Activities of Katarina BARLEY related to 2021/2023(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
EU-India relations (continuation of debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on a European Parliament recommendation to the Council, Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy concerning EU-India relations
Amendments (29)
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the EU-India partnership has gained momentum in recent years, reflecting renewed political will to strengthen its strategic dimension and, having evolved from an economic partnership to a relationship expanding across a number of sectors, reflecting shared geopolitical interestIndia´s rising geopolitical power and shared democratic values;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas, in October 2020, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, appealed to the Government of India to safeguard the rights of human rights defenders and NGOs, raising concerns over shrinking space for civil society organizations, detention of human rights defenders and charges against people that simply exercised their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, as well as over the use of laws to stifle dissent, such as Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
B b. whereas restrictions on communications and clampdowns on civil society activists in Indian-administered Kashmir remain of serious concern, while despite recent restoration of 4G access for mobile phones, the communications blockade has seriously hampered civic participation, livelihoods, educations and access to health-care and medical information as reported during the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council on 26 February2021;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
B c. whereas various UN experts have called on India to release students, protest leaders and human rights defenders detained for protesting against changes to Indian laws and policies and raised concerns over use of terrorism charges to silence human rights defenders;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
B d. whereas Amnesty International was compelled to close its offices in India after its bank accounts were frozen over alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) while the three UN special rapporteurs have called for amending the law in line with India’s rights and obligations under international law;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
a) consolidate the progress in the Strategic Partnership achieved since last year’s Summit and make tangible advances on priority issues, notably resilient global health, climate change and green growth, technology, connectivity, trade and investment, and foreign, security and defence policy and human rights;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
c) reiterate the need for a deeper partnership based on the shared values of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, equality, respect for human rights, a commitment to promoting an inclusive, coherent and rules-based global order, effective multilateralism and sustainable development, and promoting peace and stability in the world;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
e) promote a structured inter- parliamentary dialogue, including by encouraging the Indian side to establishing a permanent counterpart in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with the Republic of India and by promoting committee-to-committee contacts;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
g a) emphasize that greater engagement between the EU and India in the security and defence field should not be seen as contributing to military bloc formation and polarization in the Indo- Pacific area, but rather as promoting shared security, stability, and peaceful development;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
h) emphasise the need for closer thematic coordination of international security policies and for action in areas such as nuclear security and the non- proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, mitigation of chemical, biological and radiological weapons, the promotion of regional conflict prevention and peacebuilding, counter-piracy, maritime security, countering terrorism, violent extremism, as well as cybersecuritynd radicalisation, cybersecurity, disinformation campaigns, hybrid threats and outer space;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k
Paragraph 1 – point k
k) coordinate positions and initiatives in multilateral fora, notably the UN, by pushing for joint objectives, increasing dialogue and effectively aligning positions; support India’s bid for permanent membership in defence of multilateralism and rules- based international order; engage in discussions ofn a reform of thed UN Security Council and support India´s bid for permanent membership;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point k a (new)
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l
Paragraph 1 – point l
l) draw on India’s vision and the EU Member States’ existing approaches for the Indo-Pacific region in order to develop a European Indo-Pacific strategy based on EU principles and values; seek coordination of EU and Indian policies towards the Indo-Pacific region; , respecting the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; seek coordination, where appropriate, of EU and Indian policies towards the Indo-Pacific region, while fully respecting the sovereign choices of other countries in the region and EU’s bilateral relations with them;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m
Paragraph 1 – point m
m) promote joint action in coordinating development and humanitarian aid, as well as in strengthening democratic processes and countering authoritarian trends and all kinds of extremism, including nationalist and religious, in Asia and beyond;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o
Paragraph 1 – point o
o) take note of India’s security concerns as regards the expansive policy of the People’s Republic of China (PRC); support the resolution of disputesthe deterioration of relations between India and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), including due to the PRC’s expansive policy; support a peaceful resolution of disputes, a constructive dialogue and the upholding of international law on the India-PRC border;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point o a (new)
o a) recognize India’s constructive role and long-standing legitimate security interests in Afghanistan; work together with India and other regional states to promote stabilisation, security, peaceful conflict resolution and democratic values, including women rights, in Afghanistan;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point o b (new)
o b) engage with both India and Pakistan to promote peaceful resolution of their differences, based on principles of international law;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r
Paragraph 1 – point r
r) place human rights and democratic rights and values at the heart of the EU’s engagement with India, thereby enabling an open and calm dialogue; develop a strategy to address human rights issues in collaboration with India and to integrate human rights considerations across the wider EU-India partnership results-oriented dialogue and deeper mutual understanding; develop a strategy to address human rights issues, concerning especially women, children and ethnic and religious minorities, and to address rule of law issues such as the independence of the judiciary, free and safe environment for independent journalists and civil society, including human rights defenders, in collaboration with India and to integrate human rights considerations across the wider EU-India partnership; encourage India to take further steps to investigate and prevent gender-based violence and promote gender equality;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s
