also note that despite several requests to visit, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers has yet to receive an invitation from the Tunisian Government.
The EU wishes to work with Tunisia to support the modernisation of its judiciary. The EU has provided money through MEDA to fund a project that will support this work and hopes to see progress on this. I am sure that the Commission will want to say something about this.
In conclusion, the EU welcomes the agreements reached at the World Summit on the Information Society as an important contribution to the global effort to bridge the digital divide. In terms of the EU’s relationship with Tunisia itself, we wish to see Tunisia maintain and develop its security and prosperity. We regret the serious restrictions on freedom of expression and association and the incidents which occurred prior to and during the World Summit on the Information Society.
The Council should like to assure honourable Members that the EU will continue to express its concern over specific human rights violations and to impress on the Tunisian authorities the need for full respect for human rights and democratic principles.
At the same time, it is right for us to consider more generally the issues of human rights and freedom of the press in Tunisia. The Council shares the concerns of Members of this House about the human rights situation in Tunisia and is well aware of the shortcomings in Tunisia’s performance, particularly with respect to acts of intimidation and harassment by the authorities against civil society and human rights activists. The meeting convened on Thursday, 1 December, involving MEPs, certain committees and other EU institutions involved in the summit, specifically to discuss human rights concerns in Tunisia, further highlighted the importance of these issues.
It is now time for us to look forward to the implementation by the Tunisian authorities of the commitments made by President Ben Ali on democracy, good governance and human rights set out in the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan. Implementation of these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations.
Human rights is an essential element in the EU’s relationship with Tunisia, as set out in the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement, which came into force on 1 March 1998, and the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan which came into force on 4 July this year. Under its action plan, Tunisia has signed up to commitments in the area of democracy, good governance and human rights. Implementing these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations. They include, for example, the establishment of an EU-Tunisia subcommittee on human rights. To this end we continue to urge the Tunisians to establish and hold a first session of a human rights subcommittee as soon as possible.
In addition to this, the EuroMed tenth anniversary summit on 27 and 28 November in Barcelona represented an important opportunity to help the EU’s Mediterranean partners, including Tunisia, to address the challenges of the 21st century, including in relation to good governance. At the EuroMed Summit, leaders endorsed an outcome-oriented five-year work plan. That plan included the creation of a governance facility to help those countries that make progress on good governance, allowing them access to additional funds to spend on their priorities.
Tunisia is a state party to the six core United Nations human rights treaties. Tunisia scores well on most socio-economic indexes of multilateral institutions, and social and economic rights are recognised and protected. Tunisia plays an active role within international human rights institutions and was elected to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in April 2004. Tunisia has not yet, however, signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The EU welcomes Tunisia’s record of promoting reform in the Arab world, notably on the position of women and the right to education. However, the EU remains concerned about the human rights situation in Tunisia, particularly in relation to freedom of expression and assembly and the independence of the judiciary.
This debate has raised in particular the issue of the freedom of the press in Tunisia. All books and publications, with the exception of newspapers, are still subject to censorship. Until May 2005, all newspapers had to clear articles with the Ministry of the Interior in advance of publication. Whilst this is no longer the case, we remain concerned that the fear of reprisals appears to have resulted in some self-censorship, as no newspaper offers any political criticism or opinion on domestic issues contrary to the government’s view. Access to foreign television, however, is common, as most Tunisian households have access to satellite television.
As I already made clear, the EU welcomes the agreement on the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society reached at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis. The EU looks forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure the full and effective implementation of both stages of the summit process, both on substance and on follow-up.
A number of incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly were reported in the run-up to and during the summit itself. The Tunisian Human Rights League, the oldest human rights body in Tunisia, claimed police harassment of its activists and says that it has been prevented from functioning properly. A court decision in September 2005 postponed its Congress. The EU consequently made representations to the Tunisian authorities and issued a statement reminding the Tunisians of the EU’s expectations of its human rights responsibilities."@et5
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Arvoisa puhemies, kiitän aluksi Euroopan parlamenttia siitä, että se ehdotti tätä Tunisiaa koskevaa ajankohtaista keskustelua. Arvostamme suuresti sitä, että Tunisia isännöi taannoin, 16.–18. marraskuuta, tietoyhteiskuntaa koskevaa Yhdistyneiden Kansakuntien maailmanlaajuista huippukokousta. Mielestämme on myönteistä, että huippukokouksessa päästiin sopimukseen Tunisin sitoumuksesta ja tietoyhteiskuntaa koskevasta Tunisin toimintaohjelmasta. Tämä edistää merkittävästi maailmanlaajuisia toimia, joita tarvitaan niin kutsutun digitaalisen kuilun poistamiseksi.
Huippukokouksen aikana EU:n troikka esitti Tunisian viranomaisille vastalauseita Goethe-Instituutin välikohtauksesta, jossa kansalaisjärjestöjä estettiin kokoontumasta keskustelemaan vaihtoehtoista "kansalaisten huippukokousta" koskevista suunnitelmista.
EU on huolissaan myös joistakin muista huippukokouksen aikana raportoiduista tapahtumista, jotka koskevat sananvapautta ja yhdistymisvapautta. Esimerkkinä voidaan mainita häiriöt, joista ovat kärsineet belgialainen TV-ryhmä sekä keskusteluryhmä, jonka Euroopan komissio kutsui kokoon huippukokouksen konferenssikeskukseen ja jossa Euroopan parlamentin jäsenillä oli tarkoitus tavata kansalaisyhteiskunnan jäseniä.
Tunisian perustuslaissa säädetään kokoontumisvapaudesta, vaikkakin tietyissä määritellyissä rajoissa. Laissa säädetään yhdistymisvapaudesta, joka edellyttää sisäasiainministeriön lupaa. Joillakin kansalaisjärjestöillä on kuitenkin vaikeuksia tilojen vuokraamisessa, ja niiden rahoitusta valvotaan. Jotkin yhdistykset, esimerkiksi Tunisian vapauskomitea, ovat anoneet laillista asemaa, mutta sitä ei ole myönnetty. Lisäksi kansalaisjärjestöt raportoivat, että Internetin käyttö tavallisesti estetään ja etteivät tiettyihin sähköpostiosoitteisiin lähetyt sähköpostit koskaan päädy niille, joille ne on tarkoitettu.
Lokakuussa 2004 järjestetyn presidentinvaalikampanjan aikana vaalilaissa kiellettiin tunisialaisia kirjoittamasta politiikasta kansainvälisessä lehdistössä, ja oppositiopuolueille annettiin vain vähän mahdollisuuksia kampanjointiin. Myönnämme, että vaalilailla taataan naisten edustus parlamentissa sekä vähemmistöjen näkemysten edustus, mutta panimme merkille, ettei ehdokkailla ollut yhdenvertaisia mahdollisuuksia vaaleja edeltävässä kokonaisprosessissa. Kehotamme siksi Tunisian viranomaisia parantamaan edelleen vaalijärjestelmää ja toteuttamaan tarvittavat toimet sen varmistamiseksi, että seuraavat vaalit ovat täysin kansainvälisten normien mukaiset.
EU on huolissaan lisäksi kansalaisjärjestöjen, myös Amnesty Internationalin, raporteista, jotka koskevat tunisialaisten vankiloiden oloja. Näissä raporteissa todetaan, että vankilat ovat edelleen liian täynnä, että poliittisia vankeja kohdellaan syrjivästi ja että vankiloissa on puutetta perusterveydenhuollosta, huono hygienia, kidutusta ja vankeja kohdellaan julmasti. Pidämme siksi myönteisenä, että Tunisian viranomaiset ovat sallineet Punaisen Ristin kansainvälisen komitean pääsyn vankiloihin kesäkuusta 2005 lähtien.
Aiemmin tänä vuonna Tunisian viranomaiset ilmoittivat aikovansa myöntää Human Rights Watchin edustajille pääsyn vankiloihin samalla tavoin kuin Punaisen Ristin kansainvälisen komitean edustajille, mutta aikataulua ei määritetty tarkemmin. Lisäksi oikeus- ja ihmisoikeusministeri ilmoitti, ettei vankeja pidetä eristysselleissä yli kymmentä päivää, joka on perustuslaissa säädetty enimmäisaika. EU suhtautuu näihin ilmoituksiin myönteisesti ja toivoo, että molemmat asiat toteutetaan käytännössä.
Haluan sanoa muutaman sanan myös Tunisian oikeuslaitoksesta, joka on perustuslain mukaan riippumaton. Amnesty International ja muut järjestöt kuitenkin raportoivat, että viranomaiset puuttuvat oikeusmenettelyyn. Tätä väitettä näyttää tukevan huhtikuussa 2005 järjestetty Mohamed Aboun oikeudenkäynti. Hän on asianajaja ja Tunisian kansallisen vapauskomitean jäsen, joka kirjoitti Tunisian presidenttiä Ben Alia arvostelevan artikkelin. Tunisian tuomarien yhdistys on valittanut hallituksen harjoittaman uhkailun lisääntymisestä sen jälkeen, kun yhdistyksen hallitus antoi tiedonannon, jossa arvosteltiin Abou'hun kohdistunutta hyökkäystä. Elokuussa yleinen syyttäjä sulki Tunisian tuomarien yhdistyksen toimiston. Elokuun 12. päivänä 2005 hyväksytyssä tuomarien asemaa koskevista säännöistä annetussa laissa ei oteta huomioon Tunisian tuomarien yhdistyksen aiempia vaatimuksia, jotka koskevat palvelussuhteen ehtoja, ja laki näyttäisi heikentävän yhdistyksen asemaa. Lisäksi toteamme, että useista vierailupyynnöistä huolimatta tuomarien ja asianajajien riippumattomuutta käsittelevän Yhdistyneiden Kansakuntien erikoisraportoijan odottaa vieläkin kutsua Tunisian hallitukselta.
EU haluaa tehdä yhteistyötä Tunisian kanssa tukeakseen sen oikeuslaitoksen uudistamista. EU on myöntänyt Meda-ohjelman kautta varoja tätä työtä tukevaan hankkeeseen ja toivoo havaitsevansa edistystä oikeuslaitoksen uudistamisessa. Komissio haluaa varmasti sanoa vielä jotakin tästä asiasta.
EU suhtautuu myönteisesti tietoyhteiskuntaa koskevassa maailmanlaajuisessa huippukokouksessa tehtyihin sopimuksiin ja katsoo niiden edistävän merkittävästi maailmanlaajuisia toimia digitaalisen kuilun poistamiseksi. EU:n ja Tunisian suhteista totean, että haluamme Tunisian pitävän yllä ja kehittävän valtionsa turvallisuutta ja hyvinvointia. Pahoittelemme vakavia sanan- ja yhdistymisvapauden rajoituksia sekä välikohtauksia, joita tapahtui ennen tietoyhteiskuntaa koskevaa maailmanlaajuista huippukokousta ja sen aikana.
Neuvosto vakuuttaa parlamentin jäsenille, että EU ilmaisee jatkossakin huolestuneisuutensa ihmisoikeusloukkauksista ja tähdentää Tunisian viranomaisille tarvetta noudattaa täysimääräisesti ihmisoikeuksia ja demokratian periaatteita.
Meidän on samalla hyvä tarkastella yleisemmin Tunisian ihmisoikeusasioita ja lehdistönvapautta. Neuvosto on parlamentin jäsenten tavoin huolissaan Tunisian ihmisoikeustilanteesta ja tietää hyvin Tunisian toimissa olevat puutteet, jotka liittyvät etenkin viranomaisten kansalaisyhteiskuntaan ja ihmisoikeusaktivisteihin kohdistamaan uhkailuun ja häirintään. Näiden asioiden merkitystä tähdennettiin edelleen torstaina 1. joulukuuta koolle kutsutussa kokouksessa, jossa oli läsnä Euroopan parlamentin jäseniä, joitakin komiteoita ja muita huippukokoukseen osallistuneita EU:n toimielimiä ja jossa keskusteltiin nimenomaan Tunisian ihmisoikeusasioista.
Meidän on nyt odotettava, että Tunisian viranomaiset panevat täytäntöön presidentti Ben Alin tekemät sitoumukset, jotka koskevat demokratiaa, hyvää hallintotapaa ja ihmisoikeuksia ja jotka on mainittu Euroopan unionin naapuruuspolitiikkaa koskevassa toimintasuunnitelmassa. Näiden sitoumusten täytäntöönpanolla on oleellinen merkitys EU:n ja Tunisian suhteiden kehityksessä.
Ihmisoikeudet ovat oleellinen tekijä EU:n ja Tunisian suhteissa, kuten todetaan 1. maaliskuuta 1998 voimaan tulleessa EU:n ja Tunisian assosiaatiosopimuksessa sekä 4. heinäkuuta 2005 voimaan tulleessa Euroopan unionin naapuruuspolitiikkaa koskevassa toimintasuunnitelmassa. Toimintasuunnitelmassaan Tunisia on tehnyt sitoumuksia demokratian, hyvän hallintotavan ja ihmisoikeuksien aloilla. Näiden sitoumusten täyttäminen on oleellinen tekijä EU:n ja Tunisian suhteiden kehittämisessä. Yksi niistä on EU:n ja Tunisian välisen ihmisoikeusasioita käsittelevän alakomitean perustaminen. Näin ollen kehotamme edelleen tunisialaisia perustamaan ihmisoikeusasioita käsittelevän alakomitean ja pitämään sen ensimmäisen kokouksen mahdollisimman pian.
Tämän lisäksi Barcelonassa 27. ja 28. marraskuuta pidetty Euro–Välimeri-kumppanuuden 10-vuotishuippukokous oli tärkeä mahdollisuus auttaa EU:n Välimeren alueen kumppanimaita, myös Tunisiaa, käsittelemään 2000-luvun haasteita, jotka liittyvät myös hyvään hallintotapaan. Euro–Välimeri-huippukokouksessa johtajat hyväksyivät tulospainotteisen toimintasuunnitelman viideksi vuodeksi. Tähän suunnitelmaan sisältyi hallintotaparahaston perustaminen. Sillä on tarkoitus auttaa valtioita, jotka edistyvät hyvää hallintotapaa koskevassa tavoitteessa, ja tarjota niille lisävaroja painopistealueita varten.
Tunisia on sopimuspuolena kuudessa keskeisessä Yhdistyneiden Kansakuntien ihmisoikeussopimuksessa. Tunisia on sijoittunut hyvin useimmissa monenvälisten toimielinten sosioekonomisissa indekseissä, ja sosiaaliset ja taloudelliset oikeudet tunnustetaan, ja niitä suojellaan. Tunisia toimii aktiivisesti kansainvälisissä ihmisoikeuselimissä, ja se valittiin huhtikuussa 2004 Yhdistyneiden Kansakuntien ihmisoikeuskomissioon. Tunisia ei ole kuitenkaan vielä allekirjoittanut Kansainvälisen rikostuomioistuimen Rooman perussääntöä.
EU panee tyytyväisenä merkille Tunisian ansiot sen edistäessä arabimaiden uudistuksia, jotka koskevat etenkin naisten asemaa ja oikeutta koulutukseen. EU on kuitenkin edelleen huolissaan Tunisian ihmisoikeustilanteesta, varsinkin sanan- ja yhdistymisvapaudesta sekä oikeuslaitoksen riippumattomuudesta.
