20 Amendments of Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS related to 2023/0264(BUD)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the growing instability and the rise of unprecedented challenges in the immediate European neighbourhood and the international environment increases the demands on the Union to act;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Union must continue to support Ukraine including military support and respond to other urgent global needs as they evolve; whereas it is of outmost importance to continue demining Ukraine as there will be no sustainable reconstruction without it;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the European Union must continue to ensure access to education for children and young people in regions affected by conflicts and crises, and to continuously call for the lifting of bans on women and girls' access to education and full participation in public life in Afghanistan;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Strongly believes that a revision of the MFF is needed to make the Union budget fit for purpose in order to address global challenges; highlights that sufficient funding is key to the EU’s credibility as a stronger, more assertive, and more strategic actor on the world stage; welcomes therefore the Commission proposal for a revision presented on 20 June, believes however that an even stronger increase in Heading 6 would be needed to address the various challenges in the neighbourhood and beyond; strongly believes that external action funding is crucial for the EU’s stability and security amid Russian aggression in Ukraine and malign influence in the neighborhood and beyond, therefore views it as imperative that the EU maintains its current presence as a stabilizing power; calls on the Council to agree on a revision of the MFF before the end of the year so that it can have an impact on the 2024 budget; furthermore calls on the Commission to present as soon as possible a detailed breakdown per budget line regarding the suggested increases for 2024 of EUR 2.331 million (in 2018 prices) in order for the budgetary authority to make full use of the additional funds in Heading 6;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Strongly believes that a revision of the MFF is needed to make the Union budget fit for purpose in order to address global challenges, among which European defence; welcomes therefore the Commission proposal for a revision presented on 20 June, believes however that an even stronger increase in Heading 6 would be needed to address the various challenges in the neighbourhood and beyond; calls on the Council to agree on a revision of the MFF before the end of the year so that it can have an impact on the 2024 budget; furthermore calls on the Commission to present as soon as possible a detailed breakdown per budget line regarding the suggested increases for 2024 of EUR 2.331 million (in 2018 prices) in order for the budgetary authority to make full use of the additional funds in Heading 6;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Notes that increases in external action spending need to be accompanied by a strengthened monitoring and anti- corruption framework; calls on the Commission, following recommendations from the European Court of Auditors, to make external action spending more standardised, comparable and transparent; believes that granting the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and the European Public Prosecutors’ Office (EPPO) powers to monitor external action spending is a good avenue to ensure that funds are properly spent and that funds contribute to the EU’s external goals;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Continues to see the Western Balkans integration as a geopolitical priority; welcomes furthermore the accession perspective for Ukraine and Moldova, insists however that additional funding is needed to support both countries on their path to accession; calls for the strengthening of rule of law conditionality in all funding streams linked to accession procedures, particularly in the Western Balkans; calls for reinforced monitoring and reporting regarding rule of law reforms;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Continues to see the Western Balkans integration as a geopolitical priority; welcomes furthermore the accession perspective for Ukraine and Moldova, insists however that additional funding is needed to support both countries on their path to accession; calls for continuous support for the Belarusian democratic forces, for increased support for Georgian civil society and independent media, and for peace-building activities between Armenian and Azerbaijani societies;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls for greater support for independent media fighting Russian disinformation and propaganda, in particular media in the national languages of the Eastern Partnership countries, Russian-language media inside and outside Russia, as well as media in the Western Balkans and in the African countries where the Wagner Group is active;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Reiterates that adequate level of funding should be maintained for the Southern Neighbourhood in 2024; regrets therefore the diminution of 100 million EUR compared to 2023;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Welcomes the continuation of funding for humanitarian aid and support for Syrian refugees in the country and the region;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that funding of projects focussing on women and girls in conflict and crisis-affected areas, including on gender-based violence, conflict prevention, rebuilding and empowering of women, is insufficient and should be strengthened throughout all geographical regions in the budget; calls for the rights of Afghan women and girls to be further strengthened and, most importantly, for them to have access to secondary and university education, including through EU scholarships to study at schools and universities in EU Member States;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that funding of projects focussing on women and girls in conflict areas, including on gender-based violence, conflict prevention, rebuilding and empowering of women, is insufficient and should be strengthened throughout all geographical regions in the budget; believes in particular that projects aiming at actively countering disinformation, in particular on these issues, can further strengthen EU actions and help establish long-term stability;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that funding of projects focussing on women and girls in conflict areas, including on gender-based violence, conflict prevention, rebuilding and empowering of women, is insufficient and should be strengthened throughout all geographical regions in the budget with meaningful stakeholder involvement throughout the funding process;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses the important work of civil society organisations in safeguarding democracy and human rights, and calls for additional funding to be made available for their activities, especially those concerned with LGBTIQ+ rights;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Believes that the support of third countries in the fight against climate change needs to be increased as a matter of urgency; reiterates its call for the adoption of an EU financing plan for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), since Heading 6 of the MFF does not provide sufficient means for the EU’s external action to help partner countries finance their SDG strategies;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls for special attention to be paid to nuclear safety and disaster preparedness in the light of Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine and concerns about the safety of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), as well as the Lukashenka regime's continued failure to ensure the nuclear safety of the Belarusian NPP in Astravyets;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Strongly believes that a considerable reinforesses the need to increase the humanitarian aid budget line (HUMA) by EUR 1 billion to meaningfully address the unprecemdented level of humanitarian aid is needed for the Union to be able to respond to emerging crises and therefore increases this budget line by EUR 1 billionneeds worldwide, aggravated by the Ukraine war and its global economic repercussions, notably in terms of food insecurity; highlights that funds from the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR) can be mobilised for crises outside the EU throughout the whole financial year.
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Strongly believes that a considerable reinforcement of humanitarian aid, accompanied by clear objectives in terms of the rule of law and governance is needed for the Union to be able to respond to emerging crises and therefore increases this budget line by EUR 1 billion.
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Commission to ensure that there is no direct or indirect funding of foreign associations that run counter to European values;