2035 Amendments of Željana ZOVKO
Amendment 17 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas the US is Europe’s strongest transatlantic ally and partner with whom we share a partnership based on strong political, cultural, economic and historic links and fundamental values such as democracy, respect for the rule law, human rights, freedom and individual liberties;
Amendment 21 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas a strong transatlantic cooperation based on the principle of a partnership of joint leadership and responsibility is necessary to weather the storm of multiple crises on both sides of the Atlantic in today’s changing and unpredictable geopolitical context;
Amendment 26 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Amendment 29 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the changing geopolitical context of emerging powers confronting traditional players, the attacks on the multilateral system, emerging technologies, climate change, food security and migration are among the factors contributing to the spread of conflicts around the world; calls for harmonised actors in the multilateral rule based order;
Amendment 36 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the transatlantic partnership and close cooperation in foreign affairs is instrumental in asserting and enhancing the principles of international law, rule based international order and multilateral cooperation in the face of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine;
Amendment 39 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. Whereas security in the Eastern Neigbourhood and the Western Balkans is greatly threatened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the possibility of this agression spiling over into neighbouring countries, threatening the fragile areas with unresolved conflicts;
Amendment 43 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the United States, with its bipartisan support for Ukraine, has shown true solidarity with the EU as we jointly work to protect peace and securit, security and democracy on the European continent, as well as the principles of international law, rule based international order and the UN Charter;
Amendment 49 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas standing together against the brutality of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine will be even more crucial in the months to come; whereas the EU and the US will, together with NATO and our like-minded partners around the globe, continue to support Ukraine;
Amendment 54 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the US - EU summit in Washington DC on 20 October 2023 can serve as an opportunity to review strong cooperation between the United States and the European Union on the global clean energy economy based on secure, resilient supply chains, and cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, including on digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence;
Amendment 61 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas EU-US transatlantic dialogue and parliamentary diplomacy must continue to address global challenges and build bipartisan relations and deeper understanding on both sides;
Amendment 65 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the multiple issues we cooperate on would benefit immensely from an even stronger parliamentary dimension between the US Congress and the European Parliament, especially on foreign affairs, trade and technology and regulations such as AI and innovations, which would enhance public awareness, democratic legitimacy, oversight and the ability to deliver on our joint endeavours;
Amendment 88 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) foster the EU’s open strategic autonomy as a means to pursue the EU’s own legitimate interests while strengthening the transatlantic bond and increasing the joint leverage of the EU and the US on the world scene; enhance EU’s role in security and defence by increasing EU investments in production, equipment and related research which would hence help to “share the burden” of defence, among others inside NATO;
Amendment 99 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(ba) recognises the great contribution by the US in the past and present for the European security and defence; stresses the need for the EU Member States to significantly increase national investments in defence in order to reach a fairer burden-sharing with the United States and work towards keeping our defence spending commitments;
Amendment 106 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
(c) reassert the continued relevance of the strategic transatlantic relationship for the rebuilding and reinvigoration of the multilateral rules-based international order, with the UN system and international law at its centre;
Amendment 117 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
(e) reinforce the accountability and resilience of our democratic systems in the run-up to the elections next year on both sides, as well as enhance transatlantic dialogue and cooperation on policies supporting democracy, human rights and the rule of law and combating disinformation and foreign hybrid interference from authoritarian regimes; underlines the importance of our continued strong democratic systems as the backbone of both our security and prosperity, as well as our ability to advocate for our values globally;
Amendment 126 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
(ea) Underlines the importance of enhanced transatlantic cooperation, notably through the Council; stresses the need for a more concrete transatlantic dialogue with joint resolutions and comprehensive exchanges on points of common interest in foreign affairs, security and defence policies;
Amendment 145 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g
Paragraph 1 – point g
(g) continue EU-US cooperation in working with Ukraine to support its reform process towards the European integration and to develop a long-term reconstruction plan for the country in order to diminish as much as possible the negative consequences of Russian aggression in the country and assure its swift recovery from the war;
Amendment 159 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
(ha) further advance strategic cooperation on areas of shared common past achievements, such as the Western Balkans, Sahel and the Arctic and promote peace and stability, preventive diplomacy and better visibility in order to keep away all malign influences;
Amendment 166 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point i a (new)
(ia) step up efforts in joint coordination and information sharing regarding hybrid threats, especially regarding cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns;
Amendment 173 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j
Paragraph 1 – point j
(j) assess the importance of the strong convergence of transatlantic positions towards China, building more and more on the ‘de-risking’ strategy while looking for ways to cooperate with China on some global challenges, such as issues related to climate change;
Amendment 184 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k
Paragraph 1 – point k
(k) reach out jointly to countries of the Global South andother global partners and look for new ways to re- engage emerging countries into cooperation in security and defence, such as Kazahstan or Armenia and offer them a way out of the CSTO; reinforce our capacity to work in partnership and our commitment to democratic values, a rules- based international order and to working with the Global Southother global partners on an attractive alternative path to digital and economic development;
Amendment 218 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o
Paragraph 1 – point o
(o) deepen joint transatlantic efforts to secure key transatlantic infrastructure and to advance secure and resilient connectivity infrastructure for information and communication technologies around the world with like-minded and trustworthy partners;
Amendment 233 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q
Paragraph 1 – point q
(q) foster closer partnership with the US and other like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific region to foster closer security and economic cooperation;
Amendment 241 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r
Paragraph 1 – point r
(r) continue EU-US strategic partnership and cooperation in the Western Balkans to brsecure peace and stability in the region, by supporting the countries ion that region closer to EU membership and take forward theeir path to European integration and membership and mitigate on the open questions in the region, such as the electoral and constitutional reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina and EU- facilitated Belgrade- Pristina Dialogue;
Amendment 246 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point r a (new)
(ra) recall that the stability of the Western Balkans is a matter of peace and security for the region as well as for the EU; underline that the EU and NATO should provide more support to the countries of the Western Balkans to counter malicious foreign interference and hybrid threats from third countries;
Amendment 248 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point r b (new)
Amendment 254 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s
Paragraph 1 – point s
(s) underline the need to continue the good bilateral engagements on our respective policies towards the Middle East Peace Process, as well as to continue to coordinate our efforts to encourage positive developments, peace and stability in the wider region;
Amendment 264 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t
Paragraph 1 – point t
(t) strengthen transatlantic cooperation on situational awareness, diplomatic responses, preventive diplomacy and conflict resolution, capacity- building and on enhancing cyber resilience through the EU- US Cyber Dialogue;
Amendment 266 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point t a (new)
(ta) deepen transatlantic energy cooperation, through new instruments such as the Task Force on Energy Security established in 2022 and using other forums for structured dialogue such as the EU-US Energy Council;
Amendment 272 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u
Paragraph 1 – point u
(u) ensure that the US remains an important partner for the EU’s energy security, as it has been particularly after the Russian aggression in Ukraine;
Amendment 279 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w
Paragraph 1 – point w
(w) aim for an EU-US agreement on a common carbon footprint calculation methodology, as previously discussed during the latest EU-US Energy Council meeting in 2022;
Amendment 303 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point y
Paragraph 1 – point y
(y) deepen partnerships in the areas of cooperation envisaged by the NATO Strategic Concept and the EU Strategic Compass, particularly in the areas of military mobility, cyber security, dual-use infrastructure, resilience and inclusive joint exercises;
Amendment 330 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ab a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ab a (new)
(aba) recognise that the field of civic defence is a developing area both in the EU and the US, and hence work towards cooperation in this emerging sector together to reap mutual benefits;
Amendment 331 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ac
Paragraph 1 – point ac
(ac) deepen cooperation in space security with the US and highlight the need to enhance cooperation based on existing EU programmes such as Galileo and Copernicus; stress that EU-US cooperation on space could help promote space safety standards and best practices across the international community;
Amendment 336 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ad
Paragraph 1 – point ad
(ad) jointly address the spread of Russian and Chinese information manipulation andhybrid activities, including information manipulation, cyber-attacks and internal interference, particularly in the context of Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine and its impact on the Western Balkans, South Caucasus, Africa and Latin America;
Amendment 341 #
2023/2126(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ad a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ad a (new)
(ada) work towards a stronger component of transatlantic parliamentary diplomacy by both strengthening the role of the TLD by working towards a more frequent and regular exchange of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Congress and the European Parliament;
Amendment 51 #
2023/2119(INI)
-A. whereas the European continent is facing the most complex combination of both military and non-military threats caused by the Russia's illegal war of agreesian against Ukraine that has severely endangered security and stability of the European Union; whereas such non-military threat include disinformation, cyberattacks, economic pressure, food and energy blackmailing, instrumentalisation of migration, and subversive political influence;
Amendment 56 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas Ukraine needs to be provided with the necessary military capabilities for as long as it takes to end Russia’s illegal war of aggression and to restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders; whereas the Russian invasion of Ukraine is an attack against the rules-based international order and has endangered the current multilateral world order; whereas Ukraine defends not only its sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also the overlall European security;
Amendment 72 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Strategic Compass aims to equip the EU with the necessary strategic guidance, realistic and operational tools to move towards a coherent and credible defence policy, and to make it an effective and capable security provider and an assertive global actor; whereas the Strategic Compass needs to be coherent and compatible with NATO's Strategic Concept;
Amendment 81 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas in response to these threats, the EU urgently needs to enhance the effectiveness of its foreign, security and defence policy to defend its interests and values both in the European Union, the Western Balkans and its immediate eastern and southern neigbourhood;
Amendment 94 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the Eastern Neighbourhood and the Western Balkans are in need of greater European support in order to preserve stability and security, and increased defence cooperation, especially in terms of fight against disinformation and hybrid warfare; whereas the security in these regions is negatively affected by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which carries the risk of spill over effect;
Amendment 102 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas CSDP missions and operations greatly strengthen resilience and stability of the European neighbourhood such as in the Mediterranean, the Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership, Sahel and the Horn of Africa by providing services such as military, police, coast guard, border management training and capacity building;
Amendment 109 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. whereas the operation EUFOR Althea set a route towards peace, stabilization and the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina and still plays a pivotal role for the security and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region;
Amendment 113 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B e (new)
Recital B e (new)
Be. whereas the current complex geopolitical situation highlights the urgency to boost EU security and defence capabilities, including building on the unprecedented support for Ukraine, most notably through the European Peace Facility, European defence industry reinforcement through common procurement act (EDIRPA) and Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP), as well as through PESCO projects and CSDP military and civilan missions; whereas the EU needs to further boost research, technological development and innovation in the field of security and defence;
Amendment 122 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B f (new)
Recital B f (new)
Bf. whereas the EU needs to further boost research, technological development and innovation in the field of security and defence, especially in field of cyber security;
Amendment 126 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B g (new)
Recital B g (new)
Bg. whereas the instability and insecurity in the Southern Neighbourhood and the Sahel region is closely interlinked with and remains an ongoing challenge for the European external border management; whereas the EU Border Assistance Mission in Libya and the European Union Naval Force Mediterranean Operation Irini are contributing to sustainable peace, security and stability by implementing the arms embargo, fighting illicit weapons and human trafficking and with training of Libyan coastguard;
Amendment 172 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses the importance of the European Peace Facility (EPF) which has supported the Ukrainian armed forces by financing and delivering military equipment and training, while providing coordination for all stakeholders through the Clearing House Mechanism hosted by the EU Military Staff; welcomes the decision for additional funding to the European Peace Facility and calls for the financial sustainability and durability of the EPF to be ensured in order to provide Ukraine and other EU partners around the world with the support they request;
Amendment 199 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines the EU’s concrete support to Ukraine through the ‘three ammunition tracks’; urges faster delivery of ammunition from Member States’ existing stocks through the EPF; calls for the joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine to be sped up and stresses the need to ramp up the third track and ensure the effective implementation of the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP); further stresses that concrete steps should be taken towards Ukraine’s integration in EU defence policies and programmes during the EU membership process, building on the existing agreement with the European Defence Agency (EDA) and as a beneficiary of the European defence industry reinforcement through common procurement act (EDIRPA); calls on the European External Action Service to come forward with a plan for a sustainable and long-term package of security commitments for Ukraine;
Amendment 226 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Stresses that to combat the increasing threats and the rise of anti- European narratives by third countries in the EU's immediate neighbourhood, the EU has to step up its efforts in providing support, training and capacity building with like-minded partners, including by fighting disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks and building resilience to hostile foreign interferences;
Amendment 268 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the VP/HR and Member States to deliver more robust, flexible and modular CSDP missions and operations, that can adapt to the changing security context and that build on the synergies and complementarities of civilian and military dimensions of CSDP; welcomes the adoption of the new Civilian CSDP Compact and the commitment to increase the effectiveness, flexibility and responsiveness of civilian missions, including through speeding up decision making, strengthening operational planning, improving selection and recruitment of personnel, emphasising greater gender equality and improving responsiveness tools; welcomes the objective to increase the number of women deployed to civilian CSDP missions and operations both in managerial and operational positions; encourages to deliver a structured and uniformed gender mainstreaming approach;
Amendment 296 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Calls on the Council and the EEAS to include a cultural heritage protection component to its CSDP missions and operations in order to provide assistance and education to local partners in addressing security challenges related to the preservation and protection of cultural heritage; notes that the inclusion of cultural heritage protection and intercultural dialogue into the mission mandates would be beneficial to the process of conflict resolution and reconciliation and to conclude sustainable settlements in mission operation area;
Amendment 301 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Calls on the Council and the EEAS to include a preventive diplomacy component to its CSDP missions and operations in order to better analize situation in the given area, avert the outbreak, escalation, continuation and recurrence of conflicts and mediate parties to that are on the brink of violence, helping to achieve reconciliation and build resilient and inclusive societies;
Amendment 303 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Expresses deep concern about the developments in the Sahel and the recent coups in the region; condemns the increasing presence of Wagner Group, as well as Russian influence, that endangers peace, security and stability and diminishes European influence and role in the region; calls for greater European involvement, assistance and help to the region, including greater role, visibility and capacity to act of CSDP missions and operations; commends the activities and the role of the ongoing EU's civilian and military missions in the Sahel region whose presence greatly contributes to safety and security of the region;
Amendment 326 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses that EDIRPA can only be a first step towards improving the European technological and industrial base’s capacities to supply Member States with the products and quantities needed and should be complemented with further initiatives, including the envisaged long- term European Defence Investment Program (EDIP) for which adequate funding needs to be ensured; notes that the defense products will have to be assembled in companies in Europe which will support the European industry, especially small and medium enterprises;
Amendment 399 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Welcomes the joint communication on the EU cyber defence policy and calls on Member States to implement the ambitious but realistic set of actions proposed by the Commission, including the proposal for a Cyber Solidarity Act to enhance their ability to detect and respond to cybersecurity threats and incidents in the EU; notes that the mutual cooperation between EU Member States, as well as with our allies and partners around the world, is essential for our cybersecurity; urges caution when sharing data, which should only be available to partners with the same values, while management and infrastructure should be entrusted to trusted companies and service providers;
Amendment 421 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls on enhancing visibility and strategic communication on the benefits, presence and role of the CSDP missions and calls for further investment in cyber defence capabilities and strategic resilience;
Amendment 425 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Calls for strengthening of the staffing, response ability, resources and strategic communication of CSDP missions around the world, especially in European immediate neighbourhood and candidate countries Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine and Georgia;
Amendment 484 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Underlines the importance of developing security and defence dialogues with partners around the world, in particular in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership but also with key partners in strategic maritime areas such as those stretching from the Red Sea and Horn of Africa to the Indo-Pacific; underlines that the EU's security is closely interlinked with the security of our immediate neighbours, including those in the Western Balkans and Eastern Neighbourhood; calls for deepening military-security cooperation with countries in the European immediate neighbourhood by strengthening the security dimension and enhancing security and defence policy dialogues;
Amendment 495 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Welcomes the continued presence of EUFOR's Operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina and KFOR in Kosovo and their role in building and maintaining a safe and secure environment; reminds that the experiences and lessons learned from both missions add substantial value to all current and future military and civilian CSDP missions and operations;
Amendment 501 #
2023/2119(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Calls for the extention of the EUFOR Althea's mandate in the UN Security Council; calls on the EU and its international partners, including NATO to develop appropriate alternative solutions in order to maintain a mechanism to strengthen peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina if the mandate for the operation is not extended;
Amendment 66 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas eight out of the ten countries currently aspiring to join the EU have candidate status, some of them since many years ago; whereas those candidate countries find themselves at various stages of the accession process and negotiations, negotiating for years causing fatigue and disappointment with the enlargement process; whereas the countries of the Western Balkans have for decades stated their determination to join the EU; whereas candidate status has also recently been granted to Ukraine and the, Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Amendment 85 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has given new geostrategic meaning to the enlargement of the European Union; whereas enlargement is a strategic geopolitical investment in the future ensuring stability and security of the European continent, which can be mutually beneficial for both existing and future Member States if the proper conditions and requirements are met;
Amendment 109 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the EU’s prosperity and security rests on its ability to defend and advance, peace, democracy, the rule of law, human rights and fundamental values;
Amendment 112 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas the EU’s enlargement policy is the single most effective EU instrument for securing peace, prosperity and fundamental values on the European continent;
Amendment 147 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the role of the European Parliament should be strengthen throughout the entire enlargement process, including with regular committee meetings and parliamentary scrutiny of pre-accession financial instruments;
Amendment 207 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas enlargement is also a major challenge for EU’s financial sustainability, in particular regarding cohesion and agriculture policies; whereas the current and the next multiannual financial frameworks should be strengthened considerably to enable EU enlargement; whereas this financial groundwork must be in place before enlargement takes place, preferably via pre-accession financial instruments;
Amendment 215 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
K a. whereas the new Growth Plan for the Western Balkans will bring some of the benefits of membership to the aspiring countries in advance of accession and speed up the process of European integration;
Amendment 243 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Stresses that the European accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina is crucial in order to avert tensions due to inflammatory rhetoric and secessionist acts which undermine its European aspirations;
Amendment 245 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Urges Bosnia and Herzegovina to urgently find a common political agreement in order to comply with the Commission's recommendation of 8 November 2023 to be able to open accession negotiations before March 2024, taking also into account the volatile geopolitical situation and efforts to prevent external malign influences in the region, thus paving the way for permanent peace and stability in the country and the region;
Amendment 256 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that enlargement is of the utmost strategic importance for the EU, its stability, peace and prosperity, and all the more so in the face of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; stresses that an enhanced enlargement policy has become the strongest geopolitical tool at the EU’s disposal; points out that enlargement is a strategic investment in peace, security and prosperity, as well as a driver for democracy and European values on the continent;
Amendment 277 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Acknowledges the historic challenge facing the EU of meeting its commitments to the countries in the Western Balkans, particularly Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to Ukraine and, the Republic of Moldova, and Georgia;
Amendment 295 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that accession to the EU must always be a merit-based procedure and that each applicant must be assessed on their own merit in fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria and in ensuring full respect for human rights, democracy and, the rule of law and European fundamental rights and values; stresses that while positive outcomes should be sought as quickly as possible, there should be no fast-track or fixed deadlines for membership; underscores that there can be no short-cuts and compromises during the accession process on fundamental values; points out that alignment with the common foreign and security policy is also a way of showing full adherence to the EU’s fundamental principles and an important indicator for sustainable future membership;
Amendment 333 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Considers that there is a need for stronger parliamentary oversight of the EU’s enlargement policy¸ especially regarding the scrutiny of pre-accession financial assistance; insists on strengthening the role of Parliament throughout the entire accession process, including allowing it to scrutinise fully the progress made by the candidate countries across policy fields; underlines that regular dialogue and cooperation between the European Parliament and the national parliaments of candidate countries should be encouraged;
Amendment 369 #
2023/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Points out that European institutional reforms must include simplified decision-making procedures, moving away from unanimity and replacing it with qualified majority voting provisionsbased on a middle way solution between unanimity and quality majority voting in order to achieve balance between interests of small and large Member States avoiding unnecessary blockages due to particular bilateral issues, in areas such as the protection of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, sanctions and relevant foreign policy decisions;
Amendment 56 #
2023/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas fostering a critical historical consciousness across borders by educational and other means is central for Europeans to be able to come to terms with their past, confidently deal with the present and work towards a common future; whereas an objective, factual and truthful recollection of atrocities, crimes and victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes on European ground during the 20th century is crucial for a stronger democratic society and its culture of remembrance;
Amendment 85 #
2023/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Acknowledges that the diverse and often conflicting histories of European nations and states make any effort to deal with history at a supranational political level a difficult and potentially dangerous endeavour, and that attempts to regulate how to commemorate and interpret the past always prove to be challenging; underlines the importance of a clarified and objective approach when dealing with historical facts in order to combat any misleading information and contribute to a common future based on unbiased historical facts, peace, solidarity and mutual understanding;
Amendment 94 #
2023/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises the potential of the principle of historia magistra vitae and considers especially the dark elements of Europe’s history – including totalitarianism, racism, jingoism and colonialism and authoritarian regimes in all its forms – not only to be a vigorous reminder of past mistakes whose repetition is to be avoided, but also as a call to work jointly towards democratic and inclusive societies in the Union and globally; notes the enormous potential that primary and secondary education can provide in this regard;
Amendment 98 #
2023/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers a responsible, evidence- based and critical dealing with history a sine qua non for any democratic body politic, in order to sensitise current and future generations for achievements and aberrations of the past alike, strengthen a self-reflexive public discourse and foster understanding and reconciliation within and among particular social groups, nations and states; notes that unbiased, objective and truthful historical recollection and storytelling is specifically important in today's world where all kinds of disinformation and wrong interpretations circulate with a harmful potential of influencing younger generations with poisonous and destructive ideas; underlines the importance of stronger media literacy and anti-disinformation tools and campaigns as well as a stronger historical remembrance among citizens that will foster a peaceful culture of inclusivity, solidarity and shared values;
Amendment 102 #
2023/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Condemns all attempts to relativise the effects that communism, Nazism, fascism and all other forms of authoritarian and totalitarian regimes had on our society; emphasises the importance of fact- checked historical teachings for a lessons- learned approach towards all generations, notably through various courses, media and online spheres;
Amendment 108 #
2023/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses the need for an honest assessment of the EU’s ‘politics of the past’, through which it has striven to add legitimacy to the European project and strengthen a European sense of belonging, by equally acknowledging achievements and existing shortcomings; proposes to include more in person and digital courses on historical remembrance in school and university curricula for a better understanding of history and its affects for a lessons learned approach for future generations;
Amendment 111 #
2023/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Acknowledges the array of past and present initiatives at European level to foster a common European historical memory, including Holocaust Remembrance Day, the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of all Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes, the establishment of a dedicated remembrance strand in the former Europe for Citizens and current Citizenship, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programmes, and various Parliament resolutions such as the one of 19 September 2019 on the importance of European remembrance for the future of Europe; proposes to add more events that will deepen European historical remembrance and assist in creating a lessons-learned future to avoid any repetition of past mistakes;
Amendment 115 #
2023/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Expresses its concern that there continues to be a latent competition and partial incompatibility between different memory frames and remembrance cultures in the Union, especially between Western and Eastern Europe; calls on the Union and the Member States to create a factual stance towards historical truth on authoritarian and totalitarian regimes that took place on Europe's ground, notably in the Western Balkans, Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood by opening secret archives and allowing transparent approach that will lead to a shared future based on tolerance, respect, peace and mutual understanding and cooperation;
Amendment 118 #
2023/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 6 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Condemns all atrocities committed by communism, Nazism and fascism regimes; reminds that during former Yugoslavia, State crimes were continued by massive communist executions of thousands opponents, notably the Bleiburg massacre as well as political trials and character assassination of political opponents in former Yugoslavia, f.e. the case of Bl. Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac and many others priests and other political opponents to communism that were wrongfully accused and detained for years; calls for opening of former Yugoslav archives, specifically those of the former Yugoslav secret service (UDBA) and the Military intelligence agency (KOS) that would lead to a fact-based historical truth that is vital for Europe's culture of remembrance and a democratic and inclusive future;
Amendment 119 #
2023/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Reminds that the remnants of past regimes are still present in the Western Balkans, notably through the remaining influence of past secret services in former Yugoslavia; calls on the Union to increase its efforts to mitigate all indication of past regimes and to build a common ground for dialogue, mutual understanding, respect of cultures, tradition, values and heritage and future based on true facts and find an objective historical narrative that is vital for stability, peace and a shared European perspective;
Amendment 168 #
2023/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Member States to provide tailor-made (history) teacher training that enables teachers to grasp transnational aspects of history, imparts adequate didactics and principles of modern teaching and is primarily concerned with forming self-reflective young people; underlines all the benefits this can have in strengthening our fact- based and objective historical remembrance and the lessons-learned based principle for Europe's future generations and societies based on peace, tolerance, mutual understanding and cooperation;
Amendment 189 #
2023/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. RequestProposes that the European institutions, the Member States and its partners, notably EU candidate countries, educational institutions and civil-society actors step up efforts to abstain from and repudiate any attempt to instrumentalise history for political purposes and fight historical denialism both in the European Union and beyond;
Amendment 57 #
2023/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights the distinct role and value of parliamentary diplomacy in complementing and reinforcing the visibility and impact of EU foreign and security policy, alongside the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Commission and the diplomatic services of the Member States; reminds that parliamentary diplomacy stands out as Parliament's best tool and its most prominent representation in partner and in third countries, particularly when it comes to anticipating actions against undemocratic regimes and advocating enlargement and European values;
Amendment 66 #
2023/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Believes, therefore, that great untapped potential exists for Parliament to further develop its diplomatic role and contribution to the achievement of EU foreign policy objectives; notably through preventive diplomacy that could prevent conflicts before they arise by using the lessons-learned approach and significantly strengthen EU's role as a regional and global peacekeeper;
Amendment 72 #
2023/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Highlights Parliament’s specific, dynamic and public contribution to the EU’s foreign and security policy through the work of its committees working on external affairs, which contribute to EU's relations with its partners, particularly the Western Balkans, the Southern and Eastern Neighbourhood and other non- EU countries and international organisations;
Amendment 78 #
2023/2105(INI)
6. Notes that, under the overall oversight of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, standing delegations complement the work of the committees by establishing a regular and sustained forum for political dialogue with non-EU countries, including through joint parliamentary bodies and multilateral assembliesits partners in the Western Balkans, the Southern and Eastern Neighbourhood and other non-EU and partner countries, including through joint parliamentary bodies and multilateral assemblies; underlines the importance of parliamentary dialogues and its complimentary role in tackling global challenges and acting as an honest broker;
Amendment 84 #
2023/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Highlights that the standing delegations play a key role as a relay between Parliament and its partners around the world, facilitating interaction, debating positions and policies of common interest, and also listening to partners and conveying their views to the competent bodies within Parliament; reiterates that the European Parliament is the only institution that is directly elected by European citizens;
Amendment 92 #
2023/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Considers that Parliament’s official missions outside the EU form an integral part of EU external policy, which must therefore enjoy the full support of the EU delegations; highlights the Parliament's role in peers contact both in house and senate across party lines in order to foster bridge building and mutual understanding;
Amendment 103 #
2023/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Believes that the political dialogue carried out by Parliament with governmental, parliamentary and civil society actors across the world contributes to promoting EU views and values on global standards in areas such as human rights, democracy, climate and energy diplomacy, connectivity, artificial intelligence and digital and technological policies;
Amendment 114 #
2023/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses the consistent dedication of Parliament to placing human rights and democracy at the heart of EU external action and providing a key forum in which to hear and amplify the voice of civil society and democratic actors from around the world; underlines that this is of vital importance in the current geopolitical volatile situation and emerging conflicts that threaten EU's stability, security and safety;
Amendment 121 #
2023/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Underlines the importance and unique nature of Parliament’s democracy support programmes; reminds that this is largely important for better EU visibility in the Western Balkans, Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood and the Pan- African Parliament and can serve as a forum to discuss further actions in the area of democracy support;
Amendment 124 #
2023/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Believes that the lessons learned approach should be applied as soon as possible in order to enhance EU's toolbox for external action in the next parliamentary term and the establishment of the future Commission should be an opportunity tothat will strengthen the framework of interinstitutional relations between Parliament, the EEAS and the Commission, including EU delegations, in order to enhance parliamentary diplomacy and strengthen the EU’s toolbox for external action;
Amendment 133 #
2023/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission, the Council and the Member States to genuinely involve Parliament in the implementation and scrutiny of matters of strategic relevance in EU foreign affairs, as well as in the scrutiny of external financing instruments, especially IPA III, Ukrainian Facility and the NDICI;
Amendment 140 #
2023/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that Parliament’s oversight function and power to monitor the negotiation and implementation of international agreements grants it a critical role in shaping the Union’s engagement with third countries and its overall action in the international arena; reminds that successful scrutiny rests upon regular parliamentary meetings with parliamentarians from third countries to exchange views, best practices and work towards better cooperation;
Amendment 150 #
2023/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Underlines the importance of regular bi-annual interparliamentary conferences on CFSP and CSDP for harmonising EU's foreign, security and defence positions with those of Member States and like-minded partners;
Amendment 154 #
2023/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Considers that Parliament has a unique role to play in bringing EU foreign policy closer to European citizens, in particular by engaging with sub-state entities such as regional governments and parliaments; recommends better transparency tools and regular consultation with EEAS that take on board parliamentary resolutions and consult the AFET Committee on the strengths and weaknesses of its EU delegations during exchanges at regular EEAS Ambassadors' conferences;
Amendment 158 #
2023/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Takes the view that, in the context of backsliding in terms of respect for human rights and democracy worldwide, Parliament has a specific role to play in helping democratically elected parliaments globally to consolidate their institutional role and internal working methods; highlights the key role that Electoral Observation Missions play in improving democracy and checks and balances in a country; points out that free and credible elections are fundamental for EU's role as a mediator in the global arena;
Amendment 166 #
2023/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Highlights the specific role of Parliament in helping partner countries and, in particular, enlargement countries such as the Western Balkans to strengthen their role in the EU accession process; reiterates the key role that IPA III has in transforming institutions countries aspiring for enlargement to adjust European standards and protect the rule of law among other fundamental criteria for EU accession;
Amendment 174 #
2023/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Reiterates its call to enhance the EU’s institutional capacities for preventive diplomacy, conflict prevention and mediation, and believes that Parliament can provide expertise and a substantial contribution through its bodies and actions in this area; notes the strong link between EU's internal and external security and calls on better coordination between EU institutions, EEAS and Member States in this regard;
Amendment 200 #
2023/2105(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Urges each EU delegation to publicise Parliament’s work relevant to its host country, including in the local language on its website, and to follow up with local authorities and civil society groups; reiterates that this is highly important for citizens and media to deal with fact-checking and recognising disinformation, malign influences and hybrid threats;
Amendment 13 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas authors are the creative source of all books;
Amendment 15 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas the vast majority of European publishers are SMEs or even microenterprises;
Amendment 17 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas bookshops and libraries are the focal point for readership development and reading promotion, whilst contributing to social and digital inclusiveness;
Amendment 23 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the governments of some Member States have exerted influence and regulatory pressure on the book sector, which negatively impacts on freedom of expression and conflicts with EU values;
Amendment 28 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas readers, including young ones have shown a continued preference to read printed books;
Amendment 37 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
Ka. whereas the availability of digital books offers an opportunity to improve accessibility for people with disabilities, however this requires adequate investments in the production of different formats and the development of relevant skills;
Amendment 42 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K b (new)
Recital K b (new)
Kb. whereas the lack of interoperability between e-book formats reinforces the position of dominant market players, whilst restricting consumer choice and protection;
Amendment 54 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Underlines the need to ensure a balance in the book ecosystem by fulfilling the specific roles of the various actors of the value chain, such as authors, publishers, printers, distributors, translators, booksellers and libraries;
Amendment 67 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Invites the Commission in its mid- term review of the Creative Europe programme 2021-2027 to introduce measurable goals on how funding is used to improve the accessibility of books for persons with disabilities;
Amendment 73 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to increase the budget for the Creative Europe programme for 2028- 2034, in particular by dedicating more funds to the book sector, and to expand support for the sector through the Horizon Europe programme for 2028-2034; , the Erasmus programme and within relevant future EU programmes; underlines the importance of safeguarding, promoting and fostering books and literary works written in ‘lesser-used’ languages for the preservation of cultural and linguistic diversity, including allocation of additional funds to support translations of all literary works to these languages;
Amendment 79 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Urges the Member States to foster cultural diversity by increasing the acquisition budget of libraries, so that they can further expand the range of books that they offer, andto supporting local bookshops, to safeguard the appropriate remuneration of authors and the investment capacity of publishers;
Amendment 84 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the need to support the translation of European books, in particular by enhancing public funding at both national and European levels so as to improve the circulation, visibility and diversity of translated books, including in ‘lesser-used’ languages; calls on the European Commission and Member States to ensure that ‘lesser- used’ language countries receive sufficient funds to promote its literary work outside their respective country, especially taking into account countries with various linguistic groups; notes that books and all literary works should be available in all European languages because it is crucial for the education of our citizens, as well as the safeguarding and promotion of European cultural and linguistic diversity;
Amendment 88 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the need to support the creation and translation of European books, in particular by enhancing public funding at both national and European levels so as to improve the circulation, visibility and diversity of translated books;
Amendment 91 #
2023/2053(INI)
8a. Underlines the importance of the mobility and exchanges between authors in order to facilitate their creative work and improve their opportunities to gain new professional experiences abroad;
Amendment 92 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Welcomes the new mobility action Culture Moves Europe in the frame of the Creative Europe Programme offering mobility grants to artists and cultural professionals, in particular for literary translators;
Amendment 93 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Amendment 94 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 d (new)
Paragraph 8 d (new)
8d. Recalls that the ability of the book sector to maintain a diverse network of booksellers and innovation-driven market relies on proper education and training that allows people to pursue a career in the book industry;
Amendment 95 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 e (new)
Paragraph 8 e (new)
8e. Underlines that 2023 has been declared the European Year of Skills and calls on the Member States in this regard to support the education and training programs dedicated to the various actors of the book sector;
Amendment 98 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Supports further promotion of the EULP in the Member States, including via the creation of an EU category for European children’s books;
Amendment 100 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Underlines the positive role taken by influencers to promote books on social media in an innovative way, thus fostering reading and European culture among younger generations;
Amendment 111 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Underlines the social role of libraries as places where citizens meet with authors and exchange views, in particular in small towns and less developed regions;
Amendment 125 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls on the Commission to ensure that sufficient funding continues to support the Ukrainian book sector, including artists and authors for the duration of the war and the reconstruction of the country;
Amendment 127 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Underlines the role taken by the Creative Europe Programme to fund some of these projects, such as the Tales of EUkraine initiative;
Amendment 143 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Calls on the Commission to support research and innovation projects on the use of AI, in order to enhance the efficiency of the sector, notably with regard to environmental sustainability and accessibility for instance through Horizon Europe;
Amendment 147 #
2023/2053(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Underlines the importance of collecting data from publishers in order to display the origins of all parts of the book through the entire production chain, including information on paper certification and place of production;
Amendment 127 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. Whereas fair remuneration for the use of creative work is the basis of earnings as a professional creator and as such has a key role for authors’ and composers’ working conditions; whereas collective management of authors’ rights provides the main source of income for a majority of creators in Europe, ensuring their continuous remuneration for each use of their work and should also protect them from unfair contractual practices by large and dominant media and streaming platform companies;
Amendment 139 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J b (new)
Recital J b (new)
Jb. Whereas not addressing the coercive buy-out and work-for-hire practices imposed by the non-EU based video-on-demand (VOD) platforms would leave European authors and composers with no guarantee on their working conditions in the VOD sector”;
Amendment 244 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls the importance of copyright and related rights in the cultural and creative sectors and of properly implementing them, ensuring that every type of rightholder is fairly remuneratedin particular for authors and composers, who are in a weaker contractual position vis-à-vis the major and dominant media companies that hire or commission a work to them; underlines that authors and composers need the protection provided for by the EU law to ensure their fair remuneration to be able to fully benefit from the rights harmonised under Union law, ensuring that they are fairly and proportionately remunerated for each usage of their work;
Amendment 264 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Is concerned by abusive and coercive practices that may result in unfair contractual relationships for CCS professionals; draws attention to issues relating more specifically to ‘buy-out’ contractsand work-for-hire contracts imposed by the non-EU based video-on-demand platforms and apply the rules of third countries to circumvent the EU laws protecting authors and their fair remuneration; requests the Commission to assess and closely monitor and tackle the situation in that regard to prevent the circumvention of EU rules and principles and to ensure appropriate remuneration and fair working conditions for authors and composers;
Amendment 271 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Underlines the role of the collective management organizations and their global system which enables creators to be remunerated for uses in domestic and non-domestic market which they would not be in a position to enforce themselves, and also the role of such organizations as promoters of the cultural diversity and expression, both by enabling the smallest and less popular repertoires to access the market and by providing social, cultural and educational services for the benefit of their rightholders and the public as it is noted in the Directive 2014/26/EU1a on collective rights management; acknowledges that collective management organizations play an indispensable role in ensuring the remuneration of authors and composers through collective negotiations and provide the main source of income for the professional authors and composers; _________________ 1a Directive 2014/26/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on collective management of copyright and related rights and multi- territorial licensing of rights in musical works for online use in the internal market
Amendment 279 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Considers that abusive and coercive buy-out and work-for-hire practices imposed on authors, composers and artists by the non-EU based video-on- demand platforms, circumventing the requirement of fair remuneration of authors and composers and substantially harming their working conditions cannot be justified by contractual freedom; denounces the use of such practices and calls on the Commission to bring EU wide solutions to eliminate their use in the EU;
Amendment 325 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Recognises the role played by the collective management organisations (formed and managed by authors and composers) to ensure collective negotiations for authors and composers, equal access of all authors and composers to the market, broadest access of the public to culturally diverse repertoire and sustainability of cultural sector in Europe since they provide significant social and cultural funds for the well-being of their members and sustainability of cultural sector and cultural diversity; promotes collective management as a fair and sustainable model for future EU policy considerations;
Amendment 510 #
2023/2051(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – Recommendation 4 – paragraph 1 – indent 5
Annex I – Recommendation 4 – paragraph 1 – indent 5
- to develop tools, such as guidelines for application, handbooks of good practices and shared principles, for improving the situation in all the areas covered under its scope and to evaluate experiences with relevant tools; to prevent unfair commercial practices such as buy- outs and work for hire from becoming an established practice circumventing EU rules, further legislation may be considered;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
– having regard to the Council Conclusions on Conflict Prevention (2011) and on the Integrated Approach to External Conflicts and Crises (2018),
Amendment 2 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 b (new)
Citation 2 b (new)
– having regard to Council Conclusions on EU Peace Mediation (2020),
Amendment 3 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
– having regard to the Joint Staff Working Document (September 2023) on the Updated toolset for EU Conflict Analysis and Conflict Early Warning,
Amendment 11 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas preserving peace, preventing conflicts and strengthening international security is one of the key external action objectives of the European Union as provided in article 21(2) of the Treaty on European Union;
Amendment 14 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas a changing geopolitical context stemming from emerging powers confronting traditional players, attacks on the multilateral system, emerging technologiesdemocracy and rule-based order, emerging technologies and cyber threats, malign third party interference, climate change, food security issues and migration are among the factors contributing to the spread of conflicts and instability around the world;
Amendment 16 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Amendment 18 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas preventive diplomacy in the EU encompasses political and financial support for the multilateral system, trade, development, humanitarian assistance, human rights, focusing on identifying opportunities to address the causes of conflict and creating spaces for dialogue, often in partnership with international and regional organizations as well as concerned parties;
Amendment 19 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
A c. whereas emerging powers are confronting traditional players and together with new technologies and further globalisation are leading to increased international competition, together with climate change, food security and migration causes rising tensions and leads to conflicts across the world which are also challenging the EU;
Amendment 21 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the multilateral, rules- based order is being reshaped and some former alliances are beginning to re- emergcurrently under threat and being reshaped in the volatile geopolitical situation; whereas some former alliances based on common interest to disrupt this system are beginning to re-emerge; whereas Russia's unilateral actions had a significant impact on the formation of alliances and the establishment of its sphere of influence;
Amendment 27 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas the EU needs to step up its preventive tools and acknowledge the vital role it has in preserving peace, stability and security both within the EU and outside its borders;
Amendment 31 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas although the EU is the biggest international aid donor, in the world providing help to overcome poverty and advance global development; whereas it has not achieved the same impact in the public- diplomacy sphere and should therefore improve its ambition and visibility in the area of preventive diplomacy around the world primarily by communicating its achievements and success in the diplomatic activities undertaken so far, as well as in results of financial support;
Amendment 32 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the EU's approach to preventive diplomacy is aimed at preserving peace, preventing conflicts, and strengthening international security, involving multi-dimensional, multi-level, and multi-actor actions, at the same time addressing various aspects and stages of conflicts, and facilitating spaces for dialogue;
Amendment 34 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the Council has appointed nine EU special representatives for different conflict regions tounstable and conflict affected regions, some of them acting as mediators and peace facilitators to prevent disputes from escalating and limit the spread of conflict when they occur, but their initiatives and the effects of their actions are not always sufficiently visible;
Amendment 36 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas the EU has always been trying to facilitate direct talks and reduce the risk of escalation in different regions of the world, offering support for peace processes, peacebuilding initiatives, and regional early warning systems in a complex geopolitical context;
Amendment 37 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the EU still does not have the necessary confidence and tools to initiate mediation in areas of strategic importance; whereas this could lead to a rise of anti-European narratives in EU's immediate neighbourhood and third countries;
Amendment 47 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and its consequences around the world highlights the need for stronger and more ambitious, credible, strategic, tangible and unified EU action on the world stage, and accentuates the necessity of the EU autonomously setting its own strategic objectives and developing and using theits capabilities needed to pursue them in order to avoid repeating prior mistakes and learn from them for the future challenges;
Amendment 50 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas security in the Eastern Neighbourhood and, the Western Balkans and Sahel, West Africa and Horn of Africa region is greatly threatened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its hybrid malign actions and the possibility of this aggression spilling over into neighbouring countries; whereas the destabilisation of our immediate neighbourhood threatens the stability, peace and security of the EUuropean external borders and thus of the EU and its Member States;
Amendment 55 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is a wake-up call for the EU, as it presents an immediate threat to the European and global security order and to the security of the EU and its Member States; whereas Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its consequences around the globe has galvanised the momentum towards achieving a geopolitical redefinition of the EU’s foreign policy, including a reconsideration of its response mechanisms, including the preventive diplomacy toolbox;
Amendment 65 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the main obstacle to the EU’s global leadership in preventive diplomacy is the lack of will on the part of the Member States to step away from their individualnational, political or economic interests in external relations in order to build joint capacity together;
Amendment 70 #
2023/2050(INI)
J. whereas coordination between the European External Action Service (EEAS), Parliament and the Member States needs to be reassessed in order to deliver results and launch meaningful initiatives in preventive diplomacyand strengthened in order to build up joint capacities and modernize current approach to deliver tangible results and launch meaningful initiatives in preventive diplomacy, peacebuilding and peacemaking; whereas the EU needs to speak with a single voice and its action on the ground should be aligned with that of its Member States, in terms of early warning, conflict prevention and crisis management; whereas the conflict prevention is a common objective for all member states;
Amendment 73 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
J a. whereas EU's civilian and military operations have a mandate for conflict prevention, peacekeeping and crisis management, whereas their preventive toolbox capacity should be expanded and additional staff training should be provided;
Amendment 75 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J b (new)
Recital J b (new)
J b. whereas emblematic and cultural heritage monuments in war affected areas contribute to peace building and reconciliation amongst communities;
Amendment 77 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J c (new)
Recital J c (new)
J c. whereas the implementation of the Women Peace and Security agenda represents an essential tool to confirm that a meaningful and equitable role in decision-making is secured for women of all ages during all stages of conflict prevention, peace-making, peacebuilding and post-conflict rehabilitation; whereas in the EU Strategic Compass Women, Peace and Security forms an integral part of the document;
Amendment 78 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J d (new)
Recital J d (new)
Amendment 79 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J e (new)
Recital J e (new)
J e. whereas EU's cultural diplomacy and protection of cultural and historical heritage are important for coexistence, peace, democracy and sustainable development by promoting solidarity, tolerance and reconciliation through its delegations and actors on the ground;
Amendment 80 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J f (new)
Recital J f (new)
J f. whereas the return of the US to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) is important for global cooperation on the transnational challenges, including preventive diplomacy efforts;
Amendment 81 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J g (new)
Recital J g (new)
J g. whereas cooperation with Member States, institutions, transatlantic and international partners, EU candidate countries and other countries through exchanges of tools, information and practices can play a key role in upgrading and improving preventive diplomatic tools of the European Union;
Amendment 86 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
(a) acknowledge the strong link between EU internal and external security and reflect this when approaching conflict prevention and that preventive diplomacy should happen both inside and outside of the EU;
Amendment 89 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) adapt and regularly update the EU’s conflict prevention tools to the changing nature of conflicts, including as a result of climate change, the rise of new technologies and food scarcity, while continually assessing emerging global challenges and effectively promoting peace, stability and security;
Amendment 93 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) adapt the EU’s conflict prevention tools to the changing nature of conflicts, including as a result of climate change, geopolitical instability, the rise of new technologies and food scarcity;
Amendment 98 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
(c) fully use the means at their disposal to prevent conflict, align the EU’s prevention tools with its political agenda and act as a caretaker during global tragediesequidistant mediatior during crises around the globe; reminds that the EU is known for its legitimacy, credibility, impartiality, and inclusivity;
Amendment 103 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(c a) integrate cultural heritage in EU's overall approach of crisis management, as a cross cutting component of all actions within the EU toolbox for conflicts and crises;
Amendment 104 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
(c b) strengthen Peace, Stability and Conflict Prevention thematic programme of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI – Global Europe) to enable the European Union (EU) to better fund actions to promote peace, stability and conflict prevention;
Amendment 112 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
(e) ensure complementarity and a harmonised approach across Parliament’s preventive diplomacy actions;
Amendment 119 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
(f) improve the EU’s understanding of local, historical, political, social and cultural contexts and invest in cultivating the necessary skills among EEAS staff working on and for conflict prevention;
Amendment 123 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
(g a) utilize and expand cultural heritage protection component in conflicts and crises as a factor contributing to the development of peace, reconciliation and multual understanding and intercultural dialogue in conflict and postconflict areas;
Amendment 127 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g b (new)
(g b) keep track of regional fragmentation and draft regional conflict analyses, with the aim of assessing and preventing transnational threats, inter- state tensions, as well as actual or potential spill-overs;
Amendment 129 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 – point h
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 – point h
(h) ensure that the EU’s conflict Early Warning System is sufficiently proactive and based on forward-looking and robust analysis of risk factors that frequently correlate with the outburst of violence, as well as management tools that identify, assess and help to prioritise situations at risk of violent conflict;
Amendment 134 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 – point i
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 – point i
(i) closely involve the EU delegations in countries and regions at risk of conflict or dealing with frozen conflict in monitoring the situation on the ground and regularly contributing to the EU conflict Early Warning System;
Amendment 136 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 – point j
Paragraph 1 – subheading 2 – point j
(j) assess the results achieved by the EU conflict Early Warning System and propose adjustments to make it more effective so it can indentify structural risk factors and enable policy makers to develop timely strategic responses to mitigate risks and identify opportunities for conflict prevention;
Amendment 142 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k
Paragraph 1 – point k
(k) consider cultural and historical background when appointing special representatives and envoys in order to avoid sparking controversy in conflict regions should the appointment come from a Member State with historical ties to the region concerned; reiterates the crucial importance that these representatives are properly familiarised and trained for the area they will assess;
Amendment 145 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point k a (new)
(k a) ensure gender equality among special representatives and special envoys in line with policy framework on gender equality, notably the Gender Action Plan III (GAP III) that, together with the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025;
Amendment 148 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l
Paragraph 1 – point l
(l) thoroughly assess, including scrutiny in the European Parliament, what initiatives EU special representatives and envoys have undertaken, what are their results and how they are contributing to preventive diplomacy;
Amendment 150 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m
Paragraph 1 – point m
(m) provide regular and thorough assessments on the accountability of the EU special representatives and envoys and overviewing the initiatives they have undertaken and results that they have achived;
Amendment 153 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point n
Paragraph 1 – point n
(n) improve the transparency and parliamentary scrutiny of the work of the EU special representatives and envoys by providing European Parliament with regular and detailed reports on their activities and achievements;
Amendment 154 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o
Paragraph 1 – point o
(o) ensure that the appointment of EU special representatives, special envoys and ambassadors can only be confirmed after a positive assessment by European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs;
Amendment 158 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
(p) draw on the lessons learnt from the EU’s prior actions, missed opportunities for preventive diplomacy and its achievements in Africa, the Western Balkans, South Caucasus especially Nagorno-Karabakh, Cyprus, Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, West Bank and Gaza Strip and Ukraine;
Amendment 162 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
(q a) expand the preventive diplomacy toolbox of the EU's civilian and military missions and operations as well as their capacity and staff training in order to anticipate and react more quickly to developing situation on the ground;
Amendment 165 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r
Paragraph 1 – point r
(r) ensure a coordinated approach between the EU and its Member States in conflict prevention and peacebuilding, as opposed to what occurred in Afghanistan where they were working in parallel in different regions;
Amendment 169 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s
Paragraph 1 – point s
(s) enhance the EU’s ability to rigorously and continuously analyse and predict the political and security situation in crisis regions and adapt the EU’s response to shifting realities on the ground;
Amendment 171 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t
Paragraph 1 – point t
(t) assess what whas been lacking in the EU’'s preventive diplomacy efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to avert the increato avert rising tensions due to electoral law issues, recurring inflammatory rhetoric and secessionist acts, which are undermininge its European path and the Dayton-Paris Peace Agreement that created the current institutional framework of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was the basis of peace;
Amendment 172 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point t a (new)
(t a) extend the mission EUFOR Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina and strengthen its conflict prevention toolbox; note that it is most successfull EU peacekeeping and peacebuilding mission to date that has maintained stability in the region and contributed to a safe and secure environment in the country;
Amendment 176 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v
Paragraph 1 – point v
(v) aim to come up with lessons learnt from failed preventive diplomacy efforts in Nagorno-Karabakh in order to avoid future escalations like the one that occurred on 19 September 2023 and situations similar to the one during and after the 2020 war when the EU’s passive stance gave other regional actors, such as Russia, Iran and Türkiye, the opportunity to continue exerting their influence in the regionand diminish European one in the region and prevent the spill-over effect in Armenia;
Amendment 182 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point v a (new)
(v a) prioritise quiet diplomacy as the tool of choice when undertaking prevention initiatives, overcome the early warning-early action gap, increase effectiveness of cooperation with other international partners and improve intra- EU coordination, including on civil- military matters and increase local ownership of EU initiatives;
Amendment 185 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point v b (new)
(v b) develop an EU Agenda/Compact/Guidelines for Peace and Diplomacy under the auspices of the HR/VP;
Amendment 186 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point v c (new)
(v c) designate Peace and Conflict Advisors, who will co-ordinate the work of the political, press, and information and co-operation sections of the Delegations;
Amendment 187 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v d (new)
Paragraph 1 – point v d (new)
(v d) create a Council Working Party on prevention and mediation, to discuss the prioritisation of opportunities for preventive engagement, as well as resulting analysis, follow-up, and monitoring;
Amendment 188 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v e (new)
Paragraph 1 – point v e (new)
(v e) propose an institutional upgrade through a new Peace and Prevention Hub that acts as a single-entry point for matters of prevention within the EEAS, enhanced regional co-operation, and increased capacity to engage on topics of conflict, peace, prevention, and diplomacy;
Amendment 191 #
2023/2050(INI)
(w) strengthen partnerships and coordination with international, regional and sub-regional actors, such as the UN, the Organization for Security and Co- operation in Europe (OSCE), the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, African regional organisations (such as ECOWAS) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN); notes that a closer partnership with the UN and its bodies, notably the Peacebuilding Commission can lead to strengthened coordination in conflict prevention globally;
Amendment 195 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point w a (new)
Amendment 196 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point w b (new)
(w b) welcome UN's New Agenda for Peace and the Peacebuilding Commission's role and actions in human rights protection and peace building efforts; proposes to coordinate national conflict prevention strategies with EEAS and their presentation on PBC's agenda as well as stronger collaboration with the UN; notes that these exchanges and better partnership with international and regional financial institutions could attribute significantly to conflict prevention in the areas of EU interest, as well as through smaller preventive missions that could assess instabilities after civilian missions withdraw from conflict affected countries or countries with a potential risk of conflict with a mission to remove factors that threaten security and safety;
Amendment 198 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point x
Paragraph 1 – point x
(x) ensure a coordinated and dynamic approach to early warning, conflict prevention and mediation between the EU and other international organisations, such as the UN, the Peacebuilding Commission, Council of Europe, OECD and the OSCE;
Amendment 200 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point y
Paragraph 1 – point y
(y) pursue structured information exchanges, joint horizon scanning, strategic foresight and gender-responsive conflict analyses to ensure alignment between the EU and its partners within and outside of the European Union; notes that these actions could potentially bring the EU closer to become a leading actor in conflict prevention and resolution around the world;
Amendment 201 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point z
Paragraph 1 – point z
(z) empower national actors in Members States and like-minded partners to serve as key players in effective prevention and as peace actors by using their historical relationships and individuals of distinguished record to mitigate the possible crises;
Amendment 206 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point aa
Paragraph 1 – point aa
(aa) use diplomatic means and cooperate with multilateral platforms for peace to strengthen anticipatory relationships before conflicts arise, especially the UN's Peacebuilding Commision and the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), OECD's International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (IDPS) and OSCE's Conflict Prevention Centre;
Amendment 208 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point aa a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point aa a (new)
(aa a) call on the EC and EEAS to further enhance EU's visibility in other third and partner countries and strengthen their efforts in implementing EU's strategy for international cultural relations that can demonstrate EU’s added value and advance cooperation and relations with those countries and international partners;
Amendment 210 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ab
Paragraph 1 – point ab
(ab) ensure that the EU that is the single largest contributor to the UN system takes leading positions at the UN, in proportion to the size of its contributions to the organisation, which cover 30 % of the its costs and 33 % of the expenses for UN peace-keeping missions;
Amendment 215 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ac
Paragraph 1 – point ac
(ac) enhance the EU’s strategic autonomy in order to increase its standing and geopolitical leverage in conflict prevention and strengthen the EU’s role as a more pro-active and resilient actor in the international order;
Amendment 226 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ae
Paragraph 1 – point ae
(ae) work towards ensuring that the EU takes up a prominent leadership position in peacemaking and mediationkeeping operations, peacemaking, mediation, conflict prevention and the strengthening of international security around the world;
Amendment 228 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ae a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ae a (new)
(ae a) reminds that greater focus in protecting and preserving cultural heritage after conflicts and crises can help to protect identities, develop mutual understanding and create foundations for sustainable recovery, reconciliation and lasting peace in post-conflict environments; notes that these practices can lay foundations for succesful preventive diplomacy actions;
Amendment 239 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ag
Paragraph 1 – point ag
(ag) step up visibility efforts and communication effortcampaigns in order to ensure that the EU is seen as a global peace actor and a key stakeholder in preventive diplomacy, peacebuilding and conflict prevention and that its actions and success stories are visible and not undermined by false narratives spread or claimed by other global powers present in conflict regions;
Amendment 243 #
2023/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ah
Paragraph 1 – point ah
(ah) build on existing well-functioning cooperation mechanisms in the EU, such as the Civil Protection Mechanism and CSDP missions and operations, in order to make use of the Member States’ expertise and avoid the duplication of efforts and resources; believes that EU Member States should be more involved in the identification of prevention priorities and options for action, which should lead to improved sharing and coordination among them;
Amendment 43 #
2023/2042(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU and Switzerland are politically and culturally close like- minded allies and key economic partners;
Amendment 97 #
2023/2042(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights the EU’s strong interest in cooperating with Switzerland on international peace, security and defence matters, in particular in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; welcomes Switzerland’s alignment with EU sanctions adopted in this context, diverging from its traditionally neutral stance; welcomes the decision of the Swiss Federal Council to enact the tenth package of sanctions, which reaffirms Switzerland’s continued alignment with the EU's sanctions on Russia;
Amendment 170 #
2023/2042(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Regrets the Swiss Federal Council’s decision to activate the “safeguard clause” and reintroduce restrictions to the access of Croatian workers to Switzerland labour market, starting from 1 January 2023;
Amendment 171 #
2023/2042(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Expresses concern about the implementation of quotas on the number of working permits and residence permits in Switzerland for Croatian citizens, which enjoy the rights and privileges of being part of the Schengen area;
Amendment 235 #
2023/2042(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Regrets the Swiss Federal Council’s decision to terminate negotiations on the EU-Swiss institutional framework agreement in 2021; notes that the free movement of persons is necessary for the participation in Erasmus+ exchange programme, and other European educational and research programmes;
Amendment 236 #
2023/2042(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Underlines the importance of cooperation of the EU and Switzerland in the area of research, innovation and development for strengthening the European education system; stresses that the termination of Switzerland’s association in the Erasmus+ programme is disadvantageous for educational benefits of the youth from the EU and Switzerland and for fostering intercultural relations between students and education stakeholders;
Amendment 267 #
2023/2042(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Welcomes the Swiss Federal Council’s decision to set out its approach for negotiations and that it commissioned the development of key figures for a negotiation mandate with the EU by the end of June 2023; highlights that this approach enables a broad balance of interests and increases the chances of success in any further negotiation;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 14 September 2023 on the future of the European book sector (2023/2053(INI));
Amendment 20 #
2023/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas the "Writing European" preparatory action, supported as of 2021, has been developed with the aim of supporting creators, in particular authors, in conceiving and developing high-quality fiction series able to travel across borders and reach new audiences;
Amendment 56 #
2023/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Urges the European Commission to develop ethical standards to AI technology use in all projects supported by the Creative Europe programme, in order to ensure a human centric, equitable and transparent use of this technology in the artistic and creative work process, as well as in the production, distribution and promotion of European cultural and creative works;
Amendment 62 #
2023/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Calls in this regard on the Commission to require from beneficiaries to provide information about the use of AI technologies in the projects supported by the Creative Europe programme;
Amendment 73 #
2023/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Deplores the Council’s position to further cut of 40 million euros the 2024 budget of the Creative Europe Programme 2021-2027 and calls on the Council to revise its approach in order to avoid additional cuts in the upcoming budgetary years;
Amendment 90 #
2023/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Invites the Commission in its mid- term review of the Creative Europe programme 2021-2027 to introduce measurable goals for how funding is used to improve the accessibility of books for people with disabilities;
Amendment 91 #
2023/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Stresses the need to support the translation of European non-fiction books, particularly via the Creative Europe programme, which does not currently allow for this;
Amendment 93 #
2023/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Welcomes the new mobility initiative Culture Moves Europe, which is part of the Creative Europe programme and offers mobility grants to artists and cultural professionals and calls on the Commission, in this regard, to explore the possibility of further expanding this initiative to other representatives of the book sector;
Amendment 102 #
2023/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls foron the Commission to define and develop a more strategic and sector- oriented approach for the music sector, building on the results of the Music Moves Europe preparatory action; in this regard, stresses the importance of a regular structured dialogue between the music sector and the Commission;
Amendment 103 #
2023/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls on the Commission to provide information, in cooperation with the sector, on music markets in the EU by collecting and analysing data in the Member States, as well as to analyse and report on cultural, legal, economic and social aspects affecting the music sector;
Amendment 110 #
2023/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Regrets that the lack of data on the implementation of all Media actions does not allow for a comprehensive evaluation of how the programme effectively succeeds in increasing the economic and cultural potential of the audiovisual sector;
Amendment 113 #
2023/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Suggests to the European Commission to consider the permanent inclusion, in the Creative Europe programme, of the objectives pursued by the successful preparatory action "Writing European";
Amendment 117 #
2023/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Underlines that in many European countries, there are no support schemes dedicated to cinema exhibition; highlights, in this regard, the importance of maintaining adequate funding for the Europa Cinemas network, a flagship initiative of the MEDIA strand, which contributes to the circulation of European films in cinemas;
Amendment 118 #
2023/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Stresses that the Creative Europe Regulation 2021-2027 advances the provision of support to networking activities for audiovisual professionals, including creators; points out that this action has not yet been implemented, calls on the Commission, therefore, to implement a dedicated action with the objective of supporting networking activities and cooperactivities dedicated to networking and cooperation of European professional and cultural organisations within the audiovisual value chain in a timely manner;
Amendment 19 #
2023/0441(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Crises resulting in requests for consular protection are increasing in frequency and scale. The COVID-19 pandemic, the crisis in Afghanistan, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the conflict in Sudan, the repatriations from Israel and Gaza and, other similar crises and natural and human made disasters and have provided a context to identify gaps and reflect on how to further facilitate the exercise of the right to consular protection. Drawing lessons from those experiences, and in order to simplify procedures for citizens and consular authorities, the rules and procedures of Directive (EU) 2015/637 should be clarified and streamlined so as to improve the effectiveness of the provision of consular protection to unrepresented citizens of the Union, in particular in crisis situations. Best use should be made of the available resources at Member State and Union level, both locally in third countries and at capital level.
Amendment 21 #
2023/0441(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) To improve legal certainty for consular authorities and citizens, it is appropriate to lay down more detailed criteria that aid in the assessment whether a Union citizen is to be considered as unrepresented and thus eligible to receive consular protection from the Member State whose consular authorities have been approached. Those criteria should be sufficiently pragmatical, flexible and applied in light of local circumstances, such as ease of travel or security situation in the third country concerned. In this context, accessibility and proximity should remain important considerations.
Amendment 26 #
2023/0441(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) Recent events have highlighted the important contribution of Union delegations, in close cooperation with Member States, to the implementation of the right to consular protection. This has been the case in particular in third countries where few Member States are represented, in crisis situations, and as regards the exchange of information. Against this background, it is appropriate to clarify the supporting role of Union delegations in the implementation of the right to consular protection. For reasons of consistency and business continuity, Union delegations should normallyin close cooperation and agreement with the Member States chair local consular cooperation meetings and lead the setting up and agreement of joint consular contingency plans. In order to ensure coordination and effective protection of unrepresented citizens, Union delegations should also take part in the coordination of crisis response in close cooperation with the Member States.
Amendment 30 #
2023/0441(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 23
Recital 23
(23) Joint consular contingency plans should also take into account, where appropriate, the roles and responsibilities of Lead States, that is, Member States represented in a given third country that are in charge of coordinating and leading the assistance of unrepresented citizens during crises, to ensure the effective coordination of consular assistance. In addition, joint consular contingency plans should be evaluated annually in the context of consular exercises to ensure their continued relevance. At the same time, joint consular contingency plans should not be understood as replacing the existing national crisis plans of individual Member States or affecting their responsibility to provide required and timely consular assistance to their own nationals, but as a coherent approach that can additionally help to coordinate the efforts of the represented Member States.
Amendment 32 #
2023/0441(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 24
Recital 24
(24) The estimated number and location of Union citizens present in a third country is crucial information for the preparation of a joint consular contingency plan, notably where an evacuation or repatriation becomes necessary. In addition, Union citizens should be able to receive relevant information from their Member State of nationality in case of a crisis. Member States and EU delegations should ensure that this information is easily accessible, relevant and up to date. To achieve this a broadcast service should be established with warning messages and important information through instant notification system when they are in third countries, especially during the crisis. It is therefore important that Member States provide their citizens with the possibility to register with or inform competent national authorities, by appropriate means and tools, of their travels to or residence in third countries. For that purpose, Member States should, in accordance with Union and national law regarding personal data protection, lay down the categories of personal data required and the retention periods of such data.
Amendment 38 #
2023/0441(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 25
Recital 25
(25) Travel advice, that is, information issued by Member States about the relative safety of travelling to specific third countries, should be regularly updated in order to enables travellers to make an informed decision about a particular travel destination, including third countries where their Member State of nationality is not represented. While the issuance of travel advice is the responsibility of Member States, it is appropriate that they coordinate on that topic, notably in the context of crisis situationes, with a view to ensuring, to the extent possible, consistency in the level of advice given. This could include agreeing on a common structure of the levels of risk indicated in travel advice, making use of the secure platform of the EEAS. Where possible, such coordination should take place at an early stage when Member States are planning to change the level of their travel advice.
Amendment 42 #
2023/0441(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) Efficient coordination is vital to ensure effective crisis response. To ensure such coordination, Member States shouldhave be supported and receive timely information by the Crisis Response Centre of the EEAS and the Emergency Response Coordination Centre of the Commission. Coordinated Union crisis response is particularly important in cases requiring evacuations to ensure that available support is provided quickly and efficiently, and that best use is made of available evacuation capacities. For that reason, regularly updated information on available evacuation capacity should be shared in a timely manner to be able to react rapidly and effectively, including in case of rescue and evacuation operations using military assets. In this regard, the EEAS and Member States should be able to share automatic and continuous information flow on the situation in third countries.
Amendment 51 #
2023/0441(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 30
Recital 30
(30) To support Union citizens in need, it is important to provide them with reliable information on how to avail themselves of consular assistance in third countries. The Commission services and the EEAS should contribute to that objective byin close coordination with Member States disseminatinge relevant information, including information to be provided by Member States on their consular networks and third countries where they have concluded practical arrangements on sharing responsibilities for providing consular protection to unrepresented citizens. TIn order to facilitate the processing of such information, it should be providedand improve consular protection, with special attention being paid to the situation of unrepresented citizens, the Commission should establish practical guidelines in machine-readable format.
Amendment 59 #
2023/0441(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 34 a (new)
Recital 34 a (new)
(34a) An appropriate increase of the EEAS budget and human resources, and in agreement those of Member States should be granted to guarantee the proper execution of responsibilities in providing assistance and/or protection to EU citizens in third countries in order to avoid the risk of overloading existing resources.
Amendment 145 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) It is in the common interest of the Union and its Western Balkans partners1 to advance the efforts to reform political, legal and economic systems of the latter with a view to their future Union membership. The prospect of Union membership has a powerful transformative effect, embedding positive democratic, political, economic and societal change. A fundamental prerequisite for the membership in the Union is compliance with the Copenhagen criteria, which are based on the values of democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights. _________________ 1 Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence
Amendment 147 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1 a (new)
Recital 1 a (new)
(1a) Progress in the enlargement process can only be merit based and established on clear criteria with a focus on fundamental rights and values, as well as willingness to implement the necessary reforms to align its political, institutional, legal, administrative and economic systems with the rules, standards, policies and practices of the Union, while promoting good neighbourly relations.
Amendment 167 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) To achieve these goals, special emphasis with respect to investment areas should be placed on sectors that are likely to function as key multipliers for social and economic development: connectivity, including transport, energy, green and digital transitions, education and skills development, and investing in human capital.
Amendment 175 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) Union support under the Facility should not replace thereinforce existing bilateral and regional support provided under Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 of the European Parliament and of the Council4 , focussing on preparing the Beneficiaries for Union membership, but complement it and add to it, while using already existing mechanisms and structures where possible. The Instrument for Pre-Accession assistance (IPA) remains the main financial mechanism to assist accession countries in their European integrations. The approach should build on the existing enlargement methodology, notably the 2020 Revised Methodology5 , and the Economic and Investment Plan6 from the same year. _________________ 4 Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 September 2021 establishing the Instrument for Pre-Accession assistance (IPA III) (OJ L 330, 20.9.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1529/oj). 5 COM (2022) 57 final. 6 COM(2020) 641 final.
Amendment 180 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) The support under the Facility should be provided to meet general and specific objectives, based on established, impartial and apolitical criteria, and with clear payment conditions based on fulfilling key targets. The established conditionality should avoid any political misuse and provide equal and fair framework for all beneficiaries to access the funds. The general objectives of the Facility should be to accelerate regional economic integration, progressive integration with the Union single market, socio-economic convergence of Western Balkans economies and alignment with Union laws, rules, standards and values, policies and practices with a view to Union membership. The Facility should also help accelerate reforms related to fundamentals of the enlargement process, including rule of law, public procurement and State aid control, public finance management and fight against corruption. These objectives should be pursued in a mutually reinforcing manner and in regular consultation.
Amendment 184 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) The support under the Facility should be provided to meet general and specific objectives, based on established criteria and with clear payment conditions. The general objectives of the Facility should be to accelerate regional economic integration, progressive integration with the Union single market, socio-economic convergence of Western Balkans economies and alignment with Union laws, rules, standards, policies and practices with a view to Union membership. The Facility should also help accelerate reforms related to fundamentals of the enlargement process, including rule of law, public procurement and State aid control, public finance management and fight against corruption and organized crime, including human trafficking. These objectives should be pursued in a mutually reinforcing manner.
Amendment 191 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) The Facility should promote the development effectiveness principles, respecting additionality to the support provided under other Union programmes and existing enlargement support instruments and striving to avoid duplication between assistance under this Regulation and other assistance provided by the Union, the Member States, third countries, multilateral and regional organisations and entities.
Amendment 199 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11 a (new)
Recital 11 a (new)
(11a) This Facility shall not support any activities or measures of those beneficiaries who act contrary to the aims of strengthening regional security and stability.
Amendment 206 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) The implementation of this Regulation should be guided by the principles of equality and non- discrimination, as elaborated in the Union of Equality strategies. It should promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, and seek to protect and promote women’s and girls’ rights in line with the EU Gender Action Plans and relevant Council conclusions and international conventions. The implementation of the Facility should also be in line with the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM), UNESCO's Declaration on Cultural Diversity, European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI)’s reports and with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and ensure accessibility in its investments and technical assistance.
Amendment 220 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States and the Beneficiaries, should contribute to increased transparency and accountability instrong and continued accountability during and after the delivery of assistance, including by implementing appropriate internal control systems and anti-fraud policies. The support under the Facility should be made available under the preconditions that each of the Beneficiaries continues to respect and uphold effective democratic mechanisms and institutions, including a multi-party parliamentary system, and the rule of law, and to guarantee respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities. Another pre-condition should be that Serbia and Kosovo engage constructively in the normalisation of their relations with a view to fully implementing all their respective obligations stemming from the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation and its Implementation Annex as well as all past Dialogue Agreements and engage in negotiations on the Comprehensive Agreement on normalisation of relations. Furthermore, Serbia's alignment with Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) should also be taken into account.
Amendment 231 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) The financial liability from loans under this Facility should not be supported by the External Action Guarantee, by way of derogation from Article 31(3), second sentence of Regulation (EU) 2021/947. Loans type of support under this Facility should constitute financial assistance within the meaning of Article 220(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046. An indicative amount of financing for each Beneficiary should be calculated based on the formula laid down in Annex I, combining the population share of a Beneficiary over the overall population of the Western Balkans region and the average GDP per capita for the Western Balkans region over the GDP per capita of the respective Beneficiary, weighing the two factors with 60% and 40% respectively. If the payment conditions for the release of funds are not met, the Commission may redistribute part of or the entire amount to other Beneficiaries. The Facility must preserve geographical balance when allocating funds from the Facility and consider uneven local administrative capacities. Possible relocation of the funds from the Facility could lead to unbalanced distribution of assistance to beneficiaries.
Amendment 238 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 24
Recital 24
(24) The implementation of the Facility for Western Balkans should be underpinned by a coherent, clear and prioritised set of targeted reforms and investment priorities in each Western Balkans Beneficiary (a Reform Agenda), providing a framework for boosting socio- economic growth, clearly articulated and aligned with Union accession requirements. The Reform Agenda will serve as an overarching framework to achieve the objectives of this Facility.
Amendment 243 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 25
Recital 25
(25) Disbursement of Union support should be conditional on compliance with the clear and predetermined set of payment conditions and on measurable tangible progress in the implementation of reforms set out in the Reform Agendas assessed and formally approved by the Commission. The release of funds should be structured accordingly, reflecting the objectives of the Facility.
Amendment 247 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) The Reform Agendas should include targeted reform measures and priority investment areas, along with payment conditions in the form of qualitative and quantitative stepprecise and measurable quantitative steps as well as targets that indicate satisfactory progress or completion of those measures, and an indicative timetable for the implementation of those measures. Those steps should be planned for no later than 31 August 2027, although the overall completion of the measures to which such steps refer may extend beyond 2027 but not later than 31 December 2028.
Amendment 248 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) The Reform Agendas should include an explanation of the Beneficiary’s system to effectively prevent, detect and correct irregularities, corruption, fraud and conflicts of interests, when using the funds provided under the Facility, and the arrangements that aim to avoid double funding from the Facility and other Union programmes as well as other donors. After the release of funds, a continued financial assessment through the established management and control system under the IPA III framework is sufficient in order to avoid overlapping.
