EU funding for coercive population control

Current status: pro-life ammendments defeated. See update.

From SPUC: This Thursday (26th October) Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will vote on amendments to the European Union (EU) budget for 2007, specifically three amendments seeking to prevent any EU funds going to organisations, governments or programmes that are implicated in so-called 'family planning' programmes where coercion has been used in contravention of human rights.

Kathy Sinnott MEP writes: "At present the EU development funds have been given to governments and organisations for projects that include coercive abortion, forced sterilisation and infanticide...Governments such as those in China and Vietnam are currently heavily involved in such practices and international organisations have as yet failed to take proper action to avoid providing them financial support. Additionally there are aid projects in other countries that include one or more of these practices...These amendments will not lead to an end of diplomatic negotiations with any country or affect organisations or humanitarian aid which are not implicated in these human rights abuses."

Updates: The European parliament yesterday rejected three amendments to the European Union budget which would have removed funding from government and organisations' programmes which include coercive abortion, involuntary sterilisation and infanticide. Shortly afterwards, the parliament condemned China for allegedly shooting refugees. Ms Kathy Sinnott, MEP for Ireland south, welcomed the condemnation but said: "Why do Tibetans try to escape from China? Because of these very barbaric practices that in addition to the religious and political persecution blights the life of all the minorities and conquered peoples within the territory China now claims to rule." She asked the European commission what part EU aid was playing in that suffering. [Ms Sinnott's office, 26 October]