Euronest records progress despite tensions on Nagorno Karabakh

Energy and security, a stronger role for parliamentary democracy and civil society as well as economic reform assistance to the EU's Eastern neighbours were the key topics of the second Euronest meeting concluded on Wednesday in Baku, Azerbaijan.  Resolutions were adopted on all these issues as well as one calling for proper healthcare for Yulia Tymoshenko.

The Euronest interparliamentary adopted five resolutions where MEPs and MPs of Eastern partners:

 1. warn about common energy security threats.. The environmental aspect should play a more important role in energy production East of Europe, and threats to the energy generating facilities (nuclear power plants, dams, oil platforms, pipelines and terminals, oil refineries and chemical plants) in the partner countries should be considered also against the interests of the EU;

 2. call to strengthen the role and place of parliaments to resist more robustly future challenges to democracy.  The resolution particularly notes that forthcoming parliamentary and presidential elections in partner countries need to be free, fair, democratic and conducted according to the OSCE standards. It urges the Member States and the Eastern European Partners to ensure the fundamental right of citizens to information, respecting the principle of media independence and deplores the fact that many journalists have been subjected to acts of intimidation and harassment because of their work. The better promotion of a freely accessible internet was also welcomed;

3. call for more support for economic approximation of Eastern partners. The structural economic and public administration reforms that Eastern partner countries must undergo to conclude deep and comprehensive free trade agreements (DCFTA) with the EU are expected to be "painful" in the short term, as they require substantial changes both in the legal and economic cultures. The resolution calls on the EU to provide financial and technical assistance to implement those reforms.

 4. urge the empowerment of civil society. As in many Eastern Partnership countries rights and freedoms of civil society are restricted, especially rights of association and assembly, the resolution stresses the importance of freedom of speech and media access, as well as avoiding the spread of disinformation and hate among groups.

 5. An urgent resolution calling for Ukraine's former Prime-minister Yulia Tymoshenko to be provided proper healthcare.

Werner Schulz is a member of the working group of human rights and democracy of EURONEST

 What next?

The Euronest parliamentary assembly will meet for its third ordinary session in Brussels, on 28-29 May 2013. One of the most important reports to be adopted in next session is expected to be the one on security challenges in the region.

For more information about adopted resolutions, the members, rules and events of EURONEST please visit http://www.euronest.europarl.europa.eu/euronest/