Amendment 256 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29
Recital 29
(29) The Commission should assess each Reform Agenda based on the list of criteria set out in this Regulation. In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission to approve those Reform Agendasthe Commission should adopt a delegated act. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council11 . The Commission will duly take into account Council decision 2010/427/EU and the role of the EEAS where appropriate, and in particular when monitoring the fulfilment of the precondition for Union support. _________________ 11 Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/182/oj).
Amendment 257 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29
Recital 29
(29) The Commission should assess each Reform Agenda based on the clear and impartial list of criteria set out in this Regulation. In order to ensure uniform and fair conditions for the implementation of this Regulation, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission to approve those Reform Agendas. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council11 . The Commission will duly take into account Council decision 2010/427/EU and the role of the EEAS where appropriate, and in particular when monitoring the fulfilment of the precondition for Union support. _________________ 11 Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/182/oj).
Amendment 261 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 32
Recital 32
(32) The Commission should be able to amend the implementing decision through a delegated act, in particular to take into account a change of the amounts available.
Amendment 263 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 33
Recital 33
(33) In case of redistribution of support under this Facility which would lead to additional support to a Beneficiary, this Beneficiary should submit a revised Reform Agenda with additional measures to be achieved. Clear and impartial criteria need to be applied in case of redistribution of support in order to avoid political misuse of this mechanism that will result in competition, unhealthy neighbourly relations and financially damaging smaller and less influential beneficiaries.
Amendment 269 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 38
Recital 38
(38) In order to ensure that the provisioning rate remains adequate to the financial risks, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union should be delegated to the Commission in respect of amending the provisioning rate. It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making of 13 April 201612 . In particular, to ensure equal participation and transparency in the preparation of the delegated acts, the European Parliament and the Council shall receive all documents from the Commission at the same time as Member States’ experts, and their experts systematically have access to meetings of Commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts. _________________ 12 OJ L123, 12.5.2016, p.1.
Amendment 272 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 45
Recital 45
(45) In particular, in accordance with Regulations (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 and (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) should be in a position to carry out administrative investigations, including on- the-spot checks and inspections, with a view to establishing whether there has been fraud, corruption or any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests of the Union during the implementation of the assistance.
Amendment 279 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 47
Recital 47
(47) The Commission shouldall ensure that the financial interests of the Union are effectively protected under the Facility. At the same time, given the long track record of financial assistance provided to the Western Balkans Beneficiaries also under indirect management and taking into account their gradual alignment with the Unions internal control standards and practices, the Commission may rely to a great extent on the operation of the national internal control and fraud prevention systems. In particular, the Commission and OLAF should be informed of all suspected cases of irregularities, fraud, corruption and conflict of interests affecting the implementation of funds under the Facility without delay.
Amendment 282 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 50
Recital 50
(50) The Commission should ensure that clear monitoring and impartial evaluation mechanisms are in place in order to provide effective accountability and transparency in implementing the Union budget, and to ensure effective assessment of progress towards the achievement of this Regulation’s objectives.
Amendment 286 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 52
Recital 52
(52) The Commission should carry out an evaluation of the Facility upon its completion and present its results in the responsible committees in the European Parliament.
Amendment 288 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 53
Recital 53
(53) The communication capacities of the Beneficiaries should be enhanced in order to ensure strong and free pluralistic media and public support for and understanding of Union values and the benefits and obligations of potential Union membership, while addressing disinformation and information manipulation. Visibility of the Union funding should also be ensured via effective communication campaigns by the European Commission and the EU Delegations on the ground in order to promote benefits of Union assistance in beneficiaries.
Amendment 332 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point h
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point h
(h) boost quality education, training, reskilling and upskilling, and employment policies and human capital;
Amendment 342 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point i
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point i
(i) further strengthen the fundamentals of the enlargement process, including the rule of law, democracy, the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, through promoting an independent judiciary, reinforced security, the fight against fraud, corruption, organised and crossborder crime and money laundering and terrorism financing, tax evasion and tax fraud; compliance with international law; strengthen freedom of media and academic freedom and an enabling environment for civil society; foster social dialogue; promote gender equality, non- discrimination and tolerance, to ensure and strengthen respect for the rights of persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities;
Amendment 343 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j
(j) reinforce the effectiveness of public administration and support transparency, structural reforms and good governance at all levels, including in the areas of public financial management and public procurement and State aid control; support initiatives and bodies involved in supporting and enforcing international justice in the Western Balkans Beneficiaries; build local capacities and invest in administrative staff in beneficiaries involved in the implementation of the Facility and prioritise development of local expertise, institutional capacities and encourage secondment of experts to responsible national institutions in beneficiaries to ensure the adequate absorption capacity.
Amendment 356 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
1. Cooperation under the Facility shall be based on and shall promote the development effectiveness principles, across all modalities, namely ownership of development priorities by the Beneficiaries, a focus on results, inclusive partnershipclear conditionality and tangible results, inclusive partnerships and good neighbourly relations, transparency and mutual accountability. The cooperation shall be based on effective and efficient resources allocation and use.
Amendment 357 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. Support from the Facility shall be additionalsupplementary and coherent to the support provided under other Union programmes and instruments, especially with related instruments such as the current Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA III) through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). Activities eligible for funding under this Regulation may receive support from other Union programmes and instruments provided that such support does not cover the same cost or result in duplication.
Amendment 375 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 7
Article 4 – paragraph 7
7. The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States and the Beneficiaries, shall contribute to the implementation of Union commitments to increased transparency and accountability in the delivery of assistance, including by promoting the implementation and reinforcement of internal control systems and anti-fraud policies, and by making information on the volume and allocation of assistance availabletransparent and available at same time to all involved parties through web-based databases, and shall ensure that data is comparable and can be easily accessed, shared and published.
Amendment 386 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
1. Preconditions for the support under the Facility shall be that the Beneficiaries continue to uphold and respect effective democratic mechanisms, including a multi- party parliamentary system, and the rule of law, and guarantee respect for all human rights obligations, including the rights of persons belonging to religious and ethnic minorities. Another pre-condition shall be that Serbia and Kosovo engage constructively in the normalisation of their relations with a view to fully implementing all their respective obligations stemming from the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation and its Implementation Annex as well as all past Dialogue Agreements and engage in negotiations on the Comprehensive Agreement on normalisation of relations.
Amendment 397 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall monitor the fulfilment of the preconditions set out in paragraph 1 before funds are released to Beneficiaries under the Facility and throughout the period of the support provided under the Facility taking duly into account the latest Enlargement Package. The Commission may adopt a decision by using clear and impartial criteria concluding that some of these preconditions are not met, and in particular, withhold the release of funds referred to in Article 21, irrespective of the fulfilment of payment conditions referred to in Article 16(3).
Amendment 406 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 6
Article 6 – paragraph 6
6. The resources referred to in paragraph 2 point (b) may be used for technical and administrative assistance for the implementation of the Facility, such as building local capacities, secondment of experts to responsible national institutions of beneficiaries, preparatory actions, monitoring, control, audit and evaluation activities, which are required for the management of the Facility and the achievement of its objectives, in particular studies, meetings of experts, trainings, consultations with the Beneficiary authorities, conferences, consultation of stakeholders, information and communication actions, including inclusive outreach actions, and corporate communication of the political priorities of the Union, insofar as they are related to the objectives of this Regulation, expenses linked to IT networks focusing on information processing and exchange, corporate information technology tools, as well as all other expenditure at headquarters and Union delegations for the administrative and coordination support needed for the Facility. Finally, expenses may also cover the costs of other supporting activities such as quality control and monitoring of projects or programmes on the ground and the costs of peer counselling and experts for the assessment and implementation of reforms and investments.
Amendment 417 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 7 a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Regarding the functioning of Public Procurement and State Aid Controls, the Commission shall ensure, through annual audit and controls that the system is remaining functional. In that respect, Commission shall submit the annual report on functioning of such controls in the beneficiary countries to the Council and the Parliament.
Amendment 418 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 7 b (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. If the Commission’s assessment of Public Procurement and State Aid Controls is positive, the same should be reflected in the implementation of IPA funds.
Amendment 420 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall conclude a Facilityramework Agreement with each Beneficiary for the implementation of the Facility setting out the obligations and payspecific arrangements for the management, conditions of the Beneficiaries for the disbursement of Facility fundingtrol, supervision, monitoring, evaluation, reporting and audit of funds under the Facility, as well as to prevent, detect, investigate and correct irregularities, fraud, corruption and conflicts of interest.
Amendment 424 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 2
Article 9 – paragraph 2
2. The Facilityramework Agreement shall be complemented by loan agreements in accordance with Article 17, setting out specific provisions for the management and implementation of funding provided in the forms of loans. Framework agreements, including any related documentation, shall be transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council simultaneously and without delay and shall be made public.
Amendment 444 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2
Article 10 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall inform the European Parliament and the Council of commitment appropriations carried over, including the amounts involved, in accordance with Article 12(6) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046.
Amendment 455 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 6
Article 11 – paragraph 6
6. The Commission shall invite the Beneficiaries to submit within three months from the entry into force of this Regulation their respective Reform Agendas. The Commission shall inform and send the Beneficiaries’ Reform Agendas to the European Parliament and the Council as soon as available.
Amendment 457 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 7
Article 11 – paragraph 7
7. In case of a redistribution of support under the Facility leading to a Beneficiary receiving additional support, the Commission shall invite the Beneficiary to submit within three months a revised Reform Agenda for the remaining duration of the Facility. The Commission will engage in consultations with the European Parliament and the Council before taking any decision on the redistribution of financial support to avoid a possible geographic disbalance of distributed funds.
Amendment 459 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
The Facility shall incentivise the implementation of the Reform Agenda of each Beneficiary by putting payment conditions on the release of funds. These payment conditions shall apply to funds under Article 6(2) point (a) and Article 6(3) and shall take the form of measurable qualitative or quantitative steps in line with compliance with the achieved benchmarks and concrete targets. Such steps shall reflect progress on specific socio-economic reforms, including on fundamentals of the enlargement process and rule of law, linked to the achievement of the different objectives of the Facility, set out in Article 3, consistent with the latest Enlargement Package.
Amendment 513 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point d
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – point d
(d) the arrangements and timetable for monitoring, reporting and implementation of the Reform Agenda, in particular the involvement of national parliaments of the beneficiary countries and other stakeholders including, where relevant, measures necessary for complying with Article 24;
Amendment 514 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2
Article 16 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission may, amend the implementing decisionfter informing the European Parliament and the Council, amend the delegated act, in particular to take into account a change of the amounts available in line with the principles under Article 21.
Amendment 516 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 3
Article 16 – paragraph 3
3. Where the Commission considers that the reasons put forward by the Beneficiary justify an amendment to the Reform Agenda, the Commission shall assess the amended Agenda in accordance with Article 14 and may amend the implementing decisiondelegated act referred to in Article 15(1) without undue delay.
Amendment 524 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 3
Article 21 – paragraph 3
3. Where the Commission makes a positive assessment of the satisfactory fulfilment of all applicable conditions, it shall adopt without undue delay a decision authorising the release of funds corresponding to these conditions. The Commission shall share its assessment and consult with the European Parliament and the Council prior to adopting its decision. That decision shall, in accordance with the split established in Article 6(4), set the amount of funds to be made available as financial assistance, channelled directly to the national budget and the amount to be made available through the WBIF. In respect of those amounts, the decision shall constitute the condition referred to in Article 12 for the amount of funds to be made available as financial assistance channelled directly to the national budget and the preliminary validation referred to in Article 12 for the amount to be made available through the WBIF.
Amendment 530 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 8
Article 21 – paragraph 8
8. The Commission may decide to redistribute any amount reduced pursuant to paragraph 6 or 7 among other Beneficiaries of the Facility by amending the implementing decisions referred to in Article 15(1). The Commission should focus on enhancing absorptive capacities, providing technical assistance to beneficiaries lacking in this regard, to prevent them from lagging behind in the enlargement process.
Amendment 537 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 22 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. The beneficiary countries shall ensure the full functioning of the Public Internal Financial Control framework. In that respect, they shall ensure adequate staffing in the whole PIFC system in order to enable a sufficient level of audit on one hand and full respect of audit findings on the other. The European Court of Auditors shall be enabled to perform an annual system audit as well as an annual report over the functioning of the PIFC in beneficiary countries.
Amendment 4 #
2022/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 September 2021 establishing the Instrument for Pre- accession Assistance (IPA III),
Amendment 23 #
2022/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
– having regard to the UNESCO statement of 10 July 2020 on Hagia Sophia,
Amendment 51 #
2022/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas devastating earthquakes struck south-eastern Türkiye on 6 February 2023, causing numerous fatalities and extensive infrastructure damage; whereas the EU and its international partners have pledged 7 billion euros during the International Donors Conference to aid Turkey after the 6 February earthquake;
Amendment 59 #
2022/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas Türkiye remains a candidate for EU accession, a NATO ally and a key trade and economic partner, as well as a key partner on migration; whereas the European Union and its Member States are friend and partner of Turkey and its people with whom Europe shares deep commercial, cultural and historical links;
Amendment 68 #
2022/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas Türkiye has been gradually moving further away from the EU’s values and normative framework, as exemplified by a number of measures curtailing fundamental freedoms and human rights; whereas Turkey needs to credibly demonstrate its commitment to closer relations and alignment with the European Union in order to reinvigorate its European perspective;
Amendment 82 #
2022/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the Russian war of aggression continues to cause unprecedented geopolitical shifts in Europe; whereas Türkiye’s key location allows it to play an instrumental, strategic role in the events; whereas Türkiye remains key partner for the stability in the wider East Mediterranean region;
Amendment 118 #
2022/2205(INI)
2. Reiterates its profound sadness about the deadly, devastating earthquakes that shook south-eastern Türkiye and Syria on 6 February 2023 and its heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families; welcomes the international relief and recovery effort, including by the EU and its Member States and swift activation of EU Civil Protection Mechanism to assist affected areas;
Amendment 128 #
2022/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is of the opinion that the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine continues to impact EU-Türkiye relations in ways that are yet to unfold; welcomes Türkiye's condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country; reiterates its appreciation for Türkiye’s role as an early mediator between Ukraine and Russia and the key part played by Türkiye in brokering and keeping alive the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which has been crucial in helping to counter a severe global hunger crisis;
Amendment 157 #
2022/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Deplores, against the backdrop of the warRussian invasion of Ukraine and changing security architecture on the European continent, the delaying of the ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession, which only plays into Russia’s hands; invites and undermines relations between Türkiye and its NATO allies; calls on the Turkish authorities to deliver on their promise of a more constructive partnership in NATO, including in the East Mediterranean, and to ratify Sweden’s NATO membership in the Grand National Assembly as early as possible;
Amendment 192 #
2022/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Is dismayed by the fact that, far from the negative trend stopping or being reversed, the democratic backsliding in Türkiye has continued in the last year, with new legal reforms and a relentless crackdown on any critical voice, particularly ahead of and during the recent elections; affirms with regret that Türkiye has now become a global showcase for all kinds of authoritarian practices; calls on all elected political parties to uphold democratic values and principles and take active part in the political life and parliamentary work in order to support Turkish democracy;
Amendment 207 #
2022/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Remains deeply concerned about the lack of independence of the judiciary, the continued breach of the obligation to abide by the landmark rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, the serious restrictions on fundamental freedoms – particularly freedom of expression and of association – and the constant attacks on the fundamental rights of members of the opposition, lawyers, journalists, academics and civil society activists in Türkiye; regrets that public statements by executives about ongoing judicial cases, undermine the judicial independence and impartiality even further; is particularly worried by the continued crackdown on Kurdish politicians, journalists, lawyers and artists; expresses concern about the deterioration of the rights of women and the constant targeting and harassment of LGBTI+ people, both of whom could see their rights further curtailed by the possible amendments to Türkiye’s constitution;
Amendment 227 #
2022/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Concludes that the Turkish Government has no interest in closing the persistent and growing gap between Türkiye and the EU on values and standards, as it has shown, for the past few years, a clear lack of political will to carry out the necessary reforms to address, in particular, the serious concerns about the rule of law and fundamental rights that continue to negatively affect the country’s EU accession process; calls on the elected political parties to continue their democratic and parliamentary efforts in promoting the European path for Türkiye;
Amendment 243 #
2022/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes, after a confrontational period, Türkiye’s recent steps towards normalising relations with several countries, such as Armenia, Egypt, Israel and the Gulf states, but remains concerned by the fact that Türkiye’s foreign policy still clashes in many aspects with EU interests and, far from growing closer to the EU, it has further diverged in the last year, reaching a record low of alignment with just 7 % of common foreign and security policy decisions; regrets the continued backsliding of dialogue on foreign policies between Turkey and the EU and the execution of Turkish military actions in Eastern Mediterranean, Libya, Syria and the Caucasus; recalls that as NATO member, Turkey plays a geostrategic role ensuring regional and European security and is expected to act in line with its NATO obligations;
Amendment 268 #
2022/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the overall de-escalation of tensions observed in the eastern Mediterranean in recent times, particularly in the wake of the February earthquakes, and expresses its hope that a possible new era in Türkiye’s foreign policy might yield positive results in the bilateral relations between Türkiye and all EU Member States; commends efforts between Turkey and Greece to find sustainable and inclusive solutions for open billateral issues; regrets the recent aggresive rhetoric and allegations by Turkey regarding the Greek territorial waters and sovereignty of islands in the Aegean Sea; expresses its unwavering support and full solidarity with Greece; calls on Turkey to refrain from any provocative and counterproductive rhetoric in the future and to settle the differences through diplomatic channels; reiterates its long- standing support for a solution to the Cyprus problem on the basis of a bi- communal, bi-zonal federation and reaffirms its positions on the matter expressed in its resolution of 7 June 2022;
Amendment 294 #
2022/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. calls for the cooperation of Turkey with Operation IRINI in enforcing the arms embargo on Libya and in fighting human smuggling and trafficking;
Amendment 365 #
2022/2205(INI)
15. Considers, in view of all the above, that in the absence of a drastic change of course by the Turkish Government, Türkiye’s EU accession process has lost its purpose and will not endure much longer in the current circumstances; recommends, in that case, starting a reflection process to find an alternative and realistic framework for EU-Türkiye relations in substitution for the accession process; calls on the Commission, therefore, to explore possible formats for a mutually appealing framework through a comprehensive and inclusive process; welcomes Türkiye’s participation in the summits of European Political Community;
Amendment 377 #
2022/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Stresses that financial assistance of the Instrument for Pre-accession assistance (IPAIII) is based on a conditionality linked to the ‘fundamentals first’ approach; recalls that IPA III support can be suspended in the event of the degradation of democracy, human rights or the rule of law and modulated when indicators show significant regression or persistent lack of progress;
Amendment 387 #
2022/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Encourages Turkey and the EU to promote European integration by supporting young people, promoting youth participation and by building on prior experience in the cooperation in research and education; welcomes in this regard the agreements granting Turkey association status to Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps for the period 2021-2027;
Amendment 1 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
— having regard to the Zagreb Declaration adopted at the EU-Western Balkans Summit of 6 May 2020,
Amendment 42 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas Serbia 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 46 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas Serbia has not imposed sanction against Russia following the unprovoked and illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine;
Amendment 47 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas Serbia’s alignment rate with European common foreign and security policy has dropped from 64% in 2021 to 45% in 2022;
Amendment 50 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas Serbia is the biggest beneficiary of the EU’s pre-accession assistance in the Western Balkans amounting 1.404 billion in IPA II funding since 2014;
Amendment 51 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas the EU is Serbia’s biggest trading partner and investor, amounting to €1.85 billion in direct investment in 2021;
Amendment 54 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
D b. 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 68 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the fact that EU membership continues to be Serbia’s strategic goal; underlines the fact that progress on the rule of law and fundamental rights, the normaliscommitment to the shared European rights and values, the normalisation and de-escalation of relations with Kosovo and alignment with the CFSP will determine the dynamics of the accession process;
Amendment 82 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Regrets Serbia’s continued low level of alignment with the CFSP that has dropped to 45% since the last report, in particular in the context of the Russian war on Ukraine; underlines the fact that, as a candidate country, Serbia must adhere to the EU’s principles and policies, and alignment with a warmongering autocratic regime is unacceptable;
Amendment 94 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. NWelcomes Serbia’s support for territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine; notes Serbia’s alignment with the EU in voting in favour of relevant UN General Assembly resolutions and Russia’s suspension from the Human Rights Council; regrets, however, the fact that Serbia has consistently failed to align with the EU’s restrictive measures against Russia and Belarus; deplores Serbia’s close relationship with Russia;
Amendment 117 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Expresses concern about the decreasing public support forthat according to the latest polls a majority of Serbian citizens are against joining the EU; calls on Serbian government, the Commission, EU mMembership in Serbia States and the EU Delegation to Serbia to pursue more active and effective communication strategy in order to promote the role and benefits of EU funded projects and reforms;
Amendment 131 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Calls on Serbian political leaders to use clear and unambiguous communication on Serbia’s European path and close relationship with the EU
Amendment 142 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes the initial steps taken by Serbia to align with the EU’s list of non- EU countries whose nationals require visas for the EU and calls for further alignment, in particular with those third countries with present irregular migration or security risk to the EU;
Amendment 163 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Welcomes the adoption of measures on improving the electoral conditions and media environment ahead of the April 2022 elections as a result of the inter-party dialogue facilitated by the European Parliament; welcomes the readiness of all political parties to take part in the work of National Assembly the readiness of the National Assembly to continue this dialogue;
Amendment 175 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes the conclusions of the final report of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe / Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights election observation mission, according to which the 3 April 2022 parliamentary elections presented diverse political options, but a number of shortcomings resulted in an uneven playing field, favouring the incumbents; calls on the Serbian authorities to fully address the outstanding recommendations well ahead of the next elections in order to avoid recorded irregularities;
Amendment 250 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. CNotes the disproportionate visibility given to third countries and their media outlets on behalf of Serbia; condemns the opening of an RT (formerly Russia Today) office in Belgrade and the launch of its online news service in Serbian; urges the Serbian authorities to counter hybrid threats and align with the Council’s decision on the suspension of the broadcasting activities of Sputnik and RT; calls on Serbia to fight disinformation, including manipulative anti-EU narratives;
Amendment 271 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Regrets the fact that the REM awarded four national frequencies to pro- government channels that have a history of violating journalistic standards, including spreading disinformation and supporting Kremlin’s narrative on Russia’s war in Ukraine; calls for the fifth licence to be awarded through a transparent and impartial process to create a more pluralistic media space;
Amendment 295 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the significant representation of national minorities in the new parliament; welcomes the appointment of representative of Croatian minority as Minister of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue in the new Serbian government;
Amendment 301 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 d (new)
Paragraph 23 d (new)
23 d. Regrets Serbia’s actions that are appropriating Croatian cultural heritage and the origin of its literary tradition and putting in question the status of Croatian language; calls on Serbia to create a positive atmosphere for education in minority languages and deplores the violation of minority rights in this area;
Amendment 302 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Calls on the Serbian authorities to step up efforts to ensure non- discriminatory treatment of national minorities and to actively pursue investigations and convictions for hate- motivated crimes; calls on Serbia to ensure that minority groups have equal opportunities, adequate representation in political and cultural life, public media, the administration and judiciary; calls on Serbia to protect and promote cultural heritage, languages and traditions of its national minorities;
Amendment 312 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18 b. Calls on Serbian government to ensure the equal rights for Croatian minority in Serbia as Serbian minority enjoys in Croatia; calls on Serbia to show sincere commitment in resolving outstanding issues in regards to the status of the Croatian minority in Serbia, especially in terms of non-discriminatory use of Croatian language in education, public administration and dedicated media space as well as respect for Croatian cultural heritage and traditions in Serbia; calls on Serbian government to secure right of education in Croatian language, dedicated media space, funding and adequate facilities for the Croatian community;
Amendment 347 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Notes Serbia’s engagement in regional cooperation initiatives; encourages it to step up its reconciliation efforts and seek solutions to past disputes; underlines that there is no place for genocide denial or the glorification of war criminals in a candidate country; stresses the importance of regional cooperation and good neighborly relations as one of the key political criteria in the accession negotiations; emphasize the importance of developing good neighborly relations, implementing bilateral agreements and solving open bilateral issues;
Amendment 361 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Strongly deplores Serbia’s indictments against the four pilots of the Croatian Air Force who are charged for allegedly committing war crimes during the wars in former Yugoslavia; rejects attempts by Serbia to assume the role of the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia, declaring itself competent for legal actions on the territories of other sovereign and internationally recognized states; calls on Serbia to stop such actions and to devote itself to resolving open issues with it neighbours;
Amendment 367 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 c (new)
Paragraph 23 c (new)
23c. 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 370 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Calls on Serbia to step up its efforts on the issue of fate of missing persons from the Yugoslav wars in 1990s;
Amendment 12 #
2022/2203(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas enlargement is the most effective EU foreign policy instrument and is a geostrategic investment in long-term peace; whereas the European integration represents the aspirations of citizens of North Macedonia and serves as a stimulus for reforms and contributes to economic growth and regional cooperation;
Amendment 21 #
2022/2203(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas North Macedonia has established itself as a reliable partner and has delivered sustained reforms; whereas the North Macedonia has fully aligned with EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy and sanction's regime towards Russian Federation;
Amendment 23 #
2022/2203(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas North Macedonia has maintained a steady and determined pace in advancing EU reforms, with a focus on the fundamentals, and the country should continue keeping up the reform momentum;
Amendment 34 #
2022/2203(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas malign foreign direct and proxy interference and disinformation aim to sow discord, violence, inter-ethnic tensions and to destabilise North Macedonia;
Amendment 47 #
2022/2203(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas the Prespa Agreement and the Treaty on Good Neighbourly Relations are landmark agreements that represent a model for stability and reconciliation and have improved the spirit of good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation;
Amendment 54 #
2022/2203(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the EU remains the main political and economic partner of the Western Balkan countries; whereas the EU continues to be North Macedonia's biggest trade and investment partner and its largest provider of financial assistance, namely through IPA III, EIP for Western Balkans and Macro Financial Assistance;
Amendment 67 #
2022/2203(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes North Macedonia’s consistent commitment to EU integration, which has been underpinned by steady progress on guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law and, fundamental rights, while moving towards cross-cutting policy alignment and unwavering commitment to European values, reforms and the process of EU integration, as well as good neighbourly relations and inclusive regional cooperation;
Amendment 71 #
2022/2203(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Compliments North Macedonia on its continuous efforts to strengthen the rule of law, judicial independence and minority rights, counter corruption and organised crime, reform its public administration and consolidate media freedom;
Amendment 76 #
2022/2203(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Commends North Macedonia’s full alignment with the EU’s foreign and security policy, including its clear-cut response to the aggression against Ukraine by aligning with the EU’s restrictive measures against Russia and Belarus; welcomes North Macedonia’s continued commitment to Euro-Atlantic security framework;
Amendment 95 #
2022/2203(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Expresses concern about the unjustified delays in the accession process; stresses the need to strengthen the process’s transparency, accountability and inclusiveness, including its parliamentary dimension; underscores that the pace of the EU accession should be determined by the progress on the due functioning of democratic institutions, grounded in the rule of law, good governance and fundamental rights;
Amendment 136 #
2022/2203(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Deplores the malign foreign interference and hybrid attacks, such as disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks and false bomb threats, directed against North Macedonia’s institutions and citizens; invites the authorities to considerably strengthen North Macedonia’s resilience against such threats; calls on the EEAS and EU Delegation to North Macedonia to intensify efforts in promoting benefits of closer integration and invest in communication campaigns to fight foreign influence;
Amendment 161 #
2022/2203(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Commends the ongoing bilateral and international co-operation on dismantling transnational crime networks, including with international and the EU justice and home affairs agencies, including Eurojust, Europol and Frontex, covering the intensified action against the trafficking of humans, drugs and illegal weapons and danger of radicalisation;
Amendment 199 #
2022/2203(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Commends North Macedonia’s well-established inter-community harmony and urges the country to sustain its long- standing commitment to multiculturalism and inclusion; encourages ongoing steps to building further trust among communities and the functioning of a multi-ethnic society while recalling the importance of upholding the rights of all communities; encourages the Government to protect and promote cultural heritage, languages and traditions of all communities through an equal, inclusive and non-discriminatory access to education, public service and the media;
Amendment 245 #
2022/2203(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Commends the country’s constructive engagement as part of inclusive regional cooperation initiatives and welcomes the tangible progress reached under the Berlin Process and the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana; welcomes 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;
Amendment 254 #
2022/2203(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Warns against attempts to undermine peaceful inter-community and bilateral relations and deplores all internal and external actions that endanger stability and jeopardise regional reconciliation; deplores recent attacks on minority groups and call on the North Macedonia's authorities to prevent such situations in the future;
Amendment 265 #
2022/2203(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Invites policymakers and the societies of Bulgaria and North Macedonia to assume joint responsibility and to restore the positive agenda between the two countries in the spirit the of the Treaty of Friendship; expresses support for continued diplomatic and societal dialogue to resolve ongoing bilateral grievances in good faithissues in good faith; calls on the Commission to intensify its efforts in facilitating dialogue, and thus pave the way to a viable and sustainable agreement;
Amendment 21 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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 #
2022/2202(INI)
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;
Amendment 5 #
2022/2201(INI)
— having regard to the Zagreb Declaration adopted at the EU-Western Balkans summit of 6 May 2020,
Amendment 22 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 31 a (new)
Citation 31 a (new)
— having regard to the OSCE Mission in Kosovo’s report on “Protection of Cultural Heritage in Kosovo” published in July 2022;
Amendment 29 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas all countries aspiring to become a Member State will be judged on their own progress and merits in terms of fulfilment, implementation and complying with the set of criteria and common European values;
Amendment 57 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes Kosovo’s application for EU membership, which reflects overwhelming consensus among its political parties, the pro- European orientation of its citizens and a clear geopolitical strategic choice;
Amendment 106 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls on the Commission and the EU Office in Kosovo to step up their efforts in enhancing visibility and promoting the role, efforts and benefits of the closer partnership between the EU and Kosovo;
Amendment 146 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Amendment 180 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Calls on Kosovo to intensify its efforts in providing minority groups equal opportunities, adequate representation in political and cultural life, public media, the administration, and in the judiciary; calls on Kosovo to protect and promote cultural heritage, languages and traditions of its national minorities;
Amendment 183 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19 b. Calls on Kosovo to invest additional efforts in the field of strengthening the position and protection of particularly vulnerable national minorities, such as the Croatian national minority in Kosovo, as well as strengthening activities in eliminating social and economic challenges of these national minorities;
Amendment 201 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Calls on both Kosovo and Serbia to step up their efforts on the issues of missing persons; calls on the government to address these topics also as part of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and to establish cooperation between Kosovo and Serbia;
Amendment 209 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Regrets the fact that the initiatives to involve the Serb community in Kosovo’s political, social and economic structures remain very limited; calls on the Government of Kosovo and the representatives of Kosovo Serbs to commit to genuine dialogue in order to increase mutual trust, overcome intercommunal divisions and promote people to people contact between communities and therefore calls on Kosovo Serbs to return to the institutions;
Amendment 217 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Reiterates its full support for the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue; calls on Kosovo and Serbia to engage in this dialogue in good faith and in the spirit of compromise to achieve a comprehensive, legally binding agreement on the normalisation of their relations, based on mutual recognition, in accordance with international law; calls for the full implementation of all the relevant agreements, including the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb- Majority Municipalities; expects from the EU a more effective action of mediation between the parties aimed at overcoming the current stalemate;
Amendment 227 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Welcomes the presence of KFOR and its role in building and maintaining a safe and secure environment and development of a stable and peaceful Kosovo towards Euro-Atlantic integrations; reminds of the importance of the mission for the ongoing development of the Kosovo Security Force through the provision of advice, training and capacity building;
Amendment 229 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23 b. Commends the work of the European Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) that has been assisting Kosovo authorities in establishing sustainable and independent rule of law institutions;
Amendment 241 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24 b. Recalls the need to open up Yugoslav secret service (UDBA) and Yugoslav People’s Army secret service (KOS) archives across the region in order to thoroughly research and address communist-era crimes and criminal organisations;
Amendment 252 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Reiterates the necessity of carrying out structural reforms in order to boost competitiveness and ensure inclusive and sustainable economic growth; welcomes the progress made in tackling the informal economy; calls on Kosovo to further align its market policy with the EU acquis;
Amendment 258 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Expresses concern over the low labour market participation of young people, women and ethnic minorities; calls on Kosovo to provide equal and non- discriminatory state education in minority languages; encourages Kosovo to prioritise reducing the skills mismatch and to improve the availability and affordability of early childhood education and care; reiterates the need to reach out to young people from the Serb majority municipalities and to integrate them in the socio-economic structures of the country;
Amendment 289 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Stresses the importance of taking action to address the climate and environment emergency by reducing fossil fuel dependency; urges the government to implement the climate change strategy and the associated action plan as the progress in these areas as well as alignment with the EU standards has remained low;
Amendment 294 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38 a. Welcomes the EU’s financial assistance to Kosovo, in particular infrastructure related loans and grants available through Economic and Investment Plan in the Western Balkans, that include Priština - Merdare section of the “Peace Highway” and the preparation for new investments in water supply and wastewater treatment;
Amendment 1 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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 #
2022/2200(INI)
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;
Amendment 3 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 20 a (new)
Citation 20 a (new)
— having regard to the final report of 26 July 2021 by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organization for Security and Co- operation in Europe (OSCE) Election Observation Mission on the Republic of Albania’s parliamentary elections of 25 April 2021,
Amendment 4 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 27 a (new)
Citation 27 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 5 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 27 b (new)
Citation 27 b (new)
— having regard to the Commission communication of 24 July 2020 entitled ‘2020-2025 EU action plan on firearms trafficking’ (COM(2020)0608),
Amendment 28 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the EU remains fully committed to support Albania’s strategic choice for EU integration; whereas European integration represents the aspirations of Albanian citizens towards democracy and prosperity;
Amendment 31 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the prospect of Albania’s merit-based membership is in the Union’s own political, security and economic interests; whereas Albania’s EU accession depends on lasting, in-depth and irreversible reforms across fundamental areas, starting with the rule of law and the functioning of democratic institutions; whereas the quality of a country’s necessary reforms determine the timetable for accession;
Amendment 35 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas democratic transformation, the rule of law and reconciliation play a central rois indispensable in the EU accession process;
Amendment 37 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas protection of minorities is crucial for aspiring EU member states; whereas the implementing legislation on free self-identification of national minorities and the use of minority languages remains to be adopted in Albania;
Amendment 41 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. whereas electoral shortcomings persist in Albania; whereas the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations to further improve the conduct of elections in Albania and bring them fully in line with the OSCE commitments and other international obligations and standards have not yet been fully addressed;
Amendment 51 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the EU remains the main political and economic partner of the Western Balkan countries; whereas the EU continues to be by far Albania’s biggest trade and investment partner and its largest provider of financial assistance;
Amendment 64 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses 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; Encourages its policymakers to accelerate the reforms that enabled the first long overdue intergovernmental conference and a successful start to the screening process, and to demonstrate steady progress in guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights; urges decision- makers to work jointly towards meeting the membership criteria by 2030as soon as possible; recalls that candidate countries undergo in-depth transformations to fulfil membership criteria during accession negotiations, which last as long as needed to implement the necessary reforms; stresses the need to strengthen the transparency, accountability and inclusiveness of the accession process, including its parliamentary dimension;
Amendment 73 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Welcomes that the government maintained a focus on reforms related to the country’s EU path and reinforced its coordination structure for EU integration; stresses that the government, in cooperation with the opposition and all segments of society, needs to further advance the EU reform agenda;
Amendment 89 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Deplores political confrontation and disruptive actions and underlines a joint political and social responsibility for reforms; invites political actors to step up their commitment to dialogue and to strengthen democratic institutions and procedures through constructive engagement, the active participation of civil society, inclusive consultations and transparent decision-making; recalls the need to strengthen parliamentary oversight and underlines that the political opposition needs to be able to monitor and scrutinize the government;
Amendment 93 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Deplores that the impending electoral reform was not concluded before the local elections in 2023; Calls on the Albanian authorities to fully address the outstandingOSCE/ODIHR electoral and party financing recommendations well ahead of the 2025 parliamentary elections; stresses the need to prevent misuse of public administration/resources and vote- buying;
Amendment 104 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes the ongoing progress and looks forward to systematic improvements in the prevention, proactive investigation and prosecution of and non-selective final convictions for cases involving corruption and organised crime; calls for further progress in establishing a comprehensive, efficient, soundly coordinated and accountable public administrationstresses that increasing the number of final convictions of high-level officials remains an important priority to tackle the existing culture of impunity; notes that there were no convictions of officials on high-level corruption charges;
Amendment 110 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Amendment 111 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Notes that Albania remains both a destination and a transit country for light firearms; expresses concern over the wide prevalence of firearms in Albania; stresses the need to counter the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons;
Amendment 112 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Underlines that the contribution of Albania to the protection of the European Union’s external border is of crucial importance; stresses that border protection and the prevention of cross- border crime, notably human trafficking, must continue to be a priority;
Amendment 131 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Recalls that infrastructure projects, including in and around the port of Durrës, must comply with EU standards on public procurement contained in the Stabilisation and Association Agreement;
Amendment 133 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Condemns malign foreign interference and hybrid attacks, including disinformation, espionage, incitement to all forms of radicalisation and cyberattacks against Albanian citizens and critical infrastructure; invites the authorities to prevent data leaks by considerably strengthening cybersecurity; encourages the EU European External Action Service and Commission to further help boost Albania’s resilience against hybrid threats, in the area of cyber security, information manipulation and protection of critical infrastructures; stresses the need to improve coordination and address disinformation and hybrid threats that seek to undermine the EU perspective by more strategically underscoring the EU’s relevance to people in the Western Balkans;
Amendment 155 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Calls on Albania to swiftly adopt the remaining pending legislation ensuring the full protection of national minorities, particularly the implementing legislation on free self-identification of national minorities and the use of minority languages;
Amendment 160 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Welcomes that Albania submitted its first report on the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence; reiterates the conclusions of the Committee of the Parties to the Istanbul Convention, stating the urgency of increasing resources to put legal provisions into practice; stresses that efforts are needed to increase women’s awareness of their rights and available services relating to domestic violence and protection;
Amendment 165 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Underlines that child sexual abuse online remains a serious concern; notes that the efforts to detecting and retorting child sexual abuse material online needs to increase, and that existing laws prohibiting child pornography and the online sexual exploitation of children need to be properly enforced;
Amendment 166 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 d (new)
Paragraph 13 d (new)
13d. Deplores that no progress was made on the rights of persons with disabilities and that Albania’s legislation on the rights of persons with disabilities remains only partially in compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; calls on Albania to address the UNCRPD gaps and ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; notes that the 2021-2025 national action plan for people with disabilities did not have enough funding, hence it could not be fully implemented; calls for more robust efforts to address discrimination and violence against persons with disabilities, to improve overall accessibility and to promote employment; expresses deep concern over the reports of limited access to voting for persons with disabilities;
Amendment 167 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Regrets that no progress was made regarding freedom of expression, and the increase in disinformation including smear campaigns, intimidation and threats, especially in online media and against journalists reporting on rule of law, corruption and justice issues;
Amendment 169 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Expresses its concern with the lack of progress on achieving institutional transparency, freedom of expression and media freedom and stresses the role of political leaders in creating an enabling environment for the pursuit of these freedoms; condemns attempts to discredit reporters and arbitrarily withhold public information, as well as the failure to ensure the safety of journalists; urges the authorities to take immediate action against political and economic interference in the media and intimidation against reporters; welcomes the withdrawal of the draft anti- defamation legisexpresses concern over enduring inflammatory rhetoric, including by high-level politicians, public officials and other public figures, which fuels the culture of intimidation, smear campaigns, violence and rioting, and calls for the final convictions of those who attack journalists to be ensured; urges the authorities to take immediate action against political and economic interference in the media and intimidation against reporters; welcomes the withdrawal of the draft anti- defamation legislation; stresses that that any revision of media laws should be in line with the Venice Commission recommendations and should take place in a transparent and inclusive manner, in consultation with media organisations, with the aim of improving media freedom and self-regulation; urges the government to ensure the independence of the public broadcaster and media regulator and the transparency of media ownership, financing and public advertising;
Amendment 174 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Underlines the importance of journalists’ equal, direct and transparent access to information from government sources; in this regard, expresses concern over the need for all government public relations to be handled by the newly created Media and Information Agency; encourages the government to improve access to the reporting and scrutinising of its work via official and formal channels, such as press conferences and interviews;
Amendment 211 #
2022/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Welcomes steps in accelerating the energy transition and energy diversification towards wind and solar power; applauds, in this regard, the EU energy support package for the Western Balkans and calls on the authorities to make the best use of this assistance in order to build a resilient and environmentally friendly energy market; notes that no new energy efficiency funding mechanisms have been put in place;
Amendment 4 #
2022/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas Erasmus+ is not just a mobility programme, but a powerful tool for exchanging knowledge, fostering academic cooperation, creating strong and lasting links and promoting understanding between people and institutions, thus enabling individuals to accelerate on their personal and professional path;
Amendment 12 #
2022/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Notes the uneven position of parts of the UK towards EU programmes, which has resulted in the loss of a people- to-people approach that is vital in the fields of education, culture, science and sports; calls on the UK administration to diversify the approach towards EU programmes and allow equal participation of all parts of the UK and enable new generations to gain knowledge, skills and experiences that will broaden their horizons and shape their further personal and professional lives, and benefit both societies;
Amendment 14 #
2022/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that numerous education, culture and youth stakeholders, both in the EU and the UK, are calling for the UK to be associated with Erasmus+, Creative Europe, European Solidarity Corps and Horizon Europe once more; calls on the UK to rethink its decision and renew its programme partnership with the EU; underlines the positive impact this will have on both the EU and UK societies as a whole;
Amendment 18 #
2022/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the enormous benefits of the Erasmus+ programme not only forStresses that the termination of the UK's association in the Erasmus+ programme is disadvantageous for the educational benefits not only to students, but also forto teachers, vocational education and training (VET) students, adult learners, young people, researchers, administrative staff and society as a whole, which cannot be measured by the size of its financial envelope;
Amendment 34 #
2022/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes that 11 UK Universities are partners in alliances through the European Universities initiative; regrets that these cooperation projects will end when the first-generation alliances expire (at the end of 2024); emphasises that the continued partnership is encouraged through the European Universities initiative in 2024;
Amendment 36 #
2022/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes that the numerous partnerships that UK universities had with their EU counterparts through the Erasmus+ programme have to be re- negotiated bilaterally one by one, posing the risk that some smaller universities will be excluded; deeply regrets the negative impact Brexit has caused in this regard;
Amendment 37 #
2022/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Is concerned about the negative effects of this situation on issues related to European sovereignty, as all European countries, whether they belong to the EU bloc or not, must be able to compete, particularly with China and the US, in strategic areas such as industrial innovation, digitalisation, clean energy solutions and space capabilities; notes that research cooperation between universities in Europe is instrumental in this regard; underlines the importance of renewed cooperation in fields of education, innovation, science, culture and sports;
Amendment 41 #
2022/2188(INI)
25. Underlines that 96 % of British artists were against the UK’s withdrawal from the EU14 ; regrets that the number of EU citizens working in the cultural and creative industries in the UK has dropped significantly in the last three years; _________________ 14 Creative Industries Federation, op. cit.
Amendment 42 #
2022/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Deeply regrets the absence of any provisions linked to culture and the cultural and creative sectors in the TCA, making it de facto a ‘No Deal Brexit’ for both EU and UK artists and the whole cultural sector; stresses that streamlining visa and work arrangements is in the interest of the cultural and creative sectors in both the EU and the UK and urges both parties to work towards an agreement; believes that these visa and work arrangements should be part of a future EU framework for artists and cultural professionals;
Amendment 43 #
2022/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Notes that the Creative Europe programme was not replaced by any other programme dedicated to culture to support artists in the UK; underlines the loss this created not only for workers but also for the entire cultural and creative ecosystem;
Amendment 53 #
2022/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Notes the British government's decision in March 2023 to provide for an increase in the current rates of tax relief in the audiovisual sector, even though these tax reliefs are already fuelling the UK audiovisual industry;
Amendment 56 #
2022/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 31 b (new)
Paragraph 31 b (new)
Amendment 59 #
2022/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 31 c (new)
Paragraph 31 c (new)
Amendment 62 #
2022/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Stresses the importance of international youth projects, which enable young people to broaden their horizons, while creating an appetite for discovering other cultures that has lifelong benefits especially after the gap that the COVID- 19 pandemic has created for youth development and their professional growth, as well as their mental health;
Amendment 71 #
2022/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. RDeeply regrets the absence of any provisions linked to capacity-building of grassroots and professional organisations, partnerships and exchanges in the fields of sports and esports in the TCA, causing irrevocable damage to the sports sector in both the EU and the UK;
Amendment 72 #
2022/2188(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Highlights that since Brexit EU players and athletes need a work permit to play in the UK, as was previously the case only for non-EU players, hindering their ability to compete on the other side of the Channel; notes the importance of improved cooperation between the UK and the UK in order to ensure less complicated movement of sportswomen and sportsmen from the EU to the UK and vice versa;
Amendment 8 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas Accredited European Schools (AES) are schools which are not a part of the network of European Schools organised by the intergovernmental organisation ‘The European Schools’1a; whereas their purpose is different than the original one of the European Schools; _________________ 1a https://www.eursc.eu/Documents/2019- 12-D-12-en-1.pdf
Amendment 11 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the ESS, in combining the educational systems of Member States – through parallel language sections – with a strong European dimension, multilingual education and a focus on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics, as well as pedagogical innovations, represents a laboratory for educational reformsource of experience which has not been sufficiently used, including for the creation of a European Education Area (EEA);
Amendment 15 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Amendment 20 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Amendment 22 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the Commission plays an important role in the ESS and the scope thereof needs to be broadened, given that its involvement is currently limited to human resources and budgetary matters, leaving the equally important educational aspects out of the equation; as well as the Commission’s role in representing the institutions acting as employers out of the equation, the Commission should have the means to adequately protect the rights of the families of the Union for whom the schools have been set up, and therefore the scope of the Commission’s role needs to be broadened;
Amendment 36 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas parents play a key role in school life, such as in delivering extracurricular activities and providing transport and other services and the Statute of the European schools gives parents a say also with regard to pedagogical questions and all issues of school life, their contribution and role should be adequately recognised;
Amendment 47 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the lack of accountability of some host countries, coupled with decisions taken by the schools’ administration which are responsible for providing and maintaining school buildings, has led to serious issues, especially in Brussels; whereas these issues have had profound repercussions on the standard of education and organisational aspects, as well as on the safety, security and well-being of students and staff alike;
Amendment 53 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses the need for a critical, in- depth assessment of all aspects of the ESS, and for reform to future-proof the system and ensure that it serves as a model for the exchange of good practices across educational systems; , believes that more can be done to ensure that pupils can successfully move back to their home countries and continue studies without any impediments; notes, however, that this is not always the case, with reports across various language sections that pupils returning home have not attained the required academic progress and, as a consequence, are required to repeat a school year;
Amendment 65 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Believes that a placement should be guaranteed for every pupil whose parents or legal guardians have satisfied the criteria for enrolment in the ESS; notes that currently, this is not always the case;
Amendment 70 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for increased accountability around the ESS, tighter parliamentary scrutiny and control, and improved visibility and understanding of the ESS and the European Baccalaureate in the Member States; including with a view to maintaining its recognition for granting non-discriminatory University admission in the Member States under the Convention defining the Statute of the European Schools;
Amendment 80 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Insists on the need to streamline and increase the flexibility of the BoG’s decision-making and action, including through an alternative voting system, to enable the BoG to better respond to the needs of schools; calls for clear responsibilities, annualtransparent and accurate external communication on decision- making, periodic performance appraisals, and training and development plans for all senior and middle management staff, including structured induction, at central and school levels;
Amendment 85 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the BoG to: a) clarify the applicability of primary and secondary EU legislation to the ESS; b) amend the staff regulations and the General Rules of the European Schools, including to explicitly clarify the competences of the Complaints Board vis-à-vis national courts; and c) put in place an independent ombudsperson to address complaints about maladministration and mediate in conflicts ensuring that there is no gap in legal protection, c) put in place a mechanism to address complaints about maladministration and mediate in conflicts and d) develop a code of administrative good conduct covering the OSGES and each Schools’ management;
Amendment 87 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Notes with concern that parents or legal guardians are implicitly discouraged from pursuing a contentious appeal of a decision by the Central Enrolment Authority (CEA) due to legal fees involved; is concerned, therefore, that decisions by CEA may have led to situations where pupils were wrongly denied a placement;
Amendment 96 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Requests thatInsists on the Member States to finally meet their obligations vis-à-vis the ESS in full, particularly with regard to the secondment of qualified teachers and the provision of adequate infrastructure (suitable premises, maintenance thereof and upgrades thereto), and calls for a binding system of direct financial contributions to ensure greater flexibility for both the ESS and the Member States;
Amendment 97 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Is concerned about the overcrowding of some ESS schools in Brussels; notes that this has an adverse affect on pupils’ wellbeing whereby their academic, recreational and other needs are not properly met; notes that the schoools’ growth often disproportionally impacts smaller language sections;
Amendment 116 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls for a degree of autonomy to be ensured for teachers and schools alike, for additional middle management posts focused on high-quality teaching methodologies and curricula to be introduced at schools, and for all recruitment procedures to be more transparent and open; calls to consider establishing the framework for professional-pedagogical development, furthermore, for an urgent review of the enrolment arrangements and school fees, and for the full potential of the AES to be exploited, including to address overcrowding;
Amendment 120 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Calls for an urgent review of the enrolment policies and emphasises the importance of the sibling rule; expresses concerns about the fact that siblings are often placed in different schools in Brussels; notes that this leads not only to inconveniences for the families involved, but has prevented growth in already small language sections;
Amendment 124 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the BoG to strengthen educational and pedagogical standards by: a) creating a task force with relevant pedagogical expertise drawn from open, transparent and regular consultation with stakeholders by mid-2024 to review and update the quality assurance approach put in place as part of the 2009 European Schools reform; b) introducing an enhanced and accountable inspection regime, including permanent chief inspectors, subject-specific inspections and follow-up processes that include AES; c) reinforcing the role of the OSG’s Pedagogical Development Unit and the Joint Teaching Committee; and d) ensuring ESS participation in EU programmes and initiatives such as the Erasmus+ Teacher Academies and the EEA;
Amendment 132 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls foron the Member States to use the full potential of experienced ESS teachers to become trainers and mentors in national systems and emphasises the role that should be played by the ESS in establishing a European teachers’ module, to be included in the initial training of teachers across the EU;
Amendment 138 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Requests the BoG and the OSG to boost inclusion and improve educational opportunities, including after-school activities for all students, with a focus on class size, teacher-to-children ratio and better catering for students with particular educational needs, including by considerably increasing the number of educational and psychological support staff in place and the provision of orientation and mentorship services, requests the BoG and the OSG to develop a strategy to allow for ad-hoc support for teachers and children with particular educational needs, in particular in nursery and primary;
Amendment 151 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Requests the BoG and the OSG to develop and implement overreaching and harmonised whole-school anti-bullying programmes outlining a clear sanctioning system for all class levels, from nursery to secondaire, which promote peer support systems and involve active and well- trained teachers and parents, to foster a safe learning environment in which no form violence is allowed, and sanctions are clearly enforced;
Amendment 154 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Insists on the need to deliver a high-quality educational experience for all students, including those without a language; calls for respect of applicable rules and insists on continuation of small language sections into the secondary cycles as well as ensuring longterm that every EU language has a dedicated section (and SWALS) as a concept becomes unnecessary; calls for an update of existing curricula with a view to further strengthening the link between the ESS system and national schools systems as well as the European dimension, including through the teaching of history and citizenship education, as well as an increase in the number of ‘European Hours’ at all educational levels, with a focus on the importance of European values, heritage and digital and green skills; given that the European Schools always provided for inclusive education, insists on further educate to cultural diversity, including ethical and religious diversity;
Amendment 164 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls for the establishment of a formal ESS alumni community and the collection of data on students’ paths after graduation, also with a view to strengthening the non-discriminatory acceptance of the European Baccalaureate through mandating the OSG to collect anonymized information on the university education and success of its graduates;
Amendment 176 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Expresses its wish that the ESS will become a beacon for high-quality multilingual and multicultural education in Europe and beyond, demonstrating that being ‘united in diversity’ can also be a living reality in the educational sphere; asks for all stakeholders to work towards that aim, including through enhanced collaboration withwhile using the experience of the AES, whose further inclusion and development are key for the whole sysshould be reevaluatemd;
Amendment 179 #
2022/2149(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls for an independent, external expert body to explore and propose alternative governance models, including a review of the Convention defining the Statute of the European Schools and the possibility of replacing the schools’ intergovernmental legal status with a supranational European model; expresses its wish to consider including representatives of the European Parliament in the BoG;
Amendment 36 #
2022/2079(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Welcomes that the EC’s roadmap recognises the important role of space and cyber as strategic ‘enablers’ for the security and defence sectors, and emphasis that as such they also play a fundamental role in the EU’s future Rapid Deployment Capacity (RDC);
Amendment 104 #
2022/2079(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Points to the EU’s global approach on research and innovation and encourages enhanced strategic partnerships with like-minded partners such as the US, Canada, Australia, Japan or South Korea;
Amendment 105 #
2022/2079(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11 b. Expresses concern about the ownership of critical infrastructure inside the EU by strategic competitors, such as China, and calls for a more stricter investments screening of foreign direct investments which must be in line with the threats and challenges identified in the Strategic Compass;
Amendment 107 #
2022/2079(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11 c. Strongly welcomes the progress reached via the EU-U.S. Trade and Technology Council (TTC) since 2021 and reconfirms that the EU-US partnership is the best way forward to ensure our common security as well as economic prosperity;
Amendment 6 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
— having regard to the Zagreb Declaration, adopted at the EU - Western Balkans summit of 6 May 2020,
Amendment 8 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
— having regard to the Council conclusions of 24 and 25 March 2022,
Amendment 14 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
— having regard to the Council conclusions of 23 and 24 June 2022 on Wider Europe, Ukraine, the membership applications of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, Western Balkans, economic issues, the Conference on the Future of Europe and external relations,
Amendment 27 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
— having regard to the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence approved by the Council on 21 March 2022,
Amendment 28 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 b (new)
Citation 13 b (new)
— having regard to the Political agreement on principles for ensuring a functional Bosnia and Herzegovina that advances on the European path of 12 June 2022,
Amendment 33 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15
Citation 15
— having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A9- 0000/0000on 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 (A9-0164/2022),
Amendment 39 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas enlargement is the most effective EU foreign policy instrument and one of the Union’s most successful policies, and it remains a strategic investment in stabilpeace, stability, security and prosperity on the European continent;
Amendment 55 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas a new impetus is needed to reenergise the enlargement process, ensuring its continuity, consistency, credibility and impact while delivering tangible results and achieving benchmarks within the new enlargement methodology;
Amendment 79 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted three countries with EU Association Agreements – Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova – to submit membership applications; whereas on 23 June 2022, the European Council has granted candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova, while recognizing the European perspective of Georgia;
Amendment 92 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas the Council emphasized in the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence that tangible progress on the rule of law and reforms based on European values, rules and standards needs to continue in order for Western Balkans countries to advance on their European path;
Amendment 93 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the European Council expressed in its Conclusions of 23 and 24 June 2022 its full and unequivocal commitment to the EU membership perspective of the Western Balkans and called for the acceleration of the accession process; whereas it has called for a swift resolution of the last remaining issues between Bulgaria and North Macedonia; whereas the Council expressed its readiness to grant candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina and has invited the Commission to report on the implementation by Bosnia and Herzegovina of the 14 key priorities set out in its opinion with special attention to those which constitute a substantial set of reforms in order for the European Council to revert to decide on the matter; whereas the Council has called on the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina to urgently finalise the constitutional and electoral reforms;
Amendment 95 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
C c. whereas the Strategic Compass expressed that as a matter of security and stability it is of a particular interest to support the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, based on the principles of equality and non-discrimination of all citizens and constituent peoples, as well as to take forward the EU-led Pristina- Belgrade dialogue;
Amendment 102 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. 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 113 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
(a) recognise that the EU’s prosperity and security rests on its ability to defend democracy, human rights and the rules- based multilateral order, including in its immediate neighbourhood;
Amendment 124 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(a a) recognise that enlargement is a vehicle to deepen the security of EU citizens and Member States;
Amendment 129 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) retain the geostrategic relevance and credibility of the EU by enhancing integration in the areas of common foreign, securitstreamlining its decision-making processes and by enhancing integration of EU Member States and likeminded third countries, especially cand defence policies, and by streamlining its decision-making processidate and potential candidate countries, in the areas of common foreign, security and defence policies;
Amendment 145 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
(c) undertake a thorough assessment of the EU’s enlargement capacity and enhance it with the new EU strategy for enlargement, including through necessarywhile confirming the irreplaceability of the impact of the full accession to the EU; avoid rendering progress on the enlargement process conditional on possible EU institutional reforms;
Amendment 185 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
(f) avoid using unresolved bilateral disputes to block candidate countries’ accession processes and rather invest in the resolution of these disputes as they can hinder the implementation of European policies;
Amendment 192 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g
Paragraph 1 – point g
(g) strengthen strategic communication on the benefits of enlargement both in the accession countries and in the Member States; pursue a more active and effective communication strategy and step up efforts in promoting the role and benefits of enlargement and the close partnership between EU and countries in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership, as well as in promoting the EU's financial and technical assistance through EU funded projects and reforms;
Amendment 254 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point m a (new)
(m a) provide the necessary technical and financial assistance to all candidate and potential candidate countries 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 262 #
2022/2064(INI)
(n) recognise Western Balkan countries’ achievements by opening long over-due accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia and granting visa liberalisation to Kosovo without delay; take note of the recent vote in the Bulgarian parliament to lift the country's veto on accession talks with North Macedonia and to initiate accession negotiations without delay;
Amendment 271 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o
Paragraph 1 – point o
(o) Encourage and assist Bosnia and Herzegovina in addressing 14 key priorities, as a precondition for obtaining candidate statusincluding in fostering an internal political agreement on electoral and constitutional reforms, as a precondition for obtaining candidate status in line with Council Conclusion of 23 and 24 June 2022; call on the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina to implement the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and to respect the principles of equality and non-discrimination for all constituent peoples and citizens as enshrined in the Constitution;
Amendment 277 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
(p) encourage the acceleration of Montenegro’s accession process, as the most advanced candidate country; assist and support the new pro-European government in fulfilling all necessary conditions and call for respect for the multi-ethnic identity of the country and the protection of cultural heritage, tradition and languages of all national minorities;
Amendment 288 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q
Paragraph 1 – point q
(q) recognise the threat created by Russia’s war of aggression by immediatelysupport the decision of the European Council to granting EU candidate status to Ukraine and continuing toMoldova and provide political and technical support to Moldova andassistance to Georgia with a view to enabling them country to reach this important milestone as soon as possible, as a clear political signal of support to the people of these countries, and a means to accelerate internal reform processes;
Amendment 337 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u
Paragraph 1 – point u
Amendment 364 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w
Paragraph 1 – point w
(w) improve the consistency, efficiency, visibility and transparency of pre-accession assistance; assist the enlargement countries through pre-accession assistance to build institutional and absorption capacities that enables them to invest in needed reforms in favour of European integration; eliminate the lack of equal distribution of IPA III funds at local and regional within the beneficiaries;
Amendment 7 #
2022/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)
Citation 14 a (new)
— having regard to the Council decision (CFSP) 2021/1143 of 12 July 2021 on a European Union Military Training Mission in Mozambique (EUTM Mozambique),
Amendment 48 #
2022/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas Europe is facing the most complex combination of both military and non-military threats since the end of the Cold War accentuated by Russia’s unjustified and illegal war against Ukraine; whereas this requires the EU to enhance the effectiveness of its security and defence policy to defend its interests and values; whereas the Strategic Compass aims to equip the EU with the necessary tools to make it an effective security provider and an assertive global actor; whereas there is a new urgency to boosting EU security and defence capabilities, including building on the unprecedented support for Ukraine and including the use of the and expansion of the European Peace Facility (EPF);
Amendment 77 #
2022/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas CSDP missions and operations greatly strengthen resilience and stability of the European neighbourhood such as in the Mediterranean, the Western Balkans, Eastern Europe, Sahel and the Horn of Africa by providing services such as military, police, coast guard, border management training and capacity building;
Amendment 80 #
2022/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
C d. whereas the decree of President Vladimir Putin of September 21, 2022 on the announcement of partial mobilization in the Russian Federation caused migratory pressure from Russians fleeing their country at the borders with Georgia, Kazakhstan and the Baltic countries;
Amendment 82 #
2022/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas the operation EUFOR Althea set route towards peace, stabilization and the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina and still plays a pivotal role for the security and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region;
Amendment 83 #
2022/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
C c. whereas the instability and insecurity in the European Southern Neighbourhood, is closely interlinked with and remains an ongoing challenge for European external border management; whereas the EU Border Assistance Mission in Libya and the European Union Naval Force Mediterranean Operation IRINI are contributing to sustainable peace, security and stability by implementing the arms embargo imposed on Libya by the UN Security Council, fighting illicit weapons and human trafficking and with training of the Libyan coastguard;
Amendment 131 #
2022/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Stresses that to combat the increasing threats and the rise of anti- European narratives by third countries in the EU's proximity, the EU has to step up its efforts in providing support, training and capacity building with like-minded partner countries, including by fighting disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks and building resilience to hostile foreign interferences;
Amendment 204 #
2022/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Calls on the Council and the EEAS to include a cultural heritage protection component to its CSDP missions and operations in order to provide assistance and education to local partners in addressing security challenges related to the preservation and protection of cultural heritage; notes that the inclusion of cultural heritage protection and intercultural dialogue into the mission mandates would be beneficial to the process of conflict resolution and reconciliation and to conclude sustainable settlements in mission operations area;
Amendment 290 #
2022/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Expresses deep concern about developments in the Sahel region and the recent coups d’état in the region; condemns the increasing presence of the Kremlin- backed Wagner Group in the Sahel; firmly believes that the latter’s involvement in West Africa runs counter to the objective of bringing peace, security and stability to the region; regrets the decision of Malian authorities to withdraw from the G5 Sahel and deplores the deteriorating security environment in the country that led to the suspension of EU's missions and operations; commends the activities and the role of the ongoing EU's civilian and military missions in the Sahel region whose presence greatly contributes to safety and security of the region; acknowledges that the various international missions have not yet achieved their primary goal of lasting peace in the region and that a reflection process on the mandates and roles of international missions and policies is therefore needed; expresses similar concern over the increased presence and activity of Islamist terrorist groups, in particular Al-Qaeda, Daesh and Al- Shabaab in the Middle East and Africa;
Amendment 306 #
2022/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Supports the review and reinforcement of all CSDP missions and operations by providing them with more robust and flexible mandates; sStresses the need to strengthen their resilience and effectiveness by enabling them to better address hybrid security challenges, such as through better cooperation with other EU actors and like-minded partners outside the EU, enhancing visibility and strategic communication on the benefits of their presence and further investing in cyber defence capabilities and strategic resilience;
Amendment 333 #
2022/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Underlines the persistent and structural problem of ensuring that CSDP missions and operations are fully staffed; calls on the Member States to follow through on their decisions to launch missions and operations by providing the necessary personnel; strongly urges Member States to fulfil their pledges so as to match their actual engagement to their ambitions; welcomes the objective to increase the number of women deployed to civilian CSDP missions and operations, both in managerial and operational positions; encourages to deliver a structured and uniformed gender mainstreaming approach;
Amendment 347 #
2022/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Calls for additional support in training and capacity building in border and crisis management for countries affected by migration flows, including those countries faced by Russian citizens fleeing the Russian Federation since the mobilization, especially for EU's Member States and countries with existing CSDP missions or operations present on their territory;
Amendment 457 #
2022/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Underlines that the EU’s security is closely interlinked with the security of our immediate neighbours, including the Western Balkans; cCalls for deepening military-security cooperation with some EaP countries including by strengthening the security dimension of the EaP and for enhancing security and defence policy dialogues, particularly with Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova; calls for the review and strengthening of the mandate of the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine and the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) to the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in order to adapt to the new geopolitical reality;
Amendment 468 #
2022/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Calls for stronger military-security cooperation with Western Balkan countries, in particular in areas such as border management, resilience, cybersecurity, hybrid threats, counter- terrorism and countering disinformation; welcomes the continued presence of EUFOR’s Operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina and KFOR in Kosovo and their role in building and maintaining a safe and secure environments; reminds that the experiences and lessons learned from both missions add substantial value to all current and future military and civilian CSDP missions and operations;
Amendment 475 #
2022/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26 a. Welcomes the EU's unequivocal support for the extension of EUFOR Althea's mandate; calls on the EU and its international partners, including NATO, to develop appropriate alternative solutions in order to maintain a mechanism to strengthen peace in BiH if the mandate of the UN Security Council for the operation is not extended;
Amendment 478 #
2022/2050(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26 b. Calls for the strengthening of the staffing, response ability, resources and strategic communication of CSDP missions in Bosnia Herzegovina, Ukraine and Georgia and the reinforcement of the EU’s diplomatic presence in the Eastern Partnership countries and in the Western Balkans;
Amendment 2 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
— having regard to the Council conclusions of 24 and 25 March 2022;
Amendment 4 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 b (new)
Citation 3 b (new)
— having regard to the Council conclusions of 23 and 24 June 2022 on Wider Europe, Ukraine, the membership applications of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, Western Balkans, economic issues, the Conference on the Future of Europe and external relations,
Amendment 6 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 c (new)
Citation 3 c (new)
— having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee of the Regions on the 2022 Communication on EU Enlargement Policy of 12 October 2022,
Amendment 16 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7
Citation 7
— having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A9- 0000251/2022) on a European Parliament's Recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the EEAS on the New EU Strategy for Enlargement,
Amendment 26 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the unprovoked and unjustified military aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine has brought war back to the European continent, has seriously undermined European and global security, has created economic uncertainty, has led to a spike in energy prices, has considerable potential to further destabilise many non-EU countries, especially those in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership, and has therefore significantly changed the geopolitical context of the EU’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP);
Amendment 106 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – indent 4
Paragraph 4 – indent 4
- enhancing parliamentary diplomacy as a preventive and effective foreign policy tool;
Amendment 191 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Welcomes the shift in the Member States’ approaches, moving towards creating more EU strategic sovereignty by adopting the Versailles Declaration of 11 March 2022 and the Strategic Compass on 21 March 2022, which highlight the need to strengthen EU defence capabilities and to contribute positively to global and transatlantic security, in close collaboration with NATO; notes that European defence capabilities should be compatible and complementary with NATO, that still remains a foremost security guarantor in Europe;
Amendment 216 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the swift use of the European Peace Facility to support Ukraine, improve its ability to act with sustainable and appropriate funding and build on the European Peace Facility support already delivered to Ukraine, including through the Clearing House Cell;
Amendment 260 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines the importance of continued diplomatic efforts to maintain the strongest possible unity within the international community in condemning Russia and defending international law and the rules-based international order, with the United Nations and its Charter at its core;
Amendment 273 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Welcomes the first meeting of the European Political Community as an EU initiative to provide a diplomatic and political platform for dialogue with partner countries; takes note of its contribution to strengthen the security and stability of the European continent in cooperation with all its actors;
Amendment 282 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Highlights the need to intensify the dialogue with the UKnited Kingdom on possible avenues for future cooperation and coordination in the area of foreign and security policy, including in the framework of the EU- NATO partnership, the United Nations and other international forums; calls for stronger involvement of the United Kingdom in European security and defence projects and welcomes in this regard the decision of PESCO members to invite the UK to join the military mobility project, which would improve mutual rapid security and defence assistance;
Amendment 287 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Underlines the importance of the full implementation of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, including the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as the Trade and Cooperation Agreement; stresses the importance of the Protocol for maintaining peace and stability on the Northern Irish border ensured by the Good Friday Agreement, as well for the integrity and proper functioning of the European Single Market;
Amendment 290 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Underlines the importance of strong transatlantic cooperation based on shared values and objectives, and on the principle of partnership of equals in leadership and responsibility, while respecting the other party’s autonomy, interests and aspirations; welcomes the ongoing cooperation, determination and united stance in supporting Ukraine, and in implementing unprecedented sanction regime with a goal of deterring Russia from continuing its illegal aggression; fully supports and commits to pursuing synergies and shared foreign and security objectives by further deepening cooperation in the framework of the EU-US transatlantic dialogue, such as through transatlantic parliamentary diplomacy; welcomes in this regard the work of the Transatlantic Trade and Technology Council and reiterates its proposal for the establishment of a Transatlantic Political Council;
Amendment 360 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Acknowledges that the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is having a negative impact and possible spill-over effect on the Eastern Partnership countries first and foremost; calls for the EU institutions and the Member States to engage in a thorough reflection on a reform of the Eastern Partnership policy in line with new geopolitical realities; calls for the full implementation of the Enhanced Partnership Agreement with Armenia and underlines the need to continue negotiations on the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan;
Amendment 371 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Regrets the continued tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan and welcomes the mediation efforts of the European Union as an 'honest broker' to prevent further escalation and achieve a sustainable peace in the South Caucasus; welcomes the deployment of a civilian CSDP mission to Armenia to contribute to the border delimitation with up to 40 European monitoring experts along the Armenian side of the international border with Azerbaijan with the objective of monitoring, analysing and reporting on the situation in the region;
Amendment 374 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Welcomes the Council decision of 17 October 2022 to set up a Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) in order to contribute to enhancing the military capabilities of Ukraine's Armed Forces; recognises the current work of the EU Advisory Mission for Civilian Security Sector Reform in Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine) and welcomes the recent adjustment of its mandate in order to support Ukrainian authorities to facilitate the investigation and prosecution of any international crimes committed in the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine;
Amendment 381 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Underlines that the war in Ukraine has prompted the EU to prioritise its enlargement policy; welcomes the granting of candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova, and calls for it to be granted to Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, provided that the priorities specified in the Commission’s opinions have been addressed; underscores that enlargement has proven to be an effective foreign policy tool; calls for a more active and effective communication strategy and to step up efforts in promoting the role and benefits of enlargement and the close partnership between EU and countries in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership, as well as in promoting the EU's financial and technical assistance through EU funded projects, reforms and CSDP missions;
Amendment 404 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Reiterates its strong support for the European future of the Western Balkans; welcomes the start of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia; calls on the Member States to renew their commitment to enlargement by delivering on the EU’s commitments towards the Western Balkan countries, in particular by lifting visa requirements for Kosovo citizens; welcomes the start of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia; welcomes the European Council’s readiness to grant candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and urges the country’s political actors to show commitment and make significant s and granting Bosnia and Herzegovina candidate status; underlines the importance of European integration of these partner stateps towards EU membership by advancingfor the stability and security onf the 14 key priorities and implementing the substantial set of reformsEuropean continent as a whole;
Amendment 407 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Welcomes the European Commission's recommendation to grant candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina under a set of conditions; calls on the European Council to adopt this recommendation and urges the country’s political actors to intensify efforts in reaching a final political agreement on the electoral and constitutional reform in accordance with the decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH and international courts in order to ensure the principles of equality and non-discrimination for all constituent peoples and citizens as enshrined in the Constitution; stresses that the European perspective of Bosnia and Herzegovina is possible only by making significant steps by advancing on the 14 key priorities and implementing the substantial set of reforms;
Amendment 408 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Commends the work of operation EUFOR Althea that set route towards peace, stabilization and the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina; reminds that this mission still plays a pivotal role for the security and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and calls for the EU and its international partners to develop appropriate alternative if the mandate of the UN Security Council for the operation is not extended;
Amendment 409 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 c (new)
Paragraph 24 c (new)
24c. Notes that the Council acknowledged in the Strategic Compass that the security and stability throughout the Western Balkans is still not a given and that there is a risk of potential spill over from the current deterioration of the European security situation; reminds that the Strategic Compass calls for support to the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, based on the principles of equality and non-discrimination of all citizens and constituent peoples as enshrined in the Bosnia and Herzegovina constitution as a way to ensure security in the region;
Amendment 416 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 d (new)
Paragraph 24 d (new)
24d. Deplores the Turkish Government's recent threatening rhetoric towards EU Member State and its NATO ally Greece and is deeply concerned by Turkey's assertive foreign policy in the East Mediterranean; urges all parties involved to reduce tensions and promote the resumption of diplomatic dialogue in order to find sustainable solutions for the disputes in the region;
Amendment 427 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 e (new)
Paragraph 24 e (new)
24e. Takes note of the Commission's 2022 progress report on Serbia and calls again on country's authorities to fully align with the European common foreign and security policy, in particular regarding the adoption of the sanction regime in response to the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine; reminds that Serbia, as a country that strives towards European integration, has to adhere to the common values and rights;
Amendment 428 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Commission to support the countries of the Southern Neighbourhood in recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and to cushion the adverse effects on these countries of the supply shocks and price increases resulting from the war in Ukraine; stresses that the instability and insecurity in the European Southern Neighbourhood is closely interlinked with European external border management and remains an ongoing challenge; calls on the European Union and its Member States to step up cooperation with partner countries in the Southern Neighbourhood in order to mitigate consequences of irregular migration, human trafficking and smuggling of illicit weapons and cultural goods and prevent violent extremism in order to preserve security and stability on the southern European external borders;
Amendment 477 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls on the international community to mitigate as much as possible the negative spillover of the consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine on the Arctic, the peaceful conservation of which should remain a priority; calls for a stronger EU engagement in the region as it is of key strategic importance for the European Union, in view of climate change, industrial and economic policies, free navigation as well as geostrategic influence;
Amendment 486 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Stresses the importance of strengthening relations with Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) by updating the EU-LAC strategy, in particular against the backdrop of the increasing and disproportionate influence of China and Russia in the region in comparison with the EU; calls on the EU Members States and the EEAS to pursue pro-active diplomacy in the region and further strengthen existing like-minded partnerships, trade relations, investment, democracy support and interparliamentary cooperation; stresses, in this context, the importance of concluding balanced and modernised agreements with Chile, Mexico, and Mercosur with a strong human rights dimension and aligned with the goals of the European Green Deal, provided that, in the case of Mercosur, agreement is reached on the additional instrument;
Amendment 494 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls on the Commission and the VP/HR to implement the commitments agreed on at the AU-EU Summit, to swiftly implement the Global Gateway projects in Africa and to strengthen partnerships in field of security, trade, health, development and assistance in mitigating COVID-19 pandemic with countries on the African continent, in line with the Strategic Compass;
Amendment 500 #
2022/2048(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Calls on the improvement of the European Union's preventive diplomacy as a pro-active external policy tool to avoid conflicts between third parties from breaking out and to support them to find peaceful solutions for rising tensions;
Amendment 2 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)
Citation 12 a (new)
— having regard to the Declaration adopted during the informal meeting of European Union Member State ministers responsible for Cultural and European Affairs, held in Paris on 3 May 2019,
Amendment 3 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 b (new)
Citation 12 b (new)
— having regard to the Resolution adopted by the Council of Europe establishing an Enlarged Partial Agreement (EPA) on Cultural Routes (CM/Res(2010)53),
Amendment 4 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 c (new)
Citation 12 c (new)
— having regard to the Santiago de Compostela Declaration of the Council of Europe of 23 October 1987, on the occasion of the proclamation of the Camino de Santiago as the first European Cultural Route,
Amendment 5 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 d (new)
Citation 12 d (new)
— having regard to the Statement of 30 December 2020 by Margaritis Schinas, European Commission Vice-President and Commissioner for Promoting our European Way of Life, on the Compostela Holy Year 2021,
Amendment 17 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas Europe is a cultural community, based on shared values and history and on the success of economic integration; whereas, without prejudice to the cultural diversity of its peoples, there is in Europe a basic body of many artistic and cultural manifestations;
Amendment 21 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the exceptional historical and cultural heritage of Europe – to which the European Cultural Routes bear witness – is the main visible symbol of the permanent ties and exchanges between our citizens and our nations and is key in the formation of a European spirit;
Amendment 22 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas Article 167(3) of the TFEU states that ‘the Union and the Member States shall foster cooperation with third countries and the competent international organisations in the sphere of culture, in particular the Council of Europe’;
Amendment 24 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas supporting culture as an engine for sustainable social and economic development benefits the EU's relationship with its partners around the world;
Amendment 24 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Ad. whereas the Camino de Santiago Routes and the other European Cultural Routes, which occupy a prominent position in the geography of the European continent, have played and continue to play an important role in the feeling of belonging to a shared European culture;
Amendment 27 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage promoted culture and cultural heritage; whereas the preservation, protection and promotion of cultural heritage in all forms is an important driver for strengthening intercultural relations, peace, democracy, sustainable development, reconciliation and cultural coexistence;
Amendment 28 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas clearly targeted resources for international cultural relations would greatly enhance its ability to fully develop and support the EU's intercultural relations as a valuable component of the diplomatic toolbox;
Amendment 39 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Amendment 43 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas illiberal and authoritarian regimes attempt to redefine international rules and values by challenging their universality and claiming them to be a weapon of cultural hegemony deployed by the EU; whereas in order to combat such claims it is necessary for the EU to further invest in strategic communication and visibility campaigns to promote shared values and cultural heritage;
Amendment 56 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Acknowledges the efforts of the Commission and the European External Action Service to implement the EU strategy for international cultural relations, demonstrating the EU’s added value and advancing cultural cooperation and relations with partner countries;
Amendment 74 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for the development of strategies based on international cultural relations for EU delegations and other EU actors in their relations with third countries; calls for better cooperation between the EU and third countries in protection of cultural heritage and fight against illicit trafficking of cultural goods;
Amendment 80 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls for greater focus in protecting and preserving cultural heritage after conflicts and crises as it can help to protect identity, develop mutual understanding and create the foundations for sustainable recovery, reconciliation and lasting peace in post-conflict environments;
Amendment 84 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls on the EU to invest through its instruments in educational programs in partner countries and to cooperate with youth organisations and educational institutions on raising awareness and the development of necessary skills and knowledge to preserve cultural heritage;
Amendment 97 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls to strengthen the cultural heritage component within the EU's instruments and work of its delegations; calls to implement the aforementioned component into current and future Common Security and Defence missions and operations in order to provide assistance and education to local partners in addressing security challenges related to the preservation and protection of cultural heritage and fight against illicit trafficking of cultural goods;
Amendment 103 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Welcomes the cooperation with international and regional organisations focussing on cultural relations and cultural heritage preservation; calls to increase interaction with local actors, including religious communities and faith-based organisations;
Amendment 118 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Welcomes the Pilot Project - Establishing a European Heritage Hub to support a holistic and cost-effective follow-up of the European Year of Cultural Heritage;
Amendment 119 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Encourages the Commission to bring forward the legacy of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 to support the creation of more partnerships with the private, public and non-profit sectors for the preservation of cultural heritage;
Amendment 199 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Calls on the Commission to consider creating a special European fund to contribute to the recovery, protection, restoration and promotion of our cultural heritage;
Amendment 205 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Invites the Commission to incorporate cultural heritage as a strategic and crosscutting priority in the Work Plan for Culture 2023-2026;
Amendment 231 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Highlights the success of the European Capitals of Culture initiative with respect to the development of cities and regions across the EU and associated countries; reiterates the importance of the European Heritage Label as a project enhancing awareness of the cultural and historical roots of the EU in an innovative way;
Amendment 236 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Acknowledges the important contribution of the New European Bauhaus initiative for cultural heritage; underlines the significant role it can play in preserving cultural heritage across and beyond the EU, notably by combining sustainable and energy efficient building practices and ensuring the protection of cultural heritage in case of natural and man-made disasters by adding a safety element;
Amendment 244 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Highlights the vast contribution that the arts and culture make to raising awareness of environmental, climate and sustainability issues, and inspiring positive behavioural change; encourages the Commission to work more closely with Member States and civil society and national and local organisations to raise awareness about this topic among citizens;
Amendment 251 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Believes that cultural heritage can help the EU to attain its ambitious objectives of becoming climate-neutral by 2050; recalls that the renovation of heritage and other ancient buildings should always be carried out in compliance with the national rules on conservation, the 1964 Venice Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites, and the original architecture; stresses that preserving the environment implies, more broadly, to respect the built heritage, be it or not strictly protected according to the national legislations;
Amendment 254 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Amendment 260 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Encourages the Commission and Member States to ensure better mobility of cultural and creative students and young professionals, especially through the Erasmus+ programme and other European and national initiatives;
Amendment 266 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Acknowledges digitalisation as a means of maximising the benefits of cultural heritage, noting the need for reskilling of CCSI employees;
Amendment 289 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Regrets the lack of a clear and coherent strategy for international cultural relations (ICR); strongly encourages the Commission and the EEAS to develop coherent strategies and regularly exchange practices and lessons learned; recommends that these strategies invest in the visibility and strategic communication about the EU's shared cultural heritage and its contribution to the promotion of democracy and our shared values;
Amendment 293 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Urges the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to apply a bottom- up and a people-to-people approach when building their cultural relations with countries outside the EU; notes that cooperation with local intercultural and interreligious actors and organisations is vital in strengthening relations based on shared values, peace, tolerance and mutual understanding;
Amendment 306 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to strengthen cooperation with the Council of Europe, particularly with the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, with a view to promoting the fundamental values of cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and the sustainable regional development of lesser-known destinations, at the same time as preserving their shared cultural heritage;
Amendment 307 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 b (new)
Paragraph 32 b (new)
32b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States, and on citizens’ associations, to: (a) continue the work of identifying and mapping the Camino de Santiago Routes and the other European Cultural Routes, including in digital format; (b) signpost the routes to Santiago de Compostela that cross the European continent, using the symbols suggested by the Council of Europe; (c) develop a coordinated plan to protect and rehabilitate cultural and natural heritage in the neighbourhood of these Cultural Routes; (d) set up cultural programmes and activities to continue rediscovering the historical, literary, musical and artistic heritage created along the European Cultural Routes; (e) promote the establishment of exchanges and twinnings between the villages, towns and regions located along these Cultural Routes;
Amendment 308 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 c (new)
Paragraph 32 c (new)
32c. Calls on the Commission, building on the success of ‘DiscoverEU’, the free Interrail initiative for young people, to consider creating an action within the framework of the Erasmus+ programme so that young Europeans can obtain a travel voucher to visit and discover the Camino de Santiago Routes and other European Cultural Routes;
Amendment 309 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 d (new)
Paragraph 32 d (new)
32d. Highlights the importance of the major European museums organising exhibitions that emphasise the European character of many of the continent’s artistic manifestations, which transcend national borders;
Amendment 312 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Insists on the need to step up the fight against illicit trafficking in cultural goods; calls for better cooperation between the EU and third countries in the preservation and protection of cultural heritage and the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural goods;
Amendment 321 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Recalls the importance of promoting culture as a facilitator of sustainable developmentsocial and economic development; underlines the valuable role that culture has in building peaceful inter-community relations and bringing people together;
Amendment 323 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to assist Ukraine in its reconstruction and restoration efforts of damages in the culture and heritage sector caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine;
Amendment 325 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Recalls that promoting and safeguarding culture is both an end in itself and a key contributor to the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; calls on the Commission and EEAS to organise more briefings and exchanges of views and practices in order to ensure the proper implementation of these common priorities;
Amendment 331 #
2022/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Highlights the potential of culture and cultural heritage as a vector of peace, reconciliation and conflict prevention; calls on the Commission and EEAS to emphasise the role that culture can play in this regard and to provide assistance and education to partners in Member States and third countries in addressing security challenges related especially to the preservation and protection of cultural heritage in conflict areas and the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural goods;
Amendment 118 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Citation 1
Citation 1
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 114 and 167 thereof,
Amendment 122 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1 a (new)
Recital 1 a (new)
(1a) Reminds that all media service providers are free to offer their services across the EU; encourages a better dialogue between the media industry, responsible bodies in Member States and the Board in order to strengthen media freedom and media pluralism that will effectively combat disinformation and foreign interference; underlines the importance of using good practices from the EU to assist EU candidate states and partner countries, particularly the Western Balkans.
