Activities of Tonino PICULA related to 2022/2204(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
2022 Report on Serbia (debate)
Amendments (43)
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the future of Western Balkans lies in the EU;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas Serbia has become a safe haven for Russians companies looking to evade sanctions imposed by the EU, like major communication and media companies, including Russia Today (RT), which was confirmed to be setting up multiple offices in Serbia in July 2022;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
D b. whereas according to the Balkan Free Media Initiative Report in Serbia and Republica Srbska pro-government, pro-Russian and pro-Serbian disinformation is spreading much faster than independent fact-checkers can document, which is stoking division, anti- EU sentiment, leading to growing security concerns in the region; whereas disinformation often originates in a false or misleading statements made by a political figure, which is then reported upon by state-affiliated media and subsequently shared on Social Media.
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
D c. whereas Russia uses its influence in Serbia to try to destabilize, interfere and threaten neighbouring sovereign states, in Bosnia and Herzegovina via the Republika Srpska, in Montenegro via the country’s pro-Serbian sentiments as well as the orthodox church and in Kosovo by exploiting and flaring up existing disputes in the north of Kosovo;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D d (new)
Recital D d (new)
D d. whereas social media platforms have become tools to foster anti- democratic political movements in the Western Balkans and especially have been weaponized by the ruling parties of Serbia to consolidate power pushing a pro- government and pro-Russian narrative, which is exacerbated by the control over traditional forms of media such as television, radio and print;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Regrets Serbia’s continued low level of alignment with the CFSP, in particular in the context of the Russian war on Ukraine; underlines the fact that, as a candidate country, Serbia must adhere to the EU’s principles and policies, and alignment with a warmongering autocratic regime is unacceptableregrets that in 2022, for the first time, the European Commission detected backsliding in one of negotiating chapters with Serbia (Chapter 31: Foreign, security and defence policy); underlines the fact that, as a candidate country, Serbia must adhere to the EU’s principles and policies, and alignment with a warmongering autocratic regime is unacceptable; reiterates its position that accession negotiations with Serbia should advance only if the country aligns with EU sanctions against Russia and makes significant progress on the EU-related reforms; calls on Serbia to systematically align with the EU’s restrictive measures and general policy towards Russia, demonstrate progress in democracy and the rule of law and embrace EU values and priorities;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes Serbia’s alignment with the EU in voting in favour of relevant UN General Assembly resolutions and Russia’s suspension from the Human Rights Council; regrets, however, the fact that Serbia has consistently failed to align with the EU’s restrictive measures against Russia; deplores Serbia’s close relationship with Russia and state officials’ inability to clearly communicate Serbia’s commitment to the EU; condemns state officials and influential media’s campaign to undermine the EU;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets the fact that key components of Serbian foreign policy run directly counter to EU positions, including the signature of agreements setting out joint foreign policy priorities between Serbia and Russia for 2023-2024 and meetings with senior officials from Russia who are on the EU sanctions list; is concerned by the appointment of the Director of the Security Intelligence Agency (SIA), who is known for his anti- EU and pro-Kremlin rhetoric;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Expresses concern about the decreasing public support for EU membership in Serbia; regrets that EU’s calls for Serbia to respect commitments as a candidate country have been portrayed as blackmail by the highest Serbian officials; urges both Serbian and EU officials to actively communicate the benefits of EU membership as a matter of priority; deplores the fact that many media outlets close to the government, including national television channels, are strongly biased against the EU and in favour of Russia in their reporting; reiterates concern that publicly financed media outlets, contribute to the dissemination of anti-EU rhetoric in Serbia;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes the initialWelcomes the steps taken by Serbia to align with the EU’s list of non- EU countries whose nationals require visas for the EU and calls for further alignment; welcomes Serbia’s alignment with EU’s restrictive measures against Belarus for its role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as measures against former Ukrainian leadership; regrets, however, that the Government of Serbia chose not to publicly announce its decision to align with these measures; commends very good cooperation with EU on the management of illegal migration, as well as operational cooperation with FRONTEX;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes the approval of the amendments to the Serbian constitution and stresses that the reform process should continue as a matter of priority; notes that the National Convention on European Union has assessed that the views of the civil society have not been sufficiently taken into account during the public consultation process about the new set of legislation on the judiciary;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Welcomes the adoption of measures on improving the electoral conditions and media environment ahead of the