Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-02-16-Speech-4-528-000"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20120216.29.4-528-000"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, as each and every one of you have said, one of the most important developments seen recently in Egypt were the parliamentary elections, the organisation and holding of which we welcomed. They clearly enabled the will of the people to be expressed transparently. As the High Representative and Vice-President of the Commission, Baroness Ashton, said recently, we are now keen to see the democratic transition continue under good conditions and presidential elections to be held as soon as possible.
Despite everything, and having listened attentively to all your speeches, ladies and gentlemen, the general human rights situation and the state of democracy in Egypt continue to cause real concern despite the progress made. We have thus called many times for the transfer of all power to democratically elected civil authorities, for the complete and definitive lifting of the state of emergency, for the end of military trials for civilians and for independent investigations to be carried out to identify and punish those responsible for the terrible transgressions witnessed during this period of transition.
We have regularly reminded our Egyptian partners of the importance of remaining faithful to the spirit of Tahrir Square, of ensuring that all citizens, both men and women, can participate fully and openly in the social and political life of their country, regardless of religion, belief or political affiliation.
We are also concerned by the state, which many of you have pointed out, of non-governmental organisations in Egypt. Legislation repressing some NGOs has been unequivocally condemned in many EU declarations. This legislation, which is currently targeting several non-governmental organisations accused of breaking the law in favour of foreign interests, taints the image of Egypt in the eyes of the international community and raises doubts as to the ability of the provisional authorities to lead the democratic transition properly. We know in Europe that the existence of dynamic and free non-governmental organisations is one of the fundamental conditions of a modern and open society that is protective and respectful of citizens’ rights.
Freedom of association is also at the heart of the human rights policy pursued by the EU. Its respect and promotion are integral to the commitments Egypt has made within the framework of its association agreement with the European Union. We obviously respect the principle of judicial independence, but it is clear that the legislation currently governing non-governmental organisations in Egypt dates back to the Mubarak regime. Therefore, it is not surprising that it does not conform to international standards on the freedom of association or even that it is a barrier to the development of a free and dynamic civil society.
This is why, ladies and gentlemen, we are urging the Egyptian authorities to quickly bring this crisis to an end by suspending the investigations under way until new legislation is in place which respects international standards. If acts of repression against non-governmental organisations should continue, this could and would have an impact on our relationship within the framework of our new Neighbourhood Policy.
The European Union urges the Egyptian authorities to take all necessary measures to reverse the situation. This is of paramount importance to the credibility of the transition and for the quality of our cooperation.
In our communication of March 2011 on the new European response to a changing neighbourhood, we established that our approach should be based on mutual responsibility, as well as a shared commitment to the universal values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Finally, in thanking you, ladies and gentlemen, for your questions, encouragement and advice, I assure you that the European Union is committed to supporting partners who clearly choose to develop real democracies, deeply rooted in respect for human rights."@en1
|
| lpv:videoURI |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples