Activities of Jordi SOLÉ related to 2020/2113(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Promoting regional stability and security in the broader Middle East region (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on promoting regional stability and security in the broader Middle East region
Amendments (43)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
— having regard to the Joint communication to the European Parliament and the Council on a strategic Partnership with the Gulf; having regard to the EU Council conclusions from 20 June 2022,
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
— having regard to the UN Sustainable Development Goals,
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 c (new)
Citation 8 c (new)
— having regard to European Parliament resolution of 23 October 2020 on Gender Equality in EU’s foreign and security policy,
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas Yemen is in the midst of a protracted political, humanitarian and developmental crisis; whereas 80 per cent of the population, 24.1 million people, are in need of humanitarian aid and protection; whereas the war in Yemen is now the largest humanitarian crisis in the world; whereas in 2015 Saudi Arabia led a military coalition to intervene in the Yemen war to support former president Hadi against the Houthi movement sponsored by Iran; whereas following the 2 April 2022 truce between the warring parties, civilian casualties fell to the lowest level in month;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the US continues to play a relevant role in the region, including through a direct military presence; whereas Israel, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Egypt all have major non-NATO ally status; whereas Russia has emerged as a military actor in the region following its 2015 intervention in the Syrian war to perpetuate the Assad regime;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas on 15 September 2020, Israel and the UAE, as well as Bahrain, agreed to normalise their relations by signing the so-called Abraham Accords;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the summit of 27 to 28 March 2022 between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and Morocco aiming to create a security alliance, which was also attended by the US Secretary of State, paved the way for a new regional approach to security and confirmed the countries’ intention to divide the region into blocks; whereas Iran since 2011 has significantly expanded its influence in the region, including via proxy forces in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas at the 2021 Al-Ula summit Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain ended its boycott of Qatar after nearly four years; whereas in 2021 talks between Saudi-Arabia and Iran and high-level dialogues between Iran and the United Arab Emirates have contributed to de-escalation in the region;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
D b. whereas both Ukraine and Russia are leading exporters of agricultural products to many countries of the region; whereas disruptions related to the war are exacerbating already-rising food prices and deepening poverty;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
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;
Amendment 70 #
F b. whereas in October 2021 the United Arab Emirates pledged net-zero emissions by 2050, Saudi Arabia pledged to achieve net-zero emissions domestically by 2060 and Qatar pledged achieving a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F c (new)
Recital F c (new)
F c. whereas the European Green Deal can create channels for constructive cooperation between the EU and countries in the region; whereas the EU will have to import renewable energy to meet its climate targets; whereas in the context of global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and divestment from fossil fuels the countries of the broader Middle East need to diversify their economies that strongly rely on the extraction and trade of hydrocarbons;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
H a. whereas in many countries of the region the death penalty is applied; whereas according to Amnesty International in 2021 520 executions were recorded in seven countries, Egypt, Iran Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen, constituting an 19% increase in comparison to 2020;
Amendment 87 #
H b. whereas the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) continues to contribute to regional stability and peace in a region affected by conflicts; whereas underfunding recurrently jeopardizes its work which is yet key for the human development and humanitarian support of some of the world’s most vulnerable refugees, whose needs continue to grow;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
I a. whereas across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in recent years there has been significant focus to increase women representation in the workforce as well as in municipalities or parliaments;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
J a. whereas problems associated with governance and breaches of the rule of law in the region are a significant source of instability; whereas deeply rooted corruption adversely impact employment, growth and development and compromise states’ ability to fulfil their obligation to promote, respect and protect the human rights of individuals within their jurisdictions; whereas the worlds’ highest levels of youth unemployment and the imprisonment or torture of political opposition figures and social activists across the region fuel tension and conflict;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J b (new)
Recital J b (new)
J b. whereas the Arab Gulf countries have become leading international humanitarian and development aid donors;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that the EU has its own interests in the region, asnamely promoting peace and stability and de-escalation of tensions in the broader region, fighting climate change and cooperating on the production of clean energy, promoting and implementing multilateralism, promoting the respect for human rights, the rule of law and good governance, increasing prosperity, meeting growing global development and humanitarian needs, ensuring global health; stresses that EU security is interdependent with security in the Middle East; highlights that EU funding instruments directed at the region make an important contribution to stability and prosperity;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the region is becoming increasingly polarised into blocks; considers this counterproductive for the EU’s goals in the area of stability and security; calls on the EU to foster multilateralism and regional integration in the broader Middle East through the EU-GCC inter-institutional partnership and the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, including strong inter-parliamentary relations; encourages the EU in parallel to enhance its bilateral discussions with all the different stakeholders;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights the important role the EU could play in facilitating dialogue between regional stakeholders, which is key to fostering stability; calls, therefore, for cooperation with the regional supranational organisations, such as the GCC and the Arab League to be enhanced;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Welcomes the European