Activities of Thomas WAITZ related to 2022/2199(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
2022 Report on Albania (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the 2022 Commission Report on Albania
Amendments (39)
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 31 a (new)
Citation 31 a (new)
— having regard to the Transparency International 2022 Corruption Perception Index ranking Albania 101st among 180 countries,
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 31 b (new)
Citation 31 b (new)
— having regard to the Reporters without Borders 2022 edition of the World Press Freedom Index, ranking Albania 103rd among 180 countries,
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas enlargement ishas historically been the most effective EU foreign policy instrument to incentivise and encourage fundamental reforms, including in the area of rule of law, and represents a geostrategic investment in long-term peace, democracy, stability and security throughout the continent;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the enlargement policy’s effectiveness has considerably decreased over the last years due to a failure from the EU side to live up to its promises, including the long-overdue start of accession negotiations with Albania, as well as due to a lack of genuine political will to advance fundamental reforms by some of the political leaders of the enlargement countries;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas recent developments, in particular the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, have shown that non- enlargement has a massive strategic cost and can undermine security and stability on our continent;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the new enlargement momentum sparked by the changed geopolitical reality after the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the applications for EU membership by some Eastern Partnership countries has prompted the EU to accelerate the long-overdue deliveries to the Western Balkans by starting accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania, and granting the candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas democratic transformation, the rule of law, and reconciliationdherence to EU rules, values and standards, as well as socio- economic reforms play a central role in the EU accession process;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the long-overdue start of accession negotiations marks a new phase in EU-Albania relations and demands a united commitment in order to prepare for EU membership;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Commends Albania’s commitment to completing its comprehensive justice reform and the good progress achieved, in particular through continued implementation and consolidation of the comprehensive justice reform; encourages the country to intensify steps aimed at finalising the vetting process and ensuring universal justice through cross-cutting measures; calls on the authorities to further increase efforts to mitigate the side effects of the vetting process; notes the approval by the Council of Ministers of a new judicial map, while highlighting that such reforms and their implementation need to take into consideration the socio-economic conditions of vulnerable groups, as well as increase citizens’ access to justice and reduce costs while fully respecting the right to due legal process;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Deplores the enduring political confrontation and, disruptive actions and inflammatory rhetoric by high-level politicians and officials; underlines a joint political and social responsibility for reforms; inviturges political actors to treat matters of public interest with political maturity, to step up their commitment to dialogue and to strengthen democratic institutions and procedures through constructive engagement, inclusive consultations and transparent decision- making; recalls the need to strengthen parliamentary oversight;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. CRegrets that the main political parties failed to reach an agreement on the electoral reform and calls on the Albanian authorities to urgently address the outstanding electoral and party financing recommendations well ahead of the 2025 parliamentary elections;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls for the EU and the Western Balkan countries to establish a framework for effective cooperation between the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and the accession countries; encourages the Western Balkan countries to swiftly conclude bilateral working arrangements with the EPPO in order to facilitate close cooperation and the prosecution of the misuse of EU funds, including through the secondment of national liaison officers to the EPPO;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for continued action to reduce unfounded asylum claims by Albanian nationals, while tacklinge criminal trafficking networks and increasinge cooperation with the EU’s justice and home affairs agencies; welcomes successful international investigations and police operations to combat the trafficking of people, narcotics and firearms, and online fraud;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Condemns malign foreign interference and hybrid attacks, including disinformation, espionage, incitement to all forms of radicalisation and cyberattacks by Iranian hackers against Albanian citizens and critical infrastructure; invites the authoritireminds the authorities, however, that when dealing with national security concerns, they need to take into consideration the protection of human rights, notably data protection; calls on the authorities to urgently take measures to prevent data leaks byand to considerably strengthening cybersecurity;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Welcomes the ratification of the Protocol (CETS No. 223) for the modernisation of the Convention "On the protection of individuals from automatic processing of personal data" and of the Convention 205/2009 “On access to official documents”; condemns, however, the irresponsible use of the private data of citizens by the ruling party; calls on the authorities to accelerate efforts to align its legislation with the EU acquis on personal data protection;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Regrets the submission by the Ministry of Justice of an amendment to the law for the right to information, which would allow public authorities to refuse to respond to requests for information if they consider them abusive; calls on the government to withdraw this amendment;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes the legal steps taken to eliminate discrimination against minorities, and calls for practical steps in order to ensure their inclusion, namely the inclusion of LGBTI+, Roma and Egyptian minorities; recalls the needurges the authorities to step up their work to combat gender-based violence, step up child protection, adopt and implement legislation on minority rights, strengthen property rights and conduct a population census; against this background, calls on the authorities to tackle the intersectional discrimination that minorities face through a systemic and effective institutional approach, involving civil society organisations, especially those working on the rights of minorities; underlines the importance of removing barriers to the socioeconomic inclusion of persons with disabilities;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Notes that there has been an increase in the number of successful discrimination complaints by Roma and Egyptian CSOs before the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination; strongly condemns, however, the failure of the authorities to implement the case- law of the European Court of Human Rights, which condemned Albania for not implementing swift and comprehensive desegregation measures in a school that was attended almost exclusively by Roma and Egyptian children; urges the authorities to immediately eliminate segregated classrooms;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Welcomes the adoption of an Action Plan for the LGBTI People in Albania (2021-2027) in 2021 and calls for its implementation; welcomes the success of the 11th Tirana Pride in 2022 and looks forward to its 12th edition; calls on the authorities to adopt the necessary legislation on the recognition of gender identity and sex characteristics, as well as on same-sex partnerships and/or marriages;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Expresses its concern withStrongly regrets the lack of progress on achieving institutional transparency, and the deteriorating situation of freedom of expression and media freedom and, which is also reflected in Albania’s significant downgrading in the Reporters without Borders Press Freedom Index from rank 83 to 103; stresses the role of political leaders in creating an enabling environment for the pursuit of these freedoms; condemns attempts to discredit reporters and arbitrarily withhold public information, as well as the failure to ensure the safety of journalists; urges the authorities to take immediate action against political and economic interference in the media and intimidation against reportersto stop verbal attacks, smear campaigns, intimidation, and (self)- censorship against journalists, especially those reporting on the rule of law, corruption and justice; calls on the authorities to adopt a legal framework that protects journalists, human rights defenders and other stakeholders from Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs); welcomes the withdrawal of the draft anti- defamation legislation; urges the government to ensure the independence of the public broadcaster and media regulator and the transparency of media ownership, financing and public advertising; is concerned with the decisions of Prime Minister Edi Rama to ban journalists from attending government press conferences;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Is highly alerted that Albania and the rest of the EU accession countries in the Western Balkans are being hit particularly hard by attacks in the form of foreign interference and disinformation campaigns stemming from Russia and China; calls on the EU to enhance its dialogue with civil society and other relevant stakeholders to coordinate anti- disinformation efforts in Albania and the rest of the region, with an emphasis on research and analysis and the inclusion of regional expertise; calls on the Commission to build up the infrastructure required to produce evidence-based responses to both short-term and long- term disinformation threats in the Western Balkans; calls on the EEAS to take a more proactive stance, focusing on building the EU’s credibility in the region, rather than defending it, in expanding StratCom monitoring to focus on cross- border disinformation threats emanating from Western Balkan countries and their neighbours;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Recalls the need to effectively ensure the right to freedom of peaceful assembly without applying different standards; notes the importance of addressing allegations of police misconduct and disproportionate use of force, with a view to bringing its perpetrators to justice;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 c (new)
Paragraph 15 c (new)
15c. Strongly condemns threats and attacks against human rights defenders; in this context, urges all political actors to stop and condemn hate speech, smear campaigns and harassment of independent civil society organisations; calls on the authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Underlines the importance of an inclusive framework for meaningful civil society engagement in decision-making processes, both at the local and national level; urges the authorities to implement the roadmap for the government policy towards a more enabling environment for civil society development (2019-2023); regrets the failure of multi-stakeholder forums for discussion between CSOs and the government such as the National Council for Civil Society and the Open Government Partnership and calls on the government to improve the effectiveness of these platforms; welcomes the adoption of a Code of Standard for Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) in Albania as a useful self-regulatory mechanism;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Deeply regrets the adoption of the 2021 Law on Registration of Non-Profit Organisations, which violates the rights to freedom of expression and association, and calls for its revision; is particularly concerned by the highly disproportionate fines for administrative violations by NPOs and the lack of a procedure for the deregistration of NPOs under this new law;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Acknowledges the progress achieved in implementing the Istanbul Convention and calls on authorities to step up the prevention of and responses to sexual and gender-based violence and femicide, as well as to enhance support to survivors, to provide sufficient resources, for example for specialised and reintegration services for victims and more legal aid free of charge for victims, support to women’s NGOs working with victims of gender-based violence, 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; urges Albania to further 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 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4
