25 Amendments of Tomas TOBÉ related to 2021/2213(INI)
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Strongly welcomes the long- awaited signature of the Samoa Agreement; encourages all ACP countries to sign the agreement, as a failure to do so will notably undermine the capacity of the European Investment Bank to deliver on Global Gateway projects in these countries;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Call for the swift and comprehensive implementation of the agreement, as there is an urgent need to strengthen multilateral cooperation in the face of growing geopolitical instability and competition and unprecedented global challenges; reiterates its concern that the EU is losing influence and visibility to alternative offers made by China and Russia; stresses the importance for the EU to reinforce its status as a reliable ally in development cooperation and to demonstrate that the international rules- based system can meet contemporary challenges; underlines the importance of the new Agreement in this context;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Strongly supports the principles set down in the Foundation, notably that the parties shall pursue the objectives of the Agreement in a spirit of shared responsibility, solidarity, mutual respect and accountability; believes that this is well aligned with the EU’s aim to create partnerships of equals that generate mutually beneficial outcomes on common and intersecting interests and in accordance with shared values;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Reiterates the importance of political dialogue as an integral part of the partnership and calls for political dialogue to be used more effectively and systematically and in a proactive way in order to prevent political crises;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for the provisions for responding to violations of the essential elements of the agreement to be used effectively; reiterates that it is necessary for the EU to take a more principled approach with regard to partner countries that are moving in the opposite direction when it comes to central values and principles;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the inclusion of a specific article dedicated to Policy Coherence in the agreement, which is needed to enhance the effectiveness of development activities covered by the Agreement; Strongly supports that the Parties reaffirm their determination to work towards poverty eradication, in line with Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for coherence and synergies to be built between the regional protocols of the Samoa Agreement and the other policy frameworks governing EU relations with Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific regions; welcomes in this context that the regional protocol for Africa consistently refers to the African Union (AU); further believes that both the continental EU-AU approach and the EU-OACPS framework complement and reinforce each other; calls for close consultations given that the Commission has announced its intention to review the EU partnership with Africa in the first quarter of 2024;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Believes that the six strategic joint priorities identified in the general part of the agreement remain extremely relevant despite the changing geopolitical context; stresses the importance to address these areas of challenges and opportunities in a joint approach;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the commitment to protect, promote and fulfil human rights, fundamental freedoms and democratic principles and to strengthen the rule of law and good governance, notably when considering the declining trend for democracy and governance in the world and the persistent threats to human rights globally; reiterates in this context that the EU’s external democracy action must adjust to a new geopolitical reality marked by competing governance models in order to better prevent and respond to democratic backsliding; further welcomes the commitment to promote universal human rights without discrimination based on any grounds; regrets, however, the fact that the agreement fails to mention explicitly that discrimination could be based on sexual orientation;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Insists on the need to give greater prominence to the human and social development aspects of the agreement, including to improve access to quality education and vocational training, in order to enable ACP countries to unlock the human capital potential of their young people and to boost human development, economic growth and employment in their countries;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls for the swift operationalisation of the ‘EU Global Health Strategy’ in ACP countries, in order to strengthen national health systems, prevent and combat current and future health threats, including pandemics, and to strengthen cooperation on health in multilateral fora; welcomes efforts such as the Team Europe initiative on Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies in Africa and the EU and Latin America and Caribbean manufacturing and health partnership;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines that particular attention should be paid to the provisions on food security and improved nutrition, given the global rise in food insecurity, malnutrition and hunger, which have been particularly exacerbated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; reiterates that EU support in this area should contribute to the building of sustainable agri-food systems with a focus on small scale farmers as they play a crucial role in food security in many ACP countries;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the inclusion of a specific article on youth and recalls that the active participation of young people in policies affecting them should be strongly encouraged; underlines in this respect the importance of seizing the opportunities offered by the Youth Action Plan in External Action to enhance meaningful youth participation and empowerment in the EU’s external action policies;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes the fact that gender equality and women’s economic empowerment are recognised as key drivers for sustainable development; supports the commitments to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and that the Parties agree that they shall adopt and strengthen enforceable legislation, legal frameworks and sound policies, programmes and mechanisms to ensure girl’s and women’s equal access to, equal opportunities in, equal control over, and full and equal participation in, all spheres of life; supports the commitments to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and calls for the EU institutions to speed up the implementation of the Gender Action Plan III in ACP countries;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Strongly supports the objective to mobilise investment, support trade and foster private sector development, with a view to achieving sustainable and inclusive growth and creating decent jobs for all; stresses, in this context, that a strong link will have to be established between the agreement and the Global Gateway initiative; welcomes the EU-LAC Global Gateway Agenda and the EU-Africa Global Gateway Investment Package; stresses