Jordi SOLÉ

Proposal for a regulation
Recital 55

(55) In order to support the implementation of tasks pertaining to the development of Strategic Projects and their financing, exploration programmes, monitoring capacities or strategic stocks and to advise the Commission appropriately, a European Critical Raw Materials Board should be established. The Board should be composed of Member States and of the Commission, while being able to ensure participation of other parties as observers, such as academics, think tanks, CSOs and EU agencies. To develop the necessary expertise for the implementation of certain tasks, the Board should establish standing sub-groups on financing, exploration, monitoring and strategic stocks, that should act as a network by gathering the different relevant national authorities and, when necessary, consult industry, academia, civil society and other relevant stakeholders. The Board’s advice and opinions should be non-binding and the absence of such an advice or opinion should not prevent the Commission from performing its tasks under this Regulation.

2023/06/12
Committee: AFET

Jordi SOLÉ

Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 4 – point h

(h) approve guidelines for awarding the and Interoperable Europe label and recommend Interoperable Europe solutions;

2023/05/04
Committee: ITRE

Jordi SOLÉ

Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6 a (new)

Directive 2010/75/EU
Article 9 – paragraph 1

1. Where emissions of a greenhouse gas from an installation are specified in Annex I to Directive 2003/87/EC in relation to an activity carried out in that installation, the permit shall not include an emission limit value for direct emissions of that gas, unless necessary to ensure that no significant local pollution is caused. (6a) In Article 9, paragraph (1) is deleted. "" Or. en (32010L0075)

2022/12/09
Committee: ITRE

F a. whereas the broader Middle East is among the most affected by climate change worldwide with temperatures rising twice as fast as global average; whereas the region’s countries face a multitude of environmental challenges, such as desertification, biodiversity loss, pollution in marine and coastal areas, air pollution, and water scarcity and quality which will be exacerbated by climate change; whereas the frequency and intensity of sand storms is steadily increasing in the region; whereas climate- induced water shortages, desertification and food insecurity threaten human security and may aggravate existing- or trigger new conflicts in the region;

2022/06/23
Committee: AFET

Jordi SOLÉ

Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8

~~(e) utilisation of process gases and elimination of waste gases emissions from steel production;~~deleted

2021/01/26
Committee: ITRE

2020/0141(NLE)

Jordi SOLÉ

Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8

Decision 2008/376/EC
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point (f)

~~(f) life cycle assessment and life cycle thinking to steel production and use.;~~deleted

2021/01/26
Committee: ITRE

2020/0141(NLE)

Jordi SOLÉ

Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8

Decision 2008/376/EC
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point (fa) new

(f a) improvement of design and/or treatment of waste for an increased recovery and reuse of critical raw materials in steel alloys;

2021/01/26
Committee: ITRE

2020/0141(NLE)

Jordi SOLÉ

Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 8

Decision 2008/376/EC
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point (fb) (new)

(f b) applications of distributed ledger technologies to enable cradle to cradle tracking and enable reverse logistics of steel products.

2021/01/26
Committee: ITRE

2019/2178(INI)

Tatjana ŽDANOKA, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Considers that the environmental and economic sustainability of the fisheries sector requires the decarbonisation of the fishing fleet, which in turn will result in a reduction in current fuel spending thereby positively impacting the profitability of activities; therefore calls on the Commission to facilitate the conditions for the acquisition of new vessels operating alternative propulsion systems by using public funds, without which said decarbonisation will be unaffordable for the sector itself.

2021/04/07
Committee: PECH

2019/2176(INI)

Sergey LAGODINSKY, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
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 Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) ~~Minsk Group~~, Turkey instead decided to unconditionally sustain the military actions of one of the sides in the recent conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh through its direct engagement and transfer of foreign fighters in support of Azerbaijan; calls on Turkey to refrain from any further military interference in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict;

2020/12/15
Committee: AFET

2019/2001(BUD)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1

Budget 2020: bridge to the future Europe – Investing in citizens, innovation and ~~security~~a sustainable environment

2019/02/15
Committee: BUDG

2019/2001(BUD)

Karine GLOANEC MAURIN, Pina PICIERNO, Jordi SOLÉ, Pavel POC, Isabelle THOMAS, Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL, Daniele VIOTTI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Underlines that the 2020 Union budget is the bridge to the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the period 2021-2027 and should contribute to creating a common, long-term vision on the future political priorities of the Union; expects that, at the time of adoption of the 2020 budget, the Council and Parliament will be engaged in fully-fledged MFF negotiations, following a political agreement in the European Council; believes that a strong, responsible and forward-looking 2020 budget will facilitate an agreement and the transition towards the next MFF, and that to reach it, no taboo should prevail on the full use of all flexibilities and all possibilities available under the current MFF regulation and the Financial Regulation;

2019/02/15
Committee: BUDG

2019/2001(BUD)

Karine GLOANEC MAURIN, Pina PICIERNO, Jordi SOLÉ, Pavel POC, Isabelle THOMAS, Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL, Daniele VIOTTI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that, 2020 being the last year of the current MFF, the implementation of EU programmes, including those under shared management in cohesion policy, Common Agricultural Policy (second pillar) and European Maritime and Fisheries Fund will be further accelerated and reach its closing phase, which will be reflected in a substantial increase in payment requests; anticipates, therefore, a peak in the annual level of payment appropriations for 2020 and is determined to secure the necessary payments in 2020 and to prevent another payment crisis in the first years of the 2021-2027 MFF, as was the case during the current period;

2019/02/15
Committee: BUDG

2019/2001(BUD)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Points out that, 2020 being the last year of the current MFF, the implementation of EU programmes, including those under shared management in cohesion policy, will be further accelerated and reach its closing phase, which will be reflected in a substantial increase in payment requests; anticipates, therefore, a peak in the annual level of payment appropriations for 2020 and is determined to secure the necessary payments in 2020, to continuously improve the control and correction mechanisms, and to prevent another payment crisis in the first years of the 2021-2027 MFF, as was the case during the current period;

2019/02/15
Committee: BUDG

2019/2001(BUD)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Considers the protection of the EU’s external borders with the support of a strengthened European Border and Coast Guard to be an inseparable condition for a European Union without internal borders, the proper functioning of the Schengen area and freedom of movement within the EU; considers it to be an obligation to ensure adequate funding, staffing and training of staff for all agencies operating in the field of security, including for the protection of fundamental rights, acknowledging the considerable increase in their responsibilities, the importance of cooperation among them, and their vital role in reinforcing cooperation and coordination among the Member States;

2019/02/15
Committee: BUDG

2019/2001(BUD)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Believes, with reference to its resolution of 25 October 2018 on the use of Facebook users’ data by Cambridge Analytica and the impact on data protection, that the fight against disinformation and any other type of ~~foreign~~inappropriate interference is a priority to ensure fair and democratic elections, in particular in the year of the European elections; requests additional financial resources to invest in tools such as the recent What the EU does for me initiative to inform citizens on the Union’s work and highlight the efforts undertaken to promote peace, democracy, the rule of law and freedom of speech;

2019/02/15
Committee: BUDG

2019/2001(BUD)

Karine GLOANEC MAURIN, Pina PICIERNO, Jordi SOLÉ, Pavel POC, Isabelle THOMAS, Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL, Daniele VIOTTI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. ~~Reiterates that social cohesion in Europe must contribute to sustainable solutions~~Stresses that cohesion policy programmes are now at cruising speed, and emphasises Parliament’s commitment to ensure adequate appropriations for these programmes; calls on the Member States to ensure that the implementation of the programmes is accelerated so as to catch up with the delays, and to seek the Commission’s assistance in this respect ; reiterates that social cohesion in Europe must contribute to sustainable solutions to the fight against discrimination and for better inclusion of people with disabilities, and to long-term structural demographic change; emphasises the need for financial resources to provide ageing populations in Europe with adequate support in terms of access to mobility, healthcare and public services;

2019/02/15
Committee: BUDG

2019/2001(BUD)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Stresses that the 2020 budget must contribute to tackling environmental challenges and climate change; recalls the Union’s pledge to make the transition to a low-carbon circular economy~~, but~~ and eventual full decarbonisation in line with the Paris climate agreement, regrets that the Union ~~might~~is falling short of its climate goals; requests increased financial resources for climate spending, including but not limited to LIFE and other programmes to support projects with European added value contributing to a clean energy transition and resource efficiency, as well as nature conservation, with a focus on biodiversity, habitats and endangered species; recalls the need for climate mainstreaming, including but not limited to the sectors of energy, transport and agriculture.

