The EU is founded on human rights. Just in time for Human Rights Day on the 10th of December, the EU has adopted a landmark human rights sanctions regime to target individuals involved in human rights abuses. This “European Magnitsky Act” is truly significant as it enables the EU to take decisive action against human rights abuses around the globe. In light of these events, let us examine the merits of the EU’s commitment to human rights a little closer.
Abroad, the EU underpins its commitment to human rights by extensively funding a variety of programmes aimed at promoting and protecting human rights. Closer to home, self-interest seems to be more critical. In November, the UN blamed the European Union’s refugee policy for the drowning of hundreds of asylum seekers. In addition to this inaction, the EU funds the Libyan coast guard, which captures migrants at sea and deports them back to Libya. Here, they face human trafficking and other abuses.
The EU lacks commitment to human rights in other areas as well. The EU’s hesitancy to condemn China’s mistreatment and internment of its Uyghur Muslim population is another example. Worsening relations with China can be problematic due to the sheer size of trade between the EU and China. Should the EU only pursue human rights when the economic stakes are low?
Civil society organisations routinely criticise the EU’s trade policy. For example, they argue that Europe’s upcoming trade agreement with Latin American countries may threaten the livelihood of indigenous Amazonian peoples. More trade with certain regions is directly linked to environmental degradation and human rights abuses. To prevent this downward spiral, the EU routinely includes special clauses aimed at protecting human rights, the environment and sustainable development in its foreign trade agreements. Whether these provisions show a real effect or amount to mere appeasement of the critics remains to be seen.
Does the European Union care about human rights? What do you think? Is the EU’s commitment to human rights worth more than the paper on which it is written? Can the EU uphold its reputation as global mediator and bastion of human rights or does realpolitik govern its actions? Let us know your thoughts and comments in the form below, and we’ll take them to policymakers and experts for their reactions!
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I don’t think having people injailed for being independence activists in Spain shows EU commitment towards human rights protection
It certainly cares more than most other blocs… If the EU didn’t do business with countries with questionable Human Rights records, it would have few trading partners and I doubt the situation would improve very much elsewhere. By injecting human rights into trade policy in the form of tiered levels of access to the single market, I think it could foster better practice abroad.
Does the European Union care about human rights?
You mean like the ‘human rights’ of Julian Assange, kept in prison without charge, in solitary confinement, for years now? And with full knowledge of the civilised world! And ‘why’ is this man being held this way?… For telling the truth about governments unlawful behaviour against human beings and abuse of their human rights.
The UK is no longer part of the EU.
Unless you think the EU should consider trying to pressure the UK not to extradite Assange to the US? Perhaps by linking the issue to the ongoing EU-UK trade negotiations?
Does the European Union care about human rights?
Are women of the Western world considered in need of protection from imports into European society under ‘Human Rights’ law? Especially from those having no ‘right’ whatsoever to remain here, as a result of their collective medieval practices against our women and children? This has been going on over twenty years now. Additionally, their women seem to approve of these mens behaviour against our female Europeans. And appear to think it funny by the looks on their faces in these pictures.
Human rights activists and UN enablers must demand these people be deported from our society at once… Our girls and women’s lives matter. Which clearly is not shared by many other cultures who seem to be encouraged to invade our way of life, regardless of their lack of concern for us as a people with ‘profound humanistic’ views on female rights from ‘birth’…… And those who feel they must condone this behaviour to protect the criminals in these cases, can be asked ‘why’ they feel that way, whilst continuing to reside in the Europe, when their sympathies lie in other parts of the globe better suited to beliefs they carry? What is it about our cultural practice and social norms they want to change or ignore? Can they please explain fully what they want to change us into? So we can defend it or not.
Matt
Your post is an odd response to the question ‘Does the European Union care about human rights?’ When we have nothing else pushed down our European throats other than an idea we must impoverish ourselves to save the ‘world’ and instil an idea of ‘human rights’ across it! Yes, I did forget Assange is white and from Australia, leaving him at a terrible disadvantage on the world stage. Had he been a threatening criminal or warrior murderer, of course, he would have crowds calling for him to be raised to sainthood, the way so many others have been.
Which, considering most of EU countries, with a thriving economy, want to leave that club as an invasion of global attributes is penal to their well being and safety.
And to put you straight, Europe is begging our politicians to go on subsidising this betrayal of the good citizens across that continent, to the point where they are ready to take the knee to see us continue to sell their goods to our citizens. The ones who don’t want your indoctrination with a suicide pact you are embracing with such relish.
Yes we should.. But we should not defend the rights of those who want to destroy us.. Stop being naive..
We should not infringe on the rights of those what will therefore become our enemies – and complain about the consequences later as if there was no cause. That is not only naive.
The adoption is a very good step although it seemed long overdue. Wait and see “action speaks louder than word”.
No becuase look at Portugal how they are thriving on human slavery.
Nope: uighurs in China, civil society in Poland, Hungary or Turkey etc.
Don’t notice them pulling up france for police brutality over the last few years?
Human rights are as important as air and water. Without them you can’t have a normal life. But the EU has nothing to do with them.
Of course, and they shall demand more respect for being of the few that care, instead of being bullied about how ” bad” they are. They created the concept together with the USA and are still the only countries that truly care. Persecuted people worldwide don’t move to EU and USA for nothing.
Very selectively unfortunately, only when it serves the political agenda. And every one can feel it from media sh#tstorm (Frau Merkel used word to describe unbearable media stream).
It Depends. Thats why people don’t trust EU
Yes EU cares about human rights … but only in cases like Belarus where politics meet … in cases like police brutality in Greece for example .. EU does not intefere in the policies of the country .. so it’s human rights pro but in circumstances
The eu only cares about furthering control over its members and forcing their social engineering down citizens throats. Totally directed at Hungary and Poland. Just look at some of the countries its thinking of admitting and then ask if thyy care about human rights
Chris, well, don’t agree with you at all.
Georgius, joys of democracy, you are entitled to your view
Until these countries fix their human rights and find better environmental solutions, the EU could slap a violation tariff on their products until they sort it out. Call the tariff something nicer so they don’t get upset, but they will get the message.