Amendment 124 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) GReminds that media pluralism and media freedom is one of the main pillars of democracy and it should also be considered as a cultural good which is crucial to maintain cultural and linguistic diversity; given their unique role, the protection of media freedom and pluralism is an essential feature of a well-functioning internal market for media services (or ‘internal media market’). This market has substantially changed since the beginning of the new century, becoming increasingly digital and international. It offers many economic opportunities but also faces a number of challenges. The Union should help the media sector seize those opportunities within the internal market, while at the same time protecting the values, such as the protection of the fundamental rights, that are common to the Union and to its Member States.
Amendment 125 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) In the digital media space, citizens and businesses access and consume media content, immediately available on their personal devices, increasingly in a cross- border setting. Global online platforms act as gateways to media content, with business models that tend to disintermediate access to media services and amplify polarising content and disinformation. These platforms are also essential providers of online advertising, which has diverted financial resources from the media sector, affecting its financial sustainability, and consequently the diversity of content on offer. As such, both global online platforms, as well as social media, search engines and possible AI generated content and mechanisms should be regulated better and fall under the scope of this regulation. As media services are knowledge- and capital- intensive, they require scale to remain competitive and to thrive in the internal market. To that effect, the possibility to offer services across borders and obtain investment including from or in other Member States is particularly important.
Amendment 144 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) In the digitalised media market, providers of video-sharing platforms or very large online platforms or hosting services in general may fall under the definition of media service provider. In general, such providers play a key role in the content organisation, including by automated means or algorithms, but do not exercise editorial responsibility over the content to which they provide access. However, in the increasingly convergent media environment, some providers of video-sharing platforms or very large online platforms have started to exercise editorial control over a section or sections of their services. Therefore, such an entity could be qualified both as a video-sharing platform provider or a very large online platform provider and as a media service provider.
Amendment 157 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) In order to ensure that society reaps the benefits of the internal media market, it is essential not only to guarantee the fundamental freedoms under the Treaty, but also the legal certainty which the recipients of media services need for the enjoyment of the corresponding benefits. Such recipients should have access to quality media services in their respective languages, including smaller languages, which have been produced by journalists and editors in an independent manner and in line with journalistic standards and hence provide trustworthy information, including news and current affairs content.; reminds how important it is to ensure fair remuneration and protection of journalists; Such right does not entail any correspondent obligation on any given media service provider to adhere to standards not set out explicitly by law. Such quality media services are also an antidote against disinformation, including foreign information manipulation and interference. ; underlines the importance of cooperation between Member States, the Commission and the Board in finding sustainable solutions to protect journalists and mitigate any kinds of threats to editorial independence, media freedom and media pluralism;
Amendment 164 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The protection of editorial independence is a precondition for exercising the activity of media service providers and their professional integrity. Editorial independence is especially important for media service providers providing news and current affairs content given its societal role as a public good. MWithout affecting the rules of Directive 2010/13/EU and their implementation by the Member States, media service providers should be able to exercise their economic activities freely in the internal market and compete on equal footing in an increasingly online environment where information flows across borders.
Amendment 166 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) Member States have taken different approaches to the protection of editorial independence, which is increasingly challenged across the Union. In particular, there is growing interference with editorial decisions of media service providers in several Member States. Such interference can be direct or indirect, from the State or other actors, including public authorities, elected officials, government officials and politicians, for example to obtain a political advantage; underlines the importance of ensuring transparent and independent information flow that is crucial for strenghtening citizens' trust and their democratic participation. Shareholders and other private parties who have a stake in media service providers may act in ways which go beyond the necessary balance between their own business freedom and freedom of expression, on the one hand, and editorial freedom of expression and the information rights of users, on the other hand, in pursuit of economic or other advantage. Moreover, recent trends in media distribution and consumption, including in particular in the online environment, have prompted Member States to consider laws aimed at regulating the provision of media content. Approaches taken by media service providers to guarantee editorial independence also vary. As a result of such interference and fragmentation of regulation and approaches, the conditions for the exercise of economic activities by media service providers and, ultimately, the quality of media services received by citizens and businesses are negatively affected in the internal market. It is thus necessary to put in place effective safeguards enabling the exercise of editorial freedom across the Union so that media service providers can independently produce and distribute their content across borders and service recipients can receive such content.; encourages cross-border cooperation and sharing of best practices between Member States and EU partner countries, notably EU candidate countries;
Amendment 170 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) Journalists and editors are the main actors in the production and provision of trustworthy media content, in particular by reporting on news or current affairs. It is essential therefore to protect editorial freedom, ensure a quality and safe work landscape and protect journalists’ capability to collect, fact-check and analyse information, including information imparted confidentially both in the real and online world. In particular, media service providers and journalists (including those operating in non-standard forms of employment, such as freelancers) should be able to rely on a robust protection of journalistic sources and communications, including against deployment of surveillance technologies, since without such protection sources may be deterred from assisting the media in informing the public on matters of public interest. As a result, journalists’ freedom to exercise their economic activity and fulfil their vital ‘public watchdog’ role may be undermined, thus affecting negatively access to quality media services. The protection of journalistic sources contributes to the protection of the fundamental right enshrined in Article 11 of the Charter.
Amendment 187 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) Public service media established by the Member States play a particular role in the internal media market, by ensuring that citizens and businesses have access to quality information and impartial media coverage, as part of their mission. However, public service media can be particularly exposed to the risk of interference, given their institutional proximity to the State and the public funding they receive. This risk may be exacerbated by uneven safeguards related to independent governance and balanced coverage by public service media across the Union. This situation may lead to biased or partial media coverage, distort competition in the internal media market and negatively affect access to independent and impartial media services. It is thus necessary, building on the international standards developed by the Council of Europe in this regard, to put in place legal safeguards for the independent functioning of public service media across the Union. It is also necessary to guarantee that, without prejudice to the application of the Union’s State aid rules, public service media providers benefit from sufficient and stable funding to fulfil their mission that enables predictability in their planning. Preferably, such funding should be decided and appropriated on a multi-year basis, in line with the public service mission of public service media providers, to avoid potential for undue influence from yearly budget negotiations. The requirements laid down in this Regulation do not affect the competence of Member States to provide for the funding of public service media as enshrined in Protocol 29 on the system of public broadcasting in the Member States, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.; proposes that Member States ensure a high level of transparency for the received funding in order to be able to track any possible iregularities concering the source of funding;
Amendment 206 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) Media integrity also requires a proactive approach to promote editorial independence by news media companies, in particular through internal safeguards. Media service providers should adopt proportionate measures to guarantee, once the overall editorial line has been agreed between their owners and editors, the freedom of the editors to take individual decisions in the course of their professional activity. The objective to shield editors from undue interference in their decisions taken on specific pieces of content as part of their everyday work contributes to ensuring a level playing field in the internal market for media services and the quality of such services. That objective is also in conformity with the fundamental right to receive and impart information under Article 11 of the Charter. In view of these considerations, media service providers should also ensure transparency of actual or potential conflicts of interest to their service recipients.
Amendment 322 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 38
Recital 38
(38) Different legislative, regulatory or administrative measures can negatively affect the operation of media service providers in the internal market. They includemedia pluralism and editorial independence by restricting the possibility for media service providers in the internal market to provide access to a plurality of views and to reliable sources of information by citizens and businesses alike. Those measures can take various forms such as, for example, rules to limit the ownership of media companies by other companies active in the media sector or non-media related sectors; they also include or decisions related to licensing, authorisation or prior notification for media service providers. In order to mitigate their potential negative impact on the functioning of the internal market for media services and enhance legal certainty, it is important that such measures comply with the principles of objective justification, adequateness, transparency, non- discrimination and proportionality.
Amendment 406 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point f
Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point f
(f) Regulation (EU) 2022/XXX [Regulation on the transparency and targeting of political advertising].; and the implementation of the aforementioned directives into national law;
Amendment 407 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 (new)
- Directive 2001/29/EC - Directive 2010/13/EU and Directive 2018/1808, with the exception of Art.27 of the Regulation; - Directive 2019/789/EU and particularly the scope of news and current affairs defined in its recital 10;
Amendment 420 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
(1) ‘media service’ means a service as defined by Articles 56 and 57 of the Treaty, where the principal purpose of the service or a dissociable section thereof consists in providing programmes or press publications to the general public, by any means, in order to inform, entertain or educate, under the editorial responsibility of a media service provideras defined into Directive 2010/13/EU;
Amendment 448 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 13
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 13
(13) ‘media market concentration’ significantly impacting media pluralism means a concentration as defined in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 involving at least one media service provider, one provider of very large online platform or one provider of very large onine search engine, and which has a significant impact on the structure of the media market;
Amendment 458 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 14
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 14
(14) ‘audience measurement’ means the activity of collecting, interpreting or otherwise processing data about the number and characteristics of users of media services and users of online platforms for the purposes of decisions regarding advertising allocation or prices or the relatedregarding the planning, production or distribution of content;
Amendment 464 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 14 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 14 a (new)
(14a) ´proprietary audience measurement systems´ means audience measurement systems used by online platforms without market governance or outside of industry standards agreed by relevant self-regulatory bodies;
Amendment 607 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. Without prejudice to national constitutional laws consistent with the Charter, media service providers providing news and current affairs content shall take measures that they deem appropriate with a view to guaranteeing the independence of individual editorial decisions. In particular, such measures shall aim to:
Amendment 615 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) guarantee that editors are free to take individual editorial decisions in the exercise of their professional activity in accordance with the editorial line; and
Amendment 639 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 3
Article 6 – paragraph 3
3. The obligations under this Article shall not apply to media service providers that are micro enterprise-undertakings or small undertakings within the meaning of Article 3 of Directive 2013/34/EU.
Amendment 670 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 2
Article 8 – paragraph 2
2. The Board shall replace and succeed the European Regulators Group for Audiovisual Media Services (ERGA) established by Directive 2010/13/EU.; proposes that ERGA becomes a subsection of the Board, in charge of the implementation of Directive 2010/13/EU;
Amendment 673 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
The Board shall act in full independence, including from political, economic or other sources of influence when performing its tasks or exercising its powers. In particular, the Board shall, in the performance of its tasks or the exercise of its powers, neither seek nor take instructions from any government, institution, person or body. This shall not affect the competences of the Commission or the national regulatory authorities or bodies in conformity with this Regulation. ; reminds of the importance of ensuring independence of the Board and calls on the Commission to appoint an external expert to carry out annual evaluations and supervision of the independent work and activities of the board;
Amendment 681 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1
Article 10 – paragraph 1
1. The Board shall be composed of representatives of national regulatory authorities or bodies referred to in Article 30 of Directive 2010/13/EU.; reminds the importance of maintaining quality coherence and transparent cooperation with national regulatory bodies while carrying out its obligations;
Amendment 740 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 1
Article 11 – paragraph 1
1. The Board shall have a secretariat, which shall be provided byindependent of the Commission. and Member States;
Amendment 763 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Without prejudice to the powers granted to the Commission by the Treaties, the Board shall promote the effective and consistent application of this Regulation and of national rules implementing Directive 2010/13/EU throughout the Union. In order to be fully efficient, there should be a structured hierarchy and clear chain of responsibility in order to maintain a balance between national and EU's competences. The Board shall:
Amendment 766 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) support the Commission, through technical expertise, in ensuring the correct application of this Regulation and the consistent implementation of Directive 2010/13/EU across all Member States, without prejudice to the tasks of national regulatory authorities or bodies; proposes to first establish regular detection of media pluralism and media freedom violations in cooperation with competent national bodies in all Member States;
Amendment 769 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point a – point i (new)
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point a – point i (new)
i) Calls on the Board to define a clear criteria to determine the level of media freedom and media pluralism violations in EU Member States; proposes to establish quality cooperation with competent bodies in EU partner countries and EU candidate countries, notably the Western Balkans countries;
Amendment 770 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point a – point ii (new)
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point a – point ii (new)
ii) Calls on the Board to establish an official qualification and ranking of Member States based on the state of media freedom and media pluralism in regards to the results of the monitoring; based on these results, calls on the Board to develop personalised recommendations and strategies for each country taking into account their national regulations, single market objectives and cultural diversity; underlines the importance of providing additional assistance to smaller Member States and those with a particularly high level of media violations;
Amendment 833 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point i
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point i
(i) upon request of at least one of the concerned authorities, mediate in the case of disagreements between national regulatory authorities or bodies, in accordance with Article 14(3) of this Regulation; proposes that in case of any detected irregularities, the Board should notify the concerned Member State and recommend sanctions to solve the problem;
Amendment 920 #
2022/0277(COD)
(a) the appropriate prominence of audiovisual media services of general interest under Article 7a and Article 13.1 of Directive 2010/13/EU;
Amendment 921 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) making information accessible on the ownership structure of media service providers, as provided under Article 5(2) of Directive 2010/13/EU, as well as their subsidiaries, sister companies and parent companies; and helping Member States to seize this possibility.
Amendment 1106 #
2022/0277(COD)
1. Any legislative, regulatory or administrative measure taken by a Member State that is liable to affect the operationmedia pluralism and editorial independence of media service providers in the internal market, and therefore to affect the access to a plurality of views and to reliable sources of information in every language by citizens and business alike shall be duly justified and proportionate. Such measures shall be reasoned, adequate, transparent, objective and non- discriminatory.
Amendment 1136 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 20 – paragraph 5
Article 20 – paragraph 5
5. Where a national authority or body adopts a measure that affects individually and directly a media service provider and is likely to affect the functioning of the internal market for media services, it shall communicate, at the request of the Board, and where applicable, of the Commission, without undue delay and by electronic means, any relevant information, including the summary of the facts, its measure, the grounds on which the national authority or body has based its measure, and, where applicable, the views of other authorities concerned. The Board, upon request by a media service provider individually and directly affected by a measure or by the Commission, shall draw up an opinion on the measure.
Amendment 1166 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 21 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) the impact of the concentration on media pluralism, including its effects on the formation of public opinion and on the diversity of media players on the market, taking into account the online environmentfocusing on activities related to the provision of information, taking into account the online environment, the important role of public service media providers and the parties’ interests, links or activities in other media or non-media businesses;
Amendment 1235 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 23 – paragraph 2
Article 23 – paragraph 2
2. Without prejudice to the protection of undertakings’ business secrets, providers of proprietary audience measurement systems shall provide, without undue delay and free of costs, to media service providers and, advertisers, and right holders, as well as to third parties authorised by media service providers and advertisers, accurate, detailed, comprehensive, intelligible and up-to-date information on the data collected and on the methodology used by their audience measurement systems. Right holders should also have access to consumption data collected regarding their own programs. This provision shall not affect the Union’s data protection and privacy rules.
Amendment 1275 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 24 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. Public authorities, including EU institutions, national, federal or regional governments, regulatory authorities or bodies, as well as state-owned enterprises or other state- controlled entities at the national or regional level, or local governments of territorial entities of more than 1 million inhabitants, shall make publicly available accurate, comprehensive, intelligible, detailed and yearly information about their advertising expenditure allocated to media service providers and providers of online platforms, which shall include at least the following details:
Amendment 1323 #
2022/0277(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 25 – paragraph 3 – point a
Article 25 – paragraph 3 – point a
(a) a detailed annual analysis of the resilience of media markets of all Member States, including as regards and EU partner countries, notably the Western Balkans and EU candidate states, including cooperation on drafting comprehensive reports on the level of media concentration and risks of foreign information manipulation and interference;
Amendment 28 #
2022/0000(INI)
Proposal for a recommendation
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the Russian armed forces are deliberately and indiscriminately shelling civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, emergency and care facilities, train and bus stations, homes and shelters;
Amendment 50 #
2022/0000(INI)
Proposal for a recommendation
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas Parliament is resolved to do its part to counter the Russian Federation’s attempts to destroy the foundations of international security and stability¸ including the principle of territorial integrity, national sovereignty and the rules based international order;
Amendment 57 #
2022/0000(INI)
Proposal for a recommendation
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas the Council acknowledged in the Strategic Compass that the security and stability throughout the Western Balkans is still not a given and that there is a risk of potential spill over from the current deterioration of the European security situation; whereas the Strategic Compass calls for support to the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, based on the principles of equality and non- discrimination of all citizens and constituent peoples as enshrined in the Bosnia and Herzegovina constitution as a way to ensure security in the region;
Amendment 158 #
2022/0000(INI)
Proposal for a recommendation
Paragraph 1 – point g
Paragraph 1 – point g
(g) fight and counter propaganda and disinformation campaigns in Europe, its southern neighbourhood and around the world, especially in the Western Balkans and Eastern partnership countries;
Amendment 179 #
2022/0000(INI)
Proposal for a recommendation
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
(h) draw lessons from the use of the European Peace Facility in order to support Ukraine, increase its funding, expand its ability to act, and build on the clearing house mechanism which was first implemented with Ukraine;
Amendment 189 #
2022/0000(INI)
Proposal for a recommendation
Paragraph 1 – point i
Paragraph 1 – point i
(i) improve intelligence sharing among the Member States and with our NATO and G7 partners, and engage in a systematic, regular and frequent updates of the threat analysis included in the Strategic Compass;
Amendment 211 #
2022/0000(INI)
Proposal for a recommendation
New heading after paragraph 1 – point k
New heading after paragraph 1 – point k
On enlargement and relations with countries in the European neighbourhood
Amendment 215 #
2022/0000(INI)
Proposal for a recommendation
Paragraph 1 – point k a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point k a (new)
(ka) accelerate the enlargement process in the Western Balkans, based on results and merit, with a focus on the reform process, strengthening democracy, the rule of law and economic progress as the European integration of these countries is essential for long-term stability and security of the European Union;
Amendment 216 #
2022/0000(INI)
Proposal for a recommendation
Paragraph 1 – point k b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point k b (new)
(kb) increase and expand the current European pre-accession, investment and macro-financial assistance to the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership countries and foster closer trade, security cooperation;
Amendment 217 #
2022/0000(INI)
Proposal for a recommendation
Paragraph 1 – point k c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point k c (new)
(kc) intensify efforts in countering economic, political and media influences of third countries in these regions which aim at spreading disinformation and diminishing credibility of the EU and its shared standards and values;
Amendment 218 #
2022/0000(INI)
Proposal for a recommendation
Paragraph 1 – point k d (new)
Paragraph 1 – point k d (new)
(kd) ensure that countries that are determined to embrace European values and continue their path in accession and closer relations with the EU receive unwavering political, economic and administrative support in order to achieve these goals;
Amendment 225 #
2022/0000(INI)
Proposal for a recommendation
Paragraph 1 – point l
Paragraph 1 – point l
(l) review and strengthen, without delay, the mandate of the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine and the European Union Border Assistance Mission (EUBAM) to Moldova and Ukraine, in line with the needs expressed by the Ukrainian and Moldovan authorities in order to adapt to the new geopolitical reality;
Amendment 230 #
2022/0000(INI)
Proposal for a recommendation
Paragraph 1 – point m
Paragraph 1 – point m
(m) strengthen the staffing, response ability, resources and strategic communication of CSDP missions in Bosnia Herzegovina and Georgia and reinforce the EU’s diplomatic presence in the Eastern Partnership countries and in the Western Balkans;
Amendment 32 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas Europe finds itself in a moment of ecological, digital and social transition, which is being accelerated by the economic and social impact of COVID- 19 and geopolitical tensions linked to the war on Ukraine in a context of rising populism and anti-European sentiment; highlights the importance of defining the role that the New European Bauhaus can play in this regard by contributing to the reconstruction of housing, buildings, historical and cultural landmarks in war afflicted areas in Ukraine; notes that the same practice can be used in EU Member States and other partner countries in Europe, notably the Western Balkans and the Eastern and Southern neighbourhood countries;
Amendment 39 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the EU has been responding to the challenges of environmental degradation, climate change and the increasing scarcity of natural resources with far-reaching and ambitious political endeavours such as the European Green Deal, which is driving the quest for renewal and innovation; recalls that, as the ‘soul’ of the European Green Deal, the New European Bauhaus aims to address Europe's spatial and environmental needs in a transdisciplinary, sustainable, inclusive, secure, cultural and aesthetic way; whereas the participation of citizens, professionals, civil society, organisations, institutions and authorities on all levels is vital in achieving the NEB goals;
Amendment 49 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas culture is a strategic sector for the EU which helps to bolster its economy, to enable us to live better together and to build democratic and free societies, and yet has been one of the areas hardest hit by the pandemic; whereas the New European Bauhaus can enable further investment in the sector and engage different actors in its implementation on the ground, particularly organisations and SMEs from all regions, including urban, peripheral, less populated, rural, insular, mountainous and remote areas; recalls the importance of respecting geographical balance in this regard and with respect to all objectives of the NEB, including the safety component;
Amendment 65 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas architecture, urban and territorial planning, design, the arts, sociology and engineering are complementary and instrumental for building an sustainable and inclusive society; whereas it is important to use an integrated, multilevel and participatory approach in this regard in order to create innovative and space-efficient solutions in line with our green and digital transition;
Amendment 76 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas building a better future starts with quality education and training; whereas access to quality education is a fundamental right that needs to be available to every individual; notes that the New European Bauhaus needs to address the issue of accessibility of online learning opportunities to all individuals, including adjusting necessary infrastructure for broadband internet in all areas, such as remote, less populated, rural, peripheral, insular and mountainous areas;
Amendment 77 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas building a better future starts with quality education and training; whereas access to quality education is a fundamental right; whereas a high-quality built environment is the result of the work of skilled professionals in the construction sector and creative and cultural industries;
Amendment 91 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas cultural heritage is increasingly impacted by climate change and environmental degradation, causing damage to historical and cultural landmarks in all areas; whereas the New European Bauhaus must be used to restore, adapt and protect it for the future, including also safety measures that will protect citizens living in all regions;
Amendment 112 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the historic Bauhaus movement created a paradigm shift in design, architecture and the arts which delivered radical innovation and reflected true cultural and social changes in a progressive artistic and educational context; notes that in these challenging times, the New European Bauhaus can significantly contribute in the same way and positively impact our daily lives by creating real changes on the ground that are complementary with our sustainable goals, without being considered elitist;
Amendment 121 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Welcomes the transdisciplinary character and wide objectives of the New European Bauhaus; notes that the ongoing climate change requires a comprehensive and action-based approach; calls on the Commission to further expand the New European Bauhaus by adding the safety component to its framework and policies; underlines that this will significantly improve the initiative and create tangible results by protecting citizens in the event of natural and man-made disasters;
Amendment 130 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative and emphasises that it must primarily focus on improving the quality of people’s lives by transforming the spaces, buildings, cities, regions and territories in which they live, including peripheral urban areas, less populated rural, insular, mountainous and remote areas in the European Union and beyond;
Amendment 136 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Underlines the potential that the New European Bauhaus has; encourages the Commission to organise consultations among citizens and institutions to help achieve full implementation of the initiative in Member States and enable better local, regional and national cooperation that will strengthen social and territorial cohesion and assist in carrying out projects that embody NEB objectives; recalls the importance of respecting geographical balance in this regard;
Amendment 139 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Calls on the Commission to further broaden the reach of the New European Bauhaus and allow partner countries from the Western Balkans and the rest of Europe to take part in the initiative; reiterates that this will lead to enhanced cooperation and better results in the field; highlights the importance of using pilot projects in this regard, while taking into account geographical balance and all NEB aspects, including the safety component that will ensure protection of citizens in cases of natural and man made disasters;
Amendment 141 #
2021/2255(INI)
3. Recognises the NEB as a creative and interdisciplinary initiative which brings together architecture, design, the arts and science at the forefront of EU policies for the first time, making the European Green Deal a tangible, positive and inclusive experience for all; emphasises the importance of cooperation of all relevant actors in this field; underlines that for true progress and visible impact, the New European Bauhaus also needs to also protect citizens against natural disasters by including a safety component in its objectives; notes that this will enable new and innovative ways of building and guarantee usage of high-quality and resilient building materials;
Amendment 157 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Reaffirms that the NEB has the potential to reshape the way European and national policies are conceived and to define the environment of the future by meeting the need for spacbuildings, spaces, regions and territories adapted to new ways of life;
Amendment 162 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Acknowledges that, by translating the values of the original Bauhaus to today’s challenges, the NEB aspires to create a cultural movement that contributes to a smarter, more sustainable and more enjoyable living environment;
Amendment 167 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Emphasises that the NEB must be innovative, accessible, affordable, socially and geographically fair and inclusive and must actively involve EU citizens and community-based organisations in a bottom-up way – from project design to roll-out and evaluation – while avoiding any elitist approaches; calls on the Commission to provide new financing models and underlines the importance of providing clear access to both national and European funding; encourages the Commission to set up focal points in the Member States to help facilitate better implementation of the New European Bauhaus;
Amendment 182 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. CWelcomes the innovative and integrated approach that the NEB advocates by proposing the efficient use of space, the restoration and valorisation of historical and cultural heritage, smart energy and environmental solutions; considers that this innovative cultural movement has the potential to position Europe as a global frontrunner in the area of architecture, design, culture, technology and energy efficiency by promoting ways of living better together, which can also be applied beyond the EU;
Amendment 206 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2 a (new)
Subheading 2 a (new)
Acknowledges that NEB has the potential to contribute to the post-war restoration of cities, societies and economy
Amendment 207 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Urges the Commission and Member States to raise awareness about this initiative and to improve the coordination between all levels of governance, which should have equitable access to opportunities and fundingcivil societies, organisations and stakeholders from all parts of the European Union, taking into account geographical balance; notes that these actors should have equitable access to both European and national opportunities and funding; highlights the importance of proper and structured funding on EU and national level to support pilot projects, ideas and the implementation of the initiative on the ground;
Amendment 221 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to hold regular consultations on the implementation of the New European Bauhaus that will serve as exchanges of good practices and meeting points to raise important issues and suggest improvements that will allow the initiative to extend its reach;
Amendment 226 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls on the Commission to facilitate dialogues on the New European Bauhaus between Member States and neighbouring countries, including the Western Balkans, in order to spread the initiative beyond EU borders; notes that this will largely benefit all citizens and enable the initiative to reach its full potential and create real, tangible results;
Amendment 237 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – indent 1
Paragraph 8 – indent 1
- supporting the implementation of key policies; (e.g. Green Deal, environmental, industrial, social and cultural policies);
Amendment 246 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – indent 3
Paragraph 8 – indent 3
- creating new jobs and business opportunities and adding economic value;
Amendment 248 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – indent 3 a (new)
Paragraph 8 – indent 3 a (new)
- protecting the environment and diverse cultural and natural landscapes,
Amendment 249 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – indent 3 b (new)
Paragraph 8 – indent 3 b (new)
- contributing to the circularity and sustainability of the European economy
Amendment 252 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – indent 4
Paragraph 8 – indent 4
- securing accessibility and affordabil, inclusiveness, affordability and diversity;
Amendment 257 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – indent 5
Paragraph 8 – indent 5
- promoting the participation and connection of EU citizens;
Amendment 258 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – indent 5 a (new)
Paragraph 8 – indent 5 a (new)
- involving local and regional organisations, experts and stakeholders;
Amendment 259 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – indent 5 b (new)
Paragraph 8 – indent 5 b (new)
- involving local and regional governments;
Amendment 279 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the Commission to make a structured programme and implement the principles of the NEB as an integral part ofin all relevant future legislation and EU policies; encourages Member States to also implement the New European Bauhaus initiative in their national policies;
Amendment 285 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls, in addition, for specific criteria to be developed for the relevant sectors, in particular construction and architecture, energy, mobility, design, tourism, education and skills, crafts, and the artsculture and arts; reminds that it is crucial to take into account geographical balance in order to allow the New European Bauhaus to spread equally around the EU and beyond;
Amendment 309 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. CNotes that the objectives of the New European Bauhaus cannot be carried out without proper funding; calls on the Commission to table a proposal as soon as possible to make the NEB an EU programme by the next MFF; insists that this will require fresh resources with a dedicated and stable budget line; underlines that this new programme must not reduce funding for other programmes nor divert focus from their agreed political priorities;
Amendment 318 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Commission to develop a clear plan for attracting public and private investment; encourages the Member States to allocate adequate funding to the NEB through their recovery and resilience plans and the European structural and investment funds; notes that this will further accelerate the proper implementation of the initiative and create tangible results on the ground;
Amendment 321 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Commission to develop a clear plan for attracting public and private investment, with a particular focus on promoting female leadership in venture capital and start-ups; encourages the Member States to allocate adequate funding to the NEB through their recovery and resilience plans and the European structural and investment funds;
Amendment 345 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Believes that the NEB movement should promote more sustainable, socially inclusive and innovative ways of life based on new models of planning, constructing and inhabiting our built environment in order to suit emerging needs and help to ensure decentquality housing for all citizens;
Amendment 346 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Believes that the NEB movement should promote more sustainable, socially inclusive and innovative ways of life based on new models of planning, constructing and inhabiting our built environment in order to suit emerging needs and help to ensure decentquality housing for all;
Amendment 384 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Highlights that the NEB could support energy security and efficiency by encouraging investment and incentivising low-tech, low-energy solutions and by focussing on low carbon materials and solutions, and could facilitate the digital transition by improving connectivity to mitigate the digital divide; underlines the importance of the NEB fighting energy poverty through innovative solutions for the building, construction, industrial and materials sectors;
Amendment 417 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to connect the NEB to the Renovation Wave, taking advantage of the innovative solutions that the project offers in the comprehensive renovation of our building stock, including with regard to energy efficiency; notes that this will ensure a truly holistic and quality renovation of building stock, including houses and buildings in all areas in line with their specific contexts and surrounding neighbourhood;
Amendment 426 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Calls on the Commission to cooperate with Member States in mapping out specific projects in line with geographical balance that can be carried out through the New European Bauhaus; notes that priority needs to be given to urgent situations, f.e. reconstruction of damaged housing caused by earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters;
Amendment 433 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Calls on the Commission to take into account geographic balance and EU's rich cultural diversity when creating and implementing New European Bauhaus strategies, events, projects and actions, including winners of the NEB Festival and the NEB Prize;
Amendment 448 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Supports the creation of an annual NEB festival and awards; calls for synergies with other relevant European awards and events;
Amendment 450 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. calls for making 2023 the ‘European Year of NEB’;
Amendment 482 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Commission to create a publicly accessible database of NEB projects to make the results of the initiative more visible and to further develop the NEB based on best practices; encourages the Commission to hold regular meetings with representatives from Member States and partner countries in order to further improve the initiative;
Amendment 491 #
2021/2255(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Welcomes the NEB Prize and the NEB Festival and all events related to it; highlights the importance of organising various events across Europe in order to reach more citizens and raise awareness of the initiative; encourages local, regional, national and European cooperation in this regard;
Amendment 3 #
2021/2251(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls the strong need for culture and education, as the backbone of our democracy, society and economy, to receive support from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), also with regard to the green and digital transitioniterates the crucial importance that education, culture and sports receive support from the Recovery and Resilience Facility since they play a key role in our daily lives by shaping our identity, creating bonds between generations and deepening our social and democratic participation; recognises how paramount these sectors are for our economies;
Amendment 9 #
2021/2251(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Highlights the commitment and efforts of the European Union to protect its economy and the wellbeing of its citizens with the current multiannual budget and the Next Generation EU package; welcomes the Recovery and Resilience Facility that is dedicated to help Member States to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic and continue their sustainable growth towards a digital and climate neutral future;
Amendment 14 #
2021/2251(INI)
1 b. Recalls the strong need for the whole cultural, creative, education and sports sectors to be better addresed in NRRPs and receive greater support from the Recovery and Resilience Facility in the following period, in line with their digital and green transition;
Amendment 25 #
2021/2251(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights thatUnderlines how deeply the cultural and creative sectors were among those hit first and the hardest by the pandemic and will be the last to recoverhave been affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, particularly given the fact that they are composed mostly of micro, small and medium sized enterprises or organisations;
Amendment 31 #
2021/2251(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Highlights the destabilising impact the pandemic has had on education and sports, causing enormous disruption and societal divides in the entire European Union; expresses concern that the education and sports sectors will not be able to recover without focused earmarking and increased support, namely through national recovery and resilience specific planning and through other EU, transnational and national programmes;
Amendment 39 #
2021/2251(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Deplores the fact that only 14 Member States have included culture inRecalls that the European Parliament called on Member States to allocate at least 2 % of their NRRF plans; fears that this heterogeneity of public investments leads to recovery at different speeds, causing increased disparities within the EU’s culturPs funds to culture and at least 10 % to education in its Resolution on Cultural Recovery for Europe; regrets the fact that not all Member States included these elements in their national recovery and resilience plans; calls on these Member States to amend their national recosystem and threatening Europe’s cultural diversity; very and resilience plans and dedicate enough funds through short-term and long-term investments;
Amendment 44 #
2021/2251(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Welcomes the European Parliament resolution of 10 February 2021 on the impact of COVID-19 on youth and on sport from February 2021 and the European Parliament legislative resolution of 14 December 2021 on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on a European Year of Youth 2022; expresses concern over the impact of the pandemic on mental health and overall wellbeing of citizens, especially young people; calls on the Commission and Member States to foster youth participation in democratic and decision-making processes and provide additional support that will help young people recover from the pandemic and continue their growth on all levels, including personal, social and economic development; notes that young people can largely contribute in creating more resilient and sustainable societies and economies both on European and on national level;
Amendment 45 #
2021/2251(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Welcomes the European Parliament resolution of 20 October 2021 on Europe’s Media in the Digital Decade: an Action Plan to Support Recovery and Transformation and the European Parliament resolution of 20 October 2021 on the situation of artists and the cultural recovery in the EU; notes that a more holistic and determined approach is vital for the whole cultural and creative sectors to fully recover and unlock their potential in the following period; highlights that all actors in the cultural and creative ecosystem need to be supported equally in all Member States, including the entire audiovisual, editorial and media sector, as well as independent players and micro, small and medium sized enterprises or organisations;
Amendment 49 #
2021/2251(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Welcomes the European Parliament resolution of 15 September 2020 on effective measures to ‘green’ Erasmus+, Creative Europe and the European Solidarity Corps and the European Parliament resolution of 23 November 2021 on EU sports policy: assessment and possible ways forward; stresses the need for additional financial and structural engagement in the education and sports sectors; urges the EU to encourage Member States to implement actions that will further the recovery, strengthening and resilience building at all levels of education and sports and prepare all actors in both sectors for the digital and green future while promoting sustainable development, especially new learning and mobility opportunities and digital learning tools, higher inclusion, cohesion, exchange of practices on European and national level and better monitoring of used funds;
Amendment 57 #
2021/2251(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. OpposesCalls on the Commission’s approach to incorporate not strictly cultural interventions such as tourism and energy efficiency of cultural buildings in the calculations, resulting in misleading statistics; calls for a recalculation and reassessment of the data available to improve its approach in data analysis and statistics; notes the importance of accurate reviews that can serve as examples for future plans and strategies;
Amendment 66 #
2021/2251(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 87 #
2021/2251(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Strongly believes that for the correct implementation of the RRF a special focus should also be given to micro and small organisations, including in rural areasindependent micro, small and medium sized enterprises or organisations, including in rural and remote areas in all Member States; notes that these actors can contribute significantly to our economy if given proper support;
Amendment 113 #
2021/2251(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the need for innovative and sustainable structural reforms targeting education and the cultural and creative sectors, and in particular regarding social security in the latter; regrets that such reforms are planned in only a minority of Member Statesthe cultural, creative, education and sports sectors on local, regional and national level, and in particular regarding social security in the latter; underlines the importance of these reforms not only for these sectors but for the entire economy;
Amendment 121 #
2021/2251(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Insists that the Commission calls on Member States to work more closely with key stakeholders, national authorities and agencies and civil societies and to improve their national recovery and resilience plans accordingly to address vital needs of the cultural, creative, education and sports sectors on local, regional and national level;
Amendment 143 #
2021/2251(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls onEncourages the Commission and Member States to commit to transparency and to examine the possibility of redirecting unused or saved RRF resources to culture, education, youth, sports and media; keeping in mind specific needs of every part of those sectors; notes that a tailored approach will benefit all actors in the culture, education, youth, sports and media ecosystems;
Amendment 156 #
2021/2251(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Urges the Commission and thto advise Member States to extend the continuous involvement of stakeholders to the implementation and monitoring of the RRF plansin monitoring the implementation of their national recovery and resilience plans and propose other actions and short-term and long-term measures that will address current and future challenges; notes that this kind of cooperation with Member States will create tangible, sustainable, social and economic benefits both at national and European level.
Amendment 1 #
2021/2250(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
— having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 September 2021 establishing the Instrument for Pre- Accession assistance (IPA III);
Amendment 189 #
2021/2250(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Stresses that financial assistance of the Instrument for Pre-accession assistance (IPAIII) is based on a conditionality linked to the ‘fundamentals first’ approach; Recalls that IPA III support can be suspended in the event of the degradation of democracy, human rights or the rule of law and modulated when indicators show significant regression or persistent lack of progress;
Amendment 255 #
2021/2250(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Takes note of the adoption of the fourth and fifth judicial packages in Turkey during 2021; asserts, however, that the current problems stem not only from problematic legislation, but are often caused by a failure to implement existing adequate provisions; remains concerned about the erosion of the rule of law and judicial independence in Turkeyand impartiality in Turkey; regrets that public statements by executives about ongoing judicial cases, undermine the judicial independence and impartiality even further;
Amendment 282 #
2021/2250(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Continues to urge the Turkish Government to release Osman Kavala after more than four years of detention; reiterates its call on the Turkish authorities to abide by the final judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in this case; welcomes the decision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to start an infringement procedure against Turkey due to its refusal to implement the decision of the ECtHR;
Amendment 413 #
2021/2250(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Acknowledges that Turkey can pursue its own foreign policy in line with its interests and goals, but expects this policy to be defended through diplomacy and dialogue based on international law and, as a candidate country, to be increasingly aligned with that of the EU; regrets the continued backsliding of dialogue on foreign policies between Turkey and the EU and the execution of Turkish military actions in Libya, Syria and the Caucasus; recalls that as NATO member, Turkey plays a geostrategic role ensuring regional and European security and is expected to act in line with the NATO Treaty;
Amendment 430 #
2021/2250(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Welcomes Turkey’s strong and unequivocal condemnation of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and support for sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country; commends Turkey’s alignment with the NATO security framework in Europe and ongoing financial and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine;
Amendment 437 #
2021/2250(INI)
22 b. Calls for the cooperation of Turkey with Operation IRINI in enforcing the arms embargo on Libya and in fighting human smuggling and trafficking;
Amendment 441 #
2021/2250(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Welcomes the decrease in tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean during the past year, but remains fully aware that these positive dynamics could be reversed at any moment while the underlying issues remain unresolved; commends the continuation of exploratory talks between Turkey and Greece in an effort to find sustainable and inclusive solutions for open discussions; regrets the recent allegations by Turkey regarding the Greek sovereignty of islands in the Aegean Sea; expresses its unwavering support and full solidarity with Greece; calls on Turkey to refrain from any provocative and counterproductive rhetoric and to settle the differences through diplomatic channels;
Amendment 467 #
2021/2250(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Deplores the fact that the unresolved conflict in Cyprus is a major obstacle to EU-Turkey relations; strongly condemns the further reopening of the town of Varosha in violation of United Nations Security Council resolution 550 and resolution 789; calls for the reversal of this unilateral action a resumption of the dialogue with Cyprus; reaffirms its view that the only sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue is that of a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement on the basis of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with a single international legal personality and political equality, in accordance with international law and on the basis of respect for the principles on which the Union is founded; deeply regrets that Turkey has abandoned this UN framework;
Amendment 483 #
2021/2250(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Welcomes the Turkish contribution to the security of gas supply through the connection of the Trans- Anatolian Pipeline (TANAP) with the completed Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), that started transmitting gas to the European section of the Southern Gas 103 Corridor (SGC) on 1 January 2021;
Amendment 494 #
2021/2250(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24 b. Encourages Turkey and the EU to promote European integration by supporting young people, promoting youth participation and by building on prior experience in the cooperation in research and education; welcomes in this regard the agreements granting Turkey association status to Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps for the period 2021-2027;
Amendment 544 #
2021/2250(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Notes that the current state of ‘conflictual cooperation’ in EU-Turkey relations is prone to producing unsatisfactory results; calls on Turkey to reassess its assertive foreign policy, to cease unilateral actions and inflammatory statements; calls for a rebalancing of the relationship by building on the solid grounds for cooperation driven by mutual interests, and also by building confidence to address the lack of trust; believes that an orderly dispute settlement mechanism may be beneficial in such an overall framework and calls on the Commission to explore the creation of such a mechanism;
Amendment 2 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
— having regard to the Zagreb Declaration of the EU-Western Balkans summit of 6 May 2020;
Amendment 40 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas Serbia has not imposed sanctions against Russia following the Russian aggression in Ukraine; whereas Serbia is only for 61% aligned with the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy;
Amendment 43 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the EU is the largest provider of financial assistance to Serbia (IPA); whereas Serbia has benefited from the EU assistance under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II) in total of €1,539 billion since 2014;
Amendment 47 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas the EU has shown its commitment for the European perspective of Western Balkan countries and mobilized €3,3 billion to address the immediate health crisis and mitigate economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 59 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Expresses support for Serbia’s future membership of the EU and recalls that a credible enlargement perspective requires sustainable efforts and, irreversible reforms in all areas and unwavering commitment to European standards and values;
Amendment 65 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the opening of cluster four in December 2021; reiterates that the progress on the rule of law and fundamental rights chapters, closer alignment with EU's foreign, security and defence policy, as well as on the normalisation of Serbia’s relations with Kosovo, will determine the pace of accession;
Amendment 67 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1 a (new)
Subheading 1 a (new)
Underscores that progress in the accession process is result and reform oriented and is based on further alignment on the rule of law, good governance, fundamental rights and respect for the European rights and values;
Amendment 95 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Regrets the fact that Serbia has not aligned with EU sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; calls on the newly elected authorities to show real commitment to EU values and to align with the EU’s decisions and positions in foreign and security policy, including sanctions against Russia and Belarus; welcomes Serbia's support for territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and its vote in UN General Assembly to condemn the Russian invasion; Welcomes Serbia's decision to vote in favour to expel Russia from the UN Human Rights Council due to significant violations of human rights during its invasion of Ukraine;
Amendment 130 #
2021/2249(INI)
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 133 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Reiterates its cDeplores that according to the latest polls a majority of the Serbian citizens is against joining the European Union; Calls on Serbia and, the Commission, EU Member States and the EU Delegation to Serbia to pursue more a active and effective communication about the benefits of EU enlargement; strategy, to step up their efforts in promoting the role and benefits of enlargement and the close partnership between EU and Serbia, including by the promotion of EU funded projects and reforms; Calls on the Serbian political leaders to use clear and unambiguous communication on Serbia's European path;
Amendment 164 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Urges the newly elected majority to focus on addressing structural shortcomings in the rule of law, fundamental rights, freedom of expression, media freedom and independence, the fight against corruption and the functioning of democratic institutions and public administration;
Amendment 172 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Calls on Serbia to respects its obligations and fully cooperate with the ICTY / IRMCT and implement of all its decisions, as warned by the IRMCT President and Prosecutor in its reports to the Security Council;
Amendment 214 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Reiterates its call for the archives that concern the former republics of Yugoslavia to be opened and, in particular, 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 223 #
2021/2249(INI)
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 gain an unfair political advantage, attack political opponents and spread disinformation; notes the disproportionate visibility given to third countries on behalf of Serbia;
Amendment 259 #
2021/2249(INI)
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 national minorities and to actively pursue investigations and convictions for hate- motivated crimes; calls on Serbia to ensure that minority groups have equal opportunities, adequate representation in political and cultural life, public media, the administration, and the judiciary; calls on Serbia to protect and promote cultural heritage, languages and traditions of its national minorities;
Amendment 302 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Welcomes Serbia’s participation in regional cooperation mechanisms and commitment to bilateral relations and encourages it to promote reconciliation; commends its decision to donate vaccines to the region; stresses the importance for Serbia to develop good neighbourly relations, implement bilateral agreements and resolve outstanding bilateral issues with its neighbours;
Amendment 313 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Reconfirms its support for the EU- facilitated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and reiterates the importance of constructive engagement on the part of the authorities of both Serbia and Kosovo in order to achieve a comprehensive legally binding normalisation agreement, which is crucial for both countries to advance on their respective European paths; calls for all past agreements to be respected and fully implemented, including the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities; calls on Serbia and Kosovo to renew the negotiation mandate on the issue of the licence plates in order to find a permanent solution benefitting the normalisation of economic and political relations;
Amendment 322 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls for theon Serbia to stepping up ofits efforts, enhance regional cooperation and theo delivery of tangible solutions on the issues of missing persons from the Yugoslav wars in 1990s and the electricity arrangements in the north of Kosovo;
Amendment 328 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Welcomes the election of the representative of Croatian minority to the Serbian Parliament in the recent elections; calls on Serbia to show sincere commitment in resolving outstanding issues in regard to the status of the Croatian minority in Serbia, especially in terms of non-discriminatory use of Croatian language in education, public administration and dedicated media space as well as respect for Croatian cultural heritage and tradition in Serbia;
Amendment 329 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Regrets Serbia's actions that are appropriating Croatian cultural heritage and the origin of its literary tradition and putting in question the status of Croatian language in its educational curricula; calls on Serbia to create a positive atmosphere for education in minority languages and to intensify the printing of textbooks in minority languages; deplores the violation of minority rights in this area;
Amendment 404 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36a. Recalls the conditionality of funding under IPA III and the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans; recognises the importance of IPA III and EIP for supporting reform process, sustainable connectivity, human capital, competitiveness and inclusive growth as well in reinforcing regional and cross-border cooperation;
Amendment 11 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
— having regard to the EU-Western Balkans summit, held in Zagreb on 6 May 2020, and its declaration;
Amendment 17 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas European integration represents the aspirations of citizens of North Macedonia towards democracy and prosperity and serves as a powerful catalyst for reforms, economic growth and regional reconciliation;
Amendment 26 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas North Macedonia has been a candidate country since 2005; whereas it has made consistent progress and has shown dedicated commitment on its path towards the EU resulting in the decision of the Council of 26 March 2020 to open accession negotiations;
Amendment 51 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Reiterates its clear support for North Macedonia’s democratic transformation, underpinned by its strategic orientation and unwavering commitment to European integration, as manifested by continued work on its EU accession reform agenda and the full implementation of the Prespa Agreement that entered into force on 12 February 2019 and enabled North Macedonia's NATO membership and the resumption of accession negotiations with the EU;
Amendment 61 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls the need to uphold the pace and credibility of European integration by promptly opening accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, given that both countries have fulfilled the necessary conditions and delivered sustained results across fundamental areas; calls for swift resumption of negotiations between North Macedonia and Bulgaria, under the auspices of the EU, to resolve bilateral issues in order to reach a compromise that would lead to the start of accession negotiations;
Amendment 77 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Commends North Macedonia on its steady progress on the path towards EU membership, its commitment to multiculturalism and inter-ethnic harmony, and its continued positive bilateral engagement; in this regard stresses the importance of current political arrangement reached under the Ohrid Framework Agreement for peace and stability of the country;
Amendment 158 #
2021/2248(INI)
22. Encourages ongoing steps to build trust in inter-community relations and the functioning of a multi-ethnic society, while recalling the importance of upholding the rights of non-majority communities and tackling all instances of discrimination; therefore calls North Macedonia to protect and promote cultural heritage, languages and traditions of its national minorities;
Amendment 165 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls for further improvements in the enforcement of the rights to self- identification, property and inclusive intercultural education, the rights of people with disabilities and minority rights; calls on North Macedonia to provide equal and non-discriminatory education in minority languages, dedicated media space in the state and local outlets as well to ensure equal opportunities, adequate representation in political life, public administration and the judiciary;
Amendment 193 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Welcomes North Macedonia’s membership of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance; recalls the need to open up Yugoslav secret service (UDBA) archives in order to vigorously addressaddress and research communist- era crimes and criminal organisations across the region;
Amendment 202 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Calls for the EU to boost its support for humanitarian assistance and border protection in the region; commends North Macedonia's efforts in hosting refugees and reiterates its calls for North Macedonia to improve migration management and reception conditions;
Amendment 235 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Welcomes the sustained progress made so far, which should lead to systemic improvements in tackling the trafficking of humans, drugs, firearms and goods, along with cybercrime and surveillance, violent crime, extremism and terrorist threats; urges North Macedonia to strengthen its resilience to hybrid threats and fake news and to foster closer cooperation with EU and international agencies, including with Eurojust, Europol and Frontex;
Amendment 281 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 a (new)
Paragraph 43 a (new)
43 a. Welcomes the mobilization of the Economic and Investment Plan for Western Balkans that will boost the economic development, invest in connectivity and integration, support green and digital transition and foster recovery in the region;
Amendment 289 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Welcomes the North Macedonia’s commitment to solidarity, multilateralism and good neighbourly relations; expresses support for European integration and continued steps to promote both people-to- people contacts across South-East Europethe Western Balkans and regional integration by developing the Common Regional Market;
Amendment 298 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Welcomes North Macedonia’s continued commitment to Euro-Atlantic security framework; commends the country’s increasing alignment with the EU’s foreign, security and defence policy and invites it to align itself with the restrictive measures related to; welcomes North Macedonia's support for territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and its full support and implementation of sanctions against Russia; welcomes its continued contributions to EU crisis management missions and operations;
Amendment 322 #
2021/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Strongly welcomes the political impetus for a renewed dialogue between Bulgaria and North Macedonia and encourages the partners to accelerate engagement in good faith in order to reach an acceptable compromise, thereby bringing societies closer together by enabling a common future in the EU; therefore calls on the Commission and the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues to intensify their efforts in facilitating dialogue, and thus pave the way to a viable and sustainable agreement;
Amendment 2 #
2021/2247(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
— having regard to the Zagreb declaration of the EU-Western Balkans summit of 6 May 2020,
Amendment 10 #
2021/2247(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas the EU has continuously shown its commitment for the European perspective of Western Balkan countries and mobilized EUR 3.3 billion to address the immediate health crisis and mitigate economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 18 #
2021/2247(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that all 33 screened chapters have been opened, but regrets that none have been closed since 2017; encourages, slowing down Montenegro's positive track record and status of most advanced Western Balkans country in its progress towards EU accession; 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 25 #
2021/2247(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for constructive and inclusive political dialogue and commitment of all parliamentary parties to overcome the current polarised political climate and strengthen the functioning of state institutions in order to achieve political stability and continue on its substantial progress in key EU-related reforms;
Amendment 30 #
2021/2247(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes the vote of no confidence in the government on 4 February 2022 and the ensuing dismissal of the Parliament’s speaker; calls for the formation of a new government as soon as possible and the election of a new speaker in line with the constitution, democratic norms and the pro-European aspirations of an overwhelming majority of Montenegro’s citizens; calls for resumption of dialogue between all political, religious and social stakeholders, as well as for consensus on key reform issues to foster the country's overall progress towards the EU;
Amendment 39 #
2021/2247(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes the protests against possible minority government organised by the Democratic Front and strongly condemns the support expressed for the Russian Federation on the day of the start of Russian aggression against Ukraine; recalls Russia’s persistent interest in destabilising the country and diverting it from its European path;
Amendment 57 #
2021/2247(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes Montenegro’s continued and full alignment with EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, including its condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its announcement of support for the latest EU sanctions against Russia, and its active participation in EU Common Security and Defence Policy missions and operations, as well as in other international missions;
Amendment 92 #
2021/2247(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Welcomes the ongoing cooperation of Montenegro with 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 combating terrorism and extremism;
Amendment 109 #
2021/2247(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Notes with great concern the ongoing rising influence of other foreign actors in Montenegro through disinformation campaigns that undermine the Montenegrin European perspective and through the increase of Montenegro's public debt to foreign financial institutions and companies;
Amendment 116 #
2021/2247(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Expresses concern about the high degree of polarisation in the media landscape, 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;
Amendment 118 #
2021/2247(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Calls on the EU Delegation in Montenegro to intensify its efforts in visibility campaigns to combat disinformation as well as in communication strategies to emphasize the role and importance of EU assistance to Montenegro;
Amendment 139 #
2021/2247(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. 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, in particular as some of them no longer have minority party representatives to Skupština;
Amendment 140 #
2021/2247(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21 b. 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;
Amendment 142 #
2021/2247(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Amendment 170 #
2021/2247(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25 a. Encourages Montenegro to continue to address, in a constructive and neighbourly spirit, outstanding bilateral issues with its neighbours, including the unresolved border demarcation issues with Serbia and Croatia, as early as possible during the accession process;
Amendment 175 #
2021/2247(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26 a. Urges Montenegro to intensify its efforts in proactively prioritising and punishing war crimes and its glorification and in clarifying the fate of missing persons;
Amendment 178 #
2021/2247(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26 b. Calls on the Montenegrin authorities to comply fully with the provisions on succession of the former SFRY, especially as regards military assets;
Amendment 2 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
— having regard to the Zagreb Declaration of the EU-Western Balkans summit of 6 May 2020,
Amendment 84 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes also Kosovo’s intention to apply for membership of the European Union in 2022, but stresses that there is no fast-track procedure and that the normalisation of relations with Serbia is necessary for Kosovo to advance on its European path; reminds that all countries aspiring to become a Member States will be judged on their own progress and merits in terms of fulfilment, implementation and complying with the set of criteria and common European values;
Amendment 98 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Regrets the fact that five EU Member States have not yet recognised Kosovo and reiterates its call for them to do so and reaffirm its European perspective;
Amendment 145 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 d (new)
Paragraph 31 d (new)
31d. Commends the work of the European Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) that has been assisting Kosovo authorities in establishing sustainable and independent rule of law institutions;
Amendment 178 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls on Kosovo to intensify its efforts in providing minority groups equal opportunities, adequate representation in political and cultural life, public media, the administration, and in the judiciary;
Amendment 179 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34a. Calls on Kosovo to protect and promote cultural heritage, languages and traditions of its national minorities;
Amendment 200 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 b (new)
Paragraph 31 b (new)
Amendment 219 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Notes that the works on the Mitrovica bridge have long been completed and the bridge should be opened to traffic without further delay or obstructions in order to overcome intercommunal divisions and to foster the process of reconciliation and post-conflict resolution;
Amendment 232 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls for the stepping up of efforts and the delivery of solutions on the issues of war crimes, missing persons and the electricity arrangements in the north of Kosovo;
Amendment 251 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Calls on the Commission and the EU Office in Kosovo to step up their efforts in enhancing visibility and promoting the role, efforts and benefits of the closer partnership between the EU and Kosovo;
Amendment 253 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 c (new)
Paragraph 31 c (new)
31c. Welcomes the presence of KFOR and its role in building and maintaining a safe and secure environment and development of a stable and peaceful Kosovo towards Euro-Atlantic integration; reminds of the importance of the mission for the ongoing development of the Kosovo Security Force through the provision of advice, training and capacity building;
Amendment 267 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Underlines that the implementation of both fundamental and structural reforms remains essential for economic recovery and development; calls on Kosovo to further align its market policy with the EU acquis;
Amendment 276 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Urges the authorities to continue their efforts to reform the education system so that it provides students with the skills and knowledge required by the labour market; calls on Kosovo to provide equal and non-discriminatory state education in minority languages; calls for increased efforts to integrate minorities and women into the labour market;
Amendment 288 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Underlines the need to tackle climate change in line with the EU’s climate-related ambitions and to speed up the transition to a climate-neutral, resilient, sustainable, circular and resource-efficient economy; as progress in these areas as well as alignment with EU standards has remained low;
Amendment 304 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Welcomes EU's financial assistance to Kosovo, in particular infrastructure related loans and grants available through Economic and Investment Plan in the Western Balkans that include the Pristina-Merdare section of the "Peace Highway" and the preparation for new investments in water supply and wastewater treatment;
Amendment 1 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
— having regard to the first meeting of the EU-BiH Stabilization and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC) held on 5-6 November 2015, the third meeting of the EU-BiH Stabilization and Association Council held on 13 July 2018 and the fourth meeting of the EU- BiH Stabilization and Association Committee held on 7 November 2019,
Amendment 7 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
— having regard to the Joint Statement of 21 December 2020 by High Representative Josep Borrell and Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi on the holding of local elections in Mostar,
Amendment 8 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
— having regard to the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence approved by the Council on 21 March 2022,
Amendment 11 #
2021/2245(INI)
— having regard to the Council conclusions of 24 and 25 March 2022 on the prolonged political crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the need for leaders in the country to demonstrate a strong commitment to finalise swiftly the constitutional and electoral reform,
Amendment 14 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
— having regard to the EU-Western Balkans summit, held in Zagreb on 6 May 2020, and its declaration,
Amendment 18 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24 a (new)
Citation 24 a (new)
— having regard to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, adopted on 25 February 1991,
Amendment 19 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24 b (new)
Citation 24 b (new)
Amendment 20 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24 c (new)
Citation 24 c (new)
— having regard to the "Mostar Agreement" ensuring the holding of elections in Mostar, that included changes to the BiH election law in the part of election rules for the City of Mostar, signed between leaders of majority parties in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 17 June 2020,
Amendment 21 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24 d (new)
Citation 24 d (new)
— having regard the Exit Strategy of the International Crisis Group (ICG) from Bosnia and Herzegovina of 7 August 2014,
Amendment 37 #
2021/2245(INI)
C a. whereas the credibility of the enlargement process is based on unequivocal results in key areas of rule of law and judicial reform, the fight against corruption and organized crime, security, fundamental rights, democratic institutions, public administration reform, as well as economic development and competitiveness;
Amendment 40 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the Office of the High Representative (OHR) and EUFOR Althea are integral in preserving peace in accordance with their mandates based in political neutrality and full respect for the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Amendment 45 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas all BiHconstituent peoples and all citizens of BiH should enjoy equal individual and collective rights and obligations throughout BiH territory, also according to the Annex 4 of The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Dayton-Paris Peace Agreement); whereas the country has committed to international and domestic obligations to end systematic ethnicity and residence-based discrimination and ensure citizens’ equalitydiscrimination and ensure equal rights and representation of the constituent peoples and all of its citizens before the law;
Amendment 46 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas all BiH citizens should enjoy equal rights and obligations throughout BiH territory; whereas the country has committed to international obligations to end systematic ethnicity and residence-based discrimination and ensure citizens’ equality before the law; whereas the nature of the state of BiH should reflect that it is shared by three constituent peoples;
Amendment 50 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas it is crucial to ensure legitimate representation of the constituent peoples;
Amendment 57 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas glorification of convicted war criminals, ethnic or religious segregation and discrimination go against the very essence of the European project; whereas there is an urgent need to effectively outlaw denial of the Holocaust, genocide, war crimes, political persecutions and crimes against humanity regardless of the perpetrator;
Amendment 61 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
F 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 all citizens and constituent peoples as enshrined in the Bosnia and Herzegovina constitution, as well as the reform process on its European path;
Amendment 66 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underscores that the pace of EU accession is determined by the due functioning of democratic institutions, grounded in the rule of law, good governance and fundamental rights and full implementation of Dayton Peace Agreement;
Amendment 69 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Urges BiH and its political leaders to advance on the 14 key priorities by restoring the independence of the judiciary, strengthening the rule of law, intensifying the fight against corruption and organised crime, securing media freedom and an enabling environment for civil society, and protecting vulnerable groups; welcomes the progress achieved by the agreement on the rules of procedure for the EU-BiH Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee and elections in Mostar held on 20 December 2020;
Amendment 75 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reiterates its clear support for BiH’s democratic transformation through European integration, based on sovereignty, federalism, constitutionality and territorial integrity, grounded in the principles of equality and non- discrimination of all citizens and constituent peoples as enshrined in the constitution;
Amendment 76 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reiterates its clear support for BiH’s democratic transformation through European integration, based on sovereignty and territorial integrity, grounded in the principles of equality and non- discrimination of all citizens and constituent peoples as enshrined in the constitution; recalls that according to Article 4 TEU the European Union shall respect the national identities of Member States, inherent in their fundamental structures, political and constitutional, inclusive of regional and local self- government;
Amendment 77 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reiterates its clear support for BiH’s democratic transformation through European integration, based on sovereignty and territorial integrity, grounded in the principles of equality and non- discrimination of all citizens and constituent peoples, including political representation, as enshrined in the constitution;
Amendment 80 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that enforcement of the Dayton Peace Agreement includes the obligation to adhere to the constitutional architecture of Bosnia and Herzegovina with respect for rights of all constituent peoples and citizens and obligation to implement OHR decisions;
Amendment 81 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that enforcement of the Dayton Peace Agreement includes the obligation to implement OHR decisions; recalls that the European Parliament strongly advocates the position of individual approach, full fulfilment of the set criteria and consistent and credible conditionality;
Amendment 89 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Regrets the impasse in negotiations on electoral law reform in BiH, that should allow the Croats to elect the Croation representative in the Presidency, and the lack of political will to overcome it; calls on all actors to promptly reach a balanced agreement, to fulfil the constitutional duty of democratic governance and to ensure the transparency and integrity of the electoral process;
Amendment 90 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Regrets the impasse in negotiations on electoral law reform in BiH and the lack of political will to overcome it; calls on all actors to promptly reach a balanced agreement, to fulfil the constitutional duty of democratic governancefter several attempts and facilitating interventions from the European Union and United States and the lack of political will to overcome it; calls on all actors to promptly reach a compromise with a balanced agreement to avoid electoral engineering, to implement the decisions of the European Court of Human rights and the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to fulfil the constitutional duty of democratic governance based on legitimate representation of all constituent peoples and citizens and undisputed electoral legitimacy for all legislative and executive bodies regardless of their specific features defined by the Constitution, and to ensure the transparency, legitimacy and integrity of the electoral process; before the next general elections; urges the European Union, United States and the international community to intensify their efforts in facilitation of a political agreement;
Amendment 91 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Regrets the impasse in negotiations on electoral law reform in BiH and the lack of political will to overcome it; calls on all actors to promptly reach a balanced agreement, to fulfil the constitutional duty of democratic governance and to ensure the transparency and integrity of the electoral process; stresses that the reform of the electoral law, which will guarantee the representation of the three constituent peoples, is a step towards establishing a functioning society and institutions;
Amendment 99 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. 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 in the 2018 general elections, especially regarding the election of Croatian members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina; calls on all stakeholders to reach an agreement on the reform of the Election Law to assure that in the 2022 general elections all constituent peoples and citizens have the right to elect their own legitimate political representatives;
Amendment 100 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Deeply regrets that BiH still remains in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights by not implementing the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Sejdić-Finci, Zornić, Pilav and Šlaku cases; deeply regrets that BiH still has not implemented the ruling of Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the case Ljubić;
Amendment 103 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Strongly denounces the disregard for international and national court decisions, norms and obligations, all hate rhetoric and disruptive action, including withdrawal from institutions, by the leadership of Bosniak and Serb parties in the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and particularly by the leadership of the Republika Srpska entity, which destabilises the country, undermines its statehood in violation of the Dayton Peace Agreement and systematically hampers decisions on key laws and reforms; rejects all attempts to form parallel parastatal institutions, which undermine state institutions, legal order, judicial independence and sovereignty; calls for a full, non-selective and unconditional return to all state institutions, which should function in full accordance with the Constitution and with full electoral legitimacy and procedural legality, including the Central Electoral Commission;
Amendment 106 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Strongly denounces the disregard for international and national norms and obligations, all hate rhetoric and disruptive action, including withdrawal from institutions, particularly by the leadership of the Republika Srpska entity, which destabilises the country, undermines its statehood in violation of the Dayton Peace Agreement and systematically hampers decisions on key laws and reforms; rejects all attempts to form parallel parastatal institutions, which undermine state institutions, legal order, judicial independence and sovereignty; calls for a full, non-selective and unconditional return to all state institutions; also denounces the unitarian concept of the state promoted by the Bosniak leadership which is not in accordance with the fact that Bosnia and Herzegovina is composed of three equal constituent peoples and others and with the constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European legal acquis;
Amendment 121 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for the EU and the international community to use all available tools, including targeted sanctions, against destabilising actors in the country, including those hindering collective and individual political rights as per the Constitution;
Amendment 129 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines that the EU future of BiH depends on sustainable peace and genuine reconciliation, and the political representation of the three constituent peoples, warranting its democratic, inclusive and multi-ethnic character; urges BiH to expedite effective and impartial prosecution of war crimes under the revised national war crimes processing strategy; calls on all regional political leaders to set up the relevant commission (RECOM);
Amendment 130 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines that the EU future of BiH depends on sustainable peace and genuine reconciliation, warranting its democratic, inclusive, multi-national and multi-ethnic character according to the Dayton Peace Agreement; urges BiH to expedite effective and impartial prosecution of war crimes regardless of the perpetrator, under the revised national war crimes processing strategy; calls on all regional political leaders to set up the relevant commission (RECOM);
Amendment 148 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Notes that genuine reconciliation, cooperation and peaceful coexistence is possible only by mutual recognition and respect of the rights and needs of the all constituent peoples and 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 this state as it would establish equality in all spheres between the constituent communities and citizens;
Amendment 154 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Urges BiH’s political actors to make progress on judicial, electoral, administrative and economic reforms that are needed to bring the country closer to the EU; denounces all attempts to stall these reforms, thus endangering access to EU funding under IPA III, which must be based on strict conditionality and depends on the cooperation of different authorities;
Amendment 157 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Deplores the damage and loss of live caused by a strong earthquake that hit Bosnia and Herzegovina near Stolac on 22 April 2022; calls on the European Union and all its Member States to show solidarity and provide appropriate financial and material assistance to the country through all possible mechanisms, including the distribution of funds from the IPA III pre-accession fund;
Amendment 163 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses the importance of holding elections this year as planned; calls for the necessary implementation of electoral reform in the run-up to the elections, in order to protect the guaranteed rights of the constituent peoples, enshrined in the Dayton Peace Agreement;
Amendment 164 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses the importance of holding elections this year as plannedgeneral elections this year as planned, based on fulfilment of necessary formal and legal preconditions in order to ensure unequivocal integrity and legitimacy of the election and election process in line with the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina and rulings of domestic and international courts;
