Recognises attempts by the Council and the Commission to organise a second round of the European Union-Uzbekistan dialogue on human rights in May 2008 and commends the Commission on its efforts to organise a civil society seminar on media expression in the margins of the dialogue, possibly in Tashkent; points out once again that the holding of a dialogue on human rights and experts' meetings on the 2005 Andijan massacre do not in themselves constitute progress and cannot be used as a reason for the lifting of sanctions; notes that the absence of an independent international inquiry into the Andijan massacre and the lack of any improvement in the human rights situation in Uzbekistan — these being the ...[+++]conditions laid down by the European Union for the lifting of sanctions — have logically led to the sanctions against Uzbekistan being extended; welcomes the fact that the conclusions of the General Affairs and External Relations Council of 15-16 October 2007 have introduced specific conditions which have to be met within a period of six months in order for the visa restriction suspension to be maintained; invites the Council and the Commission to carry out a serious assessment of the impact of the decision to suspend for six months some of the visa restrictions that form part of the European Union sanctions against Uzbekistan, and to review the overall human rights situation in the country; deplores the fact that Uzbekistan has so far failed to deliver any progress in any of these respects; pays tribute to the work done by its Subcommittee on Human Rights in closely monitoring the human rights situation every six months so as to provide the Council with regular parliamentary assessments and recommendations as regards the EU policy to be adopted in this matter; is appalled by the presidential election held on 23 December 2007 in Uzbekistan, which according to the ODIHR was ‘held in a strictly controlled political environment, leaving no room for real opposition, a ...

Regional Advisory Councils offer advice on the Common Fisheries Policy to the Commission and Member States and ensure effective involvement of stakeholders which is one of the essential pillars of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy and a prerequisite of good governance.

34. Urges the Council and the Commission, in the framework of a European common immigration and asylum policy, to include the risk of being subjected to female genital mutilation among the reasons for requesting the right of asylum, in accordance with the international guidelines issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees affirming that the international definition of refugees "covers gender-related claims";

34. Urges the Council and the Commission, in the framework of a European common immigration and asylum policy, to include the risk of being subjected to female genital mutilation among the reasons for requesting the right of asylum, in accordance with the international guidelines issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees affirming that the international definition of refugees "covers gender-related claims".

It is therefore appropriate to amend the Council Decision of 13 September 1999 laying down the conditions of employment of the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union, High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, and the Council Decision of 13 September 1999 laying down the conditions of employment of the Deputy Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union in order to reflect the aforementioned amendments,

(8) Whereas the principle of equal treatment was stated in Article 119 of the Treaty, in Council Directive 75/117/EEC of 10 February 1975 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the application of the principle of equal pay for men and women (4) and in Council Directive 76/207/EEC of 9 February 1976 on the implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion and working conditions (5);