The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the EU-Russia summit.
The resolution was tabled by the ECR, ALDE, S&D, EPP, and GUE/NGL groups. It recalled that the EU-Russia summit of 28 January 2014 was reduced to a three-hour restricted meeting that focused on a limited number of issues, reflecting the challenges in EU-Russia relations, mostly as a result of Russia’s pressure on Eastern Partners.
Parliament reiterated that the EU-Russia dialogue on issues relating to a common neighbourhood must be based on the fundamental principle of sovereignty and the independence of neighbouring countries as regards choosing political and trade alliances. It regretted that the Russian leadership regarded the EU’s Eastern Partnership as a threat to its own political and economic interests. On the contrary, Russia would gain from increased trade and economic activities and its security would be enhanced by a stable and predictable neighbourhood. Members opposed Russia’s intention to continue to consider the Eastern Partnership region as its sphere of influence. They believed that Ukrainian citizens alone should have the right to decide the future of their country. They reiterated that, unlike the Customs Union championed by Russia, the EU’s agreements with Eastern Partnership countries on a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) did not prohibit the latter from engaging in free trade with third countries.
Parliament called for effective coordination of EU policy responsibility towards Russia in the next term of the European Commission, with a clear and central role for the High Representative / Vice-President and with the Member States committed to speaking to Russia with one voice.
The resolution went on to discuss the following issues:
Energy policy: Parliament called for EU-Russia cooperation in the energy field to be based firmly on the principles of the internal market, including the Third Energy Package, in particular with regard to third-party access, and of the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT). It also called for close cooperation between the EU and Russia regarding the supply of raw materials and rare earths, especially those considered critical, and called for compliance with WTO rules. Lastly, Russia was asked to take on a second commitment period target by ratifying the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Human rights: Members expressed concern about developments in the Russian Federation with regard to respect for human rights, particularly as regards the law on foreign agents, the anti-LGBT legislation, the recriminalisation of defamation, the treason law and the legislation regulating public protests. They regretted the absence of any evolution on the modalities of the EU-Russia human rights consultations and the fact that this dialogue had become a process rather than a means to achieve measurable and tangible results.
Whilst welcoming the recent cases of amnesty, Parliament called on Russia to repeal fully the federal law on ‘propaganda for non-traditional sexual relations’ and similar regional anti-propaganda laws which curtail human rights, notably freedom of expression and assembly in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity. Bearing in mind the ongoing programming of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) and the Civil Society Organisations and Local Authorities (CSO-LA) financial instrument, Members asked the Commission to significantly step up efforts to provide assistance to the oppressed civil society by doubling its financial allocations to the country.
Foreign policy: Parliament called on Russia to:
· take a very constructive approach at the Geneva II Conference on Syria, where the aim is to achieve a political solution to the conflict, welcoming Russia’s efforts, together with the USA and the international community, to approve a UNSC resolution regarding the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons and the launch of the Geneva II talks;
· to reverse its recognition of the separation of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali / South Ossetia, and, together with Georgia, to engage in direct talks without preconditions on a range of subjects, with mediation, if needed, by a mutually acceptable third party, which should complement, but not replace, the existing Geneva process;
fulfil the commitments made in 1996 in the Council of Europe and reflected in OSCE Summit decisions concerning the withdrawal of Russian troops and arms from the territory of Moldova and to play a constructive role in efforts to resolve the protracted conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, in the framework of the Minsk Group.