English and Italian versions available – links below.

At the simultaneous launch in Brussels and Rome today of Amnesty International’s Six-Monthly Assessment of EU Human Rights Policy*, the organization says the European Union is lacking focus on human rights both at home and abroad, and calls for leadership from the Italian government to shape a new EU human rights agenda.

LE RICHIESTE DI AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL ALLA PRESIDENZA ITALIANA DELL’UNIONE EUROPEA

25/06/2003 – Amnesty International six-monthly assessment of EU human rights policy and benchmarks for the Italian EU Presidency – “Wanted: a new EU agenda for human rights”.

19/05/2003 – Amnesty International’s response to the European Commission’s Green Paper on Procedural Safeguards for Suspects and Defendants in Criminal Proceedings throughout the European Union – COM(2003)75

06/05/2003 – Amnesty International Briefing on the EU Return Plan to Afghanistan for the EU-JHA Council, 8 May 2003

Public hearing European Parliament Citizens’ Rights Committee

Amnesty International has accused the European Union of continuing to exercise double standards on human rights when, as a collective body, it demands that non-EU countries address their human rights violations, while remaining silent when human rights are violated within the EU.

Convention for the future of Europe: joint NGOs comments on the draft chapter on Justice and Home Affairs to be discussed in Plenary on 3-4 April 2003.

28/03/2003 – Convention for the future of Europe: joint NGOs comments on the draft chapter on Justice and Home Affairs to be discussed in Plenary on 3-4 April 2003. Document prepared jointly by Amnesty International, ECRE, ILPA, GISTI, Justice, Statewatch and the Standing Committee of experts on international immigration refugee and criminal law.

At a time when war in Iraq may result in a massive exodus of refugees, Amnesty International has described British proposals to be discussed at EU level tomorrow on processing refugees “in the region”as totally inappropriate, legally flawed and says they risk undermining the Tampere process.