A guide: How the European Parliament and other EU Institutions should approach Hong Kong

Today, Hong Kong Watch is publishing a new briefing, offering an ‘EU Policy Roadmap on Hong Kong’. 

With Hong Kong Watch preparing to visit Brussels for the second time since the European Parliament began its new mandate in July, this briefing is intended to serve as a policy roadmap on Hong Kong, including background on the situation in Hong Kong as well as the previous work of Hong Kong Watch and providing an overview of how the European Parliament and other EU Institutions have responded to key developments in Hong Kong since 2019. 

The briefing also includes Hong Kong Watch’s key policy asks for the European Parliament and other EU Institutions to continue to respond to the deteriorating human rights situation in Hong Kong by:

  • Increasing debate about EU-China relations and business and human rights

  • Reviewing the status of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in the EU

  • Requiring EU member states to suspend extradition treaties with the HKSAR and PRC

  • Imposing sanctions on HKSAR and PRC officials

In addition to these key policy asks, it is crucial that the European Parliament and other EU Institutions continue to monitor and respond to the situation in Hong Kong following the March 2024 passage of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance which furthers the threat posed by the 2020 National Security Law. The most basic rights and freedoms continue to deteriorate in the city. 

Miriam Lexmann MEP,  Patron of Hong Kong Watch and Co-Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), said:

“I have already been encouraged by the number of my colleagues in the new Parliament that are interested in defending the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong. Especially after the passage of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance in March, it is crucial that Hong Kong remains on the agenda in the European Parliament to curtail the People’s Republic of China’s efforts to strip away what remains of the city’s freedoms. I hope my colleagues will swiftly consider this policy roadmap which serves as a robust and needed starting point for setting the EU’s agenda on Hong Kong.”

香港監察發表歐港政策路線圖 要求歐洲議會及其他歐盟機構應對香港人權每況愈下

香港監察今天發表新簡報《歐盟對港政策路線圖》（EU Policy Roadmap on Hong Kong）。

香港監察正準備自今年7月新一屆歐洲議會開幕後第二次到訪布魯塞爾，而這份簡報則旨在充當對港政策路線圖，載有香港局勢的背景及香港監察以前的工作，並概述歐洲議會及其他歐盟機構如何回應2019年以來香港發生的重大事件。

簡報亦載有香港監察向歐洲議會及其他歐盟機構提出的關鍵政策要求，藉以繼續應對香港不斷惡化的人權狀況：

  • 増加針對歐中關係、商業與人權的辯論

  • 審視在歐盟香港經濟貿易辦事處的地位

  • 要求歐盟成員國中止與香港和中國的引渡條約

  • 向香港和中國官員施行制裁

除了上述關鍵政策要求外，因應2024年3月香港通過《維護國家安全條例》（俗稱「23條」），而23條加劇了2020年《國家安全法》帶來的威脅，歐洲議會及其他歐盟機構務必繼續監察並回應香港局勢。香港最基本的權利和自由持續惡化。

香港監察贊助人、對華政策跨國議會聯盟（IPAC）聯席主席、歐洲議會議員Miriam Lexmann MEP表示：

「新一屆議會中有不少關注捍衛香港人權利和自由的同事，我對此感到鼓舞。特別是自今年3月《維護國家安全條例》通過後，香港必須留在歐洲議會的議程上，務求遏制中國剝奪香港僅存自由的舉動。這份政策路線圖是制訂歐盟對港議程紮實且必要的起點，希望我的同事會迅速加以考慮。」

News, ReportsMegan KhooEU, eu