Samenwerking EU en Rusland: aanbevelingen van europarlementariërs(en)

The renewal of the EU’s cooperation agreement with Russia should be used as an opportunity to address the human rights situation in the country, improve the security of gas supplies from Russia and seek assurances that Moscow will no longer use force against its neighbours, argues the European Parliament.

MEPs expressed these views in a recommendation to the Council on the negotiations on the agreement, following the resumption on 2 December 2008 of talks between the two sides.  The text was adopted by 416 votes to 80, with 147 abstentions.

Political freedoms and human rights inside Russia

The recommendation, drafted by Janusz Onyszkiewicz (ALDE, PL), calls on Moscow in particular to respect freedom of expression and association by introducing legislation that complies with its European and international commitments as a member of the Council of Europe and the OSCE.  MEPs also voice concern about the rule of law and the independence of Russia's judiciary and legal system.

Intimidation and harassment of human rights activists must stop, say MEPs. The regular six-monthly human rights consultation between the European Union and Russia, which has failed to produce any tangible results since its establishment in 2005, must be reformed.

Russia’s foreign policy

The talks on renewing the EU-Russia partnership agreement, which expired at the end of 2007, started on 4 July 2008 before being suspended following the war in Georgia. The resumption of talks was decided at the EU-Russia summit in Nice last November.

The current negotiations on a new cooperation agreement between the EU and Russia must not be seen as legitimising the status quo in Georgia, argues Parliament. Russia should be asked, under the new agreement, to provide assurances that it will not use force against its neighbours.

MEPs also call on Russia to contribute to finding sustainable political settlements for Kosovo, Transdniestria and Moldova.

Energy security

The principles of the Energy Charter (signed but not ratified by Moscow) and the charter’s protocol on transit (not signed by Russia) should be incorporated into the new cooperation accord, say MEPs. The protocol bans the suspension or reduction of energy flows in the event of a dispute on transit modalities until dispute settlement procedures have been completed.

Membership of the WTO

MEPs, who support Russia’s membership application to the WTO – it has been a candidate since June 1993 – call on the Russian authorities to scrap all discriminatory taxes such as those applied to rail freight and to abolish their export taxes on untreated timber.  They also want Russia to eliminate gradually the charges its levies for overflying Siberia.

The Russian authorities should bring their intellectual property rules into line with WTO rules and international agreements, in particular TRIPS (the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights), and should seek to ensure that they are fully implemented so as to combat counterfeiting and piracy.

In addition, Russia is urged to guarantee the property rights of foreign investors and to revise the 2008 law on strategic sectors, which defines 42 sectors in which the taking of controlling shares by foreign investors must be submitted for prior approval.

A more flexible visa regime needed

Lastly, Parliament calls on the Russian authorities to undertake to reduce administrative obstacles applied non-reciprocally to all travellers, especially the requirement for Europeans to have an invitation and to register upon arrival.