Activities of Viola VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL
Plenary speeches (142)
Situation in Moldova (debate)
Situation in Ukraine (debate)
Discharge 2017: European Asylum Support Office (EASO) (debate)
Presentation of the Court of Auditors' annual report - 2018 (debate)
Opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania (continuation of debate)
Eastern neighbourhood developments (debate)
Conflict of interest and corruption affecting the protection of EU's financial interests in Member States (debate)
Situation of the Uyghur in China (China-cables) (debate)
The Russian "Foreign Agents" Law
The reopening of the prosecution against the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic on the misuse of EU funds and potential conflicts of interest (debate)
Assessment of the revised enlargement methodology proposal of the Commission (debate)
The 2019 Human Rights Annual report - Stability and Security in the Mediterranean and the negative role of Turkey - Situation in Belarus (debate)
Implementation of the EU Association Agreement with Georgia (debate)
Situation in Belarus - Situation in Lebanon - Situation in Russia, the poisoning of Alexei Navalny (debate)
The resumption of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (debate)
Recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the VPC/HR on relations with Belarus (debate)
The continuous violations of human rights in Belarus, in particular the murder of Raman Bandarenka
Recent developments in the Eastern Partnership (debate)
Presentation of the Court of Auditors' annual report - 2019 (debate)
The arrest of Aleksei Navalny (debate)
Safety of the nuclear power plant in Ostrovets (Belarus) (continuation of debate)
Human rights situation in Kazakhstan
The current political situation in Georgia (debate)
2019-2020 Reports on Albania – 2019-2020 Reports on Kosovo – 2019-2020 Reports on North Macedonia – 2019-2020 Reports on Serbia (debate)
Establishing Horizon Europe – laying down its rules for participation and dissemination - Specific Programme implementing Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation - European Institute of Innovation and Technology - Strategic Innovation Agenda of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (debate)
2019 Discharge (debate)
Russia, the case of Alexei Navalny, military build-up on Ukraine's border and Russian attack in the Czech Republic (debate)
The conflict of interest of the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic (debate)
Prisoners of war in the aftermath of the most recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan
Systematic repression in Belarus and its consequences for European security following abductions from an EU civilian plane intercepted by the Belarusian authorities (debate)
Foreign interference in democratic processes (debate)
Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe (debate)
The outcome of the Western Balkans summit (debate)
The escalating humanitarian crisis on the EU-Belarusian border, in particular in Poland (debate)
EU sports policy: assessment and possible ways forward (debate)
Situation in Belarus and at its border with the EU and the security and humanitarian consequences (debate)
Presentation of the Court of Auditors' annual report 2020 (debate)
Human rights violations by private military and security companies, particularly the Wagner Group
Situation at the Ukrainian border and in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine (debate)
Cooperation on the fight against organised crime in the Western Balkans (debate)
The proposed Council decision on provisional emergency measures for the external border with Belarus based on article 78(3) TFEU (continuation of debate)
Forced labour in the Linglong factory and environmental protests in Serbia
Situation in Kazakhstan
Implementation of the common foreign and security policy – annual report 2021 - Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report 2021 (debate)
EU-Russia relations, European security and Russia’s military threat against Ukraine (debate)
Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the EU (debate)
Debate with the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas - The EU's role in a changing world and the security situation of Europe following the Russian aggression and invasion of Ukraine (debate)
Destruction of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh
Debriefing of the European Council meeting in Paris on 10 March 2022 - Preparation of the European Council meeting 24-25 March 2022 (debate)
Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 24-25 March 2022: including the latest developments of the war against Ukraine and the EU sanctions against Russia and their implementation (debate)
EU preparedness against cyber-attacks following Russia invasion on Ukraine (debate)
Discharge 2020 (debate)
State of play of the EU-Moldova cooperation (debate)
The impact of the war against Ukraine on women (debate)
EU Association Agreement with the Republic of Moldova (debate)
Prosecution of the opposition and the detention of trade union leaders in Belarus (debate)
The EU’s Foreign, Security and Defence Policy after the Russian invasion of Ukraine (debate)
Security in the Eastern Partnership area and the role of the common security and defence policy (debate)
Violations of media freedom and safety of journalists in Georgia
Preparation of the European Council meeting of 23-24 June 2022, including the meeting with Western Balkan leaders on 23 June - Candidate status of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia (debate)
2021 Report on Serbia (debate)
2021 Report on Kosovo (debate)
2021 Report on Kosovo (debate)
Human rights violations in the context of forced deportation of Ukrainian civilians to and forced adoption of Ukrainian children in Russia
Russia’s escalation of its war of aggression against Ukraine (debate)
Countering the anti-European and anti-Ukrainian propaganda of Putin’s European cronies (topical debate)
Keep the bills down: social and economic consequences of the war in Ukraine and the introduction of a windfall tax (debate)
Recognising the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism (debate)
Presentation of the Court of Auditors' annual report 2021 (debate)
EU-Western Balkans relations in light of the new enlargement package (debate)
Lukashenka regime's active role in the war against Ukraine (debate)
Cultural solidarity with Ukraine and a joint emergency response mechanism for cultural recovery in Europe (debate)
Situation of human rights in the context of the FIFA world cup in Qatar (debate)
The continuing repression of the democratic opposition and civil society in Belarus
Question Time (Commission) - “Protection of strategic infrastructure from China's influence”
Question Time (Commission) - “Protection of strategic infrastructure from China's influence”
Suspicions of corruption from Qatar and the broader need for transparency and accountability in the European institutions (debate) (debate)
Annual implementing report on the EU association agreement with Georgia (debate)
Defending democracy from foreign interference (debate)
90 years after Holodomor: Recognising the mass killing through starvation as genocide (debate)
The humanitarian situation in Ukraine due to Russia’s attacks against critical infrastructure and civilian areas (debate)
The EU’s response to the appalling attack against civilians in Dnipro : strengthening sanctions against the Putin regime and military support to Ukraine (debate)
Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank - annual report 2021 (debate)
Humanitarian consequences of the blockade in Nagorno-Karabakh
The Global Gateway Initiative (debate)
Preparation of the EU-Ukraine Summit (debate)
One year of Russia’s invasion and war of aggression against Ukraine (debate)
The further repressions against the people of Belarus, in particular the cases of Andrzej Poczobut and Ales Bialiatski (debate)
Situation in Georgia (debate)
The challenges facing the Republic of Moldova (debate)
EU-Armenia relations (debate)
Strengthening the EU Defence in the context of the war in Ukraine: speeding up production and deliveries to Ukraine of weapons and ammunitions (debate)
Children forcibly deported from Ukraine and the ICC arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin (debate)
Repression in Russia, in particular the cases of Vladimir Kara-Murza and Alexei Navalny
Discharge 2021 (continuation of debate)
2022 Report on Serbia (debate)
2022 Report on Kosovo (debate)
2022 Report on Kosovo (debate)
Ukrainian cereals on the European market (debate)
Belarus: the inhumane treatment and hospitalisation of prominent opposition leader Viktar Babaryka
Foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation - Election integrity and resilience build-up towards European elections 2024 (debate)
Humanitarian and environmental consequences of the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam - Sustainable reconstruction and integration of Ukraine into the Euro-Atlantic community (debate)
Ukraine’s accession to the Convention of 2 July 2019 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (debate)
Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2022 - Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank - annual report 2022 (joint debate - European Investment Bank)
Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2022 - Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank - annual report 2022 (joint debate - European Investment Bank)
Recommendations for reform of the European Parliament’s rules on transparency, integrity, accountability and anti-corruption (debate)
Crackdown on the media and freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan
Ukrainian grain exports after Russia’s exit from the Black Sea Grain Initiative (debate)
Relations with Belarus (debate)
The case of Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu, imprisoned in Azerbaijan
Violence and discrimination in the world of sports after the FIFA Women’s World Cup (debate)
Situation in Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan’s attack and the continuing threats against Armenia (debate)
Taking stock of Moldova's path to the EU (debate)
Recent developments in the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue, including the situation in the northern municipalities in Kosovo (debate)
Uzbekistan (debate)
Signing of acts adopted in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (Rule 79)
Establishing the Ukraine Facility (debate)
Effectiveness of the EU sanctions on Russia (debate)
Situation of Ukrainian women refugees, including access to SRHR support (debate)
Presentation of the Court of Auditors' annual report 2022 (debate)
Question Time with Commissioners - The state of implementation of the EU’s commitment to provide 1 million rounds of artillery ammunition to Ukraine until March 2024
Question Time with Commissioners - The state of implementation of the EU’s commitment to provide 1 million rounds of artillery ammunition to Ukraine until March 2024
30 years of Copenhagen criteria - giving further impetus to EU enlargement policy (debate)
Environmental consequences of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the need for accountability (debate)
The unknown status of Mikalai Statkevich and the recent attacks on Belarusian politicians’ and activists’ family members
Ensuring proper functioning of EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes (debate)
Keeping commitments and delivering military assistance to Ukraine (debate)
Situation in Serbia following elections (debate)
Tajikistan: state repression against the independent media
The need for unwavering EU support for Ukraine, after two years of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine (debate)
The fight against hate speech and disinformation: responsibility of social platforms within the Digital Services Act (topical debate)
New wave of mass arrests in Belarus of opposition activists and their family members
Multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 - Establishing the Ukraine Facility - Establishing the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (‘STEP’) (joint debate - multiannual financial framework revision)
Closer ties between the EU and Armenia and the need for a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia (debate)
Deepening EU integration in view of future enlargement (debate)
EU/Chile Advanced Framework Agreement - EU/Chile Advanced Framework Agreement (Resolution) - Interim Agreement on Trade between the European Union and the Republic of Chile (joint debate - EU-Chile agreements)
Question Time with Commissioners - Preparedness of EU governments to combat foreign interference, including from Russia
Need to impose sanctions on the import of Russian and Belarusian food and agricultural products to the EU and to ensure stability of EU agricultural production (debate)
Need to address the urgent concerns surrounding Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia (debate)
Attempts to dismantle Rule of Law and media freedom in Slovakia (debate)
Attempts to reintroduce a foreign agent law in Georgia and its restrictions on civil society (debate)
Establishing the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans (debate)
Reports (4)
REPORT on the 2019-2020 Commission Reports on Kosovo
REPORT on the 2021 Commission Report on Kosovo
REPORT on the 2022 Commission Report on Kosovo
REPORT on the control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2022
Shadow reports (29)
SECOND REPORT on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Asylum Support Office for the financial year 2017
REPORT on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2018, Section III – Commission and executive agencies
REPORT on a European Parliament recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the Western Balkans, following the 2020 summit
REPORT on the implementation of the EU Association Agreement with the Republic of Moldova
REPORT on the implementation of the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine
REPORT on the 2019-2020 Commission reports on Serbia
REPORT on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2019, Section III – Commission and executive agencies
REPORT on the proposal for a Council regulation establishing the Joint Undertakings under Horizon Europe
RECOMMENDATION FOR SECOND READING on the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III)
REPORT on cooperation on the fight against organised crime in the Western Balkans
REPORT on EU sports policy: assessment and possible ways forward
REPORT on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation
REPORT on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2020, Section III – Commission and executive agencies
REPORT on the control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2020
REPORT on the 2021 Commission Report on Serbia
REPORT on the control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – Annual Report 2021
REPORT on EU-Armenia relations
REPORT on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2021, Section III – Commission and executive agencies
REPORT on the 2022 Commission Report on Serbia
REPORT on foreign interference in all democratic processes in the European Union, including disinformation
REPORT on Uzbekistan
REPORT on relations with Belarus
REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing the Ukraine Facility
REPORT on the EU strategy on Central Asia
RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union and its Member States, of the Accession Protocol to the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Indonesia, of the other part, to take account of the accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union
RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Advanced Framework Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Chile, of the other part
INTERIM REPORT on the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Advanced Framework Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Chile, of the other part
REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on establishing the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans
REPORT on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022, Section III – Commission and executive agencies
Shadow opinions (2)
OPINION on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council regulation establishing a Recovery and Resilience Facility
OPINION on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on protecting persons who engage in public participation from manifestly unfounded or abusive court proceedings (“Strategic lawsuits against public participation”)
Institutional motions (134)
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Hong Kong
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Russia, notably the situation of environmental activists and Ukrainian political prisoners
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Venezuela
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Hong Kong
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Russia, notably the situation of environmental activists and Ukrainian political prisoners
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Iran, notably the situation of women's rights defenders and imprisoned EU dual nationals
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Myanmar, notably the situation of the Rohingya
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Situation in Turkey, notably the removal of elected mayors
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the state of implementation of the Union’s anti-money laundering legislation
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Iran, notably the situation of women’s rights defenders and imprisoned EU dual nationals
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Myanmar, notably the situation of the Rohingya
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on situation in Turkey, notably the removal of elected mayors
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on foreign electoral interference and disinformation in national and European democratic processes
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Egypt
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the Turkish military operation in northeast Syria and its consequences
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on The Russian "Foreign Agents" Law
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the rule of law in Malta following the recent revelations surrounding the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the Russian ‘foreign agents’ law
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the reopening of the investigation against the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic on the misuse of EU funds and potential conflicts of interest
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Belarus
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the preparation of the special European Council summit focusing on the dangerous escalation and the role of Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Belarus
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on The continuous violations of human rights in Belarus, in particular the murder of Raman Bandarenka
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the continuous violations of human rights in Belarus, in particular the murder of Raman Bandarenka
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Forced labour and the situation of the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the arrest of Alexei Navalny in Moscow
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the Human Rights Situation in Kazakhstan
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the human rights situation in Kazakhstan
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the rule of law in Malta
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Russia, the case of Alexei Navalny, the military build-up on Ukraine’s border and the Russian attack in the Czech Republic
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Chinese countersanctions on EU entities and MEPs and MPs
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Prisoners of war in the aftermath of the most recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Chinese countersanctions on EU entities and MEPs and MPs
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on prisoners of war in the aftermath of the most recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the systematic repression in Belarus and its consequences for European security following the abductions from an EU civilian plane intercepted by the Belarusian authorities
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the systematic repression in Belarus and its consequences for European security following the abductions from an EU civilian plane intercepted by Belarusian authorities
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Afghanistan
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Belarus after one year of protests and their violent repression
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Belarus after one year of protests and their violent repression
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on human rights violations by private military and security companies, particularly the Wagner Group
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the human rights violations by private military and security companies, particularly the Wagner Group
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the Continuous crackdown on civil society and human rights defenders in Russia: the case of human rights organisation Memorial
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on forced labour in the Linglong factory and environmental protests in Serbia
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation at the Ukrainian border and in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on forced labour in the Linglong factory and environmental protests in Serbia
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation at the Ukrainian border and in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the Situation in Kazakhstan
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Kazakhstan
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the Destruction of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the destruction of cultural heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the conclusions of the European Council meeting of 24-25 March 2022, including the latest developments of the war against Ukraine and the EU sanctions against Russia and their implementation
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the conclusions of the European Council meeting of 24-25 March 2022, including the latest developments of the war against Ukraine and the EU sanctions against Russia and their implementation
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the State of play of the EU-Moldova cooperation
the State of play on the EU-Moldova cooperation
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION the fight against impunity for war crimes in Ukraine
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the prosecution of the opposition and the detention of trade union leaders in Belarus
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the prosecution of the opposition and the detention of trade union leaders in Belarus
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on violatioins of media freedom and safety of journalists in Georgia
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the candidate status of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the candidate status of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on The situation in Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the human rights violations in the context of forced deportation of Ukrainian civilians to and forced adoption of Ukrainian children in Russia
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on human rights violations in the context of the forced deportation of Ukrainian civilians to and the forced adoption of Ukrainian children in Russia
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION The media freedom crackdown in Myanmar, notably the cases of Htet Htet Khine, Sithu Aung Myint and Nyein Nyein Aye
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Russia’s escalation of its war of aggression against Ukraine
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on recognising the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the continuing repression of the democratic opposition and civil society in Belarus
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation of human rights in the context of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the continuing repression of the democratic opposition and civil society in Belarus
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on 90 years after the Holodomor: recognising the mass killing through starvation as genocide
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on 90 years after the Holodomor: recognising the mass killing through starvation as genocide
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on suspicions of corruption from Qatar and the broader need for transparency and accountability in the European institutions
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the humanitarian consequences of the blockade in Nagorno-Karabakh
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the establishment of a tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the humanitarian consequences of the blockade in Nagorno-Karabakh
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the preparation of the EU-Ukraine Summit
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the preparation of the EU-Ukraine Summit
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation of the former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on one year of Russia’s invasion and war of aggression against Ukraine
on one year of Russia’s invasion and war of aggression against Ukraine
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on one year of Russia’s invasion and war of aggression against Ukraine
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on further repression against the people of Belarus, in particular the cases of Andrzej Poczobut and Ales Bialiatski
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on further repression against the people of Belarus, in particular the cases of Andrzej Poczobut and Ales Bialiatski
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Cambodia: the case of opposition leader Kem Sokha
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the challenges facing the Republic of Moldova
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the challenges facing the Republic of Moldova
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Repression in Russia, in particular the cases of Vladimir Kara-Murza and Alexei Navalny
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Belarus: the inhumane treatment and hospitalisation of prominent opposition leader Viktar Babaryka
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Media freedom and freedom of expression in Algeria, the case of journalist Ihsane El-Kadi
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Myanmar, notably the dissolution of democratic political parties
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Belarus: the inhumane treatment and hospitalisation of prominent opposition leader Viktar Babaryka
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION The humanitarian situation in Sudan, in particular the death of children trapped by fighting
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION The deterioration of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong, notably the case of Jimmy Laibuti
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Nicaragua
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the sustainable reconstruction and integration of Ukraine into the Euro-Atlantic community
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION the torture and criminal prosecution of Ukrainian minors Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov by the Russian Federation
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the sustainable reconstruction and integration of Ukraine into the Euro-Atlantic community
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION the Crackdown on the media and freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the crackdown on the media and freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION The case of Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu, imprisoned in Azerbaijan
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the case of Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu, imprisoned in Azerbaijan
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION the case of Zarema Musaeva in Chechnya
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on taking stock of Moldova’s path to the EU
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan’s attack and continuing threats against Armenia
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Egypt, in particular the sentencing of Hisham Kassem
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on taking stock of Moldova’s path to the EU
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on recent developments in the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue, including the situation in the northern municipalities in Kosovo
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the recent developments in the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue, including the situation in the northern municipalities in Kosovo
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on 30 years of Copenhagen criteria – giving further impetus to EU enlargement policy
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION The abduction of Tibetan children and forced assimilation practices through Chinese boarding schools in Tibet
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION The unknown status of Mikalai Statkevich and the recent attacks on Belarusian politicians’ and activists’ family members
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the unknown status of Mikola Statkevich and the recent attacks on Belarusian politicians’ and activists’ family members
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the threat of famine following the spread of conflict in Sudan
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Tajikistan: state repression against the independent media
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Tajikistan: state repression against the independent media
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Serbia following the elections
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Russiagate: allegations of Russian interference in the democratic processes of the European Union
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION The new wave of mass arrests in Belarus of opposition activists and their family members
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the new wave of mass arrests in Belarus of opposition activists and their family members
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Serbia following the elections
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the murder of Alexei Navalny and the need for EU action in support of political prisoners and oppressed civil society in Russia
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the need for unwavering support for Ukraine, after two years of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the need for unwavering EU support for Ukraine, after two years of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on closer ties between the EU and Armenia and the need for a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION The repressive environment in Afghanistan, including public executions and violence against women
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on closer ties between the EU and Armenia and the need for a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on new allegations of Russian interference in the European Parliament, in the upcoming EU elections and the impact on the Union
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on attempts to reintroduce a foreign agent law in Georgia and its restrictions on civil society
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION The new security law in Hong Kong and the cases of Andy Li and Joseph John
MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION Azerbaijan, notably the repression of civil society and the cases of Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu and Ilhamiz Guliyev
JOINT MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on new allegations of Russian interference in the European Parliament, in the upcoming EU elections and the impact on the European Union
Oral questions (4)
State of play of Council negotiations on the Regulation on the protection of the Union’s budget in case of generalised deficiencies as regards the rule of law in the Member States
State of play of the Council negotiations on the regulation on the protection of the Union’s budget in case of generalised deficiencies as regards the rule of law in the Member States.
