Activities of Lars ADAKTUSSON related to 2016/2314(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
2016 Report on Kosovo (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the 2016 Commission Report on Kosovo PDF (309 KB) DOC (65 KB)
Amendments (23)
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16
Citation 16
— having regard to the joint statements of the EP-Kosovo interparliamentary meetings of 28-29 May 2008, 6-7 April 2009, 22-23 June 2010, 20 May 2011, 14-15 March 2012, 30-31 October 2013 and 29-30 April 2015, and to the declarations and recommendations adopted at the first and second meetings of the EU-Kosovo Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee of 16-17 May 2016 and 23-24 November 2016 respectively, and to the first meeting of the Stabilisation and Association Council held on the 25 November 2016,
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EU has repeatedly reiterated its willingness to assist in the economic and political development of Kosovo through a clear European perspective, in line with the European perspective of the region and Kosovo has shown an aspiration in its path towards European integration;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the entry into force of the EU-Kosovo Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) on 1 April 2016 as the first contractual relationship and an essential step for the integration of Kosovo into the EU - which would also further Kosovo's trade and investment integration; welcomes the launch of the European Reform Agenda on 11 November 2016 as a platform to facilitate implementation of the SAA and calls on Kosovo to show clear political will and determination to implement the agreed roadmap including the setting up of the coordination mechanism for the SAA, and to seize the positive momentum created by the SAA;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Expresses concern at the persistent extreme polarisation of the political landscape; calls on all the parties to create the conditions for a fruitful, solution and result-oriented dialogue with a view to defusing tension and calls on the opposition especially for cooperation and reaching a sustainable compromise aimed at facilitating the progress of the country on its European path;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Urges the leaders of the Kosovo- Serbian community to take full ownership of their place and role in the institutions of the country, acting independently from Belgrade and constructively for the benefit of all the people of Kosovo, while urging Kosovo to continue to support the access of Kosovo Serbs to Kosovo institutions;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Condemns in the strongest terms the violent disruption of activities by the opposition which occurred in the first half of the year and welcomes the return of the opposition to participate in Assembly proceedings on most issues;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes with concern that the post of Minister of European Integration still remains vacant and that this undermines the coherence and effectiveness of SAA implementation policies; underlines that the path towards EU integration requires a strategic long- term vision and sustained commitment in the adoption and implementation of the necessary reforms;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the proposal by the Commission to grant visa liberalisation, which would be a very positive step for Kosovo on the path to European integration; is concerned by the stalemate in the Assembly with regard to the ratification of the demarcation agreement with Montenegro, and stresses that visa liberalisation can only be granted once Kosovo has fulfilled all criteria, including with regard to building up a track record of high-level convictions for corruption and organised crime, which has been greatly aided by the IT tracking mechanism for high profile cases that Kosovo has for high-level crimes, which should also be extended to other criminal cases;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Welcomes the progress made in implementing the various agreements signed since August 2016 in the normalisation process with Serbia, after months of little to no progress; calls on both Kosovo and Serbia to show more engagement and sustained political will as regards the normalisation of relations and recalls that this is a condition for accession to the EU; takes note of some progress on other technical issues such as cadastre, university diplomas and licence plates and on the implementation of the agreement on the Mitrovica Bridge; welcomes the allocation of an independent international telephone code to Kosovo; reiterates its call on the European External Action Service to carry out an evaluation of the performance of the sides in fulfilling their obligations; notes with concern that a wall has been constructed in North Mitrovica without prior consent of all parties and to the detriment of the joint reconciliation of the city;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes that the Association of Serbian Municipalities has not yet been set up and that the Statute still has to be drafted, and urges Kosovo to establish the association in line with the agreement reached under the EU-facilitated dialogue and with the ruling of the Kosovo Constitutional Court; expresses concern at the continued presence of Serbia’s parallel structures and calls for their dismantlement; encourages all stakeholders to find an acceptable and mutually agreeable long-term solution for the status of the Trepca mining complex; notes that the establishment of the Association is the responsibility of the government of Kosovo;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the establishment of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor Office in The Hague as an essential step for ensuring justice and reconciliation, and invites Kosovo to fully cooperate with the Court; underlines that witness protection is a crucial issue for the Court to be successful and thus calls on authorities to allow citizens to benefit from this system without the fear of retribution; calls on the EU and the Member States to ensure proper funding of the Special Court; calls on Kosovo to address the issue of missing persons - including the effective guarantee of property rights, barring the usurpation of properties and guaranteeing the return and reintegration of displaced persons, and to ensure effective compensation to the victims of war rape;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that, while some progress has been achieved in adopting legislation for the proper functioning of the judiciary, the administration of justice remains slow and inefficient and is hampered by the remaining shortcomings of criminal legislation, political interference, lack of accountability, issues of overlap and limited financial and human resources, including in the Special Prosecution Office; encourages Kosovo to address these issues as a matter of priority; urges the competent authorities to conduct a proper investigation into the death in prison of Mr Astrit Dehacknowledges the efforts of the Kosovo government to investigate the potential murder of Mr Astrit Dehari, and notes that further investigation should take place, should this be deemed necessariy;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the signing of the framework agreement for Kosovo’s participation in EU programmes and encourages the swift entry into force of the agreement following the European Parliament's approval;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Expresses serious concerns at the lack of progress with regard to the protection of freedom of expression and media freedom, and at the increased political interference and pressure and intimidation exerted on the media; notes