Activities of Lola SÁNCHEZ CALDENTEY related to 2016/2053(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
The future of ACP-EU relations beyond 2020 (A8-0263/2016 - Norbert Neuser) ES
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the future of ACP-EU relations beyond 2020 PDF (355 KB) DOC (81 KB)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the future of ACP-EU relations beyond 2020
Amendments (34)
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls for an effective post-Cotonou framework adapted to global challenges, based on ownership by the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and in line with human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals; stresses that a revised general framework agreement, together with the regional Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and other trade instruments, must support fair and sustainable trade and, ultimately, sustainable development and inequality and poverty reduction;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
- having regard to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly report on the participation of non-state actors and local actors in JPA activities on 05 April 2009,
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 d (new)
Citation 15 d (new)
- having regard to the Joint Staff Working Document on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment: Transforming the Lives of Girls and Women through EU External Relations 2016-2020 (SWD(2015) 182 final) and to the Council Conclusions of 26 October 2015 in which the respective Gender Action Plan 2016-2020 is endorsed,
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 e (new)
Citation 15 e (new)
- having regard to Article 21 of the Treaty on the European Union and must contribute to sustainable development goals, human rights and gender equality; having regard to Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which reaffirms that the Union must take account of the objective of development cooperation in the policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries,
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that the post-Cotonou process should offer a framework within which to discussair and balanced framework among equal partners within which to discuss, among other important issues, fair trade issues with all the ACP countries; calls for a strengthening of fair and balanced trade cooperation, with a valuehuman rights-driven approach and improved Policy Coherence for Development; believes that sustainable inclusive growth, decent job creation, the development of thewell-regulated local private sector and regional integration must be central in a future economic partnership;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for strong, legally binding sustainable development and human rights provisions; asks for the human rights 'essential elements' clause to remainbe bindingly reinforced and aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in the future agreement so that the linkage clauses in the EPAs continue to function after 2020;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the Cotonou Agreement addresses new global challenges such as climate change, inequalities, migration and terrorism, but has produced few concrete results in these areas;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas political dialogue on essential elements, as referred to in Articles 8 and 96 of the Cotonou Agreement, is a concrete and legal means of upholding the common values of the ACP-EU partnership and promoting democracy and human rights, gender equality and meeting of basic needs, which are fundamental for sustainable development;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the involvement of national parliaments, local authorities, civil society and othe private sectorr stakeholders in political dialogue has been rather limited, despite existing recognition of its importance; whereas the role of the ACP Group as such has been limited to cases where Article 96 is invoked; whereas political dialogue, and Article 96 in particular, have mostly been used at a late stage of political crises and not in a preventative manner;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that civil society involvement is a must throughout the implementation of the EPAs and the post- Cotonou process; notes the importance of a renewed ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and defends strong parliamentary oversight of the future framework; asks for results-oriented monitoring of ACP-EU cooperation, especially with regard to trade andhuman rights, sustainable development and fair trade;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Insist on the paramount importance of respecting, as stated on SDG 17.15, partner countries democratic policy space to regulate and take suitable decisions for their own national context, respond to the demands of their populations, and fulfil their human rights obligations and other international commitments;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Raise awareness of the pervasive link between free trade agreement with developing countries and illicit financial flows (IFF) and tax fraud increase; calls the future EU - ACP framework to effectively tackle IFF by enhancing cooperation on tax matters and boosting domestic resource mobilization on partner countries;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Deplores the current debt distress in several ACP countries; stresses the risk of increasing; debt distresses through the use of export credits and innovative financial instruments under the umbrella of EPAs; Calls for the EU to ensure debt sustainability in all trade deals with ACP countries;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Affirms that ACP-EU cooperation is a valuable and unique achievement that has strengthened bonds between ACP and EU countries and their parliaments throughout the last 40 years; underlines - provided theboth EU and ACP countries demonstrate their commitment to taking joint action as a group - that in order to improve the effectiveness of cooperation and adapt it to new challenges, a new