I would like to thank the High Representative for her statement.

I think it is relevant to mention that the debate tonight is taking place against the backdrop of the Chilcot Inquiry in the UK into the illegal war on Iraq and what lessons should be learned. A lot of information is coming to light which confirms what many of us believed at the time of the invasion - that the reason for the war was regime change and control of resources - not the threat of weapons of mass destruction.

In terms of long term planning for a post-war Iraq, words like "dire", "deeply flawed" and "woefully thin" are being used by senior diplomats and military officers in their evidence to the inquiry. It is little wonder that we are now seeing severe consequences of that action.

There is still no legislation to protect minorities in Iraq and there is a continuing major refugee problem. Trades unionists, journalists, women politicians and human rights activists have disappeared or been killed. Suicide attacks continue to kill and injure.

With elections due on March 7th, the Iraqi election commission last week barred almost 500 candidates, believed to be mainly Sunni politicans, from standing. Sunni Arabs are under-represented in the Iraqi parliament because they boycotted the 2005 election. This ban will lead to more tension and instability.

Last November, the EU Presidency urged the government of Iraq to suspend the death penalty leading to its abolition altogether. Today 900 people are on death row in Iraq. Amnesty International has confirmed that the death penalty is used extensively and the Iraqi Commission on Human Rights has reported that death sentences are handed out following unfair trials - some lasting only a few minutes.

The EU has a responsibility to help build democracy and ensure respect for human rights in Iraq. The EU Framework for engagement with Iraq sets out three priorities which are:

- to help build basic services like health and education

- to enhance the rule of law and support the political process

- to support the Independent Human Rights Commission and civil society organisations.

The EU Partnership and Co-operation Agreement will be the basis for future work, but we must demand immediate action on the abolition of the death penalty, on protecting the vulnerable and groups targeted with violence and on strengthening democracy and human rights.

Jill Evans ASE/MEP