2019/02/15
Committee: BUDG

2019/2001(BUD)

Karine GLOANEC MAURIN, Nils TORVALDS, Jordi SOLÉ, Pavel POC, Isabelle THOMAS, Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL, Daniele VIOTTI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Recalls that, following the joint statement by the European Parliament, Council and Commission on the reinforcement of Heading 1a through an Amending budget issued in the joint conclusions on the 2019 budget, the Commission will present an amending budget raising the levels of appropriations for Erasmus+ and H2020 as soon as the technical adjustment of the MFF for 2020 is completed in the spring of 2019 in order for the Council and the European Parliament to process it swiftly;

2019/02/15
Committee: BUDG

2019/2001(BUD)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Invites the Commission to report specifically on the amounts de-committed for research programmes and to provide all relevant information and details concerning Article 15(3) of the Financial Regulation; expects this Article and its corresponding procedure to be fully respected in the context of the 2020 budgetary procedure; asks the Council presidency to clarify early on whether Article 15(3) is now fully understood by all Member States, and if not, what it intends to do about it;

2019/02/15
Committee: BUDG

2019/2001(BUD)

Karine GLOANEC MAURIN, Nils TORVALDS, Jordi SOLÉ, Pavel POC, Alfred SANT, Isabelle THOMAS, Eider GARDIAZABAL RUBIAL, Daniele VIOTTI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Invites the Commission to report specifically on the amounts de-committed for research programmes and to provide all relevant information and details concerning Article 15(3) of the Financial Regulation; expects this Article and its corresponding procedure to be ~~fully~~ respected and mobilised in the context of the 2020 budgetary procedure and expects that the 2020 draft budget will make full use of this provision to boost research and innovation on top of the financial programming;

2019/02/15
Committee: BUDG

2018/2246(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the Principality of Andorra (Andorra), the Principality of Monaco (Monaco) and the Republic of San Marino (San Marino) arhave am long ~~the oldest European~~-standing history of stateshood; 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;

2019/01/16
Committee: AFET

2018/2246(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
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~~importance of the inclusion in the EU bodies and policies for such countries in the longer term;

2019/01/16
Committee: AFET

2018/2246(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)

g a) urge Andorra, Monaco and San Marino to step up efforts as regards tax and bank transparency even though fiscal policy is not part of this agreement;

2019/01/16
Committee: AFET

2018/2246(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j

j) conclude before the end of the current mandate a joint political ~~agre~~statement with Andorra, Monaco and San Marino in order to take stock of and preserve the agreement reached in the negotiations thus far, so that the new European Commission and the European External Action Service can take stock of and build on this common understanding and advance negotiations further;

2019/01/16
Committee: AFET

2018/2176(DEC)

Jordi SOLÉ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Calls on the Council and the EEAS to fulfil their legal obligation to send to the European Parliament, without delay and without requiring requests, all relevant documents related to negotiations on international agreements, including negotiating directives, agreed texts and minutes of each negotiation round in line with Article 218(10) TFEU;

2018/12/11
Committee: AFET

2018/2176(DEC)

Jordi SOLÉ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Welcomes the Union’s decision, in line with the European Ombudsman's recommendation, to offer paid traineeships with its foreign delegations and to suspend unpaid traineeships, thereby making them accessible also to young people of limited financial resources in accordance with the principle of non-discrimination.

2018/12/11
Committee: AFET

2018/2166(DEC)

Jordi SOLÉ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Notes with concern that the Commission has made little use of conditionality to support reforms in the priority sectors in Turkey where progress in democracy and rule of law were unsatisfactory; stresses the importance of redirecting funds to civil society and making more use of the direct management mode; asks the Commission to implement all recommendations made by the ECA on the Facility for Refugees in Turkey, notably improving monitoring and reporting on cash-assistance projects and improving with the Turkish authorities the operating environment for (I)NGOs; notes that the ECA in its report on the EU pre- accession assistance to Turkey stresses that funds spent under IPA have barely addressed some fundamental needs, including press freedom, impartiality of justice and reinforcing civil society.

2018/12/11
Committee: AFET

2018/2166(DEC)

Jordi SOLÉ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Insists on the need to closely monitor the use of funds of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey, ensuring that these funds are accurately targeting refugee projects and not used for any other purposes; calls on the Commission to report regularly to the budgetary authority on the compatibility of the actions financed with the underlying legal basis;

2018/12/11
Committee: AFET

2018/2166(DEC)

Jordi SOLÉ

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Is concerned that the use of other financial mechanisms alongside the EU budget to deliver EU policies, such as trust funds, seriously risks to undermine accountability and transparency;

2018/12/11
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)

- having regard to the set of EU thematic guidelines on human rights, including on Human Rights Dialogues with third countries and on Human Rights Defenders,