Amendment 176 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Supports transparent and inclusive limited constitutional and electoral reforms to ensure equality and non-discrimination of all constituent peoples and citizens, enhance accountability and transform BiH into a fully functional and inclusive pluralistic state by immediately implementing rulings,elevant rulings of domestic and international courts, and opinions and recommendations of competent courts and international bodies; supports transatlantic and European facilitation efforts to this end and condemns all obstructions and inactivity of political actors in that regard;
Amendment 177 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Supports transparent and inclusive constitutional and electoral reforms to ensure equality and non-discrimination of all citizens, enhance and constituent peoples; insists on the implementation of the decision of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina on finding mechanisms so that none of the constituent peoples can elect political representatives of other constituent peoples, especially in the House of Peoples; supports enhancing accountability and transforming BiH into a fully functional and inclusive state by immediately implementing rulings, opinions and recommendations of competent courts and international bodies; supports transatlantic facilitation efforts to this end;
Amendment 182 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Notes that for the last twenty years, the reserved seats for minorities in democratic institutions have not been properly filled with representatives of these minorities; calls on political actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina to follow the example of the ruling of Supreme Court of Kosovo that acknowledged the decision of Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) to annul the election of representative of Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities as she was elected illegitimately in breach of the principle of legitimate representation;
Amendment 183 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls for the implementation of consistent country-wide merit-based civil service standards, enabling a streamlined, depoliticised and accountable public administration; calls for equal representation of all constituent peoples and citizens in the public service, companies and media outlets;
Amendment 190 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Underlines the need to enhance internal and regional economic harmonisation and connectivity; calls for country-wide sector strategies, improvements to strategic planning, financial management, monitoring and evaluation, and the creation of control and audit structures; 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 194 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Welcomes the efforts of the EU and its Member States, as well as neighbouring countries in the region, in assisting the country in vaccination campaigns and mitigating the consequences of the COVID pandemic;
Amendment 203 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Recalls the need for improved laws on gas and electricity, renewables, energy efficiency and climate, and to step up environmental and nature protectionnotes that progress in the areas of environmental and climate protection as well as alignment with EU standards has remained low; therefore urges BiH’s authorities to ensure greater alignment with EU standards and policy objectives on climate protection and energy;
Amendment 210 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 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 224 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for urgent action to tackle widespread selective justice, state capture, nepotism, cronyism, high-level corruption and criminal infiltration; reiterates the urgent need for judicial reform across BiH to improve the professionalism and integrity of the judiciary and for administrative reform to eradicate corruption;
Amendment 225 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Calls for the implementation of rulings of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, reminding that the rule of law is integral to the country's progress in Euro-Atlantic integration;
Amendment 238 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Deplores the continuing failure to safeguard media freedom and pluralism; insists on eliminating political interference and protecting journalists from intimidation with systematic judicial follow-up; expresses its concern over the lack of a variety of traditional media channels, including television broadcasting; draws attention to the inadmissible practices of reducing the presence of certain constituent peoples in those same media and to the problem of biased and negatively toned reporting;
Amendment 246 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 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 all constituent peoples; stresses the need to ensure public broadcasting outlets in official languages which would protect cultural diversity of all constituent peoples;
Amendment 259 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Commission to refocus IPA III support to in-country democratic forces, institutions and procedures and 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;
Amendment 294 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Reiterates its call to urgently end segregation and discrimination inaddress the different rulings regarding the individual cases of ‘two schools under one roof’ that allow the right to education, including by implementing court rulings to end the discriminatory illegal practice of ‘two schools under one roof’ the official language of one's choice, as introduced by the OSCE; stresses that all citizens have the right of access to education in all official languages, as guaranteed by the UNESCO conventions;
Amendment 295 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Reiterates its call to urgently end segregation and discrimination in education, including by implementing court rulings to end the discriminatory illegal practice of ‘two schools under one roof’; recalls that according to Article 165 (1) TFEU the European Union shall fully respect the responsibility of the Member States for the content of teaching and the organisation of the education systems and their cultural and linguistic diversity; reiterates that according to Article 165 (4) TFEU any harmonisation of the laws and regulations of the Member States is excluded from the EU incentive measures in the field of education;
Amendment 299 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25 a. Notes that the adoption of programmes and curriculum should take in account the cultural and language diversity while respecting the constitutional architecture and competences; calls on the improved coordination and standardisation of educational curricula between the different cantons in the Federation, that have the constitutional competence over education;
Amendment 310 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Deplores the failure of authorities to address the severe migration-related humanitarian crisis; recalls the need for solidarity-based solutions on migration and asylum, asylum and border management in coordination and cooperation with affected Member States on the European external border, ensuring adequate humanitarian assistance and appropriate reception capacities across the country; welcomes the opening of the EU-funded centre in Lipa;
Amendment 313 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Amendment 319 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Urges BiH to reverse the trend of regression on alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy, particularly with regard to implementing sanctions against Russia and Belarus following the invasion of Ukraine; calls on BiH to strengthen good neighbourly relations and to work on resolving ongoing bilateral issues;
Amendment 327 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls for the EU to take concrete steps to integrate the Western Balkans and BiH within a broader strategic and security context, also in view of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, and its attempts to disrupt the European path of the Western Balkans, by means of disinformation and malign interference destabilising the country and region;
Amendment 336 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Welcomes EU-funded efforts tothe mobilization of European Peace Facility funds worth €10 million that will finance 150 metal detectors and 68 special vehicles in order to build capacities, boost demining and the disposal of weapons, ammunition and explosives;
Amendment 341 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29 a. Welcomes the continued presence of EUFOR’s Operation Althea in the country and the extension of its mandate by the United Nations Security Council on 3 November 2021;
Amendment 343 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Welcomes the recent reinforcementserve activation of additional 500 soldiers of EUFOR Althea and the support under the European Peace Facility to strengthen the armed forces of BiH; reminds that the mission still plays an important role in safeguarding the security and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Amendment 345 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Welcomes the recent reinforcement of EUFOR Althea and the support under the European Peace Facility to strengthen the armed forces of BiH; recognizes the added value that BiH's membership in NATO would have for democratic and institutional progress, as well as peacekeeping;
Amendment 346 #
2021/2245(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30 a. Notes that the mandate of EUFOR Althea expires in November 2022; calls on the EU and its Members States to facilitate the extension of the mandate of the mission and to develop a contingency plan in case of non-extension, as the denial of its renewal risks to be detrimental to the peace and security environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina and would lead to further destabilization;
Amendment 3 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 a (new)
Citation 19 a (new)
— having regard to the Sofia declaration of the EU-Western Balkans summit of 17 May 2018 and the Sofia priority agenda,
Amendment 4 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 b (new)
Citation 19 b (new)
— having regard to the EU-Western Balkans summit, held in Zagreb on 6 May 2020, and its declaration,
Amendment 11 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas enlargement is one of the EU’s most effective foreign policy instruments, as it contributes to extending the reach of the Union’s fundamental values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, the rule of law, peace building and respect for human rights;
Amendment 17 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the EU must provides a clear pathway for countries seeking to join the EU; whereas the Council has set conditions for Albania to fulfil prior to the first intergovernmental conference; whereas the quality of the necessary reforms determines the timetable for accession;
Amendment 23 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas Albania shouldmust continue to press forward with the consolidation of democracy, the rule of law and human rights, including the protection of persons belonging to minorities;
Amendment 27 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the EU is Albania's biggest provider of financial assistance; whereas Albania has benefited from the EU assistance under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II) in total of €639.5 million since 2014;
Amendment 28 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the EU is Albania’s biggest trading partner and largest donor and whereas the country has benefited from EUR 1,24 billion in EU pre- accession funding under IPA I and IPA II since 2007;
Amendment 31 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas the EU remains fully committed to support Albania’s strategic choice for EU integration; whereas Albania remains an important geopolitical ally and a trustworthy foreign policy partner, thanks to its efforts to advance regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations;
Amendment 32 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas the EU has shown its commitment for the European perspective of Western Balkan countries and mobilized €3.3 billion to address the immediate health crisis and mitigate economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 40 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas Albania has fulfilled almade sustained efforts to fulfil the conditions for the scheduling of the first Intergovernmental Conference and is advancing in its accession process;
Amendment 41 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas Albanian citizens have enjoyed visa-free travel to the Schengen area since December 2010;
Amendment 42 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. whereas Albanian citizens have been able to participate in student, academic and youth exchanges under the Erasmus+ programme since 2015;
Amendment 52 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls the need to uphold the pace and credibility of European integration by promptly opening accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, as continuously recommended by the Commission, given that both countries have fulfilled the conditions and deliver sustained results across fundamental areas; stresses that the opening of the negotiations would give credible impetus to other candidate countries in their reform efforts;
Amendment 53 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls the need to uphold the pace and credibility of European integration by promptly opening accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, following the complete fulfilment of the conditions set by the European Council, as continuously recommended by the Commission, given that both countries have fulfilled the conditions and deliver sustained results across fundamental areas;
Amendment 62 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. URecalls that Albania’s EU accession depends on lasting, in-depth and irreversible reforms across fundamental areas, starting with the rule of law and the functioning of democratic institutions; 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 and the economy, counter corruption and organised crime, and ensure media freedom;
Amendment 67 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Reaffirms the joint responsibility of Albania’s political forces to strengthen constructive political dialogue and cooperation, enabling an effective functioning of the country’s democratic institutions by continuing to improve governance, transparency and pluralism and by enabling the active participation of civil society; expresses its serious concern about the polarised political climate and lack of sustainable cross-party cooperation that continue to hamper the democratic process; encourages the use of the Jean Monnet Dialogue (JMD) to build the consensus necessary for generating a democratic parliamentary culture and trust and to develop true inter-party dialogue;
Amendment 77 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recalls the need to keep addressing the remaining electoral shortcomings by further improving the accessibility and integrity of elections preventing misuse of public administration/resources and vote- buying, including through digitalisation, data protection, equitable access to media and revised rules on political party financing;
Amendment 83 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Proposes an EU Election Observation Mission to Albania ahead of the next parliamentary election; calls on the Albanian government to ensure the full implementation of the ODIHR and Venice Commission recommendations regarding the electoral shortcomings in due time before the upcoming general elections;
Amendment 84 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Expresses concern about the pervasive allegations of vote buying, and recalls that initiation of proceedings against those accused of vote buying is among the conditions set by the Council; notes with regret that convictions in cases involving high-level officials remain limited and investigations have so far not resulted in a substantial number of final convictions of high-ranking officials;
Amendment 105 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes the need for further progress on freedom of expression, media independence and pluralism; requests authorities to take decisive action against the marginalisation of and intimidation against independent media outlets and reportersat Albania has fallen nine places in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index since 2018; notes the need for progress on freedom of expression, media independence and pluralism; calls on Albania to ensure a policy of zero tolerance for intimidation and attacks against journalists, and the media; requests authorities to take decisive action against the violence, intimidation, smear campaigns and indirect political and financial pressure directed at independent media outlets and reporters, which seriously stifle media freedom, induce self-censorship and gravely undermine efforts to uncover crime and corruption; repeats its calls to improve the working conditions of journalists and to adopt regulations enhancing transparency around media ownership, funding and public advertising;
Amendment 115 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recalls that any revision of media laws should be in line with the Venice Commission recommendations and should take place in a transparent and inclusive manner; in this regard, reiterates its grave concerns about the previously proposed so-called ‘anti-defamation package’, a legal act suffering from vagueness, that would likely have had a “chilling effect” suppressing free discussion and political speech in Albania, according to the Venice Commission6a; welcomes that the Parliament has initiated a process to review the current laws regarding the anti-defamation framework; _________________ 6a https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/docu ments/?pdf=CDL-AD(2020)013-e
Amendment 125 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls on the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Commission to improve coordination and to address disinformation and hybrid threats that seek to undermine the EU perspective by more strategically underscoring the EU’s relevance to citizens in the Western Balkans;
Amendment 128 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Underlines that the newly established Media and Information Agency should increase transparency and decentralisation and must in no way inhibit journalists’ equal access to information from government sources;
Amendment 142 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Calls for further efforts to ensure and protect the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities; notes that persons with disabilities were among the most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; deplores that during the April 2021 elections, persons with disabilities encountered barriers and difficulties to vote; calls for further efforts to address violence against persons with disabilities, improve overall accessibility (including services and information), and to promote employment; points out that the quality of education for disabled children, especially deaf children, remains a cause for concern;
Amendment 144 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Recalls the importance of measures ensuring the protection of national minorities and their active role in the society; calls on Albania to ensure that minority groups have equal opportunities, adequate representation in political and cultural life, public media and administration, and the judiciary; calls on Albania to protect and promote cultural heritage, languages and traditions of its national minorities;
Amendment 155 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Reminds about the crucial role of education for national minorities and therefore calls on Albania to provide equal and non-discriminatory education in minority languages as well to ensure adequate access to state lower and high education to all of its citizens;
Amendment 156 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Calls on Albania to swiftly adopt the remaining pending secondary legislation ensuring the full protection of national minorities;
Amendment 161 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Acknowledges the progress achieved in implementing the Istanbul Convention and calls on authorities to step up the prevention and responses to gender- based violence and femicide, to enhance support to survivors and to advance the prosecution of cases of harassment, and domestic violence andincluding violence against children; deplores that in Albania, 60% of all sexual abuse cases are committed against children - refugee and migrant children, and children with disabilities are extremely vulnerable to violence, exploitation, stigmatization and abuse;
Amendment 163 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Stresses that the authorities still need to strengthen the system for monitoring and combating child labour and other forms of exploitation;
Amendment 180 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Notes that Albania has fallen 27 places on the Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index for 2021, since 2016, scoring only 35 points out of a possible 100; worries that the pandemic was used as an excuse to reduce oversight and accountability for public procurement and foreign aid spending, allowing corruption to spread widely;
Amendment 188 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Commends the steady progress in implementing a comprehensive justice reform, underpinned by the unprecedented vetting process, followed by a restored functionality of relevant courts; welcomes the adoption by the Albanian Parliament to extend the mandates of the vetting institutions until the end of2024;
Amendment 191 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Commends the steady progress in implementing a comprehensive justice reform, underpinned by the unprecedented vetting process, followed by a restorn improved functionality of relevant courts;
Amendment 192 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Welcomes the Constitutional Court’s full functionality, following the appointment of members equal to the necessary quorum; expresses concern regarding the Constitutional Court’s quorum ahead, as the High Court lacks the necessary quorum to elect judges to the Constitutional Court and the mandates of members of the CC are expiring;
Amendment 195 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Welcomes the work of the Specialised Structure for Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime (SPAK) and the SPAK Courts in tackling corruption and organised crime; underlines the importance of delivering tangible results in the form of successful prosecution of high-profile crimes, including corruption; deplores that convictions in cases involving high-level officials still remain limited, fostering a culture of impunity within the higher levels of the State; stresses the need to further increase seizure and confiscation of criminal assets stemming from corruption-related offences;
Amendment 205 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Welcomes the adoption of 10 laws aiming to further strengthen the efficiency of the judicial system and underlines the importance of additional measures such as the implementation of the judicial map, a new integrated case management system and a strengthened legal education system; urges the government to take in consideration the opinion of all stakeholders for the new judiciary map, including the social-economic conditions of vulnerable groups;
Amendment 207 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Underlines the importance of taking decisive action against money laundering and terrorist financing by ensuring a consistent track record of proactive investigation, prosecution and final convictions for high-level corruption and confiscation of criminal assets; stresses the need of further alignment of its legislation with the EU acquis is this regard:
Amendment 209 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Notes with concern the large share of grey economy and massive illicit cash payments in the country; underlines that while cash transactions are not synonymous with illegal behaviour, their traceless nature offers an ideal vehicle for money laundering; calls on the government to implement measures to reduce informality, where possible;
Amendment 213 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Welcomes the ongoing efforts that should lead to systemic improvements in tackling organised crime, including the trafficking of humans, drugs, firearms and goods, along with cybercrime, violent crime, extremism and terrorist threats; commends the ongoing regional, bilateral and international cooperation on dismantling transnational crime networks, including with the EU Justice and Home Affairs Agencies, such as Europol and Eurojust; highlights that Albania is the only country from the region that has signed cooperation agreements with all justice and home affairs agencies of the EU and that the first fully fledged joint operation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) outside the European Union was deployed at the Greek-Albanian border in May 2019; commends that Albania has allowed air monitoring by EU Member State law enforcement services to detect production of narcotics;
Amendment 216 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Welcomes the ongoing efforts that should lead to systemic improvements in tackling the trafficking of humans, firearms andcultural property and other goods, along with cybercrime, violent crime, extremism and terrorist threats; commends the ongoing bilateral and international cooperation on dismantling transnational crime networks, including with the EU Justice and Home Affairs Agencies;
Amendment 218 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Commends the ongoing bilateral and international cooperation on dismantling transnational crime networks, including with Eurojust, Europol and Frontex;
Amendment 219 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Recommends Albania to update the legislation regarding drug precursors;
Amendment 220 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 b (new)
Paragraph 29 b (new)
29b. Expresses concern over the large numbers of firearms available in Albania; stresses the need to improve standard procedures and mechanisms to counter the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons, and to step up the investigation and prosecution of firearms trafficking;
Amendment 221 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 c (new)
Paragraph 29 c (new)
29c. Underlines that the contribution of Albania to the protection of the European Union’s external border is of crucial importance; Stresses that border protection and the prevention of cross- border crime must continue to be a priority, and must be conducted in full respect for the fundamental rights enshrined in applicable international and regional laws and principles;
Amendment 222 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 d (new)
Paragraph 29 d (new)
29d. Notes that the Western Balkan countries serve as a transit corridor for migrants and refugees and that the large population movements in recent years have posed an enormous challenge to the region and EU Member States; notes that Albania continued to experience a growing influx of irregular migrants, mostly leaving Albania after a few days, on the way to other EU countries; notes that the number of irregular migrants apprehended in Albania in 2020 increased by 13% compared with 2019; stresses that the issue of Albanian nationals making unfounded asylum applications to EU Member States still requires substantial efforts from the Albanian authorities; calls for enhanced efforts in addressing the smuggling of migrants, in particular unaccompanied minors;
Amendment 223 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 e (new)
Paragraph 29 e (new)
29e. Stresses the need to ensure adequate financial, technical and human resources, as well as the financial and operational independence of judicial and law enforcement institutions;
Amendment 227 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Highlights EU funding of sustainable post-earthquake and post- pandemic recovery and supports the ongoing efforts towards Albania’s democratic, green and digital transformation; underlines the need to step up EU assistance and funding for the rule of law, improvements, and encouraging sustainable green growth, biodiversity, innovation, competitiveness, property rights and reversal of the demographic decline;
Amendment 231 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Underlines the importance of empowering the youth and welcomes the designation of Tirana as the 2022 European Youth Capital; stresses the importance of the program of the European Youth Capital in the Western Balkans as this is an excellent opportunity to foster European integration and good neighbourly relations between youth from all over Europe, while promoting cultural and linguistic diversity;
Amendment 236 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Encourages the Albanian authorities to reduce the risk of poverty and social exclusion by improving access to social and healthcare services, especially for disadvantaged populations and minority groups;
Amendment 238 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Regrets that in 2021 the budget allocation to education was only 2.7% of Albania's GDP; Calls on increased investment in the modernisation of the education system, ensuring its quality and inclusiveness;
Amendment 240 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Recalls the conditionality of the EU funding under the IPA III and the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans; recognises the importance of IPA III and EIP for supporting reform process, sustainable connectivity, human capital, competitiveness and inclusive growth as well in reinforcing regional and cross- border cooperation;
Amendment 244 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Stresses the need to improve the visibility of and communication concerning EU aid and Union financing in Albania; recalls, in this regard, the performance reward under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance to North Macedonia and Albania and notably the substantial support the EU has provided to the Western Balkans to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and to limit the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 271 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Amendment 278 #
2021/2244(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Welcomes good progress and good level of preparation of Albania’ by adopting and ratifying additional protocols to the Central European Free Trade Agreement and by certifying first authorised economic operators (AEO);
Amendment 138 #
2021/2232(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the very timely new EU- US dialogue on China and the establishment of EU-US consultations on the Indo-Pacific, and calls for a coordinated approach towards strengthening multilateral institutions and regional organisations, promoting democracy and enhancing democratic resilience and security in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond;
Amendment 151 #
2021/2232(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Highlights the fundamental role that connectivity plays in the geopolitical relations of the EU and its Member States achieving a more proactive European foreign policy, and welcomes the announcement by Commission President von der Leyen to present the EU’s global gateway strategy aiming at sustainable cooperation with like-minded states and using soft powers to promote European values and to secure strong and durable partnerships;
Amendment 177 #
2021/2232(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Welcomes the commitment to further expand trade and investment in the region and notes that the EU has completed negotiations for bilateral agreements with Singapore and Vietnam; stresses the importance of concluding ongoing free trade negotiations, including those with ASEAN countries Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand; reminds that region-to-region trade and investment agreement negotiations were suspended and notes that such agreement would greatly benefit both the EU and ASEAN countries;
Amendment 226 #
2021/2232(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Underlines the important cooperation by Indo-Pacific partners in the EU’s CSDP missions and operations through framework participation agreements (FPAs) with Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and Vietnam, and calls for the conclusion of further FPAs with partner countries; supports Indo-Pacific partners' efforts to develop their own peacekeeping capacity;
Amendment 231 #
2021/2232(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls for the EU to invite like- minded Indo-Pacific partners to participate in selected PESCO projects in order to improve interoperability and coherence, thus strengthening overall security and defence cooperation;
Amendment 264 #
2021/2232(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Underlines the importance of information and cybersecurity as an element of the critical infrastructure of the global economy and for protecting democracies from disinformation and malicious attacks; welcomes EU's efforts to further enhance cooperation on cybercrime and cyber-resilience capacity- building for partners in the region and encourages closer cooperation in information sharing and in the fight against hybrid threats, including disinformation campaigns;
Amendment 290 #
2021/2232(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Highlights that the fight against violent extremism is of shared interest to the EU and Indo-Pacific countries; highlights the need to further promote cooperation between Europol and Aseanapol and between Europol and national law enforcement agencies to facilitate exchanges of good practices and expertise in key areas of interest, such as counter-terrorism, fighting transnational crime, human and illicit weapons trafficking and migrant smuggling;
Amendment 298 #
2021/2232(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Highlights that the risk of proliferation of nuclear weapons and the rapid build-up and deployment of new technologically advanced nuclear capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region remain major regional and global security concerns; calls on cooperation with likeminded partner countries on nuclear, safety and non-proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and supports the implementation and universalisation of the Arms Trade Treaty in the Indo-Pacific region;
Amendment 10 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
— having regard to the Memorandum of Understanding on a Strategic Partnership in the Field of Energy signed between the EU and Azerbaijan on 18 July 2022,
Amendment 11 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
— having regard to the Commission's Joint Communication "Towards an EU strategy for international cultural relations",
Amendment 17 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
— having regard to opinion on Azerbaijan by the Council of Europe's Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) published on 4 February 2019,
Amendment 46 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EU is committed to promoting a South Caucasus region that is secure, stable, peaceful and prosperous and is ready to play an active role as reliable trade partner and honest broker in mediating a sustainable peace settlement;
Amendment 50 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the European Union supports peaceful conflict resolution of any unresolved regional conflicts via diplomatic means;
Amendment 54 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas, following the quadrilateral meeting between President Aliyev, Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Macron and President Michel on 6 October in Prague, the EU has deployed a temporary monitoring mission along the Armenian side of the international border with Azerbaijan with the objective of monitoring, analysing and reporting on the situation in the region;
Amendment 56 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas a sustainable normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan requires that all violence cease and that all the root causes of conflict be addressed, whereas such a goal can only be achieved when the authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan can guarantee peaceful coexistence and the respect of minority rights;
Amendment 63 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the armed conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan have had a catastrophic impact on the cultural, religious and historical heritage of the whole region;
Amendment 64 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas Azerbaijan is a reliable and, trustworthy and strategic supplier of fossil fuels to the EU and whereas it is becoming increasingly important in this role given the need for the EU to diversify its energy supplies;
Amendment 74 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas the EU is Azerbaijan’s main trading partner and supports Azerbaijan’s WTO accession as well as the diversification, digitalisation and de- carbonisation of Azerbaijani economy;
Amendment 76 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas negotiations on a new Partnership Agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan are ongoing since 2018; whereas the new agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan should advance the interests of the EU in the region as well as promote human rights, democratic standards and principles, growth and economic development;
Amendment 131 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to fully implement the tripartite ceasefire agreement of 9 November 2020 and to refrain from any steps that could lead to further escalations; calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to avoid using inflammatory rhetoric and to implement measures to prepare their respective populations for peaceful coexistence, including those enhancing people-to-people contact; is of the opinion that the consequences of these hostilities and the presence of Russian peacekeepers is also impacting the political developments in the region;
Amendment 145 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that the EU’s passive stance during and immediately after the 2020 war gave other regional actors, such as Russia and Turkey, the opportunity to gain influence in the region; reminds that more active European preventive diplomacy could have prevented such outcome; strongly supports, therefore, the initiative taken by the President of the European Council Charles Michel to convene and mediate bilateral meetings of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels and encourages the work of the EU’s special representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia; urges the governments of both countries to fully engage in the drafting of a peace treaty and welcomes in this regard the meeting of the foreign affairs ministers of both countries on 30 September in Geneva and on 8 November in Washington D.C.;
Amendment 156 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes note of the initial progress made on the process of border delimitation; welcomes the agreement to deploy a civilian EU missioWelcomes the establishment of the Azerbaijan - Armenia border delimitation commission and takes note of the progress made on the process of border delimitation; welcomes the agreement to deploy a civilian EU monitoring mission with up to 40 EU monitoring experts along the Armenian side of the international border with Azerbaijan to build trust and contribute to the border commissions;
Amendment 167 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the humanitarian assistance provided by the EU for the conflict-affected population in and around Nagorno-Karabakh and its leading role in assistance for humanitarian demining in the areas affected by the conflict; calls on the Commission to increase EU assistance to people in need, facilitate the implementation of more ambitious confidence-building measures and enhance people-to-people contacts between citizensEuropean Commission to ensure additional funding and assistance on demining efforts, including equipment, training and risk education; calls for additional demining cooperation with experts from EU Member States and non- governmental organisations; calls on the Commission to increase EU assistance to people in need, facilitate the implementation of more ambitious confidence-building measures, promote interreligious and interethnic dialogue, protect minority rights and enhance people-to-people contacts between citizens in order to provide the foundations for a sustainable and peaceful coexistence;
Amendment 175 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Continues to be concerned about the fate of Armenian prisoners, both military and civilian, detained during and after the conflict and still held by Azerbaijan and welcomes the release of some of them; reminds that both Armenia and Azerbaijan are parties to the Geneva Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, which stipulates that prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated and must be released and repatriated without delay after the cessation of active hostilities; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all the remaining detainees, including those captured during the recent military confrontations, and for them to be treated in accordance with international humanitarian law;
Amendment 185 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. SDenounces the destruction of Armenian and Azerbaijani cultural, religious and historical heritage since the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; strongly insists that Azerbaijan and Armenia refrain from destroying cufurther destruction and altueral, religious or historicaltion of such heritage; calls for the restoration of damaged sites in accordance with UNESCO standards and indications as well as for a greater involvement of the international community in the preservation of cultural, religious and historical heritage in the region; calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to quickly allow a UNESCO mission to visit both countries without preconditions;
Amendment 196 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on Azerbaijan to ensure the safety and respect of the rights of all minorities in the Nagorno-Karabakh region as this is an essential prerequisite for the creation of conditions conducive to post-war rehabilitation and genuine reconciliation;
Amendment 216 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. RAcknowledges the completion of the Southern Gas Corridor between Azerbaijan and Europe and the first dispatch of gas in December 2020; recognises the strategic role played by Azerbaijan as a provider of fossil fuels to the EU and welcomes its willingness to contribute even more to the EU’s objectives in terms of security and diversification of energy supply and climate neutrality;
Amendment 227 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the new memorandum of understanding between the EU and Azerbaijan signed by President Aliyev and Commission President von der Leyen in Baku on 18 July 2022 that includes a commitment to double the capacity of the Southern Gas Corridor to deliver at least 20 billion cubic metres to the EU annually by 2027; welcomes Azerbaijan’s participation in the EU4Energy program and urges the country to make more progress on energy efficiency;
Amendment 236 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Emphasises Azerbaijan’s potential as a producer of renewable energy, in particular in offshore wind and green hydrogen and calls on the Commission and the Member States to enhance EU- Azerbaijan cooperation in that area;
Amendment 246 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the significant trade flows between the EU and Azerbaijan and the high level of EU investment in Azerbaijan; underscores that the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan could mobilise up to EUR 2 billion in additional investments, which will deliver tangible benefits for the people of Azerbaijan and support the country’s economic diversification, green and digital transition; Calls on the EU to continue supporting regional development in Azerbaijan, including rural development, agriculture and food safety;
Amendment 251 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Recognises Azerbaijan’s strategic geographical position as a potential gateway between Europe and Central Asia and beyond, within the so-called ‘Middle Corridor’; urges the EU to support Azerbaijan and its neighbouring countries in their efforts to establish trans-Caspian and trans-Caucasian connections;
Amendment 263 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on EU institutions to ensure that any deepening of relations between the EU and Azerbaijan remains conditional on the country making substantial progress on respect for the core values and principles of democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, good governance, the rights of minorities, freedom of the media and gender equality;
Amendment 267 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Notes the multicultural and multi- religious character of Azerbaijan and therefore calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to step up their efforts and ensure the non-discriminatory treatment of national minorities and to actively pursue investigations and convictions for hate-motivated crimes based on religious, gender related or ethnic grounds; calls on Azerbaijani authorities to ensure that all minority groups receive education in their national languages and to have equal opportunities, adequate representation in political and cultural life, public media and the administration; calls on Azerbaijan to protect and promote tangible and intangible cultural heritage, languages and traditions of its national minorities;
Amendment 274 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Deeply regrets the current state of press freedom in Azerbaijan; expresses its concern at the new law on media adopted in December 2021; calls for a swift review of that law in accordance with the recommendations included in the opinion of the Venice Commission of 17-18 June 2022; urges Azerbaijan to stop persecuting bloggers and journalists; calls on Azerbaijan to free all journalists and bloggers currently detained on the basis of the opinions they expressed;
Amendment 280 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Recommends to the European External Action Service, the Commission and the Member States to increase their support for and cooperation with civil society and human rights defenders, in particular in relation to restrictions on their work; calls on the Government of Azerbaijan to establish a regular and in- depth political dialogue with civil society in order to encourage ambitious and widely shared reforms aimed at making institutions more democratic and independent, to promote human rights and media freedom and develop a regulatory environment in which civil society can operate without undue interference;
Amendment 286 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Strongly insists that Azerbaijan ceases all repression of political opposition activists through intimidation, arrests, detentions and court cases; urges Azerbaijan to releases all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience currently detained; Calls on Azerbaijan to fully implement the decisions of the ECtHR and to clear its backlog of unimplemented cases;
Amendment 311 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Urges Azerbaijan to reform its electoral legal framework to align it with international standards and obligations, guarantee constitutionally protected rights and freedoms, as well as address pending recommendations by ODIHR and the Venice Commission;
Amendment 328 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Expresses its concern at the persistent lack of independence, impartiality and effectiveness of the judiciary; urges Azerbaijan to cease to restrict access to the bar for lawyers engaging in human right cases and to stop using disciplinary procedures as a means to put pressure on those lawyers;
Amendment 331 #
2021/2231(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Takes good note of the limited progress made by Azerbaijan on the prevention of corruption; calls on Azerbaijan to address the lack of an effective system of asset disclosure for members of parliament, judges and prosecutors; to strengthen the role of the judiciary within the Judicial Legal Council and to eliminate the government’s undue influence over the Prosecutor’s Office;
Amendment 41 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EU is committed to promoting a South Caucasus region that is secure, stable, peaceful and prosperous and is ready to play an active role as reliable trade partner and honest broker in mediating a sustainable peace settlement;
Amendment 44 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the European Union supports peaceful conflict resolution of any unresolved regional conflicts via diplomatic means;
Amendment 45 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas, following the quadrilateral meeting between President Aliyev, Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Macron and President Michel on 6 October 2022 in Prague, the EU has deployed a temporary monitoring mission along the Armenian side of the international border with Azerbaijan with the objective of monitoring, analysing and reporting on the situation in the region;
Amendment 48 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas a sustainable normalisation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan requires that all violence cease and that all the root causes of conflict be addressed; whereas such a goal can only be achieved when the authorities of Armenia and Azerbaijan can guarantee peaceful coexistence and the respect of minority rights;
Amendment 55 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the armed conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan have had a catastrophic impact on the cultural, religious and historical heritage of the whole region;
Amendment 100 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Urges Armenia and Azerbaijan to fully implement the tripartite ceasefire agreement of 9 November 2020 and to urgentlyrefrain from any steps that could lead to further escalations; implement measures to prepare their respective populations for peaceful coexistence, including those enhancing people-to-people contact; calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to avoid using inflammatory rhetoric which threatens to undermine the peace process;
Amendment 115 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that the EU’s passive stance during and immediately after the 2020 war gave other regional actors, such as Russia and Turkey, the opportunity to gain influence in the region; reminds that more active European preventive diplomacy could have prevented such outcome; strongly supports, therefore, the initiative taken by the President of the European Council Charles Michel to convene and mediate bilateral meetings of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels and encourages the work on the ground of the EU’s special representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia; urges the governments of both countries to fully engage in the drafting of a peace treaty and welcomes in this regard the meetings of the foreign affairs ministers of both countries on 30 September in Geneva and on 8 November in Washington D.C.;
Amendment 125 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes note of the initial discussions on the process of border delimitation; welcomes the agreement to deploy a civilian EU missioWelcomes the establishment of the Azerbaijan - Armenia border delimitation commission and takes note of the progress made on the process of border delimitation; welcomes the agreement to deploy a civilian EU monitoring mission with up to 40 EU monitoring experts along the Armenian side of the international border with Azerbaijan to build trust and contribute to the border commissions;
Amendment 135 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the humanitarian aidssistance provided by the EU for the conflict- affected population in and around Nagorno-Karabakh and its leading role in assistance for humanitarian demining in the areas affected by the conflict; calls on the European Commission to increase EU assistance to the people in need, including in Nagorno- Karabakhensure additional funding and assistance on demining efforts, including equipment, training and risk education; calls for additional demining cooperation with experts from EU Member States and non- governmental organisations; calls on the Commission to increase EU assistance to people in need, facilitate the implementation of more ambitious confidence-building measures, promote interreligious and interethnic dialogue, protect minority rights and enhance people-to-people contacts between citizens oin both sides of the borderorder to provide the foundations for a sustainable and peaceful coexistence;
Amendment 146 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Continues to be concerned about the fate of Armenian prisoners, both military and civilian, detained during and after the conflict and still held by Azerbaijan and welcomes the release of some of them; demandsreminds that both Armenia and Azerbaijan are parties to the Geneva Convention (III) relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, which stipulates that prisoners of war must at all times be humanely treated and must be released and repatriated without delay after the cessation of active hostilities; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all the remaining detainees, including those captured during the recent military confrontations, and that theyfor them to be treated in accordance with international humanitarian law;
Amendment 166 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Strongly insists that Azerbaijan and Armenia refrain from destroying cultural, religious or historical heritage; calls for the restoration of damaged sites in accordance with UNESCO standards and indicationsDenounces the destruction of Armenian and Azerbaijani cultural, religious and historical heritage since the beginning of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict; strongly insists that Azerbaijan and Armenia refrain from further destruction and neglect of such heritage in the region; calls for the restoration of damaged sites in accordance with UNESCO standards and indications as well as for a greater involvement of the international community in protecting world heritage in the region; calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to quickly allow a UNESCO mission to visit both countries without preconditions;
Amendment 334 #
2021/2207(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u
Paragraph 1 – point u
(u) ensure continued and additional financial support to Palestinian refugees through UNRWA to meet the increasing needs on the ground; ensure that EU funding is used for projects that are in line with EU values and that do not incite hatred or violence; ensure that EU sponsored schoolbooks are meeting the UNESCO standards of peace, tolerance coexistence and non-violence;
Amendment 28 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Amendment 33 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas the EU is a major, longstanding and reliable partner for peace, security, sustainable development and humanitarian assistance in the region;
Amendment 36 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
A c. whereas since 2019, the EU has supported 64 projects in the Horn of Africa via EU Trust Fund, mainly focusing on greater economic and employment opportunities and improved governance and conflict prevention;
Amendment 62 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) coordinate EU initiatives and support with African counterparts by favouring African ownership of the programmes whenever possible, thus helping to find African solutions to African problems; adopt, in this regard, a conditionality approach, including in developmental assistance and security issues, based on the more for more and less for less principle;
Amendment 68 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
(c) coordinate efforts in the region with the African Union and its regional components, as well as with the UN, regional organisations and other like- minded partners;
Amendment 72 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
(d) adopt a proactive, inclusive and cooperative approach based on selective engagement with countries and actors present in the Horn of Africa, sharing EU best practices and experience in integrating economic, developmental, financial, social, cultural and security-related issues to foster effective cooperation across the region and in the maritime domain, while also acting as a facilitator of dialogue with all parties involved;
Amendment 83 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
(e) contribute to regional security and stability both throughwith an integrated approach both through capacity building, conflict resolution and mediation activities and by addressing the root causes of conflicts;
Amendment 87 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
(e a) reinforce the EU’s integrated approach to conflicts and crises, and strengthen the link between humanitarian assistance, development cooperation, and peace along a “triple nexus” in the region;
Amendment 89 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point e b (new)
(e b) support for the promotion and implementation of the United Nations agenda on Women, Peace and Security to ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in peace and security issues, in line with the EU Action Plan, and the agendas on Youth, Peace and Security;
Amendment 118 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
(h) acknowledge the positive impacts of Operation Atlanta in guaranteeing maritime security, and take note of the non-extension of its mandate within the UNSC; call on the Member States to show adequate commitment to the EU Training Mission in Somalia both in terms of personnel and means, in order to empower the Somali Armed Forces to guarantetake ownership of the security in the country;
Amendment 136 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point i a (new)
(i a) support and promote mechanisms for further effective prevention, de- escalation and peaceful settlement of disputes and for reconciliation by encouraging dialogue and mediation in post-conflict areas;
Amendment 154 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l
Paragraph 1 – point l
(l) work in partnership with our African counterparts and, civil society, churches and faith-based organizations to identify and address the main human rights challenges and priorities in the region, including human rights and rule of law issues and the mitigation of the COVID-19 health crisis;
Amendment 187 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point o a (new)
(o a) support an environment that allows capacity building for local vaccine manufacturing and assist in strengthening local health systems, reinforcing partners’ preparedness and response capacity, and supporting structural reforms of the health sector;
Amendment 195 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point p a (new)
Amendment 203 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
(q a) find a sustainable solution with partner countries in Horn of Africa to mitigate consequences of migration towards European external borders, as its security is closely interlinked with overall peace and stability in the region;
Amendment 206 #
2021/2206(INI)
(q b) foster enhanced cooperation on border security, migration management and the fight against crossborder criminal activities, including human trafficking and illicit trade in weapons and cultural heritage;
Amendment 216 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s
Paragraph 1 – point s
(s) adopt a team Europe approach in the region, working with the African Union, regional organizations and a wide spectrum of actors, including from the private sector, in supporting African- owned initiatives;
Amendment 236 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u
Paragraph 1 – point u
(u) take note of the growing, multifaceted influence of third parties in the region that aim to undermine European efforts and assistance; recognise that the increasing presence of actors that do not share the Union`s values, interests and objectives could undermine the EU’s role as a privileged partner;
Amendment 245 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v
Paragraph 1 – point v
(v) reinforce strategic communication through effective and fact-based campaigns about EU actions and EU sponsored initiatives in the region in order to increase EU's visibility, underlining their added value for local communities, sustainable development, peace and security and inclusive growth, while also countering disinformation and false narratives from third parties;
Amendment 250 #
2021/2206(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point v a (new)
(v a) mandate the EU Special Representative to focus on regional activities and to enhance the EU’s visibility, its presence and engagement with all countries in the region and to strengthen political engagement in order to foster closer relations with partner countries;
Amendment 13 #
2021/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 41 a (new)
Citation 41 a (new)
— having regard to the trilateral meeting of 14 December 2021 between the President of the European Council Charles Michel, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan,
Amendment 27 #
2021/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas EaP seeks to foster stability, prosperity and mutual cooperation, and to advance the commitment to the necessary reforms, including strengthening the rule of law, transparent and accountable public administration, tackling fraud and corruption, in the six EaP countries, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine;
Amendment 29 #
2021/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EaP is part of the EU’s comprehensive approach to security and cyber resilience, including against hybrid threats, specifically designed to bolster relationships with the six EaP countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, and to help promote peace and stability oin the EU’suropean eastern flankneighbourhood;
Amendment 52 #
2021/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the EaP Summit on 15 December 2021 resulted in increased efforts to bolster resilience, securitytrengthen strategic communication and fight against disinformation, foster security and cyber dialogue and cooperation in the areas of the CSDP;
Amendment 104 #
2021/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas Russia, against the backdrop of a crisis on the EU-Belarusian border, has amassed over 100 000 troops on the border of Ukraine in an offensive formation while increasing its hybrid warfare tactics targeting the elected government in Kyiv, creating widespread concern about a potential second invasion of Ukraine; whereas recent negotiations held in Paris on 26 January 2022 in Normandy Format have failed to lower the tensions at the border of Ukraine;
Amendment 121 #
2021/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas following the electoral unrest, Belarus has largely abandoned its aim of fostering better relations with the EU, having reversed trends towards democratisation and taken to weaponising refugees in an attempt to uproot domestic aspirations towards liberalisation and destabilise EU Member States; whereas the EU regrets the decision of the Belarusian authorities to suspend their participation in the EaP and remains open for resumption of cooperation as soon as the necessary conditions for democratic transition are met;
Amendment 131 #
2021/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas the outbreak of hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia fundamentally altered the political, strategic and operational status quo of the South Caucasus and resulted in Russia’s deployment of approximately 2 000 peacekeeping troops to the areaLachin corridor and in and around Nagorno- Karabakh as part of athe 10 November 2020 ceasefire agreement;
Amendment 138 #
2021/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas the Russian Federation is continuing to further reinforce its illegal military presence in Georgia’s occupied territories of Abhazia and South Ossetia and to intensify its military build- up and military exercises, seriously destabilising the security situation on the ground;
Amendment 142 #
2021/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
M a. whereas the 2021 Eastern Partnership Summit reaffirmed the sovereign right of each partner to choose its level of ambition and its goals in its relations with the EU;
Amendment 144 #
2021/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M b (new)
Recital M b (new)
M b. whereas Commission announced on 1 February 2022 a proposal for €1.2 billion emergency macro-financial assistance to Ukraine;
Amendment 267 #
2021/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the decision of the European Council of 2 December 2021 to utilise the European Peace Facility (EPF) in providing Ukraine with a package of EUR 31 million, Georgia with a package of EUR 12.75 million and Moldova with a package of EUR 7 million to assist in strengthening their resilience and defence capabilities, particularly the fight against disinformation, cybersecurity, medical, engineering, mobile and logistics capabilities; encourages further utilisation of the EPF to increase the ability of EaP countries to exchange intelligence via secure communication lines, particularly those EaP countries hosting CSDP missions;
Amendment 271 #
2021/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Welcomes the Commission's proposal for a new emergency macro- financial assistance (MFA) programme for Ukraine worth up to €1.2 billion that will contribute to enhancing Ukraine's macroeconomic stability and overall resilience in the context created by the sharp increase in geopolitical uncertainty and its impact on the economic situation; notes that the EU and European financial institutions have allocated over €17 billion in grants and loans to the country since 2014;
Amendment 336 #
2021/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Considers the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) as a best practice for using investment that promotes mutual security and stability in critical infrastructure and believes that it should be opened to include EaP countries within the framework of existing European policies and programs, especially Eastern Parthership;
Amendment 418 #
2021/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to adjust advisory mandates to include specialised training in combating hybrid warfare activities and disinformation campaigns, cyber warfare and OSINT analysis; notes that the inclusion of cultural heritage protection and intercultural dialogue aspect into the mission mandate would be beneficial to the process of conflict resolution and to conclude sustainable settlements;
Amendment 430 #
2021/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Expresses deep concern about the continued tensions on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the aftermath of the violent conflict in the Autumn of 2020; calls on the Commission, the EEAS and Member States to promote the start of negotiations on the delimitation and demarcation of state borders and a sustainable agreement that leads to peaceful co-existence; welcomes the outcome of the high-level meeting of European Council President Charles Michel, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan in which both leaders have reaffirmed their preparedness to work on open bilateral issues and to launch negotiations on border demarcation, for which the EU is prepared to provide technical assistance;
Amendment 11 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
— having regard to the Council conclusions of 18 October 2021 on EUFOR Operation Althea,
Amendment 12 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 b (new)
Citation 13 b (new)
Amendment 44 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1
Subheading 1
Developing an EU defence doctrine using the Strategic Compass to drive strategic autonomyincrease EU’s ability to act
Amendment 49 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that the EU is facing new threats in a multipolar world, including hybrid threats, increased militarisation around the world and a still unstable neighbourhood, both in the East and in the South; stresses that to combat these threats and rising third country influence in the EU's proximity, the EU has to step up its efforts in providing support, training and capacity building with like- minded partner countries, including by fighting disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks and building resilience to hostile foreign interferences;
Amendment 64 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses the importance of stability in the Western Balkans for the security of the EU's external borders; welcomes the adoption of the new accession financial instrument IPA III and the 2021 enlargement package that both underline the EU's continued commitment to the European perspective of the region and contribute to reconciliation and good neighbourly relations;
Amendment 67 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Notes that the instability and insecurity in the European Southern Neighbourhood remains an ongoing challenge for European external border management; calls for enhanced cooperation with partner countries in the Mediterranean to combat extremism and terrorism, illicit trade in weapons and human trafficking;
Amendment 68 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Notes the emerging security challenges in the Arctic caused by the changing environment and the growing geopolitical interest in the region; Underlines the EU’s responsibility in its northern neighbourhood to protect its interests, such as freedom of navigation; notes that all Arctic issues must be addressed through constructive dialogue and cooperation in a rules-based multilateral framework;
Amendment 87 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the launch of the work on the Strategic Compass, which should be completed in March 2022; stresses that it is a beginning, not an endthe development of the Strategic Compass requires a thorough threat analysis and strategic dialogue between Member States, and that it constitutes a major step towards a European Defence Union; notes that the impact of the COVID-19 crisis has in particular highlighted the need to include impressions gained and lessons learned;
Amendment 108 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises the importance of supporting it with a 360-degree tThreat analysis and a strategic dialogue with input provided by the Member States; stresses that the Strategic Compass must be the EU’s ambitious response to this analysis, which must be subject to regular review;
Amendment 130 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that the Strategic Compass must make it possible to strengthen the Union’s capacity to act as an increasingly credible strategic partner; stresses that this exercise must be regularly updated, must set out an ambitious and operational course – with a timetable for the implementation of decisions and monitoring mechanisms – and must enable the Union to have a coherent defence policy, a commonshared strategic culture, a capacity to anticipate threats and provide a rapid and coordinated reaction and a capacity for autonomous resilience, to be able to mobilise resources on the basis of solidarity when a Member State is threatened and requests them, and ultimately to play a part in the protection of European citizens;
Amendment 142 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that the Union is currently deploying 11 civilian missions and six military missions and operations; recalls that only three of the military missions are executive missions; notes that these missions and operations are suffering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has limited their effectiveness and commends these missions' staff for remaining fully operational during that time;
Amendment 171 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that EUNAVFOR ATALANTA, EUCAP and EUTM Somalia form a coherent whole supporting the Union’s Strategic Framework for the Horn of Africa; welcomes the crucial role played by Operation ATALANTA in the fight against piracy and trafficking in the Horn of Africa and encourages the participation of like-minded partners in order to ensure safe waterways in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean;
Amendment 186 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls the strategic importance for European interests of the Mozambique Channel; welcomes the commitment of the Member States and the VP/HR to respond to the growing terrorist threat in the area; notes the forthcoming establishment of an EUTM by launching the EU Military Training Mission in Mozambique that will provide training and capacity building to the Mozambican armed forces to mitigate the crisis in the Cabo Delgado province;
Amendment 190 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the Council's unequivocal commitment to Operation EUFOR Althea as stated in conclusions from 18 October 2021 and the renewal of the Althea mission in 2020 and the refocusing of its mandate in support of the Bosnia- Herzegovina authorities in an effort to maintain a safe and secure environment; reminds that this mission set route towards peace, stabilization and the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina and that this mission still plays a pivotal role for the security and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region; reminds that the experiences and lessons learned from this mission add substantial value to all current and future military and civilian CSDP missions and operations;
Amendment 209 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes the reinforcement of the EUAM Iraq advisory mission with the addition of a component to support the implementation of the internal security reform; reminds that EUAM Iraq is the only CSDP mission or operation that has a cultural heritage protection component included in its mandate in order to provide assistance and education to local partners in addressing security challenges related to the preservation and protection of cultural heritage; calls on the Council and the EEAS to include a similar component in other missions and operations;
Amendment 219 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the launch of the CSDP operation in the Mediterranean, EUNAVFOR MED IRINI; stresses its key role in the implementation of the arms embargo, the training of Libyan coastguard, disrupting human and weapons trafficking; deplores the fact that, in 2020, it encountered many refusals to allow inspections; calls for a transparent communication from the European External Action Service (EEAS) on this issue; laments the fact that NATO, which is active in the area through Operation Sea Guardian, is unwilling to cooperate;
Amendment 225 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the launch of the CSDP operation in the Mediterranean, EUNAVFOR MED IRINI; stresses its key role in the implementation of the arms embargo; deplores the fact that, in 2020, it encountered many refusals to allow inspections; calls for a transparent communication from the European External Action Service (EEAS) on this issue; laments the fact that NATO, which is active in the area through Operation Sea Guardian, is unwilling to cooperateregrets that more close cooperation with Operation Sea Guardian has not been established;
Amendment 268 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls for a strengthening of the Union’s command structures, in particular the Military Staff (EUMS) and the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), which must be provided with the requisite personnel, equipment and resources as soon as possible, and be able to exchange classified information safely, including with Member States and missions/operations; calls for the creation of a European HQ for conduct of operations;
Amendment 286 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the cooperation capacity of European armies in helping citizens in the fight against the pandemic in 2020; calls on the EU and the Member States to set out detailed arrangements for the implementation of Article 44 TEU so asexplore the options for faster decision making to enable the Union to respond rapidly and effectively to crises; welcomes the positive pooling and coordinating role played by air forces during the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular as regards transfers for medical treatment and deliveries of equipment between Member States;
Amendment 302 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Supports the ambition of creatingEU and Member States to explore the establishment of a ‘rapid entry force’; recalls the existence of battlegroups and the need to make them credible by conducting regular field exercises; deplores the Member States’ lack of commitment to the battlegroups; criticises the fact that only one, led by Italy, is operational in 2021; laments the weakness of the planning for 2022 and 2023;
Amendment 474 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Recalls that third-country participation in PESCO projects must be decided on a case-by-case basis; welcomes the initial stages of military mobility and calls for subsequent stages to be implemented swiftly; approvwelcomes the participation of the United States, Norway and Canada in the military mobility project;
Amendment 503 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 – indent 3
Paragraph 38 – indent 3
- integratestimulate and encourage Member States to systematically consider and make best use of EU defence initiatives and EU military capability development processes into national defence planning processes,;
Amendment 563 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Stresses that the Union should adopt a strategic approach to its partnerships based, in particular, on the defence of its interests and strategic autonomy;
Amendment 571 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Welcomes the establishment of an EU-US strategic dialogue oReiterates the longstanding Transatlantic relations as a pillar of security and defence for the European continent; welcomes the efforts towards closer EU-US partnership in security and defence; stresses the operational dimension of the partnership and the importance of ensuring that the Union maintains its strategic autonomy, in particular as regards the United States’ International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); welcomes, in this regard, the involvement of third countries in the EDA on the basis of administrative agreements, provided that it is accompanied by legally binding counterparts and safeguards to protect the defence and security interests of the Union and its Member States;
Amendment 593 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. CallsReaffirms unwavering support for robust NATO-EU cooperation, for a stronger NATO supported by a stronger European Union, and wishes to see very tangible development in the EU-NATO partnership; calls, in this context, for NATO’s new strategic concept to be coherent and complementary with the EU’s Strategic Compass;
Amendment 612 #
2021/2183(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Calls for closer relations with non- traditional but like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific region (India, Japan, Australia), and in specific policy sectors (cybersecurity, hybrid, maritime, etc.), and with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN); commends existing quality cooperation with Australia, New Zeeland and Republic of Korea through Framework Participation Agreements;
Amendment 14 #
2021/2182(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas recent international developments and challenges, including the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, rapidly changing global geopolitical environment and the recent rapid collapse of the state structures of Afghanistan, have exposed the vulnerability of the EU to the external events and accelerated existing trends affecting key aspects of the EU’s CFSP;
Amendment 155 #
2021/2182(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. CWelcomes the EU's approach and global lead in providing COVID vaccines and addressing the social and economic consequences of the pandemic via the COVAX mechanism and the Team Europe global recovery package; calls for the EU to develop a robust global health strategy, including global and EU efforts to ensure preparedness and an effective response to upcoming crises and to secure fair, affordable and equitable access to vaccines around the world;
Amendment 282 #
2021/2182(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that EU sovereignty in the field of security and defence means the development, coordination and deployment of strategic capabilities, an efficient division of labour between the Member States and the EU’s ability to decide and act autonomously, in line with its own interests, principles and values; stresses that this approach reinforces cooperation with like-minded partners, in particular within the framework of NATO; notes that these enhanced European strategic capabilities should be compatible and complementary with NATO and welcomes in this regard the Commission President’s announcement that the EU and NATO will present a joint declaration on cooperation by the end of 2021; welcomes the discussion on an ‘initial entry force’ as presented by the VP/HR;
Amendment 305 #
2021/2182(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Underlines the need for the Union to develop its technological sovereignty through the enhancement of industrial defence capabilities, in particular in emerging disruptive technologies (EDTs), and the protection and resilience of critical infrastructures, and essential cybersecurity measures;
Amendment 321 #
2021/2182(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Amendment 327 #
2021/2182(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Reiterates its call for accelerating the enlargement process and opening accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, with a focus on strengthening democracy, the rule of law, and human and minority rights, as well as fostering reconciliation and economic progress in the Western Balkans, as prerequisites for durable stability and prosperity; urges for EU engagement with the countries in the Western Balkans to find solutions for problems impeding further reforms, including the needed electoral reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina ensuring the implementation of the Dayton-Paris Peace Agreement; underlines the importance of European integration of these partner states for the stability and security of the continent as a whole;
Amendment 336 #
2021/2182(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Commends the work of operation EUFOR Althea that set route towards peace, stabilization and the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina; reminds that this mission still plays a pivotal role for the security and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region;
Amendment 342 #
2021/2182(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Welcomes the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans and calls for its immediate implementation to facilitate the long-term recovery and economic growth of the area and its sustainable connectivity, bringing the Western Balkans closer to the EU Single Market;
Amendment 350 #
2021/2182(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Reaffirms its unwavering support to the Eastern Partnership countries, and in particular as regards their independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within their internationally recognised borders; calls for the full implementation of the Association Agreements with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine and the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement with Armenia; underlines the need to continue negotiations on the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan; condemns Russia’s direct and indirect involvement in armed conflicts, occupations and military build-ups inside the region or on its borders with the region; urges the Eastern Partnership countries, and in particular those that have chosen to pursue the path of European integration, to ensure that fundamental freedoms are upheld and to continue implementing the necessary reforms; welcomes the Commission’s joint communication with a renewed agenda on new long-term policy objectives for the Eastern Partnership beyond 2020 which sets out the measures to strengthen resilience, foster sustainable development and deliver tangible results for society in the partnership countries; reiterates that the EU’s support is conditional upon concrete progress on those reforms;
Amendment 389 #
2021/2182(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Is concerned by the Turkish Government’s increasingly assertive foreign policy, which is repeatedly putting the country at odds with the EU and individual Member States; calls for the resumption of diplomatic dialogue to find sustainable solutions for the disputes in the East Mediterranean; deplores the long-deteriorating situation regarding human rights and democracy in Turkey; recalls, however, that Turkey will continue to be a country of key strategic interest for the EU and that engagement needs to continue in a phased, proportionate and reversible manner, keeping the country as closely anchored to the EU as possible; welcomes in this regard the recent first high-level dialogue on migration and security;
Amendment 401 #
2021/2182(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Underlines the importance of the full implementation of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement, including the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, as well as the Trade and Cooperation Agreement; stresses the importance of the Protocol for maintaining peace and stability on the Northern Irish border, as well for the integrity and proper functioning of the European Single Market; welcomes steps towards the establishment of a Parliamentary Partnership Assembly for Members of the European Parliament and Members of the UK Parliament, as provided for by the agreement; hopes that foreign policy and security cooperation will be further developed and strengthened in areas of common concern;
Amendment 416 #
2021/2182(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Underlines the need to strengthen EU-US transatlantic cooperation on the basis of an equal partnership of equals; welcomes in this context the statement ‘Towards a renewed Transatlantic partnership’ from the EU-US summit 2021, which provides a good basis for an ambitious transatlantic agenda; fully supports and commits to pursuing synergies and shared foreign and security objectives by further deepening cooperation in the framework of the EU- US transatlantic dialogue, such as through transatlantic parliamentary diplomacy; welcomes in this regard the launch of the Transatlantic Trade and Technology Council and proposes the establishment of a Transatlantic Political Council; highlights that the EU should be prepared to reflect on how to adapt to the changing role of the US on the global stage;
Amendment 446 #
2021/2182(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Is gravely concerned by the developments in Russia and reiterates the EU’s interest in maintaining freedom, stability and peace on the European continent and beyond; believes that the EU should deter Russia from carrying out destabilising and subversive actions in Europe and from repressing its own citizens; underlines that closer coordination, cooperation and unity among the EU Member States are necessary in order to maintain a constructive dialogue with the Russian authorities based on the five guiding principles, which is only possible if both parties are genuinely interested in it; urges the EU to engage more closely with the people of Russia, including by developing a clearly defined ‘engagement’ objective, which should focus not only on traditional selective engagement with the Kremlin, but also on ‘strategic’ engagement with Russian opposition and civil society;
Amendment 521 #
2021/2182(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Welcomes the increased involvement of the European Parliament in the programming of Global Europe and IPA III; welcomes as well as the introduction of a biannual High-Level Geopolitical Dialogue for both external financial instruments; underlines that these geopolitical dialogues aim to allow the Parliament to provide orientations, strategic steering and guidance for programming and implementation across thematic and geographic priorities of Global Europe and IPA III;
Amendment 224 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 103 a (new)
Paragraph 103 a (new)
Amendment 240 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 108 – point h a (new)
Paragraph 108 – point h a (new)
h a. step up its engagement with the PA, with the aim of ensuring additional curriculum reform to address the highly problematic issues identified in school material in the shortest possible time frame; insists that all EU funding must be made conditional on educational materialand course content complies with UNESCO standards of peace, tolerance, coexistence, and non-violence; suggest the Commission to partly withhold funding to the UNRWA and the PA, the reserve should only be released if substantive positive changes are made in the PA curriculum- should there be no change, appropriations in the reserve shall be used for funding Palestinian NGOs with a proven track record of promoting educational initiatives fostering tolerance and coexistence;
Amendment 8 #
2021/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
— having regard to the report of Committee on Foreign Affairs (A9- 0251/2022) on a European Parliament's Recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the EEAS on the New Strategy for Enlargement;
Amendment 17 #
2021/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas in order to achieve the strategic objective of developing its global leadership role, the EU must continue to take the lead in strengthening multilateral partnerships on global priorities, in particular its partnership with the UN, and its comprehensive, coherent and open cooperation with NATO, as a foremost security guarantor in Europe, and other like-minded countries, and in protecting and promoting democracy, the rule of law and human rights globally;
Amendment 33 #
2021/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the role of the EEAS is at the heart of implementing the necessary reforms of the EU’s foreign, security and defence policies; whereas these reforms should strengthen the EU's role as a more pro-active and resilient actor within the international order;
Amendment 54 #
2021/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the structure of the EEAS should be reformed, using the pragmatic space created by the recent crises and whereas these reforms should allow the EU to adapt to the current geopolitical context and clarify some of the unclear boundaries between the EEAS, the Commission, the Council and the structures of the Member States;
Amendment 57 #
2021/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas the understanding of how societies are shaped and influenced by religions and other forms of belief is instrumental to effectively addressing religious freedom in the EU’s external policies; whereas the EU Guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief are an important tool for the EEAS in this regard; whereas the knowledge and use of the Guidelines by EU Delegations could be improved, especially taking into account country- specific circumstances; whereas a formal evaluation of the Guidelines by the Council Working Party on Human Rights (COHOM) is long overdue;
Amendment 177 #
2021/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o
Paragraph 1 – point o
(o) better match the relevant Council working parties and preparatory and political bodies, including the EU Special Representatives on Human Rights and the EU Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom or religion or belief, to the structure of the EEAS;
Amendment 178 #
2021/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point o a (new)
(o a) consider repositioning the role of the soon to be appointed EU Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief under the authority of the EEAS, or, if this is not feasible, provide for an exceptionally close working relationship between the Special Envoy and the EEAS;
Amendment 187 #
2021/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point p a (new)
(p a) improve the European Union's preventive diplomacy as a pro-active external policy tool to prevent disputes with and between third countries and to limit the consequences when conflicts break out;
Amendment 189 #
2021/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point p b (new)
(p b) strengthen the EEAS' support for gender equality and gender mainstreaming in the EU’s foreign and security policy and ensure gender parity at all levels, including leading management and political positions;
Amendment 190 #
2021/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point p c (new)
(p c) enhance the EEAS' activities on cultural heritage protection and interreligious dialogue, including through the work of its delegations;
Amendment 210 #
2021/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s
Paragraph 1 – point s
(s) promote common training and other concrete measures for the consolidation of an esprit de corps among EEAS staff who have differing diplomatic, cultural and institutional backgrounds, and to provide joint training initiatives for EEAS staff and national diplomats as part of their; encourage closer cooperation with diplomatic services and national diplomats of EU Member States and encourage practice of joint training and exchanges of experiences and good practices as part of continuous professional development;
Amendment 213 #
2021/2065(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point s a (new)
(s a) improve the training for staff of the EU Delegations on the EU Guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief, especially with regard to increasing the focus on understanding particular religious aspects of the country concerned, also in relation to structural elements such as governance structures, the justice and legal system and the nexus between state and religion or belief;
Amendment 59 #
2021/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the instability and insecurity in Libya, and by extension in the European Southern Neighbourhood, is closely interlinked and remains an ongoing challenge for European external border management;
Amendment 60 #
2021/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas Libya is the location of destination and major transit route of significant irregular migratory flows from sub-Saharan Africa to other countries in the region as well as to the European Union;
Amendment 155 #
2021/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
(c) step up EU diplomatic efforts to restore peace, stability and security in the country, and ensure that the Member States speak with one voice; to this end, nominate, as a matter of priority, an EU special representative for Libya to support the dialogue and facilitate long term sustainable resolution; step up cooperation between the EU and its Member States with Libyan authorities in order to mitigate consequences of irregular migration, human trafficking and smuggling of illicit weapons and cultural goods and prevent violent extremism to preserve security and stability on the southern European external borders;
Amendment 161 #
2021/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(c a) support current and future return and readmission agreements between the European Union and its Members States, and Libya, including bilateral status and informal agreement;
Amendment 162 #
2021/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
(c b) maintain diplomatic channels with partner countries invested in Libya, including countries in North Africa to ensure an environment that enables dialogue and prospects of a peaceful future; Or.
Amendment 203 #
2021/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
(h) support the valuable work of the EU Border Assistance Mission in Libya and the European Union Naval Force Mediterranean operation Irini, two common security and defence policy (CSDP) missions, in contributing to sustainable peace, security and stability, in particular through their support for the implementation of the arms embargo imposed on Libya by the UN Security Council and with training of Libyan coastguard; renew, if necessary, the mandate of these two common security and defence policy missions in order to contribute to improving the security conditions on the ground, including by p; foster enhanced cooperation between aforevmenting terrorists, human traffickers and armed groups from carrying ouoned missions and Libyan authorities on border security management , preventing terrorism and the fight against cross- border criminal activities, including human trafficking and illicit trade in weapons and cultural heritage; guarantee that all activities carried out or facilitated by these two missions respect human rights and are in line with international and EU laws, in particular the principle of non- refoulement; conduct and provide Parliament with regular human rights impact assessmenreports of all their activities;
Amendment 219 #
2021/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i
Paragraph 1 – point i
(i) mobilise adequate EU funds under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) to support Libyan democratisation efforts and projects aimed at strengthening the rule of law and good governance, good governance, supporting management and governance of migration, border management, conflict prevention while in parallel supporting overall strategic planning and communication policy in order to increase visibility of the EU’s actions; ensure that these projects are in line with the priorities of the New Agenda for the Mediterranean and the UN 2030 Agenda;
Amendment 224 #
2021/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point i a (new)
(i a) make use of the European Peace Facility in order to enhance security cooperation and provide support, training and capacity building to the Libyan authorities;
Amendment 258 #
2021/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m
Paragraph 1 – point m
(m) encourage the Libyan authorities to enhance cooperation with neighbourhood countries regarding the creatgion of safe and legal pathways foin mitigating the consequences of irregular migration;
Amendment 268 #
2021/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point n
Paragraph 1 – point n
Amendment 10 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 29 a (new)
Citation 29 a (new)
— having regard to its resolutions of 18 April 2019, 19 December 2019 and 17 December 2020 on the situation of religious and ethnic minorities in China,
Amendment 14 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 30 a (new)
Citation 30 a (new)
— having regard to its resolutions of 28 November 2019 and 26 November 2020 on the deteriorating situation of human rights in Algeria,
Amendment 16 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 31 a (new)
Citation 31 a (new)
— having regard to its resolution of 16 January 2020 on Nigeria, notably the recent terrorist attacks,
Amendment 18 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32
Citation 32
— having regard to its resolution of 29 April 2021 on blasphemy laws in Pakistan, in particular the case of Shagufta Kausar and Shafqat Emmanuel9 , its resolution of 14 April 2016 on Pakistan, in particular the attack in Lahore, and its resolution of 13 December 2018 on Iran, notably the case of Nasrin Sotoudeh, __________________ 9 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2021)0157.
