Activities of Tonino PICULA related to 2022/2202(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
2022 Report on Montenegro (debate)
2022 Report on Montenegro (debate)
Reports (1)
REPORT on the 2022 Commission Report on Montenegro
Amendments (34)
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the EU continues to be their biggest trading partner and largest provider of investment and financial assistance to Montenegro through the IPA III, the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe, and macro- financial assistance;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas Montenegro faces challenges stemming from malign foreign interference and disinformation campaigns;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on all Montenegrin authorities to work together for the country’s European future, as a clear message to Montenegrin citizens; stresses the urgent need for political stability, commitment and credible engagement in consensus-building across party lines to move the stagnant EU reform process forward, notably as regards the urgent rule of law reforms;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes Montenegro’s continued full alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy, including all of the sanctions adopted following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; commends its material and humanitarian support to Ukraine, and its support for an international rules-based order at the level of the United Nations; commends its material and humanitarian support to Ukraine; expresses, however, concern over the fact that increasing numbers of Russian citizens, including oligarchs, take up residency in Montenegro’s capital and coastal region; urges to ensure that Montenegro will not become a hub for entities and individuals that wish to circumvent sanctions;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Remains seriously concerned by malign foreign interference, destabilisation efforts, hybrid threats and disinformation campaigns by foreign actors in Montenegro, notably by Russia, China and Serbia; condemns Russia's attempts to foment conflict, sever communities, and disseminate deceptive information in a bid to destabilize the entire Western Balkans region; notes that religious institutions can be used as a tool for external influence and condemns Serbian Orthodox Church interference in this regard;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on Montenegro to take significant and systemic efforts towards identifying and dismantling disinformation factories; condemns the unprecedented cyberattack of August 2022 against Montenegro’s digital infrastructure; urges Montenegro to actively enhance its resilience in this regard byin close cooperation with the EU and NATO; calls for the urgent adoptingon of the strategy on countering hybrid threats and the relevant action plan;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission and the European External Action Service to improve the EU’s visibility in the country, by expanding StratCom monitoring to concentrate on cross-border disinformation threats in the Western Balkan countries and their neighbours; emphasises also the added value of engaging with local and regional expertise from the private sector and civil society in the fight against disinformation and to identify troubling developments at an early stage;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Regrets the adoption of the controversial Law on amendments to the Law on the President by the Parliament of Montenegro in December 2022 which directly challenged the respect for constitutionality and the rule of law, despite the urgent opinion of the Venice Commission and the calls of the EU against its adoption; welcomes the Constitutional Court’s launch of the procedure for reviewing the law’s constitutionality;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Regrets the deep polarisation, lack of dialogue, mistrust and political boycotts in the Montenegrin Parliament that seriously hampered the legislative process; calls on the legislative and executive branches to strengthen loyal cooperation, including on the accession process;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the appointment of three new Constitutional Court judges as a step towards resolving the constitutional crisis; regrets the fact that the Constitutional Court was left without a quorum since September 2022; calls on the new pParliament to finalise judicial appointments as a matter of priority and to implement and adopt necessary measures to strengthen the judiciary's independence, integrity, accountability and professionalism;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Regrets the lack of progress on the reform of the electoral legal and institutional framework, which continues to have gaps and ambiguities that undermine its effectiveness; calls for the implementation of the outstanding OSCE/ODIHR recommendations, in line with European standards; notes the work started by the State Election Commission (SEC) to increase its transparency and implement recommendations; encourages authorities to further strengthen SEC’s integrity, impartiality and accountability to improve public trust; urges Montenegro to ensure a credible, independent and effective political and judicial follow-up to the so-called ‘envelope affair’ case of alleged electoral fraud;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Reiterates its call for local-level elections to be held on the same day; welcomes the fact that elections in 14 municipalities were held on the same day in October 2022; notes, however, that amendments to the Law on Local Self- Government were assessed as unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court of Montenegro; calls for a robust legislative framework in this regard;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes that the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections were competitive and well-managed overall, and that candidates were able to campaign freely and enjoyed equal opportunities to reach out to voters; regrets, however, that candidate registration was not inclusive and longstanding shortcomings in the legal framework and campaign finance regulations remained unaddressed; remains concerned about the vulnerability of the media to internal and external influences in terms of campaign coverage;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Urges Montenegro to put in place a credible and effective criminal justice response to corruption; notes the improvement in the prevention of corruption and the positive trend in the work of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption and encourages further strengthening the Agency’s integrity, impartiality and accountability to improve its performance and public trust; calls for a coordinated strategy for preventing corruption at the highest levels, in line with GRECO recommendations and EU standards, fostering an integrated approach on the preventing and repression of corruption;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes the efforts being made in the fight against organised crime through legislative changes and the arrest of key figures; notes the rising numbers of final convictions, but remains concerned by the lengthy trials and frequent adjournments; calls on Montenegrin authorities to strengthen criminal investigations, increase the number of experts in this field, and ensure enhanced