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Notes with concern that, eight years after the first upheavals, ~~most of the expectat~~the legitimate aspirations of dignity, human rights and social and political reform of the people of the regions have in most countries still not been met; condemns the persistent and continuing violations of human rights, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms ~~in several cases~~, the widespread discrimination against minorities and the repressive response to demands of self-determination; is worried about the socio-economic situation in the region, which continues to be dire and, in particular, about the high levels of youth unemployment and social exclusion, which cause disillusionment and disenfranchisement on a large scale; deplores the persistent levels of corruption, nepotism and unaccountability of many ruling elites of the region;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Notes with particular concern that civil society and human rights defenders across the MENA region face increasing threats, reprisals, judicial harassment, arbitrary detention, torture and ill- treatment and other forms of persecution; emphasises the need for the EU and Member States to prioritise and step up their support to civil society and human rights defenders whose work is indispensable for the long-term stability and security of these countries; stresses in this context, the critical importance for EU and Member States officials to act on individual cases, including through public statements, demarches and trial observation, as well as to enhance assistance to human rights defenders at risk, including through direct meetings and emergency support;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Notes with concern the particular role and responsibility of the military and the security services in the deterioration of the political trajectory of several countries in the aftermath of the Arab Spring and their persistent and dominating control over State and economic resources; calls on the EU and Member States to adequately incorporate this fundamental dimension within their engagement with the MENA region; urges the EU to prioritise the support of parliamentary and civil society efforts towards greater accountability and transparency of the security and military services;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1 c. Notes with serious concern the increasing recourse by the governments in the MENA region to repressive counter- terrorism and cybersecurity legislation as a means to stifle dissent and to criminalise and persecute human rights defenders; calls on the EU and Member States to engage with national authorities to end such practices and to repeal repressive legislation, and to ensure that exports of European surveillance technology and technical assistance strictly comply with EU legislation and are not complicit in human rights violations;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the EU’s efforts to promote democracy, the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms in post-Arab Spring countries, and acknowledges the complexity of such a task; takes the view, however, that, despite a fifteen-year policy focus on Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries, renewed policy efforts and increased budgetary resources in the wake of the Arab Spring, the EU’s goals and policies have not yet been achieved; considers that the lack of EU leadership and initiative towards the resolution of protracted conflicts, such as Western Sahara or Palestine, have undermined its diplomatic clout and its holistic ambitions towards the region;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Takes the view that for far too long the policy stance towards the Maghreb and Mashreq countries was marred by an approach which was State-centred, based to too great an extent on the EU’s expectations and objectives, with ~~little incentive for and ownership by beneficiary countrie~~insufficient attention for addressing the root causes of the Arab Spring and the aspirations of the local populations; regrets that the initial efforts after the Arab Spring to introduce stricter conditionality and delivery incentives in relation to beneficiary countries through the ‘more for more’ principle did not lead to greater leverage on the part of the EU in its ability to promote real change in the areas of democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms in most countries;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Acknowledges the initial efforts by the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Commission, in cooperation and dialogue with the European Parliament, to substantially reform the EU policy framework for post- Arab Spring countries in the hope of attaining real democratic and political leverage in the Maghreb and Mashreq regions; points to the Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy and its added value as regards the potential for achieving synergies in actions at EU level, building on political and economic dialogue and securing adequate support and implementation through the Financial Instruments for the external action of the EU; takes note of the 2015 revision of the European Neighbourhood Policy aimed at taking into account the changing scenarios in the region; insists on the importance of in-depth, annual country by country reporting on the implementation of the ENP;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Is concerned by the social and political impact of the austerity measures carried out across the region, which by reducing public spending and the provision of public services, contribute to increasing social and economic hardship among a large share of the population, which in turn fuels social unrest; notes with concern the direct role of international donors, notably the European Union through its macro- financial assistance programmes, in this process;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Is concerned, however, that the complexity of ~~managing~~responding adequately to the migration and refugee flows from and through the Maghreb and Mashreq regions, ~~the nexus between security and~~an excessively security-focused perspective on migration, the challenge of terrorism and the legitimate concerns about the fragility of certain countries in the region, reduced consideration to climate change imperatives as well as the lack of a cohesive approach by the Member States, is encouraging the EU’s action towards the region to rely excessively on an narrow and short-sighted ideology of stability; takes the view that when stability and security become the predominant objectives, they lead to a counterproductive, shorter-term policy vision and ~~depriv~~undermine EU action ~~directed at reaffirming~~and credibility in its support of human rights and fundamental freedoms ~~of the required intensity~~; is convinced that sustainable stability and security can only be achieved through ~~longer-term objectives~~an approach centered on the preservation of the environment and on human rights, rule of law and democracy;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. W~~elcomes~~arns that the concept of co- ownership put forward by the revised European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP)~~; is concerned, however, that it~~ runs the risk of allowing authoritarian regimes in certain partner countries to cherry-pick priorities according to their national agenda, instead of advancing along the path towards democratisation; notes with concern that some programmes agreed under this revised policy notably in the field of counter-terrorism, security, judiciary and migration, might actually be conducive to strengthening negative human rights trends; stresses, therefore, the importance of a long-term policy framework and synergies in programming for post-Arab Spring countries based on the primacy of democracy, the inclusion of all democratic political forces and the primacy of the rule of law, human rights and fundamental values; reiterates that strengthening these aspects is in the interests of the partner countries and their populations, as well as of the EU, and calls for stronger conditionality in this sense; insists that in cases of systematic violations of human rights by the authorities, EU assistance should exclude budget support, as a direct endorsement of public policy, and should be restricted to supporting local civil society;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Takes the view that, as the EU ~~struggle~~fails to come up with a ~~renewed vision for the management of migration and assistance to refugees~~forward-looking, rights-based and people-centred vision for its migration and asylum policy, there is an increasing risk that some countries in the region might use migration containment and their role therein to seek greater leverage in their political and policy dialogue with the EU and to side-line human rights and democracy priorities therein; stresses, instead, the importance of a policy framework promoting democratic, political and socio- economic inclusion as mutually reinforcing factors; is convinced that, where the prerequisites for the negotiation of Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements, conditional on democratic progress, are not yet in place, the EU should provide increased access to trade and investment, and assistance for reconstruction and infrastructure modernisation in strict correlation with progressive political and economic reforms;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Points out ~~the risk~~ that the EU’s action for the region ~~and the~~is undermined by uncoordinated and unilateral approaches pursued by Member States ~~through bilateral relations may not be in harmony~~, and that the EU’s capacity to make a political impact might be lost as a result; welcomes, in this context, the proposal made by the President of the Commission to move beyond unanimity in Council decision-making in foreign affairs, as it could help the EU to speak with one voice in its foreign relations and have greater leverage;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9 a. Expresses concern at the continued export of arms and security equipment by Member States to authorities in the region which fail to respect human rights and international humanitarian law; urges Member States to strictly comply with the EU Common Position on Arms Exports, which among others states that export licences should be denied where there is a clear risk that the military technology or equipment to be exported might be used for internal repression or for the commission of serious violations of international humanitarian law; calls on the VP/HR to provide to Parliament a detailed overview of the Member States' arms exports to the MENA region;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Calls for closer and genuine involvement of local civil society in the identification of needs in the partner countries; welcomes the efforts by the EEAS and the Commission to broaden civil society outreach and include the private sector, and encourages them to do more in this regard; takes the view that the EU shouland human rights defenders in the elaboration, implementation and evaluation of Partnership Priorities and Single Support Frameworks with the partner countries and the bilateral dialogue with national and local authorities; welcomes the efforts by the EEAS and the Commission to broaden civil society outreach and include the private sector, and encourages them to do more in this regard; emphasises the need to ensure the participation of genuinely independent civil society, including unregistered groups, as well as that of interlocutors located in remote and rural areas; takes the view that the EU should refrain from engaging through government-controlled agencies and make access to available funds for smaller civil society organisations (CSOs) easier, streamline the application processes and focus on local CSOs while avoiding government-organized NGOs (GONGOs); points out the perception among local civil society interlocutors of a primary focus by the EU on large, international CSOs; calls on the EU to invest more resources in promoting the capacity building of local CSOs and facilitating enhanced partnerships between them and large, international CSOs, with a view to increasing local ownership; calls for direct financial support for independent civil society organizations to be clearly earmarked and secured in EU assistance programming;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Recalls the importance of securing adequate visibility for EU efforts and EU assistance and investment in the region; calls in particular for the reinstatement of the mandate of an EU Special Representative for the Southern Mediterranean, which would spearhead EU engagement with the region and provide hightened EU visibility;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Believes that with a view to increasing the EU’s capacity to make a political and policy impact and to promote ownership and widespread support by beneficiary countries, each EU Delegation should set up high-level advisory councils comprising economic, media, cultural, academic and civil society leaders from the country concerned, including those living in exile or abroad, and providing input as regards policy priorities and the policy architecture devised by the EU;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Recalls the added value of parliamentary diplomacy and of the regular bilateral interparliamentary meetings which Parliament holds with its counterparts from the Southern Neighbourhood as a tool for exchanging experiences and fostering mutual understanding; encourages the EU’s national parliaments to hold bilateral interparliamentary meetings within the framework of the ENP; underlines once more that political parties in the national parliaments and the European Parliament can play a role in this regard; takes the view that dialogue between the European Parliament, EU national parliaments and the parliaments of the Southern Neighbourhood could provide a very valuable opportunity to foster regional dialogue and cooperation in the Southern Neighbourhood; ~~points, moreover, in this context, to~~notes with regret, however, that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean as(PA UfM) has yet to meet the expectations of being a venue where regional integration and an ambitious political and economic agenda for this organisation could be ~~re-~~ dynamised; expresses concern at the institutional duplication of the PA UfM and the Parliamentary Assembly for the Mediterranean and believes that interparliamentary dialogue around the Mediterranean would gain in efficiency, visibility and purpose by merging both institutions; regrets also the side-lining of the PA UfM within the regional framework of the Union for the Mediterranean and calls for greater transparency and parliamentary oversight of UfM activities, notably the UfM labelled projects;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Recalls that women’s rights, gender equality and the right to non-discrimination of vulnerable groups are fundamental rights and key principles of the EU’s external action; observes that while some encouraging progress may be noted in these areas in some countries, notably Tunisia, the overall situation remains characterised by deep-rooted patriarchy, gender inequality and violence against women; notes also that women's rights defenders face arbitrary detention, judicial harassment, smear campaigns and intimidation;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2160(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15 a. Denounces the widespread and systematic persecution against LGBTI persons and LGBTI rights defenders across the MENA region, including judicial harassment, physical attacks and smear campaigns; calls on the EU and Member States to enhance their support to LGBTI defenders and to engage effectively with the national authorities on the matter;

2019/01/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 a (new)

– having regard to the granting of the European Parliament Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought and Expression to Saudi blogger and activist Raif Badawi in 2015 for his remarkable efforts to foster open discussion of religion and politics in his country; having regard to his continued detention following his sentencing to 10 years in jail, 1000 lashes and a large fine for supposedly "insulting Islam",

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief, commonly referred to as the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is a human right inherent to all human beings and a fundamental right of individuals which should be subjected to no kind of discrimination, as enshrined by international and European founding texts, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas FoRB implies the right of the individual to choose what to believe and not to believe, the right to change or abandon one’s religion and convictions without any constraints, and the right to practise and manifest the religion or theistic, non-theistic or atheistic belief of one’s choice, whether individually or in community and whether in private or in public, the right to not to profess any religion or belief, and the right to express critical or satirical opinions on religions and religious authorities as a legitimate expression of freedom of thought or artistic creation; whereas the manifestation of religion or belief can be expressed in worship, teaching, practice and observance; whereas FoRB entails the right of believers’ and non-believers’ communities to preserve their ethos and to act in accordance with it, and the entitlement for their religious and non- confessional organisations to have recognised legal personality; whereas protecting individuals adhering to any religion or none and effectively addressing violations of FoRB, such as discrimination or legal restrictions based on religion or belief, are primordial conditions to ensure that individuals may enjoy FoRB on an equal basis;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. ~~whereas FoRB directly contributes to democracy, development, the rule of law, peace and stability;~~ whereas violations of FoRB are ~~increasingly~~ widespread, affect people in all parts of the world and may exacerbate intolerance, often constituting early indicators of potential violence and conflicts;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas 22 countries still criminalise apostasy, including 12 where it is punishable by death; whereas blasphemy is criminalized in 43 countries and is punishable by death in 6 countries; whereas at least 14 EU Member States maintain criminal blasphemy or religious insult laws; whereas the UN-sponsored Rabat Plan of Action on the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence of 2013, recommends that "States that have blasphemy laws should repeal them, as such laws have a stifling impact on the enjoyment of freedom of religion or belief, and healthy dialogue and debate about religion;"

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)

