24 Amendments of Goffredo Maria BETTINI related to 2015/2220(INI)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
having regard to the Council conclusions of 22 June 2015 on the EU-Central Asia Strategy,
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU-Central Asia Strategy was adopted in a context of growing importance of the region and increased EU engagement in neighbouring Afghanistan, the extension of the European Neighbourhood Policy to the Caspian region, ongoing EU support for reform and modernisation of post-Soviet societies, and EU energy security interests; whereas it also recognised the security threats and challenges that require greater cooperation between Central Asia and the EU;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the level of development aid wasEU development aid to Central Asia, mainly under the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI), has been increased from EUR 750 million in 2007- 2013 to EUR 1 028 million in 2014- 2020, i.e. by 56 %;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the countries of Central Asia are strategic partners for the European Union and whereas the growing regional influence of Russia and China means that the EU needs to play a proactive role in the area in question;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates the EU’s strong interest in a peaceful, democratic, stable and economically and environmentally sustainable, inclusive and prosperous Central Asian region, as stated in the strategy of 2007;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the Review of the EU-Central Asia strategy conducted by the EEAS, the Commission and the Council in 2015; takes the view, nevertheless, that the priorities, objectives and targets should be better defined and accompanied by benchmarks and indicators in a credible timeframe, in order to identify and correct eventual shortfalls; highlights the importance of making the Strategy consistent with global commitments, in particular with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as adopted on 25 September 2015 at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Agrees that the Strategy adopted in 2007 and the long-term priority areas defined therein (human rights and the, rule of law, good governance and democratization; youth and education; economic development, trade and investment; energy and transport; the environmental sustainability and water; common security threats and challenges; and intercultural dialogue) remain relevant and provide the basis for a concrete and potentially fruitful European engagement in the region, in line with the objectives set in the EU strategy; welcomes, however, the more focused approach of the Strategy Review;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. points out that the review is rather ambitious given that the region is not a geopolitical priority for the EU and its Member States, but concurs with the Council’s designation of the region as strategically important, with the condition that; in this regard, deems it necessary that there be effective cooperation regarding democratic transformation should lead to, improved and stronger political, diplomatic and trade relations; in this context, welcomes the 56 % increase in and more specific focusing of EU development assistance to the region in period 2014-2020 as compared with the previous period;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. shares the view that a differentiated and, conditional and incentive-based approach should be applied in order to achieve better results both bilaterally and regionally; believes that regional programmes, such as those for border management, drugs and trafficking, transport and energy, should be tailor-made so as to target interested parties, and could therefore benefit from participation in them being confined to a limited or flexible number of countries of the region, possibly also including Afghanistan, Iran, Mongolia and Azerbaijan;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. takes note ofwelcomes the re-establishment of the post of EU Special Representative (EUSR) for Central Asia after a year-long gap, and expects the newly appointed EUSR to make an important contribution to the implementation of the strategy for Central Asian countries by ensuring consistency of the external actions of the Union in the region;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. deeply regrets that overall respect for democratic standards, human rights and fundamental freedoms has further deteriorated during the reporting periodnot yet reached an acceptable level; regrets that the human rights situation overall remains worrying, despitebut stresses that there have nevertheless been limited positive developments in some countries of the region, including legislative reforms, increased efforts to prevent torture, and steps towards the eradication of the use of child labour and forced labour;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Recalls that protection and promotion of children's rights is among the key objectives of the EU and calls on the authorities to support its implementation in compliance with international law and standards, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. welcomes the establishment of Human Rights Dialogues with all five countries of Central Asia; points out, however, the lack of transparency of the process, and calls on the VP/HR to review the role, mandate, objectives and follow-up of the Human Rights Dialogues with the countries of the region, and in particular to involve all stakeholders andat the European Parliament needs to become more involved, and calls on the VP/HR to introduce systematic human rights monitoring mechanisms in countries with which the EU has entered into legally binding agreements;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the authorities to make further efforts to protect ethnic and religious minorities and LGBTI persons in Central Asian societies and, to end discrimination against them and to enforce the rights of vulnerable people, in particular of persons with disabilities;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. WStresses that education is one of the key areas for the EU to deploy its action in Central Asia; in this regard, welcomes the commitment of Latvia, with the help of Poland, to lead the regional programme on education; regards investment in inclusive and quality education as the best way to improve the socio-economic situation of the region; points out that such investment should pay special attention to targeting the most vulnerable groups, such as girls, children with disabilities and children belonging to minorities;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Is of the opinion that development aid should be disbursed only in countries with a genuine interest in the alleviation of poverty andmainly aimed at poverty reduction and towards equal and sustainable socio- economic progress, and that those countries must demonstrate efficient anti- corruption policies and allow the EU to monitor implementation; questions, in this respect, the rationale for and cost- effectiveness of the aid to Turkmenistan which will graduate from bilateral aid in 2017, and of that to Uzbekistan; requests that the policy be reviewed should improvements occurncerned countries should allow the EU to monitor implementation; encourages the VP/HR to help foster progress in this field;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Points out that inclusive and sustainable economic development is among the key priorities of the Strategy; stresses the need for Central Asian countries to promote active policies aimed at poverty reduction and in fighting social exclusion; underlines, in this regard, that the deteriorating economic trends as a consequence of lowering commodity prices, of the devaluation of the Rouble and of the fall in remittances from migrants working in Russia, many of whom are now returning home unemployed, pose serious socio-economic challenges to the region;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. encourages an increase in trading between the EU and the countries of Central Asia in order to promote development and opening up of the market; reiterates the need to modernise infrastructures in the region and to improve links between urbanised and rural areas;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. recognises that energy cooperation is a key issue in relations between the EU and Central Asia; calls on the EU to increase efforts towards integration of the energy market, which is in the interest of all parties as it will help to create energy diversification; in this regard, calls for a redoubling of efforts to achieve the objective of expanding the Southern Corridor and the Trans-Caspian pipeline;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls on the EU to further its efforts in fostering cooperation among Central Asian states on water management;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. recognises that the main threats and challenges identified in the Strategy for Central Asia remain relevant; is, however, acutely aware of the additional external pressures stemming from the current security challenges in Afghanistan, as well as the opaque foreign policy of Russia aimed at re; considers that the fight against drug trafficking, border control and anti-terrorism are the priorities in tegration of former Soviet space, triggered by the crisis in Ukrainerms of achieving safety and stability in Central Asia, and in this regard calls for greater EU engagement in the region;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Is deeply concerned that the growing numbers of Central Asian citizens, prompted in part by political marginalisation and bleak economic prospects, are travelling to the Middle East to fight or otherwise support the Daesh/IS, Al-Nusra and other terrorist and extremist organisations;
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Is deeply worried about the risk posed by the Islamic State in terms of attracting radicalised youth in the region;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Asks the Member States to refrain from arms deliveries to Central Asia, in line with the eight criteria laid down in the 2008 EU common position on arms export controls; in this respect, raises concern over the export of 300 US armoured vehicles to Uzbekistan in 2014-2015; and more generally over the circumvention of this ban on the sale of arms and military equipment by European companies following bilateral agreements by some Member States;