The EU’s responsibility to protect local staff targeted due to their working relations with the EU
An EU Commissioner for Animal Welfare
Written questions (49)
New Italian decree (Decreto Crescita) and impact on personal income tax
Compliance by Turkey with EU State aid rules
Environmental and climate compliance and review of EU-funded projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Protection for victims of strategic lawsuits against public participation
Corruption scandal in the Slovak Agricultural Paying Agency
EU's neutrality in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue
Appointment of the European Prosecutors of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO)
Appointment of the European Prosecutors of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO)
EU exports of nuclear waste and dual-use depleted uranium to Russia
Lovochemie benefiting from the Just Transition Fund
EU funds used for a tourist resort in illegal possession of a lion in Kosovo
EU monitoring of the 2021 parliamentary elections in Iraq
4 September 2020 Serbia–Kosovo agreement in the light of the US election results
Transparency of contracts for COVID-19 vaccines
Cancellation of the ENSREG mission to Belarus
Managing excessive amounts of plastic waste following the introduction of new EU rules on shipments of plastic waste
Environmental destruction at a Natura 2000 site in the Făgăraş Mountains in Romania
Support for students from Belarus to study at universities in the EU
Infringement case INFR(2020)2033 on logging operations in Romania
Protection of children and vulnerable adults in sport
Progress in the international investigation into Moldova’s USD 1 billion bank theft
Providing equal possibilities for the sequencing of coronavirus genomes in the Member States
Earthquake risk in connection with the Paks II nuclear plant
Questions about China's rare earths export restrictions
Lack of coherence in Kosovo’s legal representation
Infringement case INFR(2020)2033 on logging operations in Romania
New coal power plant capacities in Serbia
Libya – crimes against humanity
The General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the obligations set out therein and regional arms races
Trade restrictions / import ban on Russian and Belarusian wood and timber products
Exclusion of civic political parties and their representatives from electoral/constitutional reform talks in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Extension and amendment of the sanctions framework for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)
Uyghur Tribunal Judgment
EU action tackling China’s distant‑water fleet, which is involved in human rights abuses, illegal fishing and bottom trawling
Recognition of the professional qualifications of Ukrainian refugees
Investigation into Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi
Closure of the Border Police Station in Cetingrad (Croatia), which was financed through IPA funding
Ukraine reconstruction platform
Loopholes in the sanctions regime imposed on Russia and the case of CLAAS KGaA mbH
Infringement case INFR(2020)2033 on logging operations in Romania
Reaction to Commissioner Várhelyi at the European Parliament
European Court of Auditors’ report on EU support for the rule of law in the Western Balkans (January 2022)
The rights of Rainbow families in Italy
The registration of Russian citizens and the establishment of Russian-owned businesses in Serbia
Safeguarding the integrity of the international player transfer system
The Commission’s position on Russian and Belarusian athletes competing in international sporting events
European Court of Human Rights ruling confirming ethnic discrimination in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s electoral system
Chinese state-linked companies on board of EU’s Global Gateway
Imposition by public authorities of collective travel bans on away supporters in UEFA club competitions
Amendments (1946)
Amendment 10 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights the importance of the Union budget for achieving the Union’s political priorities, as well as its role in assisting Member States in unforeseen circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic, international conflicts or crisis and their consequences; notstresses in this regard the continuurgent need for increasing relevance of investments aimed towards achieving goals set in the EU GreenDeal and support from the Union budget for reducing disparities between Member States and regions, for promoting economic growth and employment, for combating poverty and social exclusion, and thus for improving the daily life of Union citizens;
Amendment 12 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Stresses the fact that in 2022 the EU has fallen much short of the level of efficiency needed to achieve the climate- related goals set for 2030, 2040 and 2050; urges the Commission not to water down the paste and ambition needed to lower the CO2 emissions and keep the global warming below 1,5% degrees above the pre-industrial times;
Amendment 15 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that the sound and timely implementation of the budget contributes to addressing more efficiently and effectively the needs and challenges in different policy areas; warnstresses that the late implementation of the budget under time pressure mayof the final closure of the 2014 - 2020 MFF lead to an increase in errors and irregularities;
Amendment 17 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF)'s contribution to support Member States in recovering from the economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and creating a resilient Union that can shoulder the challenges of the future; notes the contribution of the RRF and RePowerEU in addressing the energy-related challenges caused by the Russia’s war of agression against Ukraine; calls on the Commission and theto monitor Member States to' implementation of the associated actions swiftly in accordance with the agreed milestones and targets;
Amendment 30 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls the importance of carrying out an ex-post evaluation of financial programmes created to respond to a crisis concerning their effectiveness, efficiency regularity of spending, achieved efficiency and effectiveness, relevance, and coherence and Union added value;
Amendment 39 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. WelcomeConsiders the measures undertaken by the Commission in 2022 and 2023 under the Rule of Law conditionality mechanism for the protection of the Union budget andto be inadequate, introduced with considerable delays and introduced following long lasting political considerations instead of acting as the independent and strong guardian of the Treaties; asks the Commission to continue to be vigilant and proactive in the current and future cases when the lack of respect for Union values and the Rule of Law affect or threaten to affect the Union’s financial interests;
Amendment 63 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the Court’s conclusion that the revenue is free from material error and that the systems for managing the revenue examined by the Court were generally effective; regrets the adverse opinion on the legality and regularity of the Union budget expenditure issued by the Court for the fourth year in a rowDeeply regrets the adverse opinion on the legality and regularity of the Union budget expenditure issued by the Court for the fourth year in a row; demands the Commission takes all the necessary measures and administrative support to the Member States needed especially to improve their absorption capacity in order to avoid the worsening trend from 2007 - 2013, 2014 - 2020 to the 2020 - 2027 MFF and keeps the Discharge authority fully informed and in timely manner; welcomes the Court’s conclusion that the revenue is free from material error and that the systems for managing the revenue examined by the Court were generally effective;
Amendment 69 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes that the Court estimates the level of error for the 2022 expenditure to be 4,2 % (3 % in 2021), which is above the materiality threshold; notes the Commission’s confidence thatown estimate of the risk at payment is estimated at 1.9 % for 2022 (similar to 2020, 2021 and 2022), is representative of the level of error at the time of payment; notes that the Commission’s estimation of the risk at closure, after ex-post controls and corrections have been applied, is 0.9 %; notes the divergence between the Court’s overall error rate and the Commission’s risk at payment, which is observed for the overall Union budget expenditure in 2022, although not in all expenditure areas;
Amendment 75 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Underlines that the general estimate of the level of error in the Union budget, as presented in the Court’s Statement of Assurance, is an estimate of the money that should not have been paid out because it was not used in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations, and not a measure of fraud or of inefficiency or waste;
Amendment 77 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Recalls that the audit approach and methodology of the Court are based on international audit standards that require the testing of a random, representative sample of transactions that result in an estimate of the error rate; recalls that the Court differentiates between low-risk expenditure, i.e. entitlement-based payments under simplified rules, and high- risk expenditure, i.e. reimbursement-based payments subject to complex rules; notes that for the 2022 expenditure, the Court has selected 66 % of its audit population from the high-risk expenditure (63,2 % in 2021), amounting to EUR 110,1 billion, and 34 % from the low-risk expenditure, amounting to EUR 56,7 billion; notes that the Court’s estimated error rate for 2022 (4,2 %) is mainly driven by ‘Cohesion, resilience and values’ (2,5 % of the overall error rate), ‘Natural resources and environment (0,8 %), ‘Neighbourhood and the world’ (0,4 %), and ‘Single market, innovation and digital’ (0,3 %), all of them considered high-risk expenditure areas by the Court; notes that the Commission’s risk at payment for 2022 is 1,9 %;
Amendment 84 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Recalls that Union spending programmes are multiannual by design and their related control systems and management cycles also cover multiple years; recalls that the Commission’s estimates of the risk at closure have a multiannual perspective that takes account of corrections and recoveries over several years; notes that the Commission’s approach is based on hundreds of thousands of tests as defined in control strategies, performed during substantive control and audit work which is primarily aimed at checking compliance with Union rules and regulations, applicable to given programmes, to ultimately establish whether funds need to be recovered from beneficiaries; notes that the range of the risk at payment, determined as part of this approach, resembles most of the Court’s estimated error rate and is considered by the Commission as the best estimate to express the exposure to the Union budget;
Amendment 109 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 – point i a (new)
Paragraph 36 – point i a (new)
(i a) undergo an ex-post evaluation of the reliability of their own estimation of the risk at closure for the financial year for which the programs were closed and presents the results of such an evaluation to the Discharge authority;
Amendment 132 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49 – point iv a (new)
Paragraph 49 – point iv a (new)
(iv a) provide detailed explanations to the Budget authority on reasons why the Commision only partially implemented 13 % of the Court’s recommendations from 2019 and has not implemented further 10 % of their recommendations;
Amendment 142 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66 – point -i (new)
Paragraph 66 – point -i (new)
(-i) include extra funds needed for Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe in the draft 2025 budget to improve on the current state where 7 out of 10 high- quality proposals still cannot be funded;
Amendment 150 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71
Paragraph 71
71. Notes that the Court has examined a sample of 260 transactions covering the full range of spending under MFF Heading 2; notes with great concern that the Court’s estimated overall level of error in ‘Cohesion, resilience and values’ in 2022 wasrose to 6,4 %, which isell above the materiality threshold; draws attention to the marked increase in the overall level of error estimated by the Court in 2022 compared to previous years (3,6 % in 2021, 3,5 % in 2020); while the Commission’s estimates of the payment risk for 2022 on the other hand show to be between 1,9 % and 2,7 %, remaining stable compared to previous years (1,9 %-2,5 % in 2021, 2,1 %-2,6 % in 2020);
Amendment 158 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 76
Paragraph 76
76. Notes that the Court identified an increase in the specific types of errors, such as ineligible costs and projects and infringements of internal market rules, including public procurement and state aid rules, which are the same categori; stresses that these types of ierregularities identified by the Commission and the audit authorities based on their common typologyors present a higher level or risks related to poor governance and corruption; notes that 3 % of the Court’s estimated 6,4 % error rate in Heading 2 is related to 100% co-financed priorities under the Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative (CRII+) which allowed for more flexible spending; notes that the Commission has not found audit evidence of a significant impact overall of the new types of measures and flexibilities introduced on the programme error rates and takes note of the fact that the Commission took measures to prevent such risk;
Amendment 164 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79
Paragraph 79
79. Notes that complementarity characterises the relation between the cohesion policy funds and the other Union funding instruments; recalls that the cohesion policy funds and the RRF are different in terms of general objectives, timeline, management mode and financing, but highlights that complementarity between them is possible and expected, provided the same costs are not covered twice and points to the Commission to do its utmost to mitigate these risks;
Amendment 171 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82
Paragraph 82
82. Notes thatAgrees with the Court who considers that the Commission’s desk reviews and compliance audits have inherent limitations in confirming the validity of the residual total error rates reported by audit authorities; takes note of the Commission’s reply that its assessment, based on a combination of desk and on-the- spot audit work covering the different individual programmes and assurance packages, enables it to establish a reasonable and fair estimate of the error rates for each programme, every year, and cumulatively for cohesion policy funds;
Amendment 173 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83
Paragraph 83
83. NotesStresses with great concern that the Court’s finding that the proportion of assurance packages with residual error rates of above 2 % reached a peak of 61 % of the expenditure in the Court’s sample in 2022 compared to 39 % in the previous year, reflecting the persistent shortcomings in the work of the audit authorities; stresses with concern that the Court’s audit results over the last six years demonstrate that the controls currently in place do not yet sufficiently offset the high inherent risk of error in cohesion, and that managing authorities do not always effectively prevent or detect irregularities in expenditure declared by beneficiaries; notes with concern that the errors found by the Court represent significant weaknesses in the audit authorities’ work on verifying the eligibility of expenditures and projects, and the compliance with internal market rules; notes that a part of the residual error rates recalculated by the Court above 2 % in the audited assurance packages are attributable to the aforementioned divergences;
Amendment 178 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84
Paragraph 84
84. Is greatly concerned about the persistent shortcomings observed by the Court in the national audits, which can be due to inadequate scope, unclear documentation of audits and sample filtering performed by national audit authorities, as well as resource issues, including inadequate funding and a lack of a skilled workforce within national audit authorities; notes that the Commission, on the other hand, considers the work of the majority of the audit authorities to be reliable and that only 7 out of 81 audit authorities need serious improvements;
Amendment 184 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 89 – point i
Paragraph 89 – point i
(i) proactively engage in constructive dialogue with the Court to overcome the growing number of situations where Commission’s official response to the Court’s findings is to ‘agree to disagree’ and continue its cooperation with the Court in order to look for possible comparability of the results of their estimated error rates, as well as to align the interpretation of legal texts;
Amendment 192 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 89 – point iii
Paragraph 89 – point iii
(iii) continue its support to Member States and at the same time prepare an action plan on how to best avoid the administrational over-burden towards the end of the MFF that will come on top of the planned RRF eligibility period, given the completion of the 2014- 2020 programming period and the implementation of the current one, in particular by supporting administrative capacity building;
Amendment 194 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 89 – point iv a (new)
Paragraph 89 – point iv a (new)
(iv a) deliver on its promise to provide both the Discharge authority as well as the general public with the list of EU funds’ biggest final beneficiaries, where such a list considers the final beneficiary to be the natural person or an entity that, as the last in the chain of recipients, receives the EU funds;
Amendment 210 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 98
Paragraph 98
98. Notes the example of an incorrect declaration of agricultural activity presented by the Court in its annual report, quoted in several media as the “lemon trees’ case”, where a farmer declared to cultivate permanent crop, where in reality the plot was not cultivated for several years; notes the financial impact of this error was EUR 8 349,06 as reported by the Commission, along with the corrective actions taken by the responsible national authorities, including the recovery of the claimed amount; commends the thorough audit work of the Court and the Commission and the swift follow-up by the paying agency concerned; stresses though that this case should not be understood as an rare and individual coincidence but rather as a risk of systematic way allowing for fraudulent way to receiving the EU funds and should thus not be underestimated;
Amendment 221 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 108
Paragraph 108
108. Notes that the Court examined a sample of 23 transactions that is not representative enough of the spending under MFF headings 4 and 5 and, therefore, cannot provide an estimate of the error rate; notesstresses with great concern that the Court’s audit results show that the expenditure is affected by eligibility and procurement issues and that it is a high-risk area (11 out of 23 transactions audited, i.e. 48 %, were affected by errors); notes that the Court quantified nine errors which had an impact on the amounts charged to the Union budget and that it also found four cases of non-compliance with legal and financial provisions, which had no impact on the Union budget; notes that the Commission concludes that the risk at payment is below 2% for the expenditure on migration and border management, as well as for security and defence;
Amendment 231 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 117 – point i a (new)
Paragraph 117 – point i a (new)
(i a) focus its controls on expenditure found by the Court to be highly affected by eligibility and procurement issues in 2022 and asks the Court to expand a sample of audited transactions to be able to provide an estimate of the error rate;
Amendment 233 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 119
Paragraph 119
119. Notes that the Court examined a sample of 72 transactions which is not representative enough of the spending under this MFF heading and, therefore, cannot provide an estimate of the error rate; notes that the Court’s audit results show that this is a high-risk area (34 out of 72 transactions audited, i.e. 47 %, were affected by errors); notes that the Court found 25 errors that had a financial impact on the Union budget, relating to ineligible costs, absence of supporting documents, public procurement and expenditure not incurred, areas that could point to risks of reliable functioning of the national authorities’ control mechanism or even the administrative or political willingness to properly execute the EU financial rules;
Amendment 235 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 122
Paragraph 122
122. WelcomNotes that the Commission implemented the Court’s recommendations to disclose the limitations of the RER study in DG NEAR’s AARs since 2021, to strengthen checks by identifying and preventing recurrent errors, and for DG NEAR to establish obligations for the RER study contractor to report to the Commission any suspected fraud against the Union budget detected during its work on the RER study;
Amendment 255 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 128 a (new)
Paragraph 128 a (new)
128 a. Notes the Reform Growth Plan for the Western Balkans which was proposed by the Commission to further support convergence efforts in the region; stresses the need for a more clarity on the use of different financial instruments toward the region, primarily among IPA III, Economic and Investment Plan, and the Reform Growth Plan; urges the Commission to provide the sub-national level to have more direct access to EU funds;
Amendment 262 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 130 – point iii a (new)
Paragraph 130 – point iii a (new)
(iii a) ensures the proper, timely and thorough audit, including with the inclusion of the EPPO and European Court of Auditors, of all funds provided under the Ukraine Facility and the upcoming Western Balkans facility;
Amendment 278 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 146
Paragraph 146
146. Recalls that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 abruptly changed the economic and social outlook of the Union and led to a unified effort to launch the recovery package for Europe, consisting of the 2021-2027 MFF and NGEU, of which the cornerstone is the RRF; recalls that the objective of the RRF is to provide Member States with financial support to mitigate the serious economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and make European economies and societies more sustainable, resilient, inclusive and better prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the green and digital transitions; recalls that the RRF is an innovative, temporary instrument based on performance, whichwhere means that payments are linked to the satisfactory fulfilment of milestones and targets (M&Ts) reflecting progress on reforms and investments included in the national recovery and resilience plans (RRPs), which are set in a Council Implementation Decision;
Amendment 280 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 148
Paragraph 148
148. Notes that the REPowerEU Plan was launched in May 2022 to help the Union to reduce its dependency on Russian fossil fuels by saving energy, producing clean energy and diversifying its energy supplies, which is aligned with the green transition; notes that the amendments introduced to Regulation (EU) 2021/241 (‘the RRF Regulation’)11 by Regulation (EU) 2023/435 on REPower EU12 added additional financing and priorities to the RRF; notes that all 27 Member States have submitted modified RRPs to include REPowerEU chapters, but also to request additional loan support, to make adjustments following the update of the maximum financial contribution or to make amendments due to objective circumstances, as enabled by the RRF Regulation; notes that the revision of the RRPs are subject to the same assessment criteria as the original plans, together with specific requirements applicable to the REPowerEU chapters; _________________ 11 OJ L 57, 18.2.2021, p. 17–75 12 OJ L 63, 28.2.2023, p. 1–27
Amendment 282 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 149 a (new)
Paragraph 149 a (new)
149 a. Welcomes the Commission’s estimate that the full implementation of quantifiable milestones and targets up until the end of 2026 funded by NGEU Green Bonds, corresponding to 57% of the NGEU Green Bond eligible expenditure, can reduce GHG emissions by 44 million tonnes of CO2 per annum– equivalent to 1.2% of aggregate 2022 EU GHG emissions - and insists on proper implementation; stresses furthermore the importance that reforms and investments under the Recovery and Resilience Plans meet the climate targets of the regulation and fully respect the “do no significant harm” principle;
Amendment 285 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 151
Paragraph 151
151. Welcomes that the RRF expenditure in 2022 is legal and regular in all material aspects, except for the effects of the quantitative findings in 11 payments and the material error in 6 payments estimated by the Court, which are the basis for its qualified opinion concerning the RRF expenditure; notes that the nature of the RRF spending model relies on the judgeassesments to be made by the Commission and thus, the Court does not provide an error rate but estimates the minimum financial impact of its findings to be below, but close to the materiality threshold;
Amendment 294 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 153
Paragraph 153
153. Notes that the Court considers that a case of double funding occurred in 2022, even though the measure in question does not have any costs attached to it under the RRF; notes the Commission’s observation that, according to the RRF Regulation, ‘double funding’ is explicitly linked to costs and thus, there can be no 'double funding' if the Member State has not submitted any cost estimate as part of its national plan; notes that the Commission underlines that reforms are essential criteria for the Commission's positive assessment of RRPs, but that the inclusion of no-cost reforms does not incre as well ase their financial envelope, although in this way the plans ensure their effective and timely implementationull implementation for the relevant payments;
Amendment 297 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 154
Paragraph 154
154. Notes with concern that the Court also identified several cases of weak design in M&Ts and problems with the reliability of information that Member States included in their management declarations, although the effects of those findings are considered material but not pervasive by the Court; notes that the Commission agrees to review M&Ts provided there is a legal justification to change the elements of a Council Implementing Decision, namely that a Member State submits an amended plan and a legal basis justifies the changes;
Amendment 299 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 155
Paragraph 155
155. NotStresses that, by end 2022, the Commission reported 6 cases of potential irregularities to OLAF, identified during ex-post audits or from open sources in respect of RRF supported actions; notwelcomes that, in 2022, OLAF disseminated a risk framework for the RRF and provided over 50 fraud awareness- training sessions to Commission departments, agencies and other external partners, including Member States’ authorities;
Amendment 303 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 156 a (new)
Paragraph 156 a (new)
156 a. Stresses the fact that the RRF was established as the common EU’s instrument to mitigate the serious economic and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and make European economies and societies more sustainable, resilient, inclusive and better prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the green and digital transitions and its financial means thus can not be understood as Member States’ own budget resources; emphasizes the crucial role of the Court and the Commission in their proactive ex-ante and ex-post controls in making sure the funds are spend effectively with satisfactory fulfillment of M&Ts;
Amendment 304 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 157
Paragraph 157
157. NotUnderlines that the control framework is tailored to the unique nature of the RRF and built upon two types of controls, namely (i) controls by the Commission to provide reasonable assurance over the legality and regularity of commitments and payments, based on the satisfactory achievement of M&Ts as set in the Council Implementing Decisions approving the RRPs, and (ii) controls by the Member States to ensure adequate protection of the financial interests of the Union as provided in Article 22 of the RRF Regulation;
Amendment 318 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 161
Paragraph 161
161. Notes that the Commission reports that the achievement of M&Ts is broadly on track, after the first year of the RRF's functioning was more focused on the necessary reforms to build the framework for subsequent investment projects to have a higher impact; notes with concern that the Commission reports delays compared to the indicative calendar of payments, due to the process of revising the RRPs in the context of the REPowerEU Plan and implementation challenges Member States are facing, such as administrative capacity issues, investment bottlenecks, and consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, including the energy crisis, unexpected price shocks, shortages of certain materials and high inflation; notes that the Commission is supporting all Member States in accelerating the implementation and revision of their plans, including through the Technical Support Instrument; is concerned that according to the Commission’s RRF 2023 implementation report, 8 Member States have not yet submitted any payment request to the Commission;
Amendment 322 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 161 a (new)
Paragraph 161 a (new)
161 a. Notes that the Commission is supporting all Member States in accelerating the implementation and revision of their plans, including through the Technical Support Instrument; is concerned that according to the Commission’s RRF 2023 implementation report, 8 Member States have not yet submitted any payment request to the Commission;
Amendment 323 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 161 b (new)
Paragraph 161 b (new)
161 b. Stresses the importance of proactive supporting role of the Commission to the Member States towards the ending of the RRF instrument period to best avoid the delays and under- implementation problem, so evidently observed towards the end of MFF period; calls for speedy implementation of recovery and resilience plans, including an evaluation by the Commission regarding the implementation process, barriers and results; is concerned that under-implementation, unless swiftly mitigated, will result in a payment crisis, i.e. a mismatch of payment needs and available space under the MFF payment ceiling in 2026 and 2027;
Amendment 326 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 161 c (new)
Paragraph 161 c (new)
161 c. Is of the opinion that both the Member States and the Commission missed the opportunity to better tailor and align the investments and reforms to the EU policy goals, in particular pertaining to the just and green transition, especially in terms of choosing most impactful investments; regrets in that regard the approval of certain activities financed through the RRF fund included in the green and digital spending components of the Plan do not in reality contribute to more sustainable and green economic transition;
Amendment 346 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 168
Paragraph 168
168. Notes that, following an explicit demand of the Parliament, the amended RRF Regulation requires Member States to publish information on the 100 final recipients receiving the highest amount of funding under the RRF; notes that all Member States but one have published the required list on the RRF Scoreboard and observes a large variety of the size of the payments both across the Member States and within each country, which is explained by the heterogeneous nature of RRPs; reiterates its demand that the list of final recipients provides the factual natural person or an entity that is the last in a chain of money transfers;
Amendment 362 #
2023/2129(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171 – point iii a (new)
Paragraph 171 – point iii a (new)
(iii a) pay special attention and on-going dialogue with the Member States so that reforms and investments under the Recovery and Resilience Plans meet the climate targets of the regulation and fully respect the “do no significant harm” principle;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
– having regard to the EU Gender Action Plan III 2021-2025,
Amendment 3 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 b (new)
Citation 16 b (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 23 October 2020 on Gender Equality in EU’s foreign and security policy1a, _________________ 1a OJ C 404, 6.10.2021, p. 202.