Amendment 23 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32 a (new)
Citation 32 a (new)
— having regard to its report of 16 April 2021 on EU-India relations,
Amendment 41 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas discrimination and persecution of religious is carried out by different actors – whether governments or other groups in society – and can take different forms, such as killings, torture, physical attacks, arbitrary arrests, coercion, forced conversion, kidnapping and forced marriage, forced birth control, forced displacement, various forms of human trafficking (slavery, sexual or labour exploitation), threats, exclusion, discriminatory and unfair treatment, harassment, expropriation of private properties, limitation of access to elective offices, employment, education, health and administration services, destruction of places of worship, cemeteries and cultural heritage, and online hate speech;
Amendment 47 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas not only believers, but also those who support or defend them, such as lawyers, can become targets following social uprising; whereas even the outcome of judicial procedures is no guarantee for safety for believers and those who support or defend them;
Amendment 70 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
Amendment 75 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the Commission appointed on 4 May 2021, Mr Christos Stylianides as Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) outside the EU;
Amendment 83 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Takes the view that, regardless of their religion and belief, it is essential to promote and ensure the inclusion of all equal and inclusive citizenship for all in their societizens in their societieses, where the members of religious minorities live, and in political and cultural life;
Amendment 107 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Underlines that although it is usually religious minorities that are the target of persecution or intolerance, there are cases in which persecution is also suffered by religious communities that are not sociologically minorities and have a large presence in a territory or state, but find themselves in a situation of vulnerability that makes them easy targets of intolerance and violence by terrorist groups that seek to subjugate, expel and, in some cases, exterminate them;
Amendment 113 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that among believers’ groups, Christians are estimated to constitute the majority of people facing persecution for their faith; underlines that globally around 340 million Christians experience high levels of persecution and discrimination, with over 4 500 Christians killed for their faith, 4 500 churches and other Christian buildings attacked, and over 4 200 believers detained without trial, arrested, sentenced or imprisoned in 2020 alone; is alarmed about the increase in the overall level of discrimination,stresses that these are minimum figures since many incidents go unreported; is alarmed about the increase in the overall level of persecution and discrimination, which increased by 19% between 2019 and 2020; and especially about the sharp 60% increase in the number of faith-related killings compared to 2019;
Amendment 116 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Recalls that indigenous religious communities, among others Christians in the Middle East countries, contribute profoundly to the social stability, conflict prevention and peace of their countries;
Amendment 134 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Applauds churches’ and faith based organisations’ irreplaceable humanitarian activities in conflict-hit zones, assisting people in dire need regardless of denominational background;
Amendment 144 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with particular concern that persecution of Christians is widespread in the Middle East, at times amounting to genocide, and has prompted an exodus of Christians from the region over the past two decades, resulting in approximately 15 million Christians making up 4 % of the population in the Middle East and North Africa, down from 20 % a century ago; is alarmed by the situation in Iraq, where there were 1.5 million Christians before 2003, a number now reduced by 87% within one generation to approximately 175,000;
Amendment 145 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with particular concern that persecution of Christians is widespread in the Middle East, at times amounting to genocide, and has prompted an exodus of Christians from the region over the past two decades, resulting in approximately 15 million Christians making up 4 % of the population in the Middle East and North Africa, down from 20 % a century ago; stresses in this respect the inalienable right to stay of discriminated and persecuted religious communities in their homelands;
Amendment 157 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Recalls the genocides, crimes against humanity and war crimes were committed in Iraq and Syria by the so- called ‘ISIS/Daesh’ against Christians, Yazidis, Muslims and other religious and ethnic minorities in the territories under its control during the period 2014-2020;
Amendment 190 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that persecution of religious minorities in Asia is commonplace in many countries, especially in those with communist regimes, and that blasphemy laws are of particular concern, particularly in Pakistan, that disproportionately target minorities, including Christians and Hindus; notes that in addition to the penalties, these laws create an environment and pretext that lead to riots and mob violence against religious minorities’ communities and neighbourhoods as well as their temples, which create intimidation and social unrest among them;
Amendment 194 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Is alarmed that religious nationalism in countries such as India, Turkey, Bhutan, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar and Nepal leads to stigmatization of Christians as allies of the West and that 2 out of 5 Christians in Asia experience persecution or discrimination for their faith; draws attention to the worsening situations in China and India in particular;
Amendment 219 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Condemns the violence and attacks by radical Hindus in India against religious minorities, including mobs;
Amendment 239 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Recalls that after major defeats of 'ISIS/Daesh' in Syria and the Middle East, the terror organisation is gaining new ground through its affiliates in the Sahel, among others in Mali and Burkina Faso, aiming at imposing its rule and violent ideology in the area;
Amendment 246 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Particularly underlines the alarming situation in Nigeria, where 3530 Christians were killed in 2020;
Amendment 248 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Emphasises the need to investigate and prosecute the murdering, kidnapping, raping, wounding and other crimes committed against Christian farmers in the Middle Belt of Nigeria, and encourages the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to enlarge the ongoing investigations for the crimes against humanity and war crimes presumably committed by Boko Haram, adding the mentioned crimes committed by jihadist Fulani militias in the Middle Belt, that have already provoked thousands of killings;
Amendment 287 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Condemns the use by authoritarian regimes of legislation on security, sedition and the fight against terrorism and extremism as an instrument to persecute persons belonging to religious minorities, to outlaw the practise or expression of their religion and gatherings of believers, and to deter the registration of religious associations or finding pretexts for closing churches such as in China and Algeria; calls on the Commission and European External Action Service (EEAS) to monitor carefully the implementation of such legislation, and to consistently raise this issue in bilateral dialogues with the governments concerned; urges EU Member States to reject any request by foreign authorities for judicial and police cooperation in individual judicial cases if they are based on such legislation;
Amendment 300 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Deplores the fact that more than 70 countries in the world enforce criminal laws or seek to introduce new legislation which provide for punishments for blasphemy, apostasy and conversion, including the death sentence; notes that laws already in place are used disproportionately against people belonging to religious minorities, and are thus seen, with good reason, as an instrument of oppression; calls for the EU to intensify its political dialogue with all countries concerned with a view to repeal those laws; underlines that converts leaving a majority faith often experience the most severe violations including imprisonment, forced divorce, abduction, physical violence and murder;
Amendment 324 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Encourages the Commission to assist and support members of religious minorities and their families, who look for international protection or are IDPs due to war, violence and persecution, and who are willing to voluntary return to their home places, including the reconstruction of their homes, livelihoods and basic infrastructures, such as schools and hospitals;
Amendment 337 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Calls on the Commission to especially review the eligibility of third countries under the generalized scheme of preferences in this regard; advocates a system that gradually grants preferences to a country based on its compliance to human rights commitments, in order to better be able to provide incentives and sanctions;
Amendment 345 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Welcomes the regular contacts and cooperation of EU institutions with CSOs, including Churches and religious communities, to improve the situation of persecuted religious minorities in third countries, and overcome the difficulties and obstacles they have to face in their everyday life; encourages EU institutions to intensify partnerships with CSOs, including Churches and religious communities, in particular with those in third countries dealing with religious freedom and supporting and assisting religious minorities, and leaders of persecuted religious minorities, in order to advance religious freedom and to improve the wellbeing of religious minorities’ faithful, in particular those who are in most vulnerable situations;
Amendment 346 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Calls on the Council, the Commission and EU Member States to start the procedure to declare and officially designate the 24th of June as the annual European Day on Freedom of Religion or Belief, in order to show true commitment to promoting and protecting Freedom of Religion or Belief, in commemorating the victims of acts of violence based on religion or belief; believes that the 24th of June would be appropriate for such an EU-day, as this date marks the anniversary of the EU Guidelines on the promotion and protection of freedom of religion or belief in 2013;
Amendment 5 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
— having regard to the joint statement by the Secretary of State of the United States of America and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/ Vice President of the European Commission of 24 March 2021;
Amendment 9 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 b (new)
Citation 5 b (new)
— having regard the statement by the US State Department of 26 April 2021 titled "U.S. Commitment to the Western Balkans";
Amendment 17 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the US remains the EU’s closest strategic partner; whereas this partnership is based on strong political, cultural, economic and historic links and shared values such as freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law;
Amendment 101 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Reconfirms its support for the strong EU-US transatlantic cooperation, partnership and friendship, which over the past 70 years contributed to Europe’s success and is the basis for its stability and security since the end of the Second World War; is convinced that through transatlantic cooperation we can best contribute to a peaceful, sustainable and constructive solution to existing global and regional challenges;
Amendment 109 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Welcomes the clear commitment of the US to strengthen the transatlantic relations by the decision of the US President to travel to Europe during his first overseas trip and to participate in the EU-US Summit in June;
Amendment 114 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for a new transatlantic agenda that pursues common interests and leverages collective strength and privileges multilateral cooperation for a healthier world, the fight against climate change, promotion of peaceful resolution of conflicts and reform of economic governance, by putting the fight against inequalities at its centre;
Amendment 125 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the need to establish stronger structures for legislative cooperation and an inclusive transatlantic dialogue based on both legislative branches, such as a transatlantic legislators assembly; encouragesnotes that raising the awareness of structures such as the Transatlantic Legislators’ Dialogue, as well as more regular meetings and visits of the EP Foreign Affairs Committee with their US counterparts, for example in fixed annual visits of the respective committees, would restore confidence and the durability and efficiency of transatlantic cooperation; encourages the US Congress to enhance the Transatlantic Legislators’ Dialogue by authorising it as a United States-European Union Interparliamentary Group;
Amendment 133 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for strengthened interparliamentary cooperation between Members of the European Parliament and Members of Congress, as well as the members of the various state legislatures of the respective 50 US federal states, in different thematic areas that could enable the exchange of best practices on global, but also on shared, domestic challenges, such as addressing economic and social inequality, protection of human rights and democratic standards, security and defence challenges, universal health coverage, legislative convergence on AI and other technology linked policies, responsibility of online platforms and a just transition towards climate neutrality;
Amendment 141 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses that EU-US citizen-to- citizen contact contributes to the development of common values, trust and a mutual understanding between transatlantic partners; calls for the promotion and facilitation of mobility and exchange programmes, such as Erasmus+, and exchanges of internships between the Congress and the European Parliament;
Amendment 144 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Emphasises the importance of visa reciprocity between the EU and the US and encourages both sides to find a mutually acceptable solution through active diplomatic engagement that would enable a visa-free regime for all EU citizens; welcomes the inclusion of Poland in the US Visa Waiver Program and the confirmation that also Croatia meets all the requirements to be included in the program; calls on the US to speed up the process of the accession of Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania to the Visa Waiver Program;
Amendment 151 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Emphasises that the announced return of the US to multilateralism provides an opportunity to re-engage with the US in repairing and rebuilding the transatlantic relationship, including in areas such as multilateralism and human rights, and strengthening together the global rules-based order in the spirit of our shared democratic values; underlines the importance of close cooperation with the US and other like-minded states for the modernisation of multilateral organisations in order to make them fit for purpose and improve the promotion of global peace and security, fundamental rights, universal values and international law;
Amendment 166 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. UWelcomes the return of the US to the Paris Agreement; urges the stepping up of joint EU- US efforts on climate change, green technology, carbon adjustment, sustainable finance and biodiversity;
Amendment 176 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls for transatlantic leadership on health diplomacy to coordinate the approach to stop COVID-19 at global scale, as well as possible future health crisis, and to strengthen global health security, notably the reform of the World Health Organization and equitable global distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments, in particular in lower- income countries, while safeguarding the vaccines as a global public good; insists on fostering cooperation to establish better procedures for preparing for future pandemics, including through complementary supply chains;
Amendment 181 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Underlines the need for enhanced public vaccine diplomacy in which the EU and the US can play a leading role, as global vaccination is the only way to end the pandemic; welcomes the financial contributions of the EU and the US to COVAX Facility and promotion of international cooperation to improve the accessibility of vaccines worldwide, by having a coordinated approach when addressing the proposal to ease intellectual property protection rules for vaccines; urges the United States to stop limiting the export of vaccines, ingredients and material necessary to produce vaccines, to allow the rapid production and delivery of vaccines wherever needed;
Amendment 199 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Stresses the importance of global cooperation on the transnational challenges of fostering education, science, youth and cultural diversity and dialogue; calls on the US to return to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO);
Amendment 211 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the Biden administration’s announced commitment to re-engage with the UN Human Rights Council, signalling the US’s renewed intention to promote human rights globally; strongly agrees with Secretary of State Antony Blinken that the Council is “flawed and needs reform,” pledges to work with the U.S. and other democratic allies to end the disproportionate focus on Israel and, in this context, abolish Agenda Item 7;
Amendment 227 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. EncouReiteragtes its appeal to the US to move towards the abolition of the death penalty, the reform of the criminal justice system, including through addressing systemic racism, and the end of all discrimination against LGBTQI persons; urges dialogue and exchange of best practices between the EU and US on promoting racial and gender equality; urges dialogue and exchange of best practices between the EU and US on promoting racial and gender equality in order to modernise our justice systems to ensure justice and freedom to all as enshrined in our constitutions; underlines that the EU and the US should have the ambition to lead by example and demonstrate values-based leadership in all matters related to achieving historical justice and overcoming every type of discrimination;
Amendment 246 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. SEmphasizes the crucial role of the transatlantic partnership for the functioning of NATO as a key pillar of European security; stresses that an enhanced European common security and defence policy benefits the transatlantic security cooperation; expresses its full commitment to the European defence initiatives, notably such as among others the EDF, PESCO, and the EPF; underlines that the transatlantic partnership can only be successful if all Member States fulfil their commitments, including defence investment pledges and engage in mutual support; supports a rebalancing of the responsibilities in the transatlantic security relationship by fostering greater self- reliance for EU Member States in matters of defence as a way to lessen the burden on the US; better share the burden and responsibilities of our alliance; points to the ongoing drafting process of the EU Strategic Compass, which will be a milestone for a stronger European defence and security cooperation, and underlines that the Strategic Compass should be closely linked with the likely upcoming revision of NATO’s Strategic Concept, and expresses its conviction that these parallel processes offer a unique opportunity to significantly advance and update the transatlantic political and security partnership and make it fit to address the current global challenges that both the EU and the US are faced with; stresses that the ambition of European strategic sovereignty by no means undermines NATO but is complementary to it; calls on the governments of the US and EU member states to use the upcoming NATO summit on 14 June as an opportunity to take further steps to advance EU-NATO cooperation; calls for the conclusion of an administrative arrangement between the European Defence Agency and the United States;
Amendment 260 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Welcomes the US decision to reverse the withdrawal of US forces from the EU and to step up its military presence in European Member States as a sign of commitment to the transatlantic security cooperation; expresses its gratitude to the many US servicemen who helped protect the security and safety of Europe and its citizens in past decades;
Amendment 264 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Amendment 271 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Considers it necessary to foster cooperation not only on traditional security threats, but also on new ones such as hostile foreign technological dominance, hybrid threats, disinformation and cybersecurity, cybersecurity and increasing geopolitication of cyber space; emphasises that both the EU and US should further strengthen their cooperation to prevent, deter and respond to hybrid and cyber attacks; calls for stronger coordination between EU agencies, such as the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), with their American counterparts;
Amendment 295 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Stresses the common need for our societies to engage in an introspective process on our common democratic values, as well as the on the respect for the other and for the diversity of opinions in order to defend global democracy against rising authoritarianism, also within the transatlantic community, by, inter alia, fostering inclusive social and economic policies that address the root causes of inequalities, overcome populism and fighting extreme nationalist views that provide a fertile ground for far-right movements to thrive;
Amendment 317 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Supports the proposal of President Biden to hold a Summit for Democracy with like-minded democraciesUnderlines the fundamental importance of democratic principles, which are the basis of our social and economic progress and our free societies; Supports the proposal of President Biden to hold a Summit for Democracy to promote universal values inclusive of cultural, religious or ethnic background; calls on the US to draw experience from the EU's Conference of the Future of Europe;
Amendment 325 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Points to the need to enhance EU- US cooperation in the critical domain of Outer Space and highlights the need to enhance cooperation based on existing EU programmes such as Galileo and Copernicus; believes that EU-US cooperation on space could help promote space safety standards and best practices across the international community;
Amendment 330 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Supports efforts to avoid energy dependence by promoting energy diversification and more broadly connectivity through all possible mechanisms, including the Three Seas Initiative;
Amendment 337 #
2021/2038(INI)
22. Believes that the EU should engage more with the US inand renew the strategic partnership in relation to the Western Balkans and eastern Europe in order to build resilient, prosperous, democratic multi- ethnic societies there, capable of resisting the disruptive influence of both local and external authoritarian forces; recalls that the stability of the Western Balkans are a matter of peace and security for the region as well as for the EU; welcomes the highly increased coordination of the US with the EU to supporting the countries of the Western Balkans on their path to European integration and membership, as expressed in the letters of Secretary of State of the United States Antony Blinken to the President of Serbia, Prime Minister of Kosovo and Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Amendment 346 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Welcomes the United States' renewed engagement in the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly with the Eastern Mediterranean Act of 2019, which authorises new security assistance for Cyprus and Greece, and strengthens energy cooperation among regional actors; calls for the establishment of a comprehensive EU-US dialogue for close cooperation to jointly address the increasing threats posed by Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean; expresses strong concern that Turkey, a NATO member, is moving away from the respect for fundamental values and the rule of law, and that it is increasingly confrontational towards the EU Member States of Greece and Cyprus;
Amendment 347 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Expresses its utmost concern regarding the continuous revisionist policies pursued by Russia under President Putin; underscores the need for both US and the EU to remain vigilant and to adequately respond to acts of aggression and provocation by Russia, such as, in particular, its illegitimate and illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014; regrets President Putin’s evident rejection of dialogue, and considers Russia’s continued aggressive actions as a threat to Euro-Atlantic security and stability;
Amendment 349 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Recognises that the growing influence and military rise of China need to be met with a coordinated transatlantic strategy; expresses its concern regarding the policies pursued by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) when it comes to, among other things, the suppression of democracy in Hong Kong, the treatment of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang or aggressive policies and actions in the South China Sea; further points to the relevance of the fact that China, as a non-democratic regime, has entered into systemic competition with the transatlantic partnership by undermining the rules- based international order, and in turn is attempting to reshape it according to the CCP’s own values and interests; recalls China’s increased presence on the international stage as well as in Europe through its Belt and Road Initiative, , its activities in cyber space, in the Arctic regions, and in Africa; is convinced a joint transatlantic approach to engage with China is the best way to ensure a peaceful, sustainable and mutual beneficial long-term relationship with China;
Amendment 368 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Amendment 371 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Underlines the relevance of the EU’s connectivity strategy and calls for an enhanced EU-US cooperation in the core field of connectivity;
Amendment 410 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Underlines the importance of EU- US cooperation to ensure the long-term sustainable development of the African continent and calls for an even closer political, economic and security cooperation to address persisting challenges in regions such as the Sahel, the Lake Chad Basin or the Horn of Africa;
Amendment 414 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Welcomes the recent engagement of the US in the negotiations on a revival of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) as a cornerstone of a global non- proliferation regime and a foundation for de-escalation in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf region; calls for renewed transatlantic efforts to meaningfully revive the Middle East Peace Process, leading to a viable two-state solutionechoes US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s call for a “longer and stronger” nuclear agreement with Iran and urges transatlantic collaboration to counter Tehran’s other malign behaviour, including regional aggression, ballistic missiles, and terrorism calls for renewed transatlantic efforts to meaningfully revive the Middle East Peace Process, leading to a viable two-state solution; hails the historic U.S.- brokered Abraham Accords between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain and encourages transatlantic cooperation on deepening those ties;
Amendment 422 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Points to the importance of the Middle East and Northern Africa for European and hence also transatlantic security and stability; therefore calls for enhanced dialogue and coordination regarding the positioning of transatlantic partners vis-à-vis the challenges faced by countries such as Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Iran and Libya;
Amendment 425 #
2021/2038(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Praises the successes achieved by American and European soldiers in Afghanistan; acknowledges that after the withdrawal of American and European forces the situation in Afghanistan continues to be defined by enormous challenges; reiterates its position that the transatlantic community must continue their efforts to work for peace, stability and progress in Afghanistan;
Amendment 25 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)
Citation 21 a (new)
— having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/523 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 March 2021 establishing the InvestEU programme,
Amendment 26 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 a (new)
Citation 22 a (new)
— having regard to the Council conclusions on safeguarding a free and pluralistic media system of 18 November 2020,
Amendment 27 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 b (new)
Citation 22 b (new)
— having regard to the Council conclusions on "Europe's media in the Digital Decade: An Action Plan to Support Recovery and Transformation" of 18 May 2021,
Amendment 29 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the cultural and creative sectors, of which news media and audiovisual sectors are an integral part, have been among the hardest hit by the fallout from COVID-19, especially small and medium enterprises; whereas these sectors are also expected to recover at a more moderate pace than the general economy; whereas the major impact of the pandemic on those sectors has caused damages and significant losses in revenues, creating further uncertainties which accelerated their ongoing digital transition and highlighted their deep fragmentation;
Amendment 35 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the film and audiovisual sector has suffered a massive loss of revenues – a drop of almost 70% in box office for cinemas and distributors, a drop of activity of 30% for the production and a total halt of coproductions, while facing an increase in operation costs because of new health and safety measures;
Amendment 38 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas, according to early estimates, the entire news media sector saw its advertising revenues drop by 20 % to 80 %; whereas media organisations face liquidity issues;
Amendment 46 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas quality, well-financed and independent news media and professional journalism are an essential pillar of democracy; whereas every effort must be made to increase media pluralism3 , independency, transparency, media literacy, better journalistic profession standards and safety of journalists, both offline and online; _________________ 3 No EU country registers a low level of risk in the market plurality area according to ‘Monitoring Media Pluralism in the Digital Era’, p. 50:https://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/ 1814/67828/MPM2020- PolicyReport.pdf?sequence=5&isAllowed =y
Amendment 55 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the news media and audiovisual sector s plays a vital part in fostering the resilience and inclusiveness of our democratic societies; whereas the heterogeneity of thenews media and audiovisual sector is valso one of its strengths, helping to promote and strengthenue chain is made up of a variety of industries and sectors, all of whom contribute significantly to Europe’s cultural, linguistic, social and political diversity;
Amendment 62 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas the objective of the Plan should be to foster cultural, artistic and industrial diversity across the value chain to ensure recovery and sustainability of the film sector through artistic and industry autonomy for the purpose of providing audiences with culturally diverse content;
Amendment 71 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses the fallout of the economic downturn, and strongly reiterates its call on the Commission and the Member States to increase support available for the news media and audiovisual sectors, and the cultural and creative sectors more broadly; considers that allocations for the news media and audiovisual sectors should be increased across various multiannual financial framework (MFF) programmes; calls on the Commission to strongly encourage Member States to increase support for the sectors via the Recovery and Resilience Fund and their national recovery plans; notes the sectors' need of EU's and Member States' support to fully recover from the pandemic, become more sustainable and continue their green and digital transition;
Amendment 86 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. HWelcomes the adoption of the new Creative Europe programme and its budgetary increase; highlights the importance of the cross-sectoral strand in the Creative Europe programme, which for the first time provides for actions focused on the news media;
Amendment 89 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Amendment 92 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Recalls that access to support and the swift delivery of that support will be crucial to allow the sector to create and bring unique and divers stories to the European audiences for years to come;
Amendment 105 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Invites the Commission to conduct a study, develop guidelines and share among Member States the best practices in public financing mechanisms on news media funding support in the EU, reiterates that the study should be carried out by independent bodies; calls on the Commission to develop guidelines and share among Member States the best practices in public financing mechanisms that will help the sector get back on its feet; highlights that distribution of public funding needs to be clear, independent and transparent;
Amendment 117 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Believes that tax policies can help recovery and resilience of these sectors; encourages Member States with adequate fiscal scope to help boost media and cinema consumptioncreation, production, distribution and consumption of news media and audiovisual works, including cinema through VAT rates that accommodate this;
Amendment 124 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that support for strengthening independent media and media and information literacy should also be an integral part of the EU’s foreign policy that will contribute to its public diplomacy, geopolitical visibility and strategic autonomy;
Amendment 127 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Recalls that Creative Europe MEDIA should endeavor to balance funding between the Member States, between its different strands and genres; recalls that it is essential to the sector that Member States nurture an ecosystem of independent players as a key driver to diversity of creation;
Amendment 140 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with concern that global online platforms have a vast disruptive impact on the media sector, as they dominate the data and advertising market, and have radically changed audience consumption patterns; underlines that current legislation does not regulate pivotal issues in the information ecosystem such as access to data, digital advertising, algorithmic transparency, platform accountability, must-show and other questions; considers that transparency is needed to ensure fairer presence of European works on online platforms and to provide real consumer choice within the platforms’ recommendation system, including the possibility to refuse biases encoded in algorithms; considers that timely adoption of legislation to help address these shortcomings is a matter of urgency;
Amendment 144 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with concern that global online platforms have a vast disruptive impact on the media sector, as they dominate the data and advertising market, and have radically changed audience consumption patterns; underlines that current legislation does not regulate pivotal issues in the information ecosystem such as access to and transparency of data, digital advertising, algorithmic transparency, platform accountability, must-show and other questions; considers that timely adoption of legislation to help address these shortcomings is a matter of urgency;
Amendment 145 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 9 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Highlights the need for availability of information and access to news media for every European citizen in their respective languages, in order for them to inclusively and actively participate in democratic processes;
Amendment 151 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Considers the transposition of the European Audiovisual Media Services Directive and the Copyright Directive to be essential for cultural diversity in the digital sector and for the sustainability of audiovisual services, in that these directives tighten up copyright protection and increase the visibility of European works;
Amendment 154 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Points out that the fight against pirating of copyrighted content is also essential for the proper functioning of the European media market; stresses the need to adopt clear and legally binding measures to combat online piracy, and to propagate the means available for combating multiple intermediaries so as to better counteract all forms of circumvention;
Amendment 155 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Points to the European Council conclusions of 27 November 2020 on the on safeguarding a free and pluralistic media system, which stress that 'territorial and exclusive allocation of licensing rights can often be crucial for the audiovisual media sector'; views the principle of territoriality as one of the cornerstones of the European audiovisual industry, not least when it comes to funding audiovisual works and protecting copyright, but also as regards cultural diversity; believes that maintaining the principle of territoriality will prevent the concentration of dominant players on the market, which would be detrimental to alternative and independent offers;
Amendment 176 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Expresses concern about the disruptive trends created by the platforms, as they can undermine competition in the long term, and reduce opportunities for other actors; notes that such actions can create unfair competition conditions with an impact on independent production and distribution of audiovisual works; asks the Commission to monitor the situation closely and, if appropriate, take necessary action to make conditions for competition more equitable;
Amendment 181 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Amendment 186 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the progress made in working out a global solution to effectively taxing the digital economy, based on digital businesses paying tax according to their economic activities in each country, while avoiding double taxation; considers that these new sources of revenue should be channelled by Member States to support their audiovisual and news media sectors;
Amendment 194 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission and Member States to elaborate comprehensive European news media and audiovisual sector strategies that will provide tailored support measures for the entire news media and audiovisual sectors;
Amendment 195 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 14 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Calls on Member States to properly implement Article 13.1. of the AVMSD that will ensure that media service providers of on-demand audiovisual media services under their jurisdiction secure at least 30 percent share of European works in their catalogues whilst also promoting it; highlights the importance of this for smaller cultural and linguistic markets, as it will boost cultural diversity in the broadest sense possible;
Amendment 202 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses the need for transformation in the entire news media sector, including through the digitalisation of newsrooms, the uptake of artificial intelligence (AI), changes and improvements to content creation and presentation, as well as better distribution and subscription models, including micro-payments; notes that the above require additional investment and skills that news media sector players often lack, especially those with small market share; calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide tailored support for the digital transformation of the sector;
Amendment 209 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Acknowledges the importance of independent freelance journalism and its potential for growth due to lower entry costs and easier ways to reach an audience, facilitated by innovative publishing and payment solutions, which can improve the economic situation and working conditions for freelance professionals;
Amendment 221 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Considers that in order to help spur competition, the EU also needs to promote the creation and growth of small and medium enterprises and digital media start-ups through easier access to finance and a supportive framework that enables scalability;
Amendment 228 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Acknowledges that the existing creation and distribution models in the European audiovisual sector are largely based on territorial exclusivity, andUnderlines the need for territorial exclusivity for the sustainability of the audiovisual sector, notes that ownership of intellectual property rights is often held by independent producers and creators, creators and distributors; reiterates the fact that independent cinemas and independent film festivals are of key importance for the resilience of the sector;
Amendment 232 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 19 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Highlights the fact that VOD and TVOD currently dominate the audiovisual sector market; highlights the importance of territorial exclusivity and licensing rights for the survival and sufficient functioning of the audiovisual sector;
Amendment 237 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Is of the view that targeted measures to support co- production, translation, subtitling, pre-sale of future distribution rights and co-distribution could contribute to increasing the availability of diverse European audiovisual content;
Amendment 244 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Underlines that video on demand (VOD) platforms and other innovations are reshaping there now fully part of the film and audiovisual media landscape, and by extension creating challenges and also opportunities for incumbent players; notes that in many respects, an irreversible transformation is under way; encouragbelieves the sector’s legacy players to enter new markets and embrace innovative business modelestablished players are also innovating constantly to engage with and offer the best works to their audiences;
Amendment 246 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 21 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Urges the Commission and Member States to create tools and support actions that pay attention to low audiovisual production capacity of some Member States; by encouraging investments to fulfil the VOD platform obligation to secure a 30 percent share of European works in their catalogue; notes that this is crucial for smaller cultural and linguistic markets within Member States;
Amendment 247 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Notes that the weak regulation of the digital space has been exploited to disseminate content harmful to minors, particularly on video-sharing platforms; considers it important, therefore, to shield minors from harmful content on video- sharing platforms by ensuring full implementation of the current legal framework, and in particular the European Audiovisual Media Services Directive, through the introduction of financial penalties for platforms that do not comply with current obligations, the strengthening of judicial systems to effectively combat the offences identified and the promotion of coordinated preventive action by public and private stakeholders;
Amendment 251 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Acknowledges that fair market competition between broadcasters and video on demand companies is paramount for the future existence of the sectors, as confirmed with the Audiovisual Media Services Directive; encourages the Commission to conduct a study on the impact of video on demand platforms on the European audiovisual market;
Amendment 252 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Encourages the European Commission to look into the impact of VOD platforms on the European film and audiovisual market, in particular on the relationships between the different actors in the value chain;
Amendment 255 #
2021/2017(INI)
21 b. Reiterates the need for tailored support, investment and public funding schemes that will help production, boost the circulation of European works in the European Union and beyond, and promote diverse European film across all distribution platforms, including cinemas, DVD, TV and online platforms;
Amendment 256 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21 c. Emphasises the necessity to promote synergies between different EU funding schemes with specific amounts dedicated to the entire news media and audiovisual sectors, such as Creative Europe, Horizon Europe, InvestEU and Digital Europe;
Amendment 257 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 d (new)
Paragraph 21 d (new)
Amendment 259 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses the importance of reducing the audiovisual sector’s carbon footprint, especially at the production stage, which accounts for most CO2 emissions; notes that digital solutions such as virtual production techniques can facilitate this reduction; believes that the current MFF provides a unique opportunity for funding greening projects and reaching net zero emissions within this decade; calls on the Commission and Member States to exchange good practices and voluntary standards for the audiovisual sector in order to meet EU's target to become climate neutral by 2050;
Amendment 267 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Highlights that film literacy is particularly important for making younger audiences aware of European cultural diversity; notes that European creators, producers, distributors and cinema have a key role to play; considers it necessary to develop a film literacy toolkit;
Amendment 273 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 24 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Calls on the Commission to elaborate more comprehensive strategies for the European news media and audiovisual sectors and establish a regulatory level playing field to sustain investments in both sectors, including online platforms;
Amendment 274 #
2021/2017(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to further support the recovery and transformation of the entire news media and audiovisual sectors and to strengthen their resilience and market competitiveness in order to tackle future crises as effectively as possible; including financial and structural support for workers and SME's within the entire news media and audiovisual sectors;
Amendment 2 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
— having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 25 March 2021 on shaping digital education policy;
Amendment 5 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
— having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 15 September 2020 on effective measures to "green" Erasmus+, Creative Europe and the European Solidarity Corps;
Amendment 11 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas providing equal and inclusive opportunities for all is, and must continue to be, inherent to the fundamental values of the European Union, and whereas people from all backgrounds and walks of life shouldmust be able to benefit from Erasmus+; highlights that Erasmus+ benefits not only its participants but entire communities and societies;
Amendment 14 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. Underlines the importance of mobility and both digital and in person inclusive learning opportunities for all interested persons regardless of their background or health, economic, social and geographic obstacles; notes that this leads to more democratic, stronger and more cohesive and resilient societies;
Amendment 15 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Erasmus+ 2014-2020 Regulation puts emphasis on promoting social inclusion and on the participation of people with special needs or with fewer opportunities, as defined in the ‘Erasmus+ Inclusion and Diversity Strategy’, encompassing persons with disabilities, health problems, educational difficulties, cultural differences, and facing economical, geographical and social obstacles; underlines that the new Erasmus+ programme (2021-2027) is visibly improved, more inclusive and goes hand in hand with green and digital transition;
Amendment 24 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the experience of mobility offered by Erasmus+ can beis a transformative experience for participants, and can positively influence their self- confidence, openness, critical thinking, employability and well-being by providing inclusive learning opportunities that enrich their lives and allow them to experience Europe's rich linguistic and cultural heritage while gaining lifelong knowledge; highlights the importance of these learning opportunities for their personal and professional development and building a more sustainable and stronger future;
Amendment 28 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the mid-term evaluation of the Erasmus+ programme 2014-2020 published by the Commission in 2018 underlined the necessity of reaching more people with fewer opportunities and smaller organisations; including people with economic and geographic obstacles, notably those living in remote or rural areas, islands or peripheral regions that are less connected with urban areas and cities; encourages national agencies in Member States to develop inclusive methods to enhance the participation of these learners in Erasmus+ and to update and optimise the existing infrastructure to reach more future learners;
Amendment 35 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights that Erasmus+ should support stakeholders’ and programme participants’ internationalisation plans that remove the physical, psychological, social, socio-economic, linguistic and other types of barriers to learning mobility and that offer clear and detailed information and qualitative support for participants from under-represented groups and those with specific needs; encourages better partnership and engagement with national and local organisations from Member States, the Western Balkans, Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood countries and all participating countries;
Amendment 40 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Deplores the dire humanitarian situation for the people in Ukraine and calls for increased assistance to Ukrainian students and young people via Erasmus+ to continue their contributions to European integration. Welcomes the measures announced by the Commission to make the projects under Erasmus+ more flexible for Ukrainian students and education staff; calls for additional support to allow Ukrainian higher education institutions and the academic community to sustain;
Amendment 42 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Underlines the positive impact of EU flagship programme Erasmus+ in third countries as a factor in the European integration process; stresses the need for increased inclusivity of Erasmus+ projects and cooperation in associated countries and other eligible countries, in particular in the Western Balkans, that would lead to strengthened EU visibility;
Amendment 43 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses the crucial need for adapted funding and grants, such as pre- financing and lump sums, as financial barriers continue to be one of the biggest obstacles faced by people with fewer opportunities in Erasmus+; calls on the Commission to further develop Erasmus+ financing tools and establish synergies with other programmes; encourages Member States and their national agencies to facilitate more educational seminars for Erasmus+ staff to carry out projects and explore new ways to reach future beneficiaries of the programme and better address the needs of every individual participant in order to customise their Erasmus+ experience;
Amendment 55 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. UNotes how the pandemic accelerated the digital transition and highlighted the importance of being digitally skilled; underlines that Erasmus+ can contribute significantly in that regard; urges the Commission to tackle without delay the serious persistent issues related to Erasmus+ IT tools, which hamper not only the participation of smaller organisations and people with fewer opportunities, but also the participation of all kinds of beneficiaries, also older people from the EU and participating countries, including Western Balkans countries and the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood countries;
Amendment 61 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. AcknowledgPraises the role of teachers, youth workers and staff as the driving forces behind participating institutions in raising awareness of the programme, in informing and supporting future learners, and identifying people with fewer opportunities deriving from different obstacles they face, and notes that without them, most participants with fewer opportunities would not be able to take part; calls on the Commission, the Member States and national agencies to value and acknowledge their often voluntary work, to support them by facilitating their own mobility and to provide them with adequate funding, while accompanying participants with fewer opportunitiesssessing their needs accordingly and offering them specific training a; notes the importance to updapted to their needs various tools that they use in identifying possible participants of the programme;
Amendment 67 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the need for the Commission, the Member States and national agencies to provide better support for grassroots organisations in all areas, particularly in the outermost regions and rural areas, and to ensure that resources and projects are distributed fairly in each Member State; underlines that it is crucial to provide equal opportunities to all interested participants regardless of their background; highlights it is important to keep extensive records and statistics that should serve as a consultation base for future programmes;
Amendment 72 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. StressUnderlines the importance of providing better financial and material support to staff, so that they can engage with participants and their families, in order to give them more confidence, while ensuring that mobility projects run smoothly; notes that national agencies in Member States can provide significant help by identifying the needs of organisations and institutions in this matter and provide the necessary support;
Amendment 84 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Calls on the Commission to improve guidelines for national policies that will enable better participation of learners with health problems, cultural differences,economic, geographical and social obstacles; proposes to increase the number of inclusion officers in national agencies in Member States and to enhance their collaboration with organisations to assure that all projects and learning opportunities are distributed fairly;
Amendment 89 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Supports all EU initiatives aimed at facilitating student mobility, such as the Erasmus+ mobile application, ‘paperless Erasmus’ and the European Student Card; calls on the Commission to look closely at the possibility of more closely linking Erasmus+ and other programmes and to foster cross-sectoral cooperation, including Interrail, in order to foster greater equality andinclusion and equality that will provide participants with better access to greener means of transport; calls on the Commission to also improve the DiscoverEU initiative and allow even more people to participate and learn about Europe while exploring all its parts;
Amendment 91 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 10 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Calls on the Commission to facilitate international consultation (both digital and in person) between national agencies in Member States and participating countries to exchange good practices, advices and strategies; notes that this will further strengthen their cooperation and allow them to implement new solutions, ideas and lessons learned on the ground that will result in greater numbers of participants in the Erasmus+ programme;
Amendment 98 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Regrets the lack of reliable data on the participation of people with fewer opportunities in the Erasmus+ programme; underlines the need to gather and monitor a critical mass of reliable data in order to create a management and steering tool for inclusion measures, using methods which respect privacy and do not add undue administrative burdens for organisations and participants; calls on national agencies to develop evaluation schemes to gain clear statistics and appropriately assess further problematic issues in order to prevent it in future Erasmus+ programmes;
Amendment 101 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Notes that administrative barriers prevent many potential learners to take part in the programme; calls on the Commission to simplify the application procedure and all related processes and mechanisms that will allow more participants to take part in the programme and enjoy mobility opportunities all over Europe; underlines the importance to develop additional tools in this regard;
Amendment 106 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Requests the Commission and the Member States to ensure that all relevant information regarding Erasmus+ is accessible to peversyons with disabilitie regardless of their possible obstacles, in particular through adapted and barrier-free online tools in all European languages; welcomes the establishment of ‘Erasmus Days’ and stresses the importance of the role of former Erasmus+ participants and alumni networks in promoting the programme widely and serving as a One stop shop for all future learners;
Amendment 109 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Asks the Member States to adopt targeted policies for all learners with fewer opportunities and special neeof all age groups and of all backgrounds in order to increase participation in Erasmus+ and to foster exchanges of good practices in this field; notes that national agencies and voluntary Erasmus+ organisations play a key role in this; proposes the Commission to develop better strategic plans for future Erasmus+ programmes that will increase inclusion and diversity and help overcome the challenges and shortcomings;
Amendment 112 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to raise better awareness among citizens in all areas on the benefits of Erasmus+ through cooperation with media and social media outlets and by creating targeted campaigns in public learning places, libraries, schools and universities, organise online and physical events and assure good outreach; underlines that these dedicated actions will foster greater participation of learners from all disadvantaged categories, including participants with special needs, health problems, special needs, educational difficulties, cultural differences and geographical, social and economic obstacles;
Amendment 113 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15 b. Regrets the consequences that Brexit imposed on UK students, disabling them from taking part in Erasmus+; calls on the Commission to further engage in negotiations with the UK and find ways to enable people from all parts of the UK to participate in the programme because education is a priceless investment and Erasmus+ is an opportunity that must be available to everyone regardless of their geographical, health, economic, cultural or social obstacles;
Amendment 114 #
2021/2009(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to use the European Year of Youth and related events to promote the opportunities offered by the Erasmus+ programme; notes that the European Year of Youth should especially focus on the impact that the pandemic has had on mental health of young people; proposes the Commission, Member States and national agencies to find additional ways within Erasmus+ to support learners of all age groups to help them recover from the pandemic and continue their growth on all levels, including personal, social, and professional;
Amendment 6 #
2021/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recognises the paramount importance of ‘intangible assets’ and intellectual property (IP)-intensive industries in the economic recovery and resilience of the EU in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic; underlines the need to protect these by law, allowing creators to benefit from their intellectual property rights (IPRs);
Amendment 10 #
2021/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Notes that collective management of authors’ rights represents is an important source of income for majority of creators and artists in Europe, and is an indispensable element of adequate functioning of EU’s copyright/authors’ rights framework;
Amendment 14 #
2021/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Emphasises that collective management of authors rights is a vital element for creators’ continuous remuneration based on their copyright/authors’ rights throughout their artistic career while providing broadest possible access to cultural and creative works for the public; whereas global streaming platforms systematically pressure European creators to give away their copyright/authors’ rights against one-off payments;
Amendment 15 #
2021/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1 c. Notes that IPR protection is key in encouraging companies to invest in innovative products and processes, especially to produce new content and products, but is convinced that compulsory licensing of patents is important as a last-resort tool meant to allow life-saving interventions in the public interest; calls on the Commission, therefore, to analyse and explore possible options for ensuring effectiveness and better coordination of compulsory licensing in the EU, taking into account cases in which it has been used in the Union, the reasons for its use, the conditions under which it was granted, its economic consequences and whether it achieved the desired effect;
Amendment 31 #
2021/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to support the full and timely transposition of the two copyright framework directives; notes that the Commission is putting special emphasis on the implementation of Article 17 of the Copyright Directive2 should be carried out by Member States without delay, encourages Member States to proceed with the faithful implementation of Article 17 which best reflects the agreement achieved by the co-legislators, and strongly supports its plans for issuing implementation guidelines for Member States; urges Member States to quickly and completely transpose the directives into their national legislation by reflecting the agreement achieved at EU level; _________________ 2Directive (EU) 2019/790 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on copyright and related rights in the Digital Single Market and amending Directives 96/9/EC and 2001/29/EC, OJ L 130, 17.5.2019, p. 92.
Amendment 35 #
2021/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Underlines the importance of recently adopted Directives (EU) 2019/790 and (EU) 2019/789, for a sound copyright/authors´ rights regime in the EU, invites the Member States to swiftly and faithfully transpose the requirements of those directives into national laws, and urges the Commission to remain a true guarantor of the EU law during the implementation process without deviating from the word and spirit of these crucial legislation for European creators and creative industries.
Amendment 38 #
2021/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Emphasises that territorial and exclusive licensing of rights are essential for the audiovisual sector in order to guarantee its creativity,financing and sustainability, but also to ensure that European consumers have access to culturally diverse content and a pluralistic media, recalls the European Commission’s own research, which shows that 83% of users never even tried to access content not intended for them, only 9% of consumers tried to access audiovisual content and only about only half of those were blocked (ie. only 4.5% of users affected), the main reason for not trying to cross-border access were lack of interest or the belief that the choice of content is sufficient in their own country;
Amendment 39 #
2021/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Highlights the ongoing problems faced by creators, artists, producers and cultural sector workers with regard to copyright and related rights; notes with great concern that they, especially in light of rampant online piracy; notes with great concern a 2019 study by the EU IPO 1a shows losses caused by piracy of illegal streaming of content might lead to lost jobs in the creative industries and significant loss of public revenues, notes that some creators, artists, producers and cultural sector workers continue to be pressured into unfavourable contracts, sometimes giving up the rights to their intellectual property without receiving just remuneration for their creative work; stresses that Member States must ensure that sufficient protection is put in place to prevent loss of IPRs by authors, creators, producers and cultural sector workers across the EU.; urges the European Commission to acknowledge the need of regulatory intervention to ensure that rightholders are able to protect their property rights online and enforce them effectively, including by measures having cross border effect, in line with Article 17 CFR and ensuring that “what is illegal offline, is illegal online” becomes a reality; _________________ 1ahttps://euipo.europa.eu/tunnel- web/secure/webdav/guest/document_libra ry/observatory/docs/2019_Status_Report_ on_IPR_infringement/2019_Status_Repor t_on_IPR_infringement_en.pdf
Amendment 49 #
2021/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Notes with great concern that so- called buy-out and work for hire contracts are imposed on European creators through application of non-EU laws to such contracts, despite the provisions of national and EU laws discouraging them; Asks the European Commission to throughoutly investigate such practices of global streaming platforms and their impact on the remuneration of creators based on copyright/authors’ rights;
Amendment 51 #
2021/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Invites the European Commission to look into the impact of non-EU based VOD platforms on the European creation, in particular on their relationships with the European creators of musical and audio-visual works; notes with concern that creators are totally deprived of their copyright/authors’ rights when they are imposed to accept buy-out contracts;
Amendment 54 #
2021/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Amendment 57 #
2021/2007(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5 d. Recognises in light with the Council conclusions "Recovery and transformation of Europe’s media and with the Council conclusions on safeguarding a free and pluralistic media system" that territorial exclusivity is crucial for a significant part of the creative sector in order to guarantee its creativity, financing and sustainability as well as development of existing and new business models, and emphasised that legal and business certainty and regulatory consistency are absolutely essential to safeguard the rich cultural diversity of the Union and to ensure that content creators which rely on territorial exclusivity are able to thrive and continue reinvesting in quality content;
Amendment 15 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the EEAS, the Commission and the EU Member States to use GAP III as a basis to enhance gender equality and gender mainstreaming in their external action, to support the full enjoyment of human rights by all girls and women, to strengthen their empowerment across the globe, and to put its gender-transformative, rights-based, intersectional approach into practice, and to adopt a feminist foreign policy;
Amendment 23 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Stresses the need for a strong policy dialogue and technical assistance to bring gender equality into the enlargement and neighbourhood policies; welcomes for the inclusion of the principle of gender equality among the objectives of the Global Europe Instrument - NDICI and the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance III;
Amendment 40 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to counter any forms of discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, class, religion, wage, disability or age, as part of EU external action;
Amendment 44 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Notes the widespread occurrence of gender-based hate speech and online and offline harassment of women and girls within the EU and in third countries, calls on the Commission, the Member States, EEAS and the EU delegations to publicly condemn these acts and take measures against them;
Amendment 48 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Regrets the lack of inclusion in the GAP III of the particular discrimination and sexual violence that women engaged in the sex industry suffer, including in prostitution, due to poverty, being victims of human trafficking or other types of distress; calls for an EU-wide action plan to prevent and combat all forms of violence, including rape, domestic violence, verbal and physical aggression, online harassment and all other types of GBV;
Amendment 75 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Highlights the need to tackle the shrinkingenhance the space for civil society and to closely consult with organisations fighting, in particular, for the rights of women, girls and marginalised groupengaged in the fighting for the rights of all girls and women, including women’s rights activists, human rights defenders, young people, and religious and faith-based organizations;
Amendment 81 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the integration of the Women, Peace and Security framework in GAP III; insists on the inclusion of women and marginalised groups in conflict resolution and peace negotiations, across all trackgirls and women in conflict resolution and peace negotiations; welcomes the emphasis on gender inequality as a root cause and driver of conflict and fragility; regrets the lack of consideration of women in mediation processes; calls for reinforcement of CSDP missions design and planning, which should take into account the recommendations made by local women’s organisations;
Amendment 88 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to develop specific internal strategies to further increase women’s leadership and full participation in all matters of foreign and security policies, conflict prevention and resolution, peacekeeping operations, post-conflict reconstruction, and long-term peace building;
Amendment 91 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Welcomes the inclusion of mandatory training on gender perspectives for all staff at HQ, EU delegations, CSDP missions and operations; recalls that training should comprise comprehensive programmes for the identification of victims of conflict- related sexual and/or gender-based violence, as well as prevention programmes, and medical, psycho-social and legal training to all EU staff, including military and police staff;
Amendment 94 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Amendment 97 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the introduction of EU strategic engagement at multilateral, regional and country- levels implementation plann close cooperation with partner governments, civil society, including women’s rights activists, human rights defenders, young people, religious and faith-based organizations, the private sector and other key stakeholders; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to take full ownership of gender-sensitive countrycountry implementation plans and reporting andon gender mainstreamingequality;
Amendment 102 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Recalls that education strategies should be oriented both to girls’ as well as women, as education should comprise primary, secondary and post-secondary education; stresses that access to all levels of education is the basis to achieving gender equality and economic empowerment; recalls that access to education is limited by various factors on a case-by-case basis, thus, not only linked with unsafe learning environments and by the lack of appropriate sanitation facilities, but also due to a non-exhaustive range of factors established by UNESCO, such as child marriage, adolescent pregnancy, discriminatory gender norms in society, child labour or the lack of easy and safe access to schools near where they live;
Amendment 106 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Regrets the lack of consideration heritage in the GAP III of feminine cultural heritage across countries and women’s role in the protection and development of culture; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to develop programmes aiming at protecting and recognizing the cultural heritage and traditions developed by women, which frequently go unnoticed, especially throughout the whole conflict cycle;
Amendment 112 #
2021/2003(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Expects specific andthe development of indicators and analysis adapted to the nature of each external action policy with measurable baselines and targets to be added to the joint staff working document on the objectives and indicators to frame the implementation of the GAP III (SWD(2020)0284), as well as specific road maps and timelines for all objectives, and sanctions in case of non-fulfilment; notes that in particular the use of gender analysis in the formulation of EU external actions is increasing and almost all EU Delegations have carried out a detailed gender analysis.
Amendment 27 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas the strengthening of the rule of law, fighting corruption and organised crime are cornerstones of the EU-Western Balkans strategy of 2018;
Amendment 28 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. whereas the Instrument for Pre- accession Assistance, IPA II has funded multiple national and multi-country projects supporting a more effective administration of justice in organised crime and corruption cases in the Western Balkans, including through trial monitoring; whereas also IPA III entails specific objectives to develop effective tools to prevent and fight organised crime, trafficking in human beings and of illicit firearms, drug trafficking and money laundering;
Amendment 40 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that depriving countries of the Western Balkans of a European perspective is worsening rather than improving the situation as regards organised crime, and underlines that only by fostering the EU integration process and cooperation with Member States can it be improved;
Amendment 45 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the rule of law and the fight against corruption and organised crime are areas in which the Western Balkan countries needhave to show mortangible results in order to make progress on their EU path; calls for the EU to promote, as a priority of enlargement policy, the correct transposition of relevant international instruments targeting rule of law, corruption and organised crime;
Amendment 56 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Deplores the lack of independence of the judiciary in the Western Balkan countries and urges that a more strategic approach be adopted in addressing challenges posed by organised crime; calls for the EU to provide further assistance in order to stimulate a culture of criminal justice professionalism and performance; notes that although some progress in justice systems reform has been made, substantial efforts are still needed to reach tangible results;
Amendment 77 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Notes with great concern that the COVID-19 crisis and its socio-economic consequences have been exploited by criminal organisations, including through misuse of direct public procurement for essential medical equipment and services to healthcare structures, selling falsified COVID certificates and the increased practice of loan-sharking;
Amendment 90 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that the Western Balkan countries serve as a transit corridor for migrants and refugees and that the large population movements in recent years have posed an enormous challenge to the region and bordering Member States in fighting the smuggling of migrants; calls for greater exchange of information and enhanced coordination between countries of the Western Balkans, as well as with Member States bordering the region, and encourages the EU and its Member States to provide more assistance in addressing these issues through, inter al, such as financial and technical support, concluding informal and status agreements and fostering cooperation via, the Joint Operational Office and the Operational Platform – Eastern Mediterranean Route;
Amendment 104 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the Western Balkan countries’ commitment to combating illicit firearms trafficking, in particular the adoption of a regional roadmap at the EU- Western Balkans Summit in London, which aims to tackle the illicit possession, use, manufacturing and trafficking of firearms; stresses, however, that illicit firearms possession and trafficking remains a serious issue as the majority of weapons that are found and used in organised crime throughout the EU come from the region;
Amendment 120 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the increased cooperation between the EU and the Western Balkan countries in the fight against organised crime and encourages the EU to further support capacity building in the Western Balkans and the facilitation of police and judicial cooperation in countering organised crime; calls on Western Balkan countries for further legislative harmonisation with the EU acquis regarding public procurement, the fight against organised crime and terrorism, money laundering and cybercrime;
Amendment 122 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the conclusion of cooperation agreements between Eurojust and four Western Balkan countries, as well as the authorisation to open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina; urges the Council to authorise the opening of negotiations for a similar agreement with Kosovo, as judicial cooperation in criminal matters with all Western Balkan countries is crucial to fighting organised crime, especially human trafficking and smuggling of drugs that account for the majority of criminal activities in the region;
Amendment 124 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Commends the successful cooperation with liaison prosecutors from Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia seconded to Eurojust to provide support in cross-border investigations involving their countries; encourages, in this respect, similar cooperation with the remaining Western Balkan countries; welcomes the rising number of cases in judicial cooperation since 2019 despite the challenging circumstances caused by COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 128 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the agreements on operational cooperation between Europol and five Western Balkan countries, as well as the working arrangement with the law enforcement authorities of Kosovo,; calls for the full implementation of these agreements and commends the successful operations led in the context of this cooperation;
Amendment 135 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Welcomes the entry into force of status agreements with Albania, Montenegro and Serbia on border cooperation allowing the European Border and Coast Guard Agency to execute joint operations in these countries, improving the countries’ border management, fight cross-border crime and control illegal migrations; calls on the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia to ratify their respective status agreements without delay;
Amendment 153 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Underlines the crucial role of civil society organisations (CSO) in monitoring the work of governments and, judicial and law enforcement agencies, assessing track records in fighting organised crime; encourages CSO of further sharing experiences and best practices in view of understanding the nature and causes of organised crime and hereby support the prevention of radicalisation in the region; welcomes the contributions to strategic communication campaigns by stakeholders such as Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) and European Strategic Communication Network (ESCN) in; notes that legal and institutional frameworks for CSO participation are largely in place in the Western Balkan countries but regrets that their potential is not being used to the full extent;
Amendment 163 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Commends the work of investigative journalists reporting on high- profile cases and disclosing links between organised criminal groups, politicians and businesses; strongly condemns intimidation, hate speech and slandering campaigns against investigative journalists and civil society; calls on the authorities and law enforcement to ensure their protection and conditions for unhindered work; reiterates its call on the Commission and the EEAS to strengthen their cooperation with and support for civil society, NGOs and independent media on the ground;
Amendment 1706 #
2021/0420(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex 1 – part 18/23
Annex 1 – part 18/23
Add the following to the extended core network: - Zagreb (HR) - Maribor (SI) - Graz (AT) railfreight / passenger (conventional/new construction
Amendment 1707 #
2021/0420(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex 1 - Part 18/23 and Part 19/23
Annex 1 - Part 18/23 and Part 19/23
Add the following to the extended core network: - Zagreb (HR) - Maribor (SI) - Graz (AT) rail freight/passenger line (conventional/new construction)
Amendment 1708 #
2021/0420(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex 1 – part 18/23
Annex 1 – part 18/23
Add the following to the comprehensive network: - Pula - Buzet (HR) - Divača (SI) - Trieste (IT) rail freight/passenger line Lupoglav – Buzet - state border (SI) - Prešnica (SI)
Amendment 1709 #
2021/0420(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex 1 – part 18/23
Annex 1 – part 18/23
Add the following to the comprehensive network: - Čakovec - Varaždin - Lepoglava - Zabok Zagreb rail freight/passenger line
Amendment 1722 #
2021/0420(COD)
Add the following to the extended core network: Postojna (SI) - Rijeka - Žuta Lokva road (HR) Add the following to the core network: Zagreb (HR) - Maribor (SI) - Graz (AT) road
Amendment 1723 #
2021/0420(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex 1 – part 19/23
Annex 1 – part 19/23
Add the following to the comprehensive network: Rijeka - Divača (SI) - Trieste (IT) road connection Kanfanar – Umag – State border - (SI) road connection
Amendment 1758 #
2021/0420(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex 2 - table - section HR
Annex 2 - table - section HR
Node name: Ploče Maritime port: Comprehensivre
Amendment 1759 #
2021/0420(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex 2 - table - section HR
Annex 2 - table - section HR
Node name: Ploče Maritime port: Comprehensivre
Amendment 1801 #
2021/0420(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex 3 - part 7/14 and part 8/14
Annex 3 - part 7/14 and part 8/14
Add the following to the corridor Baltic Sea - Adriatic Sea: - Rijeka - Zagreb motorway - port of Rijeka (“core”) -Rijeka - Zagreb rail freight/passenger line
Amendment 1811 #
2021/0420(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex 3 - part 10/14
Annex 3 - part 10/14
Amendment 1814 #
2021/0420(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Annex 3 - part 12/14
Annex 3 - part 12/14
Add the following to the corridor Western Balkans : - Port of Ploče The above port shall be included in the core network as specified in Annex 1.
Amendment 18 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the CCSI mainly comprise small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and self-employed entrepreneurs and freelancers, who often draw on irregular and mixed incomes from different sources;
Amendment 34 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the development of the European framework for working conditions in the CCSI will require coordination with EU policies on competition, the internal market, social policy, fundamental rights and equality, and copyright, fully respecting the fields of competence of the European Union and its Member States;
Amendment 35 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas since Parliament’s call for improvements to the situation of artists in its resolutions of June 2007, noNovember 2016 and September 2020, not much progress has been made and most of itstheir demands remain valid, also in the light of the great differences between support schemes for artists and cultural professionals in different Member States;
Amendment 42 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the COVID-19 crisis has made artists and cultural and creative professionals even more vulnerable, as the loss of earnings for non-standard workers, who make up the majority of the CCSI, has been often exacerbated by weak or absent national social security schemes and dedicated support measures;
Amendment 56 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas most of the Member States enacted substantial emergency measures to help the CCSI to survive the crisis; whereas, however, this support was not available or not suitable to some artists on account of their particular working status and was not sufficient to ensure sustainable working conditions;
Amendment 73 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas artists and cultural professionals tend to have atypical work patterns and often lack proper social security protection, notably in cross-border contexts, which often leads to their exclusion from pension and unemployment payments;
Amendment 90 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital P
Recital P
P. whereas public grants are considered the most effective form of financial support for the CCSI, but are often difficult to access due to the lack of an overarching European funding strategy for the sector by the Commission, the diverse sources within the MFF and their lack of mainstreaming;
Amendment 125 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Urges the Commission and the Member States to recognise the fundamental role of culture for society, the well-being of EU citizens and the economy, and to translate this recognition into continuous financial and structural support;
Amendment 129 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Calls on the Commission to further develop and substantiate the industrial policy framework for the CCSI ecosystem into a coherent, competitive and long-term strategy in order to boost their competitiveness, their strategic value for the European economy and the European way of life, and enable them to meet their potentials in terms of jobs and growth creation; highlights the potential of CCIs regarding youth employment and reindustrialisation and in particular the growing opportunities in the cultural and creative sectors and industries created by the digital environment for young people
Amendment 135 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to recognise the European added value of cross-border cooperation and to eliminate barriers to cross-border mobility in the EU and with third countries for artists and cultural professionals;
Amendment 138 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide workers and cultural professionals in the CCSI with clear information and guidelines on mobility opportunities and administrative requirements in all Member States, including on visas, taxation, social security and access to training; calls for specific programmes dedicated to the mobility of young creators and innovators to promote exchanges and innovation in the fields of culture and creativity;
Amendment 145 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the establishment of mobility information points to provide assistance to artists and cultural professionals and recommends that all Member States establish one;
Amendment 158 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Points out the importance of territorial licenses in the business model of a majority of CCS entities; reminds the mid-term review of the European Commission on the unjustified geo- blocking regulation; points out the necessity to take into account, before considering any follow-up measures, the voices of the rightholders in any discussion on copyright-protected content; reminds that revenue from copyright represents the core of the fair remuneration of artists and creators, but also of many small players of the CCS; reminds that any drastic change in this field could conduct to dramatic consequences for many of them;
Amendment 163 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Amendment 173 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the Commission’s inception impact assessment and ongoing public consultation on collective bargaining agreements, which is designed to define the scope of application of EU competition rules in order to remove obstacles and improve working conditions through collective bargaining on behalf of solo self-employed workers in the CCSI; invites the Commission to further evaluate current state aid rules and their application for the CCSI and the possible needs for adaptation;
Amendment 179 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Points out that the atypical employment (part-time and fixed-duration contracts, temporary work and economically dependent self-employment) of artists and cultural professionals, specifically in the media and culture sector, is commonplace; Underlines the urgent need to improve the working conditions in the CCSI; encourages the Member States to utilise upward convergence to establish minimum standards for artists and cultural workerprofessionals in relation to working conditions and social security;
Amendment 187 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Repeatedly recommends the creation of a European framework for working conditions in the CCSI; welcomes, in this regard, the forthcoming OMC discussions between the Member States on the status of artists while fully respecting the responsibilities of Member States and the EU in regards to labour market and cultural policy, through the adoption or application of a number of coherent and comprehensive guidelines with respect, but not exclusively, to contracts, means of collective representation and management, social security, sickness insurance, direct and indirect taxation, non-tariff barriers and information asymmetries; however underlines that a one-fits-all solution will not be plausible due to the large divergences between Member States in the beforementioned areas; welcomes, in this regard, the forthcoming OMC discussions between the Member States on the status of artists; appreciates the concrete actions laid down in the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and urges the Member States to undertake all necessary efforts to fulfil the promises made;
Amendment 203 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Urges the Member States to fulfil their obligation to defend and respect artistic freedom in order to uphold the fundamental right to freedom of expression and ensure that EU citizens can freely enjoy and consume artistic creations;
Amendment 230 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to facilitate access to public grants and loans by reducing administrative burdens at all stages of the application and reporting processes; emphasises the necessity to promote synergies between various EU funding schemes with specific amounts dedicated to the cultural and creative sector, like Horizon Europe, Creative Europe, InvestEU and Digital Europe;
Amendment 238 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Reiterates its call on the Commission and the Member States to include culture in the national recovery and resilience plans and to earmark at least 2 % of the budget envelope of the Recovery and Resilience Facility to culture and is alarmed about the lack of dedicated funding to the sectors and industries as proposed by some Member States;
Amendment 249 #
2020/2261(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Underlines that any action taken to help the CCSI for their recovery should not only be aimed at the economic recovery but also be used for the improvement of working conditions of artists and cultural professionals, for the up- and reskilling of those workers to engage in the digital era and world and for the investment into the green innovation power of the CCSI, which are a driver of sustainability, early adopters and enablers of disruptive technologies needed to tackle climate change; stresses the challenges imposed by digitisation on the CCSI and therefore the need for constant rethinking and reshaping business models in order to develop market-driven solutions based on big data, cloud computing, ICT, artificial intelligence and the strong role of internet platforms; underlines the importance for European CCIs rightholders of access to and transparency of audience data and content recommendation systems; emphasises therefore the importance of guaranteed funding for digitisation, preservation and online availability of cultural and creative content and our European cultural heritage;
Amendment 51 #
2020/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the EU and its Member States have, in particular since the publication of the 2016 EU Global Strategy, intensified their cooperation in the field of security and defence positioning the European Union as a more active and influential global actor for peace and security;
Amendment 53 #
2020/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas in the framework of the CSDP, 5 000 EU military and civilian staff are currently deployed in six military and 11 civilian missions and operations on three continents; whereas these missions have successfully provided support, capacity building and training with a goal to ensure peace, security and stability in conflict and post-conflict areas;
Amendment 60 #
2020/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic is having a significant impact on international relations and has further exacerbated existing global tensions and security challenges amplifying the need for a stronger transatlantic cooperation in countering hybrid threats, especially the fight against disinformation;
Amendment 68 #
2020/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas in recent years the NATO-EU cooperation has reached unprecedented levels, including on military mobility, cyber defence, countering disinformation, and in supporting partners, from Afghanistan, Gulf of Aden to Ukraine;
Amendment 83 #
2020/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Welcomes the first participation ever of a Secretary General of NATO to a meeting of the College of Commissioners on the 15 December 2020, sending a strong message of mutual commitment to enhance the partnership between NATO and the EU;
Amendment 100 #
2020/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underscores that the EU-NATO partnership and transatlantic cooperation as a whole are built on common support for the shared core values of democracy, freedom, respect for human rights and human dignity, the rule of law and the promotion of peace and international cooperation while protecting the rules- based international order;
Amendment 107 #
2020/2257(INI)
4. Underlines that NATO is a valued partner also to EU Member States which are not members of the alliance; recalls that NATO cooperation with non-NATO EU Member States is an integral part of EU- NATO cooperation, and encourages the fullest possible involvement of the non- NATO EU Member States in the alliance’s initiatives as well as fullest possible involvement of non-EU NATO Allies in EU’s security and defence initiatives;
Amendment 120 #
2020/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Highlights that the transatlantic community is faced with a broad array of unprecedented common challenges, ranging from the fight against terrorism to hybrid threats, climate change, disinformation, cyber attacks, emerging and disruptive technologies (EDTs), and a shifting global power balance, as well as the resulting challenge to the international rules-based order; stresses the importance of information sharing, coordinated planning and concrete cooperation in areas of hybrid threats, operational cooperation, cyber security, capacity- building, defence capabilities, industry and research and joint exercises;
Amendment 140 #
2020/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Commends the key suggestions made by the 2030 NATO independent group of experts, in particular their call for stronger EU-NATO cooperation; endorses the proposals of December 2020 by the Commission President and the VP/HR for an EU-US Security and Defence Dialogue; welcomes the intention and the commitment of the Biden administration to engage with EU and NATO partners in establishing more comprehensive transatlantic cooperation; underlines both the key relevance of the US forces stationed in Europe for Europe’s security and its full commitment to their continued presence;
Amendment 161 #
2020/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that the ongoing and future work being carried out in parallel on both the EU’s Strategic Compass and the expected update of NATO’s Strategic Concept represents a unique opportunity to identify additional synergies in order to further strengthen EU-NATO cooperation and the transatlantic partnership; underlines that both processes must come to cohesive conclusions; expresses its vision that the EU Strategic Compass could lay the foundations for an EU contribution to the update of NATO’s Strategic Concept; believes that these processes should separately highlight the added value of each organisation, help define a better division of tasks and, by means of a constant dialogue and close coordination, map out whether the EU or NATO should take the lead in a given field;
Amendment 187 #
2020/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the requests by the United States, Canada, and Norway to participate in the PESCO project on military mobility; underlines that this, as well as expected broader participation of non-EU NATO Allies in EU Defence initiatives, marks an important step towards increased coherence between the commonrespective EU and NATO capability development efforts, and illustrates the revitalisationconstitutes a concrete example of a reinvigorated transatlantic partnership; calls ofn the transatlantic partnershipremaining EU and NATO members to join European security and defence initiatives to further complement and strengthen joint cooperation;
Amendment 212 #
2020/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recognises the important cooperation and good track record between the EU and NATO in the Western Balkans, notably through the EUFOR Althea mission and EULEX-KFOR cooperation; notes that the experiences and lessons learned from these missions are instrumental for all current and future EU - NATO cooperation in fields of providing peace, security and stability in affected regions, as well in efforts to support and train local partners, and build capacities;
Amendment 222 #
2020/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Amendment 225 #
2020/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Commends the close cooperation between EU and NATO during the Covid- 19 pandemic; notes that NATO's main civil emergency response mechanism, the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) has proven key during the crisis in centralising requests and offers for assistance from EU and NATO members; welcomes the joint coordination between NATO and Eurocontrol in Rapid Air Mobility Initiative that simplified air traffic control procedures for military relief flights thus allowing medical supply delivery to allied and partner countries;
Amendment 288 #
2020/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Emphasises that both the EU and NATO should further strengthen their capabilities to prevent, deter and respond to hybrid and cyber attacks; calls for closer cooperation and more vigilant common approach to combat these threats and suggests the creation of a joint cyber threat information hub on the level of the two staffs, as well as a joint staffs task force for cyber security;
Amendment 362 #
2020/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Believes that as a long-term objective, the European allies in NATO, supported where possible by non-NATO European partners, as appropriate, should aim to account for half of the forces and capabilities derived under the NDPP in order to ensure adequate long-term burden- sharing inside the alliance; underlines that the transatlantic partnership can only be successful if all Member States fulfil their commitments and engage in mutual support; underlines NATO’s 2 % goal, set at the 2014 NATO Summit in Wales, and stresses that fulfilling this objective is also an investment in European security and stability, ensuring preparedness to confront new global challenges;
Amendment 416 #
2020/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls for regular special summits with the participation of all NATO and EU Heads of State and Government, and expresses its long-term vision for an EU- NATO Partnership Council; in this regard, underlines the principle of inclusiveness;
Amendment 444 #
2020/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls on all members to work towards the conclusion of a security agreement between Cyprus and NATO as it is the only European Union member state that is neither a NATO member state nor a member of the Partnership for Peace program;
Amendment 33 #
2020/2243(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the organisation of education systems and the content of teaching remain a competence of Member States;
Amendment 51 #
2020/2243(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas Parliament has called on Member States to prioritise investments in education and training, valuing education spending as an investment in our common future; including by allocating at least 10 % of their national recovery and resilience budgets to corresponding policies, and has requested a considerably higher budget for the Erasmus+ programme, valuing education spending as an investment in our common future1a; _________________ 1a https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/doc ument/TA-9-2021-0095_EN.html
Amendment 70 #
2020/2243(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the role of the EEA in fostering a sense of European belonging and in providing economic opportunities by addressing existing educational challenges, bearing in mind that high- quality and inclusive education should be accessible for everyone throughout life;
Amendment 107 #
2020/2243(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses the potential of using European policy coordination tools to achieve the common objectives of an EEA, including by means of the Open Method of Coordination and the European Semester;
Amendment 134 #
2020/2243(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Underlines the importance of establishing academic freedom in tertiary education as a core principle of an EEA;
Amendment 155 #
2020/2243(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Urges for closer collaboration of the EU with other organisations and institutions such as UNESCO and the OECD and for actively using existing educational research and studies with a view to supporting Member States in identifying effective policy reforms;
Amendment 177 #
2020/2243(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Outlines the need for targeted civic education and learning about European values – such as human dignity, democracy, the rule of law, human rights and equality – in order to foster a European civic culture and a sense of European community complementing local, regional, national and global dimensions;
Amendment 202 #
2020/2243(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Calls for the establishment of a dedicated financial instrument in MFF 2028-2034 with a view to providing EU funding for building the European Education Area and to facilitate mutual recognition of qualifications;
Amendment 3 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Notes that in the context of a large-scale data collection and analysis, public trust plays a key role in the establishment of a fully functional legislative framework; notes that such a framework must guarantee a high level of privacy and accountability and remain compliant with Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Directive (EU) 2019/790, as well as with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and its Article 8 which states that ‘everyone has the right to the protection of personal data concerning him or her; underlines that such data must be processed fairly for specified purposes and on the basis of the consent of the person concerned or some other legitimate basis laid down by law; underlines that everyone has the right of access to data which has been collected concerning him or her, and the right to have it rectified’;
Amendment 7 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Calls on the European Commission to take into consideration the use of EU funds and programmes, including the European Social Fund Plus and the Digital Europe programme, to effectively support lifelong learning and training so to advance competences in data analysis and its ethical aspects; calls for a prioritisation of inclusion and diversity, which will consequently not only help to address the problem of shortage in data experts but, from a more global perspective, will also allow to increase Europe’s technological autonomy and resilience, while putting our European values and respect of fundamental rights at its core;
Amendment 10 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Encourages Member States to set- up specialised Master programmes, modules and short-term training courses in advanced digital technologies to develop digital skills in key professions handling data, including sensitive data;
Amendment 11 #
2020/2217(INI)
2 c. Highlights the value of strategic partnership agreements between universities, especially within the EU, to further promote cooperation in fields of data science;
Amendment 15 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that the EU should prioritise digital literacy and competencies in its cohesion policy for 2021 and beyond, with a focus on supporting teachers and the heads of education institutions in implementing digital education throughout curricula and on sharing best practices and know-how, without creating additional administrative or financial burdens; considers that education should be focused ontake into account, without being reduced to, practical skills for the future and be based on a long-term and comprehensive analysis of labour market needs; welcomes the Commission’s proposal to develop a common European skills database;
Amendment 22 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines the fact that while the increased use of data will transform our education systems, it will nevertheless be essential to maintain a human-centred and personalised approach to students and their needs; considers that open access to education and to scientific data and publications based on the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) data principles is essential for successful innovation and sciencereminds that in the context of the development of the digital environment, human connection and educational experience are of paramount importance for pupils and students; also adds that not only digital literacy, but also general culture and critical thinking is of high value for users’ capacity to assess and choose how the data they generate may be used, thus making it more necessary than ever its transmission by teachers and educators to younger generations; considers that fair, non-discriminatory and equitable access to education and to scientific data and publications based on the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) data principles is essential for successful innovation and science; recalls that access to data is not a binary concept opposing closed and open approaches, but rather a continuum of various degrees of access which depends, among others, on the sustainability of research and creation, and on the sensitivity of data;
Amendment 27 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Reminds that data protection in schools is a particularly sensitive issue due to the fact that the persons concerned are minors; reiterates that future legislation must ensure high levels of protection of individual pupils’ data; encourages the Member States to put in place information and awareness campaigns that would support parents and help them to better understand what use can be made of their children's data;
Amendment 37 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to explore the potential merits and scope of creating a common European data space for the cultural and creative industry at large; believes that the digitalisation of cultural heritage cannot fully substitute physical access to tangible and intangible cultural heritage; considers nevertheless that digitalisation in the field of cultural heritage could be useful and beneficial in a wide variety of ways, by for instance facilitating physical protection and preservation or enabling three-dimensional virtual applications which could be suitable for a number of sectors, including tourism; calls for the development of a common European data space on cultural heritage, which could be built on the basis of the Europeana Digital Service Infrastructure.
