42 Amendments of Urmas PAET related to 2021/2249(INI)
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the increased voter turnout at the elections on 3 April 2022 and the return to a more pluralistic parliament; regrets the highly polarised political environment of the campaign, which was characterised by the absence of a level- playing field, limited media pluralism and pressure on voters; condemns the violent attregrets that the abuse of public office by ruling party members remained a persistent problem throughout the campaign; regrets that issues concerning the accuracky on Pavle Grbović, one of the opposition leadersf the Single Electoral Roll were not resolved in advance of this election cycle and that this left room for its abuse;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Expresses concern over the absence of a more proactive role of the Republic Electoral Commission and the City Electoral Commission of Belgrade when it came to determining and communicating the election results; notes that this might cause the deterioration of trust of citizens in the independence of the election administration; expresses concern that the complete preliminary results of the Belgrade local election were not published until more than two weeks after the election had taken place;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Condemns attacks on members of the opposition, journalists, members of civil society organisations, and members of the different electoral monitoring missions; condemns the violent attack on Pavle Grbović, one of the opposition leaders, and calls upon the authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the new majority to accelerate Serbia’s alignment with European policies and values; calls for the distribution of parliamentary offices to reflect political pluralism in the National Assembly; notes that all but one Serbian parliament in the past ten years were dissolved early and that any further unnecessary snap elections would not contribute to political stability; underlines its readiness to work further in the context of the Inter-Party Dialogue, while stressing that clear decisions are needed on Serbia’s strategic direction;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Reiterates the importance of alignment with the EU common foreign and security policy (CFSP), which must progressively become an integral part of Serbia’s foreign policy as a condition for the accession process; expresses concern about Serbia’s alignment rate, which is the lowest in the region; notes that some government officials and some politicians continue to make occasional statements that call into question Serbia’s foreign policy orientation;
Amendment 123 #
6. Welcomes the adoption of the measures improving the electoral conditions and media space ahead of the April 2022 elections as a result of the Inter- Party Dialogue facilitated by the European Parliament; notes progress in their implementation; regrets that many measures have been implemented with delay and without the participation of all relevant actors; regrets that more ambitious measures that could have led to a more substantial impact on the electoral conditions were not adopted;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. NotWelcomes the decision of the non- parliamentary opposition to participate in the April 2022 elections; reiterates that the only way to guarantee political representation is to engage in political and electoral processes;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. RExpresses concern over the very limited visibility of the European Integration processes in Serbia; reiterates its call on Serbia, the European Commission and EU Member States to pursue more active and effective communication about the benefits of EU enlargement; expresses concern that public support for EU membership in Serbia has consistently been significantly lower than the rest of the region in recent years;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Urges the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement to be more proactive when it comes to the EU accession process of Serbia, especially regarding the fundamental areas, democracy and rule of law, fight against corruption and organized crime;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Notes that the adoption of the new accession methodology has not led to a substantial acceleration of the EU accession process of Serbia and calls for the full implementation of EU legislation in Serbia's national legislation;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Regrets that the European Integration process in Serbia is insufficiently transparent, as some important documents, such as the reports on the implementation of the National Programme for the Adoption of Acquis, have not been published for years;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the recent changes to the Constitution following the referendum in January 2022, which aim to enhance the independence of the justice system; regretcondemns the continuous pressure on the judiciary and public denials of international verdicts for war crimes and calls on the newly elected majority to strengthen the safeguards for the independence and efficiency of the judiciary as a matter of priority; emphasises the need for the new set of laws, that are expected to be adopted in line with the constitutional changes, to fully guarantee the independence of the judiciary;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes some improvements inRegrets that the work of the National Assembly was limited, due to the lack of genuine political debate between majority and opposition parties; is concerned, however, that inflammatory language is still used during parliamentary discussions, including by government officials and calls on the new parliament not to tolerate this practice; hopes that the negative practices that have characterised previous parliaments, including the overuse of urgent legislative procedure, filibustering and irregular presence of government