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MEPS TO DISCUSS CONTROVERSIAL 'ARMENIAN GENOCIDE' REPORT
European Voice
April 9, 2015
Dave Keating [email protected]
MEPs to debate how to define the Ottoman Empire's 1915 killing and
forced relocation of Armenian subjects.
The sensitive subject of how to define the Ottoman Empire's 1915
killing and the forced relocation of its Armenian subjects will be
up for debate at a single-day session of the European Parliament in
Brussels on Wednesday (8 April).
The resolution, entitled 'Armenian genocide 100th anniversary', builds
on a report adopted last month by the EURONEST parliamentary assembly,
which links the European Parliament with the national parliaments
of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The report
"condemns all forms of crimes against humanity and genocide and deeply
deplores attempts at their denial".
It is unclear this week whether the resolution will have enough
political support to pass, particularly if it uses the phrase
"Armenian genocide". Twenty-two countries, along with the Council
of Europe, have referred to the events of 1915 as a genocide. But
such terminology does not enjoy universal acceptance, and has been
condemned by the Turkish government. Martin Schulz, the president of
the European Parliament, is today (9 April) in Turkey on an official
visit to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
MEPs will also vote on a resolution recognising the one-year
anniversary of the Bangladesh factory fires and assessing the progress
of the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact, which is meant to discourage
unsafe working conditions.
A series of contentious debates and votes in committees next week
includes a vote on Tuesday (14 April) by the committee on international
trade on a new certification scheme for conflict minerals. The
European Commission has proposed a voluntary certification system to
cover extractive industries in war-torn areas, but MEPs are likely
to call for a binding system. This will follow a debate in the same
committee on Monday (13 April) on the EU-US free trade agreement, TTIP,
currently being negotiated by the European Commission. On Monday,
the environment committee will debate a report from the Commission
on patient safety and superbugs, and on Tuesday it will vote on a
controversial proposal to limit the use of biofuel.
European Voice
April 9, 2015
Dave Keating [email protected]
MEPs to debate how to define the Ottoman Empire's 1915 killing and
forced relocation of Armenian subjects.
The sensitive subject of how to define the Ottoman Empire's 1915
killing and the forced relocation of its Armenian subjects will be
up for debate at a single-day session of the European Parliament in
Brussels on Wednesday (8 April).
The resolution, entitled 'Armenian genocide 100th anniversary', builds
on a report adopted last month by the EURONEST parliamentary assembly,
which links the European Parliament with the national parliaments
of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The report
"condemns all forms of crimes against humanity and genocide and deeply
deplores attempts at their denial".
It is unclear this week whether the resolution will have enough
political support to pass, particularly if it uses the phrase
"Armenian genocide". Twenty-two countries, along with the Council
of Europe, have referred to the events of 1915 as a genocide. But
such terminology does not enjoy universal acceptance, and has been
condemned by the Turkish government. Martin Schulz, the president of
the European Parliament, is today (9 April) in Turkey on an official
visit to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
MEPs will also vote on a resolution recognising the one-year
anniversary of the Bangladesh factory fires and assessing the progress
of the Bangladesh Sustainability Compact, which is meant to discourage
unsafe working conditions.
A series of contentious debates and votes in committees next week
includes a vote on Tuesday (14 April) by the committee on international
trade on a new certification scheme for conflict minerals. The
European Commission has proposed a voluntary certification system to
cover extractive industries in war-torn areas, but MEPs are likely
to call for a binding system. This will follow a debate in the same
committee on Monday (13 April) on the EU-US free trade agreement, TTIP,
currently being negotiated by the European Commission. On Monday,
the environment committee will debate a report from the Commission
on patient safety and superbugs, and on Tuesday it will vote on a
controversial proposal to limit the use of biofuel.