mr president the commission takes note of the draft resolutions presented by parliament concerning the situation in venezuela
you can be assured that the commission is following this situation very closely
in this regard the eu has noted with concern the continued suspension of media including rctv international
we understand that this is an issue that goes beyond purely legal requirements and needs to be regarded within the context of the question of freedom of expression in venezuela
this has been a cause for concern and has been given high visibility at international level in recent months
for example in november two thousand and nine the special rapporteur of the united nations human rights council argued that the proposed special law against media crimes in venezuela i quote would involve serious violations of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and would curtail press freedom in the country if it is adopted in its current form
the rapporteur also called on venezuela to fully respect articles nineteen and twenty of the international covenant on civil and political rights to which venezuela is a party and which guarantees the right to freedom of opinion and expression
you might also recall that in two thousand and nine the european union issued a declaration concerning those problems because for us freedom of expression and free access to information are issues that are part of the dialogue that we have with the venezuelan authorities
we deeply deplore that two protesters died and several persons were injured including members of the security forces and protestors
we share the assessment of the inter-american commission on human rights which has expressed its deep concern over the serious violent incidents which occurred in the demonstrations both for and against the government of president chávez and which has urged the venezuelan government to control demonstrations i quote within the framework of respect for human rights according to inter-american standards
we are closely following with concern the tendency towards political radicalisation
the september elections are widely seen as a milestone for the future of the country
in that respect the eu underlines the importance of these elections being held in a peaceful transparent and fully democratic environment
in the context of the dialogue which the eu is leading with the venezuelan authorities we have always stressed the importance of fully respecting international obligations and commitments on human rights including freedom of expression and the press as a cornerstone of democracy and the rule of law
as you know this principle is enshrined in the eu's charter of fundamental rights that is now part of our treaties
this puts a specific emphasis on freedom of expression and respect for pluralism in the media in europe and also in our international relations
the european union through the european instrument for democracy and human rights supports the activities of civil society organisations in this very specific area
furthermore we have continuously supported all initiatives aimed at promoting tolerance spaces for dialogue and mutual understanding
in the name of the commission i would like to assure parliament that we will continue to follow developments in venezuela closely
our commitment to supporting and strengthening democracy and the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms will be reflected in our cooperation policy and relations with venezuela in the future as in the past
