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Deutsch: Stavros Lambrinidis: Erster EU-Sonderbeauftragter für Menschenrechte

On 25 July 2012, on a proposal by Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council of the European Union appointed Mr Stravos Lambridinis, former MEP, as EU Special Representative for Human Rights.

This appointment is the result of repeated demands from the European Parliament and a recommendation of the Foreign Affairs Committee. On 24 May 2012, indeed, the Foreign Affairs Committee called on the Council to appoint a EU's high-level human rights envoy with an international reputation. The creation of the human rights envoy follows the EU's Strategic Framework and Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy that was adopted on 25 June 2012.

As requested by the European Parliament, Mr. Lambridinis has a long-standing experience in human rights and international relations. In his earlier carrier, he was indeed nominated Chairman of the Committee for Human Rights at the Washington D.C.'s bar association. He also worked at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs and became the Ambassador at Large of the Hellenic Republic. He was elected Member of the European Parliament in 2006, where he was Vice-Chairman of the Civil Liberties Committee. In 2009, he was elected Vice-President of the European Parliament. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs for Greece from June to November 2011.

The task of the EU Special Representative for Human Rights is to ensure the promotion of EU human rights policy worldwide. The mandate will be broad and flexible in order to give Mr Lambridinis the ability to adapt to different situations. He will work closely with the European External Action Service. He will in particular represent the EU at the international level, be responsible for the interactions with the UN and chair human rights dialogues with third countries. Mr Lambridinis' initial mandate will run until 30 June 2014. The goal is to enhance the effectiveness and consistency of EU policy.

The news was broadly appreciated by the MEPs, and “warmly” welcomed by the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz (Germany, S&D), and by the chairwoman of the EP human rights subcommittee Barbara Lochbihler (Germany, Groups of the Greens).

This appointment shows the willingness of the European Union to make human rights one of its strategic priorities and to give the EU a united voice on human rights issues. Mr Lambridinis said that he would “ensure the Human Rights gets integrated into all EU external policy”.

Stavros Lambrinidis appointed first EU Special Representative for Human Rights (25.07.2012)
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraf...

Stavros Lambrinidis appointed EU Special Representative for Human Rights (26.07.2012)
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/the-president/en/press/press_release_spe...

MEPs congratulate new EU human rights envoy, Stavros Lambrinidis (25.07.2012)
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+IM-PR...

EC press briefing (25.07.2012)
http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/audio/audioDetails.cfm?ref=87254&si...

(Contribution by Marie Humeau - EDRi)