Commission’s and the European External Actions Service’s Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council on a Strategic Partnership with the Gulf; considers the communication an important step to acknowledge the Arab Gulf countries´ role in the region and put inter-regional relations between the EU and the Gulf on a new footing; commends the central role of cooperation in the green transition, however, misses a more critical engagement vis-a-vis the poor human rights record and problematic foreign and security policy of the countries concerned; invites the EU and its Member States to stress that a closer partnership with Gulf countries should be linked to clear human rights benchmarks for progress in the GCC, including on accountability for war crimes in Yemen, women’s rights, freedom of expression and association, release of human rights defenders, moratorium on the death penalty, rights of migrant workers, and alignment in international fora;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4 c. Reiterates the longstanding EU commitment reaffirmed at the UN Security Council in January 2022 for a just and comprehensive resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, based on the two state solution, with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, sovereign and viable State of Palestine, living side by side in peace and security and mutual recognition, and with Jerusalem serving as the future capital of both states; acknowledges the normalisation of relations between the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan on the one hand and Israel on the other hand; stresses that while the normalisation agreements have formalised and increased cooperation, especially between the UAE and Israel, the accords have hitherto not contributed to the settlement of long-lasting conflict between Israelis and Palestinians; calls on the European Commission and the Council to revive its engagement for the two state solutions and discourage activities that undermine it, such as the continuation of settlement construction, mass evictions and property demolitions of Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the West Bank; calls on the Commission and the Council to explore with the respective Arab countries how their normalisation agreements with Israel can be conducive to the two state solution;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4 d. Recalls that the Syrian civil war is one of the region’s most deadly conflict in decades causing the death of half a million people and forcibly displacing 14 million Syrians; reiterates the European Parliament’s position rejecting any role for President Bashar al-Assad in post- conflict Syria with reference to UN Security Council Resolution 2254 (2015); welcomes the European Union’s financial support to Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan for hosting Syrian refugees; welcomes all efforts by the EU, its Member States and civil society to document and prosecute crimes against humanity by al-Assad and his associates and calls on the European Union to intensify efforts to end impunity;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Member States to align their arms export policies with the provisions of Council Common Position 2008/944/CFSP and to adopt a strict application of all criteria; calls for a consultation mechanism to be put in place among Member States to assess compliance with the Common Position;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Condemns in the strongest terms the ongoing violence in Yemen since 2015; recalls that there can be no military solution to the conflict in Yemen and that the crisis can only be resolved sustainably through an inclusive Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned negotiation process involving all quarters of Yemeni society and all parties to the conflict; welcomes the UN-brokered truce from April 2022 and its renewal from June 2022; calls on all parties to respect the truce and to engage in good faith negotiations leading to viable political and security arrangements, in line with by UN Security Council resolution 2216 (2015), the Joint implementation mechanisms of the United Nations Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement and the global ceasefire, as called for by UN Security Council resolution 2532 (2020); urges EU and Member States to commit to re-establish accountability measures and redress for victims of international human rights and international humanitarian laws violations in Yemen, including notably the re-establishment of a UN monitoring and reporting mechanism; reiterates its call for an EU-wide ban on the export, sale, update or maintenance of arms or other security equipment to all members of the Saudi-led coalition, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, given the serious risk of violations of international humanitarian law or humanitarian law;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Expresses concern about the situation in Iraq and underlines the deep popular frustration in the country vis-a- vis the political elite as well as persistent corruption; encourages the European Union and its Member States to contribute to stability in Iraq by supporting post-conflict re-construction and conciliation as well as accountable institution-building in order to shield the country from geopolitical rivalries and to bridge widening social cleavages; underlines that destruction of cultural heritage as well as looting of works of art and other cultural goods during armed conflicts needs to be addressed in terms of both reconstruction and restitution in order to protect and ensure the integrity of the cultural heritage and identity of societies, communities, groups and individuals;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6 c. Underlines the EU’s contribution to regional de-escalation and maritime safety in the Persian Gulf through the European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz (EMASOH) surveillance mission;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the countries in the region to refrain from exporting arms or combatants or intervening militarily in other countries, as such interventions are some of the main causes of regional destabilisation as they undermine state structures and spon-sor a pool of fighters with different ideo-logical orientations; firmly opposes the use of drones in extrajudicial and extraterritorial killings of terror suspects and demands a ban on the use of drones for this purpose;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Holds the view that the more the policies and priorities of EU Member States vis-a-vis the broader Middle East region diverge, the less influence they can exert; calls on all European Member States to avoid being dragged into regional rivalries and refrain from engaging in one-sided partisanship with conflicting parties in the region; urges EU Member States to stop fuelling armed conflicts and halt arms exports to countries involved in armed conflict;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the negotiations on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as a necessary step towards achieving regional stability; calls on the US and Iran to pursue meaningful negotiations with a view to returning to compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action; calls on the EU to consider setting up dialogues with the Arab Gulf countries and Israel that accom-pany the negotiations on