cooperation and monitoring in the criminal justice system;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Welcomes the adoption of the new 2022-2026 strategy for public administration reform; remains concerned about the lowered requirements for merit-based recruitment, competence and independence of civil servants and the loss of staff with know- how of the EU accession process; urges Montenegro to effectively address these shortcomings, optimise state administration and implement managerial accountability; underlines the importance of recruitments on all levels of public administration based on principles of merit, competence and transparency;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls on Montenegro to step up its efforts to combat hate speech, online harassment, politically biased reporting and foreign influence in the Montenegrin media; urges politicians and public figures to vehemently denounce any messages trying to polarize society and undercut media trust and fundamental democratic norms; notes also the slow progress on freedom of expression;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Expresses its concern about the deep political polarisation in the media landscape, lack of media independence of the public broadcaster, and the pressure being put on the local media market by expanding regional media competition; emphasizes the need of media independence and freedom; calls on all authorities to refrain from taking any administrative, legislative, or political action that would jeopardize the public broadcaster's editorial, institutional, or financial independence; acknowledges the efforts to complete the Media Strategy of Montenegro 2022–2026; insists on the inclusion of media and civil society the revision of media legislation, in accordance with the EU acquis and standards;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes some positive steps, such as the introduction of tougher penalties for attacks and threats against journalists, and the establishment of the ad hoc commission for monitoring violence against the media; reiterates, however, the need for the effective implementation of its findings and recommendations; urges Montenegro to increase the effectiveness of the legal response to threats and violence against journalists and other media professionals, including past cases;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. CIs concerned by trends such as an uptick in femicides, openly expressed misogyny, gender-based violence and violence against children; calls on Montenegro to improve the access to justice and to ensure, better follow-up and enforcement of rights in proceedings on domestic violence, as well as enhanced protection against domestic violence;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Regrets the ongoing prevalence of discrimination against people with disabilities; laments the inconsistency between national laws and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with dDisabilities; calls for the effective implementation of strategies to address the gaps in upholding the rights of personsople with disabilities across sectors and policies, including healthcare, the labour market, and in administrative and judicial proceedings;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Underlines the key role of civil society organisations in functioning democracies; calls on Montenegrin authorities to better involve civil society in the accession process by strengthening cooperation and consultation mechanisms between state bodies and CSOs;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Acknowledges the signing of an upgraded agreement between the EU and Montenegro on operational cooperation in border management with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex);
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Notes Montenegro’s active participation in regional cooperation; underscores the importance of inclusive economic cooperation that fosters deeper adherence to EU norms and the acquis; recalls its hesitations about the Open Balkan initiative and notes Montenegro’s participation in the June and September summits as an observer;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Welcomes the recent agreements in the context of the Berlin Process on the Freedom of Movement with Identity Cards, on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications, and on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications for Doctors of Medicine, Dentists and Architects; calls for their rapid implementation, and commends their ratification by the Montenegrin government;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Amendment 212 #
30a. Notes China’s continued interest in investing in the Western Balkans; notes with concern the signing of a memorandum of understanding with a Chinese consortium to build a highway connecting Budva and Tivat, bearing in mind Montenegro’s previous indebtedness to China;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 b (new)
Paragraph 30 b (new)
30b. Calls on Montenegrin authorities to take further steps to implement digital services for micro, small and medium enterprises, prioritise the development of transactional electronic services, implement the strategy for the digitalisation in the educational system;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Welcomes Montenegro’s decision to terminate its citizenship by investment programme on 31 December 2022; notes that since the start of this scheme more than 70% of the passports issued were granted to citizens of the Russian Federation; underscores the security, corruption and money laundering risks such schemes can bring; emphasises, furthermore, the need for further alignment with EU visa policy;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Encourages Montenegro to make the best use of the EU funds available under the IPA III and the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, including the Youth Guarantee in the Western Balkans; stresses that, in line with IPA III conditionality, funding must be modulated or suspended in the event of a significant regression or persistent lack of progress on fundamentals;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Welcomes the Commission’s energy support package for the Western Balkans; calls on Montenegro to start operating a functioning day-ahead electricity market, takes note of the first steps taken in this regard; calls on Montenegro to better integrate with EU Member States’ energy markets and to boost the implementation of energy efficiency measures;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls on Montenegro to accelerate its sustainable energy transition; underlines that all new renewable energy projects must comply with the EU acquis on concessions, State aid and the environment; notes with concern the extension of the operation of the Pljevlja coal power plant, despite the ongoing infringement procedure launched by the Energy Community Secretariat; notes the start of the plant’s ecological reconstruction worth EUR 70 million;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35a. Welcomes the Tirana Summit agreement on reducing roaming costs between the EU and the Western Balkans from 1 October 2023; welcomes the agreement of 3 May between 38 telecommunication operators from the EU and Western Balkans reducing the costs of data roaming; calls for the full removal of costs of roaming as soon as possible;