9 Amendments of Klaus BUCHNER related to 2016/2324(INI)
Amendment 1 #
1. Deplornounces the fact that certain states ofphenomenon of shrinking civil society space, which is an integral part of a global authoritarian pushback against democracy and human rights; deplores the fact that a growing number of statens limit or restrict freedom of expression in order to silence dissent or criticism; recalls that the long-term stability and resilience of a society can only be achieved and maintained by ensuring openness of the civic space and the rights to freedom of expression, opinion, peaceful assembly and association; notes that restrictions and threats on civil society may also originate from non-state actors, including from the business sector;
Amendment 7 #
1 a. Is deeply concerned by the increasing attacks against human rights defenders (HRDs) worldwide;calls on the EU, and the VP/HR in particular, to adopt a policy to denounce, systematically and unequivocally, the killing of human rights defenders and any attempt to subject them to any form of violence, persecution, threat, harassment, disappearance, imprisonment or arbitrary arrest, to condemn those who commit or tolerate such atrocities, and to step up public diplomacy in open and clear support of HRDs;encourages the EU Delegations and the Member States’ diplomatic representations to continue actively to support HRDs, notably by systematically monitoring trials, visiting HRDs in jail and issuing statements on individual cases, where appropriate;
Amendment 11 #
1 b. Underlines that the phenomenon of shrinking civil society space is a global phenomenon, which is not restricted to developing countries but also, and in an increasing manner, occurring in established democracies and middle and high-income countries, including in European Union Member States and some of its closest allies;calls on the European Union and its Member States to lead by example and strictly uphold the fundamental rights pertaining to civil society and to address any negative trends in this field;
Amendment 12 #
1 c. Denounces the prevailing sense of impunity enjoyed by a number of states in their assault against civil society and whose relations with the EU and standing in international fora are largely unaffected by such developments;
Amendment 21 #
2. Considers that the EU should use its foreign policy instruments, including human rights and development instruments, to deal with the structural roots of the shrinking space problem and to design a multifaceted approach, since regimes are now using not only draconian NGO laws but also a wide range of direct and indirect tactics to limit the operation or financing of civil society organisations (CSOs), such as arbitrary registration and reporting requirements, travel bans, distorted criminal charges, raids and audits, and counterterrorism and security measures;
Amendment 32 #
3. Calls on the Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Member States and the EU Special Representative for Human Rights to be more vocal, consistent and timely in expressing objections to restrictive CSO laws and to exert effective and tailored pressure on the host governments in question and raise this issue systematically in political and human rights dialogues; considers that EU actors could exert more positive conditionality by allocating additional funds to those governments allowing a wider space for civil society; calls on the EU and its Member States also to develop negative conditionality in response to serious shrinking space developments, including through the restriction or even the suspension of assistance, trade or strategic relations;
Amendment 45 #
5. Requests the establishment of a ‘Shrinking Space Monitoring and Early Warning’ mechanism, with the involvement of the relevant EU institutions, capable of monitoring threats against civil society space and human rights defenders, and issuing an alert when a given government is preparing serious new restrictions against civil society so that the EU is able to respond in a timelier, coordinated and tangible manner;
Amendment 51 #
5 a. Commits to establish, on an annual basis and in close consultation with relevant institutional and NGO actors, a list of countries where civil society space is most under threat and to use it as a benchmark against which to assess the engagement of the EU and its Member States with these countries;
Amendment 56 #
6. Calls on the Commission to increase the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) funds relevant to the shrinking space, since the annual sums per country are at an extremely low level and to human rights defenders; calls on the Commission to identify new forms of activism to be funded by the EIDHR and, to have a comprehensive approach to civil society organizations, which includes trade unions and social movements, and to continue its efforts to put in place a more flexible and simplified procedure for accessing EIDHR funding, including more significant exceptions for those CSOs in particular danger and support for unregistered groups; considers that greater emphasis should be put on support to local groups and actors, since human rights issues are often experienced in a more real and acute way at local level at local level; reiterates the importance of the EIDHR in providing urgent direct financial and material support for HRDs at risk and the emergency fund that allows the EU Delegations to give direct ad-hoc grants to defenders at risk;