Tässä keskustelussa on tullut esiin etenkin Tunisian lehdistönvapaus. Kaikki kirjat ja julkaisut sanomalehtiä lukuun ottamatta sensuroidaan edelleen. Toukokuuhun 2005 saakka kaikkien sanomalehtien oli hyväksytettävä artikkelit sisäasiainministeriöllä ennen julkaisemista. Vaikka näin ei enää tehdäkään, olemme edelleen huolissamme siitä, että kostotoimien pelko näyttää johtaneen jonkinlaiseen itsesensuuriin, koska sanomalehdissä ei esitetä sisäisistä asioista minkäänlaista hallituksen näkemyksen vastaista poliittista kritiikkiä eikä mielipidettä. Ulkomaisia televisiokanavia on kuitenkin yleisesti saatavilla, sillä useimmissa tunisialaisissa kotitalouksissa on mahdollisuus katsella satelliittitelevisiota.
Kuten jo tein selväksi, EU suhtautuu myönteisesti Tunisissa pidetyssä tietoyhteiskuntaa koskevassa maailmanlaajuisessa huippukokouksessa tehtyyn sopimukseen Tunisin sitoumuksesta ja tietoyhteiskuntaa koskevasta Tunisin toimintaohjelmasta. EU odottaa saavansa tehdä yhteistyötä kaikkien sidosryhmien kanssa varmistaakseen huippukokousprosessin molempien vaiheiden – sekä sisällön että seurannan – täysimääräisen ja tehokkaan täytäntöönpanon.
Ennen huippukokousta ja sen aikana raportoitiin välikohtauksista, jotka koskivat sananvapautta ja yhdistymisvapautta. Tunisian vanhin ihmisoikeuselin, Tunisian ihmisoikeusliitto, väitti, että poliisi on häirinnyt sen aktivisteja ja että sitä on estetty toimimasta normaalisti. Sen kokousta lykättiin syyskuussa 2005 tehdyllä tuomioistuimen päätöksellä. EU esitti tämän vuoksi vastalauseita Tunisian viranomaisille ja antoi julkilausuman, jossa se muistutti, että se odottaa Tunisian kantavan ihmisoikeuksiin liittyvän vastuunsa."@fi7
"Monsieur le Président, je commencerai par remercier le Parlement européen d’avoir proposé ce débat sur la Tunisie, il tombe à point nommé. Je voudrais adresser officiellement notre reconnaissance à la Tunisie pour avoir accueilli du 16 au 18 novembre le récent sommet mondial sur la société de l’information, organisé sous les auspices des Nations unies. Nous saluons l’accord dégagé lors du sommet concernant l’engagement de Tunis et l’agenda de Tunis pour la société de l’information, une contribution importante à l’effort mondial nécessaire pour combler ce que l’on appelle la fracture numérique.
Durant le sommet lui-même, la troïka européenne a adressé des protestations officielles aux autorités tunisiennes à la suite d’un incident au Goethe Institut. Des ONG ont été empêchées de se réunir pour discuter de plans visant à créer un sommet alternatif des «citoyens».
L’UE est également préoccupée par une série d’autres incidents concernant la liberté d’expression et d’association, qui ont également été rapportés durant le sommet. Parmi ceux-ci, la perturbation des activités d’une équipe de télévision belge, ainsi que le bouleversement d’un atelier de la Commission européenne visant à faire se rencontrer des députés européens et des membres de la société civile au centre de conférence du sommet.
La constitution tunisienne garantit la liberté d’association, mais dans des limites bien définies. La loi garantit la liberté d’association, tant qu’une autorisation est obtenue du ministre de l’intérieur. Certaines ONG ont pourtant du mal à louer un local et voient leur financement faire l’objet de contrôles. Une série d’associations ont fait une demande de statut juridique qui leur a été refusée, le Conseil national des libertés en Tunisie par exemple. Les ONG expliquent également que l’accès à l’internet est régulièrement bloqué et les courriels adressés à certains comptes de messagerie ne parviennent jamais à leur destinataire.
Au cours de la campagne présidentielle d’octobre 2004, le code électoral interdisait aux Tunisiens de discuter de politique avec la presse internationale et les partis d’opposition n’ont eu que peu de perspectives de faire campagne. Tout en reconnaissant que la loi électorale garantit la représentation des femmes au sein du parlement, ainsi que la représentation des opinions minoritaires, nous avons remarqué que le processus global menant aux élections ne fournissait pas de règles communes à tous les candidats. Nous encourageons par conséquent les autorités tunisiennes à continuer d’améliorer le cadre des élections et de prendre toutes les mesures nécessaires afin de garantir que les prochaines élections respecteront pleinement les normes internationales.
L’UE est aussi préoccupée par les rapports des ONG, en ce compris Amnesty International, concernant les conditions de détention en Tunisie. Ces rapports signalent que la surpopulation carcérale et les traitements discriminatoires des prisonniers politiques se poursuivent, de même que l’absence de soins médicaux de base, une hygiène déficiente, la torture et les mauvais traitements. Par conséquent, nous nous félicitons que depuis juin 2005, les autorités tunisiennes aient permis au Comité international de la Croix-rouge d’avoir accès aux prisons.
Plus tôt cette année, les autorités tunisiennes ont annoncé leur intention d’autoriser des représentants de Human Rights Watch à avoir accès aux pénitenciers à l’instar du Comité international de la Croix-rouge, bien qu’aucun calendrier n’ait été fixé. Le ministre de la justice et des droits de l’homme a également annoncé que la pratique de mise en isolement des prisonniers durant plus de 10 jours, le maximum autorisé par la Constitution, cesserait. L’UE se félicite de ces annonces et espère que ces deux promesses seront tenues.
Je tiens également à prononcer quelques mots sur le pouvoir judiciaire en Tunisie. La Constitution garantit son indépendance. Amnesty International et d’autres organisations signalent néanmoins que les autorités s’immiscent dans les procédures judiciaires. Le procès, en avril 2005, d’un avocat et membre du Conseil national des libertés civiles en Tunisie, Mohamed Abou, qui avait écrit un article critique à l’égard du président tunisien, Ben Ali, semble confirmer cette assertion. L’Association des magistrats tunisiens s’est plainte d’une recrudescence des intimidations de la part du gouvernement après que son conseil d’administration eut publié un communiqué critiquant l’agression dont a été victime Mohamed Abou. Le ministère public a ordonné la fermeture des bureaux de l’Association des magistrats tunisiens en août. Une loi adoptée le 12 août 2005 et prévoyant le statut des magistrats ne tient pas compte des appels antérieurs de l’Association des magistrats tunisiens concernant les modalités du service et semblerait avoir affaibli sa position. Nous avons également remarqué qu’en dépit de plusieurs demandes de visite, le rapporteur spécial des Nations unies pour l’indépendance des juges et des avocats n’a toujours pas reçu d’invitation de la part du gouvernement tunisien.
L’UE souhaite travailler avec la Tunisie à la modernisation de son système judiciaire. L’Union européenne a fourni des fonds par l’intermédiaire du programme MEDA afin de financer un projet qui soutiendra ce travail et espère que des progrès verront le jour en la matière. Je suis certain que la Commission voudra nous en toucher un mot.
En conclusion, l’UE se félicite des accords dégagés au sommet mondial sur la société de l’information. Ils représentent une importante contribution à l’effort mondial pour combler la fracture numérique. En ce qui concerne les relations elles-mêmes de l’UE avec la Tunisie, nous souhaitons que la Tunisie poursuive et développe sa sécurité et sa prospérité. Nous regrettons les graves restrictions à la liberté d’expression et d’association ainsi que les incidents qui se sont produits avant et pendant le sommet mondial sur la société de l’information.
Le Conseil tient à assurer aux honorables députés que l’UE continuera à exprimer ses préoccupations à l’égard de violations spécifiques des droits de l’homme et de bien faire comprendre aux autorités tunisiennes la nécessité de respecter pleinement les droits de l’homme et les principes démocratiques.
Dans le même temps, il est bon que nous prenions plus globalement en considération les questions des droits de l’homme et de la liberté de la presse en Tunisie. Le Conseil partage les inquiétudes des députés de cette Assemblée concernant la situation des droits de l’homme en Tunisie et il a pleinement conscience des lacunes qui existent dans ce pays, en particulier en ce qui concerne les actes d’intimidation et de harcèlement commis par les autorités à l’encontre de la société civile et des défenseurs des droits de l’homme. La réunion, qui s’est tenue le jeudi 1er décembre en présence de députés, de certaines commissions et d’autres institutions européennes participant au sommet afin débattre spécifiquement des préoccupations en matière de droits de l’homme en Tunisie, a une nouvelle fois insisté sur l’importance de ces questions.
Il est à présent temps que nous insistions sur la mise en œuvre par les autorités tunisiennes des engagements pris par le président Ben Ali en matière de démocratie, de bonne gouvernance et de droits de l’homme fixés dans le plan d’action de la politique européenne de voisinage. La mise en œuvre de ces engagements sera un élément essentiel du développement des relations entre l’UE et la Tunisie.
Les droits de l’homme sont un élément essentiel des relations de l’UE avec la Tunisie, comme le prévoit l’accord d’association entre l’UE et ce pays, entré en vigueur le 1er mars 1998, et le plan d’action de la politique européenne de voisinage, entré en vigueur le 4 juillet de cette année. En vertu de ce plan d’action, la Tunisie s’est engagée dans le domaine de la démocratie, de la bonne gouvernance et des droits de l’homme. La mise en œuvre de ces engagements sera un élément fondamental du développement des relations entre l’UE et la Tunisie. Ils comprennent, par exemple, l’établissement d’une sous-commission des droits de l’homme UE - Tunisie. Pour ce faire, nous demandons toujours instamment aux Tunisiens d’établir et d’organiser la première séance de la sous-commission des droits de l’homme le plus tôt possible.
Outre ces éléments, le sommet du dixième anniversaire du processus euro-méditerranéen les 27 et 28 novembre à Barcelone a représenté une chance inespérée d’aider les partenaires méditerranéens de l’UE, notamment la Tunisie, à relever les défis du XXIe siècle, y compris en matière de bonne gouvernance. Lors du sommet euroméditerranéen, les dirigeants ont avalisé un plan de travail quinquennal axé sur les résultats. Ce plan comprend la création d’une facilité de gouvernance en vue d’aider les pays qui font des progrès en matière de bonne gouvernance, en leur concédant un accès à des fonds supplémentaires à dépenser pour ces priorités.
La Tunisie est partie aux six traités fondamentaux des Nations unies sur les droits de l’homme. La Tunisie obtient de bons résultats dans la plupart des indexes socio-économiques des institutions multilatérales. De plus, les droits sociaux et économiques sont reconnus et protégés. La Tunisie joue un rôle actif au sein des institutions internationales des droits de l’homme et a été élue à la commission des droits de l’homme des Nations unies en avril 2004. La Tunisie n’a cependant pas encore signé le statut de Rome du Tribunal pénal international.
L’UE se félicite des excellents résultats de la Tunisie en matière de promotion des réformes dans le monde arabe, notamment concernant la position des femmes et le droit à l’éducation. L’Union européenne reste toutefois préoccupée quant à la situation des droits de l’homme en Tunisie, en particulier pour ce qui a trait à la liberté d’expression et d’association, ainsi que l’indépendance du pouvoir judiciaire.
Ce débat a notamment soulevé la question de la liberté de la presse en Tunisie. Tous les livres et publications, à l’exception des journaux, sont toujours soumis à la censure. Jusqu’en mai 2005, tous les articles de journaux devaient obtenir l’accord du ministère de l’intérieur avant d’être publiés. Bien que ce ne soit plus le cas, nous restons inquiets: la crainte de représailles semble avoir débouché sur une sorte d’autocensure. Aucun journal n’offre de critiques politiques ou d’opinions sur les questions intérieures qui soient contraires au point de vue gouvernemental. L’accès aux télévisions étrangères est toutefois commun, la majorité des ménages tunisiens ont accès à la télévision par satellite.
Comme je l’ai déjà précisé, l’UE salue l’accord concernant l’engagement de Tunis et l’agenda de Tunis sur la société de l’information dégagé au sommet mondial sur la société de l’information à Tunis. L’Union européenne est impatiente de travailler avec tous les acteurs afin de garantir la mise en œuvre complète et efficace des deux étapes du processus du sommet, tant sur le fond qu’en matière de suivi.
Une série d’incidents impliquant la liberté d’expression et d’association ont été rapportés lors de la préparation et durant le sommet lui-même. La Ligue tunisienne des droits de l’homme, la plus ancienne organisation des droits de l’homme en Tunisie, a déclaré que ses activistes avaient été harcelés par la police et qu’elle avait été empêchée de fonctionner correctement. Une décision du tribunal de septembre 2005 a reporté son congrès. L’UE a dès lors adressé des protestations officielles aux autorités tunisiennes et a publié une communication rappelant aux Tunisiens les attentes de l’Union en ce qui concerne leurs responsabilités en matière de droits de l’homme."@fr8
"Mr President, I shall begin by thanking the European Parliament for proposing this timely debate on Tunisia. I would like to record our appreciation of Tunisia’s recent hosting of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society from 16 to 18 November. We welcome the summit’s agreement to the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, an important contribution to the global effort needed to bridge what is known as the digital divide.
During the summit itself, the EU Troika made representations to the Tunisian authorities following an incident at the Goethe Institute, where NGOs were prevented from meeting to discuss plans for an alternative ‘Citizens’ Summit’.
The EU is also concerned about a number of other incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, also reported during the summit. These include the disruption of the activities of a Belgian TV crew, as well as the disruption of the European Commission workshop for MEPs to meet members of civil society in the summit’s conference centre.
Tunisia’s Constitution provides for freedom of association, but within certain defined limits. The law provides for freedom of assembly, as long as a permit is obtained from the Minister of Interior. However, some NGOs experience difficulties in renting space and the control of funding. A number of associations have applied for legal status and have been refused, for example the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia. NGOs also report that Internet access is routinely blocked and e-mails addressed to certain e-mail accounts never reach the intended recipient.
During the presidential campaign of October 2004, the electoral code prohibited Tunisians from discussing politics in the international press, and opposition parties were given little opportunity to campaign. Whilst recognising that the election law safeguards female representation in parliament as well as the representation of minority views, we noted that the overall process leading to the elections did not provide a level playing field for contenders. We therefore encourage the Tunisian authorities to continue to improve the framework for elections and to take the necessary steps to ensure that the next elections fully meet international standards.
The EU is also concerned by reports from NGOs, including Amnesty International, about prison conditions in Tunisia. These reports state that overcrowding in prisons and discriminatory treatment of political prisoners continue as well as a lack of basic medical care, poor hygiene, torture and ill-treatment. We therefore welcome the fact that since June 2005 Tunisia’s authorities have allowed the International Committee of the Red Cross access to prisons.
Earlier this year, the Tunisian authorities announced their intention to allow Human Rights Watch representatives access to prisons in a similar way to that of the International Committee of the Red Cross, although no timeframe was specified. The Minister for Justice and Human Rights also announced that the practice of detaining prisoners in solitary confinement beyond 10 days, the maximum allowed under the Constitution, would cease. The EU welcomes these announcements and hopes that both undertakings will be put into practice.