Amendment 6 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas since the adoption of the EU strategy on Central Asia in 2019, the region has been affected by significant external factors, such as Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, and China’s global ambitions, as well as by internal instability, particularly the violent unrest in Kazakhstan in January 2022, violent crackdowns following protests of Pamiris in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast of Tajikistan in November 2021 and May 2022 and in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan, in July 2022, and repeated clashes on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border;
Amendment 9 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Amendment 11 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas none of the Central Asian states supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine and do not recognise Ukrainian regions annexed by Russia as parts of the Russian Federation;
Amendment 12 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas Russian officials and propagandists continue to use aggressive rhetoric against some Central Asian countries, in particular against Kazakhstan, questioning its territorial integrity and national identity;
Amendment 13 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. whereas overall democracy in Central Asia is in decline; whereas all five Central Asian states are considered “not free” by Freedom House’s 2023 Freedom in the World report;
Amendment 14 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B e (new)
Recital B e (new)
Be. whereas all five Central Asian countries ratified the Paris Agreement; whereas they are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of climate change; whereas glaciers in Central Asia continue to shrink rapidly, exacerbating one of the most severe water crises on Earth and exposing the vulnerable population of the area to disastrous health, ecological, and social problems; whereas frequent water conflicts and political instability have limited unified planning and efficient allocation of transboundary rivers, leading to the ineffective exploitation and utilisation of water resources in the region;
Amendment 15 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B f (new)
Recital B f (new)
Bf. whereas the geopolitical shifts in the wider region pose opportunities for more meaningful regional cooperation; whereas such regional cooperation has proven impactful in the context of water diplomacy and resolving border disputes and will be even more crucial to address the growing transboundary threats posed by climate change;
Amendment 35 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that the EU and Central Asia are facing profound global and regional geopolitical shifts and are both experiencing the growing impact of the climate crisis, which provide significant impetus for them to engage in stronger mutually beneficial cooperation; encourages the EU, guided by the European Green Deal, to intensify its engagement with Central Asia, given the geostrategic importance of the region; welcomes the increased high-level contact between the EU and Central Asia, in particular the meetings between the Central Asian heads of state and the President of the European Council, and the work of the EU Special Representative for Central Asia; welcomes the intention to adopt a joint EU-Central Asia roadmap to advance dialogue and cooperation in specific areas; encourages the EU to continue promoting political and economic reforms that strengthen the rule of law, democracy, good governance and respect for human rights;
Amendment 46 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has weakened itRussia's standing in the region and has encouraged Central Asia to pursue cooperation with other actors, and that these actors have stepped up their cooperation with Central Asia; underlines that the EU should use this window of opportunity to foster mutually beneficial cooperation;
Amendment 53 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recognises that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its implications present both challenges and opportunities for the Central Asian states, which have traditionally maintained close relations with Russia; expresses deep concern about Central Asian states’ circumvention of EU sanctions against Russia, which are intended to stop the war in Ukraine; calls on the authorities of the Central Asian states, particularly Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, to cooperate closely with the EU, in particular its Sanctions Envoy; notes the role Member States play themselves in ensuring that export goods that will likely still make their way to Russia via Central Asia undergo the appropriate preventative controls;
Amendment 66 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Notes that the EPCAs with the Central Asian countries, negotiated to date, put strong emphasis on respect for democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law, and stresses the importance of mainstreaming such issues in all interactions with the Central Asian governments;
Amendment 70 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines the great potential of mutually beneficial cooperation, guided by the European Green Deal, on sustainable development, connectivity, energy, critical raw materials and security, with Central Asia being a key region for connectivity between East and West; stresses that in order to make the Global Gateway a success, the EU must back up its ambitious plans with deeds and mobilise funds; underlines the importance of developing the Trans-Caspian Corridor as an alternative and sustainable connection between Asia and Europe and of working on attracting investment and eliminating the bottlenecks identified in the study conducted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development;
Amendment 72 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Welcomes the 2022 launch of the Sustainable Energy Connectivity in Central Asia (SECCA) project and looks forward to its positive impact on strengthening national policies of transition to a sustainable energy system, and increasing investment, capacity and awareness in renewable energy and energy efficiency in the region; further welcomes that the SECCA project will mainstream gender by supporting gender- inclusive policies and legislation both for energy efficiency and renewable energy and promoting the role of women in the sector;
Amendment 75 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes the Central Asian states’ long-standing close, with the exception of Tajikistan, long-standing approach of maintaining relations with Afghanistan and their evolving pragmatic engagement with the Taliban, which they nevertheless do not recognise, since the takeover in 2021; underlines that the Central Asian states play a key role in ensuring stability in Afghanistan through the provision of humanitarian aid, electricity, trade opportunities and joint connectivity projects; encourages the EU Special Envoy for Afghanistan to continue cooperating closely with counterparts in the Central Asian states as part of the EU- Central Asia dialogue on Afghanistan; recognises that Central Asia is a crucial area for containing religious extremism, terrorism and drug trafficking networks and faces increased migratory pressure due to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan; reiterates it outrage with the Taliban’s treatment of women as less than secondary citizens and calls on the EEAS and the EU Special Envoy for Afghanistan to cooperate with Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan on assisting women who try to flee Afghanistan;
Amendment 77 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Highlights the EU’s role as an important donor of aid to the region; underlines the importance of taking a united approach as Team Europe, as this makes it possible to create synergies and maximise the impact of the action taken and showcases the benefits of multilateral cooperation; stresses the need to ensure the visibility of EU assistance and investment; recognises the importance of linking EU assistance schemes targeted at the countries of the region to concrete benchmarks for progress on democratic reforms, human rights protection, rule of law and sustainable development; stresses the importance of coordinated cooperation with other partners and international organisations to enable synergies and avoid duplication;
Amendment 81 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that climate change, a growing population and economic needs are putting increasing strain on water resources in Central Asia; stresses the need for closer regional cooperation on this matter between upstream and downstream countries in order to prevent conflicts over the distribution and use of water resources; welcomes regional platforms, such as the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, which encourage dialogue and cooperation between Central Asian states; recalls that the EU-Central Asia environmental dialogue was established in order to support the stabilisation of the Aral Sea and foster better management of water resources; highlights that reconciling conflicts, including concerning water distribution, is crucial for achieving long- term regional stability and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals; welcomes the settlement of the border delimitation issue between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan in January 2023;
Amendment 88 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Urges the Central Asian states to adhere to their democracy and human rights obligations, noting that this is also in line with the Partnership and Cooperation Agreements and the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus; underlinstresses the importance of maintaining regular human rights dialogues with the Central Asian states, as these dialogues are an instrument to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and a forum to raise issues of concern; calls on the EU delegations and the Member States’ representations in Central Asia to continue playing an active role in monitoring the situation on the ground, working with human rights defenders and reacting to human rights violations and politically- motivated persecution, including by attending trials and visiting political prisoners;
Amendment 89 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Is concerned about the lack of accountability for serious human rights violations on a large scale, including when the authorities employed harsh measures to end mass protests and ensuing unrest during the so-called ‘Bloody January’ events in Kazakhstan, in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) in Tajikistan and in the Republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan; calls on the authorities in all five Central Asian countries to take effective measures to launch independent and thorough investigations into all allegations of torture and ill-treatment and other serious human rights violations;
Amendment 92 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Underlines the fundamental democratic shortcomings in Central Asia, which still persistith respect to democratic governance, the rule of law and human rights protection, which persist in the Central Asian countries and have worsened in several respects in the recent period, and highlights the important role that civil society can play in supporting and advancing democratic reforms and, good governance in the region, and human rights protection in Central Asia; regrets the restrictive approach taken in legislative initiatives on non-governmental organisations and the media, which reduce the space for civil society activities; calls on the Central Asian states to take meaningful steps to address these shortcomings and ensure compliance with their international obligations with respect to democratic governance and human rights protection, noting that they have committed to do so under the Partnership and Cooperation Agreements with the EU, the negotiated EPCAs and the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus; notes that the Central Asian states have young and dynamic populations that should be given opportunities to get meaningfully involved in shaping their countries’ future; welcomes the activities of the EU-Central Asia Civil Society Forum and calls on the EU to enhance its support to civil society;
Amendment 99 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes the need to boost Central Asia’s resilience against disinformation by promoting independent media and content in local languages, increasing media literacy and organising targeted courses for local journalists; is concerned about the increasing number of arrests of journalists and bloggers and about threats to close independent media outlets as authorities use criminal prosecution as a tool to intimidate and silence critical voices; insists that respect for the rights of journalists, independent bloggers and human rights defenders must be ensured, that they must be guaranteed protection against harassment, pressure and threats and that any attacks against them must be investigated; condemns the number of recent government initiatives to shut down independent media services and block access to their sites in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as the draft media legislation currently under consideration in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan that threaten to result in increased state control over media operations;
Amendment 105 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Regrets that Central Asian authorities have exploited the fight against disinformation to restrict the legitimate exercise of freedom of expression, including by accusing those who speak out on corruption, injustice and government abuse of allegedly spreading “false’’ information, inciting “discord’’ and promoting “extremism’’; emphasises the importance of ensuring unhindered access to independent sources of information on the internet;
Amendment 107 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Is concerned that gender-based violence, discrimination and harassment of minorities and LGTBIQ people are still widespread in Central Asia and urges the Central Asian governments to prevent these human rights violations through appropriate laws and measures; expresses concern that criminalisation of LGBTI people remains in place, basic anti- discrimination legislation is lacking in most countries, corrective rape is used against lesbians and there is a lack of safe spaces for LGBTI people to gather, with raids on bars and social spaces ongoing, and police brutality rife; calls, in particular, on Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to decriminalise consensual sexual relations between men;
Amendment 111 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Stresses that conservative tendencies and nationalist-patriotic rhetoric in the region impinges on women’s rights, even though gender equality is supposedly protected by law in all countries; welcomes some noteworthy improvements on women’s rights in Uzbekistan, where a big step was taken in modernising legislation on domestic violence; reiterates, in the context of the EU’s strategy towards Central Asia, its call on European External Action Service (EEAS), the Commission and the EU agencies to systematically integrate gender mainstreaming into the EU’s foreign and security policy, to systematically support sexual and reproductive health and rights, and take into account the multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) experienced by marginalised individuals and groups; stresses that any EU strategy towards Central Asia must be in line with the EU’s Gender Action Plan III 2021-2025;
Amendment 114 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines that the EU should capitalise on its positive image in Central Asia by engaging in more cultural and public diplomacy; advocates fostering people-to-people contact and mobility, offering opportunities in education and science through the Erasmus+ and Horizon 2020 programmes and increasing sustainable tourism;
Amendment 117 #
2023/2106(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Stresses that the EU should ensure that the promotion of human rights, democratic values, gender equality, free media, and the green transition is mainstreamed into all aspects of its relations with the countries of Central Asia;
Amendment 6 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the EIB is treaty-bound to contribute to EU integration, economic and social cohesion and regional development, balanced and steady development of the internal market, to address inequalities by providing better conditions to access to jobs and education opportunities, to public infrastructures and services, and to a healthy and sustainable environment;
Amendment 7 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the EIB works closely with other EU institutions, with national promotional banks and development finance institutions, in coordination with the European External Action Service and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, to achieve its targets and to support EU policies in more than 140 countries worldwide, through dedicated investment instruments such as loans, equities, guarantees, risk-sharing facilities and advisory services;
Amendment 11 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the EIB is the largest multilateral lender in the EU Neighbourhood regions, and it runs its operations outside the European Union through its branch EIB Global and relying on a network of nearly 30 external offices located in Africa, Latin America and Asia;
Amendment 12 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. whereas the EIB has deployed a significant effort to offer additional support during the pandemic outbreak, establishing the new Pan-European Guarantee Fund to provide capital for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);
Amendment 13 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
Dc. whereas the gap in productive investment of 1.5 to 2 percentage points of GDP opened between Europe and the United States after the global financial crisis, and still persists, mainly driven by greater US investment in machinery and equipment and innovation, particularly in information and communication technology equipment (in the service sector) and intellectual property (in the public and defence sectors) and the EIB is expected to contribute to the reduction of such gap;
Amendment 14 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D d (new)
Recital D d (new)
Dd. whereas the energy crisis that is following the pandemic outbreak and the situation in the international scenario requires the timely launching of a focused set of actions to increase investments, to shield economies from the potentially negative effects of the monetary tightening;
Amendment 15 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D e (new)
Recital D e (new)
De. whereas political instability, security concerns and migration may further increase these challenges and an ambitious EU response is warranted and should be backed by appropriate financial resources and instruments;
Amendment 16 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D f (new)
Recital D f (new)
Amendment 20 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Welcomes the Bank’s advisory role, in particular in regions that combine carbon-intensive production with socioeconomic fragility and to support adaptation actions explicitly addressing the needs of population groups most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change;
Amendment 21 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Understands that over 2021-2027, InvestEU’s EUR 26.2 billion guarantee, with provisioning from the MFF and Next Generation EU, is expected to mobilise more than EUR 372 billion in additional private and public investment in Europe, mainly for sustainable infrastructure, research innovation and digitalisation, SMEs and social investment and skills;
Amendment 22 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Welcomes the introduction, since the adoption of the Group Operational Plan 2022-2024, of new value-added performance indicators for new approvals, following the start of the additionality and impact measurement (AIM) framework in 2021; understands that the EIF’s operations are not considered under the AIM framework, but additionality requirements apply to EIF- managed mandates, including InvestEU, and EIF guarantee products;
Amendment 23 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Appreciates the work carried out by the EIB Group’s Evaluation function (IG/EV) that promotes accountability through evidence-based assessments of the Group’s performance and results and contributes to knowledge sharing, informing EIB Group decisions on policies, strategies, products, projects and organisational matters, and improving performance; notes the evaluations on equity and semi-equity and on debt support, pointing out that it addresses relevant market gaps and makes a significant contribution in terms of volumes, market development and best practices; underlines that the provision of stable and predictable funding all along the economic cycle has a stabilising effect on the market, including in times of crisis;
Amendment 27 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Calls on the EIB to increase financing to boost the technological transition, provide funds for long-term research and innovation to SMEs, support the development of skills adapted to real labour market needs, promote investment in the digital skills of employees and entrepreneurs, digital infrastructure and capacity-building for digitalisation;
Amendment 30 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Is aware that, in promoting social inclusion and development, equal opportunities and fair working conditions, the Group supports the relevant EU social policies and the European Pillar of Social Rights; notes that almost half of EIB lending in the European Union (46%) was signed for projects in cohesion regions, underlying the Bank’s support for equitable growth and convergence across the European Union;
Amendment 33 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Encourages the EIB to support digital transformation, to uphold strategic autonomy in the digital field, and digital infrastructure projects, to be integrated into standards and protocols that support network security and resilience, interoperability, and an open, plural and secure internet;
Amendment 34 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Welcomes the Bank’s decision to start tracking, as per 2023, the key performance indicator for lending to less- developed regions, with a target of 21% in 2023, aiming to 23% of total EU financing by 2025;
Amendment 35 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Notes that the EIB Group’s contribution to the EU’s Just Transition Mechanism provides an important bridge between the Group’s two key cross-cutting policy objectives of climate action and cohesion;
Amendment 40 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Amendment 42 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Acknowledges that targeting and implementing transformative investments via funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility requires improvement of technical and administrative capacity; observes that operational analysis identified fragmentation of markets along national borders and fragmented regulation, weak capacity of public sector promoters and national budget constraints as major issues holding back investment projects; calls on the EIB Group to support the enhancement of administrative capacity by drawing on its operational experience;
Amendment 43 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. Calls on the EIB Group to contribute to provide clarity and preserve incentives to advance Europe’s transformation, to enhance the catalytic effect of public investment to crowd-in investment by the private sector, to facilitate access to risk-absorbing financial instruments to help shield strategic investment by the private sector, to reduce unnecessary administrative barriers and address lack of technical skills, particularly for firms and municipalities in cohesion regions, and particularly for more complex green and digital objectives;
Amendment 46 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Is concerned that although investments to limit climate change are increasing, they are still well below what is needed to meet Europe’s target of net-zero emissions by 2050; observes that, according to EIB analyses, even if EU climate investment has rebounded after dipping during the pandemic, the investment level needs to step up considerably for the Union to meet its goals and that EUR 356 billion more a year than from 2010-2020 are required to reach the investment of EUR 1 trillion for reducing greenhouse gas emissions of 55% by 2030;
Amendment 47 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Notes that green financing from the EIB increased to EUR 36.5 billion (58 % of the total) exceeding the target of channelling at least 50 % of total financing to climate action and environmental sustainability well ahead of 2025; observes that EIB has already backed EUR 222 billion in investment over the past two years and encourages the EIB Group to further engage towards its objective of supporting EUR 1 trillion in green financing in this decade;
Amendment 48 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Regrets the diminished Union’s strength in the green technology area, where European Union has, so far, set its leadership; believes that the Union needs increasing its investments in more cutting-edge innovation technologies, such as hydrogen technologies, and enhancing its efforts in the fields of sustainable mobility, smart grids, wind and solar power and energy storage;
Amendment 52 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Is aware that the ability of European economies to absorb new shocks is complicated by the fiscal legacy of the pandemic; acknowledges that the strong fiscal policy adopted in response to the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 has shielded households and business from an extensive loss of income, and that such measures protected the productive capacity of the economy in a way that enabled it to rebound rapidly once COVID-19 restrictions were lifted; points out that the above fiscal support reallocated a large share of net wealth from the public to the private sector, increasing public debt and private savings, and that, following such actions, the governments have less room for any fiscal manoeuver to soften the impact of high energy prices on households and firms;
Amendment 53 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Notes that over the past decade, the EIB Group has channelled more than EUR 100 bilion into the European Union’s energy sector, investing in energy efficiency, renewables, grids and storage; observes that support is now provided to help Member States in the crisis triggered by the abrupt cut in Russian gas supplies;
Amendment 54 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Welcomes the package of targeted financing approved by the EIB’s Board of Directors on 26 October 2022, expected to mobilise up to EUR 115 billion of new investment by 2027, thus making a substantial contribution to the REPowerEU objective of ending dependency on Russian fossil fuels on the top of the EIB support for the energy sector in the European Union, averaging around EUR 10 billion of financing per year over the past decade;
Amendment 56 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Appreciates the EIB’s announcement at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt (6-18 November 2022) that the Group will support the European Commission REPowerEU Plan with an additional EUR 30 billion in loans and equity financing over the next five years, mainly directed to renewables, energy efficiency, grids and storage, electric-vehicle charging infrastructure, and breakthrough technologies, such as low-carbon hydrogen;
Amendment 59 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Remarks that EIF financing programme for next years increases the volume of resources, from EUR 9.2 bilion in 2022, to EUR 13.0 bilion and EUR 13.5 bilion respectively in 2023 and 2024; understands that EIF plans to use the full capacity of the frontloaded InvestEU mandate in 2022 and 2023 by approving by end of 2023, and signing by end of 2024, 60% of the InvestEU budget supported by NextGenerationEU;
Amendment 60 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Observes that, in the course of 2022, 30% of EIF financial support targeted sustainability and the green transformation and, in line with the EIB Group Climate Bank Roadmap ambition, 21% - around EUR 2 bilion - was channelled in pursuit of the horizontal objectives of climate action and environmental sustainability; underlines that EIF has backed innovative enterprises in agritech, blue economy, circularity and sustainable mobility as well as traditional businesses and individuals for financing their climate investments;
Amendment 61 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26c. Points out that, in 2022, the EIF funded small businesses and green projects with over EUR 9 bilion, aiming to mobilise some EUR 97 bilion in investments supporting climate neutrality, the digital transition of EU industries and the competitiveness of entrepreneurs in the European Union;
Amendment 62 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 d (new)
Paragraph 26 d (new)
26d. Remarks that EIF kept its focus on the horizontal cohesion objective as well, mainly through joint investment programmes in connection with the EIF- National Promotion Institutions (NPI) Equity platform and benefitting with 39% of EIF financing entities in cohesion regions of the EU;
Amendment 65 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Welcomes the start of operational activity on 1 January 2022 of EIB Global, established following the decision of the EIB Board of Directors in September 2021 and entrusted with all the EIB’s activities in the enlargement region, the countries of the EU’s Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific; understands that EIB Global is intended to be the main financing arm of Team Europe, operating beyond the EU, combining the firepower of the EIB, EU Member States and other investment institutions working in concert with the EU; welcomes in that regard the opening of the EIB offices in Pretoria, Kyiv and Belgrade which will further contribute to the EIB Global’s goals; believes that it will give a key contribution to the goals of strengthening EU strategic autonomy and enhancing multilateral cooperation;
Amendment 66 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Encourages the EIB Global to pursue stronger local presence, adapting products and business models to local needs, and closer cooperation with partner institutions, to enhance the EU’s development impact in Team Europe under the mandates of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe;
Amendment 68 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Praises the EIB’s rapid action to support Ukraine immediately after the outbreak of the warRussian war of aggression by disbursing EUR 1.7 billion in funds in 2022 under very difficult circumstances; notes that EUR 540 million remains to be disbursed as concrete projects on the ground progress; encourages the EIB to ensure its contribution through the EU for Ukraine Initiative to keep Ukraine’s economy afloat, to support the country’s reconstruction effort, in line with the mandate received on 15 December 2022 from the European Council;
Amendment 69 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Urges the EIB to ensure the strict conditionality linked to the financial assistance to Ukraine, including clear and comprehensive oversight over the spending of EU funds aimed for reconstruction and humanitarian aid; recalls in that respect the need for a systematic EU approach to ensure the better coordination of funds disbursement and enhanced monitoring over the funds spending;
Amendment 70 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Is aware that, under the Decree of the President of Ukraine No 64/2022, as of 24 February 2022 the military administrations are responsible for exercising the powers of the relevant local state administrations, as well as in de- occupied territories, resolving issues related to the preparation, approval, amendment and implementation of the local budget, management of property under communal ownership of the respective territorial community and, for short periods, adopting decisions on land development and the use of natural resources of local importance; believes that, in the current situation, the national management and audit authorities have limited resources and powers to ensure the standard level of transparency and adequate control over the financial resources deployed; urges the EIB to ensure participation of local people and democratically elected representatives of local self-government and to increase its oversight of implementing activities and pursue a strong monitoring role over the resources allocated in order to prevent the resources from being misappropriated or misused; calls on the EIB to establish its’ own monitoring and audit teams in Ukraine which would ensure the accuracy of auditing data related to all EU funded projects;
Amendment 71 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Calls on the EIB that funds from the EU for Ukraine Initiative are coordinated both with the European Commission, the World Bank and others within the G7 Donor Coordination Platform for Ukraine as well as the Ukrainian regional and municipal authorities to ensure that we have a collaborative approach to meeting Ukraine’s urgent needs;
Amendment 73 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Warmly welcomes the EIB’s efforts and engagement in the Western Balkan countries which invested EUR 835.2 million in 2022 through the EIB Global, thus contributing to the EU’s Economic and Investment Plan for the region; notes the fact that more than 80% of the signed investments in 2022 went to environmentally sustainable projects; welcomes that since 2020 EIB’s investments in the region supporting the sustainable green and digital transition of local economies total EUR 2.5 billion; encourages the EIB Global to continue to provide access to finance at favourable terms for Western Balkans’ businesses investing in accelerating digital transformation and digital infrastructure, extension of the 5G telecommunications networks, sustainable urban development, speeding the energy transition and ensuring energy efficiency and renewable energy projects as well as climate-neutral projects; welcomes the launch of “WB EDIF Guarantee Facility for SME Resilience” to provide access to finance at favourable terms for some 4 000 small businesses in the region;
Amendment 75 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Remarks that in 2022 the EIB maintained its efforts to support actions to counter the pandemic; underlines that, in 2022, the EIB provided EUR 5.1 billion for health and life sciences projects that will benefit around 980 million people worldwide; appreciates that EIB has supported the global vaccine initiative COVAX, the international facility to ensure fair and universal access to COVID-19 vaccines, up to March 2022, with a total of EUR 900 million and, in April 2022, the EIB pledged an additional EUR 1 billion to support COVAX;
Amendment 76 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Remarks that the EIB Group has proven its flexibility when providing financial solutions for crisis situations and ability to act in a complementary manner to the large-scale, longer-term EU response to the pandemic crisis through Next Generation EU and national support for public investment;
Amendment 77 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34a. Appreciates that the Procurement Complaints Committe (PCC), the Inspectorate General Investigations Division (IG/IN) and the Complaints Mechanism (IG/CM) hold complementary roles within the Inspectorate General, which facilitate cooperation and communication to cover all the possible allegations of prohibited conduct and procurement-related or non-procurement- related complaints;
Amendment 78 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 b (new)
Paragraph 34 b (new)
34b. Shares the view of the EIB Audit Committee (AC) calling for enhanced monitoring, management and oversight of operational and technology risks, including cyber risks and other non- financial risks;
Amendment 88 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Is concerned by the failings of EIF’s first and second lines of defence reported to the EIB Audit Committee by Internal Audit reports in December 2021 and January 2022; reiterates its calls on the EIB to adopt appropriate remedial actions and tonotes that Internal Audit provided in 2022 an overall positive opinion on the design, implementation and operating effectiveness of the EIF Internal Control Framework, which is material to ensuring mitigation of risks at acceptable level; welcomes the actions undertaken by EIF Risk Management and Compliance, following EP last year's recommendations referred to the remarks by EIB Internal Audit reports issued in 2021 and 2022; appreciates the major efforts made and the outcome of the action plan achieved via strong cooperation between EIF and EIB and stronger oversight role by Executive Management and the Group Chief Risk Officer; draws the attention of the EIF on the importance of keeping appropriate ratio of resources allocated to risk management compared to resources allocated to business; stresses the importance of the establishment of a robust EIF wide three lines model, and the update of the Risk Control Matrix, with a view to consolidating risk culture and setting clear lines of accountability; reiterates its calls on the EIB to adopt appropriate remedial actions and to timely inform the European Parliament about such activities;
Amendment 91 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 a (new)
Paragraph 40 a (new)
40a. Reiterates its call on the Bank to bridge the gap in salaries between the administrative and professional categories of staff; points out that the current situation and raising costs of living in Luxembourg put a significant pressure on the administrative staff and in the long can negatively impact the staff well-being and EIB’s competitiveness in attracting the best qualified staff;
Amendment 92 #
2023/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 b (new)
Paragraph 40 b (new)
40b. Expresses concern about reports of non-transparent internal appointment procedures among managerial staff in the head-quarters and external offices; calls on the Bank to ensure all recruitment and internal mobility procedures are executed with observance to the highest transparency and ethics standards;
Amendment 8 #
2023/2042(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Acknowledges the fact that numerous education stakeholders in Europe are calling for Switzerland to be associated to Erasmus+; notes that many stakeholders in Switzerland, including students and youth organisations, are also making corresponding demands on their government to engage in constructive negotiations with the EU in this regard; underlines the educational benefits of such an association for the education system as a whole in Switzerland and the European Union;
Amendment 11 #
2023/2042(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 4 – subparagraph 1 (new)
believes that benefits would go beyond education and that a full association of Switzerland to the Erasmus+ programme could lead to positive effects for the European research landscape as well as labour markets;
Amendment 23 #
2023/2042(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that the participation of teachers and young people in EU programmes for all levels of education, training, youth and sport enables a strong and sustainable understanding between Switzerland and the EU;
Amendment 25 #
2023/2042(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Believes that the EU and Switzerland should stand united to pursue, promote and protect European values, including democracy, academic freedom and the right to education; believes that joint European education programmes such as Erasmus+ contribute to bringing societies closer together.
