39 Amendments of Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS related to 2017/2281(INI)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas political and economic relations between the European Union and the Republic of Moldova have deepened in the framework of the Eastern Partnership and in particular with signature, on 27 June 2014, and entry into force, on 1 July 2016, of the EU- Moldova Association Agreement (AA) including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA);
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the AA is based on common values which include "respect for the democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms, as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and as defined in the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Charter of Paris for a New Europe of 1990";
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas, through this agreement, Moldova committed to major domestic reforms, on the basis of EU laws and practice, in a wide range of areas conducive to good governance, economic development and strengthened cooperation with the EU; whereas, in support of these efforts, the EU committed to provide substantial financial and budgetary assistance to Moldova, amounting to €1.14 billion of allocated funds since 2007, plus regional programme funding;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Ad. whereas the DCFTA allows for privileged access for goods and services to the EU market; whereas, as a consequence of the DCFTA, EU-Moldova trade increased by 18% in 20017, to €4 billion; whereas the EU is currently Moldova's first trading partner, accounting for over 55% of total trade; whereas the EU is also the first investor in Moldova; whereas initial data for 2018 confirms the positive trend;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A e (new)
Recital A e (new)
Ae. whereas, in addition, in exchange for reforms in Moldova in the areas of justice and security including in the fight against corruption, the EU also agreed in 2014 to visa-free travel to the Schengen area for Moldovan citizens holding a biometrical passport; whereas more than 1.4 million Moldovan citizens have benefited from this visa-free regime over the first 2 years of its implementation;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A f (new)
Recital A f (new)
Af. whereas the EU has repeatedly expressed concern as regards the deterioration of democratic standards through recent decisions by the Moldovan authorities, including the June 2018 invalidation of the local elections in Chisinau on dubious grounds and in a non-transparent way, the July 2017 electoral reform adopted despite the negative recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission, the lack of progress in the prosecution of those responsible for the $1 billion bank fraud unveiled in 2014 and the increase in breaches of human rights, notably targeting independent judges, journalists and political opponents;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A g (new)
Recital A g (new)
Ag. whereas, as a result of these developments, in 2017, the EU did not pay the last two instalments under the budget support programme for justice sector reforms because the Moldovan authorities showed insufficient commitment to reforming this sector and, in 2018, the EU suspended the disbursement of the first instalment of the macro-financial assistance due to the non-fulfilment of the political conditions annexed to the July 2017 decision of the European Parliament and of the Council which specified that "a pre-condition for granting macro- financial assistance is that the beneficiary country respects effective democratic mechanisms, including a multi-party parliamentary system and the rule of law and guarantees respect for human rights";
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A h (new)
Recital A h (new)
Ah. whereas, since these decisions, most recent developments have further raised concerns, notably as regards the so-called "fiscal reform package", adopted in July 2018, as the tax amnesty scheme of which increases risks of money laundering, as well as further pressure exerted on the opposition and its peaceful demonstrations and on small independent media outlets struggling to maintain their activities despite the adoption, in July 2018, of the new Audio-Visual Code;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A i (new)
Recital A i (new)
Ai. whereas Transparency International ranked Moldova 122nd out of 180 in its 2017 Corruption Perceptions Index, together with Azerbaijan and Mali; whereas Reporters Without Borders ranked Moldova 81st out of 180 in its World Press Freedom Index, down from 56th place in 2014;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets that the non-fulfilment of the political conditions related to democratic standards in Moldova, in particular the recent changes in national electoral legislation as well as the removalsuspension of Dorin Chirtoacă from the Chișinău mayor’s office and the invalidation of the election of Andrei Năstase, has led to the suspension of the disbursement of Macro Financial Assistance (MFA) and of outstanding payments of EU budget support;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Reiterates its position that any decision on future MFA disbursement should only take place after the planned parliamentary elections scheduled for February 2019 and on condition that they are conducted in line with internationally recognised standards and assessed by specialised international bodies, and that the payment of all budget support programmes should remain on hold until meaningful progress in democratic standards takes place; calls, in the meantime, on the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to continue reallocating funds to support civil society in Moldova, in particular to the free and independent media, in Moldova as well as the private sector and local authorities, and to coordinate efforts with other organisations, such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to ensure greater coherence in terms of financial assistance conditionality; awaits with caution, the outcome of the review of the electoral legislation by the Parliament's Legal Committee for appointments and immunities;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1 a (new)
