Activities of David LEGA related to 2023/2114(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on deepening EU integration in view of future enlargement
Amendments (24)
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas accession to the EU must always be a merit-based procedure whereby each applicant is assessed on their own merit in fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria, in particular those of ensuring full respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law; whereas positive outcomes should be sought as quickly as possible, while avoiding fast-tracking or counterproductive fixed deadlines; whereas negative outcomes or backtracking must have consequences including reopening closed chapters when necessary, as the entire accession process is based on strict conditionality;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the parallel processes of widening andany potential deepening of the Union must go hand in hand with the processes of widening the Union;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the EU should step up considerably its conditional technical and financial support for fundamental reforms, the resolution of bilateral disputes and regional economic integration in accession countries; whereas candidate countries and potential candidate countries should step up their efforts to ensure fundamental reforms;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the role of the European Parliament should be streenhanced in evaluating the intermediate steps of the accession throughout the entire enlargement process;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas under the current institutional framework, the EU already faces considerable challenges in crisis management and strategic decision- making; whereas it is clear that the EU institutions and decision-making mechanisms were not designed for a Union that could be composed of up to 37 Member States; whereas before the next enlargement takes place, significant pre- enlargement reforms are needed to guarantee that the EU is able to absorb new members and to promote their successful integration; whereas this implies significant changes in the EU’s institutional framework, including to decision-making procedures, and the possible introduction of differentiated integration solutions; whereas in order to achieve this, the EU should take full advantage of the flexibility afforded by the Treaty of Lisbon and consider the possibility of treaty change, including via adaptations introduced by the accession treaties;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the Union’s credibility and ability to act in a timely and effective manner depends on efficient decision- making, and even more so in an enlarged EU of 30 or more Member States; whereas efficient decision-making leading to timely and coordinated internal and external action is vital for safeguarding the EU’s interests and its global geopolitical leadership; whereas reformvise of the EU’s governance structures, with simplified decision-making procedures, must be discussed and where necessary adopted in parallel with the ongoing accession negotiations;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas enlargement is also a major challenge for EU’s financial sustainability, in particular regarding cohesion and agriculture policies; whereas this need reprioritisation and revision of the current and the next multiannual financial frameworks should be strengthened considerably to enable EU enlargement; whereas this financial groundwork must be in place before enlargement takes place;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the interest and the political will to join the EU shown by so many countries, and acknowledges the serious efforts made by some candidate countries to meet the requirements for membership; emphasises that Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans are the EU’s closest partners, due to geographical and historical links;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Reaffirms that enlargement is the most effective EU foreign policy instrument and represents a geostrategic investment in long-term peace, democracy, stability and security throughout the continent;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that enlargement is of the utmost strategic importance for the EU, and all the more so in the face of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; stresses that an enhanced enlargement policy has become the strongest geopolitical tool at the EU’s disposal; points out that enlargement is a strategic and vital investment in peace, security and prosperity, as well as a driver for democracy, human rights, rule of law and European values on the continent; insists that the EU enlargement is a shared responsibility of the EU and the aspiring member states;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Stresses that judicial independence, rule of law, and the fight against corruption , disinformation, money laundering and organised crime, as well as eradicating the improper influence of oligarchs on authorities, the media and the economy, and advancing human rights are crucial preconditions for progress on the EU path;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Considers that the accession process must ensure that candidate countries intensify their efforts to improve the functioning of the rule of law and the judiciary, tackle corruption, trafficking and organised crime, ensure media freedom, empower civil society, guarantee fundamental rights and the rights of minorities, and strengthen its cooperation with the EU institutions;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2 c. Considers that the accession process must ensure that candidate countries increase their efforts related to equal rights for persons with disabilities; emphasises the need to increase pressure on candidate countries to implement reforms to improve the situation of persons with disabilities and to increase their efforts in terms of deinstitutionalisation including the transition from institutional to family and community based care;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 d (new)