Amendment 18 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
– having regard to ILO Decision GB.347/INS/14(Rev.1) of 20 March 2023,
Amendment 19 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 b (new)
Citation 10 b (new)
– having regard to report A/HRC/52/68: Belarus in the rune-up to the 2020 presidential election and in its aftermath by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human rights of 17 March 2023,
Amendment 21 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas almost three years after the so-calledfraudulent elections on 9 August 2020, the Belarusian authorities are continuing their repression against the Belarusian people, including vulnerable and marginalised individuals; whereas more than 50 000 Belarusians have been illegally arrested and many of them tortured, more than 1 500 persons remain imprisoned on political grounds and around 300 000 have fleftd the country for fear of a similar fate; whereas in 2022 Lukashenka’s regime made at least 1,200 political convictions on criminal charges, 215 printed media outlets were shut, and since 2020 more than 1,000 NGOs have been liquidated1a; _________________ 1a Political prisoners in Belarus: UK statement to the OSCE - 27 January 2023
Amendment 36 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the Belarusian authorities failed to conduct effective investigations into the widespread allegations of torture and other ill-treatment of peaceful protesters by law enforcement officers in August 2020 following the manipulated presidential vote;
Amendment 39 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the Lukashenka regime is dangerously undermining the sovereignty of Belarus by deepening Belarus’ integration into the Union State with Russia; whereas Lukashenka has suggested a Union State pact between Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan to share nuclear weapons;
Amendment 57 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas scores of Belarusian citizens have been prosecuted for expressing support to Ukraine, criticising the government for supporting Russia’s aggression or reporting on the movements of Russian troops and military equipment within Belarus;
Amendment 64 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the Lukashenka regime poses a direct threat to the EU and its citizens by continuing to instrumentalise migration, accepting the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on its territory and refusing to implement nuclear safety requirements at the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Astravyets;
Amendment 68 #
2023/2041(INI)
Ea. whereas the Lukashenka regime continues to force migrants from third countries across its borders with Poland and Lithuania; whereas 43 people have died on the Polish side of the Belarus- Poland border2a, whereas the European Court of Justice ruled in June 2022 that Lithuanian legislation allowing mass detention and preventing asylum requests for irregular arrivals is a violation of EU law; _________________ 2a European Council of Refugees and Exiles - Eastern Borders: Lithuania Legalised Pushbacks Despite Critique, Polish Authorities Blamed for Ongoing Deaths Along its Borders (...) - 28 April 2023
Amendment 69 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Amendment 78 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the Belarusian democratic forces led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya have a well-established andstructure garnering internationally recognised structuretion, including the recent formation of the United Transitional Cabinet and the opening of the Mission of Democratic Belarus in Brussels;
Amendment 88 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas in January 2022 amendments to the Belarusian criminal code entered into force, reintroducing criminal liability for participation in activities of unregistered organisations; whereas currently no human rights organisations are legally operating in the country; whereas in May 2022, after new amendments to the criminal code entered into force, the authorities expanded the application of capital punishment to attempted acts of terrorism, a charge previously used in trials of political activists; whereas in July 2022, Lukashenka signed into law the legislation which allows investigations and trials in absentia under 48 articles of the Criminal Code;
Amendment 91 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
Gb. whereas in October 2022, Belarus withdrew from the First Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as of 8 February 2023, thereby blocking the United Nations Human Rights Committee’s mandate to receive and review human rights complaints from individuals in Belarus, one of the last avenues of redress for persecuted Belarusians; whereas this decision entered into force on 8 February 2023;
Amendment 95 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G c (new)
Recital G c (new)
Gc. whereas in January 2023, the Belarusian regime enacted a law that will strip citizenship from those in exile it accuses of so-called “extremist-related” crimes – a list that now includes more than 2,000 individuals;
Amendment 97 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G d (new)
Recital G d (new)
Gd. whereas attacks on some ethnic minorities, including Poles and Lithuanians, have escalated; whereas the Belarusian authorities also targets schools and publishing houses teaching or publishing in Belarusian, despite its status as an official language, regarding it as a language of the political opposition;
Amendment 98 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G e (new)
Recital G e (new)
Ge. whereas LGBTI individuals in Belarus face further systemic discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression and sex characteristics; whereas on 29 December, the Chairwoman of the Council of the Republic of Belarus announced that Belarus might introduce an LGBTI ‘propaganda’ legislation similar to that in Russia;
Amendment 100 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G f (new)
Recital G f (new)
Amendment 101 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G g (new)
Recital G g (new)
Gg. whereas Belarus has failed to abide by key findings of a 2004 ILO Commission of Inquiry, and the Lukashenka regime has continued the persecution of trade unionists;
Amendment 102 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G h (new)
Recital G h (new)
Gh. whereas the Belarusian authorities often resort to surveillance, online censorship, and disinformation, deploying technologies to control the population; whereas such a repressive practice represents another step towards digital authoritarianism and suppression of digital rights of persons in Belarus, resulting in escalating intimidation of citizens and shrinking of civic space;
Amendment 103 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G i (new)
Recital G i (new)
Gi. whereas Belarus remains the only country in Europe and Central Asia to impose and carry out the death penalty;
Amendment 109 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Condemns in the strongest terms the unabated repression and the systematic and widespread human rights violations committed by the Lukashenka regime, including manifold cases of mistreatment and torture of political prisoners, journalists and human rights defenders; continues to stand in solidarity with the brave people of Belarus who stand up for a sovereign, free and democratic Belarus, risking their freedom and lives;
Amendment 111 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Urges the Belarusian regime to end this spiral of violence, torture and repression against dissenting voices and perceived critics, to release immediately and unconditionally all political prisoners and all persons arbitrarily detained, and to engage in a genuine dialogue with representatives of the democratic forces and civil society in order to find a way out of the current political crisis through the organisation of free and fair elections to be organised under international observation led by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and underpinned by independent and free media and a strong civil society;
Amendment 134 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Condemns the practice of “chain arrests”, or unjustified extensions of pre- trial detention for minor offences or trumped-up “extremism” charges, especially used against human rights defenders; deplores the conditions of pre- trial detention, including denial of medical treatment and basic hygiene products, in addition to widespread and well-documented instances of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment like fake executions;
Amendment 140 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Denounces politically motivated ‘show trials’ aimed at instilling fear in representatives and supporters of the democratic forces, civil society, independent media, free trade unions and human rights defenders, and in particular the recent sentencing to long prison terms of Nobel Peace Prize and Sakharov Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, Valiantsin Stefanovich, Zmitser Salauyou, Uladzimir Labkovich, Raman Pratasevich, Henadz Fiadynich, Vasil Berasneu and Vatslau Areshka,, Viktar Babaryka, Vatslau Areshka and Maryna Zolatava, Ludmila Chekina, Stsiapan Putsila and Yan Rudzik, the latter two on spurious charges of ‘conspiracy to seize power’ or ‘forming extremist organisations’; as well as the sentencing in absentia of leading figures of the democratic forces such as Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Pavel Latushka, Maryia Maroz, Volha Kavalkova, Siarhei Dyleuski, Valery Tsapkala, Stsiapan Putsila and Yan Rudzik on spurious charges of ‘conspiracy to seize power’ or ‘forming extremist organisations’;
Amendment 146 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Reiterates its condemnation of the politically-motivated imprisonment of opposition politicians Viktar Babaryka, Maryia Kalesnikava, Maksim Znak, Siarhei Tsikhanouski, and Mikalay Statkevich, as well as journalists Ihar Losik and Katsiaryna Andreyeva, and others; calls for an independent investigation into the death of activist Raman Bandarenka in November 2020 caused by a vicious beating, allegedly by plain clothed police officers or their proxies;
Amendment 154 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Urges Belarusian authorities to immediately commute all death sentences and establish an immediate moratorium on the use of death penalty as the first step towards full and permanent abolition;
Amendment 158 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Calls on the Commission, Member States and the EEAS to cooperate with international partners, such as the OSCE Moscow Mechanism and the UN Human Rights Council, as well as human rights defenders and civil society on the ground to ensure monitoring, documentation and reporting of human rights violations and subsequent accountability and justice for victims; reiterates its support for the International Accountability Platform for Belarus;
Amendment 164 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Reiterates its call for the EU Member States to prepare the ground for the criminal prosecution of Belarusian officials who are responsible for or complicit in electoral fraud and grave human rights violations, under the accepted principles of universal justice; extraterritorial and universal justice; echoes the call from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for all UN Member States to consider working towards accountability in this way; supports further discussions about a possible international tribunal for human rights violations in Belarus to be set up in The Hague; calls on the ICC to initiate pre-trial proceedings against the Belarusian regime in cases of crimes against humanity and war complicity;
Amendment 174 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Condemns in the strongest possible terms the Belarusian regime’s involvement in Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, including the massive provision of ammunition and military hardware to the Russian aggressors and the use of Belarusian territory as a staging ground to launch missile attacks on military and civilian targets in Ukraine; notes that the vast majority of Belarusians disapprove of this multifaceted involvement in Russia’s war of aggression; expresses its full support for the Belarusian activists disturbing railways and other supply lines used by Russian military as well as support for Belarusian volunteers, in particular the ‘Kalinouski’ and ‘Pahonia’ regiments, who are bravely fighting alongside the Ukrainian army to repel the aggressors;
Amendment 184 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for the EU institutions and the Member States to take all the actions necessary to enable the criminal prosecution of Belarusian officials who are complicit in the war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide and the crime of aggression committed in Ukraine; welcomes in this regard the steps taken towards the establishment of an ICC country office in Ukraine;
Amendment 192 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Call for the EU and its Member States to broaden and strengthen the scope of sanctions (‘restrictive measures’) against individuals and legal entities responsible for or complicit in grave human rights violations in Belarus under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Mechanisms (EU Magnitsky Act), including judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, prison and penal colony officials, and agents of the infamous KGB and GUBOPiK; insists that Belarusian potash, which is the main source of the regime’s income, should remain on the list of sanctions; urges the EU and its Member States to increase their capacity to assess the real effect of sanctions in order to ensure their full implementation and to thwart any circumvention schemes, as well as provide adequate support for the work of the International Special Envoy for the Implementation of EU Sanctions to address all loopholes and improve the effective implementation of all sanctions;
Amendment 200 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls on the Council and the HR/VP to also explore further measures, beyond sanctions, and to develop a coherent and comprehensive long-term approach towards Belarus, closely coordinated with like-minded countries and international organisations;
Amendment 209 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes with great concern the rampant economic, political and military integration moving towards an eventual annexation of Belarus intothrough the Union State withby Russia; condemns the announced deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons under Russian command on Belarusian territory; calls for the EU and the Member States to maintain unity in addressing the multifaceted threats posed by the Lukashenka regime to the EU, in particular the continued state-engineered illegal migration crisis at the borders of Belarus with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, and to work in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure nuclear safety at the Belarusian NPP;
Amendment 212 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Strongly condemns the use of migration for political ends by the Belarusian authorities; is concerned about the humanitarian situation along Belarus’ borders with EU Member States; condemns the use of pushbacks by Poland and Lithuania; is deeply concerned that new legislation in Lithuania and legislation in preparation in Latvia legalises pushbacks and does not specify the concrete procedures to be put in place at the borders; calls on these EU Member States to abide by EU law, as upholding basic European norms, international law and respect for the dignity of every human life, especially in the face of challenges, are at the core of the democratic European project we also wish for Belarus;
Amendment 218 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Urges the Belarusian regime to immediately end the persecution, discrimination, and violence against LGBTI individuals and to ensure their full protection and inclusion in society; supports the efforts of LGBTI organisations in Belarus in advocating for legal reforms that ensure equal rights and protection for all individuals;
Amendment 221 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10c. Reiterates its condemnation of the decision by the Lukashenka regime to withdraw Belarus from the Aarhus Convention, an international agreement that implements the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment;
Amendment 225 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 d (new)
Paragraph 10 d (new)
10d. Deplores the lack anti discrimination legislation regarding persons with disabilities in Belarus, as well as the 2021 forced closure of the country’s leading disability rights organisation, the Office for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
Amendment 228 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 e (new)
Paragraph 10 e (new)
10e. Deplores the visit by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijarto on 13 February 2023 to Belarus in an unmistakable show of support to the regime in Minsk that utterly contradicts the policy of the EU both in relation to Belarus, Russia and the war of aggression against Ukraine;
Amendment 231 #
2023/2041(INI)
10f. Condemns the Belarusian regime’s acts of transnational repression against Belarusians abroad as well as Russia’s facilitation and active cooperation;
Amendment 240 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for the EU, its institutions and its Member States to develop a more ambitious and comprehensive strategy in order to support democratic forces, civil society activists, independent trade unions and free media both in and outside Belarus; calls for improved EU communication with the people in Belarus in order to provide them with information and counter disinformation and propaganda by the state-controlled media; urges the EU Member States to coordinate their actions in order to alleviate the difficulties, including due to incorrect application of the sanctions regime, faced by democratic forces and, civil society activists and other Belarusian citizens in exile, for example in the process of obtaining residence permits or opening bank accounts;
Amendment 249 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Reiterates its call for a targeted EU assistance programme to help victims of political repression and police violence, monitoring of the situation and trials of individual political prisoners on the ground, easing visa requirements, as well as improving asylum processes, issuing emergency visas, and improving temporary shelter in EU Member States for those seeking refuge from Belarus;
Amendment 252 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to prepare rules and procedures to deal with cases where human rights defenders and other civil society activists are stripped of their citizenship in Belarus, as well as to provide support to those Belarusians residing in the EU whose identity documents are expiring and who have no means of renewing them, since they cannot return to Belarus;
Amendment 256 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11c. Encourages the Members States to reinforce the mandate and office of UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus and OHCHR Examination on Belarus to receive and process effectively individual complaints from the citizens of Belarus, as they do not have any other international remedy; Expresses support for the call of 13 February 2023 by international and Belarusian civil society organisations on Member and Observer States of the UN Human Rights Council to establish an independent investigative mechanism to complement and follow-up on the work of the existing OHCHR examination and calls for its work to be sufficiently resourced and funded;
Amendment 259 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 d (new)
Paragraph 11 d (new)
11d. Welcomes the March 2023 ILO decision GB.347/INS/14(Rev.1)/Decision “concerning the options for measures under article 33 of the ILO Constitution, as well as other measures, to secure compliance by the Government of Belarus with the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry in respect of Conventions Nos 87 and 98”; calls on all ILO Member States to support the resolution that will form the basis of the decision to be taken at the 111th International Labour Conference in June 2023;
Amendment 263 #
2023/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 e (new)
Paragraph 11 e (new)
11e. Urges the International Olympic Committee and other international sports federations not to allow athletes from Belarus and the Russian Federation, many of whom support or even participate in Russia's unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games;
Amendment 143 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) It is in the common interest of the Union and its Western Balkans partner countries1 to advance the efforts to reform political, legal and economic systems of the latter with a view to their future Union membership. The prospect of Union membership has a powerful transformative effect, embedding positive democratic, political, economic, environmental and societal change. _________________ 1 Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence
Amendment 146 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1 a (new)
Recital 1 a (new)
(1a) Accession to the EU must always be a merit-based procedure and each enlargement country must be assessed on its own merits in fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria, particularly in ensuring full respect for human rights, democracy, the rule of law and respect for and the protection of minorities. While Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has given a new meaning and impetus to enlargement, the path of the Western Balkan countries towards EU membership needs to be firmly anchored in the tangible and concrete progress and reforms undertaken by the accession countries. To guarantee the success of enlargement as an effective EU foreign policy instrument, genuine political will is needed both in the Member States and in the enlargement countries.
Amendment 150 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) There is a need to bring forward some of the advantages of Union membership before accession. Ework towards the adoption and implementation of the EU acquis as soon as possible, as well as bring forward some of the advantages of Union membership before accession. Alongside democratic transition and respect for fundamental rights and values, economic convergence is at the heart of these benefits. Currently, the convergence of Western Balkans in terms of GDP per capita expressed in purchasing power standards remains low at between 30% and 50% of the Union average and is not progressing fast enough.
Amendment 155 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) To reduce this disparity, the European Commission adopted a Communication on a Growth Plan for the Western Balkans based on four pillars: (a) increasing integration with the EU’s Single Market; (b) boosting regional economic integration, based on EU rules and standards, by fully implementing the existing Common Regional Market Action Plan; (c) deepening reforms aiming at accelerating growthsustainable development in the region, promoting economic convergence and strengthening regional stability; and (d) establishing a new Financing Instrument: the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans.
Amendment 157 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The implementation of that Growth Plan requires increased funding under a dedicated new Financing Instrument, the Reform and Growth Facility, to assist the region in implementing the growth- promoting reforms,inclusive and sustainable development promoting reforms contributing to reaching climate neutrality by 2050 the latest and decarbonisation of the economy, as well as to strengthening democracy, the rule of law, including the independence of the judiciary, the protection of human rights, the fight against corruption as well as any kind of nepotism, favouritism, money laundering, tax avoidance, tax evasion, tax fraud and organised crime, and by promoting just and digital transitions boosting the green and digital transition in the region in a socially inclusive way as well as the regional integration and Common Regional Market.
Amendment 160 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4 a (new)
Recital 4 a (new)
(4a) According to the 2020 revised methodology “Enhancing the accession process - A credible EU perspective for the Western Balkans”, progress on the fundamentals determines the overall pace of accession negotiations. To this end, this Facility is based on strict conditionality and access to funding depends on the delivery of tangible results and the implementation of reforms in the area of the fundamentals. Furthermore, to access the funding envisaged in this Facility, the Beneficiaries need to be fully aligned with the EU’s strategic goals, values and interests, including with the EU’s common foreign and security policy.
Amendment 163 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) To achieve these goals, special emphasis with respect to investment areas should be placed on sectors that are likely to function as key multipliers for social and economic development and decarbonisation of economies: connectivity, including sustainable transport, energy, green and digital transitions, education and skills developmentincluding promotion of the highest energy efficiency standards with emphasis on decentralised renewable energy networks, climate neutrality and circular economy including by prioritizing renewables and energy efficiency and the use of materials ethically sourced locally, education and skills development. The Facility and all investments should be fully aligned and respect the EU climate acquis and especially the ‘Do No Significant Harm’ Principle.
Amendment 170 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
(5a) The Facility should comply with the highest climate and environmental standards and the Reform Agendas should be subject to Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment procedures in order to identify and properly mitigate potential negative environmental and social impacts. The right for public access to information for civil society organisations and individuals including the right to access environmental information should be ensured as well as the full compliance with the Aarhus Convention.
Amendment 172 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) TSustainable transport infrastructure is essential to improve connectivity between the Western Balkan partners and with the EU. It should contribute to integrate the region in the Union. In its proposal revising the trans-European transport framework (TEN- T), the Commission included a new Corridor crossing the Western Balkan region (Western-East Mediterranean corridor). The TEN-T network should be the reference for funding transport infrastructure in the region. Priority should be given to environmentally-friendly means of transportation such as railways and decarbonisation of transport.
Amendment 177 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) Union support under the Facility should not replace the bilateral and regional support provided under Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 of the European Parliament and of the Council4 , focussing on preparing the Beneficiaries for Union membership, but complement it and add to it, while using already existing mechanisms and structures where possible and maximising synergies. The approach should build on the existing enlargement methodology, notably the 2020 Revised Methodology5 , and the Economic and Investment Plan6 from the same year. _________________ 4 Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 September 2021 establishing the Instrument for Pre-Accession assistance (IPA III) (OJ L 330, 20.9.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1529/oj). 5 COM (2022) 57 final. 6 COM(2020) 641 final.
Amendment 179 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) The support under the Facility should be provided to meet general and specific objectives set out in the form of milestones and targets, based on established criteria and timeframes and with clear payment conditions and conditionalities. The general objectives of the Facility should be to accelerate regional economic integration and social and territorial cohesion, decarbonisation, progressive integration with the Union single market, socio-economic convergence of Western Balkans economies and alignment with Union laws, rules, standards, policies and practices with a view to Union membership. The Facility should also help accelerate reforms related to fundamentals of the enlargement process, includingin particular accelerate the region’s green transition to climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest, in accordance with Paris Agreement and the Green Deal, climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, as well as environmental and biodiversity protection. The Facility should also help accelerate reforms related to fundamentals of the enlargement process, including the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities. In particular, the Facility should further promote reforms in the areas of independence of the judiciary, the fight against all kinds of corruption and oligarchic structures, as well as any kind of nepotism or favouritism, money laundering, tax avoidance, tax evasion, tax fraud and organised crime rule of law, public procurement and State aid control, and public finance management and fight against corruption. The Facility should ensure the meaningful participation of regional and local authorities, as well as civil society and experts, in the design of the reforms and its scrutiny and implementations. The Facility should assure the fast implementation of the Interoperability Europe Act so as to speed up the exchange of information between the public sector in the EU and the widespread of an efficient digital transformation of this sector. These objectives should be pursued in a mutually reinforcing manner.
Amendment 197 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) The Facility should ensure consistency with, and support to the general objectives of Union external action as laid down in Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union, including the respect for fundamental rights as enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. It will notably ensure the protection and promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Amendment 201 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) Activities under the Facility should support progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, and contribute to achieve the national contributions under the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in line with the commitments taken in the National Climate and Energy Plans, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and should not contribute to environmental degradation or cause harm to the environment or climate. Measures funded underIn particular, funding allocated in the context of the Facility should be in linecoherent with the Beneficiaries’ National Energy and Climate Plans, their Nationally Determined Contribution and ambition to reach climate neutrality by 2050. The Facility should contribute to thelong- term goal of holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1,5°C. It should also be coherent with the objective to increase the ability to mitigation action and to the ability to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change, and foster climate resilience, and with the support of biodiversity conservation, circular economy, sustainable water management and zero- pollution. Measures funded under the Facility should be in line with the Beneficiaries’ National Energy and Climate Plans, their Nationally Determined Contribution and ambition to reach climate neutrality by 2050.
Amendment 204 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) The implementation of this Regulation should be guided by the principles of equality and non- discrimination, as elaborated in the Union of Equality strategies. It should promote gender equalityensure women’s meaningful participation in the decision-making process, promote and advance gender equality and mainstreaming and the empowerment of women and girls, and seek to protect and promote women’s and girls’ rights in line with the EU Gender Action Plans and relevant Council conclusions and international conventions. It should also promote the rights of the Roma and LGBTQI+ community as well as of minorities and vulnerable groups. The implementation of the Facility should be in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and ensure accessibility in its investments and technical assistanceits protocol, ratified by the EU and its Member States, and ensure the involvement of the relevant stakeholders in particular organisations representing people with disabilities in the decision- making processes, as well as ensure accessibility in its investments and technical assistance. The Facility shall also support the right of persons with disabilities to live independently and be included, and accelerate the transition from residential institutions to community-based support and independent living (de- institutionalisation) for children, adults and older persons with disabilities, and shall ensure that resources under the Facility are not used to perpetuate segregation of persons with disabilities. The Facility should support a comprehensive reform of the child protection and care system, including through the transition from institutional to family and community-based care for all children. Furthermore, the Regulation should be implemented in full respect of the European Pillar of Social Rights, the European Commission’s Communication on decent work worldwide for a global just transition and a sustainable recovery and the 1998 International Labour Organisation (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
Amendment 211 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) This Regulation should promotecontribute to the implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans7 in particular by reinforcing environmental protection, including nature and environmental restoration, contributing to the mitigation of climate change and increasing resilience to climate change, and accelerating the shift towards a low-carbonclimate neutral, green, biodiverse and sustainable economy. _________________ 7 SWD(2020)223 final, 6.10.2020.
Amendment 213 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) Reflecting the European Green Deal as Europe’s sustainable growthdevelopment strategy and the importance of tackling climate and biodiversity objectives in line with the commitments of the Interinstitutional Agreement, the Facility should contribute to the achievement of the overall target of 30% of Union budget expenditure supporting climate objectives and 7.5% in 2024 and 10% in 2026 and 2027 to biodiversity objectives. At least 37% of the non-repayable financial support channelled through the WBIF should account to climate objectives. The Facility should support only activities that fully respect the climate and environmental standards and priorities of the Union and the principle of ‘do no significant harm’ within the meaning of Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/8528 . _________________ 8 Regulation (EU) 2020/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2020 on the establishment of a framework to facilitate sustainable investment, and amending Regulation (EU) 2019/2088, OJ L 198, 22.6.2020, p. 13.
Amendment 215 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States and the Beneficiaries, should contribute toensure the compliance, coherence, consistency and complementarity, increased transparency and accountability in the delivery of assistance, including by implementing appropriate internal control systems and anti-fraud policies in order to ensure protection of financial interests of the Union. The support under the Facility should be made available under the preconditions that each of the Beneficiaries continues to respect and uphold effective democratic mechanisms and institutions, including a multi-party parliamentary system, and the rule of law, and to guarantee respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. Another pre-condition should be that Serbia and Kosovo engage constructively in the normalisationupholds and respects the Copenhagen criteria for EU accession, notably the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities. In particular, the Beneficiaries need to demonstrate their compliance with the values of Article 2 of their Trelations with a view to fully implementing all their respective obligations stemming from the Agreementy on European Union (TEU), a multi-party democratic system, including with appropriate checks and balances, good governance at all levels, free and fair elections as appropriate in line with the domestic law onf the Path to Normalisation and its Implementation Annex as well as all past Dialogue Agreements and engage in negotiations on the Comprehensive Agreement on normalisation of relationsBeneficiaries and European and international democratic standards, an independent judiciary and public prosecutor, respect for human rights, including but not limited to freedom of speech and media freedom. Another precondition for the support under this Facility should be the full alignment of the Beneficiary with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.
Amendment 235 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 24
Recital 24
(24) The implementation of the Facility for Western Balkans should be underpinned by a coherent and prioritised set of targeted reforms and investment priorities in each Western Balkans Beneficiary (a Reform Agenda), providing a framework for boosting socio-economic growth in the form of milestones and targets providing a framework for boosting inclusive sustainable development and accelerating the just and digital transition in line with the Union’s policies, while improving inclusiveness and social and regional cohesion and reducing inequalities, clearly articulated and aligned with Union accession requirements. The Reform Agenda willshould serve as an overarching framework to achieve the objectives of this Facility. The Reform Agenda should be developed in a transparent and inclusive way that will ensure meaningful consultation and participation with regional and local authorities, as well as with civil society and experts and should demonstrate how meaningful participation of stakeholders was planned and conducted in a way that it had significant influence on the outcome of the process via consultations, with sufficient timeframes and transparency, and clear follow-up procedures to input given
Amendment 242 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 25
Recital 25
(25) Disbursement of Union support should be conditional on compliance with the payment conditions and on measurable progress with corresponding milestones and targets in the implementation of reforms set out in the Reform Agendas assessed and formally approved by the Commission. The release of funds should be structured accordingly, reflecting the objectives of the Facility.
Amendment 245 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) The Reform Agendas should include targeted reform measures and priority investment areainvestments with corresponding milestones and targets, along with payment conditions in the form of measurable qualitative and quantitative steps that indicate satisfactory progress or completion of those measures, and an indicative timetable for the implementation of those measures via concrete milestones and targets. The Reform Agendas should also include an indicative ex-ante costing of reforms and investments. Those steps should be planned for no later than 31 August 2027, although the overall completion of the measures to which such steps refer may extend beyond 2027 but not later than 31 December 2028.
Amendment 249 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27
Recital 27
(27) The Reform Agendas should include an explanation of the Beneficiary’s system to effectively prevent, detect and correct irregularities, corruption, and any type of corruption, including high level corruption, as well as any kind of nepotism or favouritism and fraud and conflicts of interests, when using the funds provided under the Facility, and the arrangements that aim to avoid double funding from the Facility and other Union programmes as well as other donors.
Amendment 252 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 27 a (new)
Recital 27 a (new)
(27a) The Reform Agendas should include detailed explanations on how they contribute to the just and digital transition in the region and explain how the beneficiaries ensure the application of EU environmental law and standards and, in particular, the application of the ‘Do No Significant Harm’ principle. The Reform Agendas should also include explanations on how they ensure a meaningful participation and consultation of regional and local authorities as well as civil society organisations in the design and implementation of the reform agendas. The Reform Agendas should further explain how they assist in improving the public access to information and public participation including access to environmental information.
Amendment 253 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 28
Recital 28
(28) Measures under the Reform Agendas should, where appropriate, contribute to improving an efficient public finance management and control system, fight against corruption, fraud and organised crimeall kinds of corruption, including high level corruption, as well as any kind of nepotism or favouritism, money laundering, tax avoidance, tax evasion, tax fraud, fraud and organised crime and conflicts of interests, and to an effective system of State aid control, aiming at ensuring fair conditions for all undertakings. Such measures should be implemented by the Beneficiary by an indicative date which could be set, appropriate for each measure, in the early stage of implementation of the Facility.
Amendment 255 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 29
Recital 29
(29) The Commission should publish the Reform Agendas when received. The Commission should assess each Reform Agenda based on the list of criteria set out in this Regulation. In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of this Regulation, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission to approve those Reform Agendas. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council11 . The Commission will duly take into account Council decision 2010/427/EU and the role of the EEAS where appropriate, and in particular when monitoring the fulfilment of the precondition for Union support. _________________ 11 Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/182/oj), after consulting the European Parliament on the submitted plan. The Commission should be empowered to adopt a delegated act to approve those Reform Agendas. The Commission will duly take into account Council decision 2010/427/EU and the role of the EEAS where appropriate, and in particular when monitoring the fulfilment of the precondition for Union support.
Amendment 258 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 30
Recital 30
(30) The Commission implementing decisiondelegated act referred to in this Regulation should at the same time constitute a work programme within the meaning of Article 110(2) of the Financial Regulation in respect of the amount of non- repayable financial support under this Regulation.
Amendment 260 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 31
Recital 31
(31) Given the need for flexibility in the implementation of the Facility, it should be possible for a Beneficiary to make a reasoned request to the Commission to amend the implementing decisiondelegated act, where the Reform Agenda, including relevant payment conditions, is no longer achievable, either partially or totally, because of objective circumstances. A Beneficiary should be able to make a reasoned request to amend the Reform Agenda, including by proposing addenda where relevant.
Amendment 262 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 32
Recital 32
(32) The Commission should be able propose to amend the implementing decisiondelegated act, in particular to take into account a change of the amounts available.
Amendment 265 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 34
Recital 34
(34) A Facility Agreement should be concluded with each Beneficiary to set up the principles of the financial cooperation between the Union and the Beneficiary, and to specify the necessary mechanisms related to control, supervision, monitoring, evaluation, reporting and audit of Union funding under the Facility, rules on taxes, duties and charges and measures to prevent, detect, investigate and correct irregularities, fraud, corruptionany forms of corruption including high level corruption, any types of nepotism or favouritism and conflicts of interests. Consequently, a loan agreement should also be concluded with each Beneficiary setting out specific provisions for the management and implementation of funding provided in the forms of loans. The Facility Agreement should provide for obligation of beneficiaries to ensure the collection of, and access to, in compliance with EU data protection principles and with applicable data protection rules, adequate data on persons and entities receiving funding, including beneficial ownership information, for the implementation of measures of the Reform Agendas.