Subheading 1 a (new)
Institutional framework in place to implement the Agreement
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -7 a (new)
Paragraph -7 a (new)
-7a. Welcomes the adoption of many laws in line with Moldova's commitments as part of the AA; underlines nevertheless the importance of a swift and full implementation of such laws in order to reach the ultimate objective of the AA to deliver tangible and sustainable improvements to the living conditions of ordinary citizens in Moldova;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -7 b (new)
Paragraph -7 b (new)
-7b. Calls for a stronger involvement of the Parliament, the Prime Minister and of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration in providing high- level political oversight and scrutiny of the implementation of the AA, notably through a continued streamlining of relevant parliamentary and governmental structures and their enhanced administrative capacities, the coordination and synchronisation of line ministries' plans and their full and effective implementation;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -7 c (new)
Paragraph -7 c (new)
-7c. Welcomes the establishment of the Interparliamentary Assembly of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine and its first meeting held on 8-9 June 2018 in Kyiv; encourages this assembly to also scrutinise the implementation of the association agreements;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -7 d (new)
Paragraph -7 d (new)
-7d. Urges the Moldovan authorities to put more effort into AA implementation and organise - notably the NAPIAA itself - according to specific sectors and specific results to be generated rather than according to articles of the AA, to develop detailed prioritisation and sequencing of measures, driven by impact assessment and drawn up by dedicated expert units;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -7 e (new)
Paragraph -7 e (new)
-7e. Calls on the EEAS / European Commission to set up, subject to progress on democratic standards, a dedicated EU Support Group for Moldova, to increase the delivery of expertise, notably on the approximation of Moldovan legislation with that of the EU, and coordinate, when the conditions are fulfilled, the delivery of financial assistance to Moldova in support of the implementation of the AA;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -7 f (new)
Paragraph -7 f (new)
-7f. Urges the EEAS / European Commission to boost internal capabilities to step up monitoring of the implementation of the AA, notably through a significant increase in dedicated human resources, as well as to move towards a qualitative assessment of progress, notably through introduction of screening processes, allowing to assess the level of alignment with the EU acquis actually achieved as required by the AA;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -7 g (new)
Paragraph -7 g (new)
-7g. Welcomes the enhanced ministerial-level dialogue with Moldova as well as other associated partners on association-related reforms in the area of trade and supports, subject to progress on democratic standards, the launch of such dialogues in other areas covered by the AA, including the political dialogue, justice freedom and security and sectoral cooperation;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -7 i (new)
Paragraph -7 i (new)
-7i. Recalls and supports the opinion of the Venice Commission on the electoral reform, according to which the change towards a mixed electoral system for parliamentary elections lacked consensus (other than from the Democratic and Socialist parties) and may lead to candidates being unduly influenced by business interests; reiterates therefore its call on the Moldovan authorities to improve the electoral system to ensure that future elections reflect the will of the Moldovan citizens rather than that of a select few; also calls on the Moldovan authorities to fully implement the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR, notably on party financing and media freedom and pluralism; reaffirms the European Parliament's readiness to observe the next parliamentary elections;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. UWelcomes the adoption in July 2018 of a new audio-visual code and urges the Moldovan authorities to swiftly adopt and fully implement the new audiovisual code in line with European standards of media freedom and pluralism as recommended by the European Commission and the Venice Commission; emphasises the importance of genuine consultations with civil society and the independent media before the final adoption of the new audiovisual code, and the need to discard all aspects that may undermine media pluralism; in this process and that of adopting a new law on advertising; stresses the need to avoid all attempts to undermine media pluralism, notably those that would further encourage the cartelisation of the media market and related advertising market; calls for dedicated assistance to the independent media, especially local outlets, to comply with the code's requirements regarding obligatory local content; stresses the importance of ensuring a genuine independence of the media regulatory agency;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Welcomes the reform efforts in the areas of public administration reform and public financial management and encourages further steps to be taken to increase transparency;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Welcomes the good cooperation on CFSP matters and, the symbolichigh rate of alignment to CFSP declarations and the participation in common security and defence policy (CSDP) missions and operations; takes note of the progress in adopting a new Defence Strategy and Action Plan 2017- 2021 following the withdrawal of the