Legislative Observatory
European Parliament
Please fill in this field to find a procedure

Resolution on the crime of aggression

2014/2724(RSP)

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the crime of aggression.

The resolution was tabled by the EPP, S&D, ALDE, GUE/NGL, and Greens/EFA groups.

Parliament reiterated its full support for the work of the International Criminal Court in helping end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community.

Recalling its resolution of 18 April 2012 in which it called on the Council and the Commission to use their international authority in the interests of securing and strengthening the universality of the Rome Statute for an internationally agreed definition of acts of aggression in breach of international law, Parliament called for the EU to adopt a common position on the crime of aggression and the Kampala Amendments (Amendments to the Rome Statute on the crime of aggression by at least 30 States Parties and a decision to be taken after 1 January 2017 by a two-thirds majority of States Parties will allow for the establishment of a permanent system of international criminal accountability by penalising the crime of aggression).

Members urged the EU to be at the forefront in pushing for the Kampala Amendment on the crime of aggression to enter into force and to support the efforts under way to achieve this goal, and to encourage its Member States to first ratify the amendment and then positively support the one-time decision by the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, once the required 30 ratifications are achieved, to activate the ICC’s jurisdiction for the crime of aggression.

Moreover, Parliament stressed the need to actively promote support for the ICC, the ratification of the Rome Statute as amended and the ratification of both Kampala Amendments in all EU external actions, including through the EU Special Representative on Human Rights (EUSR) and EU Delegations on the ground, also including technical assistance for states seeking ratification and/or implementation.

Lastly, Parliament called on:

  • the EU to commit to the fight against genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression, as well as calling for combating impunity for grave human rights violations to be made a priority for the EU, and for the Member States, in their external actions;
  • the Member States to swiftly align national legislation with the Kampala Amendments’ definitions, as well as other obligations under the Rome Statute.