Activities of Thomas WAITZ related to 2021/2244(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
2021 Report on Albania (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the 2021 Commission Report on Albania
Amendments (40)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
— having regard to the Council of Europe’s report ‘Beyond Definitions: a call for action against hate speech in Albania – a comprehensive study’, published in November 2021;1a _________________ 1a https://rm.coe.int/beyond-definitions- eng/1680a464b2
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 a (new)
Citation 19 a (new)
— having regard to the Sofia Summit of 10 November 2020, including the Declaration on the Common Regional Market and the Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans,
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 23 a (new)
Citation 23 a (new)
— having regard to the Special Report 01/2022 of the European Court of Auditors: EU support for the Rule of Law in the Western Balkans: despite efforts, fundamental problems persist, of 10 January 2022,
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas Albania has been a candidate country since 2014 andfor which the Commission has been recommending to start accession talks since 2018 and finally submitted a draft negotiating framework for Albania on 1 July 2020;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the EU must provide a clear and reliable pathway for countries seeking to join the EU;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls the needUrges the Council to uphold the pace and credibility of European integration by promptly opening accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia, as continuously recommended by the Commission, given that both countries have fulfilled the conditions and deliver sustained results across fundamental areas;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underscores that the pace of EU accession is determined by the progress on the due functioning of all institutions and is grounded in the rule of law, good governance and fundamental rights; urges Albania to sustain and intensify efforts to reinforce the functioning of the judiciary, strengthen the rule of law, counter corruption and organised crime, and ensure media freedom; recalls in this context that the transformation of a candidate country towards an EU Member State takes place during accession negotiations, which last as long as needed to implement the necessary reforms;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes all efforts to reduce polarisation ahead of the 2021 general elections, which brought the opposition parties back into the political process; underlines that political parties should be characterized by political maturity in treating matters of public interest and be in a position to solve internal party problems through proper democratic internal processes and procedures;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recalls the need to keep addressing the remaining electoral shortcomings by further improving the accessibility and integrity of elections, including through digitalisation, data protection, equitable access to media and revised legislation and rules on political party financing and functioning;
Amendment 87 #
8. Expresses concern over the enduring inflammatory rhetoric, including by high-level politicians, public officials and other public figures, which fuels the culture of intimidation, smear campaigns, violence and rioting;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Encourages the government to accelerate administrative preparations for the upcoming accession negotiations; stresses the importance of having in place coherent government structures to effectively coordinate EU integration matters, including by involving civil society and other relevant stakeholders and ensuring transparency towards the general public; underlines the need to improve intra-service coordination, evaluation and monitoring of EU-related reforms, to advance decentralisation, country-wide modernisation and depoliticisation of the civil service and to enable conditions to conduct the upcoming population census;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes the need for further progressgent improvement onf freedom of expression, media independence and pluralism; urges political figures to stop verbal attacks, smear campaigns and acts of intimidation against journalists, including defamation lawsuits; requests authorities to take decisive action against the marginalisation of and intimidation against independent media outlets and reporters, including provisions against strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP); repeats its calls to improve the working conditions of journalists and to adopt regulations enhancing transparency around media ownership, funding and public advertising;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Recalls the need to strengthen investigative journalism, fact-checking and media literacy as means to tackle hate speech, disinformation and fake news; encourages support for self-regulatory mechanism of media and stresses the need to ensure an impartial regulatory functioning of the Audiovisual Media Authority;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Urges the relevant bodies to systematically and proactively prevent and prosecute all instances of hate speech, hate crimes and intimidation, particularly those directed at members of minorities;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes advances in ensuring equal opportunities and calls for further improvements in the enforcement of gender equality, property rights, data protection, rights of people with disabilities and minority rights; requests from the authorities to ensure equal treatment for LGBTI+ and Roma minorities and tackle multiple discrimination that these groups face through a systemic and effective institutional approach;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes advances in ensuring equal opportunities and calls for further improvements in the enforcement of gender equality, property rights, data protection, rights of people with disabilities and minority rights, including especially the rights of Roma and LGBTI persons, who are exposed to multiple discrimination;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Commends the adoption of the new LGBTI National Action Plan 2021- 2027 and encourages full implementation and proper budgeting via a coordination and monitoring body which shall oversee it;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Acknowledges the progress achieved in implementing the Istanbul Convention and calls on authorities to step up the prevention and responses to gender- based violence and femicide, to enhance support to survivors and to advance the prosecution of cases of harassment, domestic violence and violence against children, to provide sufficient resources for e.g. specialised and reintegration services for victims and more legal aid free of charge for victims, support to women’s NGOs working with victims of GBV, and to advance the prosecution of cases of harassment, domestic violence and violence against children, including through increasing the number of well-trained and gender- sensitive law enforcement officers and judges;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recalls the need to effectively ensure the right to freedom of peaceful assembly without applying different standards and notes the importance of addressing allegations of police misconduct and disproportionate use of force, with a view to bringing perpetrators to justice;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Urges the Commission to seriously consider the special report 01/2022 of the European Court of Auditors and implement its recommendations, thus adapting its Rule of Law related investments in the Western Balkans and Albania;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Commends the steady progress in implementing a comprehensive justice reform, underpinned by the unprecedented vetting process, followed by a restored functionality of relevant courts; however, expresses concern for some of its side- effects, such as the length of proceedings, low clearance rate and high backlog especially in the High Court and Administrative Court of Appeal; calls on the competent authorities to implement the necessary measures to facilitate the backlog reduction and speed up judicial