National Security Strategy by the President of Moldova;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Commends the Moldovan authorities for the incremental improvement of relations with Tiraspol notably with the opening of the Gura Bîcului-Bîcioc bridge and the signature of an additional six protocols, thus improving the lives of citizens on both sides of the Nistru river; encourages the authorities to further build on this level of engagement; calls on the Moldovan authorities to undertake additional efforts to ensure a swift and final adoption of thean amended Law of the Special Legal Status of Gagauzia;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Urges the authorities to ensure the independence and effectiveness of the judiciary and specialised anti-corruption institutions, including the Superior Council of Prosecutors, the Anticorruption Prosecution Office, the National Integrity Authority and the Criminal Assets Recovery Agency, notably through maintaining the allocation of adequate resources and, guaranteeing transparent selection procedures with the participation of independent expert recruiters and adopting Constitutional amendments in line with Venice Commission recommendations, aimed notably at removing the initial 5-year appointment term for judges, changing the composition and strengthening the role of the Superior Council of Magistracy and removing the Parliament's powers to appoint judges of the Supreme Court;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Reiterates its calls, based on the findings and recommendations of the first and second Kroll reports, for a swift prosecution of all those responsible for the USD 1 billion bank fraud unveiled in 2014, as well as the recovery of stolen assets; takes note of the Strategy on asset recovery adopted by the Moldovan authorities as one of the many required steps in this regard; stresses the need for the courts to promptly examine the cases that are pending or undergoing investigations, notably that of Ilhan Shor, in open hearings;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 f (new)
Paragraph 11 f (new)
11f. Expresses concern about the increased risk of money laundering following the adoption of the so-called "fiscal reform package" in July 2018 which includes a tax amnesty scheme; calls for it to be amended to close such loopholes and, in the meantime, commits to remain very attentive to its implementation, in coordination with the Commission, EEAS and other international organisations;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to respect international principles and uphold best practices that guarantee an enabling environment for civil society; expects, in particular, that no future legislation will curb foreign funding for Moldovan NGOs or will unduly increase the administrative and reporting burden on them;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Expresses concern about signs of a further shrinking of space for the country’s civil society, and calls on the authorities to immediately halt undue or disproportionate criminal proceedings against political opponents, their lawyers and/or their families; expresses specific concerns about proceedings that target human rights defenders, independent judges such as Domnica Manole and Gheorghe Balan, journalists and critics of the government or of the President of the Democratic Party of Moldova; also calls on the authorities to guarantee freedom of assembly and in particular the holding of peaceful demonstrations;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the authorities to significantly step up efforts to uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms, notably for vulnerable groups, by fighting hate speech and discrimination against LGBTQI people, persons with disabilities and minorities such as the Roma population, as well as hate speech and discrimination based on gender or political affiliation;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4 a (new)
Subheading 4 a (new)
Trade and economic cooperation
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16d. Welcomes the significant increase in Moldovan imports into the EU as a result of the entry into force of the DCFTA;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 f (new)
Paragraph 16 f (new)
16f. Recalls the importance of an independent judiciary and of the fight against corruption as well as a decrease in administrative and bureaucratic burden to improve the investment and business climate;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 g (new)
Paragraph 16 g (new)
16g. Encourages further progress in the areas of sanitary and phytosanitary standards and the protection of geographical indications;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the promulgation of the Energy Law in 2017 as a further step towards the transposition of the Third Energy Package and encourages concrete steps to ensuring the independence of the energy regulatory agency ANRE;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Calls on the EU, its Member States and Moldova to further increase communication efforts on the implementation of the AA and the expected benefits of related reforms to the society at large;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Reiterates its resolve to increase its monitoring of the implementation of international agreements with the EU's Eastern partners; calls once more on the Commission and the EEAS to transmit to the Parliament and the Council more frequent and regular written reports on the implementation of these agreements;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. Calls on the EEAS / European Commission to publish all the annual association implementation reports at the same time and to simultaneously publish a comparative evaluation of the level of progress towards AA/DCFTA implementation by each associated partner, against specific benchmarks;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 d (new)
Paragraph 18 d (new)
18d. Resolves to draw up annual reports on the implementation of the association agreements;