Freedom of press and media in the world - Annual Report on human rights and democracy in the world 2012 and the European Union's policy on the matter - Promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief
Wednesday, 12 June 2013 - Strasbourg
Debate
Pino Arlacchi (S&D ). - Mr President, I believe that any discussion at EU level on the freedom of the press and media in the world can only be credible if media freedom is safeguarded and respected within the Union itself. We must remind ourselves that, in recent years, some European media have come under scrutiny for unethical and illegal behaviour. For this reason, the Commission should closely monitor the independence of the press within the Member States, while applying a global strategy of transparency and accountability.
Pino Arlacchi (S&D ), in writing. − Mr. President, I strongly support this resolution, because it calls on all the actors involved in the Syrian crisis to respect international humanitarian law. We must make sure that those responsible for the widespread and gross human rights violations committed in Syria over the past 24 months will be held accountable. The humanitarian situation in Syria is worsening every day, and I believe that any further militarisation of the conflict can only bring greater suffering to the Syrian people and the region as a whole. The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria observed that more brutal tactics and new military capabilities have been employed in recent months by both sides of the conflict. The EU should take a leading role in putting an end to the arms flow in the country and should also continue to provide extensive assistance to the Syrian refugees.
Pino Arlacchi (S&D ), in writing. − This Resolution is the result of a strong political initiative led by the Socialist group. The return of misappropriated assets, stolen by former dictators and their regimes, to Arab Spring countries in transition is a moral and legal imperative and is also a highly sensitive issue in the EU’s relations with its southern neighbourhood. The restitution of frozen assets is, over and above its economic significance, a strong message against the impunity for corruption and money laundering enjoyed so far by unscrupulous political leaders. Egypt, Libya and Tunisia have made considerable efforts aimed at ensuring that these assets are repatriated but, so far, few concrete results have been achieved in this context. For this reason, with this text we ask for an EU mechanism composed of a team of national and international investigators, prosecutors, lawyers and other experts to be established without delay with the aim of providing legal and technical advice and assistance to Arab Spring countries in the process of asset recovery. I believe that this effort will be one of the most significant contributions by the EU to the consolidation of democratic transition in these three crucial countries.
Pino Arlacchi (S&D ), in writing. − I voted in favour of this resolution because I agree with the call to the Council to set a date for the start of accession negotiations with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia without further delay. I think it is regrettable that, for the fourth consecutive year, the European Council decided not to open negotiations despite the Commission’s positive recommendation in this respect. This continuous postponement is increasing frustration about the EU integration process among the country’s public opinion and risks exacerbating domestic problems and internal tension. EU accession is fundamental to the long-term stability of the country and good inter-ethnic relations and I believe that all candidate and potential candidate countries should be treated according to their own merits in the integration process. Consequently, all the bilateral issues should not represent an obstacle to the official opening of accession negotiations, although they should be solved before the end of the accession process.
Pino Arlacchi (S&D ), in writing. − I voted for this resolution because it clearly highlights the need for consistent commitment by the political leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to accelerate the country’s progress towards EU membership. From this point of view, constitutional reform remains the key to the transformation of BiH into a fully functional democracy. With this resolution we stress too that corruption continues to seriously hamper socio-economic and political development in the country. For this reason we ask all competent authorities to ensure that an independent and effective judicial system is established and to develop a strategy of integration with the EU.
Pino Arlacchi (S&D ), in writing. − I voted in favour of this resolution because I am confident that a comprehensive transatlantic trade and investment partnership, once fully implemented, could bring significant economic gains for both the EU and the US. In light of the ongoing economic crisis, the high level of public debt, the high unemployment rates and modest growth projections on both sides of the Atlantic, it is crucial for the EU and the US to develop a truly integrated transatlantic market, in order to maximise the creation of new jobs and stimulate strong and balanced growth potential.
Pino Arlacchi (S&D ), in writing. − I voted for this report because what occurred in Bangladesh on 24 April 2013 at the Rana Plaza is inacceptable. Over 1 000 people died and 2 500 were injured on account of the complete lack of minimal safety measures, the illegal building construction and the lack of workers’ rights to defend their own interests. This is only the latest episode in the tragedies happening in the textile factories in this country. With this resolution, we call on the Bangladeshi authorities to act immediately to ensure that factories across the country comply with international labour standards and with the ILO conventions. The European market is the largest export destination for Bangladeshi apparel and textile products and for this reason the Commission should actively promote mandatory responsible business conduct among EU companies operating abroad, with a special focus on ensuring strict compliance with all their legal obligations, in particular international standards and rules in the areas of human rights, labour and the environment.
Pino Arlacchi (S&D ). - Mr President, I share the strong universal condemnation of the latest nuclear threat by North Korea. It is a blatant challenge to the non-proliferation regime and, as Madam Ashton said, a serious threat to lasting peace in the Korean Peninsula and to security in North-East Asia.
At the same time, I believe it is the appropriate moment to remember that no nation should own nuclear arms, not Iran, not North Korea, and not their critics who take the moral high ground. Global security cannot be guaranteed by a select club of nuclear powers that retain the privilege to annihilate all. Until we overcome this double standard, making the possession of nuclear bombs in itself illegal, we are unlikely to make even minimal progress in this area.
Pino Arlacchi (S&D ). - Mr President, I have heard many colleagues speaking about Egypt and how the Arab Spring is turning into an Islamic winter. I do not agree with their view. This bleak analysis is based on an incorrect understanding of the driving forces at hand in Egypt and elsewhere and on unrealistic expectations of a smooth and quick transition. The mistake is to focus exclusively on the strength and intentions of Egyptian Islamists vis-à-vis the secularists. I am convinced instead that the democratisation of Egypt will depend more on the quality of institution-building than on the so-called ‘Islamist factor’. Therefore, instead of fretting over Islamists, we need to have a deeper conception of a political transition in Egypt and we should strive to bolster institutions and economic reform. I believe that what the EU has done until now is quite correct and deserves the support of Parliament.
Pino Arlacchi (S&D ). - Mr President, Commissioner, there are some issues that divide us from China – first and foremost its political system – but Europe shares many things with China and now I want to stress just one element, the rejection of war as an instrument of foreign policy and the peaceful approach to international relations.
For more than 25 centuries, war aversion has been a characteristic feature of the Chinese mentality and philosophy. Europe started to be a peaceful continent after the Second World War. Europe and China today are powerful peace advocates lowering or containing their military budgets and preferring non-military solutions during international crises. We share with China a non-aggressive approach to global security, respect for multilateral bodies and a non-paranoiac view of world issues. These are big building blocks for a future partnership capable of contributing to security and prosperity on a global scale.
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Non sono una persona complicata. La mia vita pubblica ruota intorno a due cose: il tentativo di capire ciò che mi circonda, da sociologo, e il tentativo di costruire un mondo più decente, da intellettuale e militante politico.