I should also like to say a few words about the judiciary in Tunisia. Under its Constitution, it is independent. However, Amnesty International and others report that the authorities interfere in the judicial process. The trial in April 2005 of a lawyer and member of the National Council for Civil Liberties in Tunisia, Mohamed Abou, who wrote an article criticising Tunisia’s President Ben Ali, seems to support this contention. The Tunisian Magistrates’ Association has complained of increased intimidation by the Government after its board issued a communiqué criticising the attack on Abou. The Public Prosecutor closed the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association’s office in August. A law passed on 12 August 2005 making provision for the statute of magistrates does not take into consideration earlier calls by the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association concerning terms and conditions of service and would appear to weaken its position. We also note that despite several requests to visit, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers has yet to receive an invitation from the Tunisian Government.
The EU wishes to work with Tunisia to support the modernisation of its judiciary. The EU has provided money through MEDA to fund a project that will support this work and hopes to see progress on this. I am sure that the Commission will want to say something about this.
In conclusion, the EU welcomes the agreements reached at the World Summit on the Information Society as an important contribution to the global effort to bridge the digital divide. In terms of the EU’s relationship with Tunisia itself, we wish to see Tunisia maintain and develop its security and prosperity. We regret the serious restrictions on freedom of expression and association and the incidents which occurred prior to and during the World Summit on the Information Society.
The Council should like to assure honourable Members that the EU will continue to express its concern over specific human rights violations and to impress on the Tunisian authorities the need for full respect for human rights and democratic principles.
At the same time, it is right for us to consider more generally the issues of human rights and freedom of the press in Tunisia. The Council shares the concerns of Members of this House about the human rights situation in Tunisia and is well aware of the shortcomings in Tunisia’s performance, particularly with respect to acts of intimidation and harassment by the authorities against civil society and human rights activists. The meeting convened on Thursday, 1 December, involving MEPs, certain committees and other EU institutions involved in the summit, specifically to discuss human rights concerns in Tunisia, further highlighted the importance of these issues.
It is now time for us to look forward to the implementation by the Tunisian authorities of the commitments made by President Ben Ali on democracy, good governance and human rights set out in the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan. Implementation of these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations.
Human rights is an essential element in the EU’s relationship with Tunisia, as set out in the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement, which came into force on 1 March 1998, and the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan which came into force on 4 July this year. Under its action plan, Tunisia has signed up to commitments in the area of democracy, good governance and human rights. Implementing these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations. They include, for example, the establishment of an EU-Tunisia subcommittee on human rights. To this end we continue to urge the Tunisians to establish and hold a first session of a human rights subcommittee as soon as possible.
In addition to this, the EuroMed tenth anniversary summit on 27 and 28 November in Barcelona represented an important opportunity to help the EU’s Mediterranean partners, including Tunisia, to address the challenges of the 21st century, including in relation to good governance. At the EuroMed Summit, leaders endorsed an outcome-oriented five-year work plan. That plan included the creation of a governance facility to help those countries that make progress on good governance, allowing them access to additional funds to spend on their priorities.
Tunisia is a state party to the six core United Nations human rights treaties. Tunisia scores well on most socio-economic indexes of multilateral institutions, and social and economic rights are recognised and protected. Tunisia plays an active role within international human rights institutions and was elected to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in April 2004. Tunisia has not yet, however, signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The EU welcomes Tunisia’s record of promoting reform in the Arab world, notably on the position of women and the right to education. However, the EU remains concerned about the human rights situation in Tunisia, particularly in relation to freedom of expression and assembly and the independence of the judiciary.
This debate has raised in particular the issue of the freedom of the press in Tunisia. All books and publications, with the exception of newspapers, are still subject to censorship. Until May 2005, all newspapers had to clear articles with the Ministry of the Interior in advance of publication. Whilst this is no longer the case, we remain concerned that the fear of reprisals appears to have resulted in some self-censorship, as no newspaper offers any political criticism or opinion on domestic issues contrary to the government’s view. Access to foreign television, however, is common, as most Tunisian households have access to satellite television.
As I already made clear, the EU welcomes the agreement on the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society reached at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis. The EU looks forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure the full and effective implementation of both stages of the summit process, both on substance and on follow-up.
A number of incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly were reported in the run-up to and during the summit itself. The Tunisian Human Rights League, the oldest human rights body in Tunisia, claimed police harassment of its activists and says that it has been prevented from functioning properly. A court decision in September 2005 postponed its Congress. The EU consequently made representations to the Tunisian authorities and issued a statement reminding the Tunisians of the EU’s expectations of its human rights responsibilities."@hu11
"Signor Presidente, desidero anzi tutto ringraziare il Parlamento europeo per aver proposto questa tempestiva discussione sulla Tunisia. Vorrei esprimere il nostro apprezzamento alla Tunisia per aver ospitato il recente Vertice mondiale delle Nazioni Unite sulla società dell’informazione, tenutosi dal 16 al 18 novembre. Prendiamo atto con soddisfazione dell’Impegno di Tunisi e dell’Agenda di Tunisi per la società dell’informazione, approvati in occasione del Vertice; si tratta di un importante contributo agli sforzi necessari a livello globale per superare il divario noto con il nome di “spartiacque digitale”.
Nel corso del Vertice, la
dell’Unione ha presentato le proprie rimostranze alle autorità tunisine in merito a un incidente avvenuto presso il
dove alle organizzazioni non governative è stato impedito di riunirsi e di discutere dei programmi per un “vertice dei cittadini” alternativo.
L’Unione europea è preoccupata anche per una serie di altri incidenti riguardanti la libertà di espressione e la libertà di riunione di cui si è avuta notizia durante il Vertice e che hanno coinvolto, tra gli altri, una
televisiva belga, cui è stato vietato di svolgere il proprio lavoro, e il seminario organizzato dalla Commissione europea per consentire ai membri del Parlamento europeo di incontrare esponenti della società civile presso il centro congressi dove si teneva il Vertice.
La costituzione tunisina riconosce la libertà di associazione, però solo entro determinati limiti. La legge riconosce la libertà di riunione, però previa autorizzazione del ministero degli Interni. Alcune organizzazioni non governative incontrano difficoltà nel reperire locali in affitto e nell’avere il controllo dei finanziamenti. Alcune di esse hanno chiesto il riconoscimento di uno
giuridico, che però è stato loro negato, come nel caso del Consiglio nazionale per le libertà in Tunisia. Inoltre, le ONG lamentano che viene loro regolarmente impedito di accedere a
e che i messaggi di posta elettronica inviati a determinati indirizzi non raggiungono mai il destinatario.
Durante la campagna presidenziale dell’ottobre 2004, in base alle norme del codice elettorale è stato vietato ai tunisini di discutere di temi politici negli organi di stampa internazionali, mentre ai partiti dell’opposizione sono state concesse solo poche occasioni per farsi pubblicità. E’ vero che la legge elettorale garantisce una rappresentanza femminile in parlamento, nonché una rappresentanza delle minoranze; tuttavia abbiamo osservato che durante il periodo precedente le elezioni, complessivamente, non è stata assicurata la parità di condizioni tra i contendenti. Abbiamo pertanto incoraggiato le autorità tunisine a continuare a migliorare il quadro generale delle elezioni e ad adottare i provvedimenti necessari affinché la prossima tornata elettorale sia pienamente rispondente agli
internazionali.
L’Unione europea è preoccupata altresì per le notizie giunte da organizzazioni non governative, tra cui
sulle condizioni di vita nelle carceri tunisine. Secondo tali notizie, gli istituti di pena continuano a essere sovraffollati e i prigionieri politici a subire un trattamento discriminatorio; inoltre, ancora oggi nelle carceri manca l’assistenza medica di base, le condizioni igieniche sono insufficienti e si praticano torture e maltrattamenti. Siamo quindi lieti che, dal giugno 2005, le autorità tunisine abbiano permesso al Comitato internazionale della Croce Rossa di accedere alle prigioni.
All’inizio di quest’anno, le autorità tunisine hanno annunciato la loro intenzione di autorizzare rappresentanti di
a entrare nelle prigioni, allo stesso modo del Comitato internazionale della Croce Rossa, pur senza indicare una data in proposito, e il ministro della Giustizia e dei Diritti umani ha annunciato altresì che intende abolire la pratica di tenere prigionieri in isolamento per un periodo superiore a 10 giorni, che è il massimo previsto dalla Costituzione. L’Unione europea accoglie con favore tali pronunciamenti e si augura che sia data attuazione a entrambi.
Vorrei inoltre commentare brevemente la situazione del potere giudiziario in Tunisia. Ai sensi della costituzione nazionale, il sistema giudiziario è un potere indipendente; tuttavia, secondo
e altre organizzazioni, le autorità interferiscono nell’amministrazione della giustizia, come sembrerebbe confermare il processo intentato lo scorso aprile contro l’avvocato Mohamed Abou, membro del Consiglio nazionale delle libertà civili in Tunisia e autore di un articolo in cui criticava il Presidente tunisino Ben Ali. L’Associazione dei magistrati tunisini ha lamentato un aumento delle intimidazioni da parte del governo dopo che la sua dirigenza aveva pubblicato un comunicato in cui denunciava gli attacchi contro Abou. In agosto la sede dell’Associazione dei magistrati tunisini è stata chiusa su ordine del pubblico ministero. Una legge approvata il 12 agosto riguardante lo statuto dei magistrati non tiene conto degli inviti formulati in precedenza dall’Associazione dei magistrati sui termini e sulle condizioni di servizio, e sembra indebolirne la posizione. Rileviamo altresì che, nonostante le numerose richieste avanzate, l’Inviato speciale delle Nazioni Unite per l’indipendenza dei giudici e degli avvocati non ha ancora ricevuto dal governo tunisino un invito a visitare il paese.
L’Unione europea desidera collaborare con la Tunisia per sostenere il processo di modernizzazione del sistema giudiziario; a tal fine, l’UE ha stanziato fondi nell’ambito di MEDA per finanziare un progetto volto a promuovere questa collaborazione e auspica di poter registrare progressi al riguardo. Sono certo che la Commissione vorrà intervenire in proposito.
Concludo affermando che l’Unione europea valuta positivamente gli accordi raggiunti al Vertice mondiale sulla società dell’informazione in quanto importanti contributi allo sforzo globale mirato a superare il divario digitale. Per quanto attiene alle relazioni tra l’Unione e la Tunisia, ci auguriamo che il paese conservi e aumenti le proprie sicurezza e prosperità. Deploriamo le pesanti restrizioni alla libertà di espressione e di associazione, nonché gli incidenti accaduti prima e nel corso del Vertice mondiale sulla società dell’informazione.
Il Consiglio desidera rassicurare gli onorevoli deputati sul fatto che l’Unione continuerà a esprimere la propria preoccupazione per i casi specifici di violazione dei diritti umani e interverrà presso le autorità tunisine onde convincerle della necessità del pieno rispetto dei diritti umani e dei principi democratici.
Nel contempo è opportuno che affrontiamo in una disamina più generale le questioni del rispetto dei diritti umani e della libertà di stampa in Tunisia. Il Consiglio condivide le preoccupazioni manifestate dagli onorevoli deputati sulla situazione dei diritti umani in quel paese ed è ben consapevole degli aspetti nel comportamento della Tunisia che lasciano tuttora a desiderare; penso, in particolare, alle intimidazioni e alle violenze compiute dalle autorità contro esponenti della società civile e attivisti dei diritti umani. Durante l’incontro di giovedì 1° dicembre, al quale hanno partecipato deputati al Parlamento europeo nonché rappresentanti di alcune commissioni parlamentari e di altre Istituzioni dell’Unione che avevano preso parte al Vertice, si è discusso specificamente delle preoccupazioni per lo stato dei diritti umani in Tunisia ed è stata nuovamente sottolineata l’importanza di tali questioni.
E’ giunto il momento che verifichiamo l’adempimento da parte delle autorità tunisine degli impegni assunti dal Presidente Ben Ali in merito alla democrazia, al buon governo e ai diritti umani, come stabilito nel piano d’azione della politica europea di vicinato. L’adempimento di quegli impegni costituirà un elemento fondamentale nello sviluppo delle relazioni UE-Tunisia
Il rispetto dei diritti umani costituisce un elemento fondamentale nei rapporti tra l’Unione europea e la Tunisia, come stabilito dall’accordo di associazione UE-Tunisia, entrato in vigore il 1o marzo 1998, e dal piano d’azione della politica europea di vicinato, entrato in vigore il 4 luglio scorso. Nell’ambito del piano d’azione, la Tunisia ha assunto impegni nei settori della democrazia, del buon governo e dei diritti umani. L’attuazione concreta di tali impegni sarà un fattore essenziale per lo sviluppo delle relazioni tra l’Unione e la Tunisia, nel cui ambito è prevista, ad esempio, l’istituzione di un sottocomitato UE-Tunisia per i diritti umani. A tal fine continuiamo a insistere presso le autorità tunisine affinché insedino e convochino quanto prima un sottocomitato per i diritti umani.
Occorre inoltre ricordare che il Vertice svoltosi in occasione del decimo anniversario di Euromed il 27 e 28 novembre a Barcellona ha offerto un’importante opportunità per aiutare i
mediterranei dell’Unione, tra cui la Tunisia, ad affrontare le sfide poste dal XXI secolo, anche in riferimento alla tematica della
. I
partecipanti al Vertice Euromed hanno approvato un programma di lavoro quinquennale mirato al risultato, che comprende la creazione di uno strumento di
volto ad aiutare i paesi che compiono progressi in questo campo permettendo loro di beneficiare di ulteriori aiuti finanziari da destinare alle rispettive priorità.
La Tunisia è uno stato facente parte delle sei convenzioni fondamentali delle Nazioni Unite sui diritti umani e può vantare buoni risultati per quanto attiene alla maggior parte degli indici socioeconomici delle istituzioni multilaterali; inoltre, riconosce e tutela i diritti sociali ed economici. La Tunisia svolge un ruolo attivo all’interno delle istituzioni internazionali sui diritti umani e nell’aprile 2004 è stata chiamata a far parte della Commissione delle Nazioni Unite per i diritti umani. Tuttavia, non ha ancora sottoscritto lo Statuto di Roma del Tribunale penale internazionale.
L’Unione europea accoglie con favore le azioni positive compiute dalla Tunisia per promuovere riforme nel mondo arabo, con particolare riguardo alla condizione femminile e al diritto all’istruzione. Tuttavia, l’Unione continua a nutrire preoccupazioni per la situazione dei diritti umani in Tunisia, specialmente in riferimento alla libertà di espressione e di riunione e all’indipendenza del potere giudiziario.
Durante questa discussione è stata sollevata nello specifico la questione della libertà di stampa in Tunisia. Tutti i libri e le pubblicazioni, tranne i quotidiani, sono tuttora soggetti alla censura. Fino al maggio 2005, tutti i giornali dovevano sottoporre i propri articoli al ministero degli Interni prima di poterli pubblicare. Sebbene tale obbligo non sia più in vigore, siamo preoccupati per il fatto che il timore di rappresaglie sembra aver causato una sorta di auto-censura, dato che nessun giornale pubblica articoli su questioni di politica interna in cui si esprimano critiche o opinioni politiche contrarie alle posizioni governative. Per contro, è diffusa la visione di programmi di reti televisive straniere; infatti, la maggior parte delle famiglie tunisine ha accesso alle televisioni via satellite.