Amendment 40 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Reminds that we have a moral duty to future generations to safeguard our cultural heritage; considers that in addition to a comprehensive existing legal framework in terms of illicit export and import of cultural property, such measures as setting up of databases of stolen treasures and cultural objects can play an important role in further reinforcing cultural heritage protection;
Amendment 43 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Amendment 45 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7 c. Notes that giving the importance of entrepreneurship in cultural and creative sectors, future legislation in the field of data must remain simple and include clear guidance to keep the regulatory environment free from overburden and over-regulation; recalls that micro-businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) including cultural and creative sectors will need additional support in order to comply with future standards in the field of data sharing and data protection regulation, as they bear a disproportionate legislative burden to their size;
Amendment 48 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 d (new)
Paragraph 7 d (new)
7 d. Calls on the Commission to take into account cultural and creative industries in the forthcoming European SME strategy and their particular needs in the data economy, including better access to data, in order to strengthen their innovation capacities while ensuring a favourable environment for the growth of this vital sector;
Amendment 49 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 e (new)
Paragraph 7 e (new)
7 e. Underlines that in order to foster data sharing, it is important to guarantee the interoperability of data and data processing systems allowing data flows among cultural operators while abiding by high standards of the protection of personal data; considers that further reinforcement of privacy standards, sharing of best practices, support for joint enforcement initiatives as well as jointly developed codes of conduct may be necessary components to enhance data sharing;
Amendment 50 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 f (new)
Paragraph 7 f (new)
7 f. Reminds that secure data sharing is essential to avoid potentially negative repercussions of an increased concentration of cultural data in the hands of platforms with a dominant position within the market or in a substantial part of it, and thus ensure access to genuine cultural openness and guarantee freedom of creation;
Amendment 51 #
2020/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 g (new)
Paragraph 7 g (new)
7 g. Reminds that investments in skills and data literacy must be accompanied by substantial financial support to equip Europe with a strong industrial base and infrastructure in terms of data processing and storage; in this regard, calls on the EU to massively invest insecure and high- quality data processing and storage technological capacities and strategic infrastructure through the long-term EU budget 2021-2027, including the EU Recovery Plan.
Amendment 25 #
2020/2201(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Stresses that dialogue with citizens on their participation in the decision- making is necessary in order to build an even more democratic EU; considers that this will be a way to deepen European integration, promote the rule of law and build an even more just society, giving equal opportunities to all EU citizens; calls for enhances dialogues with citizens in order to spread information about EU policies and the rights deriving from the European citizenship; believes that dialogue between decision-makers and civil society should be organized in such a way that all parts of European societies are fully represented;
Amendment 37 #
2020/2201(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Expresses its deep disappointment at the decision of the European Commission on the European Citizens’ Initiative Minority Safepack and its lack of consideration for the voice of over 1.1 million signatory citizens, its organizers and the European Parliament; highlights that the decision sends a wrong message to the expectations expressed by millions of citizens, despite the vote of a very large majority in the European Parliament expressing their strong support for the initiative and calling on the Commission to propose legal acts on it;
Amendment 56 #
2020/2201(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that civic education and learning about the EU is key to enabling EU citizens to make informed choices; calls on the Commission to develop a common curriculum on and be an integral part of a democratic society; notes that European citizenship is a value that should be fostered in young students and welcomes the relevant initiatives of the European commission which promote mobility throughout the EU; calls on the Commission to provide support to complement educational programmes in all Member States to enhance EU learning in order to foster objective and critical thinking on the benefits of the European Union; with the aim of increasing citizens' participation in the EU decision making; considers that journalists should also have access to adequate training and that this can be achieved trough both on-the-job training offered by schools of journalism;
Amendment 80 #
2020/2201(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines the right of citizens to have access to reliable and factual information oninformation on the functioning of the European Union, its policies and decision-making processes; recognises the need to establish a neutral, independent and informative common European news centre, available in all of the EU’s trough independent European media sources; recalls that the EU institutions should ensure strengthened and proactive communication in all official languages; calls for downstream feedback, fact- checking and moderation in relation to disinformation to be introduced into the functioning of online platforms.
Amendment 3 #
2020/2135(INI)
A. whereas inclusive, quality education is the cornerstone of the green and digital transitions; whereas education is an investment in our common future, positively impacting social cohesion as a pre-condition for economic growth, job creation and employment;
Amendment 7 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the content of teaching and the organisation of education systems is a national competence and must remain so; whereas however, new challenges require the mobilisation of European tools and supporting policies within the European Education Area;
Amendment 12 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas digital technologies are reshaping society, making basic digital skills and digital literacy now essential for all citizens; whereas digital technologies should be perceived as a tool to provide quality education and training: whereas in the future there will be an increased need for digital skills (coding, logistics and robotics) which will concern not only IT education courses but will touch upon the curriculum as a whole;
Amendment 16 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas the impact of new technologies, robotics and Al on employment needs to be fully explored; whereas the labour market will increasingly prioritise a focus on the STEM fields, meaning it is necessary to further develop practical solutions on career guidance, deterrence of student dropouts, online adult learning and requalification;
Amendment 30 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas digital tools can help the process of learning, but must remain complementary to the physical presence of educators as well as their expertise and judgement; whereas digital technology certainly cannot substitute the role of the teacher;
Amendment 35 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas access to high-quality digital infrastructure and equipment and high-speed internet that is adapted to educational needs is a prerequisite for digital learning; whereas the COVID-19 pandemic and the sudden digital transition in education have laid bare the gaps in access across the Union;
Amendment 43 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the shift to online and distance learning has exacerbated existing inequalities, leaving disadvantaged and vulnerable learners and learners with disabilities and with special educational needs further behind, increasing drop- out rates across education sectors, and revealing an absence of pastoral and social support in the digital environment; whereas special attention should also be paid to children with special educational needs who have a learning problem or disability that make it more difficult for them to learn remotely than for most children of their age;
Amendment 86 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Notes, that the new DEAP is now extending the scope of action and sets specific targets to address persistent gaps, for example in digital skills, the promotion of quality computer and information technology education, support for better connectivity in schools, online learning content and tools, and digital literacy of schools and higher education institutions;
Amendment 88 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes, however, that delivering the plan effectively depends on coordination across a broad range of programmes; calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure effective synergies between these programmes; emphasises the need to learn from the Covid-19 crisis by applying the good practices (peer learning) of some countries in terms of using digital tools for education;
Amendment 97 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Encourages Member States to make use of the Recovery Package to invest in digital equipment for schools and for pupils in the EU, notably in excluded areas as no child should be left behind;
Amendment 117 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Stresses the importance of a number of European instruments which can be used for the development of formal and non-formal education as well as investment in educational infrastructure and digital equipments in schools, such as the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), the Connecting Europe Facility, Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, the European Solidarity Corps and the new Digital Education Action Plan; points out furthermore that investments at national level are also essential;
Amendment 121 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Supports the Erasmus+ programme and the increase of its budget in order to make it more efficient and inclusive; supports volunteering as the key activity of the ESC;
Amendment 127 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Deplores the persistent digital divide in the Union; regrets the fact that in some Member States, like Romania, efforts to provide access to quality digital education have failed, leaving more than 30 % of pupils without access to education for several months; shares the Commission’s analysis that fast and reliable internet and quality digital equipment in educational establishments, non-formal settings and the home are prerequisites for effective digital education;
Amendment 132 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Insists that broadband should be considered a public good and be universally accessible as a critical step in closing the digital divide; calls for specific measures to enhance access for remote, rural and mountain areas with low connectivity and limited access to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, blockchain, new educational devices or gamification, in the light of their growing importance and potential; calls for a new initiative on AI and robotics for education; recalls furthermore that an ethical and human- centric Al approach should be ensured by EU programmes and schemes;
Amendment 165 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Insists that greater attention be devoted to teacher training as the plan is rolled out so as to ensure that teachers not only possess digital skills, but can also teach them; calls for a pan-Union initiative to develop new pedagogical methods for the digital environment; underlines the increasingly important role played by parents, families and tutors in distance learning and calls for them to be given special training and support mechanismsthe need for them to have good internet, digital and technical skills and calls for them to be given special training and support mechanisms; stresses the need to assist all families with digital tools in order to grant access to remote education;
Amendment 169 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Calls on the European Commission, together with the Member States, to provide financial support for training courses designed for teachers in order to prepare them to carry out teaching activities using the new platforms; notes that the next generation of teachers needs to be equipped with digital skills and competences to prepare children for the future, while exploiting the potential of digital teaching methods;
Amendment 173 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11 b. Calls on the European Commission, together with the Member States to provide schools (teachers and students) not only with technical support and an Internet connection, but also with the necessary support on safe and reliable software, e-learning materials and platforms for best practice sharing to be able to continue with distance learning;
Amendment 175 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11 c. Calls for further enhancements to existing online education platforms which should focus on online education and provide teachers with best practices; calls, in this regard, for better promotion and development of programmes such as the Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe (EPALE) and the School Education Gateway;
Amendment 181 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Underlines the challenge of cyberthreats, cyberbullying, data and privacy protection, dangerous online games and disinformation in the digital environment; highlights that any development in the field of digital education must go hand-in-hand with a robust framework of data protection; warmly welcomes, therefore, the increased focus on digital and information literacy in the revised plan; looks forward to the swift adoption of the Media Action Plan and the guidelines for teachers and educational staff; calls on the Commission to be more ambitious and to launch large-scale digital literacy campaigns;
Amendment 206 #
2020/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Supports dual education in VET, lifelong learning and adult learning with a view to a better adaptation to labour market developments and preventing social isolation;
Amendment 35 #
2020/2116(INI)
C a. whereas a comprehensive approach to migration and the asylum system requires strengthening the external dimension of European migration policy; whereas the link between the internal and external aspects of migration and cooperation with key countries of origin and transit is important; whereas the success of the external dimension depends on joint support at EU level and coordination of activities with external partners;
Amendment 40 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas since 2016 the EU has multiplied the number of informal agreements and arrangements on return and readmission with third countriwith third countries, aiming to strengthen their operational capacities in border control and management, the fight against human trafficking as well as regarding return and readmission procedures, including Joint Migration Declarations, Memoranda of Understanding, Joint Ways Forward, Standard Operating Procedures and Good Practices; whereas, similarly to formal readmission agreements, such informal arrangements affirm states’ commitments to readmitting their nationals (or others) and establish procedures to carry out returns in practice; whereas since 2016, the EU has concluded at least 11 informal agreements but only one new readmission agreement;
Amendment 52 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the 2015 report of the former UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants has criticisednotes shortcomings with the EU’s approach to migration for its lack of transparency and clarity, and for the weak status of many ofand with the agreements reached in this framework, which in his view generally lack monitoring and accountability measures; whereas the Special Rapporteur also concludes that there are few signs that mobility partnerships have resulted in additional human rights or development benefits, while the overall focus on security and the lack of policy coherence within the approach as a whole create a risk that any benefits arising from human rights and development projects would be overshadowed by the secondary effects of more security-focused policies;
Amendment 55 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas UN human rights experts warned that the COVID-19 pandemic is having serious and disproportionate effects on migrants and their families globally; whereas they have called on states to protect the rights of migrants and their families, regardless of their migration status, both during and after the pandemic;
Amendment 58 #
2020/2116(INI)
1. Highlights that, alongside the Treaty-based obligation to pursue the values of respect for human dignity, the rule of law and respect for human rights and international law in all external dealings, the EU and its Member States have human rights obligations towards third-country nationals (TCNs) when cooperating on migration with third countries and other non-EU actors such as private contractors or international organisations;
Amendment 91 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for the EU to ensurstrive that readmission agreements and agreements for cooperation on border management are only concluded with third countries that explicitly commit to respecting human rights and the rights enshrined in the UN Refugee Convention, and to ensure that such cooperation does not lead to violations of those rights and toffers operational means to nullify these agreements, seek remedy and ensure accountability should such violations occur;
Amendment 103 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to ensure ex ante risk assessments, performed by independent agencies,the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights on the impact of any formal, informal or financial EU cooperation with third countries on the rights of migrants and refugees; calls on the Commission to set implementation guidelines for EU agencies and Member States before entering into cooperation with third countries; calls in this respect for particular vigilance in relation to countries which are experiencing ongoing or frozen conflicts and face increased risks of human rights violations;
Amendment 106 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission to establish an independent, transparent and effective monitoring mechanism, which entails periodic reports on the implementation of formal, informal and financial agreements that can potentially impact the rights of migrants and refugees in third countries, such as migration partnerships, readmission agreements, and international cooperation on migration management and governance, including direct targeting of challenges connected to migration and forced displacement; stresses that such a monitoring mechanism has to be transparent, participatory for civil society and field workers, and publicly available; insists on the need to ensure means for civil society and other interested stakeholders to be able to contribute to the work of the mechanism;
Amendment 130 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Highlights the increased role of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in practical and operational cooperation with third countries, including on return and readmission, provision of training, operational and technical assistance to authorities of third countries for the purpose of border management and border control, carrying out operations or joint operations at the EU’s external borders or in the territories of third countries, and deploying liaison officers and operational staff in third countries; notes the continued efforts of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency to protect human rights, including by its actions and achievements in the fight against human trafficking;
Amendment 137 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recalls that ad hoc Status Agreements, to be approved by the European Parliament, are required for the deployment of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency’s border management teams to a third country where the members of the teams will exercise executive powers; regrets that the two status agreements concluded to date do not include specific measures for the operationalisation of human rights as part of border management, and also fail to clearly regulate accountability for potential human rights violations, and calls for any future status agreements to include such measures;
Amendment 144 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Stresses the importance of Status Agreements for the security of EU's external borders as well as for strengthening capacity building and border management of third countries; in that regard underlines the competence of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights in monitoring the compliance and respect of fundamental rights as part of EU border management;
Amendment 159 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes with concern the increasing recourse since 2016 to enhanced conditionality between development cooperation and migration management, including return and readmission; stresses, however, that according to Article 208 TFEU the primary objective of Union development cooperation policy shall be the reduction and, in the long term, the eradication of poverty; calls, therefore, on the Commission to ensure that policies on development cooperation do not contravene the principles enshrined in Article 208 TFEU; stresses that the use of development cooperation as an incentive for migration management undermines meaningful action on the needs of people in developing countries, the rights of refugees and migrants, and their potential impact on regional migration patterns and contribution to local economies, and thus also undermines a wide range of rights stemming from the Sustainable Development Goalthe need to ensure that development assistance helps partner countries manage migration more effectively; calls for an enhanced conditionality between development cooperation and migration management whereby additional efforts by countries of origin and transit are to be incentivised with increased cooperation and additional support; however, stresses that making humanitarian aid and emergency aid conditional on cooperation with the EU on migration is not compatible with humanitarian aid principles;
Amendment 187 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Stresses the importance of allocating a substantial share of future EU funding in the field of migraHighlights the objective of European financial instruments to support third countries in the development of the necessary institutional framework and capacities to manage migration in all its aspects, while aligning with European and international standards; stresses the important contribution tof civil society groups in third countriese field of migration for providing assistance and for the protection and monitoring of the rights of migrants, and of ensuring that a significant; stresses the need that a part of EU funding is earmarkallocated for the improvement of human rights, international protection, and the future perspective of refugees;
Amendment 27 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the world has entered a new era of ‘unpeace’multipolar world order, characterised by great geopolitical instability and competition involving ‘semihybrid-conflicts’, which happen away from the public eye, buthat have significant implications for EU and global security;
Amendment 33 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas at the same time, the global order is increasingly confronted with policy issues and challenges that require effective global policy dialogue and convergence of positions in order to devise realsustainable solutions and common agreed upon standardsstandards in a rules based order that can deliver effectively in the interest of all;
Amendment 44 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas multilateralism is in crisis, resulting in part from the emergence of new actors on the global stage, the tensions derived from the nature of multilateral institutions, the growing gap between public opinion and institutions, the decline of traditionally dominant geopolitical powers and the subsequent decline of global freedoms and democracy; whereas we are on the cusp of a new era that threatens to undermine more than seventy years of progress and relative peace and consolidate an era of strongman politics striving to undermine the rule of law, responsibility and diversity; whereas the combination of national populist impulses, divergent and changing objectives and a lack of application and accountability methods is forcing the multilateral system to face three connected crises: a crisis of power, of relevance and of legitimacy;
Amendment 63 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the climate emergencychange and the COVID-19 pandemic have shown the importance and policy primacy of global public goods, such as, inter alia, access to health, clean air, education, technology and cyberspace in an inclusive fashion; whereas access to global public goods and policy responses seeking to standardise and expand such access across countries and communities requires global cooperation on objectives, minimum standards and active support for the most vulnerable countries and communities; whereas this requires an effective multilateral agenda focused on global public goods and governance structures that reinforce access to such goods; whereas effective policy dialogue, cooperation and delivery on access to global public goods cannot be decoupled from the promotion and protection of fundamental rights;
Amendment 86 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Amendment 88 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the new ‘Global Europe – Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument’ (Global Europe financial instrument), combined with the ‘Team Europe’ approach and the Global Gateway Strategy confers on the EU and its Member States an ability to pull resources together in a synergic way and to better coordinate assistance and create positive impact in the external action of the EU, taking into account the needs of partner countries; whereas the new Global Europe financial instrument provides for high-level political dialogue between the Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS) and Parliament on programming priorities with the opportunity for Parliament to reconnect this policy and programming dialogue to its political outreach and consultations with third countries, thus reinforcing, through its parliamentary diplomacy activities and outreach, the ability of the EU to assist and positively impact relevant third countries;
Amendment 94 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. whereas, the EU can greatly reinforce the outreach and impact of UN programmes in third countries and can define its programming and assistance in synergic and reinforcing fashion in conjunction with the objectives of the UN; whereas, therefore, close EU-UN consultation and cooperation are of great value and whereas closer coordination with the EU at UN headquarters, and with EU delegations and UN missions on the ground should be pursued; whereas the EU and the UN should hold annual summits with the possibility for the UN Secretary-General to confer with Council, Commission, EEAS and Parliament; whereas the UN should ensure a steady presence of high-level UN interlocutors at the European Parliament to further policy dialogue and give enhanced visibility to UN efforts;
Amendment 108 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates its strongest support for the programme of reforms introduced by UN Secretary-General António Guterres; stresses the importance of a UN system that can continue to deliver effectively; points to the value of the ‘One UN’ vision of the UN Secretary-General for the UN system, where the various agencies and components of the UN can truly be interlinked and function together on the basis of a single budgetary and managerial structure and can reinforce the attainment of the UN’s objectives; points, in particular, to the enhanced role of the UN Resident Coordinators provided for by the reform of the UN development system and considers that these UN Resident Coordinators should not only take the lead in coordinating the implementation of UN programmes on the ground to reinforce the unity of UN action, but should also liaise and consult closely with EU delegations in the relevant UN member state to pursue synergies and mutual reinforcement with the EU’s thematic and geographic programmes for that country; recalls that the EU can greatly reinforce the outreach and impact of UN programmes in third countries and can define its programming and assistance in synergic and reinforcing fashion in conjunction with the objectives of the UN; stresses, therefore, the value of close EU-UN consultation and cooperation and invites the UN to regularly consult with the EU at UN headquarters, but also on the ground in third countries; takes the view that the EU and the UN should hold annual summits with the possibility for the UN Secretary- General to confer with Council, Commission, EEAS and Parliament; calls on the UN to ensure a steady presence of high-level UN interlocutors at the European Parliament to further policy dialogue and give enhanced visibility to UN efforts;
Amendment 125 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Welcomes the coordinated approach of the EU on UN related policies; calls for a replication of this approach to all UN bodies, agencies and other multilateral fora;
Amendment 126 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Praises the ability of the EU and its Member States to work in a coherent and synergic fashion and to present unified positions in the UN system, with particular regard to the UN General Assembly, UN Security Council and UN Human Rights Council; praises, in this regard, the valuable coordination efforts by the EU delegations to the UN in New York and Geneva; believes that this unified, synergic approach should be replicated for every UN body, agency or other international organisation, so that the EU can act and deliver as one across the board in multilateral fora; lLaments that the Security Council is not as reactive to crises like the ones in Syria, Ethiopia and Sudan as it has been to other crises in the past and that this has had a negative impact on preventing, managing and resolving these crises; points to the fact that in 2022, only two EU Member States will be on the Security Council; considers that the EU should promote reflecting on the terms of a reform of the Security Council that can restore its ability to address crises in a timely and effective manner, thoroughly limit the right to veto and change the composition of the Security Council to reflect today’s world better; reiterates its view, in this regard, that the EU and its Member States should find a broad consensus on reforming the Security Council, inter alia, through the provision of a permanent seat for the EU, in addition to the already existing seats held by EU Member States;
Amendment 137 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Supports the UN Secretary- General’s Action for Peacekeeping initiative by updating the EU-UN partnership on crisis management and peace operations and exploring opportunities for new partnerships, including EU-UN-African Union and cooperation with other regional organizations; reiterates the crucial role that women play in the conflict mediation and peacekeeping missions and reminds of their underrepresentation at all levels within the UN, EU and other multilateral organizations and missions;
Amendment 141 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the EU and its Member States to further their ability to share information, consult and coordinate, including in the governing bodies and boards of multilateral bodies where the EU is not represented; shares the view of the VP/HR and the Commission that the EU should establish coordination mechanisms in all international financial institutions; believes that the same coordination ability should be expanded to the boards of all UN bodies, such as, for example, the Food and Agriculture Organization;
Amendment 142 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Believes that the new Global Europe financial instrument and, the ‘Team Europe’ approach and the Global Gateway Strategy to geographic and thematic assistance and programming provide a unique opportunity to define a common inter-institutional agenda that duly reflects and values the contributions of the EU Member States and reinforces the leveraging ability of the EU and its Member States; warns that the quest by some illiberal countries to attain and consolidate leverage through financing international organisations raises the issue of financial antagonism in multilateral fora and prompts the need for a reflection at EU level on how to secure the independence and effectiveness of relevant international organisations and multilateral fora through adequate EU funding; recalls that EU humanitarian aid and development assistance to third countries is very often channelled through the UN system; supports this partnership between the EU and the UN, but calls on the EU to ensure that the UN gives more visibility to the EU’s specific role and contributions; underlines, in this regard, the importance of carrying out, at EU level, an in-depth evaluation of both existing and envisaged EU-UN partnerships to assess whether there is adequate visibility for the EU’s contribution and whether the leadership roles conferred on the EU and its Member States are commensurate with the EU’s strong commitment and dedication to the UN system; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to carry out this review and to confer with Parliament on their findings and on the way forward to ensure that adequate value is given to the EU’s contributions to the UN system;
Amendment 153 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Recalls that the EU is the biggest contributor to humanitarian and development aid worldwide and that its contributions are often channelled through the UN system; calls for improved visibility of the EU in multilateral fora and in the countries benefitting of EU contributions in order to correspond to the EU's commitment and investments; Calls that the leadership roles in multilateral fora conferred on the EU and its Member States should be commensurate with the EU’s strong commitment and dedication;
Amendment 157 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Calls on the Commission, EEAS and the Member States to promote the EU's active role in multilateral fora and to provide more information about EU contributions and achievements in international organisations, including through common narratives, positions and statements on UN resolutions;
Amendment 165 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Underlines the importance of continued multilateral cooperation in matters of security and defence; highlights the work of the EU-NATO partnership and the EU-OSCE cooperation built on common support for the shared core values of democracy, freedom, respect for human rights and human dignity, the rule of law and the promotion of peace and international cooperation while protecting the rules- based international order; calls on the remaining EU and NATO members to join European security and defence initiatives to further complement and strengthen joint cooperation;
Amendment 173 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses the importance of continuing to reach out to allies and like- minded partners in international organisations and multilateral fora to consolidate a coalition of like-minded countries committed to common values and objectives and to policy dialogue and effective cooperation globally; points, in this regard, to the particular relevance, not only of traditional transatlantic partners such as the US and Canada, as well as the UK, but also to countries in Latin America; recalls that the EU, the UK, the US, Canada and the countries of Latin America can create, in partnership together, a broader transatlantic area of common values and standards and a commitment to advancing global responses to global challenges; underlines, in this regard, that this broad transatlantic coalition could expand dialogue and cooperation to African countries and support the latter in their quest for political and economic stability; notes that cooperation between the EU and its northern and southern Atlantic partners would empower the political voices that want to build a future for Africa premised on democracy, inclusion and prosperity, while being mindful of the need to protect the African continent from the ravages and security threats stemming from climate change; supports, in this regard, efforts by the VP/HR, the Council and the Commission to further strengthen the EU’s partnership with the African Union and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States; points to the importance of furthering a convergence of positions at the UN and other multilateral fora between the EU and both accession and partner countries; calls on the EU to expand its ability to assist partner and like-minded countries, including through capacity building, knowledge-sharing, training and twinning, so that they can engage more effectively in the multilateral system; reiterates the importance of reinforcing the existing multilateral fora with like-minded partners, especially the EU-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States summits; stresses the need to boost the role of regional organisations in the UN system by proposing a yearly summit of heads of regional organisations;
Amendment 226 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Highlights the crucial contribution of the multilateral system in addressing the climate emergencychange; calls for the further enhancement, reinforcement and institutionalisation of the existing multilateral frameworks that seek to combat climate change, such as the UN Climate Change Conferences and the Paris Agreement, which have almost universal membership, through the establishment of accountability mechanisms and concrete principles to ensure the effectiveness of their mandates; stresses the need to reinforce global action against climate change, as only through collective, immediate and ambitious global action may the world be able to limit the temperature increase to 1,5 degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels; recalls the importance of focusing on the implementation at the national level by adopting and implementing nationally determined contributions (NDCs), while at the same time ensuring that the international community is collectively on track to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement at the multilateral level; recalls the importance of working closely with major emitters, climate-vulnerable countries and transatlantic partners to deliver progress on the 2030 target at the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference;
Amendment 234 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recalls the key role of multilateral fora in addressing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights this as an example of their importance in promoting and protecting global public health; celebrates the development of the Covax initiative, which constitutes an unprecedented exercise of international solidarity, and thanks its donors and contributors, while stressing the need to continue donating and increasing resources as well as capacity building on vaccine production and distribution in order to make vaccines and treatments available for free to all countries; commends the work of the World Health Organization in combating the pandemic through its decisions based on scientific knowledge and evidence and stresses the need to enhance its mandate and executive capacity, especially with regard to data sharing and resource mobilisation, as well as reform the decision-making process of its Emergency Committee and establish enforcement mechanisms for its decisions and precepts; therefore, calls on the EU to strengthen and reform the World Health Organization, and to reinforce its international preparedness and response capacity to health emergencies;
Amendment 256 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls for extending multilateralism to new challenges and realities such as biodiversity, cybersecurity, biotechnology, geopolitical activities and governance in the polar regions and artificial intelligence, which need to be developed alongside experts and scientists who should be party to multilateral, multi- stakeholder arrangements;
Amendment 264 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Stresses that use of outer space should be governed by an improved set of international rules and standards and by a system aimed at guaranteeing the long- term, sustainable, responsible and peaceful use of space;
Amendment 268 #
2020/2114(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses the important role of the European Parliament in closely monitoring and supporting the implementation process of the Strategicustainable Development Goals and the goals of the Paris Agreement by preservation of biodiversity, the natural environment and its resources, including by looking not only to monitor progress, but equally to enhance resource allocation and suggest improvements or concrete proposals;
Amendment 31 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the pandemic disproportionately affects the most vulnerable countries, increases the likelihood of new conflicts and intensifies the implications of ongoing conflict;
Amendment 48 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the EU has a responsibility to act as a global player and adjust its foreign policy in line with the changing geopolitical situation in the world and the global fight against COVID-19;
Amendment 81 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Welcomes the fact that from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the EU has been working to provide multilateral responses to the implications of the health crisis in coordination with the G7,G20, UN, WHO and the World Food Programme;
Amendment 86 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Welcomes the creation of Team Europe, through which the EU supports partner countries in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and its consequences in an attempt to mitigate the wider impact on societies and economies and to help reducing the risk of destabilisation;
Amendment 101 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Amendment 143 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes the geopolitical competition and tensions following the COVID-19 outbreak, and recognises that the European Union still has to position itself in the new world ordergeopolitical environment in which, alongside the EU, the US, China and Russia play a leading role;
Amendment 148 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Expresses concern about the disinformation campaigns of third countries in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership countries; notes that the intensity of disinformation campaigns has increased significantly since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 166 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Is concerned about the lack of leadershipcooperation the United States has shown in fighting COVID-19; believes that the false information in President Trump’s tweets and during his press conferences have been very unhelpful in the joint fight against the virus; calls on the both the EU and the US to strengthen cooperation and solidarity in the common fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in terms of research and development of the vaccine and the strategic medical equipment;
Amendment 178 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Reminds that transatlantic cooperation remains paramount for mutual security and trade interests of the EU and the US, as well as for allied and partner countries, and therefore reiterates the need for the stronger relations;
Amendment 197 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Is worried about the decision of the US to withdraw funding from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the general tendency of its Presidentdecision to withdraw the US from thmultiple multilateral organisations that were created to establish a rules-based world order;
Amendment 205 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Acknowledges the need to find a new method ofstrengthen the cooperation between the EU and US, based on mutual respect and a joint agenda to defend multilateralism, shared democratic values, the rule of law and human rights;
Amendment 227 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes the strengthening of the People’s Republic of China’s worldwide diplomatic effortsassertive public diplomacy following the COVID- 19 outbreak, seeking to position itself as thea major aid donor in order to become a dominant global player;
Amendment 253 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Is concerned about the lack of transparency related to the initial Chinese reaction to the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, involving the withholding of information, censorship, the suppression of whistle-blowers and human rights activists, and the projection of power in the region;
Amendment 256 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Notes that Chinese investments and loans to African and Asian countries along the Belt and Road Initiative have made these countries co-dependent and increased the visibility of China in the region; Stresses that the European Union should actively increase its visibility as leading donor of development assistance to the region;
Amendment 271 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Urges the Chinese regime to fully cooperate with an independent investigation into the origins of COVID- 19, and calls on the Member States and partner countries to present a united front towards a rising China, which is leading a crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and has threatened to annex Taiwan; calls on the Member States to advocate Taiwan’s membership of the WHO;
Amendment 290 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the VP/HR to recognise these concerns and simultaneously create an atmosphere of dialogue, engagement and genuine cooperation, based on a new, more assertive strategy in which the EU pushes back when necessaryadopted to the changed geopolitical and geo-economic landscape to defend European interests and values; is of the view that, as part of this new strategy, the EU should strengthen relations and seek closer collabooperation with partner countries in the region and other democracies; Asia-Pacific region;
Amendment 311 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Expresses concern over the structural attempts of the Russian Federation to undermine EU unity by the intensification of disinformation campaigns; commends the European External Action Service and the StratCom East department on their efforts to identify and supress disinformation campaigns of Russian related media outlets in several Member States;
Amendment 389 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses that only a more united EU, backed up by sufficient and credible military capacitstrong and united European Union with established foreign, security and defence policies, will be able to conductplay a strong foreign policy, and believes that the VP/HR should receive a stronger mandate in speaking on behalf of the EUrole in the new geopolitical environment;
Amendment 392 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Regrets the proposed cuts in the European Council July Summit conclusions on the budget lines for external policy instruments in the new multiannual financial framework and the lack of funding via the Next Generation EU recovery package; underlines that these cuts can hinder the EU’s role on a global level and deal a blow to the EU's ability to stabilise and transform accession countries;
Amendment 396 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
Amendment 427 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Underlines the important role of the armed forces during the COVID-19 pandemic and believes that a more in-depth joint operation and coordination of member states’ armed forces within existing frameworks - such as the European Medical Command - or within new frameworks - such as military hospital trains - could lead to greater efficiency and contribute to the EU’s preparedness to fight pandemics; recognises the need to review the EU’s security and defence strategies to develop strategic autonomy, to become better prepared and more resilient to the new and hybrid threats and technologies that have made the nature of warfare less conventional and challenge the traditional role of the military, as well as for a future in which Russia and China are becoming more assertive; stresses that the future Strategic Compass on security and defence should reflect these developments and take account of the broader geopolitical implications of COVID-19; believes that, given the new political balance and a potential worsening of the international security environment following COVID-19, the EU defence budgetfunding for the EU defence initiatives and programmes must not be cut;
Amendment 467 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Stresses that its biggest global consumer market of almost 500 million people gives the EU leverage on the world stage, and believes that a geopolitical Commission should use this leverage to defend EU interests when other countries are not prepared to comply with the rule of law or international treatiewell- established practices of international law and bilateral agreements;
Amendment 517 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Underlines the strategic importance of EU engagement and support in its neighbourhood, both in the East and in the South; stresses that the EU must givehas to support Western Balkan countries that are not yet part of the EU a fair chance to join the EU, and that the EU must continue its efforts to invest in the regionand encourage them to continue with the ongoing reforms towards a full alignment with the EU values and rules with a view to Union membership and thereby contribute to stability, security and prosperity;
Amendment 534 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Reminds that the European Union is the biggest trading partner and investor in the Western Balkan countries and that it has secured so far more than 3.3 billion euros of aid to mitigate the socio- economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 542 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Stresses that the COVID-19 crisis could destabilise countries in Africa which often have a fragile health infrastructure and high debts acting as a "conflict multiplier"; calls for the EU presence in Africa to be strengthened, for financial assistance and recovery plans to be fostered and for an alternative to Chinese investments to be provided;
Amendment 572 #
2020/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Notes the importance of the European capacity building and training missions in fostering peace, security and stability in the Sahel, West Africa and Horn of Africa regions; Reminds that European presence and credible commitment is crucial in mitigating the humanitarian and socio-economical consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic that might cause migratory spill-over effect to the Member States;
Amendment 21 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
— having regard to the statement of the President of the European Parliament of 13 August and the leaders of the five political groups of 17 August on the situation in Belarus following the presidential election of 9 August,
Amendment 23 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 b (new)
Citation 10 b (new)
— having regard to the extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council 14 August and European Council on 19 August on the situation in Belarus following the presidential election of 9 August,
Amendment 50 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
Amendment 116 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Amendment 123 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G c (new)
Recital G c (new)
Amendment 126 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G d (new)
Recital G d (new)
Gd. whereas the Belarusian authorities did not comply with minimum international standards for a credible, transparent, free and fair presidential election process;
Amendment 128 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G e (new)
Recital G e (new)
Ge. whereas peaceful protests expressing a desire for democratic change and freedom started already on the night of Sunday 9 August in Minsk and many other cities around the country, the scale of protests is unprecedented in the history of Belarus going into the hundreds of thousands;
Amendment 129 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G f (new)
Recital G f (new)
Gf. whereas the authorities responded to peaceful protests with disproportionate brute force, heavy use of tear gas, batons, flash grenades and water cannons, several thousand protestors were detained, there have been reports of torture, rape, missing persons, several people have been found dead so far;
Amendment 133 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G h (new)
Recital G h (new)
Gh. whereas the European Union and its Member States did not recognise the results of the presidential election due to substantial doubt about the fairness of the election, condemned the disproportionate, unacceptable use of force against peaceful protestors and supported the right of the people of Belarus to determine their future;
Amendment 135 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G i (new)
Recital G i (new)
Amendment 186 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
Amendment 225 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
(e) pay close attention to the fallout of the presidential election campaign and insist that a lack of progress innot conducting new elections in according toance with international standards and further crackdowns against the opposition will have direct adverse effects on relations with the EU;
Amendment 262 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subheading 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 – subheading 1 a (new)
Post-election situation in Belarus
Amendment 263 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
(ga) strongly support the decision to not recognise the election results as announced by the Belarusian Central Electoral Committee, not to recognise Alexander Lukashenko as president of the country once his current term of office expires; note that the current presidential term in Belarus ends at the latest on 5 November 2020 and after that date a position of the President of Belarus will be vacant. According to the article 81 of the Constitution of Belarus in this case new election of President has to be held not earlier than 30 days and not later than 70 days;
Amendment 271 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g c (new)
Amendment 272 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g d (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g d (new)
(gd) recommend to recognise the Belarusian People's Coordination Council as the legitimate representative of the people demanding democratic change and freedom in Belarus;
Amendment 273 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g e (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g e (new)
(ge) welcome the efforts of the Belarusian People's Coordination Council for a peaceful and democratic transition of power as a result of an inclusive national dialogue;
Amendment 274 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g f (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g f (new)
(gf) urge to prepare a comprehensive review of its policy towards Belarus, taking into account different scenarios of developments in the country, that also include a substantially increased financial and technical commitment from the EU;
Amendment 276 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g h (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g h (new)
(gh) call on the Russian Federation to refrain from any interference, covert or overt, in the peaceful democratic revolution in Belarus;
Amendment 277 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g i (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g i (new)
(gi) as long as the political situation in Belarus does not change reconsider any ongoing disbursements of the EU financial assistance and adjust it accordingly, so that it reaches the end- recipients and circumvents the authorities;
Amendment 278 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g j (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g j (new)
(gj) encourage Member States to facilitate and accelerate the procedure for obtaining visas for those who flee Belarus for political reasons;
Amendment 279 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g k (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g k (new)
(gk) call for a full EU/international investigation of crimes against the people of Belarus committed by law enforcement authorities of Lukashenko regime against peaceful protesters demanding transparent, free and fair Presidential elections, stopping current repressions and immediate release of all political prisoners in Belarus;
Amendment 281 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g m (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g m (new)
(gm) condemn the suppression of internet and media, road blockades, and intimidation of journalists in order to stop the flow of information about the situation in the country - the people have the right to access information; condemn the crackdown on international journalists and media limiting their ability to report on the democratic revolution in a free, fair and balanced way;
Amendment 314 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point k a (new)
(ka) demand for the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained after participating in the democratic revolution protests following the falsified presidential election of 9 August; demand the authorities to provide all information on people who went missing in relation to their participation in the protests after 9 August;
Amendment 316 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point k b (new)
(kb) demand that all legal actions undertaken by the authorities against members of the Belarusian People's Coordination Council are dropped and all of them who are detained and arrested are freed;
Amendment 331 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point l a (new)
(la) demand that any spread of disinformation in Belarus concerning the EU and its Member States is vigilantly countered as well as any hybrid threats undertaken by third actors;
Amendment 1 #
2020/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Stresses the impact of the COVID- 19 crisis on existing business models in the tourism sector, the changes in market and tourists' motivation and behaviour, and the removal of physical barriers between culture and art and citizens;
Amendment 2 #
2020/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 a (new)
Paragraph -1 a (new)
-1a. Stresses the sector's resilience during the COVID-19 crisis and welcomes the emerging digital cultural tourism offerings, such as online museum tours and virtual guided tours of European cities; deplores, however, the economic impact on the sector and calls on the Commission to provide special support for cultural activities and heritage as a necessary basis for the cultural tourism sector to recover; calls for measures to be taken to speed up the digital transformation of this industry, for the tools needed for the industry to prepare for future scenarios to be provided, for public-private collaboration in initiatives to be encouraged and for SMEs' access to the market to be facilitated;
Amendment 4 #
2020/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Acknowledges the need to strike a balance between the sustainable conservation of cultural heritage and the economic, social, cultural and environmental needs in order to comprehensively ensure the long-term sustainability of tourism;
Amendment 11 #
2020/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Highlights the need to help the Member States to promote entrepreneurial spirit in the tourism sector and related industries (such as leisure and entertainment) through the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF), as such companies are a powerful way to disseminate European cultural values, promote historical heritage and bring people closer to natural resources; believes that citizens are the best ambassadors for history, cultural wealth and regional traditions; reiterates that tourism training and upskilling programmes need to be developed, particularly in rural areas;
Amendment 13 #
2020/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. 1. Recognises the role of the local community and their environmental, cultural and economic impact in the development of sustainable tourism; calls for the promotion of cultural community ‘ownership’ and capacity building to improve local inclusion and the participation in cultural protection;
Amendment 17 #
2020/2038(INI)
3. Points out that the existence of cultural heritage sites encourages people to travel and learn about different societies and cultures; recalls that 72 % of a survey group aged between 15-24 agree that the presence of cultural heritage can have an influence on their choice of holiday destination; highlights the role that the DiscoverEU initiative can play in this regard; notes, however, that the initiative has not benefited young people equally; calls on the Commission to find ways to better involve young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, from rural and remote areas of the Member States, and from Member States without good rail links to other EU countriepoints out that this initiative should be promoted as a complement to young people's education and training; notes, however, that the initiative has not benefited young people equally; calls on the Commission to pursue a policy of equal opportunities in access to it; paying particular attention to young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds;
Amendment 22 #
2020/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Points out that Erasmus+ programmes and the European Solidarity Corps are an opportunity to preserve the EU's cultural values; believes that these programmes foster intra-European tourism and cultural exchanges, enable connectivity and create links between travellers;
Amendment 25 #
2020/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Member States to further promotelan cultural heritage-related projects that can lead to overall regional and local development, international and interregional cooperation programmes while promoting sustainable cultural tourism, paying with particular attention to local economies, lifestyles and traditions, including the traditional skills related to cultural heritage restoration, and ensuring that local industries and communities are closely involved;
Amendment 30 #
2020/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Encourages the promotion of excellent sustainable cultural tourism; calls on the Commission and the Member States to take measures to foster collaboration between prestigious experts with accredited active knowledge in cultural tourism, and to promote cooperation and the exchange of good practices in the cultural tourism industry;
Amendment 39 #
2020/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses the importance for the European tourism industry of nurturing and keeping active tourism flows between the EU and the UK following the end of the transition period, once the threat posed by COVID-19 has subsided;
Amendment 44 #
2020/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Highlights the potential of the digitisation of cultural heritage, both as a source for education and research opportunities and as a tool for the improved preservation and of cultural heritage sites, the creation of quality jobs, better social inclusion, wider access for disabled people or people living in remote areas, and sustainable economic development;
Amendment 46 #
2020/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Points out that the cultural education of today’s youth shapes the foundation of good quality tourism; calls for the investment in educational programs to raise the importance of cultural heritage protection; calls for the active involvement of younger generations in the development of sustainable tourism by raising the awareness of the importance of heritage diversity, its conservation, enhancement and transmission; encourages engagement through volunteering activities via programs such as the European Solidarity Corps;
Amendment 48 #
2020/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Calls to take into account the lessons learnt of the European Year of Cultural Heritage; recalls that many initiatives have been taken on European, national and local level to improve sustainable tourism by the integration of cultural heritage into environmental, architectural and planning policies;
Amendment 49 #
2020/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Is concerned about the impact onlack of proper management plans for cultural heritage sites and the impact of poorly managed tourism and, uncontrolled development; calls on the Commission and poor maintenance of the sites and their surroundings; calls on the Commission for the stricter implementation of existing management plans and more investment in the preservation, protection and promotion of cultural heritage as well as to propose concrete measures to preserve and protect cultural heritage in the light of these human- made and natural hazards;
Amendment 60 #
2020/2038(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Highlights the important role education and promotion of European initiatives can play in discovering and encouraging travel to less marketed, less well-known and less popular destinations andthat were deprived of means to promote its values as well as rural areas and low- season travel so as to promote sustainability and accessibility in tourism, especially for persons with disabilities.
Amendment 306 #
2020/2023(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Recalls that both the EU and the UK share principles, values and interests and a commitment to promoting global prosperity, security and effective multilateralism; stresses that it is in both sides’ interest to maintain an ambitious, close and lasting cooperation that, embedded in a common framework on foreign and security policy that provides a shared approach towards current and future common challenges, and serves the security of Europe and its citizens and contributes to global stability, the protection of human rights and peace in line with the objectives and principles set out in Article 21 of the TEU;
Amendment 320 #
2020/2023(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Underlines the fact that the EU is an important partner for the UK in foreign and security policy,; aslso recognizes the contributions and the influence of the UK to the EU’s foreign and security policy; stresses that the need for common responses to address foreign, security and defence policy challenges is crucial to both sides; encourages the exchange of information and intelligence as well as close cooperation in the areas of counter- terrorism, space policy, cyberwarfare and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) defence;
Amendment 344 #
2020/2023(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Considers that it is in the common interest of the UK and the EU and amplified by their geographical proximity, to cooperate on the development of effective and genuinely interoperable defence capabilities, including within the European Defence Agency, and to continue the highly valuable partnerships within NATO and EU programmes on defence and external security, such as the European Defence Fund, Galileo and cyber-security programmes;
Amendment 2 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7
Citation 7
— having regard to the updated Common Military List of the European Union, adopted by the Council on 187 February 2019207 , _________________ 7 OJ C 985, 123.3.201920, p. 1.
Amendment 21 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas arms, weapons and equipment exports enhance defence industry’s ability to efficiently research and develop defensive technologies and therefore secure ability of the EU Member States to defend themselves and protect their citizens;
Amendment 58 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. DeplorNotes the fact that the Member States use veryhave different information in order to generate data on the value of licences, which renders the annual report considerably less usable as a comparative data national legislation, which renders the annual report difficult to uset and serves to diminish its transparency and accountability before citizens and parliaments; urges France, in particular, to refrain from submitting data on the value of licences at pre-contract stage and broad values for global licences, which undermines the comparability of the repors a comparative data set;
Amendment 70 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that the countries of the Middle East and North Africa, a region of several armed conflicts, remain the foremost regional destination for exports according to the last two annual reports; is concerned that this regional focus undermines the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and specific EU action aimed at regional peace and stability;
Amendment 81 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that the EU has been implementing a number of arms embargoes25 , including all UN embargos; _________________ 25 https://www.sanctionsmap.eu/#/main?chec ked=
Amendment 130 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes an increase in the transfer of knowledge and technology, which allows third countries to undertake licensed production of European military technology; highlights that this must not limit the EU’s capacity to control weapons, arms and military equipment production;
Amendment 136 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that most Member States have not outlined a policy regulating the transfer of weapons components to another Member State which would ensure that any export to third countries from the Member State of assembly is consistent with the export policy of the Member State providing the components; regarminds this as particularly problematic in the context of the increasing divergences between licensing practices across the EU; observes that Directive 2009/43/EC on intra-Community transfers has provat only a Member State can consider that the transfer of a component ill- equipped to achieve the stated goal of setting high common standards for exports to third countries sensitive and impose export limitations;
Amendment 159 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Stresses that bilateral and multilateral agreements may further reduce convergence at EU level and that the failure to regulate exports uniformly between the Member States and the lack of convergence in export decisions to third countries have a negative impact on human rights and international law, generate market distortions, and hinder industrial strategic planning, economies of scale and a level playing field;
Amendment 191 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Points out that the research and development of weapons, arms and defence equipment is important for securing means for the Member States to defend themselves and for defence industries to achieve technological advancement;
Amendment 200 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes that the lack of convergence of national arms export policies and decision-making is becoming increasingly untenable in the context of the prevailing Europeanisation ofcoherence and convergence of European arms production and the stated ambitions and plans to increasedevelop this further;
Amendment 236 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 – introductory part
Paragraph 21 – introductory part
21. Calls on COARM to work towards amending, as stated under Article 7 of the Common Position, by calling for anto work towards improved exchange of ‘relevant information, including information on denial notifications and arms export policies’ and other ‘measures to further increase convergence’; stresses the need, to this end:
Amendment 241 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 – point a
Paragraph 21 – point a
Amendment 246 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 – point b
Paragraph 21 – point b
Amendment 251 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 – point c
Paragraph 21 – point c
Amendment 263 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Believes that the EU institutions should organipropose peer reviews with a view to encouraging authorities to share best practices on the collection and processing of data, fostering a better understanding of different national approaches, identifying differences as regards the interpretation of the eight criteria, and discussing ways to improve harmonisation;
Amendment 278 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses that effective end-use controls are crucial forpart of a responsible export policy and for lowering the risk of diversion in particular; calls on the Council, the Member States, the EEAS and the Commission and the EEAS to set up a large-scale training and capacity-building programme for national and EU officials on arms export controls; stresses the need to use EU funding to ensure that sufficient staff resources are available at national and EU levels and at delegations and embassies in importing countries for the purposes of implementing viable end-use controls; calls on the EEAS and COARM to report on iTrace any identified diversion of EU- origin goods as part of the annual report;
Amendment 288 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Believes that the increasing Europeanisation ofcoherence and convergence of European arms production, the recent Council conclusions on convergence in arms exports and the establishment of the EPF should be complemented by a mechanism for EU-level monitoring and control based on strict compliance with the eight criteria;
Amendment 304 #
2020/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Considers that regular consultations with national parliaments, arms export control authorities, industry associations and civil society are centralone of the ways to mreaningfulch transparency; calls on COARM to enhance dialogue with civil society and consultations with Parliament and arms export control authorities; encourages civil society and academia to exercise independent scrutiny of the arms trade and calls on the Member States and the EEAS to support such activities, including with advice, and possibly by financial means;
Amendment 39 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas security is a precondition for development; whereas without development, education for all, deradicalization and poverty eradication, there will be no sustainable peace; whereas in order to ensure its security and development, each country must have or acquire adequate capacities in all essential sectors, including security and defence and whereas this will not only stabilise that country, but will also enable it to contribute constructively to peace, stability and crisis prevention in its region;
Amendment 48 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean in the east, Africa is struggling to contend with challenges, such as historical underdevelopment compounded by the destruction of the traditional agro- pastoral economy as a result of climate change, population growth and deforestation; whereas another major challenge is the emergence of new forms of mafia economy, including human and drug trafficking and the uncontrolled export of gold deposits, which, combined with the abandonment, inefficiencyincluding human and drug trafficking, grey economy combined with an inefficient, unskilled and corruption of the administration, is producing a hybridisation between terrorist groups, traffickers and traditional community and regional conflicts, with the phenomenon of jihadist religious extremism appearing as a false response for the societies concerned and lack of institutional educational facilities and strong institutions leaving traditional communities abandoned and open for mercy of traffickers, terrorist, criminals, armed militias and jihadist religious extremists who often replace society's need for structured and organized functioning institutions and sense of justice;
Amendment 64 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas poverty and insecurity feed off each other and push young people to migrate to Europe, lack of education and institutional preparedness to face the security issues that created unstable and failed states is creating future migrants and adding to lucrative business of human traffickers that offers a choice to the local population to leave their homes in search of a better life, impoverishing stattheir own countries by depriving them of their best human resources;
Amendment 75 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the states in Sahel, West Africa and Horn of Africa, due to their geographical and institutional fragility, have a long and turbulent history that made them dependent on the support to protect their own borders; and whereas the region is exposed to illegal activities, migrations and human trafficking;
Amendment 81 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas the security and stability of Sahel, West Africa and Horn of Africa must be a strategic goal of EU's cooperation with the governments in the Southern Neighbourhood thus maintaining security and stability on the European external borders;
Amendment 108 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas after years of training, the mandate and purpose of the above- mentioned EU missions have been hampered in their sustainability and effectiveness due to restrictions on their mandate, training programmes, and a lack of basic equipment, including weapons, ammunition and vehicleneeds to be reviewed in order to draw up a “lessons learned” analysis which shall be used to adapt current and future missions;
Amendment 126 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas neither the Somali army, nor the Malian army nor the Central African Armed Forces (FACA) have been able to contribute effectively tofound effective response in their fight against jihadists or hold and secure the ground cleared with the aid of friendly international forces, the result being that the local populations feel abandoned and fear being accused of collaborating with the government by the jihadists or the armed groups in the CAR once they return and reoccupy the space from which they were expelled;
Amendment 136 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas after years of involvement revised and comprehensive strategy therefore needs to be implemented considering that despite above- mentioned civil and military missions, the general situation has become worse and worse and a new and comprehensive strategy therefore needs to be implementednot improved substantially and a number of old and new challenges persist;
Amendment 149 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas the European Development Fund and the African Peace Facility (APF) provide support to the African Union, financing, among other things, the operational cost of military peacekeeping operations in Africa; whereas the EPF will replace the AFP and the Athena mechanism for the financing of common costs of CSDP military operations;
Amendment 156 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L a (new)
Recital L a (new)
L a. whereas the mandates of the CSDP mission are comprehensive and aim among others to foster security sector reform, advance justice reform, strengthen military and police training as well as to advance oversight;
Amendment 160 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L b (new)
Recital L b (new)
Amendment 161 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L c (new)
Recital L c (new)
L c. whereas the African Union at its annual summit in February announced plans to send 3,000 soldiers to the Sahel to support the G5 Sahel in the combat against armed groups;
Amendment 162 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L d (new)
Recital L d (new)
L d. whereas since 2017 the EU has followed a process of regionalisation of its CSDP missions, which next to advancing cooperation with the G5 Sahel is aimed at better identifying and filling gaps in cross-border cooperation in the regions;
Amendment 163 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L e (new)
Recital L e (new)
L e. whereas since 2017 the EU has followed a process of regionalisation of its CSDP missions, which next to advancing cooperation with the G5 Sahel is aimed at better identifying and filling gaps in cross-border cooperation in the regions;
Amendment 164 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L f (new)
Recital L f (new)
L f. Recommends that the EU strengthens its cooperation with the national parliaments, including security and defense committees, to improve critical oversight functions over national and external security interventions;
Amendment 179 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Strongly believes that the EU and its Member States must review their security and defence engagements in the regions of the Sahel, West Africa and the Horn of Africa, including how to strengthen the capacity of partners, including through the provision of military equipment;
Amendment 189 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Recalls that despite significant engagements in the past, the number of challenges and crises in the region of the Sahel, West Africa and Horn of Africa, has increased, and that hence the EU has to be ready to not only maintain, but to review and eventually upgrade its commitments, including means to strengthen the capacity of partners, including through the provision of military equipment; emphasises in this context that there are no military-only solutions and that hence political solutions, involving the civil society, are a prerequisite for long-term stability and peace;
Amendment 193 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Points to the fact that instability in the regions of the Sahel, West Africa and Horn of Africa ultimately has a negative spill-over effect to in particular the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood and hence poses a direct challenge to our European external border management;
Amendment 194 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2 c. Welcomes the progress made in the negotiations for both the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) as well as the European Peace Facility (EPF) and believes that they both give the EU the ability to respond more quickly and effectively to security challenges, in particular since they enhance the EU’s ability to strengthen the capacity of partners, including through the provision of military equipment while respecting the proper safeguards;
Amendment 196 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 d (new)
Paragraph 2 d (new)
2 d. Underlines that security, stability and hence ultimately also prosperity and sustainable development will only be achieved in the concerned regions, if an all-encompassing strategy is pursued, recalls in this light that security sector reform, justice reform, good governance, democratic accountability, and the protection of civilians are a prerequisite for winning the trust of populations in their governments and security forces; further underlines the civil-military nexus and the need to better streamline both components of the CSDP missions;
Amendment 197 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 e (new)
Paragraph 2 e (new)
2 e. Recalls that the governments of the regions concerned have a primary responsibility towards their citizens to work towards good governance, public accountability and democratic involvement; underlines thus that the EU efforts are guided by the ultimate goal that one day the countries concerned can provide for their own security;
Amendment 198 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 f (new)
Paragraph 2 f (new)
2 f. Commends the staff of the EU missions who, despite very challenging conditions, have performed exceptionally and have demonstrated dedication and professionalism;
Amendment 199 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 g (new)
Paragraph 2 g (new)
2 g. Underlines the urgent need to strengthen CDSP missions as well as the EU’s overall strategic planning and communication policy, in order to increase the visibility of the EU’s actions; deems that this is crucial in order to both help engage third countries such as China, Russia and Turkey, to seek pursue similar goals, and if necessary to contain and counter third countries with opposing and damaging long-term interests for the regions;
Amendment 200 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 h (new)
Paragraph 2 h (new)
2 h. Strongly welcomes plans by the African Union to assume a larger role in African peace and security operations and hence is encouraged by the plans by the African Union to send 3,000 soldiers in support of the G5 Sahel;
Amendment 207 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for the revision of Article 3a(4)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EU) No 230/2014 in the light of the grave and profound degradation ina broad discussion among EU Member States and institutions about the security conditionhallenges in the region and in order to fill any gaps in EU missions and projects with a view to supportings of the Sahel, West Africa, and the Horn of Africa on how the EU can more effectively strengthen the capacity-building of partners in the security sector, including through funding for military spending and the provision of weapons, ammunition or lethal equipment, transport and traini, including through the provision of military equipment in order to more adequately respond to the profound challeng essential for improving the combat capability of African armed forces fighting against jihadism and the serious security conditions in the region; supports the Joint Communication of the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 28 April 2015 entitled ‘Capacity building in support of security and development – Enabling partners to prevent and manage crises’4 ; _________________ 4; JOIN(2015)0017.
