Human rights and Democracy should be at core of the ‘renewed’ European Neighbourhood Policy

1. Introduction
Following the Arab Spring the EU took a series of initiatives aiming at recasting its South Mediterranean Neighbourhood policy acknowledging past failures and the need to address „the realities on the ground‟.

The overall policy was outlined before summer 2011 in two joint communications by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and the European Commission both being subsequently endorsed by the Council.

A series of initiatives for the implementation of this “renewed approach” are now in the making.

The EMHRN wishes to contribute to this process with the following remarks and recommendations:

2. The general approach
The EMHRN welcomes the EU‟s commitment to support the changes taking place in the region including the building and consolidation of healthy democracies. It supports the Council commitment to base a new approach on “mutual accountability and shared commitment to universal values of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law”.

Read the full statement here to the right