Activities of Tamás MESZERICS related to 2015/2002(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Review of the European neighbourhood policy (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the review of the European Neighbourhood Policy PDF (193 KB) DOC (126 KB)
Amendments (36)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 a (new)
Citation -1 a (new)
– having regard to the Treaty on the European Union and in particular to its Articles 2, 8(1) and 21,
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) was created to deepen the relations, enhance the cooperation and strengthen the European Union's (EU) partnerships with neighbouring countries in order to develop an area of shared stabilprosperity, securtability and prospesecurity;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the neighbourhood is currently in a state of flux and is lesssince the launch of the ENP the neighbourhood has undergone sudden and deep changes and has experienced an overall deterioration of the human rights situation and a reversal of democratisation trends in most countries, with some rare exceptions such as Tunisia; whereas the situation is far from stable and less secure than when the ENP was launched; ; whereas the main challenge of the ENP should be to facilitate the ongoing transition towards inclusive, accountable, stable and viable democracies;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas peace and stability are fundamental elements of the ENP; whereas partner countries must abide by these principles and strive for a peaceful solution of existing conflicts; whereas the existence of conflicts, including frozen or protracted ones hamper the economic, social and political transformation as well as regional cooperation, stability and security; whereas these conflicts are undermining the development of a genuine and effective multilateral dimension of the ENP;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas foreign occupation or annexation remains one of the main obstacles to peace and security in the neighbourhood; whereas the right to self- determination and ownership of natural resources is violated in the territories of Western Sahara and Palestine; whereas the EU has a contrasting approach to cases of occupation, notably in its own neighbourhood; whereas coherence and strict compliance with international law by the EU in relation to cases of occupation or annexation are key to the effectiveness and credibility of the ENP;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the EU should play a more active role in the peaceful resolution of the existing conflicts, notably those of frozen or protracted nature, which represent currently an insurmountable obstacle to the full development of the ENP both in the East and in the South hindering good-neighbourly relations and regional cooperation;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas, in particular, progress in the resolution of conflicts and controversies between ENP countries should be considered an important criterion to be assessed in the annual Progress Reports;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas differentiation is needed, especially as the EU neighbourhood has become more fragmented than ever, with the countries differing in many respects, including in their ambitions and expectations as regards the EU; whereas the EU's bilateral relations with ENP countries are at different stages of development; whereas the effective use of the "more for more" principle is of fundamental importance in shaping and differentiating the relations with partner countries;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas in no way the development of the ENP should be seen as an effort to create new areas of influence aimed at cutting traditional and historic relations of partner countries with other neighbours;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)
Recital H b (new)
Hb. whereas the development of an effective ENP East should be regarded by the Russian Federation as an opportunity for improving the cooperation with the EU with a view to defining synergies and meeting common challenges;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the consultation process carried out by the Commission should be comprehensive and inclusive so as to ensure that all relevant stakeholders are consulted; whereas further efforts should be made so as to raise the visibility and the awareness of the ENP in the public opinions of the partner countries;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses the importance and timeliness of the review of the ENP; emphasises that the revised ENP should be able to provide a quick, flexible and adequate response to the situation on the ground, while also putting forward a long-term vision for developing relations with the neighbouring countries in both a bilateral and multilateral framework;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that the renewed policy must be more strategic and coherent, with a real political vision, and politically driven; calls for special envoys to be appointed for the East and the South, with the task of politically coordinating the revised policy, in this regard, on the EU to avoid double standards with regard, in particular, to human rights and frozen or protracted conflicts and must be strictly in line with the international human rights and humanitarian law framework; takes the view that the same principles should apply on these questions to all the partner countries regardless of the parties in power or the geopolitical interests of the EU;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Takes the view that annual Progress Reports must reflect these priorities and should contain comparative data regarding previous years so as to measure advancements and shortfalls and that all the main stakeholders of ENP countries, including civil society, should be genuinely involved and consulted