Amendment 268 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 38
Recital 38
(38) In order to ensure that the provisioning rate remains adequate to the financial risks, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union should be delegated to the Commission in respect of amending the provisioning rate. It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level, and that ts well as with the relevant committees of the European Parliament. Those consultations should be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making of 13 April 201612 . In particular, to ensure equal participation in the preparation of the delegated acts, the European Parliament and the Council receive all documents at the same time as Member States’ experts, and their experts systematically have access to meetings of Commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts. Support under the Facility should also enhance twinning and partnership development initiatives with European peers aiming at enhancing expertise and capacity in the Western Balkans. _________________ 12 OJ L123, 12.5.2016, p.1.
Amendment 271 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 44
Recital 44
(44) In accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046, Regulation (EU, Euratom) 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council13 and Council Regulations (EC, Euratom) No 2988/9514 , (Euratom, EC) No 2185/9615 and (EU) 2017/193916 , the financial interests of the Union are to be protected by means of proportionate measures, including measures relating to the prevention, detection, correction and investigation of irregularities, fraud, corruptionall types of corruption including high-level corruption, all types of nepotism or favouritism, conflict of interest, double funding, to the recovery of funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly used. The Commission services should be provided with sufficient administrative capacities and personnel to ensure these objectives. _________________ 13 Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 September 2013 concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (Euratom) No 1074/1999 (OJ L 248, 18.9.2013, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/883/oj). 14 Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 of 18 December 1995 on the protection of the European Communities financial interests (OJ L 312, 23.12.1995, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/1995/2988/oj). 15 Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 of 11 November 1996 concerning on-the-spot checks and inspections carried out by the Commission in order to protect the European Communities' financial interests against fraud and other irregularities (OJ L 292, 15.11.1996, p. 2, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/1996/2185/oj). 16 Council Regulation (EU) 2017/1939 of 12 October 2017 implementing enhanced cooperation on the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (‘the EPPO’) (OJ L 283, 31.10.2017, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/1939/oj).
Amendment 273 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 45 a (new)
Recital 45 a (new)
(45a) The Commission should ensure that the financial interests of the Union are effectively protected under the Facility. To this end, an independent Audit Board should be set up to provide the Commission with information on possible mismanagement of funds and guarantee that a declaration of assurance is obtained through an independent external audit. The Audit Board should be subject to the reporting obligations to EPPO, in accordance with Article 24(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1939. Such information should be made available to OLAF and EPPO, when applicable, and where appropriate to the relevant Western Balkans Beneficiary authorities. The Commission, with the assistance of the Union delegations, should be entitled to perform checks on how the Western Balkans Beneficiary implement funds along the whole project life cycle. The Commission should be provided with sufficient funding and human resources to perform the audit and checks. The Audit Board should ensure regular dialogue and cooperation with the European Court of Auditors.
Amendment 275 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 46
Recital 46
(46) In accordance with Article 129 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046, the necessary rights and access should be granted to the Commission OLAF, the European Court of Auditors and, where applicable the EPPO, including by third parties involved in the implementation of Union funds. The European Parliament shall also be granted with the necessary rights and access. The Western Balkans should also use the Early Detection and Exclusion System and report irregularities in relation to the use of the funds to the Commission.
Amendment 276 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 47
Recital 47
(47) The Commission should ensure that the financial interests of the Union are effectively protected under the Facility. At the same time, given the long track record of financial assistance provided to the Western Balkans Beneficiaries also under indirect management and taking into account their gradual alignment with the Unions internal control standards and practices, the Commission may rely to a great extent on the operation of the national internal control and fraud prevention systems. In particular, the Commission and OLAF should be informed of all suspected cases of irregularities, fraud, corruption and conflict of interests affecting the implementation of funds under the Facility without delay. The Commission should also receive the information on beneficial owners of legal entities benefiting from the Facility and publish a list of persons and legal entities receiving more than 50 000 euros cumulatively from the Facility
Amendment 280 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 48
Recital 48
(48) Furthermore, the beneficiaries should report the irregularities including fraud which have been the subject of a primary administrative or judicial finding, without delay, to Audit Board and the Commission and keep the latterm informed of the progress of administrative and legal proceeding. With the objective of alignment to good practices in Member States, this reporting should be done by electronic means, using the Irregularity Management System, established by the Commission.
Amendment 284 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 51
Recital 51
(51) The Commission should provide an annual report on the progress with the implementation of the Regulation and the Facility to the European Parliament and to the Committee referred to in this Regulation. The annual report should include a detailed assessment of the added value and additionality of this Facility, of synergies and complementarities between support covered under this Facility and Regulation (EU) 2021/1529, as well as a description of the arrangements and measures taken by the Commission to avoid double funding, with a view to protecting the Union budget. A regular dialogue with the European Parliament and its relevant committees should be established.
Amendment 285 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 51 a (new)
Recital 51 a (new)
(51a) As a measure of public accountability, the Governments of the Beneficiaries, including the relevant Ministers, should inform the Parliaments of the Beneficiaries regularly on the implementation of the respective Reform Agendas. Provision of all relevant information in time to the Parliaments of the Beneficiaries, allowing for an interactive interinstitutional dialogue at least every three months with relevant cabinet members is key to enable transparency both for elected officials, as well as to the press and public. Reporting enabling oversight should also be provided as part of the yearly approval of the budget of the Beneficiaries.
Amendment 289 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 53
Recital 53
(53) The communication capacities of the Beneficiaries should be enhanced in order to ensure strong and free pluralistic media and public support for andto promote the understanding of Union values and the benefits and obligations of potential Union membership, while addressing disinformation and information manipulation. Visibility of the Union funding should also be ensured.
Amendment 291 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2
Article 1 – paragraph 2
2. The Facility shall provide assistance to the Western Balkans for the delivery of inclusive and sustainable socio-economic reforms and investments contributing to reaching climate neutrality by 2050 latest, to implement their respective Reform Agendas, as set out in Chapter III.
Amendment 293 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1
1. ‘Beneficiary’ means any of the following: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo17 , Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. _________________ 17 *This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence
Amendment 296 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) accelerate regional economic integration, social and territorial cohesion, and progressive integration with the Union single market;
Amendment 297 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) accelerate the socio-economic convergence of Beneficiaries’ economies with the Union and in particular the decarbonisation of their economies;
Amendment 307 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) accelerate the transition of the Beneficiaries to sustainable, climate- neutral and inclusive economies, capable of withstanding competitive market pressures of the Union single market, and to a stable investment environment;
Amendment 310 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) support regional economic integration, social and territorial cohesion, and enhanced integration with the EU single market through improved and sustainable connectivity in the region in line with Transeuropean Networks and the decarbonisation of transport;
Amendment 313 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) accelerate green transition to climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest, in accordance with the Paris Agreement and the Green Deal, in line with the 2020 Green Agenda for the Western Balkans and covering all economic sectors, particularly renewable energy, including the transition towards de- carbonised climate-neutral, climate- resilient and circular economy with emphasis on decentralised renewable energy networks, promoting climate neutrality and by prioritizing the use of materials ethically sourced locally; all investments shall be fully aligned and respect the EU climate acquis and especially the ‘Do No Significant Harm’ Principle;
Amendment 318 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point f
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point f
(f) promote the digital transformation as an enabler for sustainable development and inclusive growthdevelopment;
Amendment 322 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point g
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point g
(g) boost innovation, particularly for SMEs and start-ups and in support of the green and digital transitions;
Amendment 326 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point h
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point h
(h) boost quality accessible and inclusive education, training, reskilling and upskilling, and employment policies, including policies to tackle youth employment;
Amendment 334 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point i
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point i
(i) further strengthen the “fundamentals” of the enlargement process, including the rule of law, democracy, the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, through promoting an independent judiciary, reinforced security, the fight against fraud, corruption, organised crime andany types of corruption including high level corruption and oligarchic structures, any types of nepotism and favouritism and conflicts of interests, organised crime, money laundering and terrorism financing, tax evasion and tax fraud;, tax avoidance and tax fraud, and through promoting compliance with international law; strengthen freedom of media and academic freedom and an enabling environment for civil society; foster social dialogue; promote gender equality, non- discrimination and tolerance, to ensure and strengthen respect for the rights of persons belonging to minoritiesguarantee fundamental labour rights as enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the relevant ILO conventions; promote gender equality, gender mainstreaming and the empowerment of women and girls, non-discrimination and tolerance, to ensure and strengthen respect for the rights of persons belonging to minorities including the Roma community, LGBTQI+ people and different vulnerable groups; it should enhance inclusion and accessibility for persons with disabilities, and in particular transition from institutional care to community-based support and independent living;
Amendment 344 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j
(j) reinforce the democratic institutions including regional and municipal representative bodies, and their powers of oversight and inquiry over the distribution of and access to public funds, as well as the effectiveness of public administration and support transparency, structural reforms and good governance at all levels, including in the areas of public financial management and public procurement and State aid control; support initiatives and bodies involved in supporting and enforcing international justice in the Western Balkans Beneficiaries. and ensure effective protection of whistle- blowers;
Amendment 349 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j a (new)
(ja) support initiatives and bodies involved in supporting and enforcing international justice in the Western Balkans Beneficiaries.
Amendment 350 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j b (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j b (new)
(jb) work towards good neighbourly relations and reconciliation to overcome the legacies of the past, including but not limited to ensuring access to truth and justice, as well as effective reparations to victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide;
Amendment 351 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j c (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j c (new)
(jc) support political and administrative decentralisation and local development, especially by ensuring meaningful consultation and a level playing field for all levels of government when accessing funds via open, fair, neutral, and transparent procedures;
Amendment 352 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j d (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j d (new)
(jd) promote transparency, public access to information including environmental information, and meaningful participation of regional and local authorities as well as civil society organisations and experts in legislative and decision-making processes ensuring democratic accountability and public scrutiny;
Amendment 353 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j e (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point j e (new)
(je) facilitate the implementation of the Interoperable Europe Act which reinforces the public sector exchange of information across the Union and accelerate the digital transformation of Europe's public sector;
Amendment 354 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
1. Cooperation under the Facility shall be based on and shall promote the development effectiveness principles, across all modalities, namely ownership of development priorities by the Beneficiaries, a focus on results, inclusive partnerships, transparency and mutual accountability. The cooperation shall be based on effective and efficient resources allocation and use. All Beneficiaries shall take utmost care to avoid, report and counter any corrupt practices, nepotism, favouritism or undue regional or sectoral concentration of resource allocation or use.
Amendment 359 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. Support from the Facility shall be additional to the support provided under other Union programmes and instruments. Activities eligible for funding under this Regulation may receive support from other Union programmes and instruments provided that such support does not cover the same cost and that appropriate oversight and budget control is established.
Amendment 360 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 3
Article 4 – paragraph 3
3. In order to promote the complementarity and efficiency of their action, the Commission and the Member States shall cooperate and shall strive to avoid duplication between assistance under this Regulation and other assistance provided by the Union, the Member States, third countries, multilateral and regional organisations and entities, such as international organisations and the relevant international financial institutions, agencies and non-Union donors, in line with the established principles for strengthening operational coordination in the field of external assistance, including through enhanced coordination with Member States at local level. The Commission shall facilitate the establishment and coordination of decentralised implementation frameworks and know- how for resource allocation and use.
Amendment 361 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 4
Article 4 – paragraph 4
4. Activities under the Facility shall comply with the highest climate and environmental standards and the Reform Agendas shall be subject to Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment procedures in order to identify and properly mitigate potential negative environmental and social impacts. Activities under the Facility shall mainstream climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity and environmental protection and conservation of ecosystems, high animal welfare standards, human rights, democracy, gender equality and, where relevant, disaster risk reduction and sustainable water management, and shall support progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, promoting integrated actions that can create co-benefits and meet multiple objectives in a coherent way. They shall avoid stranded assets, and shall be guided by the principles of ‘do no significant harm’ and of ‘leaving no one behind’, as well as by the sustainability mainstreaming approach underpinning the European Green Deal.
Amendment 367 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 5
Article 4 – paragraph 5
5. Beneficiaries and the Commission shall ensure that equality between men and women, gender mainstreaming and the integration of a gender prerspective are taken into account and promoted throughout the preparation of the Reform Agendas including Gender Impact Assessments and the implementation of the Facility. Beneficiaries and the Commission shall take appropriate steps to prevent any discrimination based upon gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. The Commission will report on these measures in the context of its regular reporting under the Gender Action Plans.
Amendment 371 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 6
Article 4 – paragraph 6
6. The Facility shall not support activities or measures which are incompatible with the Beneficiaries’ National Energy and Climate Plans once aligned with climate neutrality by 2050 latest, their Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement, and ambition to reach climate-neutrality by 2050 or that promote investments in fossil fuels, or that cause significant adverse effects on the environment or the climateclimate or biodiversity or any investment that is a stranded asset.
Amendment 374 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 7
Article 4 – paragraph 7
7. The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States and the Beneficiaries, shall contribute toensure the implementation of Union commitments to increased transparency and accountability in the delivery of assistance, including the full implementation of the Aarhus Convention, and by promoting the implementation and reinforcement of internal control systems and anti-fraud policies, and by making. The Commission shall make the information on the volume and allocation of assistance available through web-based databasespublically available online including a list of persons and legal entities receiving a cumulative amounts higher than 50 000 EUR, and shall ensure that data is up-to-date comparable and can be easily accessed, shared and published and available in machine readable format and comparable format.
Amendment 378 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 7 a (new)
Article 4 – paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. In line with the EU Partnership Principle and the EU Code of Conduct, the Commission and the Beneficiaries shall ensure that the relevant stakeholders, including the Parliaments of the Western Balkans, local and regional authorities, social partners and civil society organisations, are duly and fairly consulted and have timely access to relevant information to allow them to meaningfully participate in shaping the design, implementation of activities eligible for funding under this Facility, and in the related monitoring, scrutiny and evaluation processes. Such involvement shall seek to represent the pluralism of the society in the Western Balkans.
Amendment 379 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
1. Preconditions for the support under the Facility shall be that the Beneficiaries continue to uphold and respect effective democratic mechanisms, including a multi-party parliamentary system, and the rule of law, and guarantee respect for all human rights obligations, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. Another pre-condition shall be that Serbia and Kosovo engage constructively in the normalisation of their relations with a view to fully implementing all their respective obligations stemming from the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation and its Implementation Annex as well as all past Dialogue Agreements and engage in negotiations on the Comprehensive Agreement on normalisation of relationsthe Copenhagen criteria for EU accession, notably the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities. In particular, the Beneficiaries need to demonstrate their compliance with the values of Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), a multi-party parliamentary democratic system, including with appropriate checks and balances, good governance at all levels, free and fair elections in line with the domestic law of the Beneficiaries and European and international democratic standards, an independent judiciary and public prosecutor and respect for human rights, including but not limited to freedom of speech and media freedom. Another precondition for the support under this Facility shall be the full alignment of the Beneficiaries with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, in particular the effective adoption and implementation of restrictive measures against Russia.
Amendment 394 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall monitor the fulfilment of the preconditions set out in paragraph 1 before funds are released to the Beneficiaries under the Facility and throughout the period of the support provided under the Facility taking duly into account the latest Enlargement Package, as well as relevant international organisations including OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission and the relevant reports and resolutions of the European Parliament. The Commission may adopt a decision concluding that some of these preconditions are not met, and in particular, shall withhold the release of funds referred to in Article 21, if such a decision is taken ,irrespective of the fulfilment of payment conditions referred to in Article 16(3). In case of persistent lack of progress, serious deficiencies and/or regression in the area of the “fundamentals”, the Commission, after consulting the European Parliament and the Council, shall suspend the funding to the Beneficiaries concerned. The Commission’s assessment shall be transmitted simultaneously to the European Parliament and the Council.
Amendment 401 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) 98.57% in the form of non-repayable financial support to the Beneficiaries for the implementation of the Reform Agendas;
Amendment 403 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) 1.53% for expenditure pursuant to paragraph 6.
Amendment 407 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 6
Article 6 – paragraph 6
6. The resources referred to in paragraph 2 point (b) may be used for technical and administrative assistance for the implementation of the Facility, such as preparatory actions, monitoring, control, audit and evaluation activities, which are required for the management of the Facility and the achievement of its objectives, in particular studies, meetings of experts, trainings, consultations with the Beneficiary authorities, conferences, consultation of stakeholders, including local and regional authorities and civil society organisations, information and communication actions, including inclusive outreach actions, and corporate communication of the political priorities of the Union, insofar as they are related to the objectives of this Regulation, expenses linked to IT networks focusing on information processing and exchange, corporate information technology tools, as well as all other expenditure at headquarters and Union delegations for the administrative and coordination support needed for the Facility. Finally, expenses may also cover the costs of other supporting activities such as quality control and monitoring of projects or programmes on the ground and the costs of peer counselling and experts for the assessment and implementation of reforms and investments.
Amendment 421 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall conclude a Facility Agreement with each Beneficiary for the implementation of the Facility setting out the obligations and payment conditions of the Beneficiaries for the disbursement of Facility funding following public consultation and the positive assessment of the national parliament.
Amendment 425 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 3
Article 9 – paragraph 3
3. Funding, including pre financing, shall only be granted to the Beneficiaries after a positive assessment by the Commission of fulfilment of the preconditions in Article 5, and the respective Facility Agreements and the applicable loan agreements have entered into force.
Amendment 427 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 4
Article 9 – paragraph 4
4. The Facility Agreement and the loan agreements concluded with each of the Beneficiaries, and agreements concluded with person or entities receiving Union funds, shall ensure that the obligations set out in Article 129 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 are fulfilled. The Facility Agreements, including any related documentation, shall be transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council simultaneously and without delay and shall be made public.
Amendment 429 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point a
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point a
(a) the commitment of the Beneficiary to progress towardsstrictly prioritise the establishment of more efficient and effective control systems, which are able to effectively prevent, detect, investigate and correct irregularities, fraud, corruption and conflict of interests as well as to avoid, report and counter any corrupt practices, nepotism, favouritism or undue regional or sectoral concentration of resource allocation or use and to and to strengthen the fight against money laundering, terrorism financing, tax avoidance, tax fraud or tax evasion and other illegal activities affecting the funds provided under the Facility;
Amendment 430 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point a a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point a a (new)
(aa) the establishment of a monitoring committee to coordinate the involvement of civil society and experts in the evaluation and monitoring of the allocation and use of resources, in line with the European Code of Conduct on Partnerships;
Amendment 432 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point d
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point d
(d) the rules on reporting to the Commission on whether and how the payment conditions referred to in Article 12 are fulfilled, including by allowing the examination of the fulfilment of milestones and targets connected to reforms and investment;
Amendment 433 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point e a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point e a (new)
(ea) the recognition of the responsibilities of the Audit Board referred to in Article XX, and the modalities of the Western Balkans Beneficiaries’ cooperation with it;
Amendment 434 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point f
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point f
(f) the measures to prevent, detect, investigate and correct irregularities, fraud, corruption and conflicts of interest, and the obligation to notify the Audit Board, the Commission and OLAF and when applicable EPPO without delay of suspected or actual cases of irregularities, fraud, corruption and conflict of interests and their follow- up;
Amendment 436 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point g
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point g
(g) the obligations referred to in Articles 22 and 23, including precise rules and timeframe on collection of data by the Beneficiary and access for the Commission and OLAF, European Court of Auditors, and where applicable EPPO;
Amendment 438 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point g a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point g a (new)
(ga) the commitment of the Beneficiaries to respecting the ‘do no significant harm’ principle, in line with Regulation 2020/852, for all expenditure under this Regulation;
Amendment 440 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point g b (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 5 – point g b (new)
(gb) to provide a similar level of access to information and authority to carry out on-the-spot controls as the Commission and the Court of Auditors to the independent external auditor appointed by the Audit Board;
Amendment 443 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2
Article 10 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall informsubmit to the European Parliament and the Council ofthe information on commitment appropriations carried over, including the amounts involved, in accordance with Article 12(6) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046.
Amendment 446 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 2
Article 11 – paragraph 2
2. The Reform Agendas shall set out the reforms to be undertaken by the Beneficiary, as well as investment areas, towards the achievement of the general and specific objectives set out in Article 3 and general principles set out in Article 4 with specific milestones and targets. The Reform Agendas shall comprise measures for the implementation of reforms through a comprehensive and coherent package including ensuring adherence to the ‘do no significant harm’ principle. In the areas of the 'fundamentals', including the rule of law, the fight against corruption including high level corruption, fundamental rights and the freedom of expression, the Reform Agendas shall reflect the assessments in the most recent Enlargement Package, as well as of the relevant international organisations including, OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission and the relevant reports and resolutions from the European Parliament.
Amendment 453 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 4
Article 11 – paragraph 4
4. The Reform Agendas shall be consistent with and support the reform priorities identified in the context of the Beneficiary’s accession path, and other relevant documents, such as the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, the National Energy and Climate Plan as revised to be in line with Climate Neutrality by 2050, the Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement and the ambition to reach climate neutrality by 2050.
Amendment 460 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
The Facility shall incentivise the implementation of the Reform Agenda of each Beneficiary by putting payment conditions on the release of funds. These payment conditions shall apply to funds under Article 6(2) point (a) and Article 6(3) and shall take the form of measurable qualitative or quantitative steps and be linked to the achievement of concrete milestones and targets. Such steps shall reflect progress on specific socio-economic reforms, including on fundamentals of the enlargement process and rule of law, linked to the achievement of the different objectives of the Facility, set out in Article 3, consistent with the latest Enlargement Package.
Amendment 466 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) measures constituting a coherent, comprehensive and adequately balanced response to the objectives set out in Article 3, including structural reforms, investmen the form of milestones and targets, and measures to ensure compliance with preconditions if appropriate;
Amendment 468 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) an explanation of how the measures are consistent with the general principles referred to in Article 4, as well as the requirements, strategies, plans and programmes referred to in Article 11;
Amendment 469 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) an explanation of the extent to which the measures are expected to contribute to climate, biodiversity and environmental as well as higher animal welfare standards objectives of Beneficiaries, how these measures are adhering to the EU climate acquis and how the measures shall contribute to the achievement of the overall target of ensuring that at least 50 % of the financial envelope shall contribute to the green transition or to addressing the challenges resulting therefrom, as well as an explanation of how the Reform Agendas ensures that no measure for the implementation of reforms and investments included in the Reform Agendas does no significant harm to environmental objectives within the meaning of Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/852 (the principle of ‘do no significant harm’), as well as how the measures contribute to inclusive social convergence objectives;
Amendment 472 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(ca) an explanation of how Beneficiaries have taken utmost care to avoid, report and counter any corrupt practices, favouritism or undue regional or sectoral concentration of resource allocation, as well as an explanation of which measures the Beneficiaries have taken to fight against fraud, any types of corruption including high level corruption, any types of nepotism and favouritism and conflicts of interests, organised crime and money laundering and terrorism financing, tax evasion, tax avoidance and tax fraud and to ensure compliance with international law;
Amendment 473 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
(cb) an explanation of the measures taken by the Beneficiaries to strengthen the freedom of media and academic freedom and to ensure an enabling environment for civil society;
Amendment 474 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point c c (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point c c (new)
(cc) An explanation of how the measures under the Reform Agendas ensure effective protection of whistleblowers;
Amendment 475 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) for the reforms and investments, an indicative timetable, and the envisaged payment conditions for release of funds in the form of measurable qualitative and quantitative steps in the form of concrete milestones and targets to be implemented by 31 August 2027 at the latest;
Amendment 477 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point f
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point f
(f) an explanation of the Beneficiary’s system to effectively prevent, detect and correct irregularities, fraud, corruption and conflicts of interests and to enforce State aid control rules ensure an adequate level of protection of the EU financial interests by applying comparable standards as provided for in Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046;
Amendment 479 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
(fa) an explanation of how the Reform Agendas ensure that the measures will promote the digital transformation as an enabler for inclusive sustainable development and boost innovation, particularly for SMEs and start-ups and in support of the green and digital transitions and how it will boost quality and inclusive education, training, reskilling and upskilling, and employment policies as well as to social cohesion, equality and inclusion of vulnerable groups;
Amendment 481 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point f b (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point f b (new)
(fb) an explanation of how the measures under the Reforms Agendas are expected to promote gender equality, gender mainstreaming and the overall empowerment of women and girls, non- discrimination and tolerance, to ensure and strengthen respect for the rights of persons belonging to minorities including the Roma community, LGBTQI+ people and different vulnerable groups;
Amendment 483 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point f c (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point f c (new)
(fc) An explanation of how the measures under the Reforms Agendas reinforce the democratic institutions including regional and municipal representative bodies, and their powers of oversight and inquiry over the distribution of and access to public funds, the effectiveness of public administration and support of transparency, structural reforms and good governance at all levels, including in the areas of public financial management and public procurement and State aid control;
Amendment 484 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point f d (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point f d (new)
(fd) an explanation of and how the Beneficiaries support initiatives and bodies involved in supporting and enforcing international justice in the Western Balkans Beneficiaries as well as how they work towards good neighbourly relations and sustainable reconciliation to overcome the legacies of the past, including but not limited to ensuring access to truth and justice, as well as effective reparations to victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide;
Amendment 485 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point f e (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 1 – point f e (new)
(fe) An explanation of how the measures under the Reforms Agendas support political and administrative decentralisation and local development, especially by ensuring meaningful consultation and meaningful participation of regional and local authorities as well as civil society organisations and experts in legislative and decision- making processes ensuring democratic accountability and public scrutiny; improvement of interoperability between the public sector and the speeding-up of the digital transformation;
Amendment 486 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 2
Article 13 – paragraph 2
2. The Reform Agendas shall be results-based and include indicators for assessing progress towards the achievement of the general and specific objectives set out in. These indicators shall be based, where appropriate and relevant, on internationally agreed indicators and those already available related to Beneficiaries' policies. Indicators shall also be coherent to the extent possible, with the key corporate indicators included in the Instrument for Pre-Accession assistance (IPA III) Results Framework, in the EFSD+ Results Measurement Framework and in the WBIF and shall also include indicators on consultation and transparency.