Amendment 222 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – introductory part
Paragraph 5 – introductory part
5. Considers that the sustainability and, effectiveness, and visibility, of EU civilian and military missions in Africa, despite the high dedication and professionalism of its staff, have been hampered by the lack of basic equipment in the countries affected and that it is therefore necessary: to ensure a large enough EU Budget, including a high enough EPF ceiling, in order to ensure the ability to strengthen the capacity of partners including through the provision of military equipment;
Amendment 233 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point a
Paragraph 5 – point a
Amendment 240 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point b
Paragraph 5 – point b
Amendment 264 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. AgreesEncourages a discussion whether it is advisable to apply to existing training programmes the same facilities for the procurement of military equipment, including weapons, as those currently provided for the deployment and training of the G5 Sahel force, including financial support if needed;
Amendment 281 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 – point a
Paragraph 10 – point a
a) harmonising training methods and rules of procedure and engagement and ensuring they are unique, while corresponding to the specific regional and geographical conditions;
Amendment 291 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 – point b
Paragraph 10 – point b
b) ensuring that instructors are able, in coordination with the local military authorities, to select soldiers from among those proposed by the local governments, to train them to be capable fighterimprove their skills, and to supervise and accompany them on the ground once they have finished their training in order to assess them and prevent units from disbanding and soldiers from dispersing;
Amendment 294 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 – point c
Paragraph 10 – point c
c) supplying training centres with both shared and individual equipment, including weaponsmilitary equipment (if the country concerned does not provide them), to make sure appropriate training can be given;
Amendment 303 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Believes that the EU must conduct a comprehensive evaluationupcoming Strategic Reviews of the EUCAP Sahel Mali, EUCAP Sahel Niger, EUCAP Somalia and EUAM CAR civilian missions, adapting be used as a comprehensive evaluation and steering tool; that the missions be better adapted to local needs and intensify cooperation with local partners, where applicable, and that best practices be taken into consideration in order to better adapt them to real needs in order to make them fully operational and effective;
Amendment 323 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls for the EU to help the joint forces of the G5 Sahel to become operational through the direct provision of financial assistance foras well as the acquprovisition of adequate weapons and military equipmentmilitary equipment and training, while including adequate safeguards and mitigating measures; highlights the need for a strong and credible police component in this regard; calls on the partners who made pledges at the Brussels Donors’ Conference on 22 February 2018 to implement them expeditiously;
Amendment 351 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes the efforts of Mauritania to take a social and development approach to its military and security response; expresses its solidarity with Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, countries that are deeply affected by terrorism; compliments the efforts and sacrifices of the international community, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, the Multinational Joint Task Force, the G5 and the French Armed Forces (Operation Barkhane), EUTM Mali and the Chadian Army, which is the essential force in the central and east sectors of the G5 requiring special support for its battalions; calls upon the countries of the G5 Sahel to pursue domestic reforms and fully implement human rights, good governance and democratic accountability;
Amendment 368 #
2020/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls foron the EU to pay particular attention to the spread of jihadism in areas such as the Indian Ocean and West Africa and to lendarmed terrorist groups and jihadism in the regions of Sahel, West Africa and Horn of Africa in light of the strategic impact of these regions on the stability and security of Southern Neighbourhood countries, which also put a certain pressure on European external borders and Member States and to therefore upgrade security cooperation, and establish aid programmes when requirith the countries concerned;
Amendment 23 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas enlargement has been one of the EU’s most successful policies and the most effective foreign policy instrument contributing to extending the area of democracy, peace and, prosperity and shared European values across Europe;
Amendment 46 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the European Parliament in its resolutions welcomed the progress achieved by North Macedonia and Albania; whereas given this progress, the European Parliament consented with the allocation of the performance reward under the Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance to North Macedonia and Albania;
Amendment 48 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas the European Parliament deplored the failure of the European Council to agree in2019 on opening accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania;
Amendment 50 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas the EU’s enlargement process is a two-way street on which both sides have to uphold to their commitments;
Amendment 109 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(da) to ensure that the accession benchmarks and support are based on lessons learnt in order to avoid earlier shortcomings and to improve the accession process;
Amendment 140 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j
Paragraph 1 – point j
Amendment 160 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l
Paragraph 1 – point l
(l) to engage the representatives and youth participants of accession countries in the Conference on the Future of Europe;
Amendment 204 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point p a (new)
(pa) to focus on institutional and administrative capacity building to reinforce transparency and the effectiveness of good governance at all levels;
Amendment 301 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ad a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ad a (new)
(ada) to increase the funding for and the participation of the accession countries in educational, professional skills-boosting and exchange programmes such as Erasmus+, Creative Europe and Horizon 2020;
Amendment 310 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a f
Paragraph 1 – point a f
(af) to call upon authorities to take urgent measures on the monitoring, mitigation and prevention of air and water pollution, encouraging the transition to cleaner solutions;
Amendment 311 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point af a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point af a (new)
(afa) to support the upgrade and/or replacement of outdated coal plants that pollute environment and are risk to local population and neighbouring countries;
Amendment 337 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ak a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ak a (new)
(aka) to underline that the contribution of the Western Balkan countries to the protection of the European Union’s external border is crucial and to intensify European support to border management in the region;
Amendment 345 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a m
Paragraph 1 – point a m
(am) to ensure adequate, fair and results- oriented pre-accession financing that matches the transformation needs of the beneficiaries and helps them deliver on EU accession obligations, while avoiding a disproportionate level of assistance compared to other beneficiary countries;
Amendment 350 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a n
Paragraph 1 – point a n
(an) to avoid cuts in IPA funding which could slow down EU-related reundermine the Union's capacity to fulfil its strategic objective to stabilise and transforms and undermine the Union’s strategicccession countries and prepare them for membership obligations, as well as seriously limit the ability to address multiple challenges, infcluence in the regionding reconciliation, regional integration, climate change and migration, while leaving the region even more susceptible to the third country;;
Amendment 353 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point an a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point an a (new)
(ana) to uphold the democratic accountability by ensuring the full involvement of the European Parliament in scrutiny, oversight and strategic steering of the design, programming and monitoring and evaluation of IPA III via delegated acts;
Amendment 355 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point an b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point an b (new)
(anb) to complement the IPA III regulation with a reformed and improved “strategic dialogue” whereby the European Parliament is timely informed and consulted;
Amendment 356 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a o
Paragraph 1 – point a o
(ao) to ensure that IPA III is driven by political priorities that have a direct impact on citizens’ lives and that pre-accession funding is allocated in a transparent, proportionate, and non-discriminatory manner, with performance rewards embedded in the overall allocations and stronger provisions on suspension of assistance, and in coherence with the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI);
Amendment 357 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a o
Paragraph 1 – point a o
(ao) to ensure that IPA III is driven by political priorities that have a direct impact on citizens’ lives and that pre-accession funding is allocated in a transparent, proportionate, and non-discriminatory manner, taking into consideration the commitment and progress of the beneficiary countries in implementing reforms;
Amendment 362 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a p
Paragraph 1 – point a p
(ap) to improve the overall visibility of EU support in the region by strengthening strategic communication of the values of the Union and the overall visibility of EU support in the regionand public diplomacy for communicating the values of the Union and highlighting the added value of the Union’s support;
Amendment 37 #
2019/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas cooperation between the EU and all EaP countries can be achieved and maintained only in so far as those core European values and principles are respected;
Amendment 62 #
2019/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas even more advanced forms of cooperation and integration are possible, provided that comprehensive reforms are implemented in a timely, authentic and sustainable manner;
Amendment 80 #
2019/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the European Union supports peaceful conflict resolution of any unresolved regional conflicts via bilateral diplomatic means;
Amendment 114 #
2019/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
(a) acknowledge and strive for a continuous transformational impact of EaP policy in order to bring about political, social, economic and legal change in the three associated partner countries, striving for closer relationship with the European Union;
Amendment 173 #
2019/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
(d) maintain the inclusive nature of the EaP by acting as a driver towards improved democratic accountability, better economic governance, reinforced citizens’ rights and, environmental sustainability and the promotion of EU values;
Amendment 202 #
2019/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g
Paragraph 1 – point g
(g) provide greater financial assistance, including in the context of the external financial instruments that are currently under legislative negotiation; such assistance should be tailored to the specific needs of the individual partners under the guidance of the European Parliament via delegated acts and used to implement activities under the EaP programme;
Amendment 209 #
2019/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
(ga) enhance the role of the European Parliament in the scrutiny and oversight of programmes via delegated acts in the application of the EU external financial instruments;
Amendment 279 #
2019/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point l a (new)
(la) stresses the need for regular European election observation missions to EaP countries in order to support the process of strengthening institutions, election processes and democratic accountability;
Amendment 374 #
2019/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s
Paragraph 1 – point s
(s) expand funding for and the participation of the EaP countries in educational, professional skills-boosting and exchange programmes such as Erasmus+, Creative Europe and Horizon 2020;
Amendment 413 #
2019/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v
Paragraph 1 – point v
(v) acknowledge the importance of security and stability for the future development of EaP members by boosting cooperation in security and defence and devoting particular attention to peaceful resolution of possible regional conflicts;
Amendment 448 #
2019/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point w a (new)
(wa) acknowledge that with political, cultural and economic investment in the EaP countries, the European Union invests in security and stability of the region;
Amendment 454 #
2019/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point w b (new)
(wb) reiterate that security and stability of EaP countries enhances security and stability of the European Union and its Member States;
Amendment 504 #
2019/2209(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point z
Paragraph 1 – point z
(z) increase the visibility of the support provided by the EU in the recipient EaP countries and boost EU citizens’ awareness about the EaPimportance of close cooperation and trade with the EaP countries;
Amendment 471 #
2019/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Underlines that EU non- discrimination policies should not only focus on discrimination between one religion and another one, but on cases where a person is targeted because of having a religion, of belonging to a religion, being discriminated because he/she is a believer or because he/she wants to practice his/her religion, including at the workplace;
Amendment 474 #
2019/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Recalls the obligation for the EU institutions and agencies to fully apply with regard to all citizens, whether belonging to majority or minority religious denominations, the right to freedom of religion and the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, especially at the workplace, in public life and in public expression;
Amendment 475 #
2019/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 d (new)
Paragraph 9 d (new)
9d. Underlines that under no circumstance can reasonable accommodation on grounds of religion be considered as a substitute for legal instruments like the fundamental right to freedom of religion or the prohibition of discrimination and that options concerning reasonable accommodation should remain under the competence of the Member States;
Amendment 477 #
2019/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 e (new)
Paragraph 9 e (new)
9e. Underlines that the principle of non-discrimination entails that discriminating means not only to treat differently similar situations, but also to treat in the same way different situations;
Amendment 4 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the COVID-19 crisis is having a dramatic impact on people’s everyday lives, including the economy, existing business models, mobility, education, physical access to culture and art; whereas the three programmes have also been significantly affected by the corona crisis; whereas in the aftermath of the pandemic it is important to preserve the cultural values of the European Union and to rebuild the European image for the future generations; whereas the cultural exchange and the connectivity that is facilitated through the three programmes will help Europe to come out of this crisis;
Amendment 5 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the horizontal nature of the European Green Deal should take into account Member States’ specificities and level of development, and further analysis and impact assessments at all levels – regional, national and European;
Amendment 10 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps (ESC) and Creative Europe programmes all have an impact on the daily lives of millions of Europeanpeople in the European Union, the Eastern and Southern neighbourhood, the Western Balkans and in other participating countries;
Amendment 24 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas COVID-19 is having a severe impact on cultural and creative industries’ infrastructure and whereas there is a need to coordinate a joint initiative to develop sustainable practices in these sectors and to allow for the eligibility of costs related to “greening” the activities related to project support;
Amendment 28 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas Parliament has called for an ambitious budget for the three programmes in the next programming period, to help them, in particular, become more inclusive and accessible, and whereas a smaller budget would neither make this possible nor create scope for the introduction of environmental measures without jeopardising other key parts of the programmes;
Amendment 32 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas the aim, under the current multiannual financial framework, of devoting 20% of expenditure to climate protection measures cannot be achieved if the data and instruments needed to measure the contribution of the programmes to meeting this aimclimate action programmes are not available, and whereas they must therefore be put in place as a matter of urgency;
Amendment 41 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Highlights the importance of Erasmus+, the European Solidarity Corps and Creative Europe for the promotion of European culture; emphasises the positive impact of mobility, tourism and culture on our economies; encourages the participants and project developers of the three programmes to resume their activities post-pandemic in a sustainable way in order to engage with, and learn from, each other while improving local economies;
Amendment 43 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Deplores the Commission’s failure to propose environmental indicators for the new programmes; calls, therefore, for specific indicators to be incorporated into their operating rules to monitor the programmes’ contribution to environmental and climate goals in terms of objectives, financial and physical targets, guidance documents, communication, selection processes, forms of travel supported; calls for the data gathered to be made public once a year;
Amendment 49 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Calls on the Commission to develop a common methodology to track and monitor climate-related expenditure that allows for a comparable calculation of the climate allocation to each programme;
Amendment 50 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Welcomes young people’s determination to contribute to the implementation of the EU efforts towards sustainability and choosing “Sustainable Green Europe” as one of the European Youth Goals;
Amendment 51 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Amendment 52 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Considers that Erasmus+ should contribute to fostering knowledge on climate change and the environment among youth workers;
Amendment 60 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls that protection of the environment is considered as an important solidarity activity within the European Solidarity Corps both in the current legal basis as well as in the Commission´s proposal for the new programme after 2020 and the Parliament’s first reading position;
Amendment 63 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls on the Commission to provide a review of the extent of interest in environment-related activities amongst the recipients of the programme; believes that such a review could lead to providing more visibility for environment issues in the project setting and among receiving organisations and participants;
Amendment 65 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the main stakeholders in the programmes to inform participants of, and actively promote, examples of good practice which they can employ in their everyday lives, as well as to inform the participants of the environmental impact of their actions, perhaps by means of a digital application;
Amendment 71 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Encourages the national agencies and project developers to improve the sustainability of their projects, such as by considering sustainable promotional material and by encouraging participants to create sustainable consumption habits;
Amendment 84 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Urges the Commission to encourage participants and make it possible for participantsthem to choose the least- polluting means of transport, in particular railways, but at the same time not to stigmatise or exclude participants for whom air travel is the only option; calls for special attention to be paid to the outermost regions in this regard;;
Amendment 86 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 95 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on the Commission to investigate and promote synergies on sustainability between Erasmus+, European Solidarity Corps and Creative Europe and other European programmes and initiatives, such as LIFE, Horizon Europe and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT);
Amendment 111 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Recognises that participants of Erasmus+ travel across their host country and beyond to explore the local culture; calls upon the national agencies and project staff to encourage ‘slow travel’, eco-tourism and the use of environmentally sustainable travel options for long-distance as well as local travel;
Amendment 113 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Points out that the online SALTO platforms in the programme are an excellent source of information and advice for project developers; calls on the Commission to set up aensure that content for greening is included within the SALTO platform for greening;
Amendment 115 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses the value of the ‘eTwinning’ network aimed at teachers, which enables them to develop and share training modules, particularly on sustainability and climate change, this year’s topics; calls on the Commission to disseminate as widely as possible the annual report on this priority as well as the handy kit for teachers;
Amendment 118 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Urges that, under the Sport section, encouragement be given to joint projects with sports associations on the subject of the environment and nature protection, healthy and sustainable lifestyles, innovation in sport and the organisation of sustainable sport events; encourages the Commission to promote synergies between Erasmus+ and all other relevant EU programmes, including the European Solidarity Corps and Horizon Europe;
Amendment 119 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Urges that, under the Sport section, encouragement be given to joint projects with sports associations on the subject of the environment and nature protection as well as the use of innovative tools to promote green sport;
Amendment 121 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Urges the European Commission to promote opportunities within other relevant programmes, such as the Structural Funds and Horizon Europe, in order to promote projects focusing on innovations in sport that contribute to sustainable development, sustainable sport infrastructure and sustainable sport events;
Amendment 122 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Considers that the Commission should focus on the sustainable participation of ESC volunteers in the organisation of sport events;
Amendment 126 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls on the Commission to consider a special call for proposals for projects with the aim of providing environmental education for primary as well as secondary education to promote the exchange of best practices between schools and teachers;
Amendment 132 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Takes the view that the quality label which every project developer has to obtain before participating in ESC activities must also coproject developers and applicants for grants are expected to haver sound environmental practices;
Amendment 134 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Calls on the Commission and national agencies to promote projects in less popular destinations to stimulate the development of the local economy and sustainability while encouraging the exploration of new destinations;
Amendment 149 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls on the Commission to develop a sector-specific strategy and to publish a ‘good environmental practice’ guide covering audiovisual and cultural production, dissemination and event organisation, with a particular focus on transport, energy and waste management and with the aim of making the practices concerned standard for all projects financed by the programme;
Amendment 150 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls on the Commission to publish a ‘good environmental practice’ guide covering audiovisual and cultural production, dissemination and event organisation, with a particular focus on transport, energy and waste management and with the aim of making the practices concerned standard for all projects financed by the programme;
Amendment 155 #
2019/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
Amendment 31 #
2019/2194(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas within the ongoing negotiation on MFF 2021-2027 a window of opportunity is open for setting-up new and favourable terms for investments to cultural heritage from the European Structural and Investment Funds;
Amendment 49 #
2019/2194(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Welcomes the Commission´s initiative “Cultural Heritage In Action”, as a legacy of EYCH 2018, and the peer- learning programme for local and regional policymakers to exchange knowledge on cultural heritage; stresses its preparedness to monitor and support the programme if it proves successful;
Amendment 62 #
2019/2194(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that the House of European History should become a knowledge and collaboration hub for young researchers, teachers and students from across the EU;
Amendment 102 #
2019/2194(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Reiterates that in new situations challenging for society, such as pandemic crisis, readiness for limited freedom of movement and ability to use distant and virtual communication tools are crucial elements for preserving cultural life of a society; stresses the need of digitalisation of cultural heritage in order to provide remote and online access to audience;
Amendment 124 #
2019/2194(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Amendment 130 #
2019/2194(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on the Commission to adopt a more integrated approach towards cultural heritage, treating tangible, intangible, natural and digital heritage as interconnected and inseparable and for that purpose to refer to the UNESCO standards;
Amendment 148 #
2019/2194(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Calls for support to establishment and functioning of a network of the European Heritage Label sites;
Amendment 149 #
2019/2194(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Highlights the potential of the Creative Europe programme in terms of building ties between living art and tangible and intangible cultural heritage, and of the European Solidarity Corps in terms of solidarity and volunteering projects aimed at preserving and sustainable use of cultural heritage in Europe;
Amendment 153 #
2019/2194(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Calls on maximising the potential of the European Structural and Investment funds in preserving the cultural heritage; supports the idea, as expressed in the Parliament´s position on future ERDF, that investment into culture and tourism infrastructure shall be considered small scale and eligible for support, if the ERDF co-financing does not exceed EUR 10 000 000, and that the ceiling shall be raised to EUR 20 000 000 in the case of infrastructure considered to be world cultural heritage within the meaning of Article 1 of the1972 UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage;
Amendment 155 #
2019/2194(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Calls on the Commission to determine and organise the next European Year of Cultural Heritage in order to enhance the importance of our common culture legacy for today´s as well as for the future generations; recommends the next European Year of Cultural Heritage to take place in 2023, thus reflecting the five year cycle;
Amendment 26 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
- having regard to the UNESCO statement of 10 July 2020 on Hagia Sophia,
Amendment 27 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 b (new)
Citation 9 b (new)
- having regard the joint letter of 17 June 2020 by 91 Members of the European Parliament to the Director- General of UNESCO and European High Representative Josep Borrell to express their concerns about the conversion of the Hagia Sophia into a mosque,
Amendment 28 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 c (new)
Citation 9 c (new)
- having regard to Resolution 1625(2008) of the Council of Europe regarding property and inheritance rights of the Greek Orthodox population and its foundations on the islands of Gökçeada (Imbros) and Bozcaada (Tenedos),
Amendment 29 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 d (new)
Citation 9 d (new)
- having regard to Article 46 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which states that the contracting parties undertake to abide by the final judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in any case to which they are parties, and, therefore, to the obligation of Turkey to implement all judgements of the ECtHR,
Amendment 31 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
- having regard to the opinions of the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission, in particular those of 10-11 March 2017 on the amendments to the constitution to be submitted to a national referendum, on the measures provided for in the recent Emergency Decree-Laws with respect to freedom of the media, and on the duties, competences and functioning of the criminal peace judgeships, of 6-7 October 2017 on the provisions of Decree-Law No 674 concerning the exercise of local democracy, of 9-10 December 2016 on Emergency Decree-Laws No 667-676 adopted following the failed coup of 15 July 2016, and of 14-15 October 2016 on the suspension of the second paragraph of Article 83 of the Constitution, focusing on parliamentary inviolability,
Amendment 39 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas being a candidate country presumes a willingness to progressively approach in all aspects the values, interests, standards and policies of the EUand align itself in all aspects with the common European values and principles, foreign and security interests, democratic, human rights and rule of law standards and policies of the EU as enshrined in the treaties; reiterates that respect for the rule of law and fundamental rights, including the separation of powers, democracy, freedom of expression and the media, human rights, the rights of minorities and religious freedom, freedom of association and the right to peaceful protest, the fight against corruption and the fight against racism and discrimination against vulnerable groups are at the core of the negotiation process;
Amendment 57 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas an analysis of the Commission’s reports on Turkey since 2014 and, in particular, the 2019 and 2020 reports, reveals that Turkey has increasingly and rapidly distanced itself from the EU’s values and its normative framework expected from the candidate country;
Amendment 78 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas, in spite of this principled stance by Parliament and all of the current circumstances, the European Council, in its conclusions of 1 October 2020, offered Turkey a renewed and broad positive agenda, provided that constructive efforts are sustained, mutual concessions are made and tensions are lowered in a further attempt to restore our relations;
Amendment 86 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Turkey currently hosts some 3.6 million registered Syrian refugees along with close to 370,000 persons of concern from other nationalities;
Amendment 100 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes with great concern that Turkey’s continuous and growing distancing from European values and standardsbacksliding in the rule of law and fundamental rights have resulted in significant disengagement from European values and standards, and that this, together with Turkey's unilateral actions in the Eastern Mediterranean against EU Member States Greece and Cyprus, has brought EU-Turkey relations to a historical low point, having deteriorated to such an extent that it requires both parties to profoundly reassess the current framework of relations;
Amendment 124 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is deeply concerned that, over the years, the lack of progress in Turkey’s convergence has now transformed into a full withdrawal, marked by a stark regression in three main areas: backsliding on the rule of law and fundamental rights, adopting regressive institutional reforms and pursuing a confrontational foreignand aggressive regional policy; is further concerned by the fact that this regression has increasingly been accompanied by an explicit anti-EU narrative; calls, in this context, on Turkey to reassess the sincerity of its commitment to the EU path and growing nationalism based on imperial and colonial past; calls, in this context, on Turkey to reverse this disappointing course and to reassess the sincerity of its commitment to the closer relations and alignment with the European Union, as an indispensable component of the viability of the entire accession process;
Amendment 180 #
2019/2176(INI)
6. Regrets the current lack of understanding between the EU and Turkey, but reaffirms its firm conviction that Turkey is a strategic neighbour and ally with which the EU wishes to have the best possible relation, partner country and a regional power with which the EU wishes to have good and friendly relations based on mutual respect in accordance with international law and established multilateral practices;
Amendment 200 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Expresses its will to strengthen and deepen mutual knowledge and understanding between Turkish and European societies, combating all manifestations of social, religious or cultural prejudice; strongly reiterates that the European Union and its Member States are first and foremost a friend and partner of Turkey and the Turkish people with whom Europe shares deep commercial, cultural and historical links made over the last centuries; expresses its full commitment to continue supporting Turkey’s independent civil society in whatever circumstances and framework of relations that the future may bring; believes, nevertheless, that the accession process would still be the most powerful tool to exercise normative pressure on the Turkish government and the best framework to sustain the democratic and pro-European aspirations of Turkish society; stresses that a purely transactional relationship will hardly contribute to the advancement of Turkey towards a more democratic model;
Amendment 235 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes with deep concern that, despite the formal lifting of the state of emergency in July 2018, its impact on democracy and fundamental rights continues to be strongly felt, especially after the introduction of presidential system and constitutional changes;
Amendment 243 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Deeply regrets that this repressive form of rule has now become a deliberate, relentless, systematic state policy, which extends to any critical activities, such as opposition, civic or minority gatherings, Kurdish activism, or even to events that took place prior to the attempted coup, such as the Gezi protests;
Amendment 307 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Is deeply concerned about the constant attacks and, pressure on theand hindering with the work of opposition parties, which undermines the proper functioning of a pluralist democratic system; calls on the main Turkish opposition parties to continue their democratic and parliamentary efforts in promoting European path within the laws and the Constitution of Turkey;
Amendment 349 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Commends the existence of a vibrant, plural, engaged and heterogeneous civil society in Turkey, in spite of the massive political crackdown, as it represents one of the few remaining checks on the Turkish Government; calls on the High Representative and the Commission to continue supporting Turkish civil society through the financial instruments, including the Instrument for Pre- accession assistance;
Amendment 365 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Remains deeply concerned by the situation in the south-east of Turkey with regard to the protection of human rights, political participation and the freedom of expression and political participationreligious and belief;
Amendment 389 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Notes with great concern and expresses deep regret about the decision of the Turkish authorities, taken without prior dialogue, to modify the status of the Hagia Sophia from museum to a mosque; reminds that Hagia Sophia is a place of worship open for all communities and religions and calls upon UNESCO for proper actions in order to safeguard this World Heritage Site, to protect international agreements, including the UNESCO framework and to uphold core European values and principles;
Amendment 428 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Is alarmed by the consolidation of an authoritarian interpretation of the presidential system; is deeply concerned about the continued hyper-centralisation of power in the Presidency, which does not ensure a sound and effective separation of powers between the executive and the legislative branches and the judiciary; in this respect notes the concern raised regarding the separation of powers by the Venice Commission in its opinion on the Amendments to the Constitution of Turkey;
Amendment 437 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Is concerned about the ever more frequent use of a hyper-nationalist and neo- ottoman narrative among the ruling elite that increasingly gives rise to antagonistic approaches towards the EU or its Member States and neighbouring countries in the region; is concerned about the increasing clout of religious conservatism in political life;
Amendment 458 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Strongly condemns the removal of democratically elected mayors from office on the basis of questionable evidence and, in particular, their arbitrary replacement by unelected trustees appointed by the central government; notes that most of these deposed mayors come from the Kurdish or national minority areas in the southeast of the country; strongly believes these unlawful decisions constitute a direct attack on the most basic principles of democracy, depriving millions of voters of their democratically elected representation;
Amendment 480 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Recalls the laudable role played by Turkey in responding to the migration crisis resulting from the war in Syria and notes that Turkey currently host almost 4 million refugees in its territory; takes the view that the EU should continue to give the necessary support to Syrian refugees and host communities in Turkey; supports an objective assessment of the EU-Turkey Statement and underlines the importance of both parties’ compliance with their respective commitments;
Amendment 544 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Is deeply concerned by the Turkish actions and aggressive behaviour in the ongoing dispute in the Eastern Mediterranean and the related risk of a military escalation; condemns Turkey’s illegal activities in Greek and Cypriot waters, which violate both the sovereign rights of EU Member States and international law; expresses its unwavering support and full solidarity with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus; urges Turkey to return to the negotiation table and engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes via high level diplomacy and to refrain from any unilateral and illegal action or threats;
Amendment 565 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Condemns the partial reopening of Varosha beach in city of Famagusta, which undermines mutual trust and therefore the prospect of the resumption of direct talksalogue on the comprehensive resolution of the Cyprus issue; calls on Turkey to reverse this action; reiterates its supportunilateral action that violates United Nations Security Council resolution 550 and resolution 789; reiterates its support for the Republic of Cyprus and for a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement on the basis of mutual agreement on a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation with political equality;
Amendment 585 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Strongly condemns the Turkish military interventions in Syria, especially in the northeast and Idlib, which constitute grave violations of international law; reminds that Turkish incursion in the north-eastern Syria has displaced more than 200,000 persons, including large numbers of Syriac and Assyrian Christians; calls on Turkish authorities to create conditions and allow displaced communities to return to their homes;
Amendment 607 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Calls on Turkey to remain committed to the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Libya under the auspices of the UN, and to fully adhere to the arms embargo imposed by the UN Security Council; commends the work of Operation Irini and its efforts to uphold mandated arms embargo and prevent human and drug trafficking;
Amendment 615 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Regrets Turkey's involvement in the Libyan Civil War and its decision to deploy troops, as well as Syrian mercenaries, without international sanctioned mandate; deplores the unilateral decision of Turkey and the Libyan Government of National Accord to sign and implement a Maritime Boundary Treaty that infringes upon the sovereign rights of the EU Member States Greece and Cyprus, and does not comply with International Law;
Amendment 622 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Regrets that, rather than calling for an end to the violence and for a resumption of peaceful negotiations supporting the efforts of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group, Turkey instead decided, without the consultation with international actors, to unconditionally support and sustain the military actions of one of the sides in the recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh; calls on Turkey to refrain from further unilateral actions and to support international dialogue and the peace process under the auspices of OSCE Minsk Group;
Amendment 655 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Believes that it is high time to review the EU’s relations with Turkey and to define a comprehensive, unified and coherent strategy for the medium to long term, among all EU institutions and Member States; calls on Turkey to reassess its assertive foreign policy, to cease unilateral actions and inflammatory statements and to find solutions via high level diplomacy in order to resolve issues and continue its European path;
Amendment 678 #
2019/2176(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Takes the view that enhancing communication and dialogue at all levels are key to restoring mutual trust between the EU and Turkey; deplores the continuous and unjustified refusal of the Turkish side to reinstate the normal functioning of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee; notes that last EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) held its 78th meeting in Ankara on 19-20 December 2018, followed by a standstill in interparliamentary relations;
Amendment 16 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas Serbia must be judged on its own merit, as any country aspiring to become Member State of the EU, on its own merits in terms of fulfilment, implementation and complying with the set of criteria and common values and whereas the quality of and dedication to the necessary reforms determine the timetable forand progression of accession;
Amendment 21 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas since the opening of negotiations with Serbia, eighteen chapters have been opened, two of which have been provisionally closed; whereas Serbia has decided to accept the new EU enlargement methodology;
Amendment 35 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the Inter-Party Dialogue on Improving the Conditions for Holding Parliamentary Elections, facilitated by the European Parliament, continues to provide a unique platform for reaching consensus on commitments to improve electoral conditions, and aims to engage the opposition to return to the political and parliamentary activities in Serbia;
Amendment 37 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the EU agreed on the additional reallocation of EUR 374 million from the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance to help mitigate the socio- economic impact of COVID-19 in the region;
Amendment 42 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas Serbia has substantially benefited from trade and economic integration with the EU; whereas the EU is Serbia's biggest trading partner accounting for 67% of Serbia’s total exports and more than 60% of Serbia’s total imports of goods in 2018; whereas EU's investment in Serbia has accounted to over €13 billion in total (2010 - 2018);
Amendment 43 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J b (new)
Recital J b (new)
Jb. whereas the EU is Serbia’s biggest provider of financial assistance; whereas the EU has provided Serbia with more than €3,6 billion in grants over the past 18 years in all fields, ranging from rule of law, public administration reform, social development, environment and agriculture; whereas Serbia has benefited from the EU assistance under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) in total of €2,79 billion since 2008;
Amendment 44 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J c (new)
Recital J c (new)
Amendment 45 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J d (new)
Recital J d (new)
Jd. whereas the EU is the biggest assistance and aid provider to Serbia in mitigating the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic; whereas Serbia has received €15 million of immediate support to the health sector, €78,4 million of support for the social and economic recovery and €93,4 million in assistance funds;
Amendment 78 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that Serbia has continued aligning its legislation with the acquis; underlines that progress on the rule of lawchapters 23 (Judiciary and fundamental rights chapters) and 24 (Justice, freedom and security), as well as on the normalisation of relations with Kosovo, continues to be essential and will determine the pace of accession negotiations;
Amendment 94 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on Serbia and the EU Member States to pursue a more active and effective communication policy on the European perspective, aimed at both Serbian and EU citizens; notes the disproportionate visibility given to third countries, despite their closer involvement of the European Union in trade, investment and aid to Serbia; calls on Serbia, the Commission and the EU delegation to Serbia to step up their efforts in promoting the role, efforts and benefits of the close partnership between EU and Serbia, including by the promotion of projects and reforms realised with European support;
Amendment 122 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Regrets the decision by parts of the opposition to boycott the elections; stresses that the only way to guarantee political representation for their constituents is by engaging in political and electoral processes; calls on the opposition to return to the negotiation table, find a compromise with the governing parties and resume its participation in the political and parliamentary activities;
Amendment 210 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes that the legal and institutional framework for upholding human rights is broadly in place and calls for its more effective implementation, with particular regard to the most vulnerable groups in society, including national minorities, in the areas of education, use of minority languag; calls on Serbia to protect and promote cultural heritage, languages and traditions of its national minorities and to firmly reject any attempts of discrimination or assimilation; calls on Serbia to provide equal and non- discriminatory education in minority languages, dedicated media space in the state and local outlets as well to ensure equal opportunities, adequate representation in political life, public administration and the judiciary;
Amendment 265 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses that the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo is a priority and a precondition for EU accession; calls for active and constructive engagement in the EU-facilitated dialogue led by the EU Special Representative seeking a comprehensive and legally binding agreement, in accordance with international law; reiterates its call to move forward with the full implementation, in good faith and in a timely manner, of all the agreements already reached; notes the signature of the agreement for economic normalisation between Kosovo and Serbia on 4 September in Washington;
Amendment 271 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the importance of regionsolving bilateral cooperation onn issues with its neighbours in the region regarding war crimes and, missing persons, including ofreturn of alienated cultural goods, as well as stepping up its sincere efforts in recognisingtion and respectingimplementation of court verdicts on war crimes, rejecting hate speech and the glorification of war criminals, and supporting domestic prosecut and supporting domestic prosecutors in bringing perpetrators to justice; notes the substantial presence of hate speech and the glorification of war criminals in the public space and calls on Serbia to step up its efforts in bringing perpetrators to justicecombatting these issues;
Amendment 319 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. 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 crucial condition for the accession process;
Amendment 332 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Calls for the strengthening of European cooperation with Serbia on addressing disinformation and hybrid threats that seek to discredit the EU and undermine the European perspective of the regionWestern Balkan countries; calls on Serbia to step up its efforts in the fight against disinformation campaigns which have grown exponentially since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic;
Amendment 348 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Takes note of Serbia’s decision to sign a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union in October 2019; expects Serbia, however, to align with EU trade policy as precondition for the accession process; reminds that the EU is Serbia's biggest trade partner, investor and aid donor, and has shown this support also during the Covid-19 pandemic;
Amendment 363 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Expresses concern over Serbia’s increasing dependence on defence equipment and technologies from the People’s Republic of China and the insufficient transparency of the security sector’s public procurement practices; continues to be concerned about Serbia’s close political and military cooperation with Russia; calls on Serbia to align itself closer with the European Common Security and Defence Policy and its instruments;
Amendment 375 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Welcomes the Commission’s Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) for the Western Balkans; recognises the importance of the EIP in supporting sustainable connectivity, human capital, competitiveness and inclusive growth as well in reinforcing regional and cross- border cooperation;
Amendment 2 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
- having regard to the Council conclusions of 5 June 2020 on enhancing cooperation with Western Balkans partners in the field of migration and security,
Amendment 5 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
- having regard to the EU-Western Balkans summit in the framework of the Berlin Process of 10 November 2020,
Amendment 6 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
- having regard to the Commission communication of 6 October 2020 entitled ‘An Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans’ (COM(2020)0641),
Amendment 11 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
- having regard to the Zagreb Declaration agreed during the EU- Western Balkans summit that took place via video conference on 6 May 2020,
Amendment 15 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
- having regard the joint statement of 8 December 2020 by Members of the European Parliament on accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania,
Amendment 22 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas North Macedonia has made consistent progress on its path towards the EUand has shown dedicated commitment on its path towards the EU resulting in the decision of the Council of 26 March 2020 to open accession negotiations;
Amendment 34 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the EU is North Macedonia biggest provider of financial assistance; whereas North Macedonia has benefited from the EU assistance under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) in total of €1,286 billion since 2007;
Amendment 37 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
Dc. whereas the EU is the biggest assistance and aid provider to North Macedonia in mitigating the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic; whereas North Macedonia has received €4 million of immediate support to the health sector, €62 million of support for the social and economic recovery, €66 million in assistance funds and €160 million of Macro-Financial Assistance;
Amendment 39 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
Dc. whereas the EU has shown its commitment for the European perspective of Western Balkan countries and mobilized €3.3 billion to address the immediate health crisis and mitigate economic and social consequences of the coronavirus pandemic;
Amendment 42 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D d (new)
Recital D d (new)
Dd. whereas the EU is by far North Macedonia’s main trading partner, accounting for 60% of the country's exports and 48% of its imports,
Amendment 56 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes North Macedonia’s clear strategic orientation and commitment to European integration, as manifested by continued implementation of accession- related reformswork on resolving bilateral issues with neighbouring countries and by implementation of accession-related reforms; in that regard welcomes the full implementation of the Prespa Agreement that entered into force on 12 February 2019 and enabled North Macedonia's NATO membership and the resumption of accession negotiations with the EU;
Amendment 122 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Expresses its support for the efforts to ensure inclusive policies to protect the fundamental freedoms and rights of all citizens, with special attention to women, youth, persons with disabilities, non- majority ethnic groups, LGBTQI+ persons, and the low-skilled unemployed; calls on North Macedonia to continue good practice established by the Ohrid Framework Agreement, especially the provisions that protect minority ethnic groups and identities, their cultural heritage and languages;
Amendment 138 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the renewed adoption of anti-discrimination legislation, and urges the authorities to follow up with an inclusive and transparent process establishing an independent Anti- Discrimination Commission, ensuring protection and inclusion of all marginalised groups; encourages the Sobramost vulnerable groups in the society; calls on North Macedoniea to adopt legislation which will enable a simplified, transparent and accessible procedure for legal gender recogprotect and promote cultural heritage, languages and traditions of its national minorities and to provide equal and non-discriminatory education in minority languages, dedicated media space in the state and local outlets as well to ensure equal opportunitiones, and dequate reprevsent discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identitation in political life, public administration and the judiciary;
Amendment 240 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a(new)
Paragraph 38 a(new)
38a. Regrets the decision of Bulgaria not to approve the conclusion of the accession negotiating framework of North Macedonia during the 8 December 2020 European Affairs Minister's meeting;
Amendment 252 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Regrets that Bulgaria and North Macedonia have yet to find a compromise on issues related to history and language, strusts that they will soon be settledesses the need to resolve aforementioned bilateral issues in order not to jeopardise the integration momentum, and looks forward to holding of the first intergovernmental conference, kick-startto beging the accession talks without a further delay; calls on the Commission and the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues to intensify their efforts in facilitating dialogue, and thus pave the way to a viable agreement;
Amendment 258 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39a. Welcomes the appointment of North Macedonia's Special Representative for Bulgaria and stresses the importance of continued dialogue in order to achieve sustainable agreement on the current bilateral issues and in that light welcomes the meeting in Sofia between the Special Representative and the Government of Bulgaria;
Amendment 265 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 a (new)
Paragraph 41 a (new)
41a. Welcomes North Macedonia's accession to the NATO alliance on 27 March 2020 and its continuing commitment to the Euro-Atlantic security framework; calls on North Macedonia to further continue its alignment to military and operational standards in order to enhance the interoperability and coherence with the EU and NATO member countries;
Amendment 273 #
2019/2174(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Invites North Macedonia to continue contributing to the EU crisis management operations and increasing its alignment with the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy;
Amendment 10 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the parliamentary elections of 30 August 2020 have resulted in the first transition of power in a democratic setting in the country; whereas the transition of power was conducted in orderly manner;
Amendment 15 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the European Union is Montenegro's biggest trading partner encompassing 37% of exports and 47% of imports with a volume of trade at €1.38 billion in 2019;
Amendment 16 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas Montenegro benefits from pre-accession assistance encompassing a total of €504,9 million under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) since 2007;
Amendment 91 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Underlines that media literacy and media freedom are key to combating disinformation; calls for the strengthening of European cooperation with Montenegro on addressing disinformation, and cyber and hybrid threats; calls on the EU Delegation in Montenegro to intensify its efforts in visibility campaigns to combat disinformation as well as in communication strategies to emphasize the role and importance of EU assistance to Montenegro;
Amendment 99 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Notes the continuing progress in improving the position of national minorities; calls for respect of the multi- ethnic identity of the Bay of Kotor, including the languages used, its cultural heritage and the traditions of local communities;
Amendment 125 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Encourages it to continue to address, in a constructive and neighbourly spirit, outstanding bilateral issues with its neighbours, including the unresolved border demarcation issues with Serbia and Croatia, as early as possible in the accession process;
Amendment 130 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26c. Urges Montenegro to intensify its efforts in proactively prioritising and punishing war crimes and clarifying the fate of missing persons;
Amendment 133 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 f (new)
Paragraph 26 f (new)
26f. Calls on the Montenegrin authorities to comply fully with the provisions on succession of the former SFRY, especially as regards military assets;
Amendment 136 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Commends Montenegro’s full alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy and its active participation in civilian and military missions under the common security and defence policy (CSDP), notably EUFOR Somalia (Operation Atalanta) and EUTM Mali;
Amendment 149 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Welcomes the completion of the Status Agreement on border cooperation between the European Union and Montenegro that came into force on 1 July 2020 and the launch of a Frontex operation on 14 October 2020; notes the importance of this cooperation as it will assist Montenegro with tackling cross- border crime at the country’s sea borders, including the smuggling of drugs and weapons, smuggling of migrants, trafficking in human beings and terrorism;
Amendment 153 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 b (new)
Paragraph 28 b (new)
28b. Notes with concern the rising influence of other foreign actors in Montenegro through disinformation campaigns undermining the European Union and through the increase of Montenegro's public debt to foreign financial institutions and companies;
Amendment 162 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Notes with concern the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Montenegro’s economy as its GDP has declined by 14.3% in 2020; stresses that the tourism sector, that accounts for more than 20% of Montenegro's GDP, was heavily hit as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic; calls on the Government to carry on a responsible macroeconomic and fiscal policy in view of the high public debt; encourages the authorities to make the best use of EU assistance in order to mitigate the impact of the crisis;
Amendment 170 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Reiterates that the European Union has swiftly mobilised substantial financial and material support for the Western Balkans to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic health emergency and the socio-economic recovery of the region; notes that the European support to Montenegro included €53 million in bilateral assistance from IPA II, €455 million for regional economic reactivation package and €60 million in Macro-financial Assistance;
Amendment 174 #
2019/2173(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Commends the role of EU Civil Protection Mechanism that has secured much needed support in medical equipment and personal protective equipment in the fight against the coronavirus in Montenegro;
Amendment 17 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
- having regard to the Zagreb Declaration adopted at the EU-Western Balkans Summit on 6 May 2020,
Amendment 25 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas each enlargement country is judged individually on its own merits, and it is the speed and quality ofKosovo must be judged, as any country aspiring to become Member State of the EU, on its own merits in terms of fulfilment, implementation and complying with the set of criteria and common values and whereas the quality of and dedication to the necessary reforms that determine the timetable for EUand progression of accession;
Amendment 47 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas the EU is the biggest assistance and aid provider to Kosovo in mitigating the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic; whereas Kosovo has received €5 million of immediate support to the health sector, €63 million of support for the social and economic recovery, €60 million in assistance funds and €100 million of Macro-Financial Assistance;
Amendment 87 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the EU Member States to show continued commitment to enlargement, and to pursue a more effective communication policy towards EU citizens on enlargement; calls on the Commission and the EU delegation to Kosovo to step up their efforts in promoting the role, efforts and benefits of the closer partnership between EU and Kosovo;
Amendment 97 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes the signature of the agreement for economic normalisation between Kosovo and Serbia on 4 September in Washington; underlines that transatlantic cooperation is a crucialn important factor for stability in the region;
Amendment 147 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that Kosovo’s legal and institutional framework broadly guarantees the protection of human, minority and fundamental rights; underlines that challenges remain in its implementation, in particular as regards language rights; calls on Kosovo to resume dialogue with its national minorities and to secure protection of their cultural heritage, religion, language and traditions; calls on Kosovo to provide equal and non- discriminatory state education in minority languages, dedicated media space in the state and local outlets as well to ensure equal opportunities, adequate representation in political life, access to public administration and judiciary;
Amendment 176 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. HailWelcomes the unanimous decision by the National Assembly of Kosovo to give direct effect to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence;
Amendment 215 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Notes that five Member States have not yet recognised Kosovo, and reiterates its call for them to do so; stresses that recognition would be beneficial to the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia; calls on those Member States to recognize Kosovo and to reaffirm credible European commitment to the enlargement process;
Amendment 227 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Welcomes the Commission’s Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) for the Western Balkans; recognises the importance of the EIP in supporting sustainable connectivity, human capital, competitiveness and inclusive growth as well in reinforcing regional and cross- border cooperation;
Amendment 1 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
- having regard to the first meeting of the EU-BiH Stabilization and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC) held on 5-6 November 2015, the third meeting of the EU-BiH Stabilization and Association Council held on 13 July2018 and the fourth meeting of the EU-BiH Stabilization and Association Committee held on 7 November 2019,
Amendment 3 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
- having regard to the document entitled ‘Joint socio-economic reforms for the period 2019-2022’ which were adopted by the entity governments on 10 October 2019 and Council of Ministers’ document of 30 January 2020 entitled ‘Socio- economic reforms in BiH for the period 2020-2022’,
Amendment 10 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
- having regard to the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, adopted by the UNESCO General Conference at its 33rd session 1 on 20 October 2005,
Amendment 11 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 b (new)
Citation 6 b (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 17 December 2020 on the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘Minority SafePack – one million signatures for diversity in Europe’,
Amendment 12 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 c (new)
Citation 6 c (new)
- having regard to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, adopted on 25 February 1991,
Amendment 14 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
- having regard to Council conclusions of 25 January 2021 on Climate and Energy Diplomacy – Delivering on the external dimension of the European Green Deal,
Amendment 15 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 b (new)
Citation 7 b (new)
- having regard to Council conclusions of 20 January 2020 on Climate Diplomacy,
Amendment 16 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 c (new)
Citation 7 c (new)
- having regard to European Council meeting conclusions of 10 and 11 December 2020 on climate,
Amendment 17 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 d (new)
Citation 7 d (new)
- having regard to working document of the European External Action Service of 6 November 2020 titled ‘Climate Change and Defence Roadmap’,
Amendment 18 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9
Citation 9
- having regard to the Zagreb Declaration, adopted during the EU- Western Balkans Zagreb Summit of 6 May 2020,
Amendment 19 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
- having regard to the Council conclusions on enhancing cooperation with Western Balkans partners in the field of migration and security of 5 June 2020,
Amendment 31 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 2 April 2009 on European conscience and totalitarianism,
Amendment 33 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 b (new)
Citation 13 b (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 19 September 2019 on the importance of European remembrance for the future of Europe,
Amendment 36 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 13 November 2018 on minimum standards for minorities in the EU,
Amendment 37 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 b (new)
Citation 15 b (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 11 September 2013 on endangered European languages and linguistic diversity in the European Union,
Amendment 39 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
- having regard the Joint Statement of 21 December 2020 by High Representative Josep Borrell and Commissioner Oliver Várhelyi on the holding of local elections in Mostar,
Amendment 51 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. –whereas Parliament considers the progress in European and Euro-Atlantic integration the only correct and possible path for BiH, and at the same time a guarantor of country’s security, stability and economic prosperity;
Amendment 62 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas the credibility of the enlargement process is based on unequivocal results in key areas of rule of law and judicial reform, the fight against corruption and organized crime, security, fundamental rights, democratic institutions, public administration reform, as well as economic development and competitiveness.
Amendment 63 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas culture and cultural heritage help strengthen one’s identity and promote social cohesion, stability and understanding in society; whereas cultural heritage is a value in its own right;
Amendment 71 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas BiH is a migrant transit route, and reception capacities remain insufficient for hostingintegrated border management as well as reception capacities for migrants and asylum seekers present in the country remain insufficient;
Amendment 73 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. - whereas additional efforts to control migratory movements are a key precondition for maintaining social stability; whereas BiH’s longest land border is with the Republic of Croatia, an EU Member State;
Amendment 78 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the EU is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s biggest trading partner, accounting for 72.3% of export from BiH and 61% imports from EU in 2019, reaching a volume of trade of 10.34 billion euro, and the largest provider of financial assistance;
Amendment 88 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. whereas the persistent challenges in the reconciliation process should be addressed more vigorously;
Amendment 96 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the path towards the EU depends on sustainable peace and genuine reconciliation warranting the democratic and multicultural character of BiH; urges the country to expedite effective prosecution of war crimes under the revised National War Crimes Processing Strategy, and calls for impartial and effective investigations into these crimes; condemns any kind of historical revisionism, secessionist, unitarist (unitarian), anti-constitutional rhetoric and related acts, denial or glorification of war crimes committed during the 1990’s war and earlier;
Amendment 98 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Firmly reiterates the need for all BiH political leaders, authorities, institutions and office holders to adhere to the constitutional framework and its core principles; deplores the nationalistic and inflammatory rhetoric that undermines the Constitution and its principles; stresses that, as a matter of urgency, particular attention should be given to conducting effective monitoring on the negative impacts of such attacks on the stability in the country;
Amendment 116 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Urges the authorities to ensure inclusive and non-discriminatory education for all children; Recalls that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a multicultural and multilinguistic country and home to three constituent communities with respective official languages; underlines that every citizen has a right to exercise their freedom of expression in their mother tongue language; urges the authorities to ensure non-discriminatory education for all children, including the right of education in their mother tongue as guaranteed by the The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, ensuring linguistic, cultural and religious diversity that are a valuable part of BiH's unique heritage;
Amendment 133 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls for an increased cooperation between educational institutions and the governments at all levels to foster quality education through the necessary reforms while focussing on educational output that would tackle the brain drain and youth unemployment; calls for increased engagement in and promotion of European instruments, such as Horizon Europe and Erasmus+;
Amendment 141 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Urges all BiH political leaders and institutions to significantly accelerate work and co-operation to fully comply with the 14 key priorities; calls on the authorities to maintain the political will for enhanced co- operation demonstrated at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis; recalls that the European Parliament strongly advocates the position of individual approach, full fulfilment of the set criteria and consistent and credible conditionality;
Amendment 147 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines that the effective organisation and independent functioning of institutions is an essential feature of a viable democracy and a prerequisite for advancing the EU integration process, including obtaining candidate status; warns that ethno-nationalisticsecessionist, unitarist (unitarian) or any other kind of anti-constitutional rhetoric and attempts to obstruct the functioning of institutions undermine country-wide co- ordination and decision- making on key policies and reforms;
Amendment 152 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Commends the adoption of the amendments to the BiH Election Law that allowed Mostar citizens to vote in the 2020 local elections; welcomes the Parliamentary Assembly’s vote of 22 July 2020 on the Rules of Procedure governing the meetings of Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC), paving the way for their formal adoption by the 2nd EU-BiH SAPC as soon as possible;
Amendment 153 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Commends the adoption of the amendments to the BiH Election Law that allowed Mostar citizens to vote in the 2020 local elections; expresses its concern over the way elections were conducted following serious allegation of electoral manipulation which has cast a shadow on the overall elections procedure; welcomes the Parliamentary Assembly’s vote of 22 July 2020 on the Rules of Procedure governing the meetings of Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC), paving the way for their formal adoption by the 2nd EU-BiH SAPC as soon as possible;
Amendment 159 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Emphasises the importance of a breakthrough political agreement of 17 June 2020 on the principles of amendments to the Election Law of BiH, in which political leaders expressed full commitment to the EU principles and values and commitment to the implementation of all judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as all decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and all relevant OSCE/ODIHR and Venice Commission recommendations, clearly showing signs of political will to reach a compromise;
Amendment 161 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Amendment 163 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Welcomes the Parliamentary Assembly’s vote of 22 July 2020 on the Rules of Procedure governing the meetings of Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC), paving the way for their formal adoption by the 2nd EU-BiH SAPC as soon as possible;
Amendment 170 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines the urgent need to address shortcomings in the constitutional framework, with full respect of the procedures defined by the existing constitution for its own changes, and to make progress on reforms that would transform BiH into a fully functional and inclusive state; stresses that institutional reforms depend on the will and commitment of political leaders and institutions in the country; stresses also that BiH will not be a successful candidate for EU membership until the appropriate institutional conditions have been established; urges all political leaders to work on introducing the necessary changes, including the reform of electoral law, also taking into account the principles expressed in its previous resolutions, including the principles of federalism, decentralisation and legitimate representation, so as to guarantee that all citizens can stand as candidates, be eligible to be elected, and serve at all political levels, on equal grounds; urges the international community to facilitate the conditions for constitutional dialogue under the leadership of the EU, in particular Parliament, and in consultation with civil society;
Amendment 174 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines the urgent need to address shortcomings in the constitutional framework and to make progress on reforms that would transform BiH into a fully functional and inclusive state which fully respects the guaranteed rights of all three constituent peoples regardless of their number; stresses that institutional reforms depend on the will and commitment of political leaders and institutions in the country; urges the international community to facilitate the conditions for constitutional dialogue under the leadership of the EU, in particular Parliament, and in consultation with civil society;
Amendment 179 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Underlines the need to considerably strengthen cooperation and data exchange between state, entity and cantonal jurisdictions across all policy areas; notes the urgency of strengthening state-level, as well as other levels’ capacity and expertise in the wide range of issues that need to be addressed to fulfil the obligations related to European integration;
Amendment 206 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Underlines the need to ensure consistent country-wide professional civil service standards, and calls for the implementation of merit-based standards in public appointments and promotions as a priority; notes the disproportionate representation of constituent people in the public service; welcomes the adoption of the Public Administration Reform Strategic Framework, enabling mobilisation of related EU funds;
Amendment 234 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Regrets BiH’s continued inability to comply with anti-discrimination rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ) and the rulings of the Constitutional Court of BiH; notes the continuing shortcomings in the election process, and reiterates the need to address discriminatory ethnicity and residency- based restrictions on the right to stand for election through the required constitutional changes and respecting the principles of federalism, decentralisation and legitimate representation;
Amendment 237 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls for political leaders to resume negotiations and start a process of inclusive Electoral Reform that would eliminate all forms of inequality and discrimination in the electoral process, paving the way to achieve equality of rights and legitimate representation of three constituent peoples together with all other citizens;
Amendment 238 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Regrets that BiH remains in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights by not implementing the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights(ECtHR) in the Sejdić-Finci, Zornić, Pilav and Šlaku cases;
Amendment 239 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 c (new)
Paragraph 15 c (new)
15c. Regrets the failure to implement the Constitutional Court decision in the Ljubić case that ensures the rights of the three constituent peoples to elect their legitimate representatives;
Amendment 240 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls for thorough investigations into alleged electoral irregularities, including voter registration fraud, identity theft, barriers to independent electoral observation and political pressure on the BiH Central Election Commission (CEC), during of the 2020 municipal elections, especially with regard to the elections in Mostar;
Amendment 244 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Condemns usurpation of minority public quotas in legislative and executive bodies at all levels of governance; recalls that such acts hinder representation and diversity in institutions of BiH; calls for significant attention to be paid to the safeguarding of inclusivity; expresses concern about the misuse of identity statements;
Amendment 247 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Regrets continued political and financial pressure and instrumentalisation of the media, undermining freedom of expression and media pluralism; expresses its concern at the hostile environment for independent media, and independent journalism; ,and urges the authorities to effectively investigate and prosecute threats and attacks against journalists and media personnel; expresses its concern about the lack of transparency of media ownership; insists that effective measures should be taken to counter hate speech both online and offline;
Amendment 253 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Notes that Bosnia and Herzegovina has three official languages; stresses that languages enable and promote the richness and diversity of European cultural heritage, as mother tongues are vectors of values and knowledge which are often used to transmit intangible cultural heritage; urges the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to take greater action to protect and promote language diversity and develop awareness about the linguistic and cultural richness the communities represent;
Amendment 257 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Reiterates its call to ensure media pluralism and emphasises that producing and broadcasting TV and radio content in all official languages of BiH would contribute to protecting cultural diversity in the country;
Amendment 264 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Insists that the EU must enhance its communication strategy, including by diversifying its funding to projects that entail local and regional media outlets, in order to effectively counter disinformation campaigns aimed at diminishing the EU’s credibility in the regionand its actions in the region, as well as the enlargement process as a whole;
Amendment 266 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Insists that the EU must enhance its communication strategy in order to effectively counter disinformation campaigns aimed at creating additional divisions in society, undermining positive reform efforts, and diminishing the EU’s credibility in the region;
Amendment 279 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes the increased migratory pressure on the country; calls for effective inter-institutional coordination of migration and border management in the face of a mounting humanitarian crisis; calls for equistable burden-sharing and adequate support for local communities hosting temporary reception centres; underlines the need toishing of reception capacities away from the EU external border, preferably at the entry points of migrants to the country; underlines the need for the European Commission, EU agencies and international organisations to provide assistance to BiH in ensureing appropriate reception conditions and to boosin boosting the relevant capacityies for processing incoming migrants and asylum- seeker claims and , where applicable, conducting return procedures; urges BiH to conclude an agreement with the European Asylum Support Office (EASO); calls on the EU to step up its support to BiH’s authorities, namely with regard to operational assistance;
Amendment 284 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes the increased migratory pressure on the country; calls for effective inter-institutional coordination of migration and a stronger border management in the face of a mounting humanitarian crisis; calls for equitable burden-sharing and adequate support for local communities hosting temporary reception centres; underlines the need to ensure appropriate reception conditions and to boost capacity for processing incoming migrants and asylum- seekers; urges BiH to conclude an agreement with the European Asylum Support Office (EASO); calls on the EU to step up its support to BiH’s authorities, namely with regard to operational assistance;
Amendment 300 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Urges BiH to step up its efforts against cross-border crime, especially human trafficking, and to ensure swift conclusion of the status agreement with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) that would facilitate better protection of borders in full respect for fundamental rights, while helping fight cross-border crime; insists that migration and crossings must take place through official channels within the legislative framework; warns of frequent illegal attempts by migrants to cross the green border with the Republic of Croatia;
Amendment 302 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Urges BiH to step up its efforts against cross-border crime, especially human trafficking, and to ensure swift conclusion of the status agreement with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) that would facilitate better protection of borders in full respect for fundamental rights, while helping fight cross-border crimecooperation with neighbouring countries and relevant EU agencies (Europol, Eurojust, Frontex) against cross-border crime, especially human trafficking¸ migrant smuggling networks, firearms and drug trafficking;
Amendment 305 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Urges BiH to ensure swift conclusion of the status agreement with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) that would facilitate better protection of its external borders and improve its overall migration management capacities;
Amendment 308 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Expresses concern over recent allegations that visas are being provided through the diplomatic and consular network to third-country nationals which use BiH as a backdoor to enter the European Union, creating a political and diplomatic crisis in the region;
Amendment 309 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Notes the increasing number of migrants from Pakistan entering Bosnia and Herzegovina; notes the conclusion of the readmission agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Pakistan on 4 November 2020; calls for the swift ratification of the agreement;
Amendment 328 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Stresses the need for institutional reforms and an increased absorption capacity for pre-accession assistance in order to ensure a country wide implementation of the EU acquis; stresses that funding allocation should be carried out in a transparent, effective, accountable, depoliticised and non- discriminatory manner;
Amendment 329 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Urges the authorities of BiH at all levels and other beneficiaries of Union funding to enhance the visibility of the Union’s action, and communicate adequately on the added value of Union’s support;
Amendment 333 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on BiH to step up active labour market measures aimed at reducing long-term and youth unemployment, contributing to the most acute brain drain in the region; welcomes the initiative of a youth guarantee flagship as part the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, aiming to ensure qualitative job opportunities, continued education and traineeships for young people;
Amendment 362 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Recommends focusing on growth- enhancing public investment, energy and infrastructure projects, making full use of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans;
Amendment 366 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. URemains concerned that the standards of environmental protection remain low and often neglected; urges the authorities to enhance environmental protection in line with EU standards and international obligations; urges BiH’s authorities to ensure greater alignment with EU standards and policy objectives on climate protection and energy, facilitating the green and digital transition, and calls for the prioritisation of measures reducing ecological degradation and environmental risks to health; calls on more efforts to focus on the alignment of domestic legislation on all levels with the EU acquis aiming to reduce air pollution, especially in transboundary context and reduce harmful emissions to neighbouring countries;
Amendment 391 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Urges BiH to continue progressively improving Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) alignment; notes that between March 2018 and end of February 2019, the BiH aligned with 60 of the 86 declarations issued by the EU, reaching an alignment rate of 70%; calls for the strengthening of good neighbourly relations and increased efforts to resolve all outstanding bilateral issues;
Amendment 396 #
2019/2171(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. WNotes the increasing influence of foreign powers in BiH; welcomes the continued presence of EUFOR’s Operation Althea in the country and the extension of EUFOR’s mandate until November 2021; commends the work of operation EUFOR Althea that set route towards peace, stabilization and the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina; reminds that this mission still plays a pivotal role for the security and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region;
Amendment 4 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
- having regard to the Commission communication of 6 October 2020 entitled ‘An Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans’ (COM(2020)0641),
Amendment 6 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
- having regard to the Sofia declaration of the EU-Western Balkans summit of 17 May 2018 and the Sofia priority agenda,
Amendment 8 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 d (new) becomes
Citation 9 d (new) becomes
- having regard to the EU-Western Balkans summit in the framework of the Berlin Process of 10 November 2020,
Amendment 17 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 c (new)
Citation 12 c (new)
- having regard the joint statement of 8 December 2020 by Members of the European Parliament on accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania,
Amendment 37 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D d (new)
Recital D d (new)
Dd. whereas the EU has shown its commitment for the European perspective of Western Balkan countries and mobilized €3.3 billion to address the immediate health crisis and mitigate economic and social consequences of the coronavirus pandemic;
Amendment 40 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D f (new)
Recital D f (new)
Df. whereas the EU is Albania's biggest provider of financial assistance; whereas Albania has benefited from the EU assistance under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II) in total of €639.5 million since 2014;
Amendment 42 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D g (new)
Recital D g (new)
Dg. whereas the EU is the biggest assistance and aid provider to Albania in mitigating the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic; whereas Albania has received €4 million of immediate support to the health sector, €46,7 million of support for the social and economic recovery, €50,6 million in assistance funds and €180 million of Macro-Financial Assistance;
Amendment 50 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the clear strategic orientation and commitment of Albania to European integration, manifesting itself in good neighbourly relations and the continued implementation of the accession- related reforms; in that regard welcomes the Council decision of 26 March 2020 on opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania;
Amendment 51 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Emphasises the importance of the integration process as a catalyst for reforms, and welcomes the support which this process enjoys among the Albanian people;
Amendment 52 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Emphasises the importance of the integration process as a catalyst for reforms, and welcomes the support which this process enjoys among the Albanian people;
Amendment 53 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Stresses the need to improve the visibility and communication concerning EU aid and Union financing in Albania; in this regard, reminds of the performance reward under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance to North Macedonia and Albania and notably the substantial support the EU has provided to the Western Balkans to fight the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 54 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Stresses the need to improve the visibility and communication concerning EU aid and Union financing in Albania; in this regard, reminds of the performance reward under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance to North Macedonia and Albania and notably the substantial support the EU has provided to the Western Balkans to fight the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 79 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that the general elections of 25 April 2021 will be key for the country’s democratic consolidation; reminds that free and fair elections are a fundamental prerequisite for EU integration;
Amendment 80 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that the general elections of 25 April 2021 will be key for the country’s democratic consolidation; reminds that free and fair elections are a fundamental prerequisite for EU integration;
Amendment 84 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines the importance of implementing the electoral reform measures codified in July 2020, which are in line with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) ) and Council of Europe recommendations; welcomstresses the commitmentimportance to implement the forthcoming Venice Commission opinion regarding the amendments to the Electoral Code adopted in October 2020; deplores the breach of the 5 June 2020 agreement, and that the Albanian Parliament passed the disputed legislation, despite repeated calls by the international community to await the opinion of the Venice Commission;
Amendment 85 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines the importance of implementing the electoral reform measures codified in July 2020, which are in line with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) ) and Council of Europe recommendations; welcomstresses the commitmentimportance to implement the forthcoming Venice Commission opinion regarding the amendments to the Electoral Code adopted in October 2020; deplores the breach of the 5 June 2020 agreement, and that the Albanian Parliament passed the disputed legislation, despite repeated calls by the international community to await the opinion of the Venice Commission;
Amendment 92 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls for the most pressing recommendations of the Venice Commission to be adopted and implemented in due time before the upcoming general elections;
Amendment 93 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls for the most pressing recommendations of the Venice Commission to be adopted and implemented in due time before the upcoming general elections;
Amendment 106 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. EncouraUrges Albania to complete the relevant steps towards re-establishing the Constitutional Court’s ability to function fully and efficiently, and urges all involved to swiftly conclude the appointment process;
Amendment 107 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the fact that the High Court has partly regained its ability to function and that it has been reviewing more than a thousand cases, and encourages it to make further progress in the appointment of additional judges; underlines the need to support the effective functioning of these institutions by means of adequate human resources and funding;
Amendment 108 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the fact that the High Court has partly regained its ability to function and that it has been reviewing more than a thousand cases, and encourages it to make further progress in the appointment of additional judges; underlines the need to support the effective functioning of these institutions by means of adequate human resources and funding;
Amendment 114 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Notes that judicial reform and establishing conditions for functioning of the Constitutional and High Court are one of the preconditions for holding first intergovernmental conference as recognized in 2020 European Commission's report;
Amendment 147 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Calls on Albania to ensure that minority groups have equal opportunities, adequate representation in political life, public administration and the judiciary;
Amendment 154 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls on Albania to provide equal and non-discriminatory education in minority languages as well to ensure adequate access to state education and health services to all of its citizens;
Amendment 158 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Recalls the importance of measures ensuring the protection of national minorities, including self-identification, the use of languages and property rights; calls on Albania to protect and promote cultural heritage, languages and traditions of its national minorities;
Amendment 176 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Stresses that border protection and the prevention of cross-border crime, including in cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), must be a priority and conducted in full respect for fundamental rights; welcomes the launch of first fully fledged Frontex joint operation outside the European Union, deploying 50 officers and equipment from 12 EU Member States to support Albania in border control and tackling cross-border crime;
Amendment 199 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Expresses grave concern about the proposed measures under the draft media law and welcomes the commitment to adopt amendments only if they are assessed as being fully in line with the Venice Commission’s recommendations; regrets, however, that the Venice Commission recommendations are not yet adopted; notes that the media law was one of the preconditions for holding first intergovernmental conference as recognized in 2020 European Commission's report;
Amendment 203 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35a. Calls on Albania to provide dedicated media space in the state and local outlets in minority languages;
Amendment 207 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Stresses the need to substantiallyEncourages the Albanian authorities to strengthen social care coverage and improve access to social and healthcare services especially for vulnerable communities;
Amendment 208 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Stresses the need to substantiallyEncourages the Albanian authorities to strengthen social care coverage and improve access to social and healthcare services especially for vulnerable communities;
Amendment 221 #
2019/2170(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 b (new)
Paragraph 40 b (new)
40b. Welcomes the Commission’s Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) for the Western Balkans; recognises the importance of the EIP in supporting sustainable connectivity, human capital, competitiveness and inclusive growth as well in reinforcing regional and cross- border cooperation;
Amendment 1 #
2019/2169(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Believes that the EU institutions must evaluate existing programmes before drafting new EU legislation so that measures that do not work are not re- launchedCalls on the European Commission to evaluate existing programmes and data in the field of education, culture and media in order to be able to adopt a new Action Plan for Equality in due time, having a clear strategy on how to address persisting gender inequality in the cultural and creative sectors, in media, education and sports by implementing, among others, the measures proposed in the new strategy "A Union of Equality: Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025" from 5 March 2020;
Amendment 2 #
2019/2169(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 3 #
2019/2169(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers it imperative to take care alls on the European Commission to build on past initiatives launched by the Creative Europe Media Sub-Programme to devise a strategy with indicators, objectives and monitoring sport that a change in gender identity does not lead to a biological man competing against a biological woman, because this would further disadvantage women in sportystem including the production of regular statistics assessing the evolution of the situation at European level, the adoption of specific measures fostering gender balance across the existing schemes, and a structured dialogue with relevant stakeholders;
Amendment 5 #
2019/2169(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Believes that mothers and fathers should receive more social recognition for caring for their children and parenting, taking iNotes with concern that women are still underrepresented in sport, both in participation and in governance; emphasises that although the number of women actively involved in sport has significantly increased, only 20%-30% of all sports coaches in Europe are women; stresses that the gender pay gap in sport is persistento accountnd even greater thatn they are investing in the future of society by raising and bringing up their childrenverage gender pay gap at the highest levels; stresses that there are still significant differences in the media coverage of sport;
Amendment 6 #
2019/2169(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes the view that the national statistical offices of thCalls on Member States to foster initiatives that encourage gender equality and equal participation in decision- making roles in sports, enable Mfember States should, if possible, check wheale athletes to reconcile their a gender-based value for invisible work in the area of solidarity between gefamily and professional sporting life, and seek to reduce the gender-based remunerations gap and the contribution of this work to national GDP is included in the respective national calculation systemaward disparities, as well as any kind of stereotypes and harassment in sports;
Amendment 7 #
2019/2169(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Believes that the importance of local and regional authorities in promoting equal opportunities for men and women should be emphasisedCalls on Member States, in cooperation with their gender equality bodies, to work closely with sports organisations to pay particular attention to the gender dimension by encouraging female participation in sports from the earliest age, as well as in its governance structures;
Amendment 8 #
2019/2169(INI)
7. Believes that the reservations expressed by some Member States against the Istanbul Convention should be respected, and Member States should not be Calls on Member States to strive for more gender balance in education as in most Member States women represent vast majority of education fields graduates and women are over-reprevsented from addressing the societal problem of gender-based violence between persons using existing tools.as teachers; empowering girls through education should find a balanced way across all sectors and fields, including STEM areas where women are under- represented;
Amendment 10 #
2019/2169(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Encourages the Commission and Member States to ensure the creation of mechanisms throughout the education system to facilitate the promotion, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of gender equality in educational institutions;
Amendment 12 #
2019/2169(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Highlights the fact that although women in the field of media at graduate level constitute a substantial workforce, they are underrepresented in management and top-level positions; considers that both public and private media services have a responsibility to ensure equality between women and men and prevent any discrimination; calls on the Member States to develop policy incentives to reduce barriers to women’s access to management posts and leadership in media organisations; Notes that female participation on an equal level with men in reporting content and serving information sources is crucial not only for reasons of representation, but also for reasons of equal opportunities and the full recognition of their expertise and knowledge;
Amendment 16 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the EEAS, the Commission and the EU Member States to systematically integratefurther strengthen their support for gender equality and gender mainstreaming into the EU’s foreign and security policy, to support the full enjoyment of human rights by all women and to strengthen their empowerment across the globe;
Amendment 21 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Notes the increased women’s leadership in foreign and security policies and the need for meaningful participation, as well as integration of gender perspectives into the EU policies related to security, conflict prevention and resolution, and long-term peace building;
Amendment 23 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Recalls that gender mainstreaming requires not only high-level policy statements but also the political commitment of the EU and the Member States' leadership, prioritisation of objectives and monitoring of the progress made;
Amendment 27 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. CWelcomes that gender equality has been prominently included in EU political positions and dialogues with partner countries; calls on the VP/HR to make substantial and highly visible progress on gender equality in terms of leadership and management, staffing, training, financial resources and organisational hierarchy; calls in this regard for mandatory training on gender equalitythe VP/HR to increase the percentage of women in EU’s internal decision-making mechanisms and management positions;
Amendment 47 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the VP/HR to ensure that the Heads of EU Delegations abroad have a formal responsibility to ensure that gender equality is mainstreamed throughout all aspects ofin the Delegation’s work and are required to report on it; further calls on the VP/HR to ensure that there is one full-time gender focal point in the EU Delegations; a gender focal point in the EU Delegations; notes that in particular the use of gender analysis in the formulation of EU external actions is increasing and almost all EU Delegations have carried out a detailed gender analysis;
Amendment 53 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets that not a single Welcomes that the number of women deployed to CSDP missions and operations has increased and that in 2016, there were 5 women heads of missions; however regrets that nowadays none of the 121 civilian CSDP missions is headed by a woman; recalls on the VP/HR to draw up a gendthat a concerted effort by the EU leadership and Member strategy for CSDP missions with specific targetss is needed as they provide for the greater part of CSDP civilian personnel deployed;
Amendment 64 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Welcomes the guidelines on gender mainstreaming for the EU civilian missions, stresses that these guidelines represent a concrete tool for implementation, directed towards all mission staff, including management, and will help to systematically mainstream a gender perspective and adopt gender equality policies in the activities and phases of a civilian CSDP missions and is convinced that for the CSDP mission planning should take into account the recommendations of local women’s organisations;
Amendment 67 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Calls on the EC, EEAS and EU Delegations to increase the number and proportion of women among heads of diplomatic missions, EU Delegations, and CSDP missions and operations as well as EU staff participating in UN peacekeeping operations at all levels, including military and police staff;
Amendment 68 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Amendment 69 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4d. Stresses the need for a strong policy dialogue and technical assistance to bring gender equality into the enlargement and neighbourhood policy; welcomes in this regard the Commission policy dialogue on women’s empowerment with the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) and the recent creation of the mechanism to monitor progress towards gender equality made by the UfM countries;
Amendment 70 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
4e. Welcomes the growing network of Gender Focal Persons, with management support and access to training; notes in this regard that a regional meeting for gender focal points based in the Western Balkans and Turkey was organised with the aim of strengthening the work on gender equality and gender mainstreaming; welcomes the strengthened cooperation with Western Balkans in the framework of the G7 Partnership Initiative, where the EU agreed to partner with Bosnia and Herzegovina for the enhancement of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda;
Amendment 71 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 f (new)
Paragraph 4 f (new)
4f. Calls on the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) to continue monitoring process in external dimension, under the project entitled ‘EIGE’s cooperation with the EU candidate and potential candidate countries 2017-2019: improved monitoring of gender equality progress’, aiming to support better monitoring of several policy areas in the EU candidate and potential candidate countries in order to improve policy, legislation and practice, and gender equality progress in general;
Amendment 79 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. SRecognizes that women’s peace efforts at the local, national and international level is also an essential resource for conflict resolution and peace building; stresses that developing and using gender analysis and the systematic integration of a gender perspective constitutes one ofin foreign and security policies constitutes an added value for the foundations of effective and lasting conflict prevention and resolution;
Amendment 97 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the EU Strategic Approach to Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and the EU Action Plan on WPS adopted in 2019; regrets, however,points out that translating this policy commitment into action remains a challenge and requires continued efforts;
Amendment 98 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Notes that in 2018 the EU and the UN agreed on a new set of forward- looking priorities for cooperation on peace operations and crisis management for 2019- 2021 and stresses the need to develop the number one priority consisting on the establishment of an EU- UN collaborative platform on Women, Peace and Security;
Amendment 99 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Welcomes the EU-NATO cooperation aiming to promote peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area, where one of the main focus points is to promote the Women Peace and Security Agenda;
Amendment 100 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Welcomes the EEAS Gender and Equal Opportunities Strategy 2018-2023 and invites EEAS to review it in due course and consider setting specific and measurable objectives including on the presence of women in management positions;
Amendment 105 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Welcomes the work done by the EEAS Principal Advisor on Gender and calls for the advisor to report directly to the VP/HR; reiterates the need of the EEAS to continue its efforts towards gender mainstreaming of the work in each EEAS Directorate and encourage its staff to work closely with the European Institute for Gender Equality; stresses that knowledge sharing between the EU institutions and agencies is a substantial and highly efficient tool to avoid high administrative costs and unnecessary increase in bureaucracy;
Amendment 108 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Recalls that the EU made a commitment to increase the number of women in institutions dealing with conflict prevention, crisis management and peace negotiations by signing the UNSCR 1325 (2000) on ‘Women, Peace and Security’ which clearly identifies women as important actors in peacebuilding and conflict mediation;
Amendment 110 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. UrgeNotes that GAP II has served an important purpose and supported the entire EU foreign policy agenda shifting the institutional culture of the Commission’s services and the EEAS in order to more effectively deliver on the EU’s commitments to gender equality and women’s empowerment through the EU’s external relations, and welcomes therefore the Commission’s proposal to carry out a review and present a new EU Gender Action Plan III (GAP III) in 2020; recommends the VP/HR and the EU Member States to include references to UNSC resolution 1325 and follow-up resolutions in CSDP-related Council decisions and mission mandates, and to makemaking sure that all CSDP missions and operations have an annual action plan on how to implement the objectives of the future GAP III and the EU Action Plan on WPS;
Amendment 124 #
2019/2167(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recognises that gender equality is a prerequisite forn integral part of an efficient management of climate challengesin the external actions and thematic areas, such as climate challenges; calls for more women as decision-makers in international forums discussing climate policy.
Amendment 31 #
2019/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the world is facing a global shift of powers with geopolitical competition being a leading trend in foreign politics that requires quick, unified and adequate response mechanisms;
Amendment 35 #
2019/2136(INI)
F. whereas new political forces are pushing for their own global and regional ambitions, endangering the peace and stability in the European neighbourhood, with unpredictable consequences for European and global security;
Amendment 61 #
2019/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Believes that no single EU Member State on its own can provide an efficient response to today’s global challenges; stresses the need for intense European cooperation to have an influence on the world stage that would not be possible when divided;
Amendment 87 #
2019/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that multilateralism is at the centre of the EU’s efforts to prevent and solve conflicts; stresses the importance of the relations with like- minded countries and the engagement with emerging countries;
Amendment 105 #
2019/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Reiterates the urgent need to strengthen the EU’s resilience and independence by reinforcing a CFSP which promotes peace, security, human rights and, fundamental freedoms and rule of law in Europe and throughout the world;
Amendment 124 #
2019/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Reiterates that, apart from the overall CFSP, the objectives of the European policy regarding the Western Balkan countries is to guide them towards accession; highlights that this process of enlargement is merit-based and depends on their respect for the Copenhagen criteria and their individual achievements to meet the imposed criteria;
Amendment 185 #
2019/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Reiterates, in this respect, that over the years Parliament has developed a series of instruments and networks in the field of external action, such as joint parliamentary committees and parliamentary co-operation committees with third countries, as well as that of the interparliamentary delegations, ad-hoc delegations and election observation missions, which are both distinct from and complementary to those of the European Union executive; calls therefore for a more integrated approach to EU foreign and security policy which would include a parliamentary dimension, and for interinstitutional cooperation when devising strategies towards third countries and regions, with a special emphasis on the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership countries;
Amendment 195 #
2019/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls for the strengthening of parliamentary role, oversight and scrutiny of EU external action, including by continuing to hold regular consultations with the VP/HR, the EEAS and the Commission, and for the conclusion of negotiations on Parliament’s access to sensitive Council information in the field of the CFSP and the CSDP;
Amendment 235 #
2019/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls for greater coherence, consistency and complementarity between the EU’s external financing instruments and the CFSP to enable the European Union to tackle growing security and foreign policy challenges; considers that the simplified structure of external instruments proposed under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument calls for proper checks and balances, a sufficient level of transparency, and strategic policy input and scrutiny of implementapplication by Parliament; stresses the need for efficient and adequate funding underan increased role of the Parliament during the scrutiny and steering of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance for 2021-2027 (IPA III); highlights the role of the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP), particularly in supporting peace and stability around the world; expects a timely adoption of the post-2020 instruments, so as to avoid unnecessary funding gaps;
Amendment 242 #
2019/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Encourages the EU to further prioritise conflict prevention and mediation; underlines that this approach delivers a high degree of EU added value in political, social, economic and security terms; recalls that conflict prevention and mediation activities help to assert the presence and credibility of the EU on the international scene; highlights Parliament’s valuable contribution in the field of conflict resolution, mediation and dialogue, especially in the Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries, and calls for the further development of interinstitutional cooperation on mediationand dialogue on mediation; reiterates the EU's commitment to the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and all the other Eastern Partnership countries within their internationally recognized borders;
Amendment 251 #
2019/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Recalls the importance of a strong European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) where the EU commits on common societal, political and economic interests with partner countries of the East and South; emphasizes the need of the ENP to strengthen the resilience of the EU's partners as a key priority in the face of threats and pressures they are experiencing;
Amendment 375 #
2019/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Stresses the need to benefit from the EU’s competitive advantage so that it can quickly establish a strategic position in the international race of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligenceinformation, aerospace, defence and renewable energy industries, in order to prevent the EU from becoming dependent on third country technological and digital giants;
Amendment 36 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that instability and unpredictability on the Union’s borders and in its immediate neighbourhood (north Africa, the Middle East, Ukraine, the Caucasus, the Balkans, etc.) pose a both a direct and indirect threat to the security of the continent; stresses the inextricable link between internal and external security;
Amendment 52 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Deplores the fact that, in this context, these actors are deliberately circumventing or attempting to destroy the multilateral mechanisms essential to maintaining peace and to jeopardize the established bilateral relations of the EU with partner countries;
Amendment 72 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes that the Union has been slow to react and adapt – politically, diplomatically and militarily – to new crises and to this new international context; considers that, in the specific area of defence, insufficient investment, differences in capabilities and a lack of interoperability, but also, and above all, a political reluctance to implement the robust provisions provided for in the European treaties and the numerous cooperation arrangements between Member States have weakened the Union’s ability to play a decisive role in external crises; recognises and underlines, further, that no country is able by itself to address the security challenges on the European continent and in its immediate environment;
Amendment 78 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes, in this adverse and volatile context, the belated but real recognition of shared security interests and the crucial growing political will on the part of European Member States as well as the rest of the European countries and the European institutions to act collectively for their security by endowing themselves with greater means to act autonomously;
Amendment 151 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that European strategic autonomy can only be genuinely achieved if Member States demonstrate solidarity, which is reflected in particular in the need to prioritise the procurement of European capabilities where equipment is available and competitive;
Amendment 179 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Considers that Europe’s defence is based largely on the Union’s capacity to intervene militarily, in a credible manner and without unnecessary delay, in external theatres of operations;
Amendment 205 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Reiterates the strategic importance of the Western Balkans for the security and stability of the EU; stresses the need to improve the EU’s engagement, integration and coordination in the region, including by the mandate of the EU’s CSDP missions; reiterates that the EU’s policy on the Western Balkans aims to align the countries in the region with the EU acquis and assist them towards accession, increasing the management of peace and stability for the Europe as a whole;
Amendment 207 #
2019/2135(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19 b. Emphasizes the pivotal role of Operation EUFOR Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the developments towards and the maintenance of peace and security in the country and the region; welcomes the Council’s conclusions of October 2019 that supports the continued presence European military forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Amendment 65 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EU, through continuous actions at bilateral and multilateral level, contributed to advancing human rights in 2018, in particular by strengthening the political dialogue with non-EUcountries that seek European integration and third countries, and by establishing new international agreements, inter alia trade and economic partnerships;
Amendment 77 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas democratic transition, European integration and the establishment or consolidation of the rule of law in many countries are long and arduous processes, for which external support over a prolonged period, including from the EU, is essential to their success;
Amendment 95 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Expresses its deep concern at the attacks on democracy and the rule of law worldwide in 2018, which reflect the rise of authoritarianism as a political project, embodying disregard for human rights, repression of dissent, politicised justice and predetermined elections; is of the opinion that countries falling into authoritarian regimes become more vulnerablprone to instability, conflict, corruption and, violent extremism and involvement in foreign military conflicts; welcomes the fact that, at the same time, a number of countries have launched peace and democratisation processes, implemented constitutional and judicial reforms, and engaged with civil society in open and public debates with the objective of promoting fundamental freedoms and human rights, including the abolition of the death penalty;
Amendment 390 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Urges the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to step up advocacy in relation to FoRB, and to launch interreligious dialogue with states and representatives of civil society and faith groups in order to prevent acts of violence and discrimination against persons on the grounds of thought, conscience, religion or belief; calls for the EU to continue to forge alliances and to enhance cooperation with a broad range of countries and regional organisations, in order to deliver positive change in relation to FoRB, especially in conflict areas where such groups are most vulnerable; reminds the Council and Commission of the need to adequately support the institutional mandate, capacity and duties of the Special Envoy for the promotion of FoRB outside the EU;
Amendment 452 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Stresses the urgent need to tackle the root causes of migration flows such as wars, conflicts,civil and proxy wars, interethnic conflicts, political or religious persecution, networks of illegal migration, human trafficking, smuggling and climate change; calls for the external dimension of the refugee crisis to be addressed, including by finding sustainable solutions to conflicts through building cooperation and partnerships with the third countries concerned; insists that the implementation of the Global Compacts on migration and refugees must therefore go hand in hand with the implementation of the UN’s 2030 Agenda as set out in the Strategic Development Goals, as well as with increased investment in developing countries;
Amendment 479 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Stresses that the EU should continue to actively support democratic and effective human rights institutions and civil society in their efforts to promote democratisation; positively notes, in this context, the European Endowment for Democracy’s consistent engagement in the Western Balkans and in the eastern and southern neighbourhoods of the EU to promote European integration, democracy and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms; recalls that the experience gained and the lessons learned from transitions to democracy in the framework of the enlargement and neighbourhood policies could make a positive contribution to the identification of best practices that could be used to support and consolidate other democratisation processes worldwide;
Amendment 5 #
2019/2072(DEC)
2. Notes with appreciation, and highlights the positive effects of, the continued impact of the pricing structure introduced in 2017 for the translation of documents, which corresponded to a saving of EUR 4,4 million for the Centre’s clients in 2018;
Amendment 3 #
2019/2055(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is worried that European Court of Auditors concluded that beneficiaries of Union funding under Erasmus+ were in some cases obliged to follow national rules that were not fully in line with Union principles; stresses that the Commission should closely monitor the coherence of implementation measures throughout all Member States, taking into account full social inclusion and people with disadvantages, for whom unified standards at Union level is lacking;
Amendment 10 #
2019/2055(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the 11 000 placements offered to young people by the European Solidarity Corps programme; regrets, however, the lack of data on the number of placements in the occupational strand of the programme; calls for an increase of the complementarity with national programmes;
Amendment 7 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas Switzerland’s current relationship with the EU is based on a complex set of some 20 main sectoral bilateral agreements and around 100 other agreements; whereas Switzerland only partially participates in all four freedoms; whereas the future implementation of this complex set of agreements cannot be guaranteed unless an overarching framework is agreed upon;
Amendment 8 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the EU has a very close, and mutually beneficial, partnership with Switzerland, based on a joint cultural history and shared values such as democracy, the rule of law, freedom, market economy and international cooperation;
Amendment 10 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the Swiss Federal Council wishes to conclude an institutional agreement with the EU that ensures legal certainty in the area of market access and preserves Swiss prosperity, independence and legal system7 ; _________________ 7 https://www.eda.admin.ch/dam/dea/en/doc uments/fs/11-FS-Institutionelle- Fragen_en.pdfhas announced a stakeholder consultation on the result of the negotiations on the basis of the text agreed between the negotiators in mid-December;
Amendment 19 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas Switzerland cooperates in the selected parts of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and has participated in the civil and military peace missions of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), notably in Ukraine and Mali;
Amendment 25 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas Switzerland introduced ‘'flanking measures’' in 2002 with the stated aim of protecting Swiss wages, working conditions and social standards, which the EU considers to be not in line with the FMOPA;
Amendment 27 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital N
Recital N
N. whereas Switzerland has been a member of EFTA since 1960 and of the United Nations since 2002;
Amendment 28 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas the ‘Swiss law, not foreign judges" (Self-Determination Initiative)’ was rejected by popular vote by 66 % and by all cantons on 25 November 2018;
Amendment 29 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital O a (new)
Recital O a (new)
Oa. whereas Switzerland is committed to political neutrality and as such has been the host to a number of international negotiations aiming to reach peaceful solutions to armed conflicts around the world;
Amendment 30 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital O b (new)
Recital O b (new)
Ob. whereas the European Commission in late 2018 extended for six months its decision to recognise trading venues in Switzerland as eligible for compliance with the trading obligation for shares set out in the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive and Regulation (equivalence);
Amendment 36 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
a) highlights that Switzerland and the EU enjoy close, broad and comprehensive relations, and that economic, political, social, scientific and people-to-people ties and links are strongexemplary, recalling the unique cultural and geographical proximity between the two;
Amendment 38 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
b) welcomes the Swiss statement that it is in its interest, and in their interest of the EU, to renew and consolidate the bilateral approach and to forge an ever-closer relationship;
Amendment 39 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
ba) highlights that the EU has shown great flexibility in the negotiations for the IFA and that this has to be recognised by all parties concerned;
Amendment 41 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
c) urges that the EU’'s relations with its close partner, Switzerland, be elevated through the timely conclusion of the negotiations on the bilateral institutional framework agreement and highlights the potential to further intensify the relationconsolidated as soon as possible; stresses that the time has come to conclude the agreement after four years of negotiations; welcomes the agreement by negotiators on a final text for the Institutional framework agreement; calls on the Swiss Federal Council to take a decision to conclude this agreement, as soon as the consultation of stakeholders that are already in places positively concluded in this respect;
Amendment 46 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
d) stresses that the free movement of persons is a fundamental, and non- negotiable, pillar of EU policy and the internal market, and that its four freedoms are indivisible; expresses regret at the one- sided, disproportionate and discriminatory ‘flanking measures’ of Switzerland that have been in force since 2002; and invites Switzerland and the EU to come to a mutually acceptable agreement on the issue;
Amendment 48 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
e) underlines the fact that Switzerland should continue making a significant financial contribution in an effort to reduce economic and social disparities in the EUtrongly benefits from a democratic and competitive development throughout its European neighbours and that hence its financial contributions to programmes such as the Cohesion Fund are in its own interest and should be continued; recalls that Switzerland draws very significant benefits from participating in the Single Market; stresses that future Swiss contribution to EU cohesion is essential and should be stepped up considerably;
Amendment 51 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
ea) regrets, that despite no rapid growth in the numbers of Croatians working in Switzerland, Switzerland extended the transitional measures for Croatian workers and self-employed beyond the initial period of two years; calls on the Swiss authorities to consider shortening the period of application of the transitional measures, particularly in view of the undoubted economic benefits of free movement of labour between the EU and Switzerland;
Amendment 54 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
f) suggests that Switzerland better explain to its citizens the need for a very close partnership with the EU as well as the many tangible benefits they reap on a daily basis from having access to the internal market and a closer cooperation with the EU;
Amendment 59 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
h) nNotes that Switzerland has welcomed well over a million immigrants from1.4million EU citizens live in Switzerland, while over 450,000 Swiss citizens live in the EU;
Amendment 61 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j
Paragraph 1 – point j
j) acknowledges the contribution that the close EU-Swiss partnership brings to the bilateral sectoral agreements; urges, however, that it is high time to elevate the partnership and take a much more comprehensive and substantial step in bilateral relations by concluding the framework agreement as early as possible;
Amendment 62 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k
Paragraph 1 – point k
k) welcomes the fact that, for a very long time, the promotion of peace has beenis an important part of Swiss foreign policy; takes note ofwelcomes Switzerland’s involvement in peace promotionstrong role in peace building and its involvement in helping finding solutions in different areas of crisis, in particular in the Balkan States such as Bosnia- and Herzegovina and, Kosovo, in Ukraine, in the Middle East in countries such as Syria, in North Africa, in the Horn of Africa, and in the Sahel;
Amendment 64 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point k a (new)
ka) welcomes the Swiss role as a facilitator in implementing complex federal structures, peace-brokered, constitutional arrangements in order to help coexistence of different ethnics backgrounds such as in Nepal and Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Amendment 65 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l
Paragraph 1 – point l
l) welcomes the participation and support of Switzerland in EU security and defence missions, such as in EUFOR ALTHEA, EULEX Kosovo, EUTM Mali and EUBAM Libya, and in the work of the European Defence Agency; welcomes close cooperation with Switzerland on humanitarian aid, civil protection, counter- terrorism and climate change;
Amendment 75 #
2018/2262(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
p) urges the conclusion of negotiations on Swiss particalls on Switzerland to start negotiating its associpation into the Erasmusfuture ERASMUS programmes;
Amendment 3 #
2018/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the Principality of Andorra (Andorra), the Principality of Monaco (Monaco) and the Republic of San Marino (San Marino) are among the oldest European states; whereas they have always been at the core of European history and have deep, long-standing political, economic and cultural relations with the Member States in their immediate proximity and with the EU at large and whereas the EU’s partnership with these countries is founded on our common set of political and cultural values;
Amendment 7 #
2018/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Andorra, Monaco and San Marino have demonstrated a strong political, economic and cultural European vocation and a strong desire to pursue closer political, economic and cultural relations with the European Union; whereas in the interests of Andorra, Monaco and San Marino, on the one hand, and the EU, on the other, it is important to respond positively to this vocation in a timely manner and to facilitate the creation of a new and functioning framework for closer relations at EU level at the earliest conveniencas soon as possible; whereas the Association Agreement under negotiation can provide such a framework;
Amendment 10 #
2018/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas it is also in the interests of the Member States that traditionally have close historical, political and economic ties with Andorra, Monaco and San Marino to facilitate an upgrade and specification of the relations of these states with the European Union at large;
Amendment 15 #
2018/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas Andorra, Monaco and San Marino are, each in their own right, relevant economic partners for the Member States in their immediate proximity and provide employment opportunities for a considerable number of EU citizens; whereas a closer interface between Andorra, Monaco and San Marino and the EU would provide these three states with an important opportunity for further economic development, with a positive economic spillover effect on the Member State regions in immediate proximity, including through additional employment opportunities;
Amendment 17 #
2018/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas it is important to recognise the small territorial dimensions and population size of Andorra, Monaco and San Marino and the relevant implications thereof in terms of socio-economic access and inclusion for the citizens of such states; whereas such access and inclusion are essential to preserving the culture, traditions and values specific to the three communities; whereas without such dedicated access and inclusion mechanisms, some citizens may struggle to find the means necessary to live in their country of origin; whereas it is therefore essential to preserve, including through adequate provisions in the Association Agreement, the political, socio-economic, cultural and identitarian fabric of Andorra, Monaco and San Marino, and adapt them to the realities of 21st century European integration;
Amendment 29 #
2018/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
a) seize the opportunity presented by the negotiations on the Association Agreement to demonstrate the value of closer relations and integration with the EU – looking at public opinion both in Andorra, Monaco and San Marino and in the EU – and to further reaffirm the value of EU membership for such countries in the longer term;
Amendment 36 #
2018/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
c) adjust the required adoption and implementation of the acquis communautaire to the small territorial dimensions and limited administrative resourprovide assistances, in relative terms, off needed, to Andorra, Monaco and San Marino, so as to prevent the need for the three states to increase their bureaucracy substantially, which would in turn have negative implications on the available budgetary resources and public opinion in setting up the necessary adminstrative capactiy to ensure a swift, dynamic and uniform takeover of the acquis;
Amendment 39 #
2018/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
c a) call for the creation of a coherent, efficient and effective institutional framework to implement the Association Agreement in order to ensure the dynamic takeover of the EU acquis by the three countries, as well as the uniform application and consistent interpretation of the provisions of the Agreement; which must include a forum of consultation, as well as a dispute resolution mechanism;
Amendment 44 #
2018/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
f a) welcomes the positive progress with Andorra on the tobacco sector and encourages all parties to actively continue their efforts to achieve a swift finalisation of these negotiations, which might preferably result in a single agreement with three country-related protocols and annexes on the acquis.
