On 14 June 2010 the European Union announced the postponement of its evaluation of the EU Common Position on Cuba until September, apparently in reaction to recent development in the area of human rights in Cuba. The Europe-Cuba NGO network reiterates its call to the EU to set clear and transparent criteria for any change to the Common Position.

The Europe-Cuba NGO Network welcomes the recent steps taken by the Cuban government resulting in a transfer of twelve political prisoners closer to their families and conditional release of critically ill Ariel Siegler Amaya. It is important, however, to place these steps in the broader context of the state of human rights in Cuba, including for example, the continued harassment and detentions and imprisonment of members of the opposition and civil society.i It is also important to recall that Cuba has not yet ratified the UN Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICCPR and ICESCR) signed by the government in 2008, a step heralded by many at the time as a promise of change.