MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Lack of human rights content at the EU-Gulf Cooperation Council summit – E-002087/2024(ASW)

The promotion and protection of human rights are at the core of the EU’s engagement with third states and among the key objectives of its external action.

In order to put human rights at the core of its action, the EU has developed a broad range of legal and policy instruments, including the Guidelines on Human Rights Dialogues[1] adopted in 2021, which serve as guiding reference.

Human Rights Dialogues are one of the main means of implementation of the EU external human rights policy as outlined in the Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council ‘Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024’[2], which has been extended to 2027[3].

In line with the Lisbon Treaty and the role of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (Art. 27(2) TEU[4]), the EEAS leads these dialogues.

Human rights dialogues are embedded in the overall political relationship with third states. As set out in the Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council ‘A Strategic Partnership with the Gulf’[5] and the relevant Council conclusions[6], the promotion and protection of human rights remains at the core of EU’s engagement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and its Member States.

The EU conducts regular Human Rights Dialogues with the Members States of the GCC and discusses human rights issues as part of the political engagement with them.

The priorities set out in the action plan on Human Rights and Democracy guide those discussions. When relevant, individual cases are raised during the dialogues .

• [1] https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-6279-2021-INIT/en/pdf
• [2] https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-7029-2020-INIT/en/pdf
• [3] https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-9508-2024-INIT/en/pdf
• [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/treaty/teu_2016/art_27/oj/eng
• [5] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/joint-communication-%E2%80%9Cstrategic-partnership-gulf%E2%80%9D_en
• [6] https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-10038-2022-INIT/en/pdf