Paragraph 2 d (new)
2 d. Stresses the need to improve the visibility and communication concerning Union financing in candidate countries;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Acknowledges that the main challenge for future enlargement is not about the change of the EU treaties but rather reforms in the candidate countries;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that accession to the EU must always be a strictly merit-based procedure and that each applicant must be assessed on their own merit in fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria and in ensuring full respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law; stresses that while positive outcomes should be sought as quickly as possible, there should be no fast-track or fixed deadlines for membership; underscores that there can be no short-cuts on fundamental and core EU values; points out that alignment with the common foreign and security policy is also an important way of showing full adherence to the EU’s fundamental principles and an importantessential indicator for sustainable future membership;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Calls for accession processes to take place in a reversible manner, where additional rights and funding are suspended or revoked, and where closed chapters may be reopened in cases of stagnation or backsliding, especially when the stagnation or backsliding is related to fundamental values such as democracy, human rights and the rule of law;
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for a robust monitoring mechanism for the reforms and progress made by the candidate countries; urges, in particular, the setting up of a specific and effective monitoring mechanism for protecting fundamental values and the financial interests of the Union in the context of accession procedures; reiterates in this regard its calls to include candidate countries in the EU rule of law mechanism and its annual reporting exercise, automatically activating pre-accession cooperation and verification mechanisms; calls on the Commission to vigilantly scrutinise the IPA III and other funds relevant to the accession during the whole process and to scrutinise the spending and implementation more proactively;
Amendment 335 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Considers that there is a need for stronger parliamentary oversight of the EU’s enlargement policy; insists on strengthening the role of Parliament in evaluating the intermediate steps of the accession process throughout the entire accession process, including allowing it to scrutinise fully the progress made by the candidate countries across policy fields; underlines that regular dialogue and cooperation between the European Parliament and the national parliaments of candidate countries should be encouraged;
Amendment 347 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Believes that the challenge of a bigger Union requires an enhanced enlargement policy putting in place a clear incremental pathway towards EU membership, including gradual integration into common policies; notes that this pathway should be accompanied by increased technical and conditional financial assistance with a special focus on the implementation and enforcement of laws under negotiating chapters 23, 24, 30 and 31; invites the Commission to present detailed proposals on the incremental accession methodology, including clear reversible ‘graduation’ criteria; underlines that the phasing-in of candidate countries into selected policy areas entails limited rights and obligations, and is by no means an alternative to fully-fledged membership;
Amendment 388 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for the mechanism to protect the rule of law and the EU’s fundamental principles and values, especially independent judiciary and combatting corruption, and the monitoring capacity to ensure compliance, to be strengthened ahead of the next enlargement;
Amendment 425 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes that institutional pre- enlargement reforms must also address the implications of enlargement on the composition of Parliament; recalls that the European Parliament is already one of the largest parliaments in the world and underlines that in any case it must remain at a workable scale; points out, however, that a reasonable increase in the size of Parliament cannot be ruled out in orinsists on a new system for seat allocation based on a permanent mathematical formula; considers to ensure sufficient democratic representativeness; insists on a new system for seat allocation based on a permanent mathematical formulahat reprioritising of the current seats is a better solution than increasing the seats of the Parliament;
Amendment 442 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes that the composition of the Commission must take into account enlargement and recalls in this regard the flexibility provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon, stresses however that geographical representation in the Commission is imperative;
Amendment 451 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that enlargement is a major financial challenge for the EU, in particular regarding cohesion and agriculture policies; point out that this challenge cannot be met without a larger EU budget and sufficient own resourcerevision of the multiannual financial framework, a more efficient EU budget and reprioritisation of current funds; notes that this adds to growing demands on EU funding in the fields of financial stability, health, energy, decarbonisation, digital, research and defence and security; underlines that such financial reforms must be discussed in parallel with the ongoing accession negotiations and adopted before enlargement takes place; defends its position that the current and future multiannual financial frameworks should be strengthened considerably to enable EU enlargement, and that this financial groundwork must be in place before enlargement takes place;