representatives in the sessions will not resurface;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Reiterates its concern about limited progress in the fight against corruption and organised crime and calls on Serbia to intensify its efforts to effectively address these issues; calls upon the authorities to refrain from commenting ongoing investigations and trials, exercising pressure on the judiciary; encourages further progress to be made, in particular on improving the track record of investigations, indictments and final convictions in high-level corruption cases, and implementing the laws on the prevention of corruption in line with the EU acquis and the recommendations of GRECO;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12c. Urges Serbia to deliver convincing results, including a sustainable track record with effective investigations in the area of fight against corruption, especially in cases with a high level of public interest, and to improve its track record in investigations, the pressing of charges and convictions in high-level corruption cases, including the seizure and confiscation of criminal assets; notes with concern that none of the cases mentioned in the previous report(s) – Krušik, Jovanjica, Telekom Srbija – have either been fully processed by the judiciary or have been fully investigated; notes with concern the emergence of new cases of high-level corruption in investigative media and so called “Pandora papers”;
Amendment 197 #
12b. Reiterates its call for justice on regard to the unlawful demolition of private property in the Savamala neighbourhood in Belgrade; urges the authorities to fully investigate the case and prosecute all persons responsible;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Reminds the Serbian authorities that a strong and independent civil society is an essential component of any democracy; calls upon the Serbian authorities to substantially include civil society in policy and decision-making and to refrain from brushing off any criticism by civil society as foreign interference;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Urges the Commission to consider initiating an independent senior experts’ report on the rule of law issues in Serbia modelled after similar reports carried out in North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (Priebe Report);
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Regrets the limitations on the freedom and independence of the media and the misuse of the media to gaCalls on the authorities to create an environment that favours freedom of expression, media pluralism and journalistic professionalism and allows for independent and investigative media to access funding an unfair political advantage, attack political opponents and spread disinformationd operate safely; calls for increased transparency of media public financing and its distribution based on merit;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Condemns the limitations on the freedom and independence of the media and the misuse of the media by the ruling party to gain an unfair political advantage, attack political opponents and spread disinformation; notes that the alleged abuse of public money to acquire ownership in media outlets is considered to be one of the main mechanisms of media capture in Serbia; urges the European Commission to consider initiating an independent senior experts’ report on media landscape in Serbia;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Notes that several recent elections of the members of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM), as well as the election of the members of the governing board of the Radio Television of Serbia in June 2021 were regarded as controversial; notes with concern the persisting assessments that REM's decision-making is politically biased; notes the new open call for the allocation of national television frequencies and urges REM members to carry out this process in a fair and professional manner;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Deplores the continuing physical attacks, intimidation, hate speech and political slurs against journalists and civil society, including by MPs and government officials; ; calls on the authorities to investigate all cases of such attacks and to improve the safety of journalists;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14c. Calls on Serbia to strengthen human rights institutions, guarantee their independence, allocate them the necessary financial and human resources and ensure timely follow-up on their recommendations;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls for general respect for the basic right to peaceful gatherings; condemns violence by groups of extremists and hooligans during peaceful protest and calls upon law-enforcement officials to refrain from the use of excessive force; condemns violence by groups of extremists and hooligans during peaceful protests, such as the November 2021 protests against the Ratko Mladić mural in Belgrade and the December 2021 environmental protests in Šabac and Belgrade; calls for an effective investigation of attacks against protesters;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the adoption of the Law on Gender Equality and the amendments to the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination, and calls on government to ensure that these laws are promptly implemented; regrets that in the previous legislative term the Serbian parliament failed to adopt the Law on Same-Sex Partnerships which was drafted by the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, and calls on the new and more democratic parliament to do so;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the Serbian authorities to step up efforts to ensure the non- discriminatory treatment of nationethnic, religious and sexual minorities and to actively pursue investigations and convictions for hate- motivated crimes;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Welcomes the commitment of the Serbian authorities to support the organisation of EuroPride in Belgrade as a key moment for the LGBTI+ community in Serbia and in the region; calls on the government and on police forces to ensure the smooth planning and execution of the programme, as well as the safety and wellbeing of participants;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Reiterates its concern overdemnation of the alleged use of forced labour and violation of basic human rights at the Chinese Linglong factory construction site; calls upon the relevant authorities to ensure that labour rights of citizens and residents are respected;