that due to a generally non-sustainable media in Kosovo, a sustainable solution for the RTK broadcaster needs to be found, as it is currently being publicly funded; urges the Kosovo authorities to fully recognise and protect freedom of expression in line with EU standards and to end impunity for attacks against journalists;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Reiterates its concern about the very slow progress in the fight against corruption and organised crime and calls for renewed efforts and a clear political will to tackle these issues; regrets that corruption and organised crime go unpunished in certain areas of Kosovo, notably in the north; is concerned that the track record of investigations, prosecutions, final convictions remains low and confiscation and sequestration of criminal assets remains lowis rarely utilized despite it being an essential tool in fighting corruption, thus recommends the prompt freezing of assets and an increase in the number of final confiscation; expresses concern that political party and campaign financing is not properly covered by regulatory oversight and is hampered by the lack of political will needed to enforce the legal framework; expresses the view that conflict of interest law needs to be brought in line with European standards and effective removal of public officials indicted or convicted of serious or corruption-related crimes needs to be enacted; calls for direct and effective cooperation between Kosovo and Serbia, as well as between all the countries in the region, in the fight against organised crime; stresses that Kosovo’s membership of Interpol and cooperation with Europol would facilitate these efforts;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls on Kosovo to further efforts to stop gender-based violence and to ensure women’s full enjoyments of rights; calls on Kosovo institutions to allocate adequate funding to the implementation of the national strategy on domestic violence, which includes international mechanisms such as the Istanbul Convention; welcomes the high-level political support for the rights of LGBTI persons; welcomes the holding of the second pride parade, but reiterates that fear remains widespread in the LGBTI communityand notes that cases of verbal and physical assault against the LGBTI community should be properly investigated;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. While commending the establishment of the Inter-Ministerial Coordination Group for Human Rights in May 2016, highlights that strong political will is needed in order for the Group to deliver its mandate; at the same time expresses concern that legislation regarding minorities are not being properly implemented, and not enough resources are dedicated to ensure protection of minorities;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17 b. Reiterates the fact that the draft law on freedom of religion needs to be adopted and should include the Venice Commission's recommendations on the matter; expresses concern at the local resistance to the implementation of the ruling on the return of its property to the Kosovo Serbian Orthodox church, and calls on actors to implement the ruling; condemns the fact that explosive materials were placed at the mosque in Drenas/Glogovac, and reiterates the fact that all citizens of Kosovo need to respect the rights of religious groups;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the Kosovo authorities to address gender mainstreaming as a priority and to ensure that governing bodies and authorities lead by example; is concerned about the structural challenges hampering the implementation of the law on gender equality, and remains concerned about the under-representation of women in decision-making positions and women are also at a disadvantage with regards to property inheritance due to the very low number of women who are able to inherit as a result of tradition, thus putting them at a financial disadvantage of not being able to use their property as collateral when attempting to obtain credit; is concerned that no progress has been made on combating domestic and gender-based violence; urges the authorities to encourage publicly and put in place protection mechanisms and shelter measures for women who break the silence and denounce domestic violence, and welcomes in this respect the NGO ‘Be a Man’ founded by men in Pristinaencourages the work of NGOs on this issue;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes the increased efforts to counter violentIslamic extremism and radicalisation and recognises the important work carried out by Kosovo in this area; notes that many foreign fighters have returned to Kosovo and calls on the authorities to establish effective policies for prevention, de-radicalisation and - where appropriate - reintegration;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the improvement of the economic situation and the increase in tax revenues which are making more resources available for the government to carry out its policies; expresses, however, its concerns about the sustainability of Kosovo’s budget with regard, in particular, to the amount of the benefits allocated to war veterans, and calls, in this connection, for the reform of the relevant law as agreed with the International Monetary Fund; calls on the need to urgently increase the level of employment, and increase local industry - while at the same time focusing on the competitiveness of locally manufactured products to be able to reach the standards for EU export - and to decrease the dependence on remittances which have increased recently; expresses concern of the ad-hoc financing decisions taken, which hampers stability necessary for businesses; reiterates the need to facilitate the registration of new businesses which are currently plagued by unaccountable administration, underdeveloped infrastructure, weak rule of law and corruption; highlights the need to focus on improving the quality of education and matching educational competences with job needs, which is essential in tackling the very high rate for youth unemployment; urges Kosovo to follow-up on the recommendations from the EU's 'Small Business Act' assessment and the introduction of regulatory impact assessments to reduce the administrative burden on SMEs;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25 a. Strongly condemns the act of sending a Serbian nationalist train from Belgrade to Northern Kosovo; interprets this as an act of provocation and a step back in Serbia-Kosovo relations;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Urges the Kosovo authorities to adopt a credible long-term energy strategy based on energy efficiency, the diversification of energy sources and the development of renewables; calls on the government to respect the agreement to close downhighlights the need to further work towards reliable electricity grids, which would also support business creation and local industry; calls on the government to respect the agreement to decommissioning of the Kosovo A power plant and refurbishing Kosovo AB power plant and make use of the EUR 60 million allocated for this purpose by the EU within the framework of IPA funds; calls for a hydropower strategy for the Western Balkans as a wholeguidance for the Western Balkans as a whole as the planning of investments in infrastructure needs to ensure that nature protection obligations are respected; highlights the fact that while a national strategy for air quality and a law on ambient air was adopted, it needs to be enforced as the alarmingly high CO2 emission - especially in the wintertime - causes great health risks and thus urges authorities to take immediate action; is concerned that the waste management problem remains one of the more visible problems in Kosovo, with current legislation not addressing the challenges;