7 Amendments of Klaus BUCHNER related to 2015/2220(INI)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recognises the importance of the Central Asian region for strategic relations with the EU and insists on the strengthening of trade ties and exchanges between the two regions on the basis of common values as enshrined in the bilateral Partnership and Cooperation Agreements (PCAs); calls for the EU’'s role in the region to be more proactive in response to the growing regional influence of Russia and China;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. WelcomNotes the conclusion of the EPCA with Kazakhstan, and calls on the Commission to step up negotibilateral relations with other countries in the region; reiterates its position that progress in the negotiations depends on the progress made in political reform, the respect of human rights and the rule of law; believes that WTO membership also makes an important contribution in this respect, and calls on Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to follow the example of the other Central Asian stats well as ILO and other UN agencies; recalls that the economy of these countries is heavily dependent on natural resources and that export duties are in principle WTO- compatible and an important source of fiscal revenues;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Is concerned that the human and fundamental rights situation in Kazakhstan has continuously deteriorated after the conclusion of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement in October 2014, while in the meantime the EU has upgraded its economic relation with the country; calls on the Commission to further monitor the situation and initiate appropriate measures;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recognises that Central Asia is a strategic partner for the EU in its attempts to diversify the sources of its energy supply and ensure energy security while remaining committed to the decarbonisation of the EU economy; believes that the future EU-Central Asia strategy must have a wider vision inbeyond the energy field, which shouldith a view to reducing export dependency on fossil fuels and other natural resources and enhancing the diversification of the economy, which may also extend to countries like Azerbaijan and Iran;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for continued efforts to support the modernisation of the economy of these countries and to help them createset up a reliable and independent human rights monitoring mechanism in order to more objectively take into account the possible activation of the suspension clauses as well as facilitating a favourable environment for foreign investment by strengthening the rule of law, the respect for human, fundamental as well as minority rights, reducing bureaucratic burdens and administrative interference in enterprises, reforming the judicial system to ensure the protection of property rights and foreign investment, and fighting corruption;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Recognises that the cooperation of Uzbekistan with the International Labour Organisation on the subject of cotton harvesting is continuing on an encouraging path and that progress on the issue of systematic child labour is being made; notes, however, that the situation of forced labour and the intimidation and coercion of non- governmental human and labour rights groups during the monitoring of the 2015 cotton harvest needs to be improved;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Recalls that the Parliament decided not to consider its consent to the Protocol to the PCA extending the provisions of the Agreement to bilateral trade in textiles, until it is confirmed that concrete reforms have been implemented and yielded substantial results in such a way that also the practice of forced labour, additionally to child labour, is effectively in the progress of being eradicated in Uzbekistan;