that massive investments are required in both hard and soft infrastructure in ACP countries, from digital, transport and energy networks, to health, education and food systems; supports the Global Gateway initiative as a response to this, aiming to provide a viable and attractive alternative for partner countries that delivers lasting benefits for local communities;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Recognises the importance of private sector development for economic transformation and job creation with the EU and ACP countries committing to the promotion of public-private dialogue and paying special attention to the growth and improved competitiveness of micro, small and medium-size-enterprises; welcomes that the EU and OACPS agree to support policies for the development of entrepreneurship among youth and women in the context of their economic empowerment and the promotion of inclusive development; strongly supports this, as cooperation in these areas will be crucial in order to reduce poverty and create prosperity;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Is of the opinion that the Samoa Agreement can contribute positively to the trade and investment policy objectives of the EU and OCAPS countries; underlines that the Samoa Agreement will not change trading arrangements between the EU and OACPS countries, whose partnership will continue to be based on separate trade agreements and instruments, notably the regional economic partnership agreements (EPAs) and the generalised system of preferences scheme (GSP); calls on the Commission to ensure that all its trade instruments targeting OACPS countries such as EPAs, the GSP and Aid for Trade are mutually reinforcing and aligned with the policy coherence for development principle; welcomes the aim of the Agreement to support the integration of ACP countries into the global economy; insists that the implementation of the trade related provisions of the new Partnership Agreement must contribute to stimulating and increasing strategic investment, create jobs, strengthen the role of the private sector and enhance economic and trade cooperation, while leaving no one behind; stresses that the Agreement’s trade and investment provisions must be tailored to benefit all parties in order to ensure an equal and mutually beneficial partnership; strongly underlines the link between trade, the eradication of poverty, the fight against inequalities and support for sustainable development, provided that adequate institutions are set up; calls on the Commission to uphold the political, financial, technical and policy assistance provided to OACPS countries according to their assessed needs, namely to its African partners for the smooth implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, in view of promoting intra-African trade;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the commitment to cooperate in order to strengthen energy security and increase access to energy in ACP countries, accelerating progress on SDG 7; stresses notably the need to support African partner countries by harnessing the continent’s great untapped renewable energy potential, which will not only boost economic growth, job creation and social development, but also significantly increase the global share of renewables; welcomes the inclusion of a specific article dedicated to energy in the Africa Regional Protocol; welcomes further that the energy sector is identified as one of the investments priorities of the Global Gateway initiative;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses the urgency of tackling global environmental challenges and of focusing on the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change; welcomes that the Samoa Agreement, in contrast to the Cotonou Agreement, includes much more detailed provisions on environmental sustainability and climate change; notes that provisions on environmental sustainability, oceans, seas and marine resources, as well as climate change and natural disasters, are covered both in the Foundation part and the three regional protocols;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recognises the need to enhance cooperation on migration and mobility, including addressing the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacements, as well as to facilitate legal pathways for migration, in full respect of international law and in accordance with the Parties' respective competences, as well as being in line with the objectives of the Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument - Global Europe (NDICI-GE Regulation);
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Welcomes that cooperation on peace and security is expected to be scaled up under the new Agreement as it is clearly an area of mutual interest; insists on the importance of implementing properly the humanitarian-development- peace nexus approach across all crisis affected and fragile ACP countries; recalls, in this context, the need for clear policy orientations in order to bridge the gaps between the individual policy areas, while ensuring that the distinct legal character and principles of humanitarian aid are respected; reiterates that there cannot be sustainable development without peace and security, and without inclusive development there cannot be sustainable peace and security;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Welcomes the budgetisation of the European Development Fund (EDF) in the Union’s budget implemented as of 2021, which was a long-standing demand from the European Parliament; considers that it allows for a better democratic scrutiny and for enhanced accountability and visibility of EU development financing;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses the importance of ensuring development effectiveness and results; believes that the implementation of the agreement requires substantial and sustainable mobilisation of financial resources; welcomes, therefore, the recognition that the means of cooperation should be diversified, encompassing a range of policies and instruments from all available sources and actors; recognises the important role of the private sector in generating financing for development;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Recalls that the mobilisation of domestic resources through taxation is one of the most important sources of revenue for financing sustainable development; urges the EU and the OACPS to show strong political will and determination in combating illicit financial flows, tax evasion and corruption; stresses the importance of supporting ACP partner countries efforts to build robust domestic resource mobilisation systems, in order to secure increased domestic funding for development and unlock the potential of ACP countries economic development; recognises that corruption in public finance management is an obstacle to domestic resource mobilisation; supports therefore the Council conclusions of 4 May 2023 on corruption as an obstacle to development;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Welcomes the provisions on global alliances and international cooperation included in the new agreement, with commitments to the rules-based international order and to promoting international dialogue and seeking multilateral solutions to drive global action forward and accelerating progress on SDG 17, partnerships for the goals;