Come ho già chiarito, l’Unione europea accoglie con favore l’accordo relativo all’Impegno di Tunisi e all’Agenda di Tunisi per la società dell’informazione raggiunto durante il Vertice mondiale sulla società dell’informazione, ed è nostra intenzione collaborare con tutte le parti interessate per garantire una piena ed effettiva attuazione di entrambi i livelli previsti dal processo messo in moto al Vertice, sia in termini sostanziali che in sede di
.
Abbiamo avuto notizia di alcuni episodi riguardanti la libertà di espressione e la libertà di riunione avvenuti prima e nel corso del Vertice. La Lega tunisina per i diritti umani, che è la più vecchia tra le associazioni per i diritti umani della Tunisia, ha denunciato che i suoi attivisti hanno subito maltrattamenti da parte della polizia e afferma che le è stato impedito di svolgere pienamente la propria attività. Il congresso della Lega tunisina è stato rinviato in forza di una sentenza emessa nel settembre 2005; a seguito di ciò, l’Unione europea ha protestato presso le autorità tunisine e rilasciato una dichiarazione in cui ricorda a queste ultime che si aspetta che tengano fede alle loro responsabilità in materia di diritti umani."@it12
"Mr President, I shall begin by thanking the European Parliament for proposing this timely debate on Tunisia. I would like to record our appreciation of Tunisia’s recent hosting of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society from 16 to 18 November. We welcome the summit’s agreement to the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, an important contribution to the global effort needed to bridge what is known as the digital divide.
During the summit itself, the EU Troika made representations to the Tunisian authorities following an incident at the Goethe Institute, where NGOs were prevented from meeting to discuss plans for an alternative ‘Citizens’ Summit’.
The EU is also concerned about a number of other incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, also reported during the summit. These include the disruption of the activities of a Belgian TV crew, as well as the disruption of the European Commission workshop for MEPs to meet members of civil society in the summit’s conference centre.
Tunisia’s Constitution provides for freedom of association, but within certain defined limits. The law provides for freedom of assembly, as long as a permit is obtained from the Minister of Interior. However, some NGOs experience difficulties in renting space and the control of funding. A number of associations have applied for legal status and have been refused, for example the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia. NGOs also report that Internet access is routinely blocked and e-mails addressed to certain e-mail accounts never reach the intended recipient.
During the presidential campaign of October 2004, the electoral code prohibited Tunisians from discussing politics in the international press, and opposition parties were given little opportunity to campaign. Whilst recognising that the election law safeguards female representation in parliament as well as the representation of minority views, we noted that the overall process leading to the elections did not provide a level playing field for contenders. We therefore encourage the Tunisian authorities to continue to improve the framework for elections and to take the necessary steps to ensure that the next elections fully meet international standards.
The EU is also concerned by reports from NGOs, including Amnesty International, about prison conditions in Tunisia. These reports state that overcrowding in prisons and discriminatory treatment of political prisoners continue as well as a lack of basic medical care, poor hygiene, torture and ill-treatment. We therefore welcome the fact that since June 2005 Tunisia’s authorities have allowed the International Committee of the Red Cross access to prisons.
Earlier this year, the Tunisian authorities announced their intention to allow Human Rights Watch representatives access to prisons in a similar way to that of the International Committee of the Red Cross, although no timeframe was specified. The Minister for Justice and Human Rights also announced that the practice of detaining prisoners in solitary confinement beyond 10 days, the maximum allowed under the Constitution, would cease. The EU welcomes these announcements and hopes that both undertakings will be put into practice.
I should also like to say a few words about the judiciary in Tunisia. Under its Constitution, it is independent. However, Amnesty International and others report that the authorities interfere in the judicial process. The trial in April 2005 of a lawyer and member of the National Council for Civil Liberties in Tunisia, Mohamed Abou, who wrote an article criticising Tunisia’s President Ben Ali, seems to support this contention. The Tunisian Magistrates’ Association has complained of increased intimidation by the Government after its board issued a communiqué criticising the attack on Abou. The Public Prosecutor closed the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association’s office in August. A law passed on 12 August 2005 making provision for the statute of magistrates does not take into consideration earlier calls by the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association concerning terms and conditions of service and would appear to weaken its position. We also note that despite several requests to visit, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers has yet to receive an invitation from the Tunisian Government.
The EU wishes to work with Tunisia to support the modernisation of its judiciary. The EU has provided money through MEDA to fund a project that will support this work and hopes to see progress on this. I am sure that the Commission will want to say something about this.
In conclusion, the EU welcomes the agreements reached at the World Summit on the Information Society as an important contribution to the global effort to bridge the digital divide. In terms of the EU’s relationship with Tunisia itself, we wish to see Tunisia maintain and develop its security and prosperity. We regret the serious restrictions on freedom of expression and association and the incidents which occurred prior to and during the World Summit on the Information Society.
The Council should like to assure honourable Members that the EU will continue to express its concern over specific human rights violations and to impress on the Tunisian authorities the need for full respect for human rights and democratic principles.
At the same time, it is right for us to consider more generally the issues of human rights and freedom of the press in Tunisia. The Council shares the concerns of Members of this House about the human rights situation in Tunisia and is well aware of the shortcomings in Tunisia’s performance, particularly with respect to acts of intimidation and harassment by the authorities against civil society and human rights activists. The meeting convened on Thursday, 1 December, involving MEPs, certain committees and other EU institutions involved in the summit, specifically to discuss human rights concerns in Tunisia, further highlighted the importance of these issues.
It is now time for us to look forward to the implementation by the Tunisian authorities of the commitments made by President Ben Ali on democracy, good governance and human rights set out in the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan. Implementation of these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations.
Human rights is an essential element in the EU’s relationship with Tunisia, as set out in the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement, which came into force on 1 March 1998, and the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan which came into force on 4 July this year. Under its action plan, Tunisia has signed up to commitments in the area of democracy, good governance and human rights. Implementing these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations. They include, for example, the establishment of an EU-Tunisia subcommittee on human rights. To this end we continue to urge the Tunisians to establish and hold a first session of a human rights subcommittee as soon as possible.
In addition to this, the EuroMed tenth anniversary summit on 27 and 28 November in Barcelona represented an important opportunity to help the EU’s Mediterranean partners, including Tunisia, to address the challenges of the 21st century, including in relation to good governance. At the EuroMed Summit, leaders endorsed an outcome-oriented five-year work plan. That plan included the creation of a governance facility to help those countries that make progress on good governance, allowing them access to additional funds to spend on their priorities.
Tunisia is a state party to the six core United Nations human rights treaties. Tunisia scores well on most socio-economic indexes of multilateral institutions, and social and economic rights are recognised and protected. Tunisia plays an active role within international human rights institutions and was elected to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in April 2004. Tunisia has not yet, however, signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The EU welcomes Tunisia’s record of promoting reform in the Arab world, notably on the position of women and the right to education. However, the EU remains concerned about the human rights situation in Tunisia, particularly in relation to freedom of expression and assembly and the independence of the judiciary.
This debate has raised in particular the issue of the freedom of the press in Tunisia. All books and publications, with the exception of newspapers, are still subject to censorship. Until May 2005, all newspapers had to clear articles with the Ministry of the Interior in advance of publication. Whilst this is no longer the case, we remain concerned that the fear of reprisals appears to have resulted in some self-censorship, as no newspaper offers any political criticism or opinion on domestic issues contrary to the government’s view. Access to foreign television, however, is common, as most Tunisian households have access to satellite television.
As I already made clear, the EU welcomes the agreement on the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society reached at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis. The EU looks forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure the full and effective implementation of both stages of the summit process, both on substance and on follow-up.
A number of incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly were reported in the run-up to and during the summit itself. The Tunisian Human Rights League, the oldest human rights body in Tunisia, claimed police harassment of its activists and says that it has been prevented from functioning properly. A court decision in September 2005 postponed its Congress. The EU consequently made representations to the Tunisian authorities and issued a statement reminding the Tunisians of the EU’s expectations of its human rights responsibilities."@lt14
"Mr President, I shall begin by thanking the European Parliament for proposing this timely debate on Tunisia. I would like to record our appreciation of Tunisia’s recent hosting of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society from 16 to 18 November. We welcome the summit’s agreement to the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, an important contribution to the global effort needed to bridge what is known as the digital divide.
During the summit itself, the EU Troika made representations to the Tunisian authorities following an incident at the Goethe Institute, where NGOs were prevented from meeting to discuss plans for an alternative ‘Citizens’ Summit’.
The EU is also concerned about a number of other incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, also reported during the summit. These include the disruption of the activities of a Belgian TV crew, as well as the disruption of the European Commission workshop for MEPs to meet members of civil society in the summit’s conference centre.
Tunisia’s Constitution provides for freedom of association, but within certain defined limits. The law provides for freedom of assembly, as long as a permit is obtained from the Minister of Interior. However, some NGOs experience difficulties in renting space and the control of funding. A number of associations have applied for legal status and have been refused, for example the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia. NGOs also report that Internet access is routinely blocked and e-mails addressed to certain e-mail accounts never reach the intended recipient.
During the presidential campaign of October 2004, the electoral code prohibited Tunisians from discussing politics in the international press, and opposition parties were given little opportunity to campaign. Whilst recognising that the election law safeguards female representation in parliament as well as the representation of minority views, we noted that the overall process leading to the elections did not provide a level playing field for contenders. We therefore encourage the Tunisian authorities to continue to improve the framework for elections and to take the necessary steps to ensure that the next elections fully meet international standards.
The EU is also concerned by reports from NGOs, including Amnesty International, about prison conditions in Tunisia. These reports state that overcrowding in prisons and discriminatory treatment of political prisoners continue as well as a lack of basic medical care, poor hygiene, torture and ill-treatment. We therefore welcome the fact that since June 2005 Tunisia’s authorities have allowed the International Committee of the Red Cross access to prisons.
Earlier this year, the Tunisian authorities announced their intention to allow Human Rights Watch representatives access to prisons in a similar way to that of the International Committee of the Red Cross, although no timeframe was specified. The Minister for Justice and Human Rights also announced that the practice of detaining prisoners in solitary confinement beyond 10 days, the maximum allowed under the Constitution, would cease. The EU welcomes these announcements and hopes that both undertakings will be put into practice.
I should also like to say a few words about the judiciary in Tunisia. Under its Constitution, it is independent. However, Amnesty International and others report that the authorities interfere in the judicial process. The trial in April 2005 of a lawyer and member of the National Council for Civil Liberties in Tunisia, Mohamed Abou, who wrote an article criticising Tunisia’s President Ben Ali, seems to support this contention. The Tunisian Magistrates’ Association has complained of increased intimidation by the Government after its board issued a communiqué criticising the attack on Abou. The Public Prosecutor closed the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association’s office in August. A law passed on 12 August 2005 making provision for the statute of magistrates does not take into consideration earlier calls by the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association concerning terms and conditions of service and would appear to weaken its position. We also note that despite several requests to visit, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers has yet to receive an invitation from the Tunisian Government.
The EU wishes to work with Tunisia to support the modernisation of its judiciary. The EU has provided money through MEDA to fund a project that will support this work and hopes to see progress on this. I am sure that the Commission will want to say something about this.
In conclusion, the EU welcomes the agreements reached at the World Summit on the Information Society as an important contribution to the global effort to bridge the digital divide. In terms of the EU’s relationship with Tunisia itself, we wish to see Tunisia maintain and develop its security and prosperity. We regret the serious restrictions on freedom of expression and association and the incidents which occurred prior to and during the World Summit on the Information Society.
The Council should like to assure honourable Members that the EU will continue to express its concern over specific human rights violations and to impress on the Tunisian authorities the need for full respect for human rights and democratic principles.
At the same time, it is right for us to consider more generally the issues of human rights and freedom of the press in Tunisia. The Council shares the concerns of Members of this House about the human rights situation in Tunisia and is well aware of the shortcomings in Tunisia’s performance, particularly with respect to acts of intimidation and harassment by the authorities against civil society and human rights activists. The meeting convened on Thursday, 1 December, involving MEPs, certain committees and other EU institutions involved in the summit, specifically to discuss human rights concerns in Tunisia, further highlighted the importance of these issues.
It is now time for us to look forward to the implementation by the Tunisian authorities of the commitments made by President Ben Ali on democracy, good governance and human rights set out in the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan. Implementation of these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations.
Human rights is an essential element in the EU’s relationship with Tunisia, as set out in the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement, which came into force on 1 March 1998, and the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan which came into force on 4 July this year. Under its action plan, Tunisia has signed up to commitments in the area of democracy, good governance and human rights. Implementing these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations. They include, for example, the establishment of an EU-Tunisia subcommittee on human rights. To this end we continue to urge the Tunisians to establish and hold a first session of a human rights subcommittee as soon as possible.
In addition to this, the EuroMed tenth anniversary summit on 27 and 28 November in Barcelona represented an important opportunity to help the EU’s Mediterranean partners, including Tunisia, to address the challenges of the 21st century, including in relation to good governance. At the EuroMed Summit, leaders endorsed an outcome-oriented five-year work plan. That plan included the creation of a governance facility to help those countries that make progress on good governance, allowing them access to additional funds to spend on their priorities.
Tunisia is a state party to the six core United Nations human rights treaties. Tunisia scores well on most socio-economic indexes of multilateral institutions, and social and economic rights are recognised and protected. Tunisia plays an active role within international human rights institutions and was elected to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in April 2004. Tunisia has not yet, however, signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The EU welcomes Tunisia’s record of promoting reform in the Arab world, notably on the position of women and the right to education. However, the EU remains concerned about the human rights situation in Tunisia, particularly in relation to freedom of expression and assembly and the independence of the judiciary.
This debate has raised in particular the issue of the freedom of the press in Tunisia. All books and publications, with the exception of newspapers, are still subject to censorship. Until May 2005, all newspapers had to clear articles with the Ministry of the Interior in advance of publication. Whilst this is no longer the case, we remain concerned that the fear of reprisals appears to have resulted in some self-censorship, as no newspaper offers any political criticism or opinion on domestic issues contrary to the government’s view. Access to foreign television, however, is common, as most Tunisian households have access to satellite television.
As I already made clear, the EU welcomes the agreement on the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society reached at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis. The EU looks forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure the full and effective implementation of both stages of the summit process, both on substance and on follow-up.
A number of incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly were reported in the run-up to and during the summit itself. The Tunisian Human Rights League, the oldest human rights body in Tunisia, claimed police harassment of its activists and says that it has been prevented from functioning properly. A court decision in September 2005 postponed its Congress. The EU consequently made representations to the Tunisian authorities and issued a statement reminding the Tunisians of the EU’s expectations of its human rights responsibilities."@lv13
"Mr President, I shall begin by thanking the European Parliament for proposing this timely debate on Tunisia. I would like to record our appreciation of Tunisia’s recent hosting of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society from 16 to 18 November. We welcome the summit’s agreement to the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, an important contribution to the global effort needed to bridge what is known as the digital divide.
During the summit itself, the EU Troika made representations to the Tunisian authorities following an incident at the Goethe Institute, where NGOs were prevented from meeting to discuss plans for an alternative ‘Citizens’ Summit’.
