Activities of Željana ZOVKO related to 2022/2200(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
2022 Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina (debate)
Amendments (49)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
— having regard to the constitutions of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska,
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 b (new)
Citation 1 b (new)
— having regards to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina which states that there are three official languages in the country,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 c (new)
Citation 1 c (new)
— having regard to the UNESCO Convention of 20 October 2005 on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions,
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 d (new)
Citation 1 d (new)
— having regard to the UNESCO Convention of 17 October 2003 for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which covers oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of intangible cultural heritage,
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
— having regard to the Council conclusions of 24 and 25 March 2022,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
— having regard to the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence approved by the Council on 21 March 2022,
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
— having regard to the Commission communication of 14 April 2021 on the EU strategy to tackle organised crime 2021-2025 (COM(2021)0170),
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 a (new)
Citation 19 a (new)
— having regard to the "Mostar Agreement" signed between leaders of majority parties in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 17 June 2020 on the holding of elections in Mostar, i.e. changes to the electoral law of BiH in part of the electoral rules for the City of Mostar, as well as ensuring the legitimate representation of the constituent people in the Houses of Nations and the Presidency of BiH,
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 b (new)
Citation 19 b (new)
— having regard to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, adopted on 25 February 1991,
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 23 a (new)
Citation 23 a (new)
— having regard the Exit Strategy of the International Crisis Group (ICG) from Bosnia and Herzegovina of 7 August 2014,
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 30
Citation 30
— having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A9- 0000on a European Parliament recommendation to the Council and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the EU’s Foreign, Security and Defence Policy after the Russian invasion of Ukraine (A9-0164/20232),
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas enlargement is the EU’s most effective foreign policy instrument and represents a geostrategic investment in lasting peace, stability and security on the European continent;
Amendment 33 #
B. whereas the citizenslear majority of the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) aspire towards Euro- Atlantic integration for sustainable peace, democracy and prosperity;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas BiH has been granted EU candidate country status; whereas its progress towards EU accession depends on implementing the 14 key priorities identified in the Commission opinion on its application for EU membership; whereas the Council has called on the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina to urgently finalise the constitutional and electoral reforms;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the Council expressed in the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence its strong support for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, based on the principles of equality and non- discrimination of the constituent peoples and all citizens as enshrined in the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the reform process on its European path;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas each enlargement country should be judged on its own merits with a focus on fundamental reforms regarding respect for the rule of law, fundamental rights, democratic standards, independence of judiciary, minority rights and media freedoms;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas genuine reconciliation in BiH is needed, based on itsthe respect of multicultural character and equal rightsand decentralized federalist character and equal rights; whereas constituent peoples and all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina should enjoy equal individual and collective rights and obligations; whereas the country has committed to international and domestic obligations to end discrimination and ensure equal rights and representation of the constituent peoples and all of its citizens before the law;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas linguistic and cultural diversity is one of the fundamental principles of the European Union, as enshrined in Article 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which reads: ‘The Union shall respect cultural, religious and linguistic diversity’;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