Amendment 490 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point a
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point a
(a) whether the Reform Agenda represents a relevant, comprehensive, coherent and adequately balanced response to the objectives set out in Article 3, as well as the general principles referred to in Article 4 ;
Amendment 492 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
(ba) whether the arrangements proposed by the Beneficiaries will be sufficient to avoid, report and counter any corrupt practices, favouritism or undue regional or sectoral concentration of resource allocation;
Amendment 494 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point c a (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point c a (new)
(ca) whether the reforms and investments in the Reform Agenda can be expected to contribute to the achievement of the overall target of ensuring the contribution of at least 50 % of the financial envelope to the climate and the environment calculated in accordance with Annex VI of Regulation 2021/241 Establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility and thus to the green transition or to addressing the challenges resulting therefrom, as well how the Reform Agendas ensures that no measure for the implementation of reforms and investments included does significant harm to environmental objectives within the meaning of Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/852 (the principle of ‘do no significant harm’) and does not finance stranded assets; as well as whether the reforms and investment in the Reform Agenda can be expected to contribute to the achievement of inclusive social convergence objectives;
Amendment 496 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point c b (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point c b (new)
(cb) whether the arrangements have taken utmost care to avoid, report and counter any corrupt practices, favouritism or undue regional or sectoral concentration of resource allocation, as well as whether the Reform Agenda strengthens the fight against fraud, any types of corruption including high level corruption, any types of nepotism and favouritism and conflicts of interests, organised crime and money laundering and terrorism financing, tax evasion, tax avoidance and tax fraud and ensures compliance with international law;
Amendment 498 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point c c (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point c c (new)
(cc) whether the Reform Agenda can be expected to sufficiently achieve the strengthening of the freedom of media and academic freedom and to ensure an enabling environment for civil society;
Amendment 499 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point c d (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point c d (new)
(cd) whether the Reform Agendas ensure that its measures will promote the digital transformation as an enabler for sustainable development and inclusive development and boost innovation, particularly for SMEs and start-ups and in support of the green and digital transitions and how it will boost quality and inclusive education, training, reskilling and upskilling, and employment policies and contribute to the objectives of social cohesion, equality and the inclusion of vulnerable groups;
Amendment 500 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point c e (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point c e (new)
(ce) whether the measures under the Reforms Agendas are expected to promote gender equality, gender mainstreaming and the overall empowerment of women and girls, non-discrimination and tolerance, to ensure and strengthen respect for the rights of persons belonging to minorities including the Roma community and LGBTQI+ people;
Amendment 501 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point g
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point g
(g) whether the arrangements proposed by the Beneficiary are expected to effectively prevent, detect and correct irregularities, fraud, corruption and conflicts of interests and achieve an adequate level of protection of EU financial interests by applying at least comparable standards as provided for in Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046, when using the funds provided under the Facility, and ensure that there is no double funding from the Facility and other Union programmes as well as other donors from the Facility and other Union programmes as well as other donors.
Amendment 502 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point g a (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point g a (new)
(ga) whether the measures under the Reform Agendas reinforce the democratic institutions including regional and municipal representative bodies, and their powers of oversight and inquiry over the distribution of and access to public funds, the effectiveness of the public administration and support of transparency, structural reforms and good governance at all levels, including in the areas of public financial management and public procurement and State aid control;
Amendment 503 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point g b (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point g b (new)
(gb) whether the Reform Agendas support initiatives and bodies involved in supporting and enforcing international justice in the Western Balkans Beneficiaries as well as work towards good neighbourly relations and sustainable reconciliation to overcome the legacies of the past, including but not limited to ensuring access to truth and justice, as well as effective reparations to victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide;
Amendment 504 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point g c (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point g c (new)
(gc) whether the Reform Agendas support political and administrative decentralisation and local development, especially by ensuring meaningful consultation and meaningful participation of regional and local authorities as well as civil society organisations and experts in legislative and decision-making processes ensuring democratic accountability and public scrutiny;
Amendment 505 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point g d (new)
Article 14 – paragraph 3 – point g d (new)
(gd) whether the Reform Agendas measures ensure effective protection of whistleblowers;
Amendment 507 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – title
Article 15 – title
Commission implementing decisiondelegated act
Amendment 509 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Article 15 – paragraph 1
1. In case of a positive assessment, the Commission shall approve by means of an implementing decision delegated act the Reform Agenda submitted by the Beneficiary, in accordance with Article 14 or, where applicable, of its amendment submitted in accordance with Article 16. That implementing decision shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 27(2).
Amendment 511 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2
Article 15 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission implementing decisiondelegated act shall set out the reforms to be implemented by the Beneficiary, the investment areas to be supported and the payment conditions stemming from the Reform Agenda, including the indicative timetable.
Amendment 512 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
Article 15 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
3. The Commission implementing decisiondelegated act shall also lay down:
Amendment 515 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2
Article 16 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission may amend the implementing decisiondelegated act, in particular to take into account a change of the amounts available in line with the principles under Article 21.
Amendment 517 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 3
Article 16 – paragraph 3
3. Where the Commission considers that the reasons put forward by the Beneficiary justify an amendment to the Reform Agenda, the Commission shall assess the amended Agenda in accordance with Article 14 and may amend the implementing decisiondelegated act referred to in Article 15(1) without undue delay.
Amendment 521 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 4
Article 19 – paragraph 4
4. At least 3750% of the non-repayable financial support channelled through the WBIF shall account to climate objectives, calculated in accordance with Annex VI of Regulation 2021/241 Establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
Amendment 525 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 7
Article 21 – paragraph 7
7. The Commission may reduce the amount of the non-repayable financial support, including by offsetting in line with Article 102 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046, or of the loan, in the event of identified cases of, or serious concerns in relation to, irregularities, fraud, corruption and conflicts of interests affecting the financial interests of the Union that have not been corrected by the Beneficiary, or a serious breach of an obligation resulting from the Facility Agreements or from the Loan Agreements, including on the basis of information provided by OLAF. Information about such decisions needs to be transferred to the European Parliament and the Council.
Amendment 532 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 22 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) take appropriate measures to prevent, detect and correct fraud, corruption, conflicts of interests and irregularities affecting the financial interests of the Union, to detect and avoid double funding and to take legal actions to recover funds that have been misappropriated, including in relation to any measure for the implementation of reforms and investment projects or programmes under the Reform Agendas;
Amendment 533 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 22 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) for the purpose of paragraph 1 of this Article, in particular for checks on the use of funds in relation to the implementation of reforms in the Reform Agendas, to ensure the collection of, and access to, in compliance with EU data protection principles and with applicable data protection rules, adequate data on persons and entities receiving funding, including beneficial ownership information, for the implementation of measures of the Reform Agenda under chapter III;
Amendment 539 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 22 a (new)
Article 22 a (new)
Article 22a Audit Board 1. The Commission shall establish an Audit Board before the submission by the Western Balkans Beneficiaries of the first payment request. 2. The Audit Board shall be composed of independent members appointed by the Commission. Representatives of Member States and other donors may be invited by the Commission to participate in the activities of the Audit Board. 3. At least one-fifth of the Audit Board should be composed of Beneficiaries’ nationals, given they have proven high professional competence and integrity and have no personal or professional affiliation to Beneficiaries’ authorities or officials as well as demonstrably independent international experts with a proven track record of understanding of the Beneficiaries’ economy and political system. 4. The Audit Board shall exercise its functions in complete objectivity and operate in compliance with best applicable international practices and standards. It shall act without prejudice to the powers of the Commission, OLAF, the Court of Auditors and, where applicable, the EPPO. 5. The Audit Board shall appoint an independent external auditor that provides an annual statement of assurance on the declarations by the Beneficiaries authorities that accompany a request for payment. It shall also approve the annual work plan of the independent external auditor. 6. The Audit Board shall decide on recommendations to the Commission and the Beneficiaries’ authorities on amounts to be recovered following the findings of the independent external auditor, and inform the Commission and the Beneficiaries’ authorities of those recommendations. 7. The Audit Board shall ensure regular dialogue and cooperation with the European Court of Auditors. 8. In carrying out their duties, the Audit Board, its members and its staff shall neither seek nor take instructions from the Beneficiaries’ governments or any institution, body, office or agency. Strong guarantees of independence shall apply for the selection of its staff, management and budget. 9. The Audit Board shall assist the Commission in fighting mismanagement of Union funding under the Facility and in particular fraud, corruption, conflict of interests and irregularities incurred in relation to any amount spent to achieve the objectives of the Facility. 10. For that purpose, the Audit Board shall regularly report to the Commission and the relevant committees of the European Parliament and the Council, and transmit to the Commission without delay any information it obtains or is made aware of, on any identified cases of, or serious concerns in relation to, mismanagement of public funding incurred in relation with any amount spent to achieve the objectives of the Facility, including its performance. In accordance with Article 24(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1939, the Audit Board shall report to the EPPO any criminal conduct in respect of which the latter could exercise its competence. In accordance with Article 24(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1939, the Audit Board shall report to the EPPO any criminal conduct in respect of which the latter could exercise its competence. In addition, the Audit Board shall adopt recommendations to the Beneficiaries on all cases where in its view competent Beneficiaries’ authorities have not taken the necessary steps to prevent, detect and correct fraud, corruption, conflict of interests and irregularities that have affected or seriously risk affecting the sound financial management of the expenditure financed under the Facility and in all cases where it identifies weaknesses affecting the design and functioning of the control system put in place by the Beneficiaries’ authorities. The Beneficiaries shall implement such recommendations, or provide a justification on why it has not done so. The reports of, and information from, the Audit Board shall also be sent to OLAF, and where applicable to the EPPO, and may be shared with the relevant Beneficiaries’ authorities, especially in case they need to take steps to prevent, detect and correct fraud, corruption, conflict of interests and irregularities, including its performance, as well as to investigate and prosecute criminal offences affecting the financial interests of the Union. 11. The Audit Board shall have access to information, databases and registries required to carry out its tasks. The facility agreement referred to in Article 9 shall define rules and details for the access to relevant information by the Audit Board and the provision of relevant information by the Beneficiaries to the Audit Board. 12. The Audit Board may assist the Commission in supporting the Beneficiaries with capacity building activities in the field of fight against mismanagement of public funding.13. The functioning of the Audit Board shall be funded under Article 6 paragraph 2 (b), including the funding for the appointed independent external auditor.
Amendment 542 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 3
Article 24 – paragraph 3
3. The Commission shall provide an annual report to the European Parliament and the Council on progress towards the achievement of the objectives of this Regulation and the adherence to the general principles in Article 4.
Amendment 543 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 a (new)
Article 24 a (new)
Article 24a Western Balkans Facility Regular dialogue 1. In order to enhance the dialogue between the Union institutions, in particular the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, and to ensure greater transparency and accountability, the competent committees of the European Parliament may invite the Commission and the relevant EU authorities and agencies every 6 months to discuss the following matters: (a) the state of implementation of the Facility (b) the status and assessment of the Facility Agreement; (c) the status of the involvement of all stakeholders, especially the national Parliaments (d) the main findings of the monitoring activities defined in this Regulation, including the annual report as defined in Article 24; (e) the status of fulfilment of the milestones and targets of the Facility Agreements; (f) payment, suspension and emergency procedures, including any observation presented and remedial measures taken by Beneficiaries to ensure a satisfactory fulfilment of the milestones and targets; (g) any other relevant information and documentation provided by the Commission to the competent committee of the European Parliament in relation to the implementation of the Facility. 2. The European Parliament may express its views in resolutions as regards the matters referred to in paragraph 1. 3. The Commission shall take into account any elements arising from the views expressed through the Western Balkans Facility Regular dialogue, including the resolutions from the European Parliament if provided, also in its assessments and drafts Council Implementing Decisions. 4. The scoreboard referred to in Article XX may serve as a basis for the dialogue.
Amendment 545 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 b (new)
Article 24 b (new)
Article 24b Western Balkans Facility Scoreboard 1. The Commission shall establish a WBF scoreboard (the ‘Scoreboard’), which shall display the progress of the implementation of the reform agendas of the beneficiaries in each of objectives referred to in Article 3. The Scoreboard shall constitute the performance reporting system of the Facility. 2. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt a delegated act in accordance with Article 26 to supplement this Regulation by defining the detailed elements of the Scoreboard with a view to displaying the progress of the implementation of the Facility as referred to in paragraph 1. 3. The Scoreboard shall be operational by December 2024 and shall be continuously updated by the Commission, as soon as performance information and other essential documents described in article 24a.4 become available. The Scoreboard shall be made publicly available on a website or internet portal. 4. The Scoreboard shall also present the key documents, such as the Reform Agenda’s, the Commission’s assessments of the Reform Agenda’s, the payment requests from the Beneficiaries, the Commission’s assessment of the fulfilment of payment conditions, the implementing decision of the reform agendas and the decisions authorising the release of funds. 5. The Scoreboard shall also present information on the final recipients of funds from this Facility.
Amendment 546 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 25 – paragraph 1
Article 25 – paragraph 1
1. After 31 December 2027, but by 31 December 2031 at the latest, the Commission shall carry out an ex-post evaluation of the Regulation by means of an independent external evaluation. That ex-post evaluation shall assess the Union contribution to the achievement of the objectives of this Regulation. The Commission shall take due account of proposals by the European Parliament or the Council for this independent external evaluation.
Amendment 547 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 25 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 25 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
The Commission shall communicate the findings and conclusions of this ex-post evaluation accompanied by its observations and follow-up, to the European Parliament, the Council and the Member States. This ex-post evaluation may be discussed at the request of Member States or the European Parliament. The results shall feed into the preparation of future programmes and actions and resource allocation. This ex- post evaluation and follow-up shall be made publicly available.
Amendment 548 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 25 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
Article 25 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3
The Commission shall, to an appropriate extent, associate all relevant stakeholders, including Beneficiaries, social partners, civil society organisations regional and local authorities in the evaluation process of the Union’s funding provided under this Regulation, and may, where appropriate, seek to undertake joint evaluations with the Member States and other partners with close involvement of the Beneficiaries.
Amendment 549 #
2023/0397(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 2
Article 26 – paragraph 2
2. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Article 18s 13, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 24 shall be conferred on the Commission for an indeterminate period from the date of entry into force of this Regulation.
Amendment 5 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)
Citation 12 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 23 June 2022 on the Future of EU international investment policy,
Amendment 9 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
– having regard to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, including the Paris Agreement of 2015,
Amendment 10 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 b (new)
Citation 16 b (new)
– having regard to the UN Convention on Biological diversity and its Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework of 2022,
Amendment 18 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the modernised EU-Chile Advanced Framework Agreement (‘the Agreement’) has the potential to considerably strengthen cooperation between Chile and the EU and extend it to new areas, promoting common values and principles;
Amendment 24 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EU is Chile’s third largest trading partner and its largest source of foreign direct investment; whereas the EU and Chile share a commitment to promoting an open, sustainable, rules- and values-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core; whereas according to the SIA, the EU largest gains in value-added are in the machinery and automotive sectors, while Chile’s main export gains will come from a handful of goods sectors such as vegetables, fruits and nuts, beverages and tobacco;
Amendment 28 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the EU has reformed investment protection provisions, replaced ISDS with the investment court system (ICS) and launched multilateral negotiations for an investment court, which are significant steps in the right direction for a modernised and sustainable investment policy; whereas much more remains to be done to advance this reform agenda, notably with regard to substantive rights and obligations for investors; whereas the ICS will replace the old bilateral investment protection treaties that Chile has concluded with 16 EU Member states;
Amendment 30 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas Chile is one of the world’s most open economies and depends strongly on international trade; whereas over the past decades, export-oriented agriculture has progressively increased and this trend has gone hand in hand with a decrease of local family farming; whereas agriculture and mining are key sectors for the Chilean economy and their expansion as a result of the trade agreement could further push the asymmetries between the EU's and the Chilean economies and lead to increased environmental pressure especially on fresh water, ecosystems, local communities and smallholder farms; whereas these risks must be carefully addressed and closely monitored;
Amendment 36 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas Chile is the EU’s main lithium provider and already now there is a zero tariff on trade in lithium products between the EU and Chile; whereas most of the expected gains for the EU in this sector will come from new disciplines such as investment protection, the prohibition of export and import monopolies, the restriction of dual prices and the elimination of export restrictions to the EU; whereas it is in the interest of both Chile and the EU to foster Chile’s ability to build up its own domestic industrial capacity in this sector, in particular by generating value added through the domestic processing and transformation of raw materials;
Amendment 38 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
D b. whereas according to the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), out of all South American countries, Chile experienced by far the worst increase in drought severity between 2010 and 2019; whereas increased mining and extractive activities, in particular in the lithium sector, will most likely affect the availability and quality of fresh water for local communities;
Amendment 42 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas the EU’s approach to TSD chapters aims at making the respect of ILO core labour rights and of the Paris Agreement essential elements of trade agreements;
Amendment 43 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
D c. whereas trade and investment policies should contribute to raising social, environmental and animal welfare standards and ensure full respect for fundamental rights, particularly local communities and indigenous peoples’ rights, the right to adequate food and the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas;
Amendment 46 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights the geopolitical significance of strong bi-regional relations between the EU and the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the political importance of robust bilateral relations between the EU and Chile based onthat promote the highest social and environmental standards including through the modernisation of the association agreement, among others;
Amendment 52 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Emphasises that the EU’s strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean needs to be implemented swiftly based on joint priorities; highlights the importance of joining forces with CELAC countries to promote peace and security, democracy, the rule of law and human rights, as well as to tackle global challenges such as climate change, the biodiversity crisis, gender based violence and corruption;
Amendment 63 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that the 2002 EU-Chile Association Agreement has been a success story, as it provides a clear legal framework for regular dialogues and allows discussion on many areas of common interest;
Amendment 65 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the fact that the Agreement contains robust provisions on democratic principles, human rights and the rule of law, as well as a commitment to prot; notes nevertheless the lack of concrete provisions that enable indigenous peoples and local communities to be consulted in accordance with the ILO convention 169 on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; urges for the full respect of the rights ofFree, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of local communities and indigenous peoples;
Amendment 69 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Highlights that the Advanced Framework Agreement will be implemented in complex social contexts; stresses, in this regard, that the role of human rights defenders and whistle- blowers, among others, is crucial and needs to be protected;
Amendment 81 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Regrets the lack of binding commitments or mandatory actions with regard to part II: Political dialogue and sectoral cooperation; reiterates the need to have a coherent general architecture linking the different parts of the agreement in order to ensure the enforceability of the human rights commitments;
Amendment 88 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Welcomes that the TRQs for beef and sheep no longer include an automatic annual increase, as this is now replaced by a fixed amount that will ensure a more stable and clearly limited market access for Chilean meat products in the future; regrets that there has been no inclusion of animal welfare and environmental conditions to be applied to specific market concessions, as was done in the Agreement with New Zealand in excluding import of meat from intensive feedlot systems; stresses the importance of making trade concessions conditional on meeting production standards equal to those in the EU; calls for the inclusion of animal welfare and environmental conditions to be applied to future or revised trade concessions;
Amendment 92 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19 b. Welcomes the commitment of the Parties to phase out antibiotics as growth promoters in animal production and urges the Parties to develop joint action plans towards that aim;
Amendment 97 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the inclusion of a stand- alone dedicated chapter on trade and gender, the first of its kind in an EU trade agreement, which includes a number of binding commitments to eliminate discrimination against women, promote women’s economic empowerment and ensure that international trade benefits all; expects the Commission to build on this precedent in all future trade negotiations; notes however that these commitments are not legally enforceable as there are no legal consequences in the event of breach of its provisions;
Amendment 101 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Underlines the relevance of cooperating in the area of sustainable food systems; welcomes the new stand-alone chapter on Sustainable Food Systems, in which the EU and Chile agree on a range of cooperation priorities on aspects such as antibiotics, animal welfare, the sustainability of the food chain and on pesticides; regrets, however, that the ambition falls short of the Farm to Fork Strategy and remains focused on cooperation; calls on both parties to develop an ambitious cooperation plan on sustainable food systems aiming to ensure that the trade agreement does not contradict a strategy towards sustainable home-grown fruit and vegetables, promoting healthy quality food and regenerative agricultural practices; considers that cooperation on SFS is an opportunity to make effective progress on the commitments set in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas and agriculture-oriented ILO Conventions such as C129 on labour inspection in agriculture, C010 on minimum age in agriculture and C011 on the right of association in agriculture;
Amendment 111 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Emphasises that the provisions on investment liberalisation and investment protection willshould further boost investment in both directions by guaranteeing that investors from both sides will be granted fair and non-discriminatory treatment; stresses that these provisions are fully aligned with the EU’s reformed approach on investment protectionclosely follow the EU’s reformed approach on investment protection, which includes the creation of a fixed roster of arbitrators, an appeal mechanism, a code of conduct for arbitrators and improved transparency in arbitration proceedings; regrets however that the protection standards for investors contain the commitments to “fair and equitable treatment” and “indirect expropriation”, hence well beyond non- discrimination, which still allow a large margin of interpretation to arbitrators and risk damaging the legitimate right to regulate for public authorities; highlights that the ICS still constitutes international arbitration and stresses that, unlike in national courts, arbitrators on the ICS roster would have discretion not to necessarily take into consideration relevant public interest laws when interpreting the substantive provisions enshrined in IIAs; regrets that arbitrators would still be paid on a case-by-case basis;
Amendment 114 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Regrets that the scope of the “covered investment” concept remains very broad and, contrary to other recent Investment protection chapters such as the one negotiated with Canada, protects speculative investments such as futures, options and other derivatives and short term investments, such as portfolio investments, that do not necessarily involve substantial presence of the investor in Chile;
Amendment 116 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22 b. Stresses that global efforts to combat climate change will require a rapid transition to renewable energy and fast government action to reduce reliance on fossil fuels; urges the Parties to ensure alignment of Investment protection provisions with environmental policies, labour rights and human rights; Regrets that the Agreement allows protection for investments in fossil fuels and in other economic activities that are harmful to the environment according to the EU legislative framework;
Amendment 120 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Highlights that the Agreement preservescontains provisions dealing with the right of governments to regulate in the public interest, for example in order to protect public health, consumers or the environment; underlines, however, that these provisions do not prevent states from having to comply with obligations established under the investment protection chapter, nor do they preclude investment claims or damages following the exercising of that right; is concerned that policy decision-making might therefore be delayed or decisions watered down;
Amendment 123 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Emphasises that EU and Chilean companies will be able to benefit from improved access to public procurement markets for goods, services and work at (sub-)central level; highlights the enhanced transparency requirements; stresses the need to take into account environmental and social considerations throughout the procurement procedure;
Amendment 126 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26 a. Regrets that patent protection periods established in the Intellectual property Rights chapter go beyond WTO requirements and could have negative impact in terms of access to affordable medicines;
Amendment 130 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Highlights that Chile has the potential to play a major role in the global green and just transitions, that should equally benefit the development of its own industrial capacities along with high social and environmental standards; notes that the development and scaling up of the Chilean renewable energy sector will require massivesufficient policy space and massive predictable and sustainable development- oriented investments, including from EU companies; welcomes the creation of a European initiative for the development of renewable hydrogen in Chile;
Amendment 132 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Emphasises Chile’s leading role as a major supplier of critical raw materials, including those that are essential for the green and digital transitions, such as lithium and copper; stresses that the Agreement will ensure non-discriminatory access of EU companies to Chilean raw materials, while; notes with concern that the provisions dealing with dual pricing and export monopoly restrictions do not leavinge sufficient policy space for Chile to create local added value; believes that the EU should and develop further its local industrial capacity in order to move away from its current role of raw material supplier; regrets that current lithium mining projects do not require the involvement or consultation of indigenous populations, which is not in line with ILO convention 169 on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the UN Free Prior and Informed Consent Principle and calls on the parties to recognise and fully respect these rights throughout the Agreement; calls on the EU to actively support Chile in its efforts to move up the value chain; is convinced that the exploitation of raw materials should go hand in hand with efforts to reduce energy use, should be carried out in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner, and that it should benefit local communities, including indigenous communities; in this regard, calls on the Parties to swiftly develop a roadmap, involving Chilean civil society and local communities, with the aim of minimising and mitigating the negative impact of the mining sector on the environment, in particular on water and biodiversity, and on access to land and public health for local communities and indigenous peoples;
Amendment 139 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Welcomes the factNotes that the chapter on trade and sustainable development (TSD) contains ambitious and binding commitments on environmental and labour standards that are outcome oriented; regrets however that the core ILO conventions and the Paris Agreement are not essential elements of the Agreement, as these are not subject to the general dispute settlement mechanism; regrets that the TSD chapter does not include any obligation to refrain from any action or omission which materially defeats the object and purpose of the Paris Agreement; notes that in their joint statement on trade and sustainable development attached to the Agreement, the EU and Chile commit to reviewing the Agreement’s TSD provisions upon itsthe entry into force of the interim trade agreement;
Amendment 148 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Welcomes the inclusion of the rights of indigenous peoples under the TSD chapter; notes that ILO Convention No 169 is but regrets that this provision is not legally enforceable; regrets that ILO Convention No 169 and the UN Free Prior and informed consent principle enshrined in the UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) are not explicitly mentioned; acknowledges that this convention isand the UN Declaration are key for upholding the rights of indigenous peoples in Chile and the EU when it comes to our trade relations; stresses the importance of abiding by ILO Convention No 169 and UNDRIP; stresses that the provisions of the TSD chapter in relation to Biological diversity and in particular on the preservation of indigenous and local communities practices and knowledge and on the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of genetic resources in consistency with the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity should guide the interpretation of the IPR chapter of the Agreement;
Amendment 151 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Notes that in the joint statement, both sides commit to considering the possibility of including the Paris Agreement on Climate Change as an essential element of the Agreement in the context of the review of the TSD provisions, as well as the provisions on investment protection; expects the TSD review to make the TSD chapter subject to the general dispute settlement chapter; calls on the Parties to implement such review as soon as possible in the framework of the interim FTA; calls on both Parties to review the Investment protection provisions in line with Parliament recommendations in its “Future of EU international investment” report;
Amendment 152 #
2023/0260R(NLE)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Welcomes an institutionalised mechanism for involving civil society organisations in the implementation of the Agreement; calls on the Commission and on the Chilean authorities to ensure the active and meaningful involvement of civil society, including NGOs and indigenous representatives, in the monitoring of the Agreement’s implementation; calls on the Commission to evaluate the functioning of DAGs in EU trade Agreements already in place in the region in order to identify shortcomings in this regard and take necessary measures to correct them;
Amendment 83 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Given the damage fromcaused by Russia’s war of aggression to the Ukrainian economy, society and infrastructure, the support to the countryUkraine will require significant support to maintain its functions, as well as short term relief, and assistance for fast recovery, reconstruction and modernisation of the country. Ukraine will require comprehensive support to re"build the economy, toback better" through a people- centred recovery that focuses on sustainable development and green transition, improves inclusiveness and cohesion, reduces inequality, and create the foundations ofor a free and prosperous country, anchored in European values, well integrated into the European and global economy, and progressing well on its path offast towards accession to the European Union.