Subheading 4
Reconciligional cooperation and good neighbourly relations
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Commends Albania’s constructive engagement in inclusive regional and cross-border cooperation initiatives; welcomes the tangible progress reached in the context of the Berlin Process and the EU–Western Balkans summit in Tiranaon the Freedom of Movement with Identity Cards, on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications, and on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications for Doctors of Medicine, Dentists and Architects and calls on all Western Balkan countries to speed up their implementation; commends the progress reached in the context of the EU–Western Balkans summit in Tirana, the first-ever EU-Western Balkans Summit in the region;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Calls on the lawmakers in Albania to take steps to ensure an adequate representation of women in all decision- making positions, and welcomes, against this background, the first majority-women cabinet of the current government; calls on the authorities to further address the lack of implementation of women workers’ rights, as well as gender stereotyping, gender imbalance, and the gender pay gap in the labour force; points to significant gender differences such as the lower participation of women in the labour market, the worse working conditions, the insufficient action on sexual harassment in the workplace, the discrimination in legal provisions related to maternity leave, and the lack of childcare and pre-school capacity;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Calls on the authorities to reduce the risk of social exclusion and poverty by improving the access to social, education and healthcare services, in particular for people from the Roma, Egyptian and LGBTQI+ communities, as well as other minorities and vulnerable groups; reiterates its call to set a minimum standard of living as a way to reduce the risk of poverty;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 6
Subheading 6
Energy, the environment, biodiversity, sustainable development and connectivity
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Welcomes steps in accelerating the energy transition and energy diversification towards wind and solar power; applauds, in this regard, the EU energy support package for the Western Balkans andcalls on the Albanian authorities to further diversify the energy production and to minimise the impact on biodiversity by stopping hydropower developments in protected areas; applauds, in this regard, the EU energy support package of €1 billion in EU grants for the Western Balkans to help them overcome the energy crisis, including immediate budgetary support of €80 million to Albania; calls on the authorities to make the best use of this assistance in order to build a resilient and environmentally friendly energy market, in line with the REPowerEU plan;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls for thoroughly planned measures on biodiversity, water, air, climate, regional waste management and industrial pollution; stresses the need to increase efforts and strengthen the country’s resilience againsto the impacts of climate change; notes the initial steps taken to establish a Vjosa National P, including an update of the National Strategy on Climate Change, mainstreaming climate change in sectoral strategies and plans as well as increasing capacity building in this regarkd;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Warmly welcomes the decision of the Albanian government to declare the Vjosa river and its free-flowing tributaries a National Park, making it the first wild river national park in Europe; considers this decision a positive step to achieve the target agreed upon at the COP 15 to protect 30% of nature of the planet by 2030; commends the extraordinary work of environmental NGOs that campaigned for decades to achieve this objective and calls on the authorities to take into serious consideration the concerns raised by civil society during the process of revision and delineation of boundaries of the network on protected areas in Albania;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Calls on the government to urgently halt the ongoing illegal construction of the Vlorë International Airport inside the Vjosa-Narta Protected Area, in line with the request of the Bern Convention Standing Committee; stresses that the construction of this airport contravenes domestic and international law, including the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, and threatens one of the most biodiverse areas in the country;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls for improved transparency, conduct, enforcement and monitoring of environmental and strategic environmental impact assessments, especially on projects with large environmental and socioeconomic repercussions, such as the planned hydropower plant Skavica along the Black Drin river; expresses concern with the economic and environmental impact of non-competitive foreign-funded development projects; calls on the authorities to take urgent action to fight environmental crime; urges the government to step up efforts to improve air quality and reduce air pollution, in particular in urban areas; notes with huge concern that in 2019, around 10% of all deaths in Albania (2.527 people) were caused by air pollution, according to the World Bank Report 2022;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls on the Albanian authorities to step up their efforts to protect biodiversity, including the protection of critically endangered species, such as the Balkan lynx; calls on the government to enforce the logging moratorium and work on a sustainable wildlife management legislation;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Is deeply concerned with the status of Lake Ohrid, which is dangerously threatened by thousands of tons of mining waste; calls on the authorities to urgently implement the UNESCO recommendations on preserving the heritage status of the Ohrid region; in this context, urges the authorities to remove the exploitation permits to the private companies that are still carrying out mining activities on the shores; urges the local and national authorities to step up their efforts to protect the biodiversity of the Ohrid region, in close cooperation with the Macedonian authorities;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 c (new)
Paragraph 23 c (new)
23c. 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 the biodiversity of the country;