Paragraph 1 – point s
s) encourage India, as a member of the UN Human Rights Council, to act upon all recommendations of its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process, to accept and to facilitate the visits of UN special rapporteurs for the monitoring of developments in civic space and fundamental rights and freedoms, as part of its pledge to foster the genuine participation and effective involvement of civil society in the promotion and protection of human rights;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t
Paragraph 1 – point t
t) address the human rights situation and challenges faced by civil society in its dialogue with the Indian authorities, including at summit level; encourage India, as the world’s largest democracy, to demonstrate its commitment to respecting and protecting the freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, to end attacks against - and to release arbitrarily detained - for all, including online, and the right to peaceful assembly and association; call on securing safe environment for the work of human rights defenders and, journalists and civil society actors, free from political and economic pressure, including in the Indian- administered part of Kashmir,; to repeal laws that may be used to silence dissent,obstruct their legitimate work, facilitate access to justice and to ensure accountability for human rights violations;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t
Paragraph 1 – point t
t) address the human rights situation and challenges faced by civil society in particular concerns raised by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Special Rapporteurs, in its dialogue with the Indian authorities, including at summit level; encourage India, as the world’s largest democracy, to demonstrate its commitment to respecting and protecting fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, to end attacks against - and to release arbitrarily detained - human rights defenders, students and journalists, including in the Indian- administered part of Kashmir, to repeal laws that may be used to silence dissent, and to ensure accountability for human rights violations;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point t a (new)
t a) to put pressure on the Indian government to: - repeal or amend laws used to silence dissent and restrict the ability of civil society organisations to function effectively, including the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, the counterterrorism law, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, and the sedition and criminal defamation laws and allow civil society organisations and human rights defenders to work freely without fear of reprisals, to unfreeze the accounts of Amnesty International India and to cease all harassment of its staff; - Implement police reform as recommended by the Supreme Court of India, including the establishment of a complaint mechanism to address police abuse, strictly enforcing existing laws and guidelines on arrest and detention; - Ratify and ensure thorough implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance; - Take immediate steps to eliminate abuses against Dalits, tribal groups, religious minorities, and other marginalized communities, providing concrete plans to implement laws and government policies to secure their protection, and ensuring development programs reach target groups; - Suspend the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, revising the draft bill on data protection to ensure it is line with international standards on safeguarding the right to privacy of users and other human rights, and is accompanied by surveillance reform; - End the use of blanket internet shutdowns and enhancing transparency on the way shutdown orders are issued and extended; - Reinstate the death penalty moratorium with a view to permanent abolition of capital punishment; - Institute an effective monitoring mechanism that oversees the implementation of laws dealing with sexual violence against women and children, including failures in police accountability; - Ratify and implement the ILO Convention on Violence and Harassment,2019, No. 190, taking steps toward effective prevention measures, including special attention to sectors with heightened risk of violence and harassment, such as domestic work;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point u a (new)
u a) to urge India to develop a National Action Plan on business and human rights in order to fully implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, recalling the responsibilities for all companies to respect human rights in their value chains, and to encourage India to participate actively for a UN binding treaty for corporate responsibility on human rights;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v
Paragraph 1 – point v
v) seize the opportunity offered by the EU-India Leaders’ Meeting to openly address value-based cooperation at the highest level in matters of trade and investment; work towards the achievement of common objectives in these areas that comply with and contribute to respect for universal human rights and the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals; reaffirm that an investment protection agreement can further strengthen bilateral trade relations;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ad
Paragraph 1 – point ad
ad) strive for co-leadership in setting and advancing international standards in the digital economy grounded in sustainable and responsible digitalisation and a rule of law and human rights-based ICT environment, while addressing cybersecurity threats and protecting fundamental rights and freedoms, including the protection of personal data;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ad a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ad a (new)
ad a) promote people-to-people exchanges in education and culture and further expand the exchange under Erasmus+; continue close cooperation in research and innovation, including human-centric and ethics-based digital technologies, while encouraging the strengthening of digital literacy and skills;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ad b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ad b (new)
ad b) welcome India´s efforts towards a GDPR-like high level of personal data protection; highlight the mutual benefit through intensified cooperation in the area of data protection; encourage further convergence between the regulatory frameworks to ensure a high level of protection of personal data and privacy, including through a possible data adequacy decisions, with a view to facilitate safe and secure cross border data flows, enabling closer cooperation especially in the ICT and digital services sector;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ae
Paragraph 1 – point ae
ae) step up the EU’s ambitions for digital connectivity with India in the context of the EU’s digital transformation strategy; invest in a partnership in digital services and the development of responsible and human rights based artificial intelligence; continue to support data protection reform in India;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point af a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point af a (new)