Not only Europe

Democracy, peace, the fight against poverty and disease, international solidarity: with some recent interventions the European Parliament in Strasbourg has appealed to the EU and its 27 member states to pay greater attention to, and intervene more effectively in, the global scene. IS THE EU THE FUTURE OF UKRAINE? Parliament first considered the situation that has come to be created in Kiev after the “orange revolution”. The huge former Soviet country is seeking political, social and economic stability, which is slow in coming. That’s why the EP is favourable to the opening of negotiations on a proposed partnership deal with Ukraine, with a possible view to the country’s future membership of the Union. “The majority of Ukrainians are favourable to membership of the EU. But before that happens – explained Polish MEP MICHAL KAMINSKI , author of the report approved during the last plenary session – reforms are necessary, aimed at stabilizing the country’s institutional and economic situation and ensuring respect for human rights”. Two interim measures are proposed: “the establishment of a free-trade zone” and the reinforcement of cooperation in the energy field. The EP therefore urges the Ukrainian leaders “to remain faithful to their commitment to the principles of freedom, democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights”, “step up its crackdown on corruption” and “reinforce the responsibility of the organs of the state administration”. AIDS, ACCESS TO DRUGS IN THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. Prompted by two oral interrogations, the chamber then debated the question of access to medicines in the developing countries. The data presented at Strasbourg during the debate are eloquent: 95% of the 40 million people in the world suffering from Hiv/Aids live in poor countries, especially in Africa. Parliament once again reaffirmed the difficulties of access to effective treatments in the nations of the “third world”. A Resolution supported by all political groups in the EP, with the exception of the far right and the nationalists, emphasises that the availability of drugs at affordable prices would help not only to treat those suffering from Aids, but also “reduce poverty, increase human security and promote human rights and sustainable development”. The EU is called “to adopt as a matter of urgency supplementary measures aimed at promoting the transfer of technologies, research, and systems of regional provisioning” to “increase the production of pharmaceutical products in the developing countries themselves”. MEP therefore appeal to pharmaceutical countries directly to “seek alternative tariff solutions”, so as to reduce the price of drugs. SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST. Debating the Middle East, the EP has once again proposed the use of an international peacekeeping force under the aegis of the UNO. It has also supported “the organization of an international peace conference”. The Parliament’s intervention comes just a few days after the appointment of former British Premier Tony Blair as special Middle-East envoy of the Quartet (UNO, EU, USA and Russia), which supports a solution in the Holy Land based on the principle “two peoples, two states” (Israel and Palestine). The EP, which had also pronounced itself on the issue at the end of June, condemns, on the eve of the new meeting of the Quartet scheduled to be held in Lisbon on 19 July, the seizure of power by Hamas in Gaza; supports Palestinian President Abbas; and invites Israel to “stop its military operations and release Palestinian detainees”. The Parliament underlines its “concerns about the possible grave consequences of the present crisis”, “including further military and terrorist attacks and growing radicalisation”, which could “further jeopardize the fragile political situation in the region”. For its part the Commission has decided to allocate a further 80 million euros as humanitarian aid for the Palestinian population, as part of the aid plan defined by the Quartet. DARFUR, HUMANITARIAN DISASTER. “An infernal mixture”: so JOSEP BORRELL , Spanish MEP, who led a parliamentary mission to Darfur from 30 June to 6 July, has branded the region of Sudan, prostrated by a combination of civil war, violence of every kind, mass rapes, deportation and growing poverty. Borrell recalls the over 400,000 deaths caused by the conflict, and the plight of some two and a half million refugees. The former President of the European Parliament denounces the “disappearance” of 400 million euros allocated by the EU to pay the wages of the troops of the African Union that play the role of a buffer force in the region. The EP, in its plenary session, adopting a clear position, asked the EU countries to “closely monitor the arms embargo” against the government of Khartoum. It also underlines the need to “reinforce the prohibition of flights in the region” through the creation of a “no fly zone”. The EP denounces China’s export of weapons to Sudan. MEPs await from the UNO a rapid and massive intervention “to prevent a humanitarian disaster”.