The European Union is one of the most ardent human rights champion both in Europe and outside its borders. But does the Union itself fulfil the obligations that it imposes on others? The representatives of the European parliament have passed a resolution which evaluates a yearly EU Council report on human rights worldwide for 2005. The deputies have analysed special activity conducted by the EU all over the world in order to find issues to be improved.

In contrast to previous years the current report not only delineates a general state of affairs with human rights, but also vividly assesses the activity in the sphere of human rights propagation and promotion. First of all, the areas where the labour of the Council is worth praising are mentioned. The examples are as follows: the endeavours to fight exercising death penalty and stimulate freedom of expression during the presidency of Great Britain; the vows “to proceed with the practise of demarches applied to all the international partners of the EU with respect to ratifying international conventions, which ban tortures” during Austrian presidency.

European parliament representatives have accepted with satisfaction the introduction of human rights issues in the European Neighbourhood Policy and note “the growing effectiveness of EU observing activity at election-time”. They have approved of the Council acts regarding the imposition of sanctions on Uzbekistan in the previous year, have once again denounced repressions in Ethiopia and human rights violation in Tunisia.

Besides, the report deals with “situation worsening in Darfur”, “human rights violation” in China, “out-of-court death penalties, disappearance and torture while imprisoning in Chechnya” and “very grave situation with human rights in Iran”. Anxiety is expressed with respect to human rights violations in Iraq, at the same time the deputies approve of the formation of a new government in this country. Besides, the parliament addressed the Council and the Committee with the demand “to call upon the government of the USA to close the detention centre in Guantanamo without delay” and grant the apprehended the right to a fair trial.

It is also stated in the report that “there exists a general EU inability to regularly and systematically express its concern about human rights violation” and that “the activity of the EU in the UN in this sphere is very one-sided”. The deputies of the EU demand for “a better arranged system of sanctions”, which could be applied to the countries that violate the agreements with the EU regarding human rights.

In the yearly reports to come the EU Council wishes to see a list of “countries of special concern”, which should contain a list of discrimination cases on the basis of ethnic or religious affiliation, sex or sexual orientation. Moreover, the parliament voiced a prompt intention to take a more active part in working out yearly reports and the European policy regarding human rights in general.