Db. whereas the non-religious, and secular and humanist organizations are facing growing persecution, including unprecedented waves of incitement and hatred and killings, in a number of countries; whereas countless individuals and civil society organisations are under assault for peacefully questioning, criticizing or satirizing religious beliefs; whereas this ongoing violation of their freedom of thought and of expression occurs across geographic and cultural borders, including within EU Member States;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that religion or belief ~~is an import~~or non-belief continues to represent ant undeniable ~~pillar~~aspect of human identity, ~~greatly~~ impacting individuals and societies~~, and is therefore a reality that must not be neglected or denied in policies but requires proper recognition and addressing~~; observes that atheism and the non- religious population are growing rapidly worldwide and should not be neglected in the EU policy framework on freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Expresses its deep concern at the fact that recent years have seen ~~a dramatic rise in~~widespread violations of FoRB worldwide, including persecution based on thought, conscience, religion or belief; stresses that these violations are frequently at the root of or increasingly exacerbate wars or other forms of armed conflict, resulting in violations of humanitarian law, including mass murders or genocide; ~~stresses that violations of FoRB undermine democracy, impede develop~~deplores in particular the ongoing rollback and regression on sexual and reproductive rights of woment, and negatively affect the enjoyment of other fundamental freedoms and rights; emphasises that this obligates the international community, the EU and its Member States to reaffirm their determination and strengthen girl and rights of LGBTI persons, notably under the guise of religious principles or doctrine; stresses that violations of individual rights, including FoRB, negatively affect the enjoyment of otheir ~~actions in promoting FoRB~~fundamental freedoms and rights;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Denounces the recourse to blasphemy, apostasy or other accusations based on religious grounds , in order to crack-down on human rights defenders in relation to their legitimate activities, including on the Internet and social media, and more broadly to restrict civil society space; in this context, denounces the continued detention of Sakharov Prize laureate Raif Badawi after an unlawful trial and presses the Saudi authorities to immediately and unconditionally release him;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Stresses that, in accordance with Article 21 TEU, the EU and its Member States have pledged to enhance respect for human rights, as a principle guiding EU foreign policy; strongly welcomes the fact that the 2013 EU Guidelines mainstream this fundamental freedom into EU foreign policy and external actions~~, and in this regard calls for its further strengthening~~;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Stresses that, in accordance with Article 17 TFEU, the EU is committed to maintaining open, transparent and regular dialogues with churches and religious, philosophical and non-confessional organisations; highlights the supporting effect of these dialogues for respect for other human rights, equal rights for women, children’s rights, as well as for democracy, development, the rule of law, good governance, peace and stability, and environmental and labour standards; stresses that such interreligious and intercultural dialogues are often met by greater openness by some EU international partners and create a starting-point for progress in other areas;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. ~~Commends~~Takes note of the creation of the post of Special Envoy for the promotion of FoRB outside the EU in 2016 by the President of the Commission, in response to the resolution of Parliament of 4 February 2016; ~~considers~~yet regrets that the appointment of ~~the~~Mr Figel as Special Envoy was an ~~important step forward and~~nounced by European Commission President Juncker from Vatican City; considers the appointment of the Special Envoy as a clear recognition of FoRB ~~as one of the core parts of~~within the human rights agenda of EU foreign policy and external actions, both bilateral and multilateral, and within development cooperation; ~~prai~~stresses the ~~Special Envoy for his continuous engagement and cooperation and complementarity of actions~~importance of the Special Envoy's engagement and cooperation with the EU Special Representative for Human Rights on this issue, including the promotion of the EU Guidelines; ~~commends the Commissioner on International Cooperation and Development, together with the Commission’s DG DEVCO, for actively supporting the Special Envoy;~~

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Stresses the importance of linking up efforts to promote FoRB and inter- and intra-religious as well as inter-convictional dialogues with the prevention of violent extremism on a complementary and mutually reinforcing basis, in particular within neighbouring and other countries with which the EU has special relations;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Deplores the fact that some countries have, enforce or seek to introduce penal laws providing punishment for blasphemy, conversion or apostasy, including the death penalty; also draws attention to the situation of some other countries facing or being at risk of conflicts of a religious dimension; calls for the EU to prioritise in its foreign policy efforts towards all the countries concerned with a view to the repeal of such discriminatory laws and to put an end to the repression of human rights defenders and the shrinking of civil society space on religious grounds;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Welcomes the fact that the Special Envoy has developed ~~effective~~ working networks within the Commission, the Council, and the European Parliament, as well as with other stakeholders; ~~deplores, however, the fact that~~calls on the Special Envoy to coordinate closely also with the European External Action Service and the EU Special ~~Envoy’s mandate was not established and consolidated wi~~Representative for Human Rights and to report annually on the countries visited and his thematic priorities; encourages the Special Envoy not to neglect the s~~ufficient human and financial resources~~ituation of non- believers and to enhance his outreach and advocacy in relation to the non- confessional dimension of his mandate;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Calls on the Council and the Commission to strengthen the Special Envoy’s institutional mandate and capacity, by earmarking funding and human resources adequate to the Envoy’s duties, developing a systemic institutionalisation of working networks established by the Special Envoy within all relevant EU institutions or establishing the posicarry out a transparent and comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness and added value of the creation of the position of the Special Envoy, including in terms of possible duplication ofwith the EU Special Representative for ~~FoRB~~Human Rights, before considering to renew the mandate;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 – introductory part

12. Calls on the Council and the Commission to ~~reflect on creating the EU Special Representative for FoRB; considers that the compet~~avoid duplication of and to clarify the distribution of tasks and responsibilities between the Special Envoy for FoRB and the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, noting that the mandate of the latter includes the promotion of freedom of thought, consciences and ~~mandate of this Special Representative~~belief and the EU policy in that field; considers that EU external action in this area should include:

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 – point b

(b) providing the European Parliament, the Council, the Vice- President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Commission with an annual progress report and a comprehensive implementation report on the mandate at the end thereofinclude a FoRB-dedicated chapter in the Commission and Council's annual report on human rights;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

~~13. Calls for the term of office of the Special Envoy to be extended to a multi- year term, corresponding to the term of the Commission;~~deleted

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

~~14. Recommends that the title and mandate of the Special Envoy visibly include the promotion of interreligious dialogue and interfaith cooperation;~~deleted

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Recommends the setting up of a ~~regular~~n informal advisory working group of Member States’ FoRB institutions and European Parliament representatives together with experts, scholars, and representatives of civil society, including c~~hurches and other faith-based~~onfessional and non-confessional organisations, providing advice on FoRB issues ~~to assist the Special Envoy~~;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Recommends that the EU Special ~~Envoy~~Representative for Human Rights further develop cooperation with counterparts outside the EU, in particular by working in close cooperation with the UN Special Rapporteurs, including on FoRB, as well as exploring the possibility of EU-UN joint ~~annual reporting on discrimination~~initiatives on discrimination against non- believers (including atheists, apostats, agnostics, humanists etc.) as well as against religious minorities, also formulating common proposals on how to put an end to such acts;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Urgently calls for the implementation of all EU thematic Guidelines on Human Rights, including the EU Guidelines on FoRB to be increased in intensity and effectiveness; notes that further dedicated efforts need to be made by the EU and its Member States to implement more effectively the EU Guidelines and make the EU more influential in advancing ~~FoRB~~them worldwide; stresses that understanding how societies may be shaped and influenced by religions and other beliefs, including non-belief, is instrumental to better comprehending the promotion of FoRB in EU foreign policy and international cooperation; calls for a particular attention to be paid to the situation of non-believers facing discrimination and violence;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. ~~Commends, in this respect, the efforts made to date by the EEAS and the Commission to provide training on religious literacy to EU officials and national diplomats; stresses, however,~~Stresses the need for broader and more systematic training programmes which would raise awareness of and increase the use of the EU Gthematic human rights guidelines among the EU’s and Member States’ officials and diplomats and strengthen cooperation with the Special Envoy; asks for churches and religious communities and associations to be involved in this training process; calls on the Commission and the Council to earmark resources for establishing such training programmes;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to ~~produc~~ensure a FoRB-dedicated chapter in the EU Annual Reports on ~~FoRB~~Human Rights and Democracy in the world, to be communicated to the European Parliament and the Council; notes that the EU Guidelines on FoRB provide for an evaluation of their implementation by COHOM after a period of three years, and that no such evaluation has been communicated or made public; calls for the evaluation to be made public without delay; considers that the evaluation should highlight best practices, identify areas for improvement, and provide concrete recommendations on implementation in accordance with a specified timeline and milestones subject to regular annual evaluation; calls for the evaluation to be included in the EU Annual Report~~s on FoRB~~ on Human Rights and Democracy in the wWorld;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Underlines the responsibilities fulfilled by human rights focal points ~~within all EU Delegations and CSDP Missions; calls for the designating of FoRB-specific focal points in every~~, including in relation to FoRB, within all EU Delegations and CSDP Missions; calls for more resources to be allocated to EU Delegations and CSDP Missions so as to allow them to carry out their work ~~of promoting FoRB~~;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Expresses its satisfaction that FoRB is identified as a priority of the European Instrument of Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR); ~~welcomes the significant~~notes the increase of EIDHR funding allocated to FoRB-related projects since the adoption of the EU Guidelines; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to ensure that EU diplomatic work for the promotion of human rights, including FoRB, and EIDHR-funded projects is mutually reinforcing; insists that funds allocated to FoRB-related projects be fairly distributed among confessional and non-confessional groups; stresses that FoRB can also be supported by other instruments than human rights- oriented funds, among others those dedicated to the conflict prevention dimension or to education and culture; calls on the Commission and the Council to maintain sufficient funding for ~~FoRB~~human rights-related projects under the EU external financial instruments, within the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-2027;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2155(INI)

