Activities of Maria ARENA related to 2022/2007(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood – a new agenda for the Mediterranean (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on a European Parliament recommendation to the Commission and the Commission Vice-President / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood – a new agenda for the Mediterranean
Amendments (42)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
— having regard to the Barcelona Declaration, adopted at the Euro- Mediterranean Conference of 27-28 November 1995, establishing a Euro- Mediterranean Partnership with a detailed work programme,
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 b (new)
Citation 1 b (new)
— having regard to the UN resolution entitled ‘Transforming our World – the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’, adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015 in New York (the 2030 Agenda),
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 c (new)
Citation 1 c (new)
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 d (new)
Citation 1 d (new)
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 e (new)
Citation 1 e (new)
— having regard to the Commission communication of 11 December 2019 on ‘The European Green Deal’ (COM(2019)0640),
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 f (new)
Citation 1 f (new)
— having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security of 25 November 2020 entitled ‘EU Gender Action Plan (GAP)III – an ambitious agenda for gender equality and women’s empowerment in EU external action 2021-2025’ (JOIN(2020)0017), and to the accompanying Joint Staff Working Document entitled ‘Objectives and Indicators to frame the implementation of the Gender Action Plan III (2021-25)’ (SWD(2020)0284),
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2
Citation 2
— having regard to the joint sJoint Communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions entitled ‘Renewed Partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood, a new agenda for the Mediterranean (JOIN(2021)0002) and the accompanying Joint Staff wWorking dDocument entitled ‘Renewed Partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood Economic and Investment Plan for the Southern Neighbours’ (SWD(2021)0023), ,
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
— having regard to the Council conclusions of 16 April 2021 on a renewed Partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood - A new agenda for the Mediterranean (7931/21),
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3
Citation 3
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5
Citation 5
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas, on 9 February 2021, the Commission and the Commission Vice- President / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) endorsed a joint communication for an ambitious and renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood including aentitled “A new aAgenda for the Mediterranean” and an accompanying joint staff working document providing an economic and investment plan focusing on, inter aliafive priorities, namely: human development, good governance and the rule of law; resilience, prosperity and the digital transition, peace and security, migration and mobility, as well as the green transition; climate resilience, energy and the environment;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the Mediterranean region is an area of vital and complementary strategic importance to the European Union; whereas the EU and its Southern Neighbourhood share strong political, economic, social and cultural ties; whereas relations between the EU and its Mediterranean partners need to be reinvigorated in order to address common challenges, take advantage of shared opportunities and unlock the potential of our shared region;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas the EU and its Southern Neighbourhood partners share a common interest in supporting a revitalised and fit for purpose multilateral system, with the UN at its core, to address common challenges such as conflict resolution and prevention, peacebuilding, climate change, corruption, organised crime and terrorism;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Southern Neighbourhood should not be seen in a vacuum, but in close correlation with the Easterbroader European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) as defined in the 2015 ENP Review, and an overall reflection on how to pursue closer relations between the EU and its neighbours; whereas both the EU’s Southern and Eastern Neighbourhoods are strategic for the EU in that they can ensure shorterpromote human rights and democratic reforms and, therefore, ensure a more secure and more effective space for economic relations and investments, e.g. shorter supply lines; whereas the EU should pursue a common regulatory space that includes its Southern and Eastern Neighbourhoods, and therefore ensures access for its neighbouring countries to the highest policy, anti-corruption and human rights standards, which are multipliers of economic investment and economic growth;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas the new Agenda for the Mediterranean is supposed to inform the preparation of bilateral political frameworks, which can be joint documents, Partnership priorities or equivalent, establishing jointly agreed political and economic reform agendas and related implementing tools;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the war in Ukraine has underlined the threat posed by third countries that seek political and economic hegemony in the EU’s neighbourhood to the detriment of the democratic aspirations and territorial integrity of target countries; wWhereas Russia, China and Iran are allfreedom of speeking to increase their capacity to exercise political and/or economic hegemony in certain Southern Neighbourhood countriesch and press as well as pluralism of media are a key component of the rule of law and, therefore, the EU’s capacity-building for fighting disinformation and promoting freedom of the press is crucial;; whereas the EU should reaffirm its role as the primary political, economic and democratic anchor for the countriesinterest in and commitment to its policy ofn the Southern Neighbourhood;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the war in Ukraine and the resulting need to further diversify the EU’s energy supply have shown the essential role of the Southern Neighbourhood in securing sufficient gas and oil supplies to the EU with mutual benefits for both the EU and the Southern Neighbourhood countries; whereas the discovery of relevant natural gas reserves in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean provides a uniquen opportunity for economic development in the countries concerned; whereas these gas reserves equally provide an important opportunity for partnership, investment and the sharing of know-how between the countries of the Southern Mediterranean and the EU and its Member States; whereas the Southern Neighbourhood is therefore not only essential for reasons of regional security and stability, but also as a primary partner for access to energy sources, including renewable revenues from natural resources should be fairly distributed and used to benefit local populations;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas security and stability in the Southern Neighbourhood are possible only if there are open spaces for citizens and independent civil society to express and act freely without fear of reprisal and are closely correlated with the prospects for real socioeconomic integration of women and youth and their capacity to access education, vocational training, employment and adequate longer-term professional development;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – introductory part
Paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Recommends that, in the implementation of the renewed partnership with the Southern Neighbourhood and aentitled “A new agenda for the MEDITERRANEANediterranean”, the Commission and the VP/HR:
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
(a) Secure adequate resources for timely and effective implementation of the new agenda for the Mediterranean based on the objectives and priorities jointly determined with Southern Neighbourhood partner countries, building on valuable synergies through the programming of the external action for the region under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) and pursuing close coordination with Member State programming as well as facilitating as much as possible opportunities for blending through partnerships between the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and other relevant international financial institutions; takes the view that the new agenda for the Mediterranean can introduce a positive conditionality under which active EU support for a closer and effective policy interface with Southern Neighbourhood countries cand lead to further partnerships and convergence on other policy priorities including human development, good governance and the rule of law for the benefit of both the EU and Southern Neighbourhood countries and their populations; precalls, in this regard, the importance ofsent annual updates on the implementation of the new agenda for the Mediterranean and ensuringe EU visibility in all EU financial resources allocated to the region directly or indirectly through partnership with the UN or other international organisations;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(a a) Strengthen EU collaboration with its Southern Neighbourhood partners in relevant policies such as disarmament, non-proliferation and arm export control as well as promote conflict prevention and peacebuilding, counter-piracy, maritime security, countering terrorism, violent extremism;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) Address, as a matter of priority, the impact of the war in Ukraine on certain Southern Neighbourhood countries in terms of food security, with particular reference to countries most vulnerable because of their population size, dependence on food imports or economic model; asks the Commission to, lack of social security or economic model; engage with Parliament on ways to ensure food security for countries in the Southern Mediterranean that face difficulties in this regard and devise a robust, resilient and sustainable policy and assistance response for this purpose without further delay, also building on the Food and Resilience Facility in order to address food security in the region;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(b a) Develop and conclude Joint documents or Partnership priorities as a matter of priority to replace the previous documents, building on the five key priorities of the agenda of the Mediterranean, in particular the one on human development, good governance and the rule of law;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point b b (new)
(b b) Engage with all Southern Neighbourhood partners to elaborate policies based on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, and aimed at strengthening the rule of law, good governance and respect for human rights and international law;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point b c (new)
(b c) Address the human rights situation and challenges faced by civil society and support concrete initiative that reinforce civil society organisations, human rights defenders (HRDs) and independent media; ensure that partner countries effectively implement labour standards, and address violations of ILO standards;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
(c) Implement under the NDICI, as a matter of priority, strategies and dedicated programming for broader youth access to education, vocational training, higher education together with adequate funding for access to education; recalls that youth migration, whether regular or irregular, and professional brain drain are a matter of serious concern to our partners in the region, as well as a serious threat to the longer-term capacity for economic growth and economic viability of Southern Neighbourhood countries; stresses the importance of expanding access to the Erasmus and Erasmus+ programmes for participants from Southern Neighbourhood countries; recalls the importance of circular mobility, including South-to-South exchanges, so that professionals from Southern Neighbourhood countries can have concrete opportunities to further their professional training in the EU and return to their country of origin to share and build knowledge; recalls the importance of mainstreaming the socioeconomic integration of women in the region and of gender equality in all EU policies areas whenever possible; stresses the importance of targeted EU support for women with the objective of improving their access to education, training and employment and, more generally, promoting equal professional and socioeconomic opportunities;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(c a) Encourage all Southern Neighbourhood partners to strengthen women’s rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, and promote gender equality and women’s empowerment at all levels, including via mainstreaming gender across all instruments and cooperation programmes, as well as the Economic and Investment Plan, and taking note of the Joint Communication of the European Commission and the High Representative on the third Gender Action Plan (GAP) and the EU Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security; encourage all Southern Neighbourhood partners to eradicate, investigate and prevent gender- based violence and discrimination, and ensure the meaningful and equal active participation of women in all spheres of public life and decision-making, and the promotion of women’s rights; advocate for the full implementation in all Southern Neighbourhood partners of the UN Security Council Resolutions on the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, which take stock of the disproportionate impact of conflicts on women and girls and guide work and actions to promote gender equality and strengthen women’s participation, protection and rights throughout the conflict cycle, from conflict prevention to post-conflict reconstruction;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
(c b) Work to eliminate and deter hate speech that incites discrimination and violence, and support policies and initiatives aimed at protecting minorities and combating manifestations of intolerance, racism, homophobia, anti- religious hatred and other forms of xenophobia;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c c (new)
(c c) Encourage the Council to make full use of the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (EU GHRSR) in case of serious human rights violations in the region; work to extend the scope of this important instrument to include acts of corruption;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c d (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c d (new)