The EU is also concerned about a number of other incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, also reported during the summit. These include the disruption of the activities of a Belgian TV crew, as well as the disruption of the European Commission workshop for MEPs to meet members of civil society in the summit’s conference centre.
Tunisia’s Constitution provides for freedom of association, but within certain defined limits. The law provides for freedom of assembly, as long as a permit is obtained from the Minister of Interior. However, some NGOs experience difficulties in renting space and the control of funding. A number of associations have applied for legal status and have been refused, for example the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia. NGOs also report that Internet access is routinely blocked and e-mails addressed to certain e-mail accounts never reach the intended recipient.
During the presidential campaign of October 2004, the electoral code prohibited Tunisians from discussing politics in the international press, and opposition parties were given little opportunity to campaign. Whilst recognising that the election law safeguards female representation in parliament as well as the representation of minority views, we noted that the overall process leading to the elections did not provide a level playing field for contenders. We therefore encourage the Tunisian authorities to continue to improve the framework for elections and to take the necessary steps to ensure that the next elections fully meet international standards.
The EU is also concerned by reports from NGOs, including Amnesty International, about prison conditions in Tunisia. These reports state that overcrowding in prisons and discriminatory treatment of political prisoners continue as well as a lack of basic medical care, poor hygiene, torture and ill-treatment. We therefore welcome the fact that since June 2005 Tunisia’s authorities have allowed the International Committee of the Red Cross access to prisons.
Earlier this year, the Tunisian authorities announced their intention to allow Human Rights Watch representatives access to prisons in a similar way to that of the International Committee of the Red Cross, although no timeframe was specified. The Minister for Justice and Human Rights also announced that the practice of detaining prisoners in solitary confinement beyond 10 days, the maximum allowed under the Constitution, would cease. The EU welcomes these announcements and hopes that both undertakings will be put into practice.
I should also like to say a few words about the judiciary in Tunisia. Under its Constitution, it is independent. However, Amnesty International and others report that the authorities interfere in the judicial process. The trial in April 2005 of a lawyer and member of the National Council for Civil Liberties in Tunisia, Mohamed Abou, who wrote an article criticising Tunisia’s President Ben Ali, seems to support this contention. The Tunisian Magistrates’ Association has complained of increased intimidation by the Government after its board issued a communiqué criticising the attack on Abou. The Public Prosecutor closed the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association’s office in August. A law passed on 12 August 2005 making provision for the statute of magistrates does not take into consideration earlier calls by the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association concerning terms and conditions of service and would appear to weaken its position. We also note that despite several requests to visit, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers has yet to receive an invitation from the Tunisian Government.
The EU wishes to work with Tunisia to support the modernisation of its judiciary. The EU has provided money through MEDA to fund a project that will support this work and hopes to see progress on this. I am sure that the Commission will want to say something about this.
In conclusion, the EU welcomes the agreements reached at the World Summit on the Information Society as an important contribution to the global effort to bridge the digital divide. In terms of the EU’s relationship with Tunisia itself, we wish to see Tunisia maintain and develop its security and prosperity. We regret the serious restrictions on freedom of expression and association and the incidents which occurred prior to and during the World Summit on the Information Society.
The Council should like to assure honourable Members that the EU will continue to express its concern over specific human rights violations and to impress on the Tunisian authorities the need for full respect for human rights and democratic principles.
At the same time, it is right for us to consider more generally the issues of human rights and freedom of the press in Tunisia. The Council shares the concerns of Members of this House about the human rights situation in Tunisia and is well aware of the shortcomings in Tunisia’s performance, particularly with respect to acts of intimidation and harassment by the authorities against civil society and human rights activists. The meeting convened on Thursday, 1 December, involving MEPs, certain committees and other EU institutions involved in the summit, specifically to discuss human rights concerns in Tunisia, further highlighted the importance of these issues.
It is now time for us to look forward to the implementation by the Tunisian authorities of the commitments made by President Ben Ali on democracy, good governance and human rights set out in the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan. Implementation of these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations.
Human rights is an essential element in the EU’s relationship with Tunisia, as set out in the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement, which came into force on 1 March 1998, and the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan which came into force on 4 July this year. Under its action plan, Tunisia has signed up to commitments in the area of democracy, good governance and human rights. Implementing these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations. They include, for example, the establishment of an EU-Tunisia subcommittee on human rights. To this end we continue to urge the Tunisians to establish and hold a first session of a human rights subcommittee as soon as possible.
In addition to this, the EuroMed tenth anniversary summit on 27 and 28 November in Barcelona represented an important opportunity to help the EU’s Mediterranean partners, including Tunisia, to address the challenges of the 21st century, including in relation to good governance. At the EuroMed Summit, leaders endorsed an outcome-oriented five-year work plan. That plan included the creation of a governance facility to help those countries that make progress on good governance, allowing them access to additional funds to spend on their priorities.
Tunisia is a state party to the six core United Nations human rights treaties. Tunisia scores well on most socio-economic indexes of multilateral institutions, and social and economic rights are recognised and protected. Tunisia plays an active role within international human rights institutions and was elected to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in April 2004. Tunisia has not yet, however, signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The EU welcomes Tunisia’s record of promoting reform in the Arab world, notably on the position of women and the right to education. However, the EU remains concerned about the human rights situation in Tunisia, particularly in relation to freedom of expression and assembly and the independence of the judiciary.
This debate has raised in particular the issue of the freedom of the press in Tunisia. All books and publications, with the exception of newspapers, are still subject to censorship. Until May 2005, all newspapers had to clear articles with the Ministry of the Interior in advance of publication. Whilst this is no longer the case, we remain concerned that the fear of reprisals appears to have resulted in some self-censorship, as no newspaper offers any political criticism or opinion on domestic issues contrary to the government’s view. Access to foreign television, however, is common, as most Tunisian households have access to satellite television.
As I already made clear, the EU welcomes the agreement on the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society reached at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis. The EU looks forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure the full and effective implementation of both stages of the summit process, both on substance and on follow-up.
A number of incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly were reported in the run-up to and during the summit itself. The Tunisian Human Rights League, the oldest human rights body in Tunisia, claimed police harassment of its activists and says that it has been prevented from functioning properly. A court decision in September 2005 postponed its Congress. The EU consequently made representations to the Tunisian authorities and issued a statement reminding the Tunisians of the EU’s expectations of its human rights responsibilities."@mt15
".
Mijnheer de Voorzitter, ik begin met het Europees Parlement te bedanken voor het feit dat het dit gelegen komende debat over Tunesië heeft voorgesteld. Ik wil laten optekenen dat wij het waarderen dat Tunesië onlangs van 16 tot 18 november gastheer is geweest van de VN-wereldtop over de informatiemaatschappij. We zijn blij met de instemming van de top met de Politieke Verklaring van Tunis en de Agenda van Tunis voor de informatiemaatschappij, een belangrijke bijdrage aan de mondiale inspanning die nodig is om de zogenoemde digitale kloof te overbruggen.
Tijdens de top zelf heeft de EU-trojka bij de Tunesische autoriteiten protest aangetekend na een incident bij het Goethe Instituut, waar NGO's niet bijeen mochten komen om plannen voor een alternatieve "burgertop" te bespreken.
De EU maakt zich ook zorgen over een aantal andere incidenten die te maken hebben met de vrijheid van meningsuiting en de vrijheid van vergadering, en die ook tijdens de top zijn gemeld. Het gaat onder meer om de verstoring van de activiteiten van een Belgische televisieploeg, en de verstoring van de workshop van de Europese Commissie voor leden van het Europees Parlement om in het conferentiecentrum van de top leden van het maatschappelijk middenveld te ontmoeten.
De grondwet van Tunesië voorziet in vrijheid van vereniging, maar binnen bepaalde vastgestelde grenzen. De wet voorziet in de vrijheid van vergadering, mits een vergunning is verleend door de minister van Binnenlandse Zaken. Sommige NGO's ondervinden echter problemen in verband met het huren van vergaderruimte en de controle op hun financiering. Een aantal verenigingen, zoals de Nationale Raad voor de vrijheden in Tunesië, heeft de wettelijke status aangevraagd, die vervolgens is geweigerd. NGO's melden ook dat de toegang tot internet routinematig wordt geblokkeerd, en dat e-mails die naar bepaalde e-mailadressen worden gezonden, de geadresseerden nooit bereiken.
De kieswet verbood de Tunesiërs om tijdens de campagne voor de presidentsverkiezingen van oktober 2004 in de internationale pers over politiek te discussiëren, en de oppositiepartijen kregen weinig gelegenheid om campagne te voeren. We erkennen dat de kieswet de vertegenwoordiging van vrouwen in het parlement en de vertegenwoordiging van minderheidsstandpunten waarborgt, maar we hebben ook geconstateerd dat het algemene proces in aanloop naar de verkiezingen, de kandidaten geen
bood. We moedigen de Tunesische autoriteiten daarom aan om het kader voor verkiezingen verder te verbeteren, en de noodzakelijke stappen te zetten om te waarborgen dat de volgende verkiezingen helemaal voldoen aan de internationale normen.
De EU is ook verontrust over berichten van NGO's, waaronder Amnesty International, over de omstandigheden in de gevangenissen in Tunesië. Deze berichten stellen dat de overbevolking in de gevangenissen en de discriminerende behandeling van politieke gevangenen blijven voortduren, net als het gebrek aan elementaire medische zorg, de slechte hygiëne, het martelen en mishandelen. We zijn daarom blij dat de Tunesische autoriteiten het Internationaal Comité van het Rode Kruis sinds juni 2005 toegang tot de gevangenissen geeft.
Eerder dit jaar hebben de Tunesische autoriteiten bekendgemaakt van plan te zijn om vertegenwoordigers van Human Rights Watch toegang tot de gevangenissen te geven, op een vergelijkbare manier als aan het Internationaal Comité van het Rode Kruis wordt gegeven, al is er geen tijdpad aangegeven. De minister van Justitie en Mensenrechten heeft ook bekendgemaakt dat de praktijk om gevangenen langer dan tien dagen in eenzame opsluiting te plaatsen, het maximum dat volgens de grondwet is toegestaan, zal worden beëindigd. De EU is blij met deze aankondigingen en hoopt dat beide beloften in de praktijk zullen worden gebracht.
Ik wil ook graag een paar woorden zeggen over de rechterlijke macht in Tunesië. Volgens zijn grondwet is de rechterlijke macht onafhankelijk. Amnesty International en anderen melden echter dat de autoriteiten zich bemoeien met de rechtsgang. Het proces in april 2005 tegen Mohamed Abou, een advocaat en lid van de Nationale Raad voor de vrijheden in Tunesië, die een artikel heeft geschreven waarin president Ben Ali van Tunesië werd bekritiseerd, lijkt deze bewering te bevestigen. De Vereniging van Tunesische Magistraten heeft geklaagd over toegenomen intimidatie door de regering nadat het bestuur van de vereniging een communiqué had uitgegeven waarin de aanval op Abou werd bekritiseerd. De openbaar aanklager heeft in augustus het kantoor van de Vereniging van Tunesische Magistraten gesloten. In een wet die op 12 augustus 2005 is aangenomen, en waarin het rechterlijk statuut wordt geregeld, wordt geen rekening gehouden met eerdere oproepen van de Vereniging van Tunesische Magistraten met betrekking tot de arbeidsvoorwaarden van het ambt, en lijkt de positie van de verenging te verzwakken. We constateren ook dat de speciale rapporteur van de Verenigde Naties voor de onafhankelijkheid van rechters en advocaten, ondanks meerdere verzoeken om een bezoek te mogen afleggen, nog steeds wacht op een uitnodiging van de Tunesische regering.
De EU wil samen met Tunesië werken aan de modernisering van de rechterlijke macht van Tunesië. De EU heeft via MEDA geld verstrekt voor de financiering van een project dat dit werk zal ondersteunen, en zij hoopt vooruitgang op dit punt te zien. Ik ben er zeker van dat de Commissie hierover iets zal willen zeggen.
Samengevat, verheugt de EU zich over de overeenstemming die op de wereldtop over de informatiemaatschappij is bereikt en beschouwt zij deze als een belangrijke bijdrage aan de wereldwijde inspanning om de digitale kloof te overbruggen. Wat betreft de relatie van de EU met Tunesië zelf, zouden we graag zien dat Tunesië zijn veiligheid en welvaart behoudt en zich verder ontwikkelt. We betreuren de ernstige beperkingen van de vrijheid van meningsuiting en de vrijheid van vereniging, alsook de incidenten die voorafgaand aan en tijdens de wereldtop over de informatiemaatschappij hebben plaatsgevonden.
De Raad wil de leden van het Parlement verzekeren dat de EU haar bezorgdheid over specifieke schendingen van de mensenrechten zal blijven uiten, en dat zij de Tunesische autoriteiten zal blijven wijzen op de noodzaak de mensenrechten en democratische beginselen volledig te respecteren.
Tegelijkertijd is het goed als we meer in het algemeen nadenken over de mensenrechten en de persvrijheid in Tunesië. De Raad deelt de bezorgdheid van leden van dit Parlement over de mensenrechtensituatie in Tunesië en is zich terdege bewust van de tekortkomingen in de prestaties van Tunesië, in het bijzonder met betrekking tot de intimidatie en pesterijen van de autoriteiten, gericht tegen het maatschappelijk middenveld en tegen mensenrechtenactivisten. Op donderdag 1 december is een vergadering gehouden, speciaal om de bezorgdheid over de mensenrechten in Tunesië te bespreken, waarbij leden van het Europees Parlement waren betrokken, alsook bepaalde commissies en andere instellingen van de EU die bij de top betrokken waren. Met deze vergadering is het belang van deze kwesties verder benadrukt.
Het is nu tijd om vooruit kijken naar de tenuitvoerlegging door de Tunesische autoriteiten van de toezeggingen die president Ben Ali heeft gedaan op het gebied van de democratie, goed bestuur en mensenrechten, zoals geformuleerd in het actieplan inzake het Europees nabuurschapsbeleid. De tenuitvoerlegging van deze toezeggingen zal een essentieel element zijn in de ontwikkeling van de betrekkingen tussen de EU en Tunesië.
De mensenrechten zijn een essentieel element in de betrekkingen van de EU met Tunesië, zoals is geformuleerd in de associatieovereenkomst tussen de EU en Tunesië, die op 1 maart 1998 in werking is getreden, en het actieplan inzake het Europees nabuurschapsbeleid, dat op 4 juli van dit jaar in werking is getreden. Krachtens dit actieplan heeft Tunesië toezeggingen gedaan op het gebied van de democratie, behoorlijk bestuur en de mensenrechten. De tenuitvoerlegging van deze toezeggingen zal een essentieel element zijn in de ontwikkeling van de betrekkingen tussen de EU en Tunesië. Deze toezeggingen betreffen bijvoorbeeld de oprichting van een subcomité voor de mensenrechten EU-Tunesië. Daarom blijven we er bij de Tunesiërs op aandringen om zo snel mogelijk een subcomité voor de mensenrechten op te richten en een eerste vergadering te beleggen.
