Mr Yvan BIEFNOT, President of the European Association for Free Thought Mr Andrzej DOMINICZAK, President, Polish Humanist Association Mr Pierre GALAND, President of the European Humanist Federation Ms Nieves Bayo GALLEGO, Grand Master of the Gran Logia Simbólica Española Mr Marc MENSCHAERT, President, Alliance Maçonnique Européenne, Grand Master, Grand Orient de Belgique Ms Nada PERATOVIC, President, Center for Civil Courage (Croatia) Ms Yvette RAMON, Grand Master of International Order of Co-freemasonry, "Le ...[+++]Droit Humain" Ms Régina TOUTIN, Vice-President, Institut Maçonnique Européen, Women's Grand Lodge of France Mr Oscar de WANDEL, Grand Master Grand Lodge of Belgium Mr Frieder Otto WOLF, President, Humanistischen Verbandes Deutschlands (HVD)

35. Considers regrettable, as regards the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, the continuing lack of any substantial progress and the failure to produce concrete and visible results; recalls that, on the adoption of a new EU human rights strategy, EU foreign ministers pledged in June 2012 that the EU would now ‘raise human rights issues vigorously in all appropriate forms of bilateral dialogue, including at the highest level’; calls on the newly appointed EU Special Representative for Human Rights, the EEAS, the Council and the Commission to step up their efforts in order to give this process new impetus and make this dialogue more effecti ...[+++]ve and result-oriented, including through preparatory meetings with both international and local civil society organisations and NGOs in the presence of the authorities of both sides; takes the view that such dialogue should be included in all contacts with officials from strategic partners such as China; stresses the importance of addressing thoroughly all the problems relating to human rights and the rule of law in China and in the EU; takes the view that EU-China summits and human rights talks should include a set of transparent issues to be discussed and concrete benchmarks; urges the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, to voice her concerns regarding human rights abuses in China and to refer publicly to the concrete cases and issues discussed with Chinese officials in all encounters; encourages Member States’ officials to follow the same lines in a coherent and coordinated manner; calls on EU companies with activities in China to comply with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and urges the EU and its Member States to monitor such compliance closely;

35. Considers regrettable, as regards the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, the continuing lack of any substantial progress and the failure to produce concrete and visible results; recalls that, on the adoption of a new EU human rights strategy, EU foreign ministers pledged in June 2012 that the EU would now ‘raise human rights issues vigorously in all appropriate forms of bilateral dialogue, including at the highest level’; calls on the newly appointed EU Special Representative for Human Rights, the EEAS, the Council and the Commission to step up their efforts in order to give this process new impetus and make this dialogue more effecti ...[+++]ve and result-oriented, including through preparatory meetings with both international and local civil society organisations and NGOs in the presence of the authorities of both sides; takes the view that such dialogue should be included in all contacts with officials from strategic partners such as China; stresses the importance of addressing thoroughly all the problems relating to human rights and the rule of law in China and in the EU; takes the view that EU-China summits and human rights talks should include a set of transparent issues to be discussed and concrete benchmarks; urges the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, to voice her concerns regarding human rights abuses in China and to refer publicly to the concrete cases and issues discussed with Chinese officials in all encounters; encourages Member States’ officials to follow the same lines in a coherent and coordinated manner; calls on EU companies with activities in China to comply with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and urges the EU and its Member States to monitor such compliance closely;

In 2006, for example, the world trade association of music publishers and the umbrella organisation of European associations for the collective rights of authors adopted a joint statement establishing a set of rules for online copyright management.

30. Takes the view that the denial of the right to form independent trade unions is counter-productive in the light of the increasing protests and demonstrations by workers throughout China against forced lay-offs, unpaid wages and other benefits, official corruption and mismanagement; therefore calls on the Chinese government to recognise and to guarantee the basic right to freedom of expression and association and the right to strike;

30. Takes the view that the denial of the right to form independent trade unions is counter-productive in the light of the increasing protests and demonstrations by workers throughout China against forced lay-offs, unpaid wages and other benefits, official corruption and mismanagement; therefore calls on the Chinese government to recognise and to guarantee the basic right to freedom of expression and association and the right to strike;