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Deplores the deportation of a Bahraini national despite the European Court of Human Rights interim ruling that his extradition should be postponed; calls on the Serbian authorities to respect its international obligations and fully enforce all rulings of the European Court of Human Rights;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Is deeply concerned about the spread of disinformation about Russian aggression against Ukraine; calls on the Serbian authorities and the Commission to bolster infrastructure to fight disinformation and other hybrid threats; is deeply concerned that among the main sources of disinformation are government-funded or supported tabloid newspapers and some television channels with national coverage;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Welcomes Serbia’s participation in some regional cooperation mechanisms and commitment toits efforts to improve bilateral relations and encourages it to promote reconciliation; commends its decision to donate vaccines to the region;
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Notes the calls of the Serbian authorities for the return of Bosnian Serbs to the work of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Amendment 324 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls for the stepping up of efforts and the delivery of solutions on the issues of missing persons and justice for war crimes in the north of Kosovo; calls on the government to address these topics also as part of the Serbia/Kosovo dialogue agenda and to establish cooperation between Serbia and Kosovo on these matters; calls for finding sustainable solutions to the electricity arrangements in the north of Kosovo;
Amendment 345 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Urges the Serbian authorities to act decisively against the glorification of convicted war criminals and to cease all divisive rhetoric and actions that undermine the integrity of countries in the neighbourhood and threaten regional stability and reconciliation;
Amendment 347 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Calls on the authorities to ensure the continuation of war crimes trials, including at local level where there has been long-standing inaction; calls for decisive actions by the competent authorities in order to ensure the accountability of those responsible;
Amendment 349 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Calls on Government to ensure the removal the murals glorifying war criminals such as Ratko Mladić; regrets that persons sentenced for war crimes, such as Veselin Šljivančanin, Dragoljub Ojdanić and Nikola Šainović, are close to the ruling parties in Serbia;
Amendment 365 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Welcomes the progress made in developing a functioning market economy and the fact that the impact of the COVID- 19 crisis was successfully mitigated; notes with concern that none of the allegations mentioned in the previous report made by investigative journalists of government manipulation of COVID-19 statistics for political purposes have been investigated; stresses that trust and transparency are of particular importance in the government’s efforts against COVID-19 and therefore urges the Serbian Government to provide citizens with all relevant statistics;
Amendment 373 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 b (new)
Paragraph 31 b (new)
31b. Is deeply concerned by the socio- economic situation in several districts of southern Serbia, especially in the city of Vranje; calls on the Serbian government to investigate all allegations about the use of social assistance instruments to put pressure on voters, especially among vulnerable groups and members of the Roma minority; calls on the Serbian government to respond to the challenges of poverty and unemployment in these parts of the country and to devote the necessary attention to regional and local socio-economic development, especially in rural areas;
Amendment 377 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Calls on Serbia to improve its capacities to provide statistics and to carry out the census, adhering to the highest international standards and with the inclusion of independent observers;
Amendment 420 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Welcomes the progress made on the gas interconnector between Serbia and Bulgaria; notes with concern the consistent lack of compliance with and the consequent breach of the Energy Community Treaty;
Amendment 421 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Reiterates its concern at the high levels of air pollution and urges the authorities to speed up the implementation of air quality plans; regrets the fact that several cities in Serbia are often on the list of the most polluted cities in the world in terms of air quality; urges the authorities to swiftly take measures to improve air quality, especially in large cities and industrial areas such as Belgrade, Smederevo, Bor and Kolubara and Tamnava valleys; stresses the importance of finding sustainable solutions and limiting the use of lignite and other low-calorie coal in energy production, as well as for heating;
Amendment 431 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Notes the withdrawal of the exploration licences for the lithium extraction and processing project in Western Serbia; calls on the Serbian government to be fully transparent in this process;