Daarnaast was de tiende jaarlijkse top van EuroMed op 27 en 28 november in Barcelona een belangrijke kans om de partners van de EU in het Middellandse-Zeegebied, met inbegrip van Tunesië, te helpen om de uitdagingen van de eenentwintigste eeuw aan te gaan, waaronder de uitdagingen op het gebied van goed bestuur. Op de EuroMed-top hebben de leiders een resultaatgericht vijfjaarlijks werkplan goedgekeurd. Dat plan omvat de instelling van een bestuursfaciliteit om de landen die vorderingen maken ten aanzien van goed bestuur te helpen, door ze toegang te geven tot aanvullende middelen, die ze aan hun eigen prioriteiten kunnen besteden.
Tunesië is als staat partij bij de zes kernverdragen van de Verenigde Naties over de mensenrechten. Tunesië scoort goed op de meeste sociaal-economische indexen van multilaterale instellingen, en de sociale en economische rechten worden er erkend en beschermd. Tunesië speelt een actieve rol in internationale mensenrechteninstellingen en is in april 2004 gekozen in de VN-Commissie voor de rechten van de mens. Tunesië heeft echter het Statuut van Rome van het Internationaal Strafhof nog niet ondertekend.
De EU is blij met de staat van dienst van Tunesië met betrekking tot het bevorderen van hervormingen in de Arabische wereld, de positie van vrouwen en het recht op onderwijs. De EU blijft echter bezorgd over de mensenrechtensituatie in Tunesië, vooral over de vrijheid van meningsuiting, de vrijheid van vergadering en de onafhankelijkheid van de rechterlijke macht.
In dit debat wordt met name de kwestie van de persvrijheid in Tunesië onder de loep genomen. Alle boeken en publicaties, met uitzondering van kranten, zijn nog steeds gecensureerd. Tot mei 2005 moesten alle kranten hun artikelen door het ministerie van Binnenlandse Zaken laten goedkeuren voordat ze mochten worden gepubliceerd. Dit is niet langer het geval, maar we blijven bezorgd over het feit dat de angst voor represailles tot een zekere mate van zelfcensuur lijkt te hebben geleid. Geen enkele krant uit namelijk politieke kritiek of politieke standpunten over binnenlandse aangelegenheden die botsen met het regeringsstandpunt. Er is echter algemeen toegang tot buitenlandse televisie, want de meeste Tunesische huishoudens hebben toegang tot satelliettelevisie.
Zoals ik al heb uitgelegd, verheugt de EU zich over de overeenstemming over de Politieke Verklaring van Tunis en de Agenda van Tunis voor de informatiemaatschappij die tijdens de wereldtop over de informatiemaatschappij in Tunis is bereikt. De EU kijkt ernaar uit om met alle belanghebbenden te werken aan de volledige en effectieve tenuitvoerlegging van beide fasen van het proces van de top, zowel wat betreft de inhoud als wat betreft de follow-up.
In de aanloop naar en tijdens de top zelf zijn enkele incidenten gemeld die te maken hadden met de vrijheid van meningsuiting en de vrijheid van vergadering. De Tunesische Liga voor de verdediging van de mensenrechten, de oudste mensenrechtenorganisatie in Tunesië, heeft beweerd dat haar activisten door de politie zijn lastiggevallen, en zegt dat de Liga is gehinderd in haar functioneren. Haar congres is in september 2005 op last van de rechter opgeschort. De EU heeft daarop bij de Tunesische autoriteiten protest aangetekend en heeft een verklaring doen uitgaan waarin de Tunesiërs werden herinnerd aan de verwachtingen die de EU heeft van Tunesië op het vlak van zijn verantwoordelijkheden ten aanzien van de mensenrechten."@nl3
"Mr President, I shall begin by thanking the European Parliament for proposing this timely debate on Tunisia. I would like to record our appreciation of Tunisia’s recent hosting of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society from 16 to 18 November. We welcome the summit’s agreement to the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, an important contribution to the global effort needed to bridge what is known as the digital divide.
During the summit itself, the EU Troika made representations to the Tunisian authorities following an incident at the Goethe Institute, where NGOs were prevented from meeting to discuss plans for an alternative ‘Citizens’ Summit’.
The EU is also concerned about a number of other incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, also reported during the summit. These include the disruption of the activities of a Belgian TV crew, as well as the disruption of the European Commission workshop for MEPs to meet members of civil society in the summit’s conference centre.
Tunisia’s Constitution provides for freedom of association, but within certain defined limits. The law provides for freedom of assembly, as long as a permit is obtained from the Minister of Interior. However, some NGOs experience difficulties in renting space and the control of funding. A number of associations have applied for legal status and have been refused, for example the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia. NGOs also report that Internet access is routinely blocked and e-mails addressed to certain e-mail accounts never reach the intended recipient.
During the presidential campaign of October 2004, the electoral code prohibited Tunisians from discussing politics in the international press, and opposition parties were given little opportunity to campaign. Whilst recognising that the election law safeguards female representation in parliament as well as the representation of minority views, we noted that the overall process leading to the elections did not provide a level playing field for contenders. We therefore encourage the Tunisian authorities to continue to improve the framework for elections and to take the necessary steps to ensure that the next elections fully meet international standards.
The EU is also concerned by reports from NGOs, including Amnesty International, about prison conditions in Tunisia. These reports state that overcrowding in prisons and discriminatory treatment of political prisoners continue as well as a lack of basic medical care, poor hygiene, torture and ill-treatment. We therefore welcome the fact that since June 2005 Tunisia’s authorities have allowed the International Committee of the Red Cross access to prisons.
Earlier this year, the Tunisian authorities announced their intention to allow Human Rights Watch representatives access to prisons in a similar way to that of the International Committee of the Red Cross, although no timeframe was specified. The Minister for Justice and Human Rights also announced that the practice of detaining prisoners in solitary confinement beyond 10 days, the maximum allowed under the Constitution, would cease. The EU welcomes these announcements and hopes that both undertakings will be put into practice.
I should also like to say a few words about the judiciary in Tunisia. Under its Constitution, it is independent. However, Amnesty International and others report that the authorities interfere in the judicial process. The trial in April 2005 of a lawyer and member of the National Council for Civil Liberties in Tunisia, Mohamed Abou, who wrote an article criticising Tunisia’s President Ben Ali, seems to support this contention. The Tunisian Magistrates’ Association has complained of increased intimidation by the Government after its board issued a communiqué criticising the attack on Abou. The Public Prosecutor closed the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association’s office in August. A law passed on 12 August 2005 making provision for the statute of magistrates does not take into consideration earlier calls by the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association concerning terms and conditions of service and would appear to weaken its position. We also note that despite several requests to visit, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers has yet to receive an invitation from the Tunisian Government.
The EU wishes to work with Tunisia to support the modernisation of its judiciary. The EU has provided money through MEDA to fund a project that will support this work and hopes to see progress on this. I am sure that the Commission will want to say something about this.
In conclusion, the EU welcomes the agreements reached at the World Summit on the Information Society as an important contribution to the global effort to bridge the digital divide. In terms of the EU’s relationship with Tunisia itself, we wish to see Tunisia maintain and develop its security and prosperity. We regret the serious restrictions on freedom of expression and association and the incidents which occurred prior to and during the World Summit on the Information Society.
The Council should like to assure honourable Members that the EU will continue to express its concern over specific human rights violations and to impress on the Tunisian authorities the need for full respect for human rights and democratic principles.
At the same time, it is right for us to consider more generally the issues of human rights and freedom of the press in Tunisia. The Council shares the concerns of Members of this House about the human rights situation in Tunisia and is well aware of the shortcomings in Tunisia’s performance, particularly with respect to acts of intimidation and harassment by the authorities against civil society and human rights activists. The meeting convened on Thursday, 1 December, involving MEPs, certain committees and other EU institutions involved in the summit, specifically to discuss human rights concerns in Tunisia, further highlighted the importance of these issues.
It is now time for us to look forward to the implementation by the Tunisian authorities of the commitments made by President Ben Ali on democracy, good governance and human rights set out in the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan. Implementation of these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations.
Human rights is an essential element in the EU’s relationship with Tunisia, as set out in the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement, which came into force on 1 March 1998, and the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan which came into force on 4 July this year. Under its action plan, Tunisia has signed up to commitments in the area of democracy, good governance and human rights. Implementing these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations. They include, for example, the establishment of an EU-Tunisia subcommittee on human rights. To this end we continue to urge the Tunisians to establish and hold a first session of a human rights subcommittee as soon as possible.
In addition to this, the EuroMed tenth anniversary summit on 27 and 28 November in Barcelona represented an important opportunity to help the EU’s Mediterranean partners, including Tunisia, to address the challenges of the 21st century, including in relation to good governance. At the EuroMed Summit, leaders endorsed an outcome-oriented five-year work plan. That plan included the creation of a governance facility to help those countries that make progress on good governance, allowing them access to additional funds to spend on their priorities.
Tunisia is a state party to the six core United Nations human rights treaties. Tunisia scores well on most socio-economic indexes of multilateral institutions, and social and economic rights are recognised and protected. Tunisia plays an active role within international human rights institutions and was elected to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in April 2004. Tunisia has not yet, however, signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The EU welcomes Tunisia’s record of promoting reform in the Arab world, notably on the position of women and the right to education. However, the EU remains concerned about the human rights situation in Tunisia, particularly in relation to freedom of expression and assembly and the independence of the judiciary.
This debate has raised in particular the issue of the freedom of the press in Tunisia. All books and publications, with the exception of newspapers, are still subject to censorship. Until May 2005, all newspapers had to clear articles with the Ministry of the Interior in advance of publication. Whilst this is no longer the case, we remain concerned that the fear of reprisals appears to have resulted in some self-censorship, as no newspaper offers any political criticism or opinion on domestic issues contrary to the government’s view. Access to foreign television, however, is common, as most Tunisian households have access to satellite television.
As I already made clear, the EU welcomes the agreement on the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society reached at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis. The EU looks forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure the full and effective implementation of both stages of the summit process, both on substance and on follow-up.
A number of incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly were reported in the run-up to and during the summit itself. The Tunisian Human Rights League, the oldest human rights body in Tunisia, claimed police harassment of its activists and says that it has been prevented from functioning properly. A court decision in September 2005 postponed its Congress. The EU consequently made representations to the Tunisian authorities and issued a statement reminding the Tunisians of the EU’s expectations of its human rights responsibilities."@pl16
"Senhor Presidente, gostaria de começar por agradecer ao Parlamento Europeu a iniciativa de propor este debate oportuno sobre a Tunísia. Quero manifestar publicamente o nosso apreço pelo facto de a Tunísia ter acolhido, recentemente, a Cimeira Mundial da Sociedade da Informação promovida pelas Nações Unidas, que teve lugar de 16 a 18 de Novembro. Saudamos o facto de a cimeira ter chegado a acordo relativamente ao Compromisso de Tunes e ao Programa de Tunes para a Sociedade da Informação, que representam um contributo importante para o esforço global necessário para superar o fosso digital.
Durante a própria Cimeira, a Troika da UE fez uma exposição às autoridades tunisinas após um incidente no Instituto Goethe, em que ONG foram impedidas de se reunir para discutir os seus planos relativamente a uma iniciativa alternativa denominada "Cimeira dos Cidadãos".
A UE está igualmente preocupada com vários outros incidentes relacionados com as liberdades de expressão e associação ocorridos durante a Cimeira. Entre eles referem-se a perturbação das actividades de uma equipa da Televisão belga, e os incidentes relacionados com o
organizado pela Comissão Europeia e destinado a promover encontros entre deputados do Parlamento Europeu e membros da sociedade civil no centro de conferências da Cimeira.
A Constituição da Tunísia consagra a liberdade de associação, mas dentro de certos limites pré-definidos. A lei prevê a liberdade de associação, desde que seja obtida uma autorização do Ministério do Interior. No entanto, algumas ONG têm tido dificuldade em alugar um espaço e em controlar os seus fundos. Os pedidos de reconhecimento oficial de várias associações, como, por exemplo, o Conselho Nacional das Liberdades da Tunísia, têm sido rejeitados. As ONG também se queixam de que o acesso à Internet lhes é sistematicamente vedado e que as mensagens de correio electrónico dirigidas a certas contas de correio electrónico nunca chegam aos seus destinatários.
Durante a campanha presidencial de Outubro de 2004, o código eleitoral proibiu os Tunisinos de falarem de política na imprensa internacional, e não foi dada aos partidos da oposição uma verdadeira oportunidade de participarem na campanha. Embora reconheçamos que a lei eleitoral salvaguarda a representação das mulheres no parlamento, bem como a representação de opiniões minoritárias, constatámos que o processo que conduziu às eleições não proporcionou, de um modo geral, condições equitativas a todos os candidatos. Por conseguinte, instamos as autoridades tunisinas a continuarem a melhorar o processo eleitoral e a adoptarem as medidas necessárias para garantir que as próximas eleições respeitem plenamente as normas internacionais.
A UE também está preocupada com informações prestadas por ONG, designadamente a Amnistia Internacional, sobre as condições nas prisões tunisinas. Segundo essas informações, a superlotação das prisões e o tratamento discriminatório dos presos políticos mantêm-se, bem como a falta de cuidados médicos básicos e de condições sanitárias, a tortura e os maus tratos. Por conseguinte, saudamos o facto de as autoridades tunisinas terem permitido, desde Junho de 2005, o acesso do Comité Internacional da Cruz Vermelha às prisões.
Este ano, as autoridades tunisinas anunciaram a sua intenção de permitir o acesso de representantes da organização Human Rights Watch às prisões, em condições semelhantes às do Comité Internacional da Cruz Vermelha, embora não tenham indicado quando isso iria acontecer. O Ministro da Justiça e dos Direitos Humanos também anunciou a suspensão da prática da detenção de prisioneiros em célula disciplinar durante mais de 10 dias, o máximo permitido pela Constituição. A UE saúda estas decisões e espera que ambas sejam postas em prática.
Gostaria ainda de dizer algumas palavras sobre o poder judicial na Tunísia. Nos termos da Constituição, o poder judicial é independente. No entanto, a Amnistia Internacional e outras organizações afirmam que as autoridades interferem no processo judicial. O julgamento, em Abril de 2005, de um advogado que era membro do Conselho Nacional das Liberdades Civis na Tunísia, Mohamed Abou, que escreveu um artigo criticando o Presidente Ben Ali da Tunísia, parece confirmar aquela afirmação. A Associação de Magistrados da Tunísia tem-se queixado de intimidação crescente por parte do governo depois de a sua direcção ter emitido um comunicado criticando o ataque a Abou. O Ministério Público encerrou as instalações da Associação de Magistrados da Tunísia em Agosto. Uma lei aprovada em 12 de Agosto de 2005 definindo o estatuto dos magistrados não toma em consideração as pretensões manifestadas por aquela Associação sobre as condições de serviço dos magistrados e parece enfraquecer a sua posição. Constatamos também que, apesar de vários pedidos de visitar o país, o Relator Especial das Nações Unidas sobre a Independência dos Juízes e Advogados ainda não recebeu um convite do Governo tunisino.
A UE deseja trabalhar com a Tunísia e apoiar a modernização do seu sistema judicial. Já concedeu fundos através do programa MEDA destinados a financiar um projecto que irá apoiar este trabalho e espera que se venham a registar progressos nesta área. Estou certo de que a Comissão desejará dizer algumas palavras sobre este assunto.