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Stresses that the EU’s policies in the fields of peace, security and conflict prevention and development and cooperation face challenges, for which solutions can be devised among others with the participation of secular and non- confessional groups and activists, churches, religious leaders, academics, religious communities and associations or faith-based organisations ~~that are a critical part of civil society~~; acknowledges the importance of being mindful of the diversity of non-confessional organizations, churches, religious communities and associations and faith- based organisations which perform actual development and humanitarian work for and with communities; calls on the Council and the Commission to incorporate, where relevant, objectives and activities relating to the promotion and protection of FoRB into the programming of funding instruments linked to those policies, namely the EDF, the DCI, the ENI, the IcSP and the IPA;

2018/09/13
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Rebecca HARMS, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 16

— having regard to the Commission recommendation of 21 December 2016 for a Council decision authorising the opening of negotiations with Turkey on an agreement on the extension of the scope of the bilateral preferential trade relationship and on the modernisation of the Customs Union, and to the decision of the Council of June 2018 of not undertaking further work towards the modernisation of the EU-Turkey Customs Union,

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Rebecca HARMS, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 a (new)

- having regard to the Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the impact of the state of emergency on human rights in Turkey, including an update on the South-East, of March 2018,

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Rebecca HARMS, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the decision of 19 July 2018 to lift the state of emergency, which was introduced after the 2016 coup attempt and extended 7 times; ~~notes~~stresses however that the prolonged state of emergency has led to a~~n eros~~ serious deterioration of the rule of law and ~~deterior~~of human rights in Turkey which may have long-lasting implications o~~f human rights in~~n the institutional and socio-economic fabric of Turkey; regrets that the adoption of new legislative proposals preserves many of the abusive powers granted to the President and the executive under the state of emergency including the possibility for local governors to impose curfews and to restrict access to parts of the territory they govern, and thereby dampens any positive effect of its termination;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Rebecca HARMS, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Recalls~~Is deeply concerned that over 150 000 people were taken into custody in the post-coup crackdown and 78 000 have been arrested on terrorism charges, while more than 50 000 people remain in jail in most of the cases without any convincing proof for the charges or links to violence and often solely based on "evidence" allegedly linking them to the Gülen movement; expresses concern at the excessively lengthy pre-trial detention and judicial proceedings, the fact that in several cases no indictment has been issued yet, and the harshness of detention conditions; is particularly concerned at the fact that such arrests ~~seem to~~ also target legitimate voices of dissent, human rights defenders or members of the opposition; is very worried at the allegations of ill-treatment and torture of those in prison, as reported by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and several human rights organisations;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Rebecca HARMS, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Notes that since the introduction of the state of emergency more than 152 000 civil servants - including teachers, doctors, (peace) academics, lawyers, judges and prosecutors - have been dismissed on the basis of alleged coup links; notes that 125 000 people applied to the Inquiry Commission on the State of Emergency Measures (CoSEM), which is tasked with reviewing and deciding within two years on complaints against measures taken under the state of emergency and related decrees, and 89 000 of them are still awaiting a decision; is concerned about the narrow scope of the mandate of the Inquiry Commission, its lack of independence, and the fact that examinations are made on the sole basis of documents in the case-file, without participation of the person concerned; ~~not~~stresses that the dismissals have had an extremely harsh impact on the individuals concerned and on their families, including financially, and come with a lasting social and professional stigma; calls on the Turkish government to ensure that all individuals have the right to have their cases reviewed by an independent court in accordance with international standards that can award compensation for the material and moral damage caused by their arbitrary dismissal;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Rebecca HARMS, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Notes that more than 300.000 passports have been confiscated since the start of the State of Emergency in 2016; notes that no progress has been made after the presidential statement that promised the enabling of the passports of the relatives of detainees;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Rebecca HARMS, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Condemns the increased executive control over ~~and~~ political interference ~~with the work of judges and prosecutors~~and the extreme political pressure on the work of judges and prosecutors; stresses that the legislative proposals adopted after the lifting of the state of emergency further hinder judicial independence; stresses that a serious reform of the legislative and judicial branches of power is needed for Turkey to comply with its obligations under international human rights law; is awaiting, in this regard, the Reform Action Group’s action plan on judicial reforms;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Rebecca HARMS, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Expresses serious concern about the disproportionate and arbitrary measures curtailing freedom of expression, media freedom and access to information; stresses that Turkey is the world´s biggest jailer of journalists, with more than 300 arrested since the coup attempt; condemns the closure of more than 160 media outlets and the large number of arrests of journalists in the aftermath of the coup attempt; urges Turkey to guarantee media freedom as a matter of priority and to immediately release and acquit all unlawfully detained journalists; regrets the fact that more than 100 000 websites were blocked in Turkey during the last year, including a high number of pro-Kurdish websites and satellite TV channels;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Rebecca HARMS, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Expresses~~Is extremely concern aed about the shrinking space for civil society and the promotion of fundamental rights and freedoms; ~~note~~condemns that a large number of activists, including human rights defenders, were arrested and demonstrations were recurrently banned during the state of emergency; calls on Turkey to protect the fundamental rights of minorities, such as LGBTI people;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Rebecca HARMS, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Calls on all EU Member States not to follow through on extradition requests by the Turkish government concerning individuals with alleged “terror links”, including former Sakharov prize finalist Can Dündar; stresses that those individuals would not have their right to a fair trial in Turkey guaranteed; calls on all EU Member States to grant humanitarian visa to citizens that are persecuted so that they can travel to the EU in a safe way in order to find protection;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Rebecca HARMS, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6 b. Calls on Turkish authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all detained human rights defenders and to drop all charges against them; stresses that Turkish authorities must enable them to carry out their work free of threat and impediment in all circumstances;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Is ~~deep~~seriously concerned atby the ~~situation in Turkey’s South-East and the serious allegations of h~~numerous cases of excessive use of force; killings; enforced disappearances; torture; destruction of housing and cultural heritage; incitement to hatred; prevention of access to emergency medical care, food, water and livelihoods; violence against women; and severe curtailment of the right to freedom of opinion and expression as well as political participation in the South East, as documented by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human rRights ~~abuses~~, especially since the collapse of the Kurdish settlement process in 2015; ~~reiterates its firm condemnation of the return to violence by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been on the EU list of terrorist organisations since 2002~~praises the work of human rights defenders such as Nurcan Baysal whose activity has allowed the documentation of human rights violations in the region; regrets the long-lasting consequences that the civil war in the South East of Turkey has had on the population; expresses its deep disappointment and reiterates its firm condemnation of the return to violence in the South-East by the different parties; stresses the urgency of resuming a credible political process involving all concerned parties and democratic forces leading to a peaceful settlement of the Kurdish issue; calls on Turkey to promptly investigate serious allegations of human rights abuses and killings, to bring perpetrators to justice and to allow international observers to carry out an independent verification;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Rebecca HARMS, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Is particularly concerned by the destruction of historical heritage sites in the South-East, including of Diyarbakir´s ancient Sur which was included in UNESCO´s World Heritage List, by the Turkish government, threatening the preservation of Kurdish identity and culture; condemns that the implementation of reconstruction programmes has been done without the participation of the concerned population;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Jordi SOLÉ, Rebecca HARMS, Ana MIRANDA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Notes with concern that during the state of emergency a very large number of mayors and co-mayors in the South-East were dismissed or arrested and that the Government appointed trustees to replace them; stresses that as a result, a third of Turkey’s population was not represented by the people they had elected at the 2016 local elections; takes the view that the municipal elections in March 2019 must provide an important opportunity to fully reinstate the principle of direct democratic mandate;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Rebecca HARMS, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Condemns the continued arrest of Selahattin Demirtas, opposition leader and presidential candidate; pledges to continue to follow his case very closely and calls for his immediate and unconditional release; expects the European Court of Human Rights to deliver without delay its final judgement in the cwelcomes the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights on the case of Selahattin Demirtas, which calls on the Turkish authorities to immediately release him; stresses that the European Court of Human Rights further ruled that Demirtaş’s detention, especially during two crucial electoral campaigns, namely the referendum and the presidential election, had pursued the predominant ulterior purpose of stifling pluralism and limiting freedom of political debate, which is at the very core of the concept of a democratic society; condemns the intention of Turkish authorities to contravene the ruling of the ECHR; expects the EU and its Member States to follow his case very closely and calls for his immediate and unconditional release;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Rebecca HARMS, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Condemns the judicial harassment and unlawful passport confiscation of Eylem Tuncaelli and Naci Sönmez, co- chairs of the Turkish Green party, who have been charged in connection to their signature of a press statement criticising Turkey´s military action in Syria; urges the Turkish authorities to drop all charges against them and to allow them to freely exercise their political activity;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. CTaking all of the above into account, calls on the Commission and the Member States, t~~aking all of the above into account and in accordance with the Negotiating Framework, to formally suspend the accession negotiations with Turkey~~o keep accession talks frozen until credible reforms with an aim to align Turkey's legal and institutional system with the EU Acquis are implemented, especially with regards to the protection and promotion of the principles of democracy, human rights and rule of law; remains, however, committed to democratic dialogue with Turkey; asks the Commission to use~~, during the formal suspension of negotiations,~~ all funds available under IPA II and the future IPA III to support, through a dedicated envelope directly managed by the EU, Turkey’s civil society, and to increase opportunities for people-to-people contacts, academic dialogue, access for Turkish students to European universities and media platforms for journalists;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Jordi SOLÉ, Ana MIRANDA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. ~~Believ~~Notes that ~~a door should be left open~~the Commission proposal for the modernisation and upgrading of the 1995 Customs Union between the EU and Turkey~~, to~~ includes relevant areas such as agriculture, services and public procurement, which currently are not covered; recalls that two thirds of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Turkey comes from EU Member States and that Turkey is an important growth market for the EU; ~~believes that the upgrade would provide a valuable opportunity for democratic conditionality, positive leverage and the possibility of a roadmap wher~~calls on the Commission not to start preparatory works for the upgrad~~ing~~e of the Customs Union ~~would go hand in hand with concrete commitments by Turkey~~until the Turkish government indicates its readiness for serious reforms in the fields onf democra~~tic reforms~~cy, human rights and rule of law; believes ~~further~~ that the ~~upgrading of the Customs Union would~~incentive of an upgrade provides a~~n important~~ valuable opportunity for policy dialogue on climate change as well as on labour rights in Turkey; calls on the Commission to start preparatory work for the upgrading of the Customs Union as soon as the Turkish Government indicates its readiness for serious reformsex ante democratic conditionality; calls on the Commission to include a binding and enforceable non-execution clause on human rights and fundamental freedoms in any future upgraded Customs Union between Turkey and the EU;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Jordi SOLÉ, Rebecca HARMS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15 a. Calls on the Turkish Government to halt its plans for the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant; points out that the envisaged site is located in a region prone to severe earthquakes, hence posing a major threat not only to Turkey, but also to the Mediterranean region; requests, accordingly, that the Turkish Government join the Espoo Convention, which commits its parties to notifying and consulting each other on major projects under consideration that are likely to have a significant adverse environmental impact across boundaries; asks, to this end, the Turkish Government to involve, or at least consult, the governments of its neighbouring countries in relation to any further developments in the Akkuyu venture;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Jordi SOLÉ, Rebecca HARMS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Points out that trade union freedom and social dialogue are vital to the development of a pluralistic society; ~~regret~~condemns the legislative shortcomings on labour and trade union rights and stresses that the right to organise, the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike are fundamental rights of workers; is seriously concerned about the working conditions for workers during the construction of the new Istanbul airport, given that reportedly 38 workers have died in work-related accidents since the start of construction in May 2015 and 31 people, including a union leader, are currently held in prison for protesting against poor working conditions; calls on the Turkish authorities to consult closely with the relevant trade unions on the issue of necessary safeguards for workers on-site, to carry out a thorough investigation into the deaths and injuries, and to allow trade unions full access to the workers;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Rebecca HARMS, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. NContinues its support to the visa liberalisation process once the set conditions have been met; notes that visa liberalisation is of great importance for Turkish citizens, particularly for students, academics, business representatives and people with family ties in EU Member States; encourages the Turkish Government to fully comply with the 72 criteria identified in the visa liberalisation roadmap; stresses that the revision of Turkey’s anti-terrorism legislation is a key condition for ensuring fundamental rights and freedoms, and that visa liberalisation will be possible once all the criteria have been met;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Rebecca HARMS, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Recalls the important role played by Turkey in responding to the migration crisis resulting from the war in Syria; takes the view that Turkey’s population has shown great hospitality by offering shelter to more than 3 million Syrian refugees; calls on the EU and its Member States to keep their promise regarding a large-scale resettlement, and to ensure adequate financial resources for the long-term support of Syrian refugees in Turkey; is concerned by reports that the border with Syria has been effectively closed to new asylum seekers, that several provinces suspended registration of newcomers, as well as by reports of abuses, excessive use of force, expulsions, returns and deportations of Syrian nationals, in contradiction of the non-refoulement principle, and calls on the European Commission to seek information and publicly report about abuses reportedly committed;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2150(INI)