April 2022 elections as a result of the inter-party dialogue facilitated by the European Parliament; welcomes the readiness of the National Assembly to continue this dialogue; notes the parallel dialogue “without external mediation” that threatened to undermine the inter- party dialogue facilitated by the European Parliament regrets that timing and undermined consultation process in which the framework governing the elections were substantially changed just before the elections were called, contrary to good democratic practice as underlined in the Venice Commission Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters, contributed legal uncertainty during 2022 April elections; welcomes the readiness of the National Assembly to continue this dialogue while stressing that clear political decision and commitment are needed on Serbia’s strategic direction; regrets the fact that part of the opposition parties did not participate in the first meeting of the third phase of the inter- party dialogue (Parliamentary Dialogue Process); stresses that the aim of the dialogue is to improve the work of the National Assembly of Serbia and that all parties are invited to contribute to this goal, regardless of their ideological orientation;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes the conclusions of the final report of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe / Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights election observation mission, according to which the 3 April 2022 parliamentary elections presented diverse political options, but a number of shortcomings resulted in an uneven playing field, favouring the incumbents; calls on the Serbian authorities to fully address the outstanding recommendations well ahead of the next electionsregrets that integrity of elections was undermined, due to legal uncertainty caused by a comprehensive change of electoral framework shortly prior to elections, voters being deprived of the right on balanced and objective information about the electoral offer, and endangering the freedom of choice for certain groups of the population; regrets that the longstanding issues of unbalanced media reporting, pressure of voters and the abuse of public office have persisted throughout the election campaign; calls on the Serbian authorities to fully address the outstanding recommendations well ahead of the next elections , in particular those more ambitious that could lead to substantial improvements in the electoral conditions, especially in levelling the playing field, enabling pluralism in the media, and protecting voters’ rights; urges the authorities to properly investigate and prosecute pressure on voters, clientelism, corruption and other recorded allegation on criminal acts in relation to elections; deplores the institutional lack of reaction and sanctions from previous elections that directly contributes to the atmosphere of impunity in regard to pressures on voters, clientelism and corruption; regrets serious allegations about manipulation with Voter Registry, that lacked adequate institutional response; expresses concern that it took 93 days to determine the final results of the early parliamentary elections; urges Serbian authorities to ensure that the electoral results are determined efficiently and transparently in the future;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the participation of all relevant political actors in the early parliamentary elections, resulting in a more pluralistic parliament; regrets, however, the delays in the formation of the new parliament and government, despite the clear outcome of the elections, which resulted in limited decision-making, including on EU-related reforms; expresses concern about the limited space for opposition's engagement in the parliament, mistreatment of opposition MPs, tensions and slandering campaigns in the plenary; condemns obstructions and misuse of parliamentary mechanisms, including particularly parliamentary oversights and control instruments; and calls for equal treatment of opposition MPs, consistent and effective implementation of the parliamentary Code of Conduct and impartial sanctioning of parliamentary integrity breaches;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Welcomes the distribution of vice- presidential offices and committee chairmanships in the new parliament which reflect its composition; regrets, however, the return of the unwelcome practices in the work of the parliament, including the absence of government question-time sessions, lack of discussion on reports of independent institutions, and increased use of urgent procedure; stresses that the return of these practices reverses most of the progress achieved by the reform of parliament in recent years; expresses concern about the occasional heated atmosphere in the parliament as well as the instances of obstruction of the work of some parliamentary committees;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes some progress in the fight against corruption; reiterates its call on Serbia to deliver convincing results in the cases of high level of public interest, including Krušik, Jovanjica, Telekom Srbija and Savamala; is concerned that there has been little progress in any of these cases since last year’s report; stresses the fact that more effort and political will are needed to achieve tangible results, in particular with regard to serious and organised crime; calls on the authorities to investigate and prosecute claims on voter pressure;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Notes with concern that the new Ombudsperson has not been elected despite the fact that the five-year term in office of the current one has expired; regrets that the Government of Serbia has not filled the vacancies in the Anti- Corruption Council;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11 b. Welcomes the holding of the regular elections for the national minority councils in November 2022;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that Serbia’s adequate legislative