Turkey must step back from authoritarian reforms to remain key EU partner said Marietje Schaake, Dutch Member of the European Parliament. Schaake was responding after the adoption of the annual Turkey report in the foreign affairs committee. She said: “The text was significantly sharpened compared to the draft by S&D-rapporteur Kati Piri, who failed to address many urgent […]
Libya Abuse Horrors Driving Migrants Into Sea
Refugees and migrants across Libya face rape, torture and abductions for ransom by traffickers and smugglers, as well as systematic exploitation by their employers, religious persecution and other abuses by armed groups and criminal gangs, according to a new Amnesty International briefing published today. Libya is full of cruelty’: Stories of abduction, sexual violence and […]
EU Needs Rethink On Latin America Relations
EU relations with Latin America should promote greater cooperation and socioeconomic equality with a focus on human rights, according to NGOs meeting at the second EU-CELAC Civil Society Forum held today in Brussels. The event was hosted by Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs as EU leaders prepared to meet […]
TTIP’s Cross-Atlantic Endeavour Facing High Seas
EU-US negotiations on the TTIP free trade agreement are continuing. The deal which is expected to create new jobs and boost economies on both sides of the Atlantic touches upon sensitive issues, not least rules for the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS). On 27 January the international trade and legal affairs committees held a joint public […]
Europe Complicit With CIA ‘War On Terror’ Says Amnesty International
European governments that cooperated with the CIA’s secret detention, interrogation, and torture operations as part of the USA’s global “war on terror” must act urgently to bring those responsible to justice following a US Senate report containing new details said Amnesty International in a new briefing paper. Breaking the conspiracy of silence: USA’s European ‘partners […]
“EU And Latin America Should Join Forces Against Climate Change,” Says Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union has published a new climate action report outlining ways in which Europe and Latin America can collaborate more ambitiously. The report was released to coincide with the Twentieth Conference of the Parties (COP20) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, taking place in Peru until December 12. The report: “Europe and […]
Mogherini Urged to ‘Show Leadership on Human Rights in Latin America’
European civil society networks have called on the European Union’s new foreign affairs chief to show leadership on human rights in Latin America. APRODEV, CIDSE, CIFCA, GRUPO SUR and OIDHACO sent a letter congratulating Federica Mogherini on her recent appointment as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, they emphasised the importance of […]
Q&A With Anna Fotyga: “…an asymmetric war against western society…”
As countries all over the world discuss how they can work together to tackle the threat posed by ISIS, MEPs will debate on 17 September what the EU can do to improve the situation in the Middle East. Anna Fotyga, a Polish member of the ECR group and chair of the security and defence subcommittee, […]
United States Welcomes EU-Ukraine Association Agreement
“We congratulate the people of Ukraine on making history today, as the Ukrainian and European parliaments simultaneously ratified Ukraine’s Association Agreement with the European Union,” Marie Harf, Deputy State Department Spokesperson, said in a September 16 statement. “By forging ahead with this Agreement in the face of great challenges, Ukraine’s leaders have carried out the […]
Farage, “Poke the Russian bear with a stick, don’t be surprised if he reacts”
The EU should take a more proactive line on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and impose tougher sanctions on Russia, urged some political groups in Tuesday’s debate with EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Štefan Füle. Others, however, stressed the need to “keep communication channels open”. “We want to see actions and not words […]