Corruption has a devastating impact on the human rights situation and often undermines the functioning and legitimacy of the institutions and principles of the rule of law, the text said.
Unlike similar schemes around the world, such as the US Global Magnetic Law, the current EU Global Sanctions for Human Rights, adopted in December 2020, does not consider corruption in connection with human rights violations as a crime. to be sanctioned with restrictive measures.
Parliament wants to change this and urges the European Commission to present a legislative proposal to extend the scope of the EU’s Global Sanctions regime to cover these crimes as well.
It is also proposed that MEPs be able to present cases of serious human rights violations in order to increase the legitimacy of the sanctions regime. MEPs call for an inclusive process to facilitate the participation of civil society, the European Parliament said in a press release.
The text calls for the introduction of qualified majority voting when sanctions are adopted within the scope of the EU’s Global Sanctions Regime, as this will make the regime more effective.
In addition, MEPs condemn any retaliatory sanctions imposed on the EU, its institutions and Members of Parliament, bodies or citizens, simply because they protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law through the EU’s Global Sanctions Regime.
The EU’s response to such responses by third countries must be swift and coordinated, and bilateral agreements with those countries must not undermine the EU’s sanctions framework and confidence in its foreign policy as a whole, the document said.
The text was adopted by 584 votes to 73, with 33 abstentions.
Since the introduction of the sanctions regime for human rights violations, the restrictive list includes 15 individuals and 4 legal entities from 6 countries: Russia, China, North Korea, Libya, South Sudan and Eritrea, Deutsche Welle reports. The sanctions include a ban on entering the EU, a freezing of assets and a ban on EU individuals and legal entities providing funds to those on the list.
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