The murder of George Floyd whilst detained by Police in Minneapolis on 25th May is the latest example of the systematic abuse of fundamental human rights and racial abuse of people of colour by police forces in the United States of America (USA). The systematic abuse of human rights in the USA must to stop. This will only be achieved by a universal condemnation both in the USA and from abroad.

Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) provides that the Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. Those values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail.

Article 21 TEU underlines that the Union's external action is to be guided by the principles which have inspired its own creation, namely democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for human dignity, the principles of equality and solidarity, and respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law

In view of these fundamental principles we call the European Union to insist that the government of the USA bring to an end the systematic abuse of human rights, and in particular the racial abuse of peoples of colour, by its police forces.

At the sametime we call on the European Union to uphold its fundamental principles in its diplomatic dealings with the USA and in particular in the negotiation of any future trade agreements.