Bodil VALERO, Ana MIRANDA, Rebecca HARMS, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Welcomes the efforts by the UN to resume negotiations on the reunification of Cyprus; supports a fair, comprehensive and viable settlement in line with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the EU acquis; reiterates its call on Turkey to commit and contribute to a comprehensive settlement, to begin withdrawing its troops from Cyprus, to transfer the sealed-off area of Famagusta to the UN, and to refrain from actions altering the demographic balance on the island; praises the important work of the Committee on Missing Persons which deals with both Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot missing persons; recognises the right of the Republic of Cyprus to enter into bilateral agreements concerning its exclusive economic zone; urges ~~Turkey~~both parties to engage in the peaceful settlement of disputes, and to refrain from any threat or action which might have negative effects on good neighbourly relations; stresses the need for the implementation of the EU acquis in the northern part of the island; acknowledges in this regard the importance of the uninterrupted continuation of the work of the bi- communal ad-hoc committee on EU preparation; encourages both the European Parliament and the Commission to intensify their efforts to engage with Turkish Cypriots in preparation to fully integrate into the EU;

2018/12/17
Committee: AFET

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)

8a having regard to its resolution of 11 April 2018 on protection of investigative journalists in Europe: the case of Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)

- having regard to its resolution of 29 November 2018 on The Cum Ex Scandal: financial crime and the loopholes in the current legal framework;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 a (new)

- having regard to the infringement procedures against 21 Member States for having not or only partially transposed AMLD4 into national law of which three are currently at the stage of court referrals (Romania, Ireland and now Luxembourg), with one on hold (Greece), nine at the stage of Reasoned Opinions, and eight at the stage of Letters of Formal Notice,

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 20 a (new)

- having regard to the Commission Communication on strengthening the Union framework for prudential and anti- money laundering supervision,

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)

- having regard to the Recommendation of the EBA to the Maltese FIAU,

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 b (new)

- having regard to the Formal Opinion to the Maltese FIAU of the Commission,

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Citation 25 a (new)

- having regard to reports on tax avoidance and tax evasion as challenges for governance, social protection and development in developing countries1a, and gender equality and taxation policies in the EU1b; _________________ 1a Report on tax avoidance and tax evasion as challenges for governance, social protection and development in developing countries (2015/2058(INI)) (http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/get Doc.do?pubRef=- //EP//TEXT+REPORT+A8-2015- 0184+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN) 1b Gender equality and taxation policies in the EU (2018/2095(INI)) (https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oei l/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=&refere nce=2018/2095(INI)

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Notes that money laundering, tax evasion and tax avoidance have important economic, political, and social impacts, including loss of tax revenue, productivity loss, unfair competition and inequality, and incentivise certain economic outcomes that undermine both the countries’ political stability and social contract; stresses that the negative effects on public resources also impact the realisation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)

1 b. Notes with regret that tax fraud, tax evasion and aggressive tax planning are important factors causing income and wealth inequality, and have shifted the tax burden from rich individuals to poorer citizens, from capital income to labour income and consumption, from MNEs to SMEs and from the financial sector to the real economy; notes that this has resulted in weaker and less efficient tax-and- transfer systems that are essential to finance public goods and stabilise the economy;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)

1 c. Notes that tax evasion and tax avoidance are major contributors to gender inequality in the Union and globally as they limit the resources available to governments to increase equality at national and international level; calls on the Commission, the Council and the Member States to include a gender perspective in the formulation of its proposal to tackle tax evasion;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2 a. Stresses that during the work of the TAX3 Special Committee more revelations concerning financial crimes, tax evasion and tax avoidance have come to light, particularly connected to cases such as those of the ABLV Bank in Latvia, the murder of investigative journalists Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová, the Danske Bank in Denmark and Estonia or the Cum Ex scandal involving at least 11 EU countries; stresses that as a result of the Panama Papers scandal, four people have been charged in the US;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Welcomes the fact that during its current term the Commission has put forward 22 legislative proposals aimed at closing some of the loopholes, improving the fight against financial crimes and aggressive tax planning, and enhancing tax collection efficiency and tax fairness; calls for the swift adoption of initiatives that have not yet been finalised before the end of this legislature, particularly the key legislative proposals for public Country by Country reporting, Common Corporate tax Base and Common Consolidated Corporate tax base and digital taxation; and for careful monitoring of the implementation to ensure efficiency and proper enforcement, in order to keep pace with the versatility of tax fraud, tax evasion and aggressive tax planning;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Regrets that the Council has repeatedly failed to pass the measures that are necessary to require transnational corporations to fulfil their part of the social contract; notes that such failure undermines faith in the ability of democratic politicians to solve issues of injustice that are deeply troubling for our citizens;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)

3 b. Regrets that due to resistance of Member States, several legislative proposals in the field of tax justice have not been adopted yet to the detriment of European citizens.