structure has to be adopted that keeps those parts of the ACP- EU acquis that are universal in character, such as commitment to human rights, human development, gender equality, good governance and democracy, the objective of the rule of law, and exchange of best practice in a common framework, while the main work has to be done according to the principle of subsidiarity and solidarity, that is, it must take place in regional agreements that are tailored to specific regional needs and to the mutual interests existing between the EU and the respective region;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Stresses that the future ACP-EU relations must be articulated on a fair and balanced framework among equal partners and based on the respect and promotion of human rights and the UN Sustainable Development Goals;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises that both the common framework and the regional agreements should be legally binding; underlines that, in order to strengthen effectiveness and reduce duplication, the regional agreements with Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific should be designed in a way that takes into account existing regional and sub-regional organisations, e.g. the African Union, Regional Economic Communities, and regional agreements such as the Economic Partnership Astrategies and agreements (EPAs), and should allow the inclusion of additional countries, such as northern African countries, or the creation of groupings in accordance with specific interests or needs (e.g. development status, as in the case of LDCs, or geographical peculiarities, as in the case of small island developing states);
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for human rights and the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be placed at the centre of a new agreement, and for the creation of strong monitoring mechanisms to bindingly ensure that implementation of the agreement contributes to and promotes the SDGs;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for an ACP-EU peer monitoring, accountability and review mechanism to scrutinise SDG implementation in member states on a regular basis, with ACP and EU representatives not only from governmental institutions but also from parliaments and civil society, drawing up yearly conclusions and recommendations for national, regional and global review processes and follow-up;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for the fight against poverty and inequalities and the promotion of sustainable development and peoples dignity to remain an overarching objective of ACP-EU cooperation; believes, however, that a new agreement must primarily be a political project and clearly leave behind the donor-recipient mentality; stresses that the new agreement must be rooted in a rights-based and sustainable development approach that is people centred and takes into account the three pillars of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental), leaving no one behind; considers that cooperation should take place in areas of common interest where common gains can be expected, not just in economic terms but also with regard to peace and security, human rightsand that should be focused on the future of the new generations, human rights, gender equality, human development, good governance and democracy, the environment, climate change and other areas related to the prosperity of both ACP and EU populations;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Reiterates its view that policy coherence for development (PCD) is a key element for achieving the new universal sustainable development agenda and the respect, protection and fulfilment of human rights; believes that the comprehensive nature of the Cotonou Agreement promotes PCD and should therefore be safeguarded in a binding and effective way in a new agreement;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for the essential elements in the Cotonou Agreement regarding human rights, democratic principles, gender equality, human development, peoples dignity and the rule of law to continue to form the value-based foundation of a new agreement; calls for good governance to be added as an essential element;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that political dialogue among equal partners is a fundamental part of the Cotonou Agreement, and that Articles 8 and 96 are a concrete and legal means to uphold the essential elements of ACP-EU relations, though they have not always been used effectively in the past; calls for political dialogue to remain a central and legal pillar in the overarching framework and on the regional level of the new agreement; calls for political dialogue to be used more effectively and systematically and in a proactive way in order to prevent political crises;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Underlines in this regard that political dialogue is a valuable basis for improving the situation of the peoples of the partner countries; regrets the insufficient use of this instrument and its weak effectiveness so far; calls, therefore, for improved monitoring of the human rights situation and of the other essential and fundamental elements of the Agreement, based on inclusive and participatory processes, and for a regular biennial or multiannual evaluation and joint reports on the respect of these elements by all ACP- EU member states with the purpose of naming, shaming and praising; calls for the results of these reports to be presented at the overarching ACP-EU meetings and used as a basis for political dialogue; and to be referred to in the national, regional and global reviews and follow-up of the SDG implementation;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for stronger participation of national parliaments and, local authorities and CSOs at all stages of ACP-EU policies and activities, from future planning and programming to implementation, evaluation and monitoring, particularly from the viewpoint of the principle of subsidiarity;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for stronger involvement in political dialogue, in programming and implementation and support for capacity- building by civil society, especially for local groups that are directly concerned by policies; specific attention should be paid to the involvement of women's organizations and organizations working with populations suffering from discriminations; stresses that civil society in all its diversity should remain recognized as an official actor of the partnership as it can foster participation of those communities that otherwise would remain marginalised and excluded; underlines in this regard the danger of shrinking space for civil society in some countries, and the need also to include those groups that are unable to organise their interests or that are, despite a legitimate democratic interest, not recognised by their government;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Believes that the private sector can play a pivotal role inould, if properly regulated and bindingly aligned with development effectiveness principles, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the SDGs, contribute to the development process and can contribute to financing development, provided investment occurs with respect for the people and for traditional ownership or use, and for the environment; calls, therefore, for private investment to be supported under the auspices of the European Investment Bank (EIB) provided it is in line with international human rights law and social and environmental protection rul, in line with the UN guiding principles on business and human rights;; underlines that the priority of the new partnership should be given to local small scale producers and farmers and on securing an enabling environment for micro, small and medium size enterprises (MSMEs) and cooperatives; recalls, furthermore, for local and national private sectors to be allowed to participate in policymaking, programming and implementation that any EU and Member States' support for private sector development should be based on the Busan commitments;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls for the new ACP-EU agreement to include a strong parliamentary dimension, through a Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA), that will provide for a democratic and comprehensive parliamentary dialogue, including on difficult and sensitive subjects, advance common (regional) political projects, and provide a democratic underpinning for them through the participation of multi-stakeholders, scrutinise the executive’'s work as well as development cooperation, promote democracy and human rights, and thus make an important contribution to an ACP- EU partnership on an equal footing;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Believes that the JPA should ensure the adequate democratic and proportional representation and participation of all political forces in its debates; calls, therefore, for the ACP national delegations to the JPA to include representatives of their national political spectrum, including the opposition;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls for further efforts to be made to improve JPA scrutiny of development programming bearing in mind the development effectiveness principles and follow-up to such scrutiny; calls on the Commission and ACP governments to promote the involvement of ACP national parliaments, local authorities and civil society actors in the pre- and post-all the different scrutiny phases of development programming, and to supply all available information in a timely and transparent manner to ACP national parliaments in order to assist them in their exercise of democratic scrutiny;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Reiterates its call for budgetisation of the EDF in order to enhance efficiency and effectiveness, transparency, democratic scrutiny, and accountability and the visibility and coherence of EU development financing; stresses, however, that this budgetisation should be conditioned by i) a guaranteed ring-fencing of developing funds to maintain the level of financing for developing countries that is tailor-made; and ii) a permanent solution for EU financing of security expenses linked to development cooperation; underlines that all Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) in need should also in the future be eligible for EU development aid; stresses that even if budgetised the EDF should include benchmarks that are aligned with EU development cooperation, such as the current ones on human development and climate change;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Reiterates that the EPAs constitute a basis for regional cooperation and that they must be instruments for development and regional integration; highlights, therefore,Highlights the need for legally binding sustainability provisions (on human rights and social and environmental standards) in all EPAtrade agreements, and underlines the importance of creating effective monitoring systems that include a wide range of civil society in order to avoid the negative effects of trade liberalisation;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Insist on the paramount importance of respecting, as stated on SDG 17.15, partner countries democratic policy space to regulate and take suitable decisions for their own national context, respond to the demands of their populations, and fulfil their human rights obligations and other international commitments;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 c (new)
Paragraph 22 c (new)
22c. Raise awareness of the pervasive link between free trade agreement with developing countries and illicit financial flows (IFF) and tax fraud increase; calls the future EU - ACP framework to effectively tackle IFF by enhancing cooperation on tax matters and boosting domestic resource mobilization on partner countries;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 d (new)
Paragraph 22 d (new)
22d. Deplores the current debt distress in several ACP countries; stresses the risk of increasing; debt distresses through the use of export credits and innovative financial instruments under the umbrella of EPAs; Calls for the EU to ensure debt sustainability in all trade deals with ACP countries;