Activities of Georgios EPITIDEIOS related to 2016/2310(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
2016 Report on the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia EL
Amendments (25)
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas reforms and accession preparations are being hampered by political polarisation; whereas backsliding in somemany important areas can be observed;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Γ
Recital Γ
C. whereas some of the key issues in the reform process include reform of the judiciary, public administration and media, youth unemployment and a review of the OFA, as well as the issue concerning the name of the country;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Ε
Recital Ε
E. whereas accession negotiations should be opened upon the fulfilment of required conditions and once a jointly acceptable solution has been found to the question of the name; whereas the country has been considered for many years as one of the most advanced countries in terms of alignment with the acquis;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital ΣΤ
Recital ΣΤ
F. whereas bilateral disputes should be duly addressed in compliance with EU and UN standards and should not represent an obstacle to the opening of accession negotiations; whereas the exception to this should be resolution of the the dispute concerning country's name in agreement with Greece, which is international and not bilateral in nature;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the respect for fundamental freedoms shown at the elections of 11 December 2016; urges all political parties to accept its results in the interest of domestic stability and underlines their responsibility to ensure that there is no backsliding into political crisis; calls for a swift formation of a new government in order to make use of the mandate to carry on with necessary reforms; considers cross-party cooperation essential for addressing pressing domestic and EU-related challengeurges all political parties to to examine every possibility and available option for the creation of a government in the interest of domestic stability and underlines their responsibility to ensure that there is no continuation of the political crisis;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that the electoral process has improved, including the legal framework, voters’ lists and the media environment; hopes that the allegedwith concern that the conduct of the elections is rife with irregularities and shortcomings, including voter intimidation, vote buying, and abuse of public resources, will alsohich must be be addressed effectively by the competent authorities in view of the local elections in May 2017; stresses the need for a de- politicisation of the electoral administration in order to increase the public’s trust in future elections;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Expects the new government, in cooperation with other parties, to accelerate EU-related reforms; reiterates its support for the opening of accession negotiations, conditional on the progress of the implementation of the Przhino Agreement and the Urgent Reform Priorities; continues to be convinced that negotiations can generate much-needed reforms and positively influence the resolution of bilateral dispute and resolution of the name issue that has remained outstanding for many years;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Urges once again that the political will be shown to fully implement the Urgent Reform Priorities and the Przhino Agreement and resolve the name issue that has been outstanding for many years; calls on the Commission to assess, at its earliest convenience but before the end of 2017, the country’s progress on implementation and to report back to Parliament; while recalling that long overdue reforms need to be launched and implemented, supports the continuation of the High Level Accession Dialogue (HLAD) for systematically assisting the country in this endeavour; draws attention to the potential negative consequences of further delays in the country’s accession process;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Urges all parties to demonstrate the political will to overcome the divisive political environment and re-engage in dialogue; emphasises again the key role of parliament in the democratic development of the country and as the forum for political dialogue and representation; calls for its oversight functions to be strengthened under the national constitution; urges the smooth operation without interference of the parliamentary committees on the interception of communications and on security and counterintelligence, their unhindered access to the necessary data and testimonies in order to provide credible parliamentary control over relevant services;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes some progress in reforming public administration including the steps to implement the new legal framework on human resources management; remains concerned about the politicisation of public administration and that civil servants are subject to political pressure; urges the new government to enhance professionalism, neutrality and independence at all levels; stresses the need to complete the 2017- 2022 public administration reform strategy, including by making sufficient budget allocations for its implementation, and to strengthen relevant administrative capacity so as to implement fully the principles of the rule of law;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Regrets the backsliding in the reform of the judiciary; deplores recurrent political interference in its work including in the appointment and promotion of judges and prosecutors, as well as the cases of selective justice that infringe the necessary independence of the judiciary; urges once again that the political will be demonstrated to progress in judicial reform including by improving transparency in the appointment and promotion procedures and by reducing the length of court proceedings; calls on the authorities to ensure the professionalism of the Judicial Council so as to enable judges effectively to fulfil their their task;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the fact that the legislative framework and strategies for fighting organised crime are in place; encourages further improvement of cooperation between law enforcement agencies and the strengthening of the powers and resources of the courts; considers it important to further develop the law enforcement