proceedings;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Urges all sides to ensure the completion of the vetting proWarmly welcomes the recent extension of the vetting bodies’ mandate where the Parliament showed strong cross-party resolve to move forward on EU accession;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Welcomes the adoption of 10 laws aiming to further strengthen the efficiency of the judicial system and underlines the importance of additional measures such as the implementation of the judicial map, a new integrated case management system and a strengthened legal education system; highlights that such reforms and their implementation need to take into consideration the socio-economic conditions of vulnerable groups, increase citizens’ access and reduce costs while fully respecting the right to due legal process;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Welcomes the renewed constructive US engagement in the Western Balkans, including their focus on the fight against corruption; highlights in this context the US Executive Order sanctioning persons contributing to the destabilising situation in the Western Balkans, as well as the US action targeting individuals and entities for their significant acts of corruption; calls on the EU to thoroughly assess a possible alignment to such actions;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Encourages the Albanian authorities to reduce the risk of poverty and social exclusion by improving access to social, education and healthcare services, especially for disadvantaged populations, such as the Roma and Egyptian communities, people with disabilities and people suffering from poverty; urges the approval of the minimum standard of living, as a means to reduce the risk of poverty;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Urges Albania to increase efforts aimed at gender equality and women’s rights, including by prioritising gender mainstreaming and increased cooperation with civil society, in particular women’s organisations
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 b (new)
Paragraph 32 b (new)
32b. Calls on lawmakers in Albania to take steps to ensure an adequate representation of women in all decision- making positions, and to further address the lack of implementation of women workers’ rights, gender stereotyping, gender imbalance, and gender pay gap in the labour force; welcomes in this regard the first majority-women cabinet of the current government; points to significant gender differences in participation and quality of work, insufficient action on sexual harassment in the workplace, discrimination in legal provisions related to maternity leave, and the lack of childcare and pre-school capacity;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Recalls the conditionality of the EU funding under the IPA III and the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, while highlighting that any investment must be in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and EU decarbonisation targets;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Stresses that the EU’s Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) foresees a strong conditionality and funding must be modulated or even suspended in the case of significant regression or persistent lack of progress in the area of the so-called “fundamentals”, notably in the field of the rule of law and fundamental rights, including fight against corruption and organised crime, as well as media freedom; stresses that it is in the EU’s own security interests and its responsibility to guarantee that EU funds do not become counterproductive by strengthening clientelistic networks of corrupt politicians and privileged businesses; calls in this context upon the EU and the Western Balkan countries to establish a framework for a fruitful cooperation between the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and the Western Balkan countries, in order to ensure that the EPPO can effectively exert its competences in the area of EU funds, in particular in the area of IPA III funds in the Western Balkan countries;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34a. Warmly welcomes the designation of the Vjosa river as nature park (IUCN cat IV), while urging Albanian authorities to establish as soon as possible the Vjosa National Park (IUCN cat II) as the next step, extending the whole length of the river, including its free flowing tributaries;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 b (new)
Paragraph 34 b (new)
34b. Expresses deep concern about the revision of the Protected Areas network, since without proper consultation process the coastal protected areas have been substantially reduced affecting also the Narta lagoon in the Vjosa delta, one of the most important areas for biodiversity along the Adriatic coast, paving the way to build the Vlora airport in the protected area in contradiction with national laws and international biodiversity protection conventions that Albania has ratified; calls on the government to reconsider these plans; underlines that the Protected Area is a candidate for the Emerald site network, which provides shelter to more than 62 species of birds listed in the EU Birds directive, thus the obvious need to strongly protect the natural values of this area;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 c (new)
Paragraph 34 c (new)
34c. Underlines the need to improve environmental impact assessments, strategic environmental assessments and transparency of procedures across eco- sensitive sectors and to enhance an efficient and consequent prosecution of environmental crimes;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 d (new)
Paragraph 34 d (new)
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 e (new)
Paragraph 34 e (new)
34e. Calls for further efforts in the field of agriculture and rural development; is of the view that it is important to establish a solid system for consultations between policymakers and various interest groups in rural areas; stresses the need to develop a modern, ecological, climate-friendly small- and medium-scale agriculture that ensures the livelihood of farmers and protection of Albania’s natural resources as well as biodiversity;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35a. Specifically encourages Albanian authorities to diversify its energy production and to minimize the impact on biodiversity by stopping hydropower developments in protected areas;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Commends the fact that Albania remains a reliable and committed external policy partner, fully aligning to the EU’s foreign, security and defence policy, and actively contributing to EU crisis- management missions and operations; warmly welcomes the recent speedy alignment to the sanctions against Russia following the Russian invasion in Ukraine;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
37a. Considers that stability and unity on the European continent and Western Balkans is of crucial importance in this moment in history, with respect to the recent Russian invasion and atrocious developments in Ukraine; urges Member States to immediately start accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania considering the geopolitical importance of this decision, demonstrating crucial European unity, besides the fact that the countries fulfil all official criteria;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. WelcomesCalls on the Albanian Government’s to continued steps promoting good neighbourly relations and inclusive regional integration by developing a Regional Economic Area particular to refocus and increase efforts to work on an inclusive regional integration by implementing and developing the Common Regional Market, thus building on the achievements of the Regional Economic Area, agreed upon within the Berlin Process in 2017;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Emphasizes that all regional economic cooperation schemes in the Western Balkans should be inclusive and acceptable to all six countries, establishing cooperation on an equal footing among all six countries, while strengthening further alignment with EU standards and acquis; expresses, in this context, its scepticism towards the Open Balkan Initiative, while pointing to the danger that a regional economic cooperation initiative not encompassing all six countries and not being based on EU rules could have a negative impact on the EU integration processes;