Para concluir, a UE saúda os acordos alcançados na Cimeira Mundial sobre a Sociedade da Informação como um contributo importante para os esforços globais no sentido de superar o fosso digital. No que se refere às relações entre a UE e a própria Tunísia, desejamos que este país mantenha e desenvolva a sua segurança e prosperidade. Lamentamos as graves restrições à liberdade de expressão e associação, bem como os incidentes registados antes de, e durante, a Cimeira Mundial sobre a Sociedade da Informação.
O Conselho gostaria de assegurar aos senhores deputados que a UE continuará a manifestar a sua preocupação quanto a violações específicas dos direitos humanos e a chamar a atenção das autoridades tunisinas para a necessidade de respeitarem plenamente os direitos humanos e os princípios democráticos.
Ao mesmo tempo, é justo que consideremos as questões mais gerais dos direitos humanos e da liberdade de imprensa na Tunísia. O Conselho partilha das preocupações manifestadas pelos deputados desta Assembleia sobre a situação dos direitos humanos na Tunísia e está inteiramente ciente do desempenho deficiente da Tunísia, em particular no que se refere a actos de intimidação e perseguição praticadas pelas autoridades contra a sociedade civil e activistas dos direitos humanos. A reunião convocada na quinta-feira, 1 de Dezembro, em que participaram deputados do Parlamento Europeu, certas comissões e outras Instituições da UE ligadas à cimeira, que se destinava especificamente a discutir preocupações relacionadas com os direitos humanos na Tunísia, realçou ainda mais a importância destas questões.
Esperamos, agora, que as autoridades tunisinas respeitem aos compromissos assumidos pelo Presidente Ben Ali em relação à democracia, à boa governação e aos direitos humanos no âmbito do Plano de Acção no quadro da política europeia de vizinhança. Respeitar os referidos compromissos será um elemento essencial do desenvolvimento das relações entre a UE e a Tunísia.
Os direitos humanos são um elemento essencial das relações entre a UE e a Tunísia, tal como estabelecem o Acordo de Associação UE-Tunísia, que entrou em vigor em 1 de Março de 1998, e o Plano de Acção no quadro da política europeia de vizinhança, que entrou em vigor em 4 de Julho deste ano. Nos termos do seu plano de acção, a Tunísia assumiu compromissos em matéria de democracia, boa governação e direitos humanos. Respeitar esses compromissos será um elemento essencial do desenvolvimento das relações entre a UE e a Tunísia. Entre eles refere-se, por exemplo, a constituição de uma subcomissão dos direitos humanos UE-Tunísia. Para esse efeito, continuaremos a instar os Tunisinos a organizarem e realizarem a primeira sessão de uma subcomissão dos direitos humanos o mais brevemente possível.
Para além disto, a cimeira realizada em 27 e 28 de Novembro, em Barcelona, para celebrar o décimo aniversário da Parceria Euro-Mediterrânica constituiu uma oportunidade importante de ajudar os parceiros mediterrânicos da UE, entre os quais se inclui a Tunísia, a enfrentarem os desafios do século XXI, inclusivamente no que se refere à boa governação. Na Cimeira Euro-Mediterrânica, os dirigentes subscreveram um plano de trabalho quinquenal orientado para os resultados. Este plano inclui a criação de um instrumento de governação destinado a ajudar os países em causa a fazerem progressos ao nível da boa governação, e que lhes permite aceder a fundos suplementares destinados às suas prioridades.
A Tunísia é um Estado parte em seis tratados fundamentais das Nações Unidas em matéria de direitos humanos. Está bem classificada na maioria dos índices socioeconómicos de instituições multilaterais, e reconhece e protege os direitos sociais e económicos. A Tunísia desempenha um papel activo em instituições internacionais de direitos humanos e foi eleita para a Comissão dos Direitos Humanos das Nações Unidas, em Abril de 2004. No entanto, ainda não assinou o Estatuto de Roma do Tribunal Penal Internacional.
A UE saúda os esforços desenvolvidos pela Tunísia com vista a promover reformas no mundo árabe, nomeadamente no que se refere à posição das mulheres e ao direito à educação. No entanto, a UE continua a sentir-se preocupada com a situação dos direitos humanos na Tunísia, em particular no que se refere à liberdade de expressão e associação e à independência do poder judicial.
Este debate levanta, em particular, a questão da liberdade de imprensa na Tunísia. Todos os livros e publicações, excluindo jornais, continuam a estar sujeitos a censura. Até Maio de 2005, os jornais eram todos obrigados a submeter os seus artigos à apreciação do Ministério do Interior antes de os publicarem. Embora isto já não aconteça, continuamos preocupados com o facto de o medo de represálias se traduzir numa espécie de auto-censura, na medida em que nenhum jornal publica uma crítica ou opinião política sobre questões internas que possa ser contrária à posição do governo. No entanto, o acesso à televisão estrangeira é fácil, na medida em que a maioria dos agregados familiares tunisinos tem acesso à televisão via satélite.
Tal como já afirmei explicitamente, a UE saúde o acordo sobre o Compromisso de Tunes e o Programa de Tunes para a Sociedade da Informação, a que se chegou na Cimeira Mundial sobre a Sociedade da Informação realizada em Tunes. A UE aguarda com expectativa a oportunidade de trabalhar com todas as partes interessadas no sentido da implementação plena e eficaz de ambas as fases do processo da Cimeira, tanto no que se refere à matéria de fundo como ao seu seguimento.
Foram noticiados vários incidentes relacionados com a liberdade de expressão e a liberdade de associação durante o período que precedeu a Cimeira e durante a própria Cimeira. A Liga Tunisina para a Defesa dos Direitos Humanos, o organismo de direitos humanos mais antigo da Tunísia, afirma que os seus activistas foram alvo de perseguição pela polícia e que foi impedida de desenvolver convenientemente a sua actividade. O seu Congresso foi adiado por uma decisão judicial de Setembro de 2005. No seguimento deste incidente, a UE fez uma exposição às autoridades tunisinas e emitiu uma declaração lembrando aos Tunisinos as expectativas da UE no que se refere às suas responsabilidades em matéria de direitos humanos."@pt17
"Mr President, I shall begin by thanking the European Parliament for proposing this timely debate on Tunisia. I would like to record our appreciation of Tunisia’s recent hosting of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society from 16 to 18 November. We welcome the summit’s agreement to the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, an important contribution to the global effort needed to bridge what is known as the digital divide.
During the summit itself, the EU Troika made representations to the Tunisian authorities following an incident at the Goethe Institute, where NGOs were prevented from meeting to discuss plans for an alternative ‘Citizens’ Summit’.
The EU is also concerned about a number of other incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, also reported during the summit. These include the disruption of the activities of a Belgian TV crew, as well as the disruption of the European Commission workshop for MEPs to meet members of civil society in the summit’s conference centre.
Tunisia’s Constitution provides for freedom of association, but within certain defined limits. The law provides for freedom of assembly, as long as a permit is obtained from the Minister of Interior. However, some NGOs experience difficulties in renting space and the control of funding. A number of associations have applied for legal status and have been refused, for example the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia. NGOs also report that Internet access is routinely blocked and e-mails addressed to certain e-mail accounts never reach the intended recipient.
During the presidential campaign of October 2004, the electoral code prohibited Tunisians from discussing politics in the international press, and opposition parties were given little opportunity to campaign. Whilst recognising that the election law safeguards female representation in parliament as well as the representation of minority views, we noted that the overall process leading to the elections did not provide a level playing field for contenders. We therefore encourage the Tunisian authorities to continue to improve the framework for elections and to take the necessary steps to ensure that the next elections fully meet international standards.
The EU is also concerned by reports from NGOs, including Amnesty International, about prison conditions in Tunisia. These reports state that overcrowding in prisons and discriminatory treatment of political prisoners continue as well as a lack of basic medical care, poor hygiene, torture and ill-treatment. We therefore welcome the fact that since June 2005 Tunisia’s authorities have allowed the International Committee of the Red Cross access to prisons.
Earlier this year, the Tunisian authorities announced their intention to allow Human Rights Watch representatives access to prisons in a similar way to that of the International Committee of the Red Cross, although no timeframe was specified. The Minister for Justice and Human Rights also announced that the practice of detaining prisoners in solitary confinement beyond 10 days, the maximum allowed under the Constitution, would cease. The EU welcomes these announcements and hopes that both undertakings will be put into practice.
I should also like to say a few words about the judiciary in Tunisia. Under its Constitution, it is independent. However, Amnesty International and others report that the authorities interfere in the judicial process. The trial in April 2005 of a lawyer and member of the National Council for Civil Liberties in Tunisia, Mohamed Abou, who wrote an article criticising Tunisia’s President Ben Ali, seems to support this contention. The Tunisian Magistrates’ Association has complained of increased intimidation by the Government after its board issued a communiqué criticising the attack on Abou. The Public Prosecutor closed the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association’s office in August. A law passed on 12 August 2005 making provision for the statute of magistrates does not take into consideration earlier calls by the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association concerning terms and conditions of service and would appear to weaken its position. We also note that despite several requests to visit, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers has yet to receive an invitation from the Tunisian Government.
The EU wishes to work with Tunisia to support the modernisation of its judiciary. The EU has provided money through MEDA to fund a project that will support this work and hopes to see progress on this. I am sure that the Commission will want to say something about this.
In conclusion, the EU welcomes the agreements reached at the World Summit on the Information Society as an important contribution to the global effort to bridge the digital divide. In terms of the EU’s relationship with Tunisia itself, we wish to see Tunisia maintain and develop its security and prosperity. We regret the serious restrictions on freedom of expression and association and the incidents which occurred prior to and during the World Summit on the Information Society.
The Council should like to assure honourable Members that the EU will continue to express its concern over specific human rights violations and to impress on the Tunisian authorities the need for full respect for human rights and democratic principles.
At the same time, it is right for us to consider more generally the issues of human rights and freedom of the press in Tunisia. The Council shares the concerns of Members of this House about the human rights situation in Tunisia and is well aware of the shortcomings in Tunisia’s performance, particularly with respect to acts of intimidation and harassment by the authorities against civil society and human rights activists. The meeting convened on Thursday, 1 December, involving MEPs, certain committees and other EU institutions involved in the summit, specifically to discuss human rights concerns in Tunisia, further highlighted the importance of these issues.
It is now time for us to look forward to the implementation by the Tunisian authorities of the commitments made by President Ben Ali on democracy, good governance and human rights set out in the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan. Implementation of these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations.
Human rights is an essential element in the EU’s relationship with Tunisia, as set out in the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement, which came into force on 1 March 1998, and the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan which came into force on 4 July this year. Under its action plan, Tunisia has signed up to commitments in the area of democracy, good governance and human rights. Implementing these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations. They include, for example, the establishment of an EU-Tunisia subcommittee on human rights. To this end we continue to urge the Tunisians to establish and hold a first session of a human rights subcommittee as soon as possible.
In addition to this, the EuroMed tenth anniversary summit on 27 and 28 November in Barcelona represented an important opportunity to help the EU’s Mediterranean partners, including Tunisia, to address the challenges of the 21st century, including in relation to good governance. At the EuroMed Summit, leaders endorsed an outcome-oriented five-year work plan. That plan included the creation of a governance facility to help those countries that make progress on good governance, allowing them access to additional funds to spend on their priorities.
Tunisia is a state party to the six core United Nations human rights treaties. Tunisia scores well on most socio-economic indexes of multilateral institutions, and social and economic rights are recognised and protected. Tunisia plays an active role within international human rights institutions and was elected to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in April 2004. Tunisia has not yet, however, signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The EU welcomes Tunisia’s record of promoting reform in the Arab world, notably on the position of women and the right to education. However, the EU remains concerned about the human rights situation in Tunisia, particularly in relation to freedom of expression and assembly and the independence of the judiciary.
This debate has raised in particular the issue of the freedom of the press in Tunisia. All books and publications, with the exception of newspapers, are still subject to censorship. Until May 2005, all newspapers had to clear articles with the Ministry of the Interior in advance of publication. Whilst this is no longer the case, we remain concerned that the fear of reprisals appears to have resulted in some self-censorship, as no newspaper offers any political criticism or opinion on domestic issues contrary to the government’s view. Access to foreign television, however, is common, as most Tunisian households have access to satellite television.
As I already made clear, the EU welcomes the agreement on the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society reached at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis. The EU looks forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure the full and effective implementation of both stages of the summit process, both on substance and on follow-up.
A number of incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly were reported in the run-up to and during the summit itself. The Tunisian Human Rights League, the oldest human rights body in Tunisia, claimed police harassment of its activists and says that it has been prevented from functioning properly. A court decision in September 2005 postponed its Congress. The EU consequently made representations to the Tunisian authorities and issued a statement reminding the Tunisians of the EU’s expectations of its human rights responsibilities."@sk18
"Mr President, I shall begin by thanking the European Parliament for proposing this timely debate on Tunisia. I would like to record our appreciation of Tunisia’s recent hosting of the United Nations World Summit on the Information Society from 16 to 18 November. We welcome the summit’s agreement to the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society, an important contribution to the global effort needed to bridge what is known as the digital divide.
During the summit itself, the EU Troika made representations to the Tunisian authorities following an incident at the Goethe Institute, where NGOs were prevented from meeting to discuss plans for an alternative ‘Citizens’ Summit’.
The EU is also concerned about a number of other incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, also reported during the summit. These include the disruption of the activities of a Belgian TV crew, as well as the disruption of the European Commission workshop for MEPs to meet members of civil society in the summit’s conference centre.
Tunisia’s Constitution provides for freedom of association, but within certain defined limits. The law provides for freedom of assembly, as long as a permit is obtained from the Minister of Interior. However, some NGOs experience difficulties in renting space and the control of funding. A number of associations have applied for legal status and have been refused, for example the National Council for Liberties in Tunisia. NGOs also report that Internet access is routinely blocked and e-mails addressed to certain e-mail accounts never reach the intended recipient.
During the presidential campaign of October 2004, the electoral code prohibited Tunisians from discussing politics in the international press, and opposition parties were given little opportunity to campaign. Whilst recognising that the election law safeguards female representation in parliament as well as the representation of minority views, we noted that the overall process leading to the elections did not provide a level playing field for contenders. We therefore encourage the Tunisian authorities to continue to improve the framework for elections and to take the necessary steps to ensure that the next elections fully meet international standards.
The EU is also concerned by reports from NGOs, including Amnesty International, about prison conditions in Tunisia. These reports state that overcrowding in prisons and discriminatory treatment of political prisoners continue as well as a lack of basic medical care, poor hygiene, torture and ill-treatment. We therefore welcome the fact that since June 2005 Tunisia’s authorities have allowed the International Committee of the Red Cross access to prisons.
Earlier this year, the Tunisian authorities announced their intention to allow Human Rights Watch representatives access to prisons in a similar way to that of the International Committee of the Red Cross, although no timeframe was specified. The Minister for Justice and Human Rights also announced that the practice of detaining prisoners in solitary confinement beyond 10 days, the maximum allowed under the Constitution, would cease. The EU welcomes these announcements and hopes that both undertakings will be put into practice.
