Activities of Notis MARIAS related to 2016/2312(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
2016 Report on Albania (A8-0023/2017 - Knut Fleckenstein) EL
2016 Report on Albania (debate) EL
Amendments (15)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
- having regard to Protocol (No 1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) on the role of National Parliaments in the European Union,
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 b (new)
Citation 11 b (new)
- having regard to Protocol (No 2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) on the application of the principles of Subsidiarity and Proportionality,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Α
Recital Α
A. whereas Albania has made steady progress in its EU accession process; whereas further implementation of, inter alia, the judicial reform package, electoral reform and the so-called decriminalisation law is important in strengthening citizens’ trust in their public institutions and political representatives;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Commends the consensual adoption of the constitutional amendments for judicial reform and the adoption of laws on the institutional reorganisation of the judiciary; calls for the swift adoption and implementation of all relevant accompanying laws and by- laws, in particular the law on the re- evaluation (vetting) of judges, prosecutors and legal advisors; notstresses that the application of the vetting law has been suspended by the Constitutional Court, and that the latter has requested the opinion of the Venice Commission on its constitutionality; reiterates that a comprehensive judicial reform is a major demand by Albania’s citizens for re- establishing trust in their political representatives and public institutionsessential, and that the credibility and effectiveness of the overall reform process, including the fight against corruption and organised crime, depend on the success of the vetting process and judicial reform;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. WelcomNotes the new justice reform strategy 2017-2020 and its action plan, as well as the increased budgetary means for implementation; calls for any shortcomings in the functioning of the judicial system to be further addressed, including lack of independence from other branches of power, selective justice, limited accountability, ineffective oversight mechanisms, corruption, the overall length of judicial proceedings and enforcements;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Ad-Hoc Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reform to finalise its review of the electoral code while addressing, taking into account all previous OSCE/ODIHR recommendations; calls on the competent authorities to ensure implementation in due time beforeforthwith and not to play for time until the upcoming parliamentary elections of June 2017; recalls that all political parties are responsible for ensuring that democratic elections are conducted in compliance with international standards; calls onurges Albania’s political parties to respect the law, in spirit and in letter, on the exclusion of criminal offenders from public office when drawing up their candidate lists;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes improved transparency and inclusivitStresses the need to increase the transparency of parliamentary activities, but calls for parliamentary capacities to be enhanced in order to monitor the implementation of reforms and their compliance with EU standards and to make better use of the various oversight mechanisms and institutions in order to hold the government to account; calls for the parliamentary code of ethics to be approved and for the rules of procedure to reflect the law on the role of parliament in the EU integration process; offers to explore ways for closer cooperation with the Parliament of Albania within the framework of the European Parliament support programme for parliaments of the enlargement countries in order to enhance its capacity to produce quality legislation in line with the EU acquis and to exercise its oversight role in the implementation of reforms;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes the efforts towards a more citizen-friendly public administration and steady progress in the implementation of public administration reform; calls for further progress in strengthening the application of the Civil Service Law and the Law on Administrative Procedures, in order to safeguard the independence of regulatory bodies, improve recruitment procedures based on merit and performance, and enhance institutional and human resource capacities, with a view to ensuring efficient conduct of EU accession negotiations; commends the National Council for European Integration on its initiatives to enhance the capacities of public administration and civil society in monitoring the implementation of accession-related reforms;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Urges the competent authorities to continue improving the climate of inclusion and tolerance for allDemands that the Albanian government respect the rule of law and the rights of the Greek ethnic minoritiesy in the country, including by enhancing the role of the State Committee on MinoritiesNorthern Epirus; calls on the Albanian Government here and now to stop the illegal seizure of the property of the Greeks in the Himara region; as regards Roma and Egyptians, calls for continued efforts in improving their access to employment, education, health, social housing and legal aid; is concerned that, despite improvements, the inclusion of Roma children in the education system remains the lowest in the region;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Commends religious tolerance and good cooperation among religious communities; calls on the Albanian government here and now to cease the targeted distortion of history which seeks to eradicate the centuries-old Greek presence in Northern Epirus; encourages the competent authorities and religious communities to cooperate in preserving and fostering religious harmony; considers it essential to prevent Islamic radicalisation, including through disengagement and reintegration of returning foreign fighters, to counter violent extremism in cooperation with CSOs and religious communities, and to intensify regional and international cooperation in this area;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Reiterates the critical importance of professional and independent private and public service media; is concerned aboutdeplores political influence in the media and widespread self- censorship among journalists; notes the slow implementation of the law on audiovisual media and the delays in filling vacancies in the Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA); calls for measures to raise the professional and ethical standards of and prevalence of regular work contracts for journalists, to enhance the transparency of government advertising in the media and to ensure the independence of the regulatory authority and the public broadcaster;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes that the number of unfounded asylum applications lodged by Albanians in EU Member States has increased again; urgescalls on the government to intensify awareness-raising and prevention efforts in this regard;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Commends Albania on its continued full alignment with relevant EU declarations and Council conclusions, thereby demonstrating its clear commitment to European integration and solidarity; commends both Albania and Serbia on their continued commitment to improving bilateral relations and strengthening regional cooperation at political and societal level, for example through the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) headquartered in TiranaNotes the ongoing commitment of Albania and Serbia to improving their bilateral relations; encourages both countries to continue their good cooperation in order to promote reconciliation in the region;