Activities of Stelios KOULOGLOU related to 2022/2199(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the 2022 Commission Report on Albania
Amendments (17)
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the rule of law and human rights are a key benchmark for assessing the progress towards the EU accession;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Da. whereas past OSCE/ODIHR recommendations to further improve the conduct of elections in the Republic of Albania and bring them fully in line with the OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards have not yet been fully addressed
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Underscores that the pace of EU accession is determined by the progress on the due functioning of all institutions and is grounded in the rule of law, good governance and fundamental rights; urges Albania to sustain and intensify efforts to reinforce the functioning of the judiciary, strengthen the rule of law, empower civil society, counter corruption and organised crime, and ensure media freedom, guarantee the rights of minorities and address the worrying persecution of the LGBTQI community
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Commends Albania’s commitment to completing its comprehensive justice reform; encourages the country to intensify steps aimed at finalising the vetting process and ensuring universal justice through cross-cutting measures; Recalls the need to continue to consolidate the capacity of the judicial system and the governance institutions;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Recalls that further advances are needed in the process of re-evaluating judges and prosecutors;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Is concerned with the cases involving high-level officials still remain limited, fostering a culture of impunity within the higher levels of the State;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Is concerned that a provision of the Law on Citizenship adopted in July 2020 may still lead to the establishment of an invertors’ citizenship scheme; such schemes pose serious risks with regards to security, money laundering, corruption and tax evasion;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes the legal steps taken to eliminate discrimination against minorities, and calls for practical steps in order to ensure their inclusion, namely the inclusion of LGBTI+, Roma and Egyptian minorities; recalls the need to combat gender-based violence, step up child protection, adopt and implement legislation on minority rights, strengthen property rights and conduct a population census; underlines the importance of removing barriers to the socioeconomic inclusion of persons with disabilities; Expresses concern on the pending by-laws on minority rights, in particular on self- identification and the use of minority languages and increase capacities of the State Committee on National Minorities;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Calls on Albania to make further progress on measures consolidating property registration, by reforming property registration and land sector framework in order to fully implement the Venice Commission recommendation and advancing a transparent process of registration, including in minority areas;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
16b. Notes that women representation in public offices needs improvement;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Notes that the Republic of Albania has not ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Expresses serious concern on the discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) personas remains pervasive and dominant in Albanian society, especially regarding to access to health care, education, justice, employment and housing; Is extremely concerned about the cases of physical aggression against members of the LGBTIQ community and the diffusion of hate speech;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Urges the authorities to counter disinformation and manipulative narratives by promoting media literacy and improving the working conditions of journalists; Recalls the need to strengthen the protection of Albanian journalist's labour and social rights;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Is concerned that according to the Commission report, little progress was reported in the areas of freedom of expression; Notes that there is a need to ensure a policy of zero tolerance for intimidation and attacks against journalists, including in political discourse;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Underlines the importance of an inclusive framework for meaningful civil society engagement in decision-making processes; Is concerned with the ability of the National Council for Civil Society to voice priorities of civil society organizations in policy-making processes is still very weak;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Notes that following the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) recommendations, further improvements are needed in the functioning of detention facilities;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls for enhancing measures for the protection of the environment, especially regarding the national parks and the environmentally protected areas, paying particular attention on the construction of numerous Hydroelectric Power Plants within national parks, without previous proper environmental studies