a nuclear agreement with Iran with the aim of pro-moting regional understanding and re-ducing perceived threat;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Acknowledges the remarkable mediation efforts of countries like Oman, Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar to solve regional conflicts and disputes; calls on the European Union wherever possible to support these diplomatic tracks and to encourage regional ownership and responsibility for de-escalating tensions;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9 b. Calls on the European Union and EU Member States to incorporate UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security in all its conflict resolution efforts in the broader Middle East; asks the European Union and EU Member states to call on their interlocutors in the region to increase the participation of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peace-building, peacekeeping, humanitarian response and in post-conflict reconstruction; asks the EU in this regard to lead by example and ensure fair representation of women in their own EU delegations and missions; reiterates its calls for full implementation and prioritisation of Gender Action Plan III (GAP III) in every aspect of EU external action through a gender- transformative and intersectional approach as well as gender mainstreaming in all areas of external action and to address the root causes of gender inequalities; calls on the European Union and its Member States to urge all parties to conflict in the region to take special measures to protect women and girls from gender-based violence, particularly rape and other forms of sexual abuse, in situations of armed conflict;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Underlines the need to diversify the EU’s sources of energy and calls for Calls on the European Union not to merely substitute its gas and oil imports from Russia with hydrocarbon supply from the broader Middle East but to seize the opportunity of cutting reliance on Russian gassessment of the security implications of any agree by two-thirds before 2022 to decrease the EUʼs over-all reliance on fossil fuels and boost investment into import oil, gas or hydrogen into the EUenergy generation from renewable sources as well as electricity interconnection;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Calls on the European Union to increase its engagement with the countries of the broader Middle East on the European Green Deal; calls on the European Union to encourage and support the regionʼs countries in achieving their climate targets, especially by capitalizing on their large renewable energy capacity; considers the regionʼs reliance on the extraction and trade of hydrocarbon a threat to their future stability; calls on the European Union to stress the mutual benefits of cooperation in the green transition, notably the advantages of sustainable growth, vis-a- vis their interlocutors in the region; invites the European Union to consider setting up a renewable energy partnership with the countries of the broader Middle East; holds that electricity interconnection and renewable hydrogen are the two most promising fields of clean energy cooperation between the sides.
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Welcomes the proposal by the Joint Communication on a Strategic Partnership with the Gulf to step up the EU´s engagement with the Gulf countries on funding of international humanitarian and development aid; calls on the European Commission to encourage Gulf donors to channel more of their humanitarian and development aid through multilateral institutions as their aid is mainly bilateral and only 1-6% of aid goes to multilateral institutions; recommends the European Commission to offer the respective countries assistance in reconsidering their aid objectives as well as enhancing cooperation and coordination among them as well as between them and the EU;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Highlights that people-to-people contacts and cooperation in fields such as education, science or culture play an important role in the region and can make a key contribution to regional stability and the bridging of divides both with the EU and among the different states; calls on the European Commission to facilitate the access of students from the region to the Erasmus programme;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. condemns that throughout the region, human rights defenders, activists, journalists and perceived critics continue to suffer severe and pervasive state repression; calls on EU and Member States’ delegations on the ground to prioritize human rights issues in their interaction with local authorities and ensure full and scrupulous implementation of all EU guidelines, including the Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders, and the action plan on human rights and democracy;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Stresses the specific threat that the new digital technologies pose for human rights defenders, opposition figures, journalists and others in controlling, restricting and undermining their activities, as illustrated by the Pegasus revelations; calls on the EU to take an initiative to promote an immediate, global moratorium on the sale, transfer and use of spyware technology until the adoption of a robust regulatory framework in this field; calls on the EU and Member States to ensure full due human rights diligence and proper vetting of any future exports of European surveillance technology and related technical assistance; calls on the EU and Member States to engage with third country governments to end repressive cybersecurity and counter- terrorism legislation practices and legislation;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14 b. Deplores that leaders in the region have responded with authoritarian restoration to wide spread street protests calling for democratic reforms in numerous Arab countries in 2010/2011 and again as of 2018, further restricting freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of assembly and freedom of press of citizens and residents; stresses that rule of law and human rights, good governance and anti- corruption bring benefits to people and foster stability in the region;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the EU to promote the development of a strong civil society in the region, particularly social, labour or environmental organisations as well as womenʼs or religious associations; notes that the EU has an interest in engaging with local civil society organisations to better inform and diversify its policies towards the countries of the region; highlights that the shrinking civil space in several countries poses a threat to regional stability;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Welcomes the holding of bilateral human rights dialogues with Arab Gulf countries as well as Israel, Jordan and Lebanon; stresses, however, that such dialogues should not be box-ticking exercises and should instead aim at securing concrete commitments and deliverables for specific human rights progress in partner countries; further emphasizes that yearly human rights dialogues should not be the only opportunity for human rights talks with the respective countries and urges EU and member states’ leaders to echo concerns and formulate recommendations expressed in the dialogues during all high level interactions with their counterparts;