and institutional framework for upholding fundamental rights needs to be put into practice; urgecalls the Serbian authorities to intensify their efforts to safeguard human rights;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Deplores the stagnfurther deterioration onf freedom of expression, the cases of hate speech and smear campaigns and the increasing number of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) in the country; reiterates that pressure and attacks on activists, journalists and media outlets are unacceptable; urges the authorities to investigate and prosecute all such offences, including those against the investigative outlet KRIK and the daily newspaper Danas, and to create an environment in which freedom of expression can genuinely flourish; condemns the extreme disbalance in the presence of government and opposition members in the reporting of the national television channels outside the period of the election campaign, which remains a major challenge for media pluralism in Serbia;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Condemns the opening of an RT (formerly Russia Today) office in Belgrade and the launch of its online news service in Serbian; urges the Serbian authorities to counter hybrid threats and align with the Council’s decision on the suspension of the broadcasting activities of Sputnik and RT; calls on Serbia to fight disinformation, including manipulative anti-EU narratives and in particular state sponsored disinformation campaigns aiming to shift political preferences; calls for abandoning pro-Russian reporting across the media spectrum in the spirit of Serbia's dedication to integration in the EU, as well as for urgent prevention and reaction against production and proliferation of disinformation;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Urges the authorities to address the lack of political pluralism in the public service broadcaster, as well as across the media spectrum; regrets the presence of pluralism only during election campaign; Expresses concern about the delayed implementation of the media strategy and the related action plan; urges the government to increase the transparency of media ownership and financing and ensure the independence of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM); calls for investigation of the government connections and financing of the media;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Regrets the fact that the REM awarded four national frequencies to channels that have a history of violating journalistic standards; calls for the fifth licence to be awarded through a transparent and impartial process and of hate speech, dehumanisation, violating rights of minors, misleading the public, non- compliance with warnings issued by the REM and spreading pro-Russian propaganda; calls for the fifth licence to be awarded through a transparent and impartial process; condemns the unjustified delay in the process; regrets the decision of REM to suspend its work for two weeks in December 2022;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Regrets the delays in the implementation of the Media Strategy; reiterates its concern about the operations of Telekom Srbija, a majority-government owned telecommunications company, with persistent allegations of the ruling party using it to increase its influence over the media market in Serbia through acquisition and founding of various media outlets;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Underlines the importance of a framework enabling civil society organisations to operate freely and participate in policy-making in inclusive and meaningful ways; commends the work of the National Convention on the European Union in this regard; condemns slandering campaigns and attacks against the civil society portraying them as traitors and state enemies;
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Is concerned aboWelcomes the adoption of the National Strategy for Gender Equality and Strategy for Prevention and Protection against Discrimination but gender-based discrimination and violence should be further tackled; calls on the government to adopt the overdue action plan and funding for the strategy relating to violence against women and domestic violence;
Amendment 324 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the holding in Belgrade of the first-ever EuroPride march in south- east Europe; regrets the contradictory communication by the Serbian authorities, including the initial ban on the march; deplores all verbal attacks and threats against the EuroPride organisers and participants in the weeks leading up to the manifestation; condemns the vilification of the EuroPride organisers and participants by the members of the ruling party and the pro-government media; regrets that the Draft Law on Same-Sex Unions has still not been submitted to the parliament; calls for increased measures to combat harassment, hate propaganda and hate crimes against LGBTI+ people;
Amendment 340 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Welcomes the adoption of new strategies on anti-discrimination and Roma inclusion and calls for their effective implementation; deplores the instrumentalisation and violation of civil rights of vulnerable groups, particularly the Roma community, in the pre-election period and during the elections, due to politically motivated systemic pressures;
Amendment 344 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Notes Serbia’s engagement in regional cooperation initiatives and expresses concern towards non-inclusive regional initiatives such as Open Balkan Initiative; encourages itSerbia to step up its reconciliation efforts and seek solutions to past disputeto adopt and implement measures that would actively contribute to solutions of the open billateral disputes; calls on Serbian authorities to address with urgency the issue of missing persons; underlines that there is no place for genocide denial or the glorification of war criminals in a candidate country;