I should also like to say a few words about the judiciary in Tunisia. Under its Constitution, it is independent. However, Amnesty International and others report that the authorities interfere in the judicial process. The trial in April 2005 of a lawyer and member of the National Council for Civil Liberties in Tunisia, Mohamed Abou, who wrote an article criticising Tunisia’s President Ben Ali, seems to support this contention. The Tunisian Magistrates’ Association has complained of increased intimidation by the Government after its board issued a communiqué criticising the attack on Abou. The Public Prosecutor closed the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association’s office in August. A law passed on 12 August 2005 making provision for the statute of magistrates does not take into consideration earlier calls by the Tunisian Magistrates’ Association concerning terms and conditions of service and would appear to weaken its position. We also note that despite several requests to visit, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers has yet to receive an invitation from the Tunisian Government.
The EU wishes to work with Tunisia to support the modernisation of its judiciary. The EU has provided money through MEDA to fund a project that will support this work and hopes to see progress on this. I am sure that the Commission will want to say something about this.
In conclusion, the EU welcomes the agreements reached at the World Summit on the Information Society as an important contribution to the global effort to bridge the digital divide. In terms of the EU’s relationship with Tunisia itself, we wish to see Tunisia maintain and develop its security and prosperity. We regret the serious restrictions on freedom of expression and association and the incidents which occurred prior to and during the World Summit on the Information Society.
The Council should like to assure honourable Members that the EU will continue to express its concern over specific human rights violations and to impress on the Tunisian authorities the need for full respect for human rights and democratic principles.
At the same time, it is right for us to consider more generally the issues of human rights and freedom of the press in Tunisia. The Council shares the concerns of Members of this House about the human rights situation in Tunisia and is well aware of the shortcomings in Tunisia’s performance, particularly with respect to acts of intimidation and harassment by the authorities against civil society and human rights activists. The meeting convened on Thursday, 1 December, involving MEPs, certain committees and other EU institutions involved in the summit, specifically to discuss human rights concerns in Tunisia, further highlighted the importance of these issues.
It is now time for us to look forward to the implementation by the Tunisian authorities of the commitments made by President Ben Ali on democracy, good governance and human rights set out in the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan. Implementation of these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations.
Human rights is an essential element in the EU’s relationship with Tunisia, as set out in the EU-Tunisia Association Agreement, which came into force on 1 March 1998, and the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan which came into force on 4 July this year. Under its action plan, Tunisia has signed up to commitments in the area of democracy, good governance and human rights. Implementing these commitments will be an essential element in developing EU-Tunisia relations. They include, for example, the establishment of an EU-Tunisia subcommittee on human rights. To this end we continue to urge the Tunisians to establish and hold a first session of a human rights subcommittee as soon as possible.
In addition to this, the EuroMed tenth anniversary summit on 27 and 28 November in Barcelona represented an important opportunity to help the EU’s Mediterranean partners, including Tunisia, to address the challenges of the 21st century, including in relation to good governance. At the EuroMed Summit, leaders endorsed an outcome-oriented five-year work plan. That plan included the creation of a governance facility to help those countries that make progress on good governance, allowing them access to additional funds to spend on their priorities.
Tunisia is a state party to the six core United Nations human rights treaties. Tunisia scores well on most socio-economic indexes of multilateral institutions, and social and economic rights are recognised and protected. Tunisia plays an active role within international human rights institutions and was elected to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in April 2004. Tunisia has not yet, however, signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The EU welcomes Tunisia’s record of promoting reform in the Arab world, notably on the position of women and the right to education. However, the EU remains concerned about the human rights situation in Tunisia, particularly in relation to freedom of expression and assembly and the independence of the judiciary.
This debate has raised in particular the issue of the freedom of the press in Tunisia. All books and publications, with the exception of newspapers, are still subject to censorship. Until May 2005, all newspapers had to clear articles with the Ministry of the Interior in advance of publication. Whilst this is no longer the case, we remain concerned that the fear of reprisals appears to have resulted in some self-censorship, as no newspaper offers any political criticism or opinion on domestic issues contrary to the government’s view. Access to foreign television, however, is common, as most Tunisian households have access to satellite television.
As I already made clear, the EU welcomes the agreement on the Tunis Commitment and the Tunis Agenda for the Information Society reached at the World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis. The EU looks forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure the full and effective implementation of both stages of the summit process, both on substance and on follow-up.
A number of incidents involving freedom of expression and freedom of assembly were reported in the run-up to and during the summit itself. The Tunisian Human Rights League, the oldest human rights body in Tunisia, claimed police harassment of its activists and says that it has been prevented from functioning properly. A court decision in September 2005 postponed its Congress. The EU consequently made representations to the Tunisian authorities and issued a statement reminding the Tunisians of the EU’s expectations of its human rights responsibilities."@sl19
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Herr talman! Jag vill börja med att tacka Europaparlamentet för att ha föreslagit denna debatt om Tunisien vid en så lämplig tidpunkt. Jag vill uttrycka vår uppskattning över att Tunisien nyligen var värdland för FN:s världstoppmöte om informationssamhället den 16–18 november. Vi välkomnar överenskommelsen från toppmötet om Tunisåtagandet och Tunisagendan för informationssamhället, som är ett viktigt bidrag till de globala insatser som behövs för att överbrygga den så kallade IT-klyftan.
Under själva toppmötet fäste EU:s trojka de tunisiska myndigheternas uppmärksamhet på en händelse vid Goethe-institutet, där icke-statliga organisationer hade hindrats från att sammanträda för att diskutera planer om ett alternativt ”medborgarnas” toppmöte.
EU är också oroat över ett antal andra händelser gällande yttrande- och mötesfriheten som också rapporterades under toppmötet, däribland ett belgiskt TV-team som blev avbrutet i sin verksamhet. Även Europeiska kommissionens seminarium, där ledamöter av Europaparlamentet kunde träffa företrädare för det civila samhället i toppmötets konferenscenter, avbröts.
Tunisiens konstitution föreskriver mötesfrihet, men inom vissa definierade gränser. Lagen föreskriver mötesfrihet så länge man har tillstånd från inrikesministeriet. Vissa icke-statliga organisationer har emellertid haft svårigheter med att hyra lokaler och med den ekonomiska kontrollen. Ett antal organisationer har ansökt om rättslig status och fått avslag, till exempel Nationella frihetsrådet i Tunisien. Icke-statliga organisationer har också rapporterat att tillträde till Internet blockeras rutinmässigt och att elektronisk post till vissa e-postadresser aldrig kommer fram till den avsedda mottagaren.
Under presidentvalskampanjen i oktober 2004 var tunisierna enligt vallagen förbjudna att diskutera politik i den internationella pressen, och oppositionspartierna hade små möjligheter att organisera en egen valkampanj. Även om vi känner till att vallagen garanterar att såväl kvinnor som minoriteter representeras i parlamentet, noterade vi att den övergripande process som föranledde valet inte garanterade kandidaterna rättvisa villkor. Vi uppmuntrar därför de tunisiska myndigheterna att fortsätta att förbättra valsystemet och att vidta nödvändiga åtgärder så att det kommande valet till fullo uppfyller internationella normer.
EU är också oroat över rapporter från icke-statliga organisationer, däribland Amnesty International, om förhållandena i Tunisiens fängelser. Av dessa rapporter framgår att det fortfarande är vanligt med överbelagda fängelser och diskriminerande behandling av politiska fångar, såväl som brist på grundläggande medicinsk vård, dålig hygien, tortyr och misshandel. Därför gläds vi åt det faktum att de tunisiska myndigheterna sedan juni 2005 har gett Röda korsets internationella kommitté tillträde till fängelserna.
Tidigare i år meddelade de tunisiska myndigheterna att de hade för avsikt att ge företrädare från Human Rights Watch tillträde till fängelserna på ett liknande sätt som för Röda korsets internationella kommitté, men utan att specificera någon tidsram. Ministern för rättsliga frågor och mänskliga rättigheter meddelade också att förfarandet med att hålla fångar isolerade i mer än tio dagar, vilket är högsta tillåtna tid enligt konstitutionen, skulle upphöra. EU välkomnar dessa meddelanden och hoppas att båda löftena kommer att omsättas i handling.
Jag vill också säga några ord om domarkåren i Tunisien. Enligt konstitutionen är den oberoende. Amnesty International och andra har emellertid rapporterat att myndigheterna blandar sig i rättsprocessen. Rättegången i april 2005 mot advokat Mohamed Abou, tillika medlem av Nationella rådet för medborgerliga fri- och rättigheter i Tunisien, som skrev en artikel där han kritiserade Tunisiens president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, tycks bekräfta detta. Föreningen för tunisiska domare har beklagat sig över att hotelserna från regeringen har ökat efter det att föreningens styrelse utfärdade en kommuniké där man kritiserade angreppet mot Mohamed Abou. I augusti i år stängde den allmänna åklagaren det kontor som tillhörde föreningen för tunisiska domare. I den lag som antogs den 12 augusti 2005 och som omfattar bestämmelser för domare tas ingen hänsyn till de tidigare uppmaningarna från Föreningen för tunisiska domare när det gäller tjänstevillkoren, och lagen tycks ha försvagat domarnas position. Vi konstaterar också att FN:s särskilda rapportör om domares och advokaters oberoende ännu inte mottagit någon inbjudan från den tunisiska regeringen, trots åtskilliga önskemål om att få avlägga besök.
EU vill samarbeta med Tunisien för att främja en modernisering av landets rättssystem. EU har tillhandahållit ekonomiska medel genom Meda för att finansiera ett projekt som ska främja detta arbete, och man hoppas på framsteg. Jag är säker på att kommissionen kommer att vilja yttra sig i denna fråga.
Sammanfattningsvis välkomnar EU de överenskommelser som nåddes vid världstoppmötet om informationssamhället. De utgör ett viktigt bidrag till de globala ansträngningarna att överbrygga IT-klyftan. När det gäller EU:s förbindelser med Tunisien som land skulle vi vilja se att Tunisien underhåller och utvecklar landets säkerhet och välstånd. Vi beklagar de allvarliga inskränkningarna av yttrande- och mötesfriheten samt de händelser som inträffade före och under världstoppmötet om informationssamhället.
Rådet vill försäkra ledamöterna om att EU kommer att fortsätta att uttrycka sin oro över särskilda brott mot de mänskliga rättigheterna och att trycka på de tunisiska myndigheterna när det gäller behovet av fullständig respekt för mänskliga rättigheter och demokratiska principer.
Samtidigt gör vi rätt i att mer allmänt beakta frågor om de mänskliga rättigheterna och pressfriheten i Tunisien. Rådet delar ledamöternas oro över situationen för de mänskliga rättigheterna i Tunisien och är väl medveten om bristerna i Tunisiens insatser, i synnerhet när det gäller myndigheters hotelser och trakasserier gentemot företrädare för det civila samhället och människorättsaktivister. Torsdagen den 1 december hölls ett möte med bland annat ledamöter av Europaparlamentet, vissa utskott och andra EU-institutioner som hade deltagit under toppmötet, för att specifikt diskutera människorättsfrågor i Tunisien. Under mötet fästes ytterligare uppmärksamhet på dessa frågors betydelse.
Det är nu dags för oss att se fram emot de tunisiska myndigheternas genomförande av de åtaganden som president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali har gjort i fråga om demokrati, god förvaltning och mänskliga rättigheter, och som fastslås i handlingsplanen för den europeiska grannskapspolitiken. Genomförandet av dessa åtaganden kommer att bli en avgörande faktor för utvecklingen av förbindelserna mellan EU och Tunisien.
Mänskliga rättigheter är ett viktigt inslag i EU:s förbindelser med Tunisien, såsom anges i associeringsavtalet EU–Tunisien som trädde i kraft den 1 mars 1998, och i handlingsplanen för den europeiska grannskapspolitiken som trädde i kraft den 4 juli i år. Enligt denna handlingsplan har Tunisien undertecknat åtaganden inom området för demokrati, god förvaltning och mänskliga rättigheter. Genomförandet av dessa åtaganden kommer att bli en avgörande faktor för utvecklingen av förbindelserna mellan EU och Tunisien. De omfattar exempelvis inrättandet av ett underutskott mellan EU och Tunisien om mänskliga rättigheter. Därför fortsätter vi att uppmana tunisierna att snarast möjligt inrätta och hålla ett första sammanträde i ett sådant underutskott för mänskliga rättigheter.
Toppmötet den 27 och 28 november i Barcelona i anslutning till Euromeds tionde årsdag representerade också ett viktigt tillfälle att hjälpa EU:s Medelhavspartner, däribland Tunisien, att ta itu med 2000-talets utmaningar, däribland god förvaltning. Vid Euromeds toppmöte stödde ledarna en resultatorienterad femårig arbetsplan. Planen omfattade inrättandet av en stödordning för god förvaltning, för att hjälpa de länder som gör goda framsteg på detta område, genom att ge dem tillgång till ytterligare medel att använda för sina prioriterade områden.
Tunisien är en fördragsslutande part till FN:s sex grundläggande konventioner om mänskliga rättigheter. Tunisien har höga siffror i de flesta multilaterala institutioners socioekonomiska index, och de sociala och ekonomiska rättigheterna erkänns och skyddas. Tunisien spelar en aktiv roll i de internationella institutionerna för mänskliga rättigheter och valdes in i FN:s kommission för de mänskliga rättigheterna i april 2004. Tunisien har emellertid ännu inte undertecknat Romstadgan för Internationella brottmålsdomstolen.
EU välkomnar Tunisiens engagemang för att främja reformer i arabvärlden, i synnerhet när det gäller kvinnors position och rätten till utbildning. EU är emellertid alltjämt oroat över situationen för de mänskliga rättigheterna i Tunisien, särskilt när det gäller yttrande- och mötesfriheten och domstolarnas oberoende.
Denna debatt har framför allt väckt frågan om pressfriheten i Tunisien. Alla böcker och tidskrifter, med undantag för dagstidningar, utsätts fortfarande för censur. Fram till maj 2005 var samtliga dagstidningar tvungna att förelägga inrikesdepartementet artiklar för godkännande före publiceringen. Även om detta inte längre är fallet, är vi alltjämt oroade över att rädslan för repressalier tycks ha resulterat i en viss självcensur, eftersom inte någon dagstidning framför någon politisk kritik eller åsikt om inrikesfrågor som strider mot regeringens ståndpunkt. Tillgång till utländsk TV är emellertid vanligt eftersom de flesta tunisiska hushåll har tillgång till satellit-TV.
Som jag redan har klargjort välkomnar EU den överenskommelse om Tunisåtagandet och Tunisagendan för informationssamhället som nåddes vid världstoppmötet om informationssamhället i Tunis. EU ser fram emot ett samarbete med samtliga berörda parter för att säkra ett fullständigt och effektivt genomförande av mötesprocessens båda stadier, såväl dess innehåll som uppföljning.
Ett antal händelser gällande yttrande- och mötesfriheten rapporterades i inledningen av och under själva toppmötet. Den äldsta tunisiska människorättsorganisationen Ligue tunisienne des Droits de l'Homme (LTDH) hävdade att organisationens aktivister hade utsatts för polistrakasserier och påstår att organisationen har förhindrats att utöva sin verksamhet ordentligt. Genom ett domstolsbeslut i september 2005 blev organisationens kongress uppskjuten. EU gjorde därför en framställning till de tunisiska myndigheterna genom att utfärda ett uttalande där tunisierna erinrades om EU:s förväntningar på att Tunisien tar sitt ansvar för de mänskliga rättigheterna."@sv21
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