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Deplores again ‘the lack of reliable and unbiased statistics on the magnitude of tax avoidance and tax evasion [and] stresses the importance of developing appropriate and transparent methodologies to quantify the scale of these phenomena, as well as their impact on countries’ public finances, economic activities and public investments’; notes that transparency in general is central to the fight against money laundering, tax evasion and tax avoidance, and that some jurisdictions have interest in keeping the secrecy at place;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Calls on the Council and Member States to prioritise projects, notably with the support of the Fiscalis programme, aimed at quantifying the magnitude of tax avoidance in order to better address the current tax gap; urges the Commission and Member States to analyse their tax gaps in the EU and Member States including VAT gaps in order to design tax policies in an effective manner.

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Calls on the Member States to estimate their tax gaps, and publish the results annually;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Highlights that close to 40 % of MNEs’ profits are shifted to tax havens globally each year and recognizes that certain jurisdictions within the EU, namely Luxemburg, Ireland and the Netherlands, are regular receivers of financial flows and reported profits generated elsewhere in the Union due to their very low or zero corporate, dividend and capital gains tax rates, and special tax provisions25 ; _________________ 25 Tørsløv, Wier and Zucman ‘The missing profits of nations’, National Bureau of Economic Research, Working Paper 24701, 2018.

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Notes the tendency of corporations to produce their own estimates of ETRs - often based on bogus methods - which are then used to influence policy in a way that diminishes their tax liabilities;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Recalls that the fight against tax evasion and fraud tackles illegal acts, whereas the fight against tax avoidance addresses situations that are a priori within the limits of the law but against its spirit and could be considered illegal; however, recalls with concern that this strict distinction ignores the existence of grey areas and fails to take sufficient account of the ability of powerful players to change tax law to suit themselves;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Recalls that ATP describes the setting of a tax design aimed at reducing tax liability by using the technicalities of a tax system or of mismatches between two or more tax systems that go against the spirit of the law and could be considered illegal;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Notes that the growing role of intangible assets in the MNE value chain and harmful R&D tax incentives are conducive to aggressive tax planning.;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Stresses the similarity between corporate tax payers and high-net-worth individuals in the use of corporate structures and similar structures such as trusts and offshore locations for the purpose of ATP; recalls ~~the role of intermedia~~, in this regard, that for the wealthy most of their income arrives in ~~setting up such scheme~~the form of capital gains rather than earnings;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Welcomes the Commission’s assessment and inclusion of ATP indicators in its 2018 European Semester country reports; calls for such assessment to become a regular feature in order to ensure a level playing field in the EU internal market with a clear follow-up, as well as the greater stability of public revenue in the long run; regrets that so far no recommendations to end harmful tax practices have been put forward by the Commission in the course of the European Semester country reports, calls on the Commission to ensure full transparency of this exercise, including the follow-up, and to give countries concrete recommendations regarding the fight against aggressive tax planning strategies;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Reiterates its call on companies, as taxpayers, to fully comply with their tax obligations and ~~refrain from~~stop any forms of aggressive tax planning leading to BEPS, ~~and to consider fair taxation strategy as an important part of their corporate social responsibility~~to recognise their business is enabled by tax-funded social, legal and physical infrastructure and public services, and to embrace fair taxation strategy as an important part of their corporate social responsibility; reminds them that rising inequality and the gap between the wealthy and corporate elites is undermining the cohesion of societies and faith in democratic politics;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Urges Member States to review and update bilateral taxation agreements between Member States and with third countries to close loopholes that incentivise tax-driven trading practices with the purpose of tax avoidance;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Recalls that taxes must be paid in the jurisdictions where the actual economic activity and value creation takes place or, in case of indirect taxation, where consumption takes place; especially since it is required to fund the public services that the corporations themselves depend on;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15 a. Deplores the drop in nominal corporate tax rates all over Europe in recent years and the proliferation of incentives to lower the effective tax rate (ETR) compared to the statutory corporate tax rate; notes with concern that, regarding effective tax rates in the EU, in addition to Luxembourg (2.2%), the lowest ETRs are to be found in Hungary (7.5%), Bulgaria (9.5%), Cyprus (9.6%) as well as in the Netherlands (10.4%) and Latvia (10.6%) and that most countries appear to tax MNEs regressively: the larger the MNE, the lower the ETR;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)

15 b. Acknowledges the harmful consequences that tax competition between jurisdictions and the resulting "race to the bottom" have on public revenues and the progressivity of taxation; underlines that the further lowering of corporate taxes will eventually put the sustainability of the Union's public finances at stake; calls on the European Commission to propose a Directive that ensures minimum effective corporate tax rates of at least 20% in the European Union;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Acknowledges that special tax and deduction regimes, including those in non-EU countries like Switzerland, bear substantial responsibility for the global downward spiral of corporate taxes rates; notes that the effective tax rate is much lower than nominal rates in most EU countries, and important disparities and pressure on lower tax rates lead to a race to the bottom;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)

16 b. Regrets that profit shifting is often used by companies to put pressure on governments and employees, demanding weaker regulation and labour standards with the excuse of low profit margins, even though the company is operating successfully;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Acknowledges that the G20/OECD- led BEPS project was meant to tackle in a coordinated manner the causes and circumstances creating BEPS practices, by improving the coherence of tax rules across borders, reinforcing substance requirements and enhancing transparency and certainty; regrets that OECD BEPS Action Plan concerns only tax base competition and does not address tax rate competition;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Notes that the G20/OECD 15-point BEPS action plan is being implemented and monitored and further discussions are taking place, in a broader context than just the initial participating countries, through the Inclusive Framework; notes with regret however that BEPS so far failed to deliver on the most effective solution against the base erosion and profit shifting, deplores the fact that OECD still remain rather an exclusive club of countries rather that an open global platform that could keep up with the pace and deliver the solutions to minimise the negative impacts and risks of globalisation; calls on Member States to support a reform of both the mandate and the functioning of the Inclusive Framework to ensure that remaining tax loopholes and unsolved tax questions such as the allocation of taxing rights among countries are covered by the current international framework to combat BEPS practices;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Points out that some countries have recently adopted unilateral countermeasures against harmful tax practices (such as the UK’s Diverted Profits Tax and the Global Intangible Low- Taxed Income (GILTI) provisions of the US tax reform) to ensure that the foreign income of MNEs is duly taxed at a minimum effective tax rate in the parent’s country of residence; calls for an EU assessment of these measures and a legislative proposal, if appropriate, considering the negative potential tax base and strategic spillovers the US reform can have on the EU;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Reiterates its call for a clear definition of permanent establishment, including the concept of a ‘significant digital presence’, so that companies cannot artificially avoid having a taxable presence in a Member State in which they have economic activity;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Emphasises that the EU actions aimed at addressing BEPS and ATP have equipped tax authorities with an updated toolbox to ensure fair tax collection; stresses that tax authorities should be responsible for making effective use of the tools without imposing a~~n additional~~ significant burden on responsible taxpayers, particularly SMEs;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Recognises that the new flow of information to tax authorities following the adoption of ATAD I and DAC4 creates the need for adequate resources to ensure the most efficient use of such information and to effectively reduce the current tax gap; notes that there are continuing loopholes in the DAC regime that need to be closed1; __________________________ [1] Greens/EFA Report Reporting taxation: Analysing loopholes in the EU’s automatic exchange of information and how to close them, October 15 2018

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)

28 a. Is concerned by the trend amongst some Member States of facilitating onshoring of IP from low tax Third Countries to EU Member States, through the provision of amortisation relief on IP acquirement, the proliferation of ‘patent boxes’ providing reduced taxation rates on certain IP profits, high or complete capital allowances for intellectual property and the introduction or extension of research and development credits1; notes that this while may conform with the BEPS actions’ substance requirements, it is in contrast with the spirit of BEPS; reiterates concerns expressed by the European Parliament2 and European Commission in relation to revenue losses associated with such measures3; _______________________ [1] Eurodad et. al., Tax Games: the Race to the Bottom, Europe’s role in supporting an unjust tax system 2017, December 2017, pp. 22 – 24; and IMF, Fiscal Monitor: Acting Now, Acting Together, April 2016, p 44. [2] European Parliament resolution of 25 November 2015 on tax rulings and other measures similar in nature or effect, OJ C 366, 27.10.2017, p. 26, paragraph 117. [3] European Commission, DG TAXUD, Tax Policies in the European Union. 2016 Survey, 26 October 2016, 2.1.3 R&D tax incentives, p 2.

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 c (new)

28 c. Calls on EU Institutions and Member States to support a global tax reform based on the principles of formulary apportionment as included in the CCCTB proposal;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Welcomes the fact that Member States’ tax systems and overall tax environment have become part of the European Semester in line with Parliament’s call to that effect29 ; welcomes the studies and data drawn up by the Commission30 that allow situations that provide economic ATP indicators to be better addressed, and give a clear indication of the exposure to tax planning as well as furnishing a rich data base for all Member States on the phenomenon; calls on the Commission to make full use of this information and give concerned countries precise recommendations in its Specific Country Recommendations’ (SCRs) reports; urges Member States to swiftly follow the Commission's recommendations to fight ATP; _________________ 29 European Parliament resolution of 25 November 2015 on tax rulings and other measures similar in nature or effect, OJ C 366, 27.10.2017, p. 51, paragraph 96. 30 Referred to above. The studies provide an overview of Member States’ exposure to ATP structures affecting their tax base (erosion or increase), although there is no stand-alone indicator of the phenomenon, a set of indicators seen as a ‘body of evidence’ nevertheless exists.

