This month's EP News looks at the role of the European Parliament in taking up human rights causes both inside and outside the EU. Human rights have become an increasingly important concern for all the EU institutions. The Treaty of Rome establishing the EEC in 1957 made little reference to human rights, but the Economic Community gradually developed a greater political dimension, and in 1977 the Council, Commission and Parliament signed a Joint Declaration on Human Rights.
This bound all three institutions to respect the fundamental rights derived from the European Human Rights Convention. The Declaration was reiterated in the Single European Act of 1986. The Maastricht Treaty introduced a provision that the promotion of respect for human rights and democratic principles was an objective of EU foreign policy. The Amsterdam Treaty also marked a significant advance, by making it possible to take sanctions against member states which breach the principles of democracy and human rights.
In external affairs, the European Parliament may be consulted by the Council, and can have an influence on policy. It has however a moral rather than a legal authority, and plays an important role in raising human rights concerns at home and abroad. This role has grown, especially since the first direct elections in 1979. Since 1983 the Parliament has regularly held major debates on human rights in the world and has adopted a series of significant reports on the subject. Parliament's active promotion of human rights has taken a number of forms. MEPs have pressed for the inclusion of human rights provisions in the EU's external agreements and in the successive EU Treaties. Parliament is in a position to block certain agreements with other countries in the case of human rights abuses. For instance, in 1993 the Parliament withheld assent to financial protocols with Syria. This was believed to have led to a significant number of Syrian Jews being allowed to leave the country, and other limited improvements in human rights. The possibility that the European Parliament would prevent the Customs Union with Turkey from coming into force in January 1997 is felt to have led to some reforms in that country's legislation, and apparently to the speedier release of some detainees. In 1997, the EU acted on a call by MEPs to end tariff concessions on imports from Burma because of the military junta's widespread use of forced labour.
MEPs have also taken up a number of individual cases. One such instance in 1996 was that of Sara Balabagan, a 16-year-old Filipino maid. Ms Balabagan was sentenced to death in the United Arab Emirates for the murder of her employer, despite evidence that she was seeking to defend herself from being raped. Following representations by the European Parliament and many other international bodies, her sentence was commuted and she was allowed to return to the Philippines after a period of imprisonment. The president of the Philippines and the country's parliament subsequently sent their thanks to the European Parliament. Besides such well-publicised cases, the Parliament can and does make discreet representations. It is widely felt that its intervention has been effective in cases in different parts of the world, often in instances where publicising the initiative might have lessened its chances of success.
In another initiative, each year the Parliament presents the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to an individual who has made a significant contribution to promoting human rights. Winners have included Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, the Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng, and the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo who campaigned for justice in Argentina. Last December the prize was awarded to the Algerian human rights activist, Salima Ghezali.
Parliament is also becoming an increasingly important actor in promoting human rights through its status as the EU's joint budgetary authority. It established the "European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights" which brings together in one chapter of the EU budget funding to promote human rights. Parliament has successfully campaigned to increase this funding, which has risen from around Ecu 27 million in payments in 1994, to over Ecu 74million in payments in 1998. In 1995, MEPs rejected a proposal by the Council to cut funding in this area by half.
A wide range of activities is supported, including the rehabilitation of torture victims and the work of the International Tribunals on the former Yugoslavia and on Rwanda. Parliament has taken the view that a permanent International Criminal Court should be established in order to bring all those guilty of war crimes and genocide to justice.
These are just a few of the ways in which Parliament has promoted human rights across the world. As the most democratic and accountable of the EU institutions it is in an ideal position to continue to push for respect of human rights, and this role is likely to increase in future years.