Activities of Željana ZOVKO related to 2022/2202(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
2022 Report on Montenegro (debate)
Amendments (20)
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas Montenegro as a candidate country should be judged on its own merits, that includes respect and unwavering commitment for European shared rights and values and alignment with EU’s foreign and security policy;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the EU is Montenegro's biggest trading partner and investor;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas over the next seven years, the EU will mobilize up to €30 billion in cooperation with international financial institutions through the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans launched in 2020;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Commends Montenegro’s long- standing commitment to EU integration, underpinned by a high level of public support; reiterates its support for Montenegro in this regard; stresses that progress in negotiations depends on meeting interim rule of law benchmarks; regrets that no chapters have been closed in the past six years; welcomes Montenegro's decision to accept the principles of the revised enlargement methodology and calls on Montenegro to specifically focus on meeting the interim benchmarks in Chapters 23 and 24 and thereafter on closing chapters;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Regrets the fact that high political tensions and polarisation, the failure to build consensus on matters of national interest and a lack of cross-party dialogue have stalled progress on EU-related reforms and plunged Montenegro into a deep political and institutional crisis thus slowing down Montenegro's positive track record and status of the most advanced Western Balkans country in its progress towards accession;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Takes note of the results of the presidential elections held in March 2023 and the early parliamentary elections held in June 2023; encourages the President, the new parliament and the government to focus on the key reforms needed for the country to make progress in EU integration, and remains ready to cooperate with all political actors to support the country in maintaining its strategic course; calls on elected political leaders to use clear and unambiguous communication on Montenegro's European path and close relationship with the EU;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes Montenegro’s continued full alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy, including all of the sanctions adopted following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; commends its material and humanitarian support to Ukraine worth more than €10 million;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes Montenegro’s active involvement in EU common security and defence policy missions and operations, and in NATO and other international and multilateral missions;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Remains seriously concerned by malign foreign interference, destabilisation efforts, hybrid threats and disinformation campaigns by foreign actors in Montenegro that are distorting European role and undermining Montenegro's progress on its European path; notes that religious institutions can be used as a tool for external influence and condemns Serbian interference in this regard; notes the increase of Montenegro's public debt to foreign financial institutions and companies that can be used as a tool to influence its foreign policy decisions;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission and the European External Action Service to intensify its efforts to improve the EU’s visibility in the country to combat disinformation campaigns as well as communication strategies to emphasize the role and importance of close partnership and EU's assistance to Montenegro;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Welcomes the ongoing cooperation of Montenegro with the EU law enforcement agencies, such as Frontex, Europol and Eurojust, and notes the importance of this cooperation as it will assist Montenegro with tackling cross- border crime, including trafficking of weapons, drugs and human beings and combat terrorism and extremism;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Expresses its concern about the deep political polarisation in the media landscape and, in particular the growing volume of foreign and domestic disinformation campaigns spreading ethno-nationalist narratives that negatively impact democratic processes in the country thus endangering its European perspective; notes with concern the pressure being put on the local media market by expanding regional media competition;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Welcomes the country’s multi- ethnic identity and calls for the further promotion of and respect for all languages, cultural heritage and traditions of local communities and national minorities; regrets the fact that societal polarisation and divisions have intensified; emphasises the need to protect the rights of all minorities and urges for strengthened, applied and implemented institutional and legal frameworks in this regard, including a new anti-discrimination law;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls for the respect of the multi- ethnic identity of the Bay of Kotor; stresses that the European perspective of Montenegro is closely intertwined with protection of minorities and their cultural heritage; calls on the Montenegrin authorities to acknowledge the tradition and cultural heritage of the Croatian community in the Bay of Kotor; welcomes the election of Croatian minority representative to the Parliament of Montenegro in the last elections;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Calls on Montenegro to intensify efforts for non-discriminatory use of minority languages in education, in dedicated media space in the state and in local outlets; stresses the importance of equal representation of national minorities in media, judiciary, law enforcement and public institutions; emphasises the need to protect all of the national minorities' political rights;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Notes Montenegro’s active participation in regional cooperation; encourages it to step up its reconciliation efforts and seek solutions to past disputes; recalls its hesitations about the Open Balkan initiative and notes Montenegro’s participation in the June and September summits as an observer;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Urges Montenegro to intensify its efforts in punishing war crimes and condemns their glorification, and work on clarifying the fate of missing persons; calls on Montenegro to fight Russian narative and local radical organisations supporting it;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Calls on Montenegro to comply fully with the provisions on succession of the former Social Federative Republic of Yugoslavia, especially as regards military assets;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 c (new)
Paragraph 27 c (new)
27c. Reiterates its call to open the archives that concern the former republics of Yugoslavia and for access to be granted to the files of the former Yugoslav Secret Service (UDBA) and the Yugoslav People’s Army Secret Service (KOS) in order to thoroughly research and address communist era crimes;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls for concrete steps to be taken by Montenegro to resolve long-standing bilateral disputes in a constructive and neighbourly manner, including the unresolved border demarcation issues with Serbia and Croatia as early as possible during the accession process;