International

In the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) published today by Transparency International (TI), Ukraine is once again to be found amongst the worst regions. Commenting on the finding, SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong says: ´Ukraine can be found amongst countries like Paraguay and Nepal in 130th place out of a total of 167 countries. As if that weren’t bad enough, TI notes that the government is digging its heels in when it comes to taking the necessary measures against corruption. And with a country like that the EU should sign an Association Agreement? A no in the Ukraine referendum -and a no to companies who want to do business there and which have no hesitation in paying bribes.’

The European Parliament is set to vote today to approve a resolution on the Association Agreements with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldavia. The motion calls for rapid visa liberalisation and intensification of cooperation between the EU and these countries. The resolution also, however, expresses concern about ‘the context in which the Netherlands’ Ukraine referendum is taking place’ and the hope that ‘the Dutch people will judge the agreement on its advantages, including for the EU and for the Netherlands.’ Commenting on the text, SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong said: ‘By the context the EP can only mean the unpopularity of the government of Mark Rutte. Evidently the Prime Minister’s performance this week in Strasbourg has not given the Parliament any confidence that the referendum will result in a “yes”. That’s something which should give him cause for concern.’

SP Member of Parliament Farshad Bashir is furious over interference from Brussels in the taxation of Dutch port companies. The European Commission insists that the nationalised port companies of Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Zeeland, Den Helder, Groningen and Moerdijk should pay corporation tax on their profits. By not doing so, the Commission argues, they represent unfair competition with ports in other countries. Bashir, SP spokesman on both taxation issues and water transport, points out that ‘this tax ruling dates back to the 1950s. Given that these are state-owned corporations, it makes sense to exempt them from taxation. If they now have to pay taxes, it will cost a lot of jobs.’

The European Parliament today adopted a resolution on the digital internal market. For the SP, the most important interests in this are those of the consumer, and those of small businesses, as SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong explains: ´When it comes to the digital market there’s a danger that the European Commission will go too far. They originally wanted, for example, to make it obligatory for firms to offer their products on line to consumers in every member state, which wasn’t exactly handy for, for example, the local bakers who’ve just set up their own website. Fortunately the EP accepted my amendment to the effect that shops aiming at a local or regional market could pursue the same policy on line.’

The ban on the Communist Party of Ukraine is a flagrant violation of the right to freedom of expression and the right of association and should be immediately reversed, according to Amnesty International. Amnesty's statement came in reaction to the judicial decision taken this week in Kiev, a ruling which led to the ban on the party participating in elections. SP Senator Tiny Kox, president of the left group in the Council of Europe, supports Amnesty International's call. 'It is extremely sad to see Ukraine becoming ever worse when it comes to respect for fundamental rights. These rights, which include freedom of expression, association and assembly, are guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights, which Ukraine as a member state of the Council of Europe has committed itself to uphold, but which it is instead increasingly making a mess of.'