D b. whereas linguistic diversity is acknowledged as a citizen’s right in Articles 21 and 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which means that trying to establish the exclusivity of a language is a restriction and a violation of the fundamental values of the Union;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the EU is BiH’remains the main political and economic partner of the Western Balkan countries; whereas the EU continues to be Bosnia and Herzegovina’s biggest trade and investment partner and its largest provider of financial assistance, namely through the IPA III, EIP for Western Balkans and Macro Financial Assistance;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas malign foreign interference aims to destabilise BiHdirect and proxy interference and disinformation aim to sow discord, violence, inter-ethnic tensions and to destabilise Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the European Council's decision to grant candidate status to BiH; reiterates its clear support for BiH’s EU integration, grounded in unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, constitutionality, federalism, multi- culturality and territorial integrity as ensured by the Dayton Peace Agreement;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the swiffastest appointment of a new state-level government since the independence, the resumption of political decision-making and the appointment of the President and two Vice-Presidents of the Federation of BiH; calls for the Federation of BiH’s government formation to be swiftly completed in full accordance with constitutial and legal procedures; calls on all parties to sustain from hindering the swift formation of the Government of FBiH;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Encourages all authorities and political leaders to seize the momentum to meaningfully advance on the 14 key priorities and avoid slipping back into obstructive policies; underscores that BiH’s path towards EU accession needs to be anchored in functioning democratic institutions, rule of law, the fight against corruption and organised crime, respect for fundamental rights and non-discrimination for all citizens and constituent peopleand legitimate representation for the three constituent peoples and all other citizens as enshrined in the cConstitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Reaffirms its support for the mandates of the Office of the High Representative and EUFOR Operation Althea in overseeing the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement in accordance with their mandates based in political neutrality and full respect for the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Welcomes the continued presence of EUFOR's Operation Althea in the country and the unanimous renewal of its mandate in the United Nations Security Council on 2 November 2022; reminds that the missions still play an important role in safeguarding the security and stabilitiy of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Reiterates that enforcement of the Dayton Peace Agreement includes the obligation to adhere to the constitutional architecture of Bosnia and Herzegovina with respect for the rights of the constituent peoples and all citizens;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes BiH’s increased alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP), and urges for the effective implementation of sanctions stemming from CFSP alignment; condemns the breach of alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, namely in the case of abstention at the Third Committee of the UN during the vote on the situation of human rights in Iran by the part of Bosniak political leadership; welcomes the reaction of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina that expressed regret for such decision;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Condemns the inflammatory rhetoric and call to arms of part of religious leaders in the country, which severely hampers public dialogue and hinders the role of religious leaders in promoting reconciliation and peace in the country;
Amendment 148 #
10. Condemns malign foreign interference by third actors in BiH, notably Russia’s destabilisation of the Western Balkans; calls on the EEAS and EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina to intensify efforts in promoting benefits of closer integration and invest in communication campaigns to fight foreign influence;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses that the rule of law, good governance, pluralism and fundamental rights need to be mainstreamed in IPA III funding, which must be based on strict conditionality; recalls that EU funding for projects in the RS entity should remain frozen until the reversal of democratic backsliding by the RS entity and until full alignment with the CFSPCalls on the Commission to enable local and regional administrations to a better absorption of funds; calls to eliminate the lack of equal distribution of IPA III funds at local and regional level in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; calls to provide the necessary technical and financial assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to facilitate the European integration process, without limiting the support and the reserved budget of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) to the current list of beneficiaries;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Urgently calls on BiH to engage in regular inter-parliamentary cooperation through the Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee; welcomes the progress achieved by the agreement on the rules of procedure for the EU - BiH SAPC;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the fact that the general elections held in October 2022 were generally well organised and competitive; notes however that they took place against a backdrop of stagnant reforms, divisive rhetoric and political obstruction; takes note ofwelcomes the changes introduced by the High Representative to the election law and constitution of the Federation of BiH, aimed at addressing a number of functionality and equality issues;
Amendment 181 #