Amendment 47 #
2018/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
Amendment 52 #
2018/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i
Paragraph 1 – point i
i) advance negotiations on the Association Agreement with Andorra, Monaco and San Marino as a matter of priority and provide the negotiating parties with all necessary institutional and policy- specific support in a timely fashion so that negotiations can be completed in the next two years;
Amendment 1 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2
Citation 2
Amendment 2 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
- having regard to the first meeting of the EU-BiH Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC) held on 5-6 November 2015, the third meeting of the EU-BiH Stabilisation and Association Council held on 13July 2018 and the third meeting of the EU- BiH Stabilisation and Association Committee held on 27 March 2018,
Amendment 6 #
2018/2148(INI)
- having regard to the Joint Statement of 8 October 2018 by HR/VP Mogherini and Commissioner Johannes Hahn on the elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Amendment 16 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas joint Croatian and Bosniak forces defended Orašje, and on 31 October 2016, only officers of Croatian nationality were arrested for alleged war crimes;
Amendment 19 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas BiH is also a signatory to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo, 1991);
Amendment 31 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is concerned about the marked slowdown in the pace of reforms due to disagreements between parties and the pre- electoral campaign that started very early; stresses that the declared commitment of the BiH authorities to the European path must be matched by consistent implementation of reforms stemming from the Reform Agenda and translated into concrete results, to the benefit of citizens; regrets that, apart frorm the adoption of the countrywide strategies in the field of the environment and rural development, and of some important reform measures, such as the Law on Excise Duties, no substantial progress has been achievedLaw on Excise Duty, no substantial progress has been achieved, and is particularly concerned about the failure to adopt countrywide strategies for environmental protection, which presents an obstacle to access to IPA funds, which are important for funding and implementing the necessary projects;
Amendment 43 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Regrets that no compromisthere hwas been reached with regard to changes to the electoral legislation required to implement the Constitutional Courtno implementation of the Constitutional Court decision to amend electoral framework according to the decision in the Ljubić case on the election of the members of the Federation House of Peoples; urges all political leaders to show responsibility and amend swiftly the electoral framework in order to ensure smooth implementation of the results of the elections; stresses that holding credible elections and implementing the results is an essential feature of a well-functioning democracy, as well as a requirement for any country aspiring to join the EUto find compromises and solutions which will be acceptable to all constitutional people; stresses that holding credible elections and implementing the results and forming the government which respects the constitutional architecture is an essential feature and precondition for progress as well as for fulfilling the requirement for the EU accession;
Amendment 48 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Regrets that no compromise has been reached with regard to changes to the electoral legislation required to implement the Constitutional Court decision in the Ljubić case on the election of the members of the Federation House of Peoples; is concerned that the results of the elections held on 7 October 2018 will affect the already rather weak position of Croats as one of the three constitutive peoples in BiH; points out that the existing legal framework and electoral legislation undermine the rights of one constitutive people by preventing them from electing their member of the Presidency; urges all political leaders to show responsibility and amend swiftly the electoral framework in order to ensure smooth implementation of the results of the elections; stresses that holding credible elections and implementing the results is an essential feature of a well-functioning democracy, as well as a requirement for any country aspiring to join the EU;
Amendment 54 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Emphasises the importance of the decision of the Constitutional Court regarding the principle of constituent status and the equality of its three constitutive peoples to elect their own legitimate political representatives based on legitimate and proportional representation;
Amendment 55 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. regrets that because of not implementing the electoral law and Constitutional Court decision in Ljubić case, despite the high turnover of Croats in the elections they lost their representatives in Presidence of BiH; urges all parties to find a compromise in coming period and form a government that will reflect legitimate representation of all constituent peoples;
Amendment 56 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. regrets that because of not implementing the electoral law and Constitutional Court decision in Ljubić case, despite the high turnover of Croats in the elections they lost their representatives in Presidence of BiH; urges all parties to find a compromise in coming period and form a government that will reflect legitimate representation of all constituent peoples;
Amendment 57 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3d. Regrets that the issue of the legitimate representation of three constituent communities raised in Parliaments resolution is still an open issue, which should be addressed as soon as possible by the new legislators, including through the operationalization of the Sejdić Finci decision;
Amendment 58 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 e (new)
Paragraph 3 e (new)
3e. reaffirms the statement made by Mogherini and Hahn about election campaign concerns, and especially the need to form the Federation House of People's along the lines decided by the Constitutional Court in the Ljubić case;
Amendment 63 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Call for the momentum of the reform to be maintained in order to transform BiH into a fully effective, inclusive and functional state based on the Rule of Law, guaranteeing equality and democratic representation of all its constituent peoples and citizens; urges all political leaders to work on introducing the necessary changes, including the reform of electoral law, also taking into account the principles expressed in its previous Resolutions, including the principles of federalism, decentralisation and legitimate representation;
Amendment 65 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the international community to start a discussion on the necessary constitutional reforms that will guarantee the full functionality and stability of BiH; underlines that it is crucial to establish equality among all three constitutive peoples; sees, therefore, federalisation as a possible solution;
Amendment 69 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for the adoption of further countrywide strategies in areas such as energythe environment, employment and public financial management, which will enable consistent implementation of reforms throughout the country, as well as access to further IPA funding; urges the adoption of a national programme for approximation of the country’s laws with the EU acquis, a legal requirement under the SAA and an indispensable means of preparing for EU accession;
Amendment 83 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Deplores the fact that BiH remains in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights by not implementing the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the Sejdić-Finci, Zornić, Pilav and Šlaku cases, which allows overt discrimination between citizens in BiH in flagrant contradiction with EU values; recalls that the Commission should pay attention to this issue when preparing its opinion; stresses that, as in the case of any aspiring member of the EU, BiH is expected to progressively align its legal system with the requirements of the EU acquis regarding non-discrimination, and expects progress to be made on these essential issues in due course after the electionand which blocks the flow of the government functioning and acquis communautaire; regrets, as well, that BiH did not comply with the decision of Constitutional Court on Mostar and Ljubić case; recalls that the Commission does not have competency to amend constitutional architecture which was agreed with the peace treaties; insists that implementing these rulings must not affect further implementation of the Reform Agenda;
Amendment 90 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls for the Croats, as one of the three constitutive peoples, to be guaranteed the enjoyment of all the human, political and civil rights to which they are entitled, and for them to be empowered in an institutional, political and social sense; calls for the use of the Croatian language and alphabet to be ensured in public and in the media, and for education in the Croatian language to be guaranteed;
Amendment 91 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on respecting the constitutional architecture of BiH which co-creators and signatories of the peace treaties are as well Members of the European Union;
Amendment 94 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for more effective measures to combat all forms of discrimination, in particular by adopting country-wide human rights and anti-discrimination strategies; regrets that there was no progress in addressing the ‘two schools under one roof’ issue; urges that decisive action be taken at all levels in order to find systemic solutions that will ensure inclusive and non- discriminatory education for all children which is available in their native language; calls for equal status of the Croatian language in all public institutions and in public use; calls for more effective implementation of the legal provisions regarding equality between men and women; urges that progress be made towards ensuring that the rights of persons with disabilities are respected, in particular by swiftly addressing the relevant UN recommendations; acknowledges the steps taken towards the legal protection of LGBTI persons but stresses that more needs to be done in order to prosecute violence and hate crimes against them, as well as to promote their social inclusion; is concerned that lack of coordination between different levels of authority and lack of funding continue to hamper effective protection of minorities and vulnerable groups, in particular Roma people;
Amendment 95 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for more effective measures to combat all forms of discrimination, in particular by adopting country-wide human rights and anti-discrimination strategies; regrets that there was no progress in addressing the ‘twoquality and inclusive educational programmes, which would fully respect cultural and language diversity according to the UNESCO conventions; notes that adoption of programmes and curriculum on the whole territory of BiH schools under one roof’ issuuld respect cultural and language diversity of the people while respecting the constitutional architecture; urges that decisive action be taken at all levels in order to find systemic solutions that will ensure inclusive and non- discriminatory education for all children; calls for more effective implementation of the legal provisions regarding equality between men and women; urges that progress be made towards ensuring that the rights of persons with disabilities are respected, in particular by swiftly addressing the relevant UN recommendations; acknowledges the steps taken towards the legal protection of LGBTI persons but stresses that more needs to be done in order to prosecute violence and hate crimes against them, as well as to promote their social inclusion; is concerned that lack of coordination between different levels of authority and lack of funding continue to hamper effective protection of minorities and vulnerable groups, in particular Roma people;
Amendment 116 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Regrets the lack of progress on freedom of expression and the independence of the media; clearly rejects continued attempts to put political and financial pressure on the media; emphasises the importance of independent journalism as the guardian of democracy; condemns the recurrent cases of intimidation, threats, and verbal and physical attacks against journalists; calls on the authorities to collect data on these cases, ensure swift investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators and promote an environment conducive to freedom of expression; reiterates its call for the independence and sustainable financing of the public broadcasters to be ensured; deplores the fact that due to political obstruction a functional public broadcasting service, could not be established; renews its call for the transparency of media ownership to be ensured, notably through a dedicated law; calls for the amendment of the Law on Public Broadcasting Service in order to resolve the issue of the legitimacy and legality of the current Federal Television Steering Board, whose mandate has expired, and in order to urgently appoint new members of the Steering Board; condemns the elimination of media and media programmes in the Croatian language; renews its call for the transparency of media ownership to be ensured, notably through a dedicated law; calls for media pluralism to be ensured and for unrestricted broadcasting of television and radio programmes and content in the languages of all three constitutive peoples to be enabled;
Amendment 121 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Regrets the lack of progress on freedom of expression and the independence of the media; clearly rejects continued attempts to put political and financial pressure on the media; condemns the recurrent and recent cases of intimidation, death threats, and verbal and physical attacks against journalists, in particular to investigative journalist who are writing about non prosecuted war crimes cases; calls on the authorities to collect data on these cases, ensure swift investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators and promote an environment conducive to freedom of expression; reiterates its call for the independence and sustainable financing of the public broadcasters to be ensured; deplores the fact that due to political obstruction a functional public broadcasting service, could not be established; renews its call for the transparency of media ownership to be ensured, notably through a dedicated law;
Amendment 123 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Urges, as it was expressed in principles in previous Resolutions, ensuring broadcasting in all three official languages of BiH which would protect cultural diversity of all constituent peoples in BiH;
Amendment 128 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Regrets the lack of progress with regard to the reform of public administration; acknowledges the steps taken towards the development of the new country-widewelcomes the recently adopted Strategic Plan for public administration reform strategy and calls for its swift adoptionthe implementation of the adopted measures; draws attention again to the fragmentation of the policy-making system in BiH and stresses the need to improve the quality, coherence and financial affordability of public policies throughout the country; calls for the adoption of a country-wide strategy on public financial management and for increased budget transparency in BiH, as well as for stronger mechanisms to prevent inefficiency and waste of public resources, including in the area of public procurement; calls in particular for action to be taken to reduce the risk of politicisation of civil service, through an effective human resources management system at all administrative levels;
Amendment 144 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes the adoption of the action plan on the implementation of the 2014-2018 Justice Sector Reform Strategy in March 2017 and the establishment of the necessary reporting and monitoring structures; points to the need for decisive action regarding its implementation; is concerned by continuing politically motivated threats against the judiciary; reiterates the need to strengthen the independence of the judiciary, including from political influence, as well as its impartiality not use different penal codes depending on community they are prosecuting, professionalism, efficiency and accountability, especially in war crime cases; welcomes the implementation of the action plan adopted by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) aimed at strengthening appointment, disciplinary and integrity measures as regards the judiciary; calls for standardization of penal codes for war crime cases;
Amendment 164 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Expresses its concern about the rise in radicalisation and the presence of radicalised groups directly on the external borders of the European Union; calls for this issue to be tackled seriously and as a matter of priority in order to remove the security threat – both for the Republic of Croatia and the European Union as a whole; calls for the investigation of arms flows from BiH, as well as money flows into BiH, and for their use for the purposes of radicalisation to be prevented; stresses that the security situation in BiH is one of the priorities for ensuring that BiH can advance towards EU membership;
Amendment 169 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes with concern the increasing number of migrants arriving in BiH lately and the lack of coordination between different government levels in responding to this situation, as well as the concern of building the refugee camps on the border with the EU, without taking into consideration the concern and resistance of local communities; considers that the issue of migration should not be politicised; welcomes the EU humanitarian aid to address the increasing needs of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in the country; believes that cooperation with neighbouring countries and the EU is essential in addressing this common challenge;
Amendment 177 #
2018/2148(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Notes that progress in the areas of environmental protection and climate change has been poor; calls on BiH authorities to quickly enhance environmental protection in line with EU standards, including the prevention of transboundary air pollution and especially the pollution caused by the Bosanski Brod oil refinery, whose harmful impact is cutting across borders and affecting the quality of life and the health of people living in Slavonski Brod in the Republic of Croatia; maintains that BiH needs to comply in full with its obligations under the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo, 1991) and the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment (Kiev, 2003), not least as regards activities in the Neretva and Trebišnjica river basin;
Amendment 16 #
2018/2146(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 27 November 2014 on Serbia: the case of the accused war criminal Šešelj,
Amendment 29 #
2018/2146(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the implementation of the legal framework on the protection of minorities needs to be fully guaranteed, especially as regards education, the use of languages, access to media and religious services in minority languages, and appropriate political representation of national minorities at local, regional, and national levels;
Amendment 31 #
2018/2146(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. whereas the application of Articles 2 and 3 of the Serbian Law on the Organisation and Jurisdiction of Government Authorities in War Crimes Proceedings constitutes a violation of generally accepted principles of international criminal law;
Amendment 32 #
2018/2146(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
Dc. Whereas Vojislav Šešelj, a member of the Serbian National Assembly who has been convicted by the Appeals Chamber of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals of crimes against humanity, uses public space to disseminate hate speech, is abusing his National Assembly office, openly makes threats against opposition representatives and members of the Croatian national minority, and, during a visit by the Croatian Parliament Delegation to the Serbian Assembly, caused an incident and desecrated the Croatian flag;
Amendment 60 #
2018/2146(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls for the Statutory Social Security Contributions Act and the Health Insurance Act to be amended so as to prevent discrimination against small farmers and lay down a genuine basis for the payment of contributions in proportion to property size;
Amendment 85 #
2018/2146(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Notes with concern that nonaligned visa policy, i.e. liberalisation towards Iran opened a possibility for illegal migration and smuggling towards EU countries, as well as neighbouring non-EU countries, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina from where migrants continue their journey to the EU;
Amendment 109 #
2018/2146(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Calls on Serbia to show more tangible results in fighting organized crime which involves illegal trafficking and smuggling the migrants from Serbia towards EU countries, and fragile, bordering, non-EU countries such as Bosnia and Herzegovina; suggested measures may include better coordination of Serbia authorities and non- governmental sector, stricter measures for potential perpetrators, education for citizens, NGOs and migrants on smuggling and human trafficking activities;
Amendment 127 #
2018/2146(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Condemns the behaviour of Vojislav Šešelj, a convicted war criminal and a member of the Serbian National Assembly, and especially the incident that occurred at the Serbian Assembly on 18 April 2018; points out to Serbia that incidents of that kind do nothing to assist progress and calls on Serbian politicians and political elites to refrain from using public discourse to fuel the rise of radicalism;
Amendment 148 #
2018/2146(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Notes that the application of the Law on the Organisation and Jurisdiction of Government Authorities in War Crimes Proceedings is contrary to generally accepted principles of international criminal law – namely the principle of legal certainty and the principle of non- interference in the internal affairs of other states – and impeding the process of reconciliation in south-eastern Europe; calls on the Serbian authorities to repeal the relevant articles without delay and abandon the notion of quasi-universal jurisdiction for war crimes in neighbouring countries; calls on the Commission and the Member States to invest additional efforts to resolve this issue within the EU-Serbia negotiating process, particularly within the scope of Chapter 23;
Amendment 182 #
2018/2146(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes the adoption of an action plan for the realisation of the rights of national minorities, and the adoption of a decree establishing a fund for national minorities; stresses, however, that progress as regards guaranteeing the rights of national minorities is less than satisfactory and calls for the full implementation of the action plan and for improved coordination and inclusion of stakeholders; notes that the fund for national minorities is functioning and that its funding has been increased; reiterates its call on Serbia to ensure consistent implementation of legislation on the protection of minorities, including in relation to education, the use of languages, representation in public administration and access to media and religious services in minority languages; reiterates that the promotion and protection of human rights, including the rights of national minorities, is a basic precondition for joining the EU;
Amendment 6 #
2018/2018(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas Chile has been a major player in regional affairs, for example as a guarantor country in the Colombian peace process and the Santo Domingo talks between the Venezuelan Government and opposition; whereas Chile withdrew from the Venezuelan talks as the minimum conditions for a democratic presidential election and an institutional normalization were not reached;
Amendment 9 #
2018/2018(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the recent parliamentary and presidential elections have once again demonstrated the stable and mature character of Chilean democracy; whereas Chile, as one of the fastest-growing economies in the region, has benefited from strong economic growth in recent decades;
Amendment 14 #
2018/2018(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the existing Association Agreement has been instrumental in deepening EU-Chile political relations and substantially increasing trade and investment flows; whereas the clauses on human rights shall continue to be included in all future Association Agreements;
Amendment 15 #
2018/2018(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the EU and Chile have concluded more ambitious and comprehensive agreements with other partners in recent years; whereas a modernisation of the EU-Chile Association Agreement therefore has the potential to significantly deepen the existing relationship, including the relations in the areas of foreign affairs and security;
Amendment 16 #
2018/2018(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas the future Association Agreement between EU and Chile must fully reflect the transformative nature of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the role of international development cooperation towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
Amendment 23 #
2018/2018(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
b) to ensure that the modernised agreement with Chile is ambitious, comprehensive and balanced, delivering tangible benefits for the citizens and businesses/economies of both sides; to ensure that it is a frontrunner among the most advanced agreements the EU has concluded with third countries;
Amendment 25 #
2018/2018(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
c) to include a joint commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights, fundamental freedoms, gender equality, and the rights of minorities such as the LGBTI community, ethnic minorities and indigenous peopleeconomic and political empowerment of vulnerable communities/minorities;
Amendment 39 #
2018/2018(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
e) to strengthen dialogue and cooperation on regional and global challenges, such as organised crime, migration, terrorism and climate change; to support cooperation between the EU and Chile on the matter of prevention and better control of illegal immigration and to establish readmission mechanisms for stateless persons and nationals from third countries;
Amendment 45 #
2018/2018(INI)
h) to provide for meaningful regular dialogue on all matters of relevance, building on and extending the existing formats; to mobilise available resources through the Partnership Instrument (PI) with a view to achieving strategic objectives;
Amendment 47 #
2018/2018(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j
Paragraph 1 – point j
j) to allow for increased cooperation in the fight against terrorism, organised crime and cybercrime, the prevention of radicalisation and, cross-border crime and drug trafficking;
Amendment 57 #
2018/2018(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o
Paragraph 1 – point o
o) to reaffirm the joint commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement and to provide for a close cooperation on environmental protection and the fight against climathe 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and to enhance mutual collaboration between the EU and Chile toward the achangeievement of those objectives;
Amendment 63 #
2018/2018(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point o a (new)
oa) to foster cultural cooperation, and to support diaspora both in Chile and EU with the objective to support foreign investments both in the EU and Chile;
Amendment 68 #
2018/2018(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t
Paragraph 1 – point t
t) to delayrespect horizontally the longstanding practice to not provisionally application ofy the new agreement until Parliament has given its consent;
Amendment 75 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) The enlargement policy of the Union is an investment in peace, security and stability in Europe, especially in Western Balkans, taking into consideration the proximity and geographical fragility of Western Balkan as regards the migration flows towards EU countries, and importance of the countries' stability for the Union. It provides increased economic and trade opportunities to the mutual benefit of the Union and the aspiring Member States. The prospect of Union membership has sa powerful transformative effect, embedding positive democratic, political, economic and societal change.
Amendment 86 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7 a (new)
Recital 7 a (new)
(7 a) Taking into consideration the transformatory nature of the reform process during the enlargement process in the candidate countries, Union should enhance its efforts in prioritising key areas for the EU funding, such as institution and security building, and enhancing its support to candidate countries in implementing the projects with a view of protecting the candidate countries from the non-EU influences
Amendment 88 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7 b (new)
Recital 7 b (new)
(7 b) The Union's efforts to support reform progress in candidate countries through IPA funding should be well communicated in candidate countries, as well as in the EU Member States. The Union, in that regards, should enhance communication and campaign efforts in order to ensure visibility of the IPA funding, as the main EU instrument of peace and stability in enlargement area.
Amendment 89 #
2018/0247(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7 c (new)
Recital 7 c (new)
(7 c) Recognises the importance of the facilitation and implementation of the budget as regards the institutions building, which will in return help in anticipation of possible security issues, and prevent possible future illegal migratory flows towards EU countries.
Amendment 77 #
2018/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12 a (new)
Recital 12 a (new)
(12 a) A strategic planning process, with the involvement of academia, small and medium-sized enterprises SMES, industry, civil society and other stakeholders, should identify efficient and balanced ways to pursue the general objectives of the programme. This should result in periodic strategic R&I plans in the form of delegated acts, which should be implemented through work programmes.
Amendment 81 #
2018/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15 a (new)
Recital 15 a (new)
(15 a) The Programme should encourage linking of different institutions of higher education in the area of natural and social sciences designing interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary studies / courses in higher education where experts should take into account the need to ensure a multidisciplinary approach;
Amendment 83 #
2018/0224(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17 a (new)
Recital 17 a (new)
(17 a) The Programme should simplify the authorisation formalities, support research in the field of social sciences encouraging university twinning, networking programme and joint doctorates both within Europe and with third countries participating in the programme, encouraging inter-university cooperation through the transfer of knowledge across borders.
Amendment 3 #
2017/2594(RSP)
Citation 8 a (new)
- having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and Council "amending Regulation (EU) No 230/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing and instrument contributing to stability and peace" of 5 July 2017 (COM(2016)0207 COD),
Amendment 73 #
2017/2594(RSP)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Calls for conducting the lessons learned exercise in order to identify shortcomings in the coordination, and to improve coordination of the EU external financing instruments with financing instruments of other international institutions, such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and other development/financing institution, in order to create synergies and maximum impact of the financing instruments in the development countries;
Amendment 75 #
2017/2594(RSP)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12 b. Welcomes Commission's proposal on amending the Instrument for Stability and Peace for which Union's development toolbox will be widened, and extends activities to the military actors in Partner Countries in order to improve response capacities to handle crisis, and preserve civilian activities and normal development activities when they are at risk;
Amendment 77 #
2017/2594(RSP)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12 c. Recognizes the importance of new technologies, such as Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in poverty reduction and its employment potential, enhancing the trade as development countries become more integrated in global trade chain improvements, impacting on improvements in health sector, and public administration capacity. Following that, it is important to focus on external financing instruments in implementing the new technologies in developing countries, since there is enormous potential for their progress;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2280(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 33 a (new)
Citation 33 a (new)
- having regard to the report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council of 6 February 2018 entitled ‘EU enlargement strategy - Western Balkans’(COM(2018)65),
Amendment 3 #
2017/2280(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 34 a (new)
Citation 34 a (new)
- having regard to its resolution of 25 October 2017 on the Council position on the draft general budget of the European Union for the financial year 20181a, _________________ 1a Texts adopted, P8_TA(2017)0408.
Amendment 12 #
2017/2280(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the EU’s external financing instruments (EFIs) are a complex set of tools for the EU to support and enhance its action on the internationand reinforce its role on the global scentage, and that their complexity is coordinated by the Common Implementing Rules Regulation, which ensures a smooth and complementary approachflexibility at different levels, harmonised and horizontal regulation to the implementation of all instruments;
Amendment 15 #
2017/2280(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. where as the EU’s external financial assistance is a key instrument for supporting economic reforms, as well as for supporting democratic, political and institutional consolidation in partner countries;
Amendment 23 #
2017/2280(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Calls for conducting the lessons learned exercise in order to identify shortcomings in the coordination, and to improve coordination of the EU external financing instruments with financing instruments of other international institutions, such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and other development/financing institution, in order to create synergies and maximum impact of the financing instruments in the development countries;
Amendment 26 #
2017/2280(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that sufficient time is key to Parliament being able to properly and duly exercise its scrutiny powers with regard to draft implementing acts, which in the end has the goal to make better and efficient use of EU financing;
Amendment 46 #
2017/2280(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Reiterates the importance of IPA II as a key investment in economic, political and institutional reforms, as well as supporting key sectors in concerned countries to reach the EU standards in any of the concerned enlargement countries; given the importance of this instrument, underlines the necessity to allocate additional funds to the IPA II in order to achieve required reforms;
Amendment 123 #
2017/2280(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Recommends a stronger emphasis on democratisation, and on fundamental political and institutional reforms, with the aim of strengthening the rule of law and good governance, and improving respect for universal human rights;
Amendment 129 #
2017/2280(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Recommends enabling the direct transfer of funds to civil society when state authorities are unwilling to meet the EU’s stated objectives and calls on the Commission to suspend funding for countries not fulfilling the basic Copenhagen criteria;
Amendment 145 #
2017/2280(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Underlines the need to take into account the link between stabilisation, conflict prevention, respect for human rights and resolution in the immediate European neighbourhood, respect for the fundamental values, such as human rights and rule of law, and socioeconomic development;
Amendment 177 #
2017/2130(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point s a (new)
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point s a (new)
(sa) to consider the best practices, from the recent post conflict areas in South- eastern Europe, to foster dialogue between prominent cultural and religious leaders on peace and reconciliation in order to ease the tensions in the area of conflicts;
Amendment 179 #
2017/2130(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point s b (new)
Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point s b (new)
(sb) to promote diversity of cultures and cultural heritage as an additional tool of public diplomacy for strengthening dialogue, and compromise between involved parties;
Amendment 65 #
2017/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises that guaranteeing the security of EU citizens and the integrity of the EU’s territory, stabilising the neighbourhood, especially stabilising the situation in the Western Balkans with the emphasis on more visibility of the EU on the peace and security issues in this region, and preserving a rules- based, cooperative international order are the key conditions for the stability of the EU; calls on more active EU public diplomacy and visibility of the projects which are implemented by the EU in Western Balkans region in order to counter the influence from the third non-European countries, extremism and terrorism;
Amendment 203 #
2017/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Reiterates the need for a strategic refocus on the Western Balkans, and re-prioritising the Western Balkans and putting it on the top of the priority list, giving a fresh impetus to EU enlargement policy and strengthening the rule of law and the resilience, ensuring the effectiveness and stability of state institutions; is convinced that regional reconciliation and integration through the transatlantic institutional architecture is the best means to address the dangers stemming from destabilising foreign interference and influences, organised crime, disinformation and hybrid threats;
Amendment 209 #
2017/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Is concerned about Commission’s proposal to decrease 2018 allocation for Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance by € 90 million; IPA instrument, as one of the most important tools for implementation of necessary reforms for successful prospects for the EU membership; Calls on Commission to rethink the possibility for additional allocation for IPA instrument;
Amendment 210 #
2017/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Welcomes the efforts made by the Berlin Process, and most recently the Trieste Summit, on giving additional impetus on convergence of Western Balkan countries towards the EU membership by supporting regional economic cooperation and supporting infrastructural projects of common interest;
Amendment 211 #
2017/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11c. However, reiterates that special attention and support should be given to the implementation of crucial institutional and political reforms in Western Balkans; reminds that those reforms will be the foundation for any other reform in that region;
Amendment 288 #
2017/2121(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Is of the view that Europe’s power lies in its ability to build a community of values and respect for diversity of cultures that binds together all Europeans; believes in that context that the EU plays a major role as a promoter of democracy and should continue to promote its values outside the EU, whilst fully respecting different cultures; highlights that cultural diplomacy should become a substantial part of the EU’s external action and urges the Commission to foster the development of ambitious science diplomacy; therefore, calls for closer coordination with the UNESCO and World Heritage Committee;
Amendment 3 #
2017/2086(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recallminds that gender disparities in the ownership of and access to resources (such as land, credit and technology), coupled with sociocultural barriers, increase the exposure of those resources todue to sociocultural and economic barriers, poverty and the dependence to local resources for their livelihood, women are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of climatice risks;
Amendment 9 #
2017/2086(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Urges the development of policies, or the better implementing of the existing policies in order to properly respond to women’s economic, medical and psychological needs in crisis and post- disaster situation; stresses that women’s lack of savings and limited mobility, in particular in rural areas, could result in them being placed in inadequate shelters, where their safety is endangered;
Amendment 14 #
2017/2086(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Deplores the fact that the role of women ‘as agents of change to drive climate decisions and investment, andBelieves that climate decisions and investments should engage all parts of society, including women and other vulnerable groups of society, in order to allow them to benefit from them accordingly, has so far been modest; considers that a paradigm shift is needed that puts gender concerns at the centre of climate management efforts and investments;
Amendment 33 #
2017/2086(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the need to address the gender-differentiated investment risks to sustainable agriculture; calls for the EU to help developing countries reform discriminatory laws that restrict women’s ownership of and access to productive resourcesmeans of production, access to financial instruments and technologies, particularly in the field of agriculture;
Amendment 38 #
2017/2086(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 48 #
2017/2086(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. SRecalls that women face energy poverty, e.g. using low-burning and health risk materials for everyday use; calls for policies that will enable access to affordable, reliable and modern energy sources, in line with SDG 7; stresses the need to address the gender-differentiated investment risk in energy in order to accelerate universal access to energy;
Amendment 10 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2
Citation 2
– having regard to the launch on 7 February 2017 of negotiations between the European Union and Azerbaijan on a new comprehensive agreement, which ought to replace 1999 Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part and the republic of Azerbaijan, of the other part, [1] OJ L 246, 17.9.1999, p. 0003-0051
Amendment 23 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
– having regard to the OSCE/ODIHR Needs Assessment Mission report of 2 March 2018 on Azerbaijan’s early presidential election,
Amendment 27 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the new comprehensive agreement between EU and Azerbaijan should prefer and encourage Union’s interest in the region as well as promote Union’s values;
Amendment 30 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas Azerbaijan is considered as an important partner of the EU, especially in the field of energy cooperation, in a very volatile region caught up in conflicts, hostilities and foreign influences;
Amendment 51 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) to remind the Azerbaijani authorities about the European Parliament’s position as expressed in its resolution of 15 November 2017 on the Eastern Partnership, which unambiguously states that no comprehensive agreement will be ratified with a country that does not respect fundamental EU values, in particular with regard to the non- implementation of decisions by the European Court of Human Rights and the harassment, intimidation and persecution of human rights defenders, NGOs and journalists; to ensure that significant steps are taken as regardsguarantee the release of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Azerbaijan, as it was announced by Azerbaijani authorities, before any new EU-Azerbaijan agreement is concluded; to ensure a dedicated suspension mechanism related to human rights and fundamental freedoms is included in the new agreement;
Amendment 88 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
(h) to establish specific measures aimed at implementing the recommendations by the OSCE/ODHIR and the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission with a view to ensuring progress towards elections and referenda that allow for aconducting the free and, fair expression of Azerbaijani citizens’ views and aspirations, competitive and transparent elections and referenda;
Amendment 96 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j
Paragraph 1 – point j
(j) to provide for close cooperation in foreign, defence and security matters to ensure as much convergence as possible, in particular as regards responses to global threats, terrorisms and extremism, conflict prevention, crisis management and regional cooperation; to support the signing of the Framework Participating Agreement (FPA) between the EU and Azerbaijan in order to regulate the Azerbaijani participation in Common Security and Defence Policy mission and operation;
Amendment 125 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k o (new)
Paragraph 1 – point k o (new)
(ko) to consider the best practices, from the recent post conflict areas in South- eastern Europe, to foster dialogue between prominent cultural and religious leaders on peace and reconciliation in order to ease the tensions in the area of conflicts;
Amendment 165 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o
Paragraph 1 – point o
(o) to allow for increased cooperation, and as well as to support Azerbaijan in the fight against terrorism and extremism, organised crime and cybercrime, the prevention of radicalisation and cross- border crime;
Amendment 168 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
(p) to include provisions related to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms aimed at ending political prosecutions and abductions, the targeting of political dissidents, independent journalists, human rights defenders, NGO representatives and members of some minority groups including the LGBTQthe most vulnerable parts of community; to set up a reinforced forum for a human rights dialogue between the EU and Azerbaijan to encourage and support in particular the implementation of comprehensive reforms of the judiciary, all in line with EU standards;
Amendment 250 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point x a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point x a (new)
(xa) to support the completion of the Southern Gas Corridor, a project of a strategic importance for the EU for its energy diversification and security;
Amendment 268 #
2017/2056(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ad a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ad a (new)
(ada) to ensure that before any application or provisional application of the new EU-Azerbaijan Comprehensive Agreement, it should be first subjected to Parliaments consent;
Amendment 3 #
2017/2044(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Recalls that, in the context of the European Union Global Strategy (EUGS) and of the development of the Union's foreign policy and the image of the Union as a global power in securing borders, fighting against extremism and terrorism, providing humanitarian assistance and post crisis assistance to affected partner countries, it is necessary to increase the allocation for Heading 4 in order to keep pace with the global challenges;
Amendment 6 #
2017/2044(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Draws attention to the recent worrying political developments in the Western Balkans that require the Union's urgent attentionnd more focused attention and an active support towards Western Balkans countries in order to avoid progress achieved in the past decades and their EU perspective being put into question; reiterates that losing the prospect of the accession to the European Union could open those countries to the influence of non-European third countries, which could subsequently put in question the stability and security of the region, as well as the immediate borders of the Union; rejects, therefore, the proposed cut of almost EUR 90 million toin the support for political, institutional and economic reforms in the region under the Instrument for Pre-Accession assistance (IPA), which are a prerequisite for successful EU prospects; reminds, in contrary, that the budget for political, institutional and economic reforms should be increased, under IPA2, in order for citizens to sense the benefits of the EU negotiation process;
Amendment 33 #
2017/2044(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Calls for a lessons learned exercise to be carried out in order to identify shortcomings and improve the coordination between the Union's external financing instruments and financing instruments of other international institutions, such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and other development/financing institution, in order to create synergies and maximise the impact of the financing instruments in developing countries;
Amendment 13 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14
Citation 14
— having regard to its previous resolutions on the country, especially the Parliament resolution of 2014, which expressed unequivocal commitment to the European perspective of Bosnia and Herzegovina, its territorial integrity, sovereignty and unity, and underlined monitoring the implementation of the Sejdic-Finci verdict, and which also stated that the future constitutional reform should take into account the principles of federalism, decentralization, subsidiarity and legitimate representation, and take measures to simplify the complex institutional structure in order to streamline costs and increase the functionality of the state,
Amendment 27 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU remains committed to BiH’s EU perspective, to its territorial integrity, sovereignty and unity as well as to all other of its constitutional principles; whereas the Council asked the Commission to prepare its opinion on BiH’s application for membership;
Amendment 40 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas challenges remain as to the sustainability of the reconciliation process; whereas progress in the EU accession process will enable further reconciliation which requires achieving full equality mirrored in the symmetric treatment of all constitutional peoples and citizens by the political-governance system, as well as political and ethnic neutrality of judiciary, especially in war crimes cases;
Amendment 64 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Appreciates and welcomes the role of tripartite Presidency as an important generator of the incentive for all other institutional actors on all levels to engage efforts in fulfilling their role in the overall process of the country's approximation to the EU;
Amendment 68 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the progress on the implementation of the 2015-2018 Reform Agenda, as well as the country’s determinationnd calls on the authorities to pursue further institutional and, socio- economic reformsand electoral reforms and establish an equal status of all three constituent peoples in BiH that would transform BiH into an effective, inclusive and fully functional state; stresses that harmonised implementation of the Reform Agenda is needed to achieve real change across the country and to improve the lives of all BiH citizens; calls for the reform momentum to be maintained in order to transform BiH into a fully effective, inclusive and functional state; regrets that common reform efforts often continue to be hampered by ethnic and political divisions caused by deeply rooted disintegrative tendencies expressed in the continuous clash of centrifugal and centripetal political forces, hindering thereto normal democratic development of BH's federal system; considers it essential to maintain consensus on EU integration and to advance in a concerted manner on the rule of law, including the fight against corruption and organised crime, the reform of the judiciary and public administration;
Amendment 73 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the progress on the implementation of the 2015-2018 Reform Agenda, as well as the country’s determination to pursue further institutional and socio-economic reforms; stresses that harmonised implementation of the Reform Agenda is needed to achieve real change across the country and to improve the lives of all BiH citizens; calls for the reform momentum to be maintained in order to transform BiH into a fully effective, inclusive and functional state based on the rule of law, guaranteeing equal democratic representation of its three constitutive peoples and others and align their capacities in terms of shared and self-rule; regrets that common reform efforts often continue to be hampered by ethnic and political divisionmisunderstandings; considers it essential to maintain consensus on EU integration and to advance in a concerted manner on the rule of law, including the fight against corruption and organised crime, the reform of the judiciary and public administration;
Amendment 86 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes agreement on setting up a cthe adoption of the Declaration on Coordination mMechanism for EU matters; calls on both the state and, entities to ensure, cantons and Brčko District to ensure efficient and effective cooperation and communication between all levels of government and with the EU, in order to facilitate the alignment and implementation of the acquis, and to provide satisfactory replies to the Commission’s inquiries throughout the Opinion process; calls for the role and capacities of the Directorate for European Integration to be further enhanced with a view to it assuming fully its coordinating functions within the implementation of the SAA and, overall, in the accession process; considers that it is high time for a post- Dayton arrangement of the country; calls on the Commission to insist on equal rights and position of all three peoples; reminds that Croats, although the smallest of the three constituent peoples (15,43%), should enjoy equal rights; calls on the Commission to help ease existing tensions and put BiH back on the European track;
Amendment 98 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes that the local elections of 2 October 2016 have been broadly conducted in an orderly manner; regrets that after 6 years the citizens of Mostar have again been deprived ofstill cannot exercise their democratic rights to elect their local representatives owing to continued disagreements between political leaders; condemns the unacceptable incidentreluctance of certain political actors to comply with the ruling of the Constitutional Court of BiH and deliver the principle of equal weight of the vote to all the citizens of Mostar; strongly condemns the unacceptable brutal violence against electoral officials by which electoral process was compromised and harmed local inter-communal relations in Stolac and calls on all sidecompetent institutions to resolve the situation by respecting the rule of law, including persecution of the perpetrators who violently interrupted elections through the application of penal legislation, in order to prevent setting the violence as an optional method; further calls for re-elections to be conducted under democratic standards, in peaceful manner and atmosphere of tolerance;
Amendment 101 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Calls for the amending of the electoral legislation (Chapter 19 - the City of Mostar and its Statute in order to ensure equal valuation of every vote following the practice in other local communities, which guarantees three seats to each of the 6 urban constituencies regardless of the number of voters;
Amendment 117 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Is concerned about the continued fragmentation and abusive domination of any ethnic group in BiH's system of political governance to detriment of other constitutional groups, as it entices discrimination and politicisation of public administration, which hampers institutional and legislative reforms and makes the delivery of public service to citizens cumbersome and expensive; calls, as a matter of urgency, for a more harmonised approach to policy development and coordination between all levels of government, and better medium-term planning;
Amendment 127 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Reiterates its concern about the continued fragmentation into four different legal systems; stresses the need to strengthen judicial independence, including from political pressure, and to fight corruption in the judiciary; urges the rapid adoption of the action plan for the implementation of the 2014-2018 justice sector reform; welcomes the adoption of the law on free legal aid at state level and the introduction by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of guidelines on prevention of conflict of interest, the drafting of integrity plans and disciplinary measures; notes the important role of the Structured Dialogue on Justice in addressing the shortcomings in the BiH judiciary; calls for a legislative solution which will enable recording of efficiency and evaluation of equal judiciary practice on all territory of BiH;
Amendment 138 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Regrets that a high number of constitutional court decisions are not being implemented, including in particular the decision on the RS day, which was contested in the referendum held on 25 September 2016; calls for a prompt implementation of the ruling required for organising elections in Mostar and the most recent one touching upon highly important principles of proportionality and legitimacy of the national caucuses composition in the House of Peoples of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; emphasises that respect for the rule of law and the country’s constitutional framework is of paramount importance for advancing on the EU path;
Amendment 143 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Emphasizes the importance of the recent decision of the Constitutional Court on the principle of constituent status and equality of its three constitutive peoples to elect its own legitimate political representatives based on legitimate and proportional representation in the House of People of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Amendment 180 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls for boosting efforts to combat radicalisation and further measures to identify, prevent and disrupt the flow of foreign fighters, including by close cooperation with relevant services of the Member States and countries in the region; calls for better coordination between security intelligence and police; calls for the introduction of programmes on de- radicalisation and preventing youth radicalisation; calls on authorities to meet international standards on anti-money laundering and countering terrorism financing;
Amendment 206 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Underlines the need for a substantial improvement in the strategic, legal, institutional and policy frameworks on the observance of human rights; calls for the adoption of a countrywide strategy on human rights and non-discrimination; is concerned about continued discrimination against persons with disabilities in the fields of employment, education and access to health care; calls for developing a comprehensive and integrated approach to the social inclusion of Roma; welcomes the fact that some governments and parliaments have begun discussing LGBTI rights and drawing up specific measures for their protection; welcomes changes to the BiH anti-discrimination law extending the listed grounds for discrimination to age, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity; calls on the BiH authorities to align with EU environmental standards in particular regarding dangerous air pollution from oil refinery in Bosanski Bord, as well as Sarajevo, Zenica and Tuzla;
Amendment 229 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Deplores the fact that BiH is still in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights for not implementing the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the Sejdić-Finci, Zornić and Pilav cases; strongly calls for progress to be made in this regard in order to advance the country’s EU perspective for BiH to obtain candidate country status by the end of 2017 in accordance to the Master Plan adopted unanimously by the Presidency of BiH;
Amendment 239 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Is concerned about cases of political pressure and intimidation against journalists, including physical and verbal attacks, as well as by the lack of transparency in media ownership; emphasises the need to investigate attacks against journalists and ensure proper judicial follow-up; calls on the competent authorities to ensure the independence and financial stability of the three public service broadcasters as well as the political, operational and financial independence of the Communications Regulatory Authority; calls for the digital switchover to be finalised and for a broadband strategy to be drawn up; recalls the necessity to regulate and to broadcast programmes in all three official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Amendment 247 #
2016/2313(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Remains concerned by the continued fragmentation, inefficiency and complexity of the education system; calls for countrywide common core curricula and better coordination between the different levels of education governance based on the respect of constitutional provisions on division of competences between different levels; continues to be concerned about the persistently high school-drop-out rates of Roma pupils; regrets the slow progress in addressing and resolving the issue of ‘two schools under one roof’ and other forms of segregpupil separation and discrimination in schools; emphasises the importance of equal opportunities of education for all three constituent peoples in their own language;
Amendment 11 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13
Citation 13
— having regard to the third meeting of the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Council held on 163 December 2016;,
Amendment 27 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas bilateral issues should be addressed as early as possible in the accession process in accordance with the negotiating framework, in a constructive and neighbourly spirit, taking account of the EU's overall interests and values;
Amendment 31 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas the implementation of the legal framework on the protection of minorities needs to be fully ensured, notably in the areas of education, use of language, access to media and religious services in minority language, and adequate political representation of national minorities at local, regional and national levels;
Amendment 32 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
C c. whereas the application of Article 2 and Article 3 of the Law on Organization and Competences of State Authorities in War Crimes Proceedings of Republic of Serbia represents violation of commonly accepted principles of international criminal law;
Amendment 37 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the opening of negotiations on Chapters 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) and 24 (Justice, Freedom and Security) as the key chapters in the EU approach to enlargement based on the rule of law; welcomes the opening of Chapters 32 (Financial Control) and 35 (Other Issues), as the progress in these chapters remains essential for the overall pace of the negotiationg process in line with the Negotiating Framework; as well as the opening of negotiations on Chapter 5 (Public Procurement) and the opening and provisional closure of Chapter 25 (Science and Research); calls on the Council to open Chapter 26 (Education and Culture); notes that the application of the Law on Organization and Competences of State Authorities in War Crimes Proceedings (Article 2 and 3) violates the generally accepted principles of criminal and international law - the principle of legal certainty and the principle of non- intervention in the internal affairs of other states, and hinders the process of reconciliation in South Eastern Europe; calls on the Serbian authorities to immediately repeal the relevant articles and abandon a concept of quasi-universal jurisdiction for war crimes in neighbouring countries;
Amendment 64 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines that the thorough implementation of reforms and policies remains a key icondicator oftion for a successful integration process; calls on Serbia to improve the planning, coordination and monitoring of the implementation of new legislation and policies; with the Action Plans and the interim benchmarks for Chapters 23 and 24 guiding future reforms leading to a solid track record
Amendment 95 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on Serbia to align its foreign and security policy with that of the EU, including its policy on Russia and recalls the importance of strategic communication and responsibility of addressing misinformation in this context, bearing in mind recent military exercise with Russia; calls on Serbia to clearly define its European path distance itself from the secessionist attitudes; stresses that Serbia, influenced by the Russian military, would not be able to finalize the agreement with the EU on chapter 31: foreign, security and defence policy; welcomes Serbia’s important contribution to and continued participation in international peacekeeping operations;
Amendment 159 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Notes that the application of the Law on Organization and Competences of State Authorities in War Crimes Proceedings violates the generally accepted principles of criminal and international law - the principle of legal certainty and the principle of non- intervention in the internal affairs of other states, and hinders the process of reconciliation in South Eastern Europe; calls on the Serbian authorities to immediately repeal the relevant articles and abandon a concept of quasi-universal jurisdiction for war crimes in neighbouring countries; in this regards, calls on the European Commission and Member States to invest additional efforts in addressing this issue in the process of EU-Serbia negotiations, particularly within the scope of Chapter 23;
Amendment 173 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the measures taken to improve transparency and the consultation process within the parliament, including public hearings and regular meetings and consultations with the National Convent on European Integration; remains concerned about the extensive use of urgent procedures in adopting legislation; stresses that the frequent use of urgent procedures undermines parliamentary effectiveness; underlines that the parliament’s oversight of the executive needs to be strengthened; calls for the adoption of parliament’s code of conduct; regretsnotes with concern that, due to disruption, the EU Delegation was not able to present the Commission’s report in the European Integrations Committee of the Serbian Parliament;
Amendment 176 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that the constitution needs to be revised so as to fully reflect the recommendations of the Venice Commission, notablyincluding with regard to the parliament’s role in judicial appointments, the control of political parties over the mandate of Members of Parliament, the independence of key institutions and the protection of fundamental rights;
Amendment 220 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Reiterates its concern that no progress has been made to improve the situation regarding freedom of expression and of the media where the Serbian authorities hold crucial responsibility in actively contributing to the unimpeded exercise of freedom of expression; stresses that threats, violence and intimidation against journalists remain an issue of concern; calls on the authorities to investigate any cases of attacks against journalists and media outlets; calls for the full implementation of media laws; underlines the need for complete transparency in media ownership and funding of media; as well as the viability of media in minority languages;
Amendment 232 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the adoption of an action plan for the realisation of the rights of national minorities, and the adoption of a decree establishing a fund for national minorities which now needs to be made operational; calls for the full implementation of the action plan in a comprehensive, timely inclusive and transparent manner, with the constructive engagement of all sides; reiterates its call on Serbia to ensure consistent implementation of legislation on protection of minorities, including in relation to education, use of languages, adequate representation in public administration and access to media and religious services in minority language, local and regional bodies, as well as in the national parliament and access to media and religious services in minority languages; calls for the effective application of Serbia's domestic and international obligations;
Amendment 255 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Stresses that the progress in the field of ensuring rights of national minorities is not satisfactory and reiterates that the promotion and protection of human rights, including rights of national minorities is the basic precondition for joining the EU;
Amendment 258 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the fact that Serbia remains constructively committed to bilateral relationsUnderlines the importance of improving bilateral issues in the accession process in accordance with other enlargement countries and neighbouring EU Member Stat negotiating framework, in a constructive and neighbourly spirit, taking account of the EU's overall interests and values; has taken positive note of the fact that Serbia has shown an increasingly constructive engagement in regional cooperation initiatives such as the South- East Europe Cooperation Process, the Regional Cooperation Council, the Central European Free Trade Agreement, the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, the Brdo-Brijuni process, the Western Balkan Six initiative and its connectivity agenda and the Berlin process; calls on Serbia to implement the connectivity reform measures associated with the connectivity agenda; underlines that outstanding bilateral disputes should not have a detrimental effcalls on Serbia to promote good-neighbourly relations and the peaceful settlement of disputes, which includes promoting a climate of tolerance and condemning all forms of hate speecth on the accession process;r war-time rhetoric and refraining from gestures such as publicly welcomesing the adoption of a national strategy for the investigation and prosecution of war crimes; notes that the mandate of the freturn of individuals convicted of war crimes; notes that outstanding disputes and issues, in particular issues of bormder War Crimes Prosecutor expired in December 2015; stresses that the appointment of his successor is a matter of serious concern; calls for the implementation of this strategy and the adoption of an operational prosecutorial strategy; calls for full cooperationdemarcation, succession, return of cultural goods and disclosure of Yugoslavian archives should be resolved in line with international law and established principles, including through implementation of legally binding agreements, inter alia the agreement on succession issues, and that bilateral disputes should be addressed in the early stages of the accession process in accordance with the Iinternational Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY); urges the authorities to continue working on the issuelaw; underlines that outstanding bilateral disputes should not have a detrimental effect ofn the fate of missing personaccession process;
Amendment 275 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Notes that the mandate of the former War Crimes Prosecutor expired in December 2015; stresses that the delayed appointment of his successor is a matter of serious concern; calls for a necessary revision of the national strategy for an investigation and prosecution of war crimes and the adoption of an operational prosecutorial strategy in line with generally accepted international standards and principles and rules of international law; noting with concern repeated reports of Serbia's non- cooperation with the ICTY; calls for full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) which remains essential; calls for handling war crimes without any discrimination, addressing impurity and insuring accountability and fully and unequivocally accepting and implementing the ICTY's ruling and decisions, as well as insuring proportionality of sentences and a sentencing policy in line with international criminal law standards;
Amendment 284 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20 b. Calls on Serbia to engage in meaningful regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations in handling of war crimes by avoiding conflicts of jurisdictions and ensuring that war crimes are prosecuted without any discrimination and ensuring that all outstanding issues in that regard be fully resolved, urges the authorities for strengthening efforts in finding and identifying missing persons and locating mass graves from the wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo as well as ensuring the right of victims' families to know the fate of their missing family members; to resolve the issue of the fate of missing persons, including through swift information sharing and opening of archives, as well as on preparing a reparation scheme for victims and their families as an important precondition for reconciliation; points out that a law on civilian victims should be adopted without any undue delay bearing in mind that the existing legislation does not recognise several groups of war crime victims; notes that controversies still occur, particularly in the context of different interpretations of recent history;
Amendment 296 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Reiterates the crucial importance of reconciliation and resolution of the bilateral issues with neighbouring countries; in this sense calls on Serbia to intensify efforts in implementing all bilateral agreements with neighbouring countries, including the Agreement on Normalization of Relations between the then-Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, consisting of Serbia and Montenegro, and the Republic of Croatia, signed in 1996; Urges Serbia to promote Bosnia and Herzegovina's territorial integrity and to condemn, openly and strongly, any separatist notions, particularly within the Republika Srpska;
Amendment 299 #
2016/2311(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. WelcomesCalls on Serbia’s to continued engagement in the normalisation process with Kosovo, and its commitment to the through dialogue, cooperation and implementation of the agreements reached in the EU- facilitated dialogue; reiterates its call to move forward with the full implementation, in good faith and in a timely manner, of all the agreements already reached and to determinedly continue the normalisation process and expresses concern with the delays in implementing Agreement on freedom of movement with respect to removal of the wall in Mitrovica; encourages Serbia and Kosovo to identify new areas of discussion for the dialogue, with the aim of improving the lives of people and comprehensively normalising relations; reiterates its call on the EEAS to carry out an evaluation of the performance of the sides in fulfilling their obligations;
Amendment 75 #
2016/2310(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the implementation of the political agreement leading to early parliamentary elections on 11 December 2016 and 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 challenges;
Amendment 100 #
2016/2310(INI)
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 progresscalls on the Commission and Council to give recommendation to start the negotiations, and to propose the starting date of the accession negotiations respectively, taking into account the pace 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 disputes;
Amendment 110 #
2016/2310(INI)
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; 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; reiterates that despite the Commission's recommendation to open negotiation was first presented in 2009 and taking into account the progress achieved, the opening of the negotiations still has not commenced; draws attention to the potential negative political and security consequences of further delays in the country’s accession processMacedonia's Euro-Atlantic accession process, in the country and the region;
Amendment 114 #
2016/2310(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the strategic importance of supporting further progress in the process of EU integration and urges once again that the political will be shown to fully implement the Urgent Reform Priorities and the Przhino Agreement; 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 117 #
2016/2310(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Takes note of the recommendation by the Commission to open accession negotiations with Macedonia and calls on the Council to address the issue at the earliest convenience after the early parliamentary elections have been held;
Amendment 118 #
2016/2310(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Underlines the significant progress country has made in the process of EU integration and emphasizes the negative consequences of further delaying the process of integration, including the threat to the credibility of the EU enlargement policy and the risk of instability in the region;
Amendment 119 #
2016/2310(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4 c. Points out that the current challenges the European Union is facing (BREXIT, migration, radicalism, etc.) should not hinder the enlargement process, rather these challenges have demonstrated the necessity to fully integrate the Western Balkans into EU structures in order to enhance and deepen partnership to overcome international crises;
Amendment 120 #
2016/2310(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4 d. Welcomes the high level of legislative alignment with the acquis communautaire and acknowledges the priority given to the effective implementation and enforcement of existing legal and policy frameworks, as in the case of countries already engaged in the accession negotiations;
Amendment 121 #
2016/2310(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
4 e. Congratulates Macedonia for its continuous fulfilment of its commitments under the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA); calls on the Council to adopt the Commission's 2009 proposal to move to the second stage of the SAA, in line with the relevant provisions;
Amendment 127 #
2016/2310(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes somepromising 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;
Amendment 186 #
2016/2310(INI)
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; 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 204 #
2016/2310(INI)
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 between men and women; urges the competent authorities to make sufficient budget allocations for its implementation and to improve support services to victims of domestic violence;
Amendment 258 #
2016/2310(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. In light of the preparation for the Western Balkans summit in Italy 2017, calls on Macedonian authorities to increase efforts to implement legal and regulatory measures in the field of transport and energy sector (soft measures), in order to fulfil the Connectivity Agenda of the European Union;
Amendment 261 #
2016/2310(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Urges theCalls on the Commission to support Macedonian authorities to strengthen the administrative and financing capacities in order to procure and implement EU funds properly 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 273 #
2016/2310(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Commends the country for constructive cooperation in addressing the migration crisisnstructive role the country has played in dealing with the challenges of the migration crisis and adhering to the decision of the European Council to close the Western Balkan migration route in March 2016; recommends further actions to ensure capacities to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling;
Amendment 274 #
2016/2310(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Commends the country for constructive cooperation in addressing the migration crisis; recommends further actions to ensur, noting that Macedonia successfully managed a huge refugee influx through so called Balkan route; calls on the Commission to support Macedonian authorities, financially and technically, in order to further enhance capacities to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling;
Amendment 284 #
2016/2310(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Emphasizes the importance of regional cooperation as a tool to drive the process of EU integration forward and commends country's constructive efforts and proactive contributions in promoting bilateral relations with all countries from the region;
Amendment 293 #
2016/2310(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Welcomes Macedonia’s continued constructive role 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 withcommends also the positive focus on bilateral projects in areas of infrastructure, economy and interconnectivity and country's efforts to hold European standards and values at the heart of bilateral relations; encourages the continuation and finalization of the talks on the Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighbourliness and Cooperation; emphasizes the necessity to respect the history, sovereignty and national and linguistic identity of both Macedonia and Bulgaria;
Amendment 309 #
2016/2310(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Welcomes the tangible results fromCommends the positive approach which has been applied to strengthen bilateral cooperation, especially in the context of European integration, for increasing mutual trust and promoting good neighborliness in concrete terms; acknowledges positive developments regarding the implementation of the confidence- building measures with Greece, including the visit of Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs to Skopje in August 2016; 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; calls upon the UN to intensify the mediation process in order to find a mutually acceptable solution regarding the naming dispute with Greece and to request that Greece respects International Law and the 2011 ICJ ruling;
Amendment 314 #
2016/2310(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Welcomes the efforts of the Berlin Process, which demonstrated strong political support for the European perspective of the Western Balkans and that will continue to encourage further reforms in key areas and promote economic developments through core connectivity investments, providing concrete results for the citizens and the entire region; welcomes the establishment of the RYCO (Regional Youth Cooperation Office) and the Western Balkans Fund and requests the EU to take into account the initiatives and projects which have been proposed by Macedonia;
Amendment 318 #
2016/2310(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23 b. Commends the country on its chairmanship of the CEI, focusing on economic cooperation and business opportunities, infrastructure and general economic development, including rural development and tourism, as well as on bridging macro-regions throughout 2015;
Amendment 30 #
2016/2309(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the continued progress in Montenegro's Euro-Atlantic integration, as one of the main foreign policy priorities; notes that Montenegro has achieved steady progress in the accession negotiations, noting that so far 26 chapters have been opened for negotiations and 2 chapters have been provisionally closed; encourages Montenegro to work on, namely Chapter 25 on Science and Research and Chapter 26 on Education and Culture; encourages Montenegro to increase its efforts towards meeting all benchmarks and to continue focusing on the fundamentals of the accession process; recalls that it is essential to deliver concrete results with a strong implementation record, especially in the field of the rule of law, justice and fight against corruption and organized crime;
Amendment 176 #
2016/2309(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. In light of the preparation for the Western Balkans summit in Italy 2017, calls on the Montenegrin authorities to increase efforts to implement legal and regulatory measures in the field of transport and energy sector (soft measures), in order to fulfil the Connectivity Agenda of the European Union;
Amendment 184 #
2016/2309(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes Montenegro’'s proactive participation and constructive role in regional and international cooperation; commends Montenegro for continuing fully to align its foreign policy with the EU’'s Common Foreign and Security Policy; encourages it to continue to address, in a constructive and neighbourly spirit, outstanding bilateral issues with its neighbours, including the unresolved border demarcation issues with Serbia and Croatiasuch as successful bilateral agreement between Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina on the border dispute in Sutorina, therefore calls for similar proactive engagement in resolving border disputes with Croatia (Prevlaka), prosecution of the war crimes, resolving the issues of the succession of property;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4
Citation 4
— having regard to the Negotiating Framework for Turkey, and namely its paragraph 5 of the Principles governing the negotiations, of 3 October 2005,
Amendment 28 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16
Citation 16
— having regard to the fact that respect for the rule of law, including, in particular, the separation of powers, democracy, freedom of expression, human rights, the rights of religious and ethnic minorities and freligious freedomedom of confession, freedom of association and peaceful protest, are at the core of the negotiation process,
Amendment 289 #
2016/2308(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Reiterates that dialogues and cooperation on a high level should be preserved and encouraged in the areas of the common and strategic interests of both Turkey and the EU, such as fight against terrorism, migration, trade, etc.;
Amendment 21 #
2016/0230(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) On 10 June5 October 2016, the Commission presented the proposal for the EU to ratify the Paris agreementEuropean Union formally ratified the Paris agreement, thus allowing it to enter into force on 4 November 2016. This legislative proposal forms part of the implementation of the Union's commitment to economy- wide emission reductions as confirmed in the intended nationally determined reduction commitment of the Union and its Member States submitted to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ('UNFCCC') on 6 March 2015.10 The Union's targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions also respond to the commitment made by the Union and its Member States to achieve the internationally agreed Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, in particular with regard to goal No 13 on urgently addressing climate change as a global challenge, including reducing emissions and building climate resilience. _________________ 10 http://www4.unfccc.int/submissions/indc/S ubmission%20Pages/submissions.aspx
Amendment 22 #
2016/0230(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3 a (new)
Recital 3 a (new)
(3 a) The land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector has a huge potential to contribute to the Union's international climate commitments. Management of land should meet the need for policy coherence and for sustainable development, in particular as regards its impact on local communities and food security. Against this background, the Union's policy in this sector should go hand in hand with Policy Coherence for Development (PCD), in particular with regard to its environmental and economic dimensions, so as to enhance synergies and guarantee a positive impact of internal climate policies on third countries.
Amendment 27 #
2016/0230(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6 a) The Union should become a global leader in promoting and exporting research and investments in sustainable, advanced and innovative practices, techniques and ideas in the LULUCF sector, as well as in the diffusion of green technologies, in order to lower greenhouse gas emissions while preserving food production, therefore setting an example for its international partners, including developing countries. In this context, effective cooperation and partnership with private sector actors, especially with SMEs, should be enhanced.
Amendment 40 #
2016/0230(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2
Article 2 – paragraph 2
2. A Member State may choose to include managed wetland, defined as land use reported as wetland remaining wetland, and settlement, other land converted to wetland and wetland converted to settlement and other land, in the scope of its commitment pursuant to Article 4. Where a handful Member States, with significant wetland areas, chooses to do so, it shall account for emissions and removals from managed wetland in accordance with this Regulation.
Amendment 41 #
2016/0230(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1
Article 6 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall account for emissions from deforestation and removals resulting from afforested land and deforestedation of the land, as the total emissions and removals for each of the years in the periods from 2021 to 2025 and from 2026 to 2030.
Amendment 16 #
2016/0207(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The 2005 European Consensus on Development recognised that the link between security and development.16 __________________ 16 development and security enhances security capacities to respond to crises, and therefore is a crucial element of the Union's foreign and security policy.16 __________________ 16 Joint statement by the Council and the Joint statement by the Council and the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission on European Union Development Policy entitled “The European Consensus”, Official Journal, C 46 of 24.2.2006
Amendment 25 #
2016/0207(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) Supporting security sector actors, including the military under exceptional circumstances, such as natural disasters, and where non-military actors do not have the proper response capacities to manage in third countries in a conflict prevention, crisis management or stabilisation context is essential to ensure the normal functioning of the civilian activities and to ensure appropriate conditions for poverty eradication and development. Those actions are particularly necessary toin ensure theing civil protection, of civilian populationrdinary development and civilian activities in the areas affected by conflict, crises, natural disasters or fragility. Good governance and effective democratic control and civilian oversight of the security system, including the military, as well as compliance with human rights and the rule of law principles are essential attributes of a well-functioning State in any context, and should be promoted through a wider security sector reform support to third countries.
Amendment 59 #
2016/0207(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Regulation (EU) No 230/2014
Article 3a – paragraph 2
Article 3a – paragraph 2
2. Assistance may cover in particular the provision of capacity building programmes in support of security and development, including training, mentoring and advice, as well as the provision of non- lethal technology and equipment, infrastructure improvements and provision of other services.
Amendment 68 #
2016/0207(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Regulation (EU) No 230/2014
Article 3a – paragraph 3 – point a
Article 3a – paragraph 3 – point a
(a) where requirements cannot be met by recourse to non-military actors to adequately reach Union objectives under this Regulation and the premise of the achievement ofnon-military actors are unable to prepare in an adequate way to reach objectives for stable, peaceful and inclusive societies is denied bydue to a serious threat to the existence of functioning State institutions or an imminent threat of conflict, as well as to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, or State institutions and ordinary civilian activities can no longer cope with this serious threat; and