(c d) Make sure that EU, its Member States and its Southern Neighbourhood partners pursue migration policies that fully reflects the human rights of migrants and refugees as enshrined in international, regional and national laws; step up the EU engagement in countries where HRDs and civil society and community-based organisations, including those who are protecting the lives of migrants and asylum seekers who are at risk, are under threat or are being criminalised for their legitimate work;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c e (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c e (new)
(c e) Recognise and adequately fund the important and indispensable work of humanitarian agencies;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c f (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c f (new)
(c f) Guarantee that NDICI funding dedicated to migration in the Southern Neighbourhood is allocated in priority to programmes aiming at addressing the root causes of forced migration by enhancing living standards in the region;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c g (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c g (new)
(c g) Reiterate condemnation of the use of the death penalty; call on Southern Neighbourhood partners concerned to introduce an immediate moratorium on the use of the death penalty as a step towards abolishing and to commute all death sentences;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
(d) Pursue partnership and cooperation with relevant Southern Neighbourhood countries in order to tackle climate change and water scarcity and work toward the advancement and acceleration of the green transition, in line with the Paris agreement, the European Green Deal and the 2030 Agenda; recalls that the EU strategy on climate action and climate mitigation will not be as effective without sizeable investment and improvement in the EU’s neighbourhood; supports theimplement flagship initiatives on climate preservation in the Economic and Investment Plan for the Southern Neighbourhood; recalls that access to water, reforestation, decarbonisation and access to renewable energy sources will be essential for the climate neutrality of the Southern Neighbourhood and to protect it against the effects of climate change; recalls, further, that this, in turn, will increase the EU’s capacity to achieve its objectives of climate neutrality;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
(f) Pursue an active EU role in facilitating dialogue and cooperation among all the countries of the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean that have relevant natural gas reserves, promoting, where necessary, the capacity for understanding and final settlements on maritime border demarcation, and further promoting the interconnection capacity between countries in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean that produce natural gas and the European Union, through relevant EU hubs and considering, in particular, adequate pipeline, harbour and regasification infrastructures and technology that are hydrogen-ready to avoid lock-in effect both in the EU and in Southern Neighbourhood countries for the benefit of all producer countries and all Member States;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
(f a) Actively support common measures to conserve, protect, restore and sustainably use the rich biodiversity of the Mediterranean basin, a unique centre of diversification for fauna and flora species, ensure sustainable resource management, including water, and strengthen sustainable food system;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g
Paragraph 1 – point g
(g) Build on the very positive experience of some Member States in supporting start-up companies and further advancing their work through dedicated incubators or accelerators, especially in key sectors such as health, renewable energy and education; takes the view that the EU should set up incubators or accelerators in relevant Southern Neighbourhood countries, support the creation of local start-up companies, and increase their digital and green capacities; concurs on the importance of further improving the digital infrastructure of relevant Southern Neighbourhood countries and including these countries in the EU’s digital agenda; points out that this is a prerequisite for economic development, socioeconomic integration and wider access to education; recalls the importance of close policy dialogue and cooperation between the EU and the Southern Neighbourhood countries to develop adequate cybersecurity policies and partnership in international forums on cybersecurity standards; takes the view that the EU should build on the StratCom Task Force South and develop a concrete strategy for combating disinformation in our Southern Neighbourhood countries, aiming to counter fake news and propaganda in order to reinforce democracy and stability;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
(h) Promote regional, sub-regional and bilateral integration in the Southern Mediterranean, in particular with a view to the removal of any border, transport or trade barriers between the countries of the region and actively promoting closer links and partnerships; takes the view that the recent Negev Foreign Ministers summit in Sde Boker attests to the potential for regional integEU should promote cooperation and, peace in the region in the framework of the Abraham Accords; welcomes the intention of holding this summit annually and calls on the VP/HR and the Commission to use the positive momentum of the Abraham Accords to advance dialogue and cooperation in the region on support forand security in the region including the Middle East Peace process and the two- state solution;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i
Paragraph 1 – point i
(i) Implement the new agenda for the Mediterranean through dedicated dialogue and consultation with local and regional authorities, as well as independent civil society; reinforce the links between EU Delegations and the Euro- Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM); recalls that these are important drivers for development and are closer to the people, so that implementation strategies can reach all communities, including those most disadvantaged geographically or in socioeconomic terms;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j
Paragraph 1 – point j
(j) Present annual updates on the implementation of the new agenda for the Mediterranean, with particular regard to the financial resources made available for the Economic and Investment Plan; takes the view that the Commission and the VP/HR should regularly consult Parliament on the annual and multi-annual programming related to the implementation of the new agenda for the Mediterranean and the Economic and Investment Plan, and that they should regularly brief Parliament on the state of play of the new agenda for the Mediterranean, and inform it about the implementation of Parliament recommendations in all EU policies areas, as well as on additional projects and programmes that will boost the EU’s partnership capacity with Southern Neighbourhood countries;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l
Paragraph 1 – point l
(l) Ensure a positive link between the new agenda for the Mediterranean and the capacity of the EU and its Member States to build a coalition of like-minded countries to support a rules-based, effective multilateral system capable of boosting the capacity of the international community to address global challenges; reiterates its view that the new agenda for the Mediterranean should include dialogue on the value for Southern Neighbourhood countries converging with the EU not only on policy dialogue, stability and economic growth, but also on the capacity to promote peace and stability, democratic values and human rights in the UN system and relevant multilateral forumsa;