before drafting these reports;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses that economic reforms must go along with political reforms and that good governance can only be achieved through an open, accountable and transparent decision-making process based on democratic institutions;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the EU to improve its coordination with other donors and international financial institutions and calls for joint programming with its Member States; considers that better coordination with the Member States as well as between the various EU instruments is necessary in order to achieve a common approach to the short- and medium-term goals of the EU's cooperation with neighbouring countries;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Calls, in this respect, for consistent implementation of the "differentiated approach" and emphasizes that the principle of "more for more", which is the cornerstone of the revised ENP, implies also "less for less" for those ENP countries that show no will to undertake the agreed reforms;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Insists that the additional assistance provided under the "more for more" principle should be substantial in order to effectively reward and support partner countries which are genuinely committed to and make tangible progress towards democratisation and respect for human rights;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11c. Calls on the EU to continue to provide support to Tunisia under the "more for more principle" at a level that is commensurate to the remarkable efforts and commitments made by the Tunisian people and their authorities;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Takes the view that the possibility of granting a European perspective to EaP countries most committed to deepening relations with the EU and willing to undertake and implement the necessary reforms both at political and economic level should be duly taken into account and proposed as an incentive for further European integration;
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Considers support for democracy, the rule of law and human rights to be central to the ENP; stresses that the EU should be willing to offer incentives and know-how to help overcome the social challenges and economic costs of undertaking democratic reformsundertake and support democratic reforms; underlines that the EU should implement accountability measures to ensure that those responsible for violations in partner countries are neither supported nor encouraged;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Underlines the continuous need to focus on strengthening and consolidating democracy, the rule of law, the independence of the justice system, respect for minorities and diversity; emphasises in particular the importance of promoting the rights of women and their equal participation in political, economic, social and cultural affairs; calls on the EU to ensure the mainstreaming of a gender perspective in all its policies; highlights that capacity-building in national institutions, including their national assemblies, together with support for civil society, pro- democracy groups and political parties, will enhance political dialogue and pluralism;
Amendment 368 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Stresses the need to implementapply effective conditionality in relation to reform processeshuman rights, rule of law and democratic reform; emphasises that the EU cannot compromise its fundamental values and should avoid creating double standards; stresses that countries that are making progress in implementing reforms and following European policy should be granted more substantial support; underlines the importance of fully applying the "more for more" principle;
Amendment 402 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Notes that security and stability are basic concerns in the neighbourhood and that current developments in the region call for a strong security component in the ENP, which has regrettably been missing to date; recalls that universal values should be at the core of this policy in any circumstances; stresses that ENP efforts in the security field should be pursued in a comprehensive manner, taking into account the root causes of the current instability, including the lack of democratic and inclusive governance, widespread human rights violations and impunity, exclusion or discrimination of entire social groups, pervasive corruption and socio-economic inequalities;
Amendment 417 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Reiterates its view that frozen or protracted conflicts hamper the full development of the ENP; regrets, in this regard, that since the launch of the ENP no progress was made in the resolution of the existing conflicts; calls on the VP/HR to play a more active role making clear that the deepening of bilateral relations is linked to peaceful conflict resolution and the respect for international law; underlines in this context, the importance of pursuing a principled policy of promoting accountability for all violations of human rights and international humanitarian law; urges the Commission to step up confidence-building programmes in conflict areas with a view to restoring dialogue and facilitating people-to-people exchanges;
Amendment 455 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Reminds EU Member States of their obligations under the EU Common Position on arms exports (944/2008), which inter alia requires Member States to deny an export licence for military technology or equipment to any neighbourhood country, if there is a clear risk that the military technology or equipment to be exported might be used for internal repression, in the commission of serious violations of international humanitarian law, would provoke or prolong armed conflicts or aggravate existing tensions or conflicts in the country of final destination, or be exported aggressively against another country or to assert by force a territorial claim;