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Calls on the Commission to issue a proposal aimed at ~~repeal~~outlawing patent boxes, and calls on Member States to favour non- harmful and, if appropriate, direct support for R&D; reiterates, in the meantime, its call to ensure that current patent boxes establish a genuine link to economic activity, such as expenditure tests, and that they do not distort competition; welcomes the improved definition of R&D costs in the common corporate tax base (CCTB) proposal;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)

32 a. Calls on both the EU institutions and Member States to ensure public procurement contracts do not facilitate tax avoidance or benefit ATP by suppliers. Member States should monitor and ensure that companies or other legal entities involved in tenders and procurement contracts do not participate in tax evasion and avoidance by interacting with financial intermediaries established in offshore centres and tax havens, or by facilitating illicit capital flows, and to increase their transparency policies by requiring annual public country-by-country reporting, tracing beneficial ownership and controlling transfer pricing in order to ensure the transparencyof investments and prevent tax evasion and tax avoidance; calls on the Commission to clarify existing procurement practice under the EU procurement directive, and if necessary, propose an update to it that does not prohibit the application of tax related considerations as criteria for exclusion or even as selection criteria in public procurement1. ______________ [1] Initiatives such as www.tenderhaven.eu have attempted to introduce more transparency.

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Welcomes the re-launch of the CCCTB project in a two-step approach, with the Commission’s adoption of interconnected proposals on CCTB and CCCTB; calls on the Council to swiftly adopt them, taking into consideration Parliament’s opinion that already includes the concept of virtual permanent establishment that would close the remaining loopholes allowing tax avoidance to take place and level the playing field in light of digitalisationdeplores the continued refusal of certain Member States to support this proposal and the failure of EU solidarity that this refusal represents;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)

33 a. Urges the Council to adopt these legislative proposals as soon as possible and before the end of this legislature, taking into consideration Parliament’s opinion that already includes the concept of virtual permanent establishment; considers that the deployment of this legislation would significantly contribute to closing the remaining loopholes and level the playing field in light of digitalisation and the growing role of intangible assets in the MNE value chain, which have exacerbated the problems with transfer pricing systems; however, expresses concern about the inclusion of a super-deduction for research and development1; ________________ [1] Council of the European Union, Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee, ECO/419,5.4 (http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/docu ment/ST-12848-2017-INIT/EN/pdf)

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Welcomes the digital tax package adopted by the Commission on 21 March 2018; ~~calls on the Council to swiftly adopt these proposals~~deplores the slow approach by the Council and its inability to come to an agreement on this package yet; points out that this already led to the distortion of the Single Market as national solutions have been put in place in different Member States and warns that the distortion risks worsening as other Member States consider to put in place national digital taxes; calls on the Council to adopt these proposals as soon as possible and before the end of this legislature, taking into account Parliament’s opinion on them;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)

35 a. Recalls that the digital services under the scope of the digital tax package should be the processing and sale of data, online advertisement, digital interfaces and the provision of digital content; deplores that the Council is currently considering a proposal that is much less ambitious in scope than the Commission’s proposal and than the Parliament’s position;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Understands that the so-called interim solution is not optimal; ~~believ~~notes that it will help speed up the search for a better solution at global level, while levelling the playing field in local markets to some extent and preventing further distortion of EU Single Market; insists on the need to take a more optimal and long-term approach by adopting the Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Basis (CCCTB) with a digital factor in the formula apportionment, as voted by the Parliament in March 2018, together with the new definition of a Significant Digital Presence (SDP); strongly believes that it is the best way to tackle tax evasion of digital multinationals and deplores that these files are not progressing in the Council;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

2018/2121(INI)

Molly SCOTT CATO, Sven GIEGOLD, Eva JOLY, Ernest URTASUN, Max ANDERSSON, Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)

36a. Reiterates its call on the Commission to use the power vested in the article 116 TFEU and to make proposals in the area of taxation under this article, in particular for the adoption of the Digital Services Tax (DST) and the CCCTB; believes that the conditions set out in Article 116 are met since there is a clear evidence that competition in the internal market between digital and traditional firms is distorted and that the Council failed to come to an agreement to eliminate the distortion;

2018/12/20
Committee: TAX3

Jordi SOLÉ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Calls on Member States to ensure that law enforcement officers ~~and judges~~, judges and all civil servants who deal with cases of bullying and sexual harassment are trained to understand violence and harassment at the workplace and beyond;

2018/05/28
Committee: FEMM

Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b

(b) the sustainability of the Union economy and its growth, including climate change mitigation and adaptation;

2018/11/07
Committee: BUDG ECON

Jordi SOLÉ, Sven GIEGOLD

(f) promotes innovating financial and risk solutions to address market and coordination failures and sub-optimal investment situations.

2018/11/07
Committee: BUDG ECON

Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point e

(e) ~~alternative fuels infrastructure, including~~ electric charging infrastructure.

2018/11/07
Committee: BUDG ECON

Philippe LAMBERTS, Jordi SOLÉ

Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – introductory part

1. A Member State shall be fully eligible for EISF support ~~where it~~if it meets its annual intermediate targets in the context of the Union strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and is not subject to:

2018/11/09
Committee: BUDG ECON

Proposal for a regulation
Annex I - point (h)

(h) encouraging and facilitating active participation in the construction of a more democratic Union as well as awareness of rights and values through support to civil society organisations and local and regional authorities as well as their representative associations;

2018/10/03
Committee: BUDG

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Acknowledges progress made by Australia in the protection of the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; notes at the same time that there is still progress to be made in the field of minorities' rights, notably the need to involve them in policy-making and consultation processes, including the establishment of an Indigenous advisory body to parliament, as recommended by the Referendum Council;

2018/03/08
Committee: AFET

Jordi SOLÉ, Bas EICKHOUT

Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 12

The Commission shall provide detailed guidance~~, where needed~~ fully taking into account the obligations set out in this article.

2017/03/27
Committee: BUDG ECON

Jordi SOLÉ, Bas EICKHOUT

Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – point 1 – point b Regulation (EU) No 2015/1017

In this context, it is expected that the EIB will provide finance under the EFSI with a view to reach a~~n overall target of at least EUR 500 000 000 000 of~~ maximum realisation of quality projects contributing i.e. to achieve EU COP21 commitments through public or private investment, including financing mobilised through the EIF under EFSI operations relating to the instruments referred to in Article 10(2)(b), national promotional banks or institutions and increased access to financing for entities having up to 3 000 employees.;

2017/03/27
Committee: BUDG ECON

2016/0276(COD)

Jordi SOLÉ, Bas EICKHOUT

Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – point -2 (new)

Regulation 2015/1017
Annex II – section 3 – subparagraph 1

(-2) In section 3, the firs subparagraph is replaced by the following: ‘The EU guarantee shall be granted in support of operations that meet the criterion of providing additionality as defined in Article 5(1) of this Regulation. and shall generate long-term societal and environmental benefits.’

2017/03/27
Committee: BUDG ECON

2016/0276(COD)

Jordi SOLÉ, Bas EICKHOUT

Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – point 3

The scoreboard shall be made public as soon as an operation under the EU ~~guarantee is signed, with the exclusion of commercially sensitive information~~is approved, with the exclusion of commercially sensitive information. the Investment Committee shall provide the Parliament with the scoreboard of indicators of rejected operations with the exclusion of commercially sensitive information as well as an overview of the investment-weighted aggregate scores of approved projects.

2017/03/27
Committee: BUDG ECON

2016/0276(COD)

Jordi SOLÉ, Bas EICKHOUT

Proposal for a regulation
Annex II – point 6 – point c a (new)

Regulation 2015/1017
Annex II – section 8 – point b

(c a) in section 8, point b, the first paragraph is replaced by the following: ‘EFSI- supported operations shall not be concentrated in any specific territory at the end of the ~~initial~~ investment period. To this end the Steering Board shall adopt and ensure the effective implementation of indicative geographical diversification and concentration guidelines. The Steering Board may decide to modify these indicative limits, after consulting the Investment Committee. The Steering Board shall explain its decisions relating to the indicative limits to the European Parliament and the Council in writing. The EFSI sh~~ould~~all aim to cover all Member States.’

2017/03/27
Committee: BUDG ECON

2016/0225(COD)

Jordi SOLÉ

Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1 – point 3

Regulation EU No 516/2014
Article 17 - paragraph 1

1. In addition to their allocation calculated in accordance with point (a) of Article 15(1), Member States shall receive for each resettled person in accordance with a targeted Union resettlement scheme a lump sum of EUR 10,000. All financial resources allocated are addressed to resettlement purposes and not other actions financed by Regulation EU No 516/2014 such as funding of Immigration Detention Centres.

2017/03/28
Committee: BUDG

Activities of Jordi SOLÉ

Plenary speeches (126)

Shadow reports (17)

Shadow opinions (3)