European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) Country Progress Reports
Progress in Human Rights Respect must be a Condition
for Deepening EU’s Relations with its Southern Neighbours
10 April 2008
Following the publication of the European Commission’s Communication on the ENP and Country Progress Reports on 3 April 2008,[1] the EMHRN expresses its disappointment and calls for the establishment of a mechanism allowing for a systematic and public monitoring of the ENP Action Plans. Such mechanism should in particular provide for precise and clear benchmarks which the future Country Progress Reports will be based on.
Given that the human rights situation in EU’s southern neighbouring countries has deteriorated since the adoption of the ENP Action Plans with these countries, the credibility of the ENP requires democratic reforms and respect of human rights to be highly prioritised. To that effect clear and precise benchmarks should be introduced in all annual Country Progress Reports. Therefore the EMHRN supports the European Commission’s proposal to proceed with “a realistic stock-taking of the extent of action plan implementation”[2]and calls for this proposal to be implemented.
A full assessment of the concrete progress and setbacks in the field of democratic reform and human rights in the southern neighbour states is needed before engaging the EU in closer relations with these countries. No country should be rewarded in case of substantial or gross violations of international human rights standards or international humanitarian law.
The human rights chapter of the ENP Action Plans varies widely from country to country and the same applies to how it has been implemented.
The EMHRN welcomes the fact that gender-related issues have been raised with all ENP partners. It also welcomes the convening of meetings of the subcommittee on human rights between the EU and several of the countries concerned and urges for the establishment and convening of such subcommittees with the other countries. Concrete and effective implementation of human rights priorities jointly agreed by the EU and its partners is now required.
However, the EMHRN is deeply concerned that human rights issues are not raised in relation to sensitive areas such as migration and the fight against terrorism. The EMHRN reiterates its belief that any further development between the EU and its southern partners must be depending on the respect of these countries’ commitments regarding human rights.