Amendment 474 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Urges the EU to apply to regional conflicts the spirit and lessons deriving from the historical experience of European integration since bilateral issues must be solved peacefully and good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation are fundamental elements of the ENP; calls, in this regard, for the involvement of citizens and the engagement of public actors in horizontal partnerships and twinning with counterparts from the Union, and the engagement with society and the younger generation as a factor for change;
Amendment 485 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Stresses that as regards in particular Eastern partners energy security concerns are an integral part of the security dimension and should be duly addressed in the review of the ENP with a view to aligning these countries with EU energy targets and reducing their dependence on fossil fuels;
Amendment 499 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Calls, in this respect, for complementing EU's bilateral relation with ENP countries with its multilateral dimension by increasing the number of activities and initiatives in this context paying particular attention to strengthening cross-border projects, stepping up people-to-people programmes, developing incentives for regional cooperation and further enhancing an active dialogue with civil society; considers that the future ENP should offer a regional, inclusive platform for discussing human rights issues, in line with the core principles of the ENP;
Amendment 515 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Calls for increasing efforts to boost regional cooperation in the Mediterranean, through greater political support and a revised role of the Union for the Mediterranean, allowing the Secretariat to fulfil its efforts in becoming an effective and dynamic platform for Euro-Mediterranean dialogue and cooperation; calls for greater articulation between the regional dimension of the ENP and the activities of the UfM; expresses the need to follow-up on the commitments and disbursement of funds for the 29 projects, which have been labelled by the UfM since 2008;
Amendment 520 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 c (new)
Paragraph 27 c (new)
27c. Stresses that for both the Union for the Mediterranean and the Eastern Partnership the main Non Governmental Organisations have set up a common platform; takes the view that these platforms play a crucial role in raising the awareness of the ENP in the relevant public opinions and should be duly and timely consulted both in the drawing-up and the implementation of the ENP Action Plans;
Amendment 574 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Stresses the importance of free movement of people, and supports enhancing visa facilitation and visa liberalisation within the neighbourhood, particularly for students, young people and researchers; calls on the Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, to further enhancreconsider the mMobility pPartnerships, delinking them from re-admission agreements, within the neighbourhood and develop possibilities for circular migration schemes, which would encourage and reward regulaopen safe and legal routes for migrants;
Amendment 595 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Notes that high unemployment, social exclusion, corruption and poverty, combined with the low political participation of women, are root causes of instability, and demands engagement beyond the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTAs); calls, in this regard, on the Commission to monitor closely the implementation of DCFTAs in order to avoid social and environmental dumping; calls for more transparency and engagement of all relevant stakeholders on the process of ENP policy formulation, notably in the areas of trade, investment, energy and migration; calls for systematic impact assessments of trade and investment and migration agreements as well as of EU assistance within the framework of the ENP, notably in relation to human rights, public services, decent work and social development;
Amendment 623 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
37a. Takes the view that European political parties bear a crucial responsibility as regards the promotion of a political culture based on fully-fledged democratic institutions, rule of law, multi- party democracy and full participation of women in decision-making; calls, in this regard, on them to refrain from any power game based on forced political affiliation and the recruitment of oligarchs in order to gain power and extend influence in the partner countries;
Amendment 632 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Stresses that the civil society organisations have an essential role to play in promoting values the ENP is founded on, human rights and democratisation, as well as their involvement in implementation of projects under ENI and in monitoring the implementation of ENP Action Plan; points out the importance of developing a consultation process with CSOs as regards the definition of benchmarks;
Amendment 640 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Stresses that progress reports should focus on the implementation of the priorities identified in the action plans and reflect the level of engagement of the partner country; upgrade the progress reports from working documents into official reader-friendly EU communications; calls on key documents such as Progress Reports to be readily available on the respective EU Delegation websites and translated into the local language; reiterates its call for the data contained in the reports to be put into perspective by bearing in mind the national context and by including trends from the previous years;