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| Two New Publications by the EMHRN | Date: 25-05-2000 |
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Two New Publications by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network Today, the EMHRN released two new reports: The MEDA Democracy Programme: Recommendations by the EMHRN to the European Commission, the European Parliament and the EU member states regarding the MEDA Democracy Programme The Role of Human Rights in the EU’s Mediterranean Policy: Setting Article 2 in Motion. The MEDA Democracy Programme In 1996, the European Parliament launched a particular budget line, the MEDA Democracy Programme (MDP), as a part of the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights. The aim was to establish an instrument to promote the rule of law, human rights and democracy and to strengthen civil society by granting subsidies to NGOs, universities, research centres and public bodies. Aware that the Commission is in a process of reforming grant management procedures under the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights, the EMHRN propose a set of recommendations to the EU in order to help strengthening the MDP for the benefit of human rights and democracy in the region. EMHRN’s recommendations were established upon consultation with its members in more than twenty partner countries to the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. The Role of Human Rights in the EU’s Mediterranean Policy: Setting Article 2 in Motion. Article 2 of the bilateral Association Agreements between the EU and its Mediterranean Partners states that respect for human rights and democratic principles underlies the policies of the partners and is an essential element in the agreement. However, since the Barcelona Conference, human rights conditions in the Euro-Mediterranean region have regularly given cause for grave concern. No coherent approach regarding the use of either the human rights clause or a standard setting for human rights seem yet to have been applied in the context of the Barcelona process. On this background, the EMHRN invited seventy human rights defenders, experts and parliamentarians to reflect on the criteria, measures and methodologies to make article 2 instrumental in promoting and protecting human rights in the region. These dicussions are summerised as a set of proposals in this report. |
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