15. Regrets the failure of political actors to bring the constitutions and the electoral framework in line with the European Convention on Human Rights and the basic principles of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina; calls on all decision makers to reach an agreement in line with the verdicts of the Constitutional Court of BiH and international and domestic courts, as well as the political agreement of 12 June 2022; supports limited, transparent and inclusive reforms that would enable a sustainable transformation of the Dayton Peace Agreementof the Constitution and the electoral framework by implementing relevant rulings of domestic and international courts to ensure equality and non- discrimination of the constituent peoples and all citizens; supports transatlantic and European facilitation efforts to this end and condemns all obstructions and inactivity of political actors in that regard;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on BiH to harmonise party registration rules and to ensure the transparency of political party financing; acknowledges the steps taken by the Central Election Commission and calls for its capacities to be strengthenits legal procedures strictly respected;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Reaffirms the significance of reconciliation in BiH and calls on all authorities to actively promote and ensure access to truth, justice and non-selective reparations; notes that genuine reconciliation, cooperation and peaceful coexistence is possible only by mutual recognition and respect of the rights and needs of the constituent peoples and all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the right of legitimate representation in all levels of government; notes that the principles of federalism would suit the functioning of the state as it would establish equality in all spheres between the constituent communities and citizens;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls for further efforts on the issue of missing persons, refugees, internally displaced persons and returnees;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26 a. Reiterates the need for equal representation of all constituent peoples in public media outlets and calls for media pluralism to be ensured in media programmes as well as content in the languages of constituent peoples; stresses the need to ensure public broadcasting outlets in official languages of all constituent peoples which would protect cultural identity and the mother language of each community;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Deplores discrimination, segregation, violence and hate speech against minorities, and urges effective prosecution of such cases; calls on BiH to safeguard and promote the countrywide rights of all minorities, including members of constituent peoples in local communities where they form a minority;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Regrets that rulings of the European Court of Human Rights in cases Fejdić- Finci, Zornić, Pilav and Šlaku have still not been implemented;
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28 a. Regrets that the rulings of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina have still not been implemented; regrets the non- implementation of the binding Constitutional Court decision in the case Ljubić, that has resulted in the denial of the right of Croats to elect their own legitimate political representatives, especially regarding the election of Croatian member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina; calls on the new government and all stakeholders to reach an agreement on the reform of Election Law to ensure the constituent peoples and all citizens have the right to elect their own legitimate political representatives;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Underscores the importance of inclusive and quality education; reiterates its call for an urgent end to the discriminatory practice of ‘two schools under one roof’, including the right of education in the mother tongue as guaranteed by the UNESCO conventions;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29 a. Notes that the adoption of programmes and curriculum should take into account the cultural and language diversity while respecting the constitutional architecture and competences;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Recognises the keyimportant role of civil society; calls on the authorities to foster a conducive environment for their work; calls for the protection and promotion of the freedom of assembly and of expression to be enhanced;
Amendment 340 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Reiterates the need for solidarity- basedeffective migration and asylum management and a fair distribution of reception capacitieswhich upholds human rights in cooperation and coordination with affected Member States on the European external border; urges BiH to step up its efforts against cross- border crime, especially human and illicit weapons trafficking and illegal border crossing; welcomes the opening of negotiations on BiH’s upgraded status agreement with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency; regrets persisting shortcomings in migration and border management; calls on BiH to fully align with the EU’s visa policy;
Amendment 365 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Urges BiH to finalise and adopt the nationalcountry's energy and climate plan; calls on it to adopt the necessary legislation on gas, electricity, renewable energy and energy efficiency, and to ensure the full harmonisation of laws for a functional energy market; notes that progress in the area of environmental and climate protection as well as alignment with the EU standards has remained low; therefore it urges BiH's authorities to ensure greater alignment with the EU standards and policy objective on climate protection and energy;
Amendment 369 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36 a. Calls on the BiH authorities to reduce transboundary air pollution, especially in case of Bosanski Brod oil refinery that affects the quality of life and health of people living in Slavonski Brod in Republic of Croatia; reminds that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a signatory party of the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo, 1991) and is bound by its obligations;
Amendment 372 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 b (new)
Paragraph 36 b (new)
36 b. Underlines the need to enhance internal and regional economic harmonisation and connectivity; welcomes the European investments in road and rail infrastructure in Bosnia and Herzegovina, namely the development of Corridor Vc linking Central Europe to port of Ploče on the Adriatic coast;
Amendment 374 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 c (new)
Paragraph 36 c (new)
36 c. Commends the removal of roaming charges between the Western Balkan states; welcomes the Roaming Declaration enabling the reduction of the roaming charges between the EU and the Western Balkans as of 1 October 2023;