Edward McMillan-Scott is the Liberal Democrat MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber , but also the European Parliament’s Vice President for Human Rights. He has written an article for the latest edition of the European Parliament’s monthly magazine, EP Today, to mark Europe Day. He writes:
Despite the profound changes the world has undergone since the fall of the Berlin wall, torture, unlawful imprisonment and genocide still haunt us.
That is why the end of the European Parliament’s mandate is an opportunity to review the vital work done by the EU ensure the promotion and protection of human rights and democracy worldwide.
He then lists many projects and initiatives by the EU in the field of human rights and concludes:
If the EU and US continue to work together taking a coordinated approach to human rights, the world’s rising authoritarian powers would no longer be able to act with impunity. Of particular concern is the brutal power now being wielded once again by a Putin-led Russia. Europe needs a Magnitsky Act, systematically barring offenders from visiting the EU, and we should also set up an Impunity Register to log individual cases of torture or inhumane treatment, pending the opportunity of trials in the International Criminal Court, itself part-funded by the EIDHR.
It is a full agenda, but a wholly worthwhile endeavour. I am proud of the European Parliament’s efforts.
You can read the full article here.
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One Comment
Edward Macmillan-Scott has done an exemplary job as one of the MEPs representing my region in the European Parliament for years (even when he was a Conservative*) and anything he writes/says is well worth considering. (*Re. his being an ex-Conservative, if Cameron does gain a majority in 2015 (unlikely still in my view), then the whole period of his first two years is going to be taken up (as Wilson’s were in 1974-75) with nothing except ‘renegotiation’ with Brussels which, no matter what the outcome is, will still leave the ‘swivel eyed fanatics’ on his backbenches dissatisfied/on the verge of finally doing the deed and quitting the Tories to secede to the Kippers. If this gathers adequate momentum, I could well believe we will have the ‘Corn Laws Mark Two’ and there will only be one place for the Ken Clarkes, Lord Heseltines, Tony Baldries etc. to turn to if they do not want to go down totally with the wreck.