Amendment 350 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Notes Serbia’s engagement in regional cooperation initiatives; encourages it to step up its reconciliation efforts and seek solutions to past disputes; underlines that there is no place for genocide denial or the glorification of war criminals in a candidate country; deplores the denial of genocide in Srebrenica across the public sphere; condemns media programmes and institutions which are the primary tool for promoting these narratives;
Amendment 378 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Reiterates its full support for the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and commends the work of the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue; calls on Serbia and Kosovo to engage in this dialogue in good faith and in the spirit of compromise to achieve a comprehensive, legally binding agreement on the normalisation of their relations in accordance with international law which will contribute to regional stability and prosperity; calls for the full implementation of all the relevant agreements by both sides, including the establishment of the Association/ / Community of Serb- Majority Municipalities;
Amendment 384 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Reiterates its full support for the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue; calls on Serbia and Kosovo to engage in this dialogue in good faith and in the spirit of compromise to achieve a comprehensive, legally binding agreement on the normalisation of their relations based on mutual recognition, in accordance with international law; calls for the full implementation of all the relevant agreements by both sides, including the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb- Majority Municipalities which must be set up in line with Kosovo's constitution;
Amendment 387 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Takes note of the positive signals to de-escalate tensions by both sides; welcomes the positive step by Prime Minister Kurti to accept the European Union’s proposal for the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia; takes note of the statements by president Vucic of his intention to accept the European Union’s proposal for the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia;
Amendment 395 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Condemns all actions that endanger stability and jeopardise the reconciliation process; is deeply concerned about the tensions in Nthe north of Kosovo and the unacceptable shooting on Orthodox Christmas Eve; denounces also the continuous pattern of escalatory actions by Serbia and Serbian-sponsored actors, including through illegitimate blockades, violent attacks and the threat of military action, with the objective of forcing concessions and undermining the Republic of Kosovo; regrets that Serbia has resumed the Kosovo de-recognition campaign; recalls the shared responsibility for peace and the rule of law for all people in Kosovo;
Amendment 400 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Highlights that Russia started a hybrid campaign in which it uses its influence in Serbia to try to destabilize, interfere and threaten neighbouring sovereign states like Kosovo, by exploiting and flaring up existing disputes in the north of Kosovo; Condemns the continuation of Russian attempts to exert influence over the Western Balkans, by means of exploiting and stoking cultural, ethnical and religious divisions and destabilizing pro-democratic forces;
Amendment 407 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Welcomes the recent agreements in the framework of the Berlin Process regulating travel with ID-s within the region, recognition of academic qualifications and recognition of qualifications for certain professions; encourages Serbian parliament to ratify these agreements soon as possible; expresses support for socio-economic regional cooperation involving all six Western Balkan countries;
Amendment 422 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls on the Serbian authorities to take measures to counter depopulation; notes the results of the 2022 population census, which detected a decrease of population by 495.975 since 2011;
Amendment 438 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Is deeply concerned about the investments in Serbia by Russia and China and their influence on the political and economic processes in the region;
Amendment 454 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Welcomes the Commission’s energy support package to help the Western Balkans overcome the energy crisis; calls on the Serbian authorities to prepare a credible plan for reducing the country’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels and building environmentally friendly energy systems; welcomes the beginning of construction of gas interconnector between Serbia and Bulgaria;
Amendment 468 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Expresses concern about air pollution; reiterates concern that several places in Serbia, notably Belgrade, Smederevo, Kostolac, Bor and the Kolubara and Tamnava valleys, are often on the list of the most polluted areas in the world in terms of air quality; reiterates concern about Chinese-financed coal power generation projects and their impact on the environment and air quality; reiterates its calls on the Serbian authorities to urgently accelerate the implementation of air quality plans;
Amendment 483 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Calls on the government to takecontinue investing efforts in measures regarding river pollution and further align with the EU acquis on water quality and nature protection;
Amendment 487 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35a. Notes with concern the cargo train accident near the city of Pirot in December 2022 and the resulting environmental hazard caused by ammonium leak; calls on authorities to ensure the safe transport of all hazardous substances especially trough urban areas and Belgrade railway tunnels system;