Amendment 89 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) In this context, it is necessary to set up a medium-term single instrument that brings together the bilateral support provided by the Union to Ukraine, ensuring coordination and efficiency. To that end, it is necessary to establish a Ukraine Facility (‘the Facility’), providing a balance between flexibility and programmability of the Union’s response to address Ukraine’s financing gap, recovery, reconstruction and modernisation needs, while at the same time supporting Ukraine’s reforms effort as part its accession path to the Union. The establishment of the Facility does not alter Ukraine’s financial commitments under MFA+.
Amendment 92 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) The Ukraine Facility should be underpinned by a coherent and prioritised plan for reconstruction (the ‘Ukraine Plan’), prepared by the Government of Ukraine, providing a structured and predictable framework for the recovery, reconstruction and modernisation of Ukraine, that follows a logic of commitments and payments and is clearly articulated with Union accession requirements.
Amendment 98 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) Humanitarian aid, defence or support to Member States providing protection for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war should be provided outside the Facilityhumanely, adequately, consistently and in timely manner provided outside the Facility and constructively coordinated with other donors. In addition, Ukraine may continue to benefit from relevant existing Union programmes.
Amendment 100 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) The Facility should contribute to closing the funding gap of Ukraine until 2027, by providing grants and highly concessional financial relief in a predictable, continuous, orderly and timely manner, based on the reconstruction plans of Ukraine. The assistance should support macro-financial stability in Ukraine, and ease Ukraine’s external financing constraints, by boosting Ukraine’s competitiveness and unlocking its great innovative potential in a social and sustainable manner. In the interest of ensuring Ukraine’s debt sustainability, preference should be given to grants.
Amendment 101 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) Under the new Facility, investment in Ukraine’s sustainable recovery, reconstruction and modernisation should start as a matter of urgency to provide decent living conditions for the Ukrainian population and reconstruct critical infrastructure, to ensure generation of employment and revenues and progressively lower the volume of international assistance needed, while also ensuring the mitigation of pressing environmental damage and supporting Ukraine in the dual green and digital transition.
Amendment 103 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) The Facility should tie the recovery, reconstruction and modernisation closely to the Union perspectiveaccession requirements and process, by linking financial support to the fulfilment of reforms and investments in view of accession.
Amendment 104 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) The medium-term perspective provided by the Ukraine Plan through a single instrument should also encouragemean building back better, while encouraging and leading Ukraine to channel investments and reforms towards the transition to a green, sustainable. digital and inclusive economy, and help mobilise like-minded donors for multiannual contributions to support Ukraine. To this end, in particular environmental civil society organisations on the ground will be proactively consulted. Investments should be fully aligned with the EU climate and environmental acquis, especially the Do-No-Significant-Harm- Principle and the Taxonomy Regulation, and should contribute to the implementation of the Ukrainian National Climate and Energy Plan.
Amendment 107 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) The recovery, reconstruction and modernisation effort should build on Ukraine’s ownership, close cooperation and coordination with supporting countries and organisations, and Ukraine’s path towards accession to the Union. Regional and local administrations are also expected to play an important roles well as Ukrainian civil society organisations and experts are also expected to play an important role in this process by fully participating in its design and scrutiny. Peer-to-peer cooperation and programmes embedded in partnerships between cities and regions in the Union and those in Ukraine should enrich and accelerate the recovery, reconstruction and modernisation process.
Amendment 110 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) The Union should also fosterensure the involvement in policy shaping, close consultation and association of local and regional authorities, which embrace a large variety of sub-national levels and branches of government, including regions, municipalities, rayons and hromadas and their associations, as well as theirclose consultation and participation of Ukrainian civil society organisations and experts and ensure their meaningful participation in the recovery, reconstruction and modernisation of Ukraine, based on sustainable development and through the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals at local and regional level. The Union should recognise and support the multiple roles played by the local authorities and civil society actors as promoters of a territorial and inclusive approach to local development, including decentralisation processes, participation and accountability, and further enhance its support for local authorities’ capacity buildingnd regional authorities’ and civil society organisations’ capacity building by including them actively in the governance of the Facility’s funds.
Amendment 116 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 25
Recital 25
(25) Given the uncertainties linked to the war, it is appropriate that the Facility should be able to provide support to Ukraine in duly justified exceptional circumstances, in particular in the event of a significant deterioration of the war, and in order to maintain its macro-financial stability and to ensure the achievement of the objectives of the Facility. Such exceptional financing should only be provided, through a Council implementing decision upon a proposal by the Commissiondelegated act, if it is concluded that it is impossible for Ukraine to fulfil the conditions attached to the forms of support under this Regulation, when it is the beneficiary of the support, and should cease as soon as the fulfilment of the conditions becomes possible again. Such financing should not affect funding from other specific Union instruments which should be mobilised in case of natural disasters or other humanitarian or civil protection emergencies.
Amendment 124 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 31
Recital 31
(31) Reconstruction from the damage caused by the war of Russian aggression cannot be limited to rebuilding what was destroyed as it was before the war. The reconstruction offers an opportunity to support Ukraine in its process of integration into the Single Market and in accelerating its sustainable green and digital transitions, in line with Union policies. The Facility should promote reconstruction in a way that modernises and improves Ukraine’s economy and society, buildingas well as nature and environmental reconstruction and restoration in a way that modernises and improves Ukraine’s economy and benefits the whole society, in particular through building back better with the highest energy efficiency standards with emphasis on decentralised renewable energy networks and by prioritizing the use of materials ethically sourced locally or in the EU. The Facility should build on Union rules and standards, byand investing in the transition of Ukraine towards a green, sustainable, digital and inclusive economy as well as ind in the recovery, reconstruction and modernisation of its critical infrastructure, productive capacity and human capital in a resilient way.
Amendment 135 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 33
Recital 33
(33) In this context, measures funded under the Facility should be guided by the principles of ‘do no harm’ and ‘leaving no one behind’. fully compliant with the ‘do no significant harm’ principle and be guided by the ‘leaving no one behind’ principle. The Facility and Ukraine Plan should be subject to strategic environmental impact assessment procedures in order to identify and properly mitigate potential negative environmental and social impacts. The right for public access to information for civil society organisations and individuals including the right to access environmental information should be ensured as well as the full compliance with the Aarhus Convention.
Amendment 136 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 34
Recital 34
(34) The implementation of this Regulation should be guided by the principles of equality, inclusivity, and non- discrimination, as elaborated in the Union of Equality strategies. It should promotensure women’s meaningful participation in decision making processes, promote and advance gender equality and mainstreaming, the empowerment of women and girls, and seek to protect and promote women’s and girls’their rights in line with the EU Gender Action Plans and relevant Council conclusions and international conventions. The Facility should support the recovery of Ukraine’s immensely traumatised society through well-funded, proactive and targeted mental health and trauma care as a necessity for a healthy post-war society, with a particular focus on children. The implementation of the Facility should be in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and ensure relevant stakeholder involvement in decision making processes as well as accessibility in its investments and technical assistance.
Amendment 140 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 35
Recital 35
(35) Strengthening the rule of law, including the independence of the judiciary, the fight against corruption, money laundering and organised crime, as well as transparency, good governance at all level as well as any kind of nepotism or favouritism, money laundering, tax avoidance, tax evasion, tax fraud and organised crime, as well as strengthening transparency particularly through reinstating the electronic declarations for Ukrainian officials and making them public immediately and retrospectively, including public access to information, good governance at all levels, and participation of civil society organisations and experts, safeguarding the free and pluralistic media and fighting disinformation, strengthening public administration reform, including in the fields of public procurement, competition and State aid, remain key challenges and are essential for Ukraine to come closer to the Union and to prepare to fully assume the obligations of Union membership. In view of the longer-term nature of the reforms pursued in those areas and the need to build up track records, support under the Ukraine Facility should address those issues as early as possible.
Amendment 141 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 35
Recital 35
(35) Strengthening the rule of law, including the independence of the judiciary, the fight against corruption, money laundering as well as any kind of nepotism or favouritism, money laundering, tax avoidance, tax evasion, tax fraud and organised crime, as well as strengthening transparency, good governance at all levels, including public access to information,good governance at all levels, and participation of civil society organisations and experts,safeguarding the free and pluralistic media and fighting disinformation, strengthening public administration reform, including in the fields of public procurement, competition and State aid, remain key challenges and are essential for Ukraine to come closer to the Union and to prepare to fully assume the obligations of Union membership. In view of the longer-term nature of the reforms pursued in those areas and the need to build up track records, support under the Ukraine Facility should address those issues as early as possible.
Amendment 146 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 36
Recital 36
(36) In accordance with the principles of participatory democracy and checks and balances, the Union should encourage the strengthening of parliamentary capacities, parliamentary oversight, democratic procedures and fair representation in Ukraine. as well as meaningful participation of regions and municipalities, as well as of civil society at all stages of the democratic process allowing for enhanced democratic scrutiny. The Ukraine Plan should demonstrate how meaningful participation of stakeholders was planned and conducted in a way that it had significant influence on the outcome of the process via consultations, with sufficient timeframes and transparency, and clear follow-up procedures to input given.
Amendment 149 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 38
Recital 38
(38) Actions under the Ukraine Facility should also support, where appropriate, confidence-building measures and processes that promote justice, truth- seeking, reparations and guarantees of non- recurrence as well as collection of evidence of crimes committed during the war. The Ukraine Facility should also respond to the healthcare needs, including the mental health needs, of Ukraine’s immensely traumatised society.
Amendment 152 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 39
Recital 39
(39) The support under the Facility should be made available under the precondition that Ukraine continues to respect parliamentary democracy, effective democratic mechanisms and institutions, including appropriate checks and balances, a multi-party parliamentary system, and the rule of lawgood governance at all levels, free and fair elections as appropriate in line with Ukraine’s constitution, and the rule of law with an independent judiciary and public prosecutor, and to guarantee respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.
Amendment 156 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 40
Recital 40
(40) The support under the Ukraine Facility, including to Ukraine’s path toward accession, should be provided to meet general and specific objectives, milestones and targets, based on established criteria and timeframes and with clear conditionalities.
Amendment 160 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 42
Recital 42
(42) In line with the European Pillar of Social Rights, the Facility should support solidarity, integration, and social justice with the aim of creating and sustaining quality employment and sustainable growth, ensuring equality of, and access to, opportunities and social protection, protecting vulnerable groups and persons at-risk and improving living standards. The Facility should support a comprehensive reform of the child protection and care system, including through the transition from institutional to family and community-based care for all children. The Facility should also contribute to fighting poverty and tackling unemployment and lead to quality job creation, the inclusion and integration of disadvantaged groups. The Facility should provide for investment opportunities in skills including through vocational education and training aiming to prepare the workforce to the digital and green transitions. It should also enable the strengthening of social dialogue, infrastructure and services.
Amendment 168 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 46
Recital 46
(46) As the recovery, reconstruction and modernisation needs are substantial, and cannot be covered by the Union budget alone, both public and private investments should play a role. The Facility should enable the mobilisation of both public and private investments and should allow for the possibility to scale up support for investments in long-term reconstruction when circumstances allow, also considering implementation and absorption capacity of Ukraine. The mobilisation of private investment via the Facility should ensure the long term competitiveness and innovative capacity of Ukraine.
Amendment 188 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 59
Recital 59
(59) The Commission in consultation with the European Parliament, and the Member States should ensure the compliance, coherence, consistency and complementarity of their assistance, in particular through regular consultations and frequent exchanges of information during the different phases of the assistance cycle with all relevant stakeholders, including at local and regional level. In light of the presence of various international donors, the necessary steps should also be taken to ensure better coordination and complementarity with other donors, including through regular consultations or the development of a memorandum of understanding between donors. In this regard, the Multi- Agency Donor Coordination Platform should be used as an already established forum for such exchange.
Amendment 192 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 65
Recital 65
(65) Under pillar I of the Facility, financing should be provided to support the implementation of the Ukraine Plan setting out the reform and investment agenda of Ukraine towards the achievement of the general and specific objectives, milestones and targets of the Facility, which should also be integrated in an economic and fiscal policy framework. Financing under this pillar should be provided upon satisfactory fulfilment of the specific conditions set out in the Plan. A methodology for payment in case of partial fulfilment as well as for delays should be agreed as part of the Plan. The Plan should be accompanied by detailed operational and financial agreements.
Amendment 194 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 66
Recital 66
(66) Ukraine should prepare the Plan as a coherent, comprehensive and adequately balanced response to rebuilding and modernising Ukraine, supporting its economic, social and environmental recovery, sustainable development, and its progress towards accession to the Union, according to the objectives and requirements outlined under the Facility. As such, the Ukraine Plan would also provide a basis for other donors to identify the priority funding areas for the reconstruction of Ukraine and foster ownership, coherence and additional contributions to that end. For that purpose, Ukraine should ensure that the Plan as prepared covers its recovery, reconstruction and modernisation needs in an integrated manner, identifying to what extent the measures of the Plan are expected to be financed by the Union through the Facility. In preparing the Plan, Ukraine should take into account support provided under other Union programmes. Ukraine should develop its Plan ensuring that other donors are able to contribute to supporting the measures of the Plan, including by increasing the funding available under the Facility.
Amendment 196 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 66 a (new)
Recital 66 a (new)
(66a) In case of increases of funding of the Facility via Union Funds after the agreement of the Plan, Ukraine should add measures, including their corresponding milestones and targets as additions to the plan.
Amendment 197 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 68
Recital 68
(68) The Ukraine Plan should include reform and investment measures, along with the qualitative and quantitative steps that warrant satisfactory fulfilment of those measures, and an indicative timetable for the implementation of those measures via milestones and targets. Measures started from 1 January 2023 onwards should be eligible.
Amendment 198 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 69
Recital 69
(69) The Plan should set out conditions reflecting progress expected to be made in the implementation of the measures it contains. Those conditions should take the form of qualitative or quantitative steps. Those steps should be planned for no later than 31 December 2027, although the overall completion of the measures to which such steps refer may extend beyond 2027, while completion after 2027 should be financially feasible as can be foreseen at the point of agreeing of the Plan. Given the need to ensure the macro- financial stability of Ukraine while supporting its recovery, reconstruction and modernisation efforts in view of the accession to the Union, the Plan should, in particular, include conditions linked to (i) essential requirements, such as macro- financial stability, budget oversight, and public financial management, which may be defined so as to reflect satisfactory progress towards fulfilment; and (ii) sectoral and structural reforms and investments set out in the Plan. Payments should be structured accordingly around such categories of conditions, reflecting the objectives of the Facility.
Amendment 199 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 70
Recital 70
(70) The preparation and implementation by Ukraine of the Plan should take particular account of the situation in Ukraine’s regions and municipalities, having regard to their specific needs for recovery and reconstruction, reform, modernisation and decentralisation, and should be done in meaningful and non-discriminatory consultation with regional, local, urban and other public authorities and civil society organisations and experts, in accordance with the multi-level governance principle and taking into account a bottom-up approach. In this context, the Plan should in particular enhance the economic, social, environmental and territorial development of Ukraine’s regions and municipalities, support the decentralisation reform across Ukraine and convergence towards the Union’s standards; it should also ensure the involvement of sub-national authorities, in particular municipalities, and subnational civil society organisations, in decision- making on the use of support in the reconstruction process at local level, and that the reconstruction projects selected and implemented by such sub-national authorities constitute an adequately substantial share of the support. A chapter of the plan should outline how the relevant stakeholders have been consulted without bias and sufficient time, where their inputs have been reflected in the Plan and where they have been disregarded, and an annex shall detail their inputs.
Amendment 203 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 71
Recital 71
(71) The Plan should also include an explanation of Ukraine’s system and measures to effectively prevent, detect and correct irregularities, corruption, fraud and conflicts of interests, when using the funds provided under the Facility, and the arrangements that aim to avoid double funding from the Facility and other Union programmes as well as other donors. Measures under the Plan should, where appropriate, contribute to ensuringe an efficient management and control system. Such measures should be implemented by Ukraine by an indicative date which cshould be set, as appropriate depending on each measure, over the course of the lifetime of the Facility.
Amendment 204 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 72
Recital 72
(72) The Commission should publish the Ukraine Plan when received. The Commission should assess the Ukraine Plan based on the list of criteria set out in this Regulation, after consulting the European Parliament on the submitted plan. In view of the importance of the financial effects of the support to Ukraine Plan, implementing powers should be conferred on the Councilthe Commission should be empowered to adopt a delegated act. In case of a positive assessment of the Plan, the Commission should submit a proposal for the approval of the Plan by the Council, after consulting the European Parliament.
Amendment 205 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 73
Recital 73
(73) Given the uncertainties and the need for flexibility in the implementation of the Facility, it should be possible for Ukraine to make a reasoned request to the Commission to make a proposal to amend the Council implementing decisiondelegated act, where the Ukraine Plan, including relevant qualitative and quantitative steps, is no longer achievable by Ukraine, either partially or totally, because of objective circumstances. The Commission may, in agreement with Ukraine, also make a proposal to amend the Council implementing decisiondelegated act, in particular to take into account a change of the amounts available, which in cases of increases of the amounts should also result in respective new measures with corresponding milestones and targets. Ukraine should also be able to make a reasoned request to amend the Plan, including by proposing addenda where relevant, to take into account additional funding available from other donors or from other sources, such as revenue generated on frozen and immobilised Russian assets.
Amendment 208 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 78
Recital 78
(78) It is important to guarantee both flexibility and programmability as well as stability in providing Union support to Ukraine. For that purpose, payments under the Facility should occur according to a fixed quarterly schedule, subject to availability of funding, based on a payment request submitted by Ukraine and following verification by the Commission of the satisfactory fulfilment of the relevant conditions, including all relevant milestones and targets. In case a condition is not fulfilled in accordance with the indicative timeline set in the decision approving the Plan, the Commission should deduct from the payment an amount corresponding to those conditions following a pre-set methodology for partial fulfillment. The disbursement of the corresponding withheld funds could take place during the next payment window and up to twelve months after the original deadline set out in the indicative timeline, provided the conditions have been fulfilled.
Amendment 212 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 81
Recital 81
(81) Transparency in all phases of the implementation of the Facility is an important requirement ofongoing prerequisite to Union support. Ukraine should publish twice a yearup to date data on persons and entit, entities and final beneficiaries receiving amounts of funding exceeding the equivalent of EUR 500 000 for the implementation of reforms and investments specified in the Ukraine Plan. The information should not be published where disclosure risks threatening the rights and freedoms of the persons or entities concerned or seriously harming the commercial interests of the recipientsdisclosure of legal entities beneficial owner should be a mandatory precondition for the reception of funding. In addition, a list of the 2000 largest final beneficiaries shall be kept up to date and published by Ukraine. The information may not be published, if duly justified, where disclosure risks threatening the rights and freedoms of the persons or entities concerned or seriously harming the commercial interests of the recipients. In these cases, the information should be communicated to the European Commission and Audit Board, which in cases of misuse of these exceptional conditions can decide to withhold funds for an amount corresponding to three times the amount of the funds concerned by the failure to disclose. The framework agreement should include precise rules and a timeframe on the collection of data by Ukraine and the access for the Commission and OLAF, including as regards the format of the information and access to information rights for the European and Ukrainian public, as well as the Ukrainian and the European Parliament.
Amendment 218 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 84
Recital 84
(84) The flexibility of the support under the Facility should be enhanced by providing for flexible implementation of the Ukraine Guarantee, which might be granted gradually and regionally. It is appropriate to derogate from Article 211(2), second sentence, of the second subparagraph of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 to allow the constitution of provisioning until 31 December 2027 to be equal to the amount of provisioning corresponding to the guarantee granted instead of the amount of global provisioning. As part of the derogation, it should also be possible to constitute the provisioning gradually to reflect the progress in selection and implementation of the financing and investment operations supporting the objectives of the Facility, instead of reflecting the financial statement referred to in Article 211(2), second sentence, of the second subparagraph of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046.
Amendment 219 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 85
Recital 85
(85) In order to efficiently use the funds under this pillar, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union should be delegated to the Commission in respect of amending the provisioning rate for the Ukraine guarantee. It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level, as well as with the relevant committees of the European Parliament. The Commission, when preparing and drawing up delegated acts, should ensure a simultaneous, timely and appropriate transmission of relevant documents to the European Parliament and to the Council. Support under the Facility should also enhance twinning and partnership development initiatives with European peers aiming at enhancing expertise and capacity in Ukraine.
Amendment 220 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 86
Recital 86
(86) Under pillar III of the Facility, support should mainly aim at progressively aligning to Union rules, standards, policies and practices (‘acquis’) with a view to future Union membership, thereby contributing to the implementation of the Ukraine Plan. Relevant recommendations of international bodies, such as the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission should also be taken into account in this process. Support should also aim at strengthening stakeholders, including democratic institutions, courts, social partners, civil society organisations and local authorities’ capacities as well as the capacity building of civil society actors including in their public scrutiny role.
Amendment 223 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 87
Recital 87
(87) In accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046, Regulation (EU, Euratom) 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulations (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95, (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 and (EU) 2017/1939, the financial interests of the Union are to be protected by means of proportionate measures, including measures relating to the prevention, detection, correction and investigation of irregularities, fraud, corruption, conflict of interest, double funding, to the recovery of funds lost, wrongly paid or incorrectly used. The Commission services should be provided with sufficient administrative capacities and personnel to ensure these objectives.
Amendment 225 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 88
Recital 88
(88) In particular, in accordance with Regulations (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 and (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) should be in a position to carry out administrative investigations, including on- the-spot checks and inspections, with a view to establishing whether there has been fraud, corruption or any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests of the Union. OLAF should be provided with sufficient administrative capacities and personnel to conduct these investigations, on-the-spot checks and inspections.
Amendment 228 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 89
Recital 89
(89) In accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046, the necessary rights and access should be granted to the Commission, the European Parliament, OLAF, the European Court of Auditors and, where applicable the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) where relevant, including from third parties involved in the implementation of Union funds. Ukraine should also use the Early Detection and Exclusion System and report irregularities in relation to the use of the funds to the Commission.
Amendment 231 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 90
Recital 90
(90) The reinforcement of internal control systems, the fight against corruptionincluding ex-ante controls, the fight against any forms of corruption, nepotism, favouritism or fraud, the promotion of transparency, good administration, and efficient public financial management, and verification by an independent external auditor, are important reform priorities for Ukraine and should be supported by the Facility.
Amendment 234 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 90 a (new)
Recital 90 a (new)
(90a) As a measure of public accountability, the Government of Ukraine, including the relevant Ministers and the President, should inform the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine regularly on the implementation of the Ukraine Plan through oral reports. Provision of all relevant information in time to the Ukrainian Rada, allowing for an interactive interinstitutional dialogue at least every 3 months with relevant cabinet members is key to enable transparency both for elected officials as well as the Ukrainian press and public. Reporting enabling oversight should also be provided as part of the yearly approval of the Ukrainian budget, even where the EU Facility’s contributions are not part of that budget. Members of the relevant committees of the Ukrainian Rada should also be involved as observers in donor forums and reconstruction meetings with international partners and should be consulted before such meetings.
Amendment 235 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 91
Recital 91
(91) The Commission should ensure that the financial interests of the Union are effectively protected under the Facility. To this end, an independent Audit Board should be set up to provide the Commission with information on possible mismanagement of funds and guarantee that the correct level of assurance is obtained through an independent external audit. Such information should be made available to OLAF and where appropriate to the relevant Ukrainian authorities. The Commission, with the assistance of the Union delegation, should be entitled to perform checks on how Ukraine implements funds along the whole project life cycle. The Commission should be provided with sufficient funding and human resources to perform the audit and checks. The Audit Board should ensure regular dialogue and cooperation with the European Court of Auditors.
Amendment 243 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 92
Recital 92
(92) While it is primarily the responsibility of Ukraine to ensure that the Facility is implemented in compliance with applicable standards, taking into account the principle of proportionality and the specific conditions under which the Facility will operate, the Commission and the European Parliament should be able to receive sufficient assurance from Ukraine in that regard. To that end, Ukraine should commit in the Plan to improve its current management and control system and to recovering amounts misused. Ukraine should establish a monitoring system feeding into an annual progress report. Ukraine should collect data and information allowing the prevention, detection and correction of irregularities, fraud, corruption and conflicts of interests, in relation to the measures supported by the Facility. The framework agreement and the financing and loan agreements should provide for the obligations of Ukraine to ensure the collection of, and access to, adequate data on persons and entities receiving funding for the implementation of measures of the Ukraine Plan. These agreements should be made available to the European and Ukrainian Parliaments.
Amendment 244 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 93
Recital 93
(93) The Union financial interests should also be protected when the funds are implemented in direct management through grants and procurement and indirect management with pillar assessed entities, in particular under the second and third pillar of the Facility. Regular reporting should be a key of these measures as well.
Amendment 245 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 94
Recital 94
(94) Work programmes should be adopted to implement the assistance under the Facility and submitted to the European Parliament.
Amendment 248 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 95
Recital 95
(95) The communication capacities of Ukraine should be enhanced in order to ensure existence of strong and free pluralistic media and public support for andto promote understanding of Union values and the benefits and obligations of potential Union membership, while addressing disinformation. Visibility of the Union funding should also be ensured.
