The Committee on Human Rights (DROI) discuss the EU-Cuba relations, in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Brussels

WEBER, Renate (ALDE, RO)

meeting

EU - Cuba (T)

SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA, José Ignacio (EPP, ES)

OBIOLS, Raimon (S&D, ES)

DUHAMEL, Olivier (PSE, FR)

EU - Cuba: extracts from the meeting

Opening of the debate on the EU-Cuba relations.

SOUNDBITE (French), Olivier DUHAMEL, on behalf of the European Council, Representing the Belgian EU Presidency, RELEX, Latin America, The openness of the Cuban regime also Baroness Ashton decided that we should perhaps take new action to show that the EU is very much capable of reacting positively to changes.

SOUNDBITE (French), Olivier DUHAMEL, on behalf of the European Council, representing the Belgian EU Presidency, RELEX, Latin America, Actions that should could be chosen in this new type of policy, when it is to maintain relations as it is, 2ndly make relations more bilateral, so to use all the instruments that exist at this time between the EU and Cuba and to maintain them and to codify them and to come up with an agreement that would essentially be a continuation without trying to add anything new. 3rd possibility would be to open up the relations even more by creating more political dialogue, more trade and more cooperation.

SOUNDBITE (English), Renate WEBER (ALDE, RO), One positive aspect that was mentioned before is the release of some of the political Cuban prisoners. I like to have closer look into what has happened, Cuba was under a tremendous international pressure, to release the political prisoners. And they released only part of the political prisoners; most of them were actually expelled from Cuba immediately afterwards, if this is a way a regime would treat its political prisoners and be seen as an improvement, I'm sorry but I'm disagreeing with that view.

SOUNDBITE (English), Renate WEBER (ALDE, RO), Economically the country is basically collapsing and something has to be changed and this happens actually in all this Communist economies, planned and of course they fail because they are not sustainable, so again this is not because the regime in fact wants to change something there, but because life is putting some pressure to change. So I would say that if the COM want to let's say take boxes and acknowledge real improvements then we should first speak about freedom of internet in Cuba; freedom of Media in Cuba, allowing political parties to play a role in Cuba.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Raimon OBIOLS (S&amp;D, ES), We in this committee should be sending out a properly weight, a balanced message, we are obviously indignant that these people are deprived of liberty, but I think we gain in credibility when we take up a balanced position, when dealing with Human Right situation in various countries.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Jos&#233; Ignacio SALAFRANCA S&#193;NCHEZ-NEYRA (EPP, ES), The Sakharov Prize for 2010 went to somebody admirable, the Cuban dissident Guillermo Fari&ntilde;as, not allowed to pick it up, it that a real world to move forward in upholding Human Rights and Fundamental freedoms? In this connection Mme Chair I think that it is a good thing that innocent prisoners are being released, but they ought to be able to practise their rights in their own country. A number of arguments have been put forward which I see counter running with facts.