capacity to investigate financial crimes and confiscate assets where infringements punishable by this penalty are committed;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Appreciatoves the continued efforts to fight Islamic radicalisation; welcomes the adoption of the 2013-2019 strategy to fight terrorism, which also defines the concepts of violent extremism, radicalisation, prevention and reintegration; calls for more cooperation between security agencies and civil society organisations (CSOs) and local communities; further calls for continued monitoring of returning foreign fighters by security services;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Remains concerned about radical and unjustified public attacks on CSOs and foreign representatives by politicians and the media; is concerned about limited government commitment and insufficient cooperation with CSOs at all levels; urges the competent authorities to include CSOs in policymaking in a regular and structured manner;to combating this
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the adoption of the national strategy for equality and non- discrimination 2016-2020; is concerned about impartiality and the independence of the Commission for Protection from Discrimination; reiterates its condemnation of hate speech against discriminated groups; is concerned that intolerance against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people persists; reiterates its call for the Anti- Discrimination Law to be aligned with the acquis as regards discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation such as those who express divergent sexual preferences; underlines again the need to combat discrimination against the Roma, and to facilitate their integration and their access to the education system and the labour market; is concerned about the inhumane physical conditions in prisons, despite a significant increase in the prison budget;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Is concerned about the lack of implementation of the Law on Equal Opportunities and the limited effectiveness of institutional mechanisms to advance gender equality; urges the competent authorities to make sufficient budget allocations for its implementation and to improve support services to victims of domestic violence. deplores the lack of progress regarding measures to prevent and combat cases of domestic violence. stresses the need for staffing to ensure that the relevant services provide adequate logistical and psychological victim support;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Reiterates that the interethnic situation remains fragile; urges all political parties and CSOs to actively promote an inclusive and tolerant multi-ethnic and multi-religious society and to strengthen coexistence and dialogue; reminds the government and party leaders of their commitment to fully implement the OFA and to complete its review, including policy recommendations;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Is concerned overat the lack of freedom of expression andin the media, the use of hate speech, political interference and pressure, including through government advertising; calls on the government to ensure that intimidation or violence against journalists is investigated and that those responsible be brought to justice; underlines the need for the sustainability and autonomy of the public service broadcast;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Remains concerned that the political situation represents a serious risk to the Macedonian economy; continues to be concerned about weak contract enforcement, the size of the informal economy, venality at every hierarchical level and the difficulty in obtaining access to finance; stresses that the sizeable shadow economy is an important obstacle to business; calls on competent authorities to also address judicial efficiency;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Is concerned about the significant shortcomings in the field of the environment, in particular in the area of air and water pollution, principally with regard to the River Axios, causing groundwater pollution in neighbouring countries also; calls for a comprehensive policy and strategy on climate action to be developed that is in line with the EU 2030 framework;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Urges the authorities to strengthen the administrative and financing capacities in order to procure and implement EU funds properly, effectively and in a timely manner; notes with concern that the Commission has yet again reduced the IPA financial assistance by approximately EUR 27 million;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. CommendUrges the country for constructive cooperationto collaborate a constructively with neighbouring countries in addressing the migration crisis and normalising migratory flows; recommends further actions to ensure capacities to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Welcomes Macedonia’s continued constructive roleunderlines the importance of a stable and constructive role for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in regional and international cooperation; commends the increasednotes the alignment with EU foreign policy (73 %); reiterates the importance of finalising the negotiations on a bilateral treaty with Bulgaria; reiterates the importance of resolving the name issue in the interest of good neighbourly relations with Greece;
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Welcomes Macedonia’sthe continued constructive role of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in regional and international cooperation; commends the increased alignment with EU foreign policy (73 %); reiterates the importance of finalising the negotiations on a bilateral treaty with Bulgaria;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Welcomes theStresses the need for tangible results from the confidence-building measures with Greece, which have not yet been forthcoming; strongly reiterates its invitation to the Vice-President/High Representative (VP/HR) and the Commission to develop new initiatives to overcome the remaining differences and to work, in cooperation with the two countries and the UN Special Representative, on a mutually acceptable solution on the name issue and to report back to Parliament thereon; notes that the continuation of accession negotiations will depend on progress achieved in this respect and on a mutually satisfactory solution regarding the name of the country.