Amendment 251 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 1 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) Pillar I: financial support to be provided to Ukraine for the delivery of reforms and(the ‘Reform Component), investments to implement the Ukraine Plan (the ‘Reconstruction Component’), as well as to maintain macro- financial stability of the country (the ‘Stability Component’), as set out in Chapter III ;
Amendment 252 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 2
2. ‘Measures’ means reforms aund investments underer the Reform Component, investments under the Reconstruction Component, and budget support for macro-financial stability under the Stability Component as set out in the Ukraine Plan set outreferred to in Chapter III.
Amendment 254 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 3
3. ‘Conditions’ means qualitative or quantitative steps relating to ensuring the maintenance of economic and financial stability or relating to the effective implementation of the reforms and investmentmeasures set out in the Ukraine Plan set out in Chapter III.
Amendment 255 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4 a (new)
4a. ‘Resilience’ means the ability to face economic, social and environmental shocks or persistent structural changes in a fair, sustainable, and inclusive way.
Amendment 256 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4 b (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4 b (new)
4b. ‘Do no significant harm’ means not supporting or carrying out economic activities that do significant harm to any environmental objective, where relevant, within the meaning of Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/852.
Amendment 260 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) address the social, economic and environmental consequences of the war, thereby contributing to the recovery, reconstruction, restoration, and modernisation of the country;
Amendment 261 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(aa) provide temporary payment support, including for recurring expenses, as part of macro-economic assistance to ensure fiscal stability and the continued functioning of the Ukrainian State;
Amendment 262 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) foster democratic, social, economic and environmental resilience, territorial cohesion, and progressive integration into the Union and global economy and markets;
Amendment 263 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(ba) catalyse the green transition and the development of a carbon-neutral and competitive economy, including by building on Ukraine’s access to key natural resources in the green transition;
Amendment 264 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b b (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b b (new)
(bb) substantially improve access to capital, including through advancing the institutional banking and insurance framework, to strengthen entrepreneurial activity and advanced research and development;
Amendment 268 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) rebuild and modernise infrastructure damaged by the war, such as energy infrastructure, water systems, internal and cross-border transport networks including rail, roads and bridges and, border crossing points, educational and cultural infrastructure and foster modern, improved and resilient infrastructures, which support Ukraine's green transition and the decarbonisation process; restore food production capacities; help address social and health challenges stemming from the war, including for specific groups such as war veterans, Internally Displaced Persons, single parents, disabled people, minorities and other vulnerable persons; contribute to the demining effwar widows/widowers, children, especially those without parental care, disabled people, people with long term (mental) health conditions inflicted by the war, minorities, elderly people, and other persons at-risk; improve the level of accessibility of care, and Ukraine’s transition from institutional care to community-based support;
Amendment 280 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) foster the transition to a sustainable, climate neutral and inclusive economy and a stable and innovation-friendly investment environment; support the integration of Ukraine into the European Union’s Single Market; repair, rebuild and improve social infrastructure, such as housing, social and healthcare facilities, schoolswith a specific emphasis on trauma care, schools equipped with wartime facilities such as bomb shelters, and higher education institutions, and research infrastructure; strengthen economic and social development and inclusion, with particular attention to women and girls, and youth, including through quality education, training, reskilling and upskilling, and employment policies, including for researchers; support culture and cultural heritage; strengthen strategic economic sectors and supp, foster an institutional framework fort investment and private sector development, with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and innovation, as well as oncompetition to enable private citizens, micro- businesses, start-ups, and small and medium-sized business to develop modern and competitive products and services, increasing Ukraine’s capacity to sustainably process its natural resources and market value-add products,, as well as support for sustainable agriculture and rural development, aquaculture and fisheries; restructure Ukraine’s financial markets, including banking sector and capital markets, improving the access to loans and insurance coverage; increase domestic revenue mobilisation; strengthen Ukraine’s ability to trade;
Amendment 284 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) further strengthen the rule of law, democracy, the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including through strengthening democratic institutions, in particular the Verkhovna Rada, as well as regional and municipal representative bodies, and their powers of oversight and inquiry over the distribution of and access to public funds, promoting an independent judiciary, reinforced security, the fight against fraud, corruption, organised crime and money laundering, tax avoidance, tax evasion and tax fraud; open up oligopolistic markets, counter anti- competitive behaviour, nepotism, favouritism, and artificial barriers to market entry; strengthen compliance with international law; strengthen freedom of media and academic freedom and an enabling environment for civil society; foster social dialogue; promote non- discrimination and tolerance, to ensure and strengthen respect for the rights of persons belonging to minorities, including LGBTI people, and the promotion of gender equality; reinforce the effectiveness of public administration, gender mainstreaming and the overall empowerment of women and girls; reinforce the effectiveness of public administration, ensure access to information, ensure the participation of civil society in decision making processes and public scrutiny, and support transparency, structural reforms and good governance at all levels, including in the areas of public financial management and public procurement and State aid; support initiatives and bodies involved in supporting and enforcing international justice in Ukraine;
Amendment 297 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) develop and strengthen a sustainable green transition in all economic sectors, including the transition towards the decarbonisation of its economy; promote the digital transformation as an enabler for sustainable development and inclusive growthnet zero goal by 2050, in accordance with the Paris Agreement and the Green Deal; support climate change mitigation and adaptation; strengthen Ukraine’s natural habitat by supporting the creation of protected areas in line with the principles of the EU’ Natura 2000 network; improve the awareness of and fight against environmental crime through the full implementation of the Kyiv Protocol on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers and ensuring compliance with nature protection law; promote the digital transformation as an enabler for sustainable development and inclusive growth; ensure ecological restoration following the environmental damages inflicted by the war and contribute to decontamination, the demining effort and clearance of other explosive remnants of war as well as oil or chemical pollution caused by military activity; contribute to the efforts to document, map and measure the damage and related consequences;
Amendment 298 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point f
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point f
(f) support political and administrative decentralisation and local development, especially by ensuring meaningful consultation and a level playing field for all levels of government when accessing funds via open, fair, neutral, and transparent procedures.
Amendment 301 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
1. Cooperation under the Facility shall be based on and shall promote the development effectiveness principles, where applicable, across all modalities, namely ownership of development priorities by Ukraine, a focus on results, inclusive development partnerships, transparency and mutual accountability. The cooperation shall be based on needs- based, effective and efficient resources allocation and use. All parties shall take utmost care to avoid, report and counter any corrupt practices, nepotism, favouritism or undue regional or sectoral concentration of resource allocation or use.
Amendment 303 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. Support from the Facility shall be additional to the support provided under other Union programmes and instruments. Activities eligible for funding under this Regulation may receive support from other Union programmes and instruments provided that such support does not cover the same cost and that appropriate oversight and budget control is established.
Amendment 305 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 3
Article 4 – paragraph 3
3. In order to promote the complementarity and efficiency of their action and initiative, the Commission and the Member States shall cooperate and shall strive to avoid duplication between assistance under this Regulation and other assistance provided by the Union, the Member States, third countries, multilateral and regional organisations and entities, such as international organisations and the relevant International Financial Institutions, agencies and non-Union donors, in line with the established principles for strengthening operational coordination in the field of external assistance, including through enhanced coordination with Member States at local level and through the harmonisation of policies and procedures, in particular the international principles on development effectiveness. The Commission shall facilitate the establishment and coordination of decentralised implementation frameworks and know- how for resource allocation and use, with a particular emphasis on supporting SMEs and civil society actors.
Amendment 307 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 4
Article 4 – paragraph 4
4. Activities under the Facility must comply with the climate and environmental standards of the EU and all spending must be subject to Environmental Impact Assessment procedures. Activities under the Facility shall mainstream climate change mitigation and adaptation, environmental protection and conservation of ecosystems, human rights, democracy, gender equality and, where relevant, disaster risk reduction and sustainable water management, and shall support progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, promoting integrated actions that can create co- benefits and meet multiple objectives in a coherent way. They should avoid stranded assets, and shall be guided bycompatible with the principles of ‘do no harm’ and of ‘lsignificant harm’, within the meavning no one behind’of Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/852, as well as bywith the sustainability mainstreaming approach underpinning the European Green Deal, and shall be guided by the ‘leaving no one behind principle.
Amendment 310 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 5
Article 4 – paragraph 5
5. The Facility shall not support activities or measures which do not comply with the ‘do no significant harm’ principle or which are incompatible with Ukraine’s National Energy and Climate Plan, if available, with Ukraine’s Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement, or that promote investments in fossil fuels, or that cause significant adverse effects on the environment or, the climate, unless such activities or measures are strictly necessary to achieve the objectives of the Facil or biodiversity, taking into account the need to rebuild and modernise infrastructure and restore nature damaged by the war in a resilient way, and they are accompanied, where relevant, by appropriate measures to avoid, prevent or reduce and, if possible, offset these effects.
Amendment 312 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 6
Article 4 – paragraph 6
6. In line with the principle of inclusive partnership, where appropriateEU Partnership Principle and the EU Code of Conduct, the Commission shall strive to ensurguarantee that relevant stakeholders, including the Verkhovna Rada, local and regional authorities, social partners and civil society organisations, are duly and fairly consulted and have timely access to relevant information to allow them to play a meaningful role durly participate in shaping the design and, implementation of activities eligible for funding under this Facility, and in the related monitoring processes, scrutiny and evaluation processes. Such involvement shall seek to represent the pluralism of the Ukrainian society and business community. The Commission shall in particular promote the involvement of the Verkhovna Rada, as well as regional, or local, urban and other representative bodies and public authorities, in accordance with the multi- level governance principle and taking into account a bottom-up approach. The Commission shall encourage coordination among the relevant stakeholders. sure that the Verkhovna Rada is meaningfully consulted on the entirety of the Plan before the submission to the European Commission and is able to fully fulfil sufficient inquiry and monitoring duties during and after the duration of the Facility. The Commission shall continuously assess the degree to which the involvement of stakeholders is fair and representative of the pluralism of interests in Ukrainian society and business communities, in particular by assessing whether actors of different sizes and with differing or opposing interests have been appropriately consulted. The Commission shall encourage coordination among the relevant stakeholders. The Commission shall ensure that civil society in Ukraine is able to directly report any irregularities they may detect to the Commission via appropriate standing channels and platforms.
Amendment 314 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 7
Article 4 – paragraph 7
7. The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States and Ukraine, shall contribute toensure the implementation of Union commitments to increased transparency and accountability in the delivery of assistance, including by promoting the full implementation of the Aarhus Convention and the implementation and reinforcement of internal control systems and anti-fraud policies, and by. The Commission shall makinge information on the volume and allocation of assistance publicly available through web-based databasa single webportal mentioning the names or legal identity of the 2 000 largest final beneficiaries, and shall ensure that data is comparable and can be easily accessed, shared and published. final beneficiaries that received cumulative amounts higher than EUR 50 000 as well as the total amounts received and shall ensure that data are up-to-date, easily accessible, available in machine readable format and comparable.
Amendment 315 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 7
Article 4 – paragraph 7
7. The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States and Ukraine, shall contribute toensure the implementation of Union commitments to increased transparency and accountability in the delivery of assistance, including by promoting the full implementation of the Aarhus Convention and the implementation and reinforcement of internal control systems and anti-fraud policies, and by makinginter alia by reinstating the electronic declarations for Ukrainian officials and by making them public immediately and retrospectively. The Commission, shall make the information on the volume and allocation of assistance publicly available through web-based databasa single webportal mentioning the names or legal identity of the 2 000 largest final beneficiaries, and shall ensure that data is comparable and can be easily accessed, shared and publishedfinal beneficiaries that received cumulative amounts higher than EUR 50 000 as well as the total amounts received and shall ensure that data are up-to-date, easily accessible, available in machine readable format and comparable.
Amendment 317 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
1. A precondition for the support to Ukraine under the Facility shall be that Ukraine continues to uphold and respect effective democratic mechanisms, including a multi-party parliamentary system, and the rule of law, and at all levels of government, appropriate checks and balances, including transparent and institutional budget allocation and monitoring processes and the rule of law, free and fair elections as appropriate in line with Ukraine’s constitution, to guarantee respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities.
Amendment 326 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall monitor the fulfilment of the precondition set out in paragraph 1 before disbursements to Ukraine under the Facility are made and throughout the period of the support provided under the Facility taking duly into account the Commission’s regular enlargement report. The Commission may adopt a decision concluding that this precondition is not met, and in particular, suspend the payments referred to in Article 25, irrespective of the fulfilment of conditions referred to in Article 15(2). In its assessment, the Commission shall also take into account the context in Ukraine, and the consequences of the application there of martial law. The Commission’s assessment shall be transmitted simultaneously to the European Parliament and the Council.
Amendment 328 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) 678 % in the form of non-repayable financial support pursuant to Chapter III of this Regulation;
Amendment 329 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) 16 24% for expenditure pursuant to Chapter IV;
Amendment 330 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point c
Article 6 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) 58 % for expenditure pursuant to Chapter V;
Amendment 337 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 6 – paragraph 5
Article 6 – paragraph 5
5. The resources referred to in point paragraphs 1(d) and 4 may be used for technical and administrative assistance for the implementation of the Facility, such as preparatory actions, monitoring, control, audit and evaluation activities, which are required for the management of the Facility and the achievement of its objectives, in particular studies, meetings of experts, consultations with the Ukrainian authorities, conferences, consultation of stakeholder of stakeholders, including local and regional authorities and civil society organisations, information and communication actions, including inclusive outreach actions, and corporate communication of the political priorities of the Union, insofar as they are strictly related to the objectives of this Regulation, expenses linked to IT networks focusing on information processing and exchange, corporate information technology tools, and all other technical and administrative assistance expenses incurred by the Commission for the management and costs of the Facility at headquarters and in Union delegations. Expenses may also cover the costs of other supporting activities such as quality control and monitoring of projects on the ground and the costs of peer counselling and experts for the assessment and implementation of reforms and investments.
Amendment 340 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Member States, third countries, international organisations, international financial institutions or other sources may provide additional financial contributions to the Facilityone or more of the Pillars of the Facility referred to in Article 6 (1), points (a), (b) and (c), without being bound by the indicative allocation referred to in that Article. Such contributions shall constitute external assigned revenue within the meaning of Article 21(2), points (a)(ii), (d), and (e) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046.
Amendment 344 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 3
Article 8 – paragraph 3
3. Financial instruments, budgetary guarantees and blending operations combining support from financial instruments or budgetary guarantees under the Facility shall be implemented in accordance with the principles laid down in Title X, and in particular Articles 208 and 209(1), (2) and (4), of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046. Depending on the required operational and financial capacity, the counterpart of the budgetary guarantee, or the entrusted entity implementing financial instruments, may be the European Investment Bank or the European Investment Fund, a multilateral European finance institution, such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, or a bilateral European finance institution, such as development banks, which may involve national and local private and state- controlled financial institutions in Ukraine in the implementation of the instruments. Whenever possible, the implementation of financial instruments, budgetary guarantees and blending operations under the Facility shall be complemented by additional forms of financial support, from either Member States or third parties.
Amendment 348 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall conclude a framework agreement with Ukraine for the implementation of the Facility setting out specific arrangements for the management, control, supervision, monitoring, evaluation, reporting and audit of funds under the Facility, as well as to prevent, detect, investigate and correct irregularities, fraud, corruption and conflicts of interest. The framework agreement shall be complemented by financing agreements in accordance with Article 10 and loan agreements in accordance with Article 21, setting out specific provisions for the management and implementation of funding under the Facility. That framework agreement, including any related documentation, shall be transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council simultaneously and without delay and shall be made public.
Amendment 351 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 4 – point a
Article 9 – paragraph 4 – point a
(a) the commitment of Ukraine to progress towards more efficient and effective control systems,strictly prioritise the establishment of efficient and effective control systems which are able to effectively prevent, detect, investigate and correct irregularities, fraud, corruption and conflict of interests as well as to avoid, report and counter any corrupt practices, nepotism, favouritism or undue regional or sectoral concentration of resource allocation or use and to strengthen the fight against money laundering, terrorism financing, tax avoidance, tax fraud or tax evasion;
Amendment 355 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 4 – point b a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 4 – point b a (new)
(ba) the establishment of a monitoring committee, as referred to in Article 18a, to coordinate the involvement of civil society and experts in the evaluation and monitoring of the allocation and use of resources, in line with the European Code of Conduct on Partnerships;
Amendment 358 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 4 – point f a (new)
Article 9 – paragraph 4 – point f a (new)
(fa) the commitment of Ukraine to respecting the ‘do no significant harm’ principle, in line with Regulation 2020/852, for all expenditure under this Regulation;
Amendment 359 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 9 – paragraph 4 – point g
Article 9 – paragraph 4 – point g
(g) the right of the Commission to monitor activities under the Facility carried out by the Ukrainian authorities, along the whole project cycle, including inter alia projects selection and award procedures including for public procurement, to take part in these as observer, as appropriate, and to make recommendations for the improvement of such activities and commitment from the Ukrainian authorities to do their best efforts to implement such recommendations of the Commission and to report on this implementation;
Amendment 361 #
2023/0200(COD)
(i) the obligation for Ukraine to transmit electronically, in a machine readable form and on a single web portal, to the Commission the data referred to in Article 26;
Amendment 362 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 1
Article 10 – paragraph 1
1. Financing agreements shall be concluded for Chapters III and V and set out measureable qualitative and quantitative steps linked to the disbursement of funds under this Regulation. They shall set out the responsibilities and obligations of Ukraine in the implementation of Union funds, including the obligations set out in Article 129 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046. They shall also set out the conditions for payment of the non- repayable financial support, including in relation to Article 5(1), the implementation of the Framework agreement mentioned in Article 9, including the internal control systems as referred to in Article 9(4), points (a) and (c). The financing agreements shall also set out the Union’s rights and obligations. They shall be transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council simultaneously.
Amendment 363 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2
Article 10 – paragraph 2
2. The financing agreements shall include rules on reporting to the Commission on how activities are carried out, and on whether the conditions mentioned in Article 15(2) are fulfilled, including by allowing the examination of the fulfilment of milestones and targets connected to reforms and investments.
Amendment 366 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Article 12 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall informsubmit to the European Parliament and the Council ofinformation on commitment appropriations carried over, including the amounts involved, in accordance with Article 12(6) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046.
Amendment 367 #
2023/0200(COD)
2. For the purpose of paragraph 1, where the Commission finds that it is impossible for Ukraine to fulfil the conditions attached to the forms of support under this Regulation due to such duly justified exceptional circumstances, it may submit to the Council a proposal for an implementing decision providing exceptional financing to Ukraine under the Facilitthe Commission is empowered to adapt a delegated Act in accordance with Article 38 to supplement this Regulation with provisions setting out exceptional financing to Ukraine under the Facility. The Commission’s assessment shall be transmitted to the European Parliament and Council, simultaneously.
Amendment 368 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Article 15 – paragraph 1
1. The Ukraine Plan shall set out the reform and investment agenda of Ukraine, integrated in an economic and fiscal policy framework, towards the achievement of the general and specific objectives mentioned in Article 3. The Plan shall comprise measures for the implementation of reforms and public investment through a comprehensive and coherent package, which may also include public schemes that aim to incentivise private investments. a comprehensive and coherent package, comprised of three components: a) measures for the implementation of reforms (the “Reform Component”); b) budget support for macro-financial stability (the “Stability Component”), and; c) measures for public investment, including public schemes that aim to incentivise private investments (the “Reconstruction Component”). The Plan shall address each of those components and the related measures separately and, where possible, provide indicative budgeted costs over the course of the Facility for each category. For investments under the Reconstruction Component, measurable and achievable milestones and targets shall be defined and reviewed by the Commission.
Amendment 369 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2
Article 15 – paragraph 2
2. The Facility shall provide financing under this Chapter upon satisfactory fulfilment of conditions stemming from the Plan, taking the form of measurable qualitative or quantitative steps, agreed in the Financing agreement. Such conditions shall reflect the different objectives of the Facility, as defined in Article 3, and general principles, reflected in Article 4 and shall include conditions related to essential requirements, such as the maintenance of economic and financial stability, budget oversight and public financial management, and conditions related to the implementation of the reforms and investments set out in the Plan., including the adherence to the ‘do no significant harm’ principle and a commitment by Ukraine to take utmost care to avoid, report and counter any corrupt practices, favouritism or undue regional or sectoral concentration of resource allocation or use
Amendment 371 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Amendment 372 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3
Article 15 – paragraph 3
3. The conditions mentioned in paragraph 2 shall reflectthis Article shall apply to the amounts referred to in Article 6(1)(a) and (2) and relevant contributions under paragraph 4 of that Article.
Amendment 373 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 5
Article 15 – paragraph 5
5. The Ukraine Plan shall be consistent wicontribute to a significant subset of the reform priorities identified in the context of Ukraine’s accession path, as outlined in the Commission Opinion and the Analytical Report, and the Association Agreement including a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement. It shall also and shall in all parts be consistent with these priorities. It shall also contribute to and be consistent with Ukraine’s Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement and, if available, the National Energy and Climate Plan, while ensuring it does not do significant harm to environmental objectives within the meaning of Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/852 (the principle of ‘do no significant harm’).
Amendment 375 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) measures under the components established under Article 15(1), constituting a needs-based, coherent, comprehensive and adequately balanced response to the objectives set out in Article 3, including structural reforms and measures to promote the convergence with the Union as well as measurethe application of the conditions referred to in aArticle 15(2), so that the Plan as a whole raises the growth rate of the Ukrainian economy;
Amendment 377 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) an explanation of how the Plan isand its measures are consistent with the general principles, referred to in Article 4, as well as requirements, plans and programmes referred to in Article 15(5);
Amendment 379 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point b a (new)
(ba) an explanation of how Ukraine has taken utmost care to avoid, report and counter any corrupt practices, favouritism or undue regional or sectoral concentration of resource allocation or use;
Amendment 382 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) for measures under the rReforms and investm Components , an indicative timetable, and the envisaged qualitative and quantitative steps to be implemented by 31 December 2027;
Amendment 383 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point c a (new)
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point c a (new)
(ca) for measures under the Reconstruction Component, measurable and achievable milestones and targets, an indicative ex-ante costing, as well as an explanation on how these measures are consistent with the requirements of Article 15, in particular paragraphs (3) and (6) thereof;
Amendment 384 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) the arrangements for the effective monitoring, reporting and evaluation of the Ukraine Plan by Ukraine, including the proposed qualitative and quantitative steps, and the related indicators, as well as the proposed comprehensive and timely involvement of the Verkhovna Rada and the Monitoring Committee, referred to in Article [18a] ;
Amendment 386 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) an explanation of how the Plan corresponds to the recovery, restoration, reconstruction and modernisation needs stemming from the warRussia’s war of aggression in Ukraine’s regions and municipalities, and thereby enhances their inclusive economic, social, environmental and territorial development, supports the decentralisation reform across Ukraine and convergence towards the Union’s standards; this explanation shall take into account the powers, tasks and responsibilities assigned to different levels of government; an explanation of the methodology and processes used for the selection and implementation of projects, and the mechanisms to involve sub- national authorities, in particular municipalities, as well as civil society organisations, in decision-making on the use of support in the reconstruction process at local level and in the democratic scrutiny process, in particular timely and equal access to information and funds for the relevant sub-national authorities; the methodology used to track related expenditure; and an explanation of how the Plan ensures that the reconstruction projects selected and implemented by such sub-national authorities constitute an adequately substantial share of the support;
Amendment 390 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point f
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point f
(f) for the preparation and, where available, for the implementation of the Ukraine Plan, a summary of the consultation process, conducted in accordance with the national legal framework, of relevant stakeholders, including local and regionalthe Verkhovna Rada, local and regional representative bodies and authorities, social partners and civil society organisations, and how the input of these stakeholders is reflected in the Ukraine Plan;
Amendment 391 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point g
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point g
(g) an explanation of the extent to which the measures under the Plan are expected to contribute to climate, biodiversity, and environmental objectives of Ukraine and the EU acquis; an explanation on how the plan ensures that no measure for the implementation of reforms and investments included in that plan does significant harm to environmental objectives within the meaning of Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/852 (the principle of ‘do no significant harm’);
Amendment 393 #
2023/0200(COD)
(ga) an explanation of the extent to which the measures under the Plan are expected to contribute to social objectives, equality and inclusion of at-risk groups, such as persons with disabilities and older people and ensure the best interest of children;
Amendment 395 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point g b (new)
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point g b (new)
(gb) an explanation of the extent to which the measures under the Plan are expected to contribute to gender mainstreaming objectives and mitigate the gendered effects of the war;
Amendment 396 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point h
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point h
(h) an explanation of Ukraine’s system and commitments to effectively prevent, detect and correct irregularities, fraud, corruption and conflicts of interests, when using the funds provided under the Facility, and of the arrangements that aim to avoid double funding from the Facility and other Union programmes or donors and how Ukraine shall ensure an adequate level of protection of the EU financial interests by applying at least the same standards as provided for in the Financial Regulation and other related EU legislation;
Amendment 404 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 1
Article 17 – paragraph 1
1. The Ukraine Plan shall be prepared by the Ukraineian government and approved by the Verkhovna Rada, which shall be given due time to assess the draft bill. Ukraine shall strive to submit the Plan to the Commission by twohree months after entry into force of this Regulation. Ukraine may submit a draft Plan to the Commission after it has published the draft Plan for public consultation for at least one week.
Amendment 406 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 2
Article 17 – paragraph 2
2. When preparing the Plan in accordance with Article 16, Ukraine shall take particular account of relevant resolutions of the Ukrainian Parliament and the situation in Ukraine’s regional, local and urban areas, having regard to their specific needs for recovery and reconstruction, reform, modernisation and decentralisation.
Amendment 407 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 – paragraph 3
Article 17 – paragraph 3
3. The preparation and implementation of the Ukraine Plan shall be done in full consultation with the Verkhovna Rada, regional, local, urban and other public authorities, in accordance with the multi-level governance principle and taking into account a bottom-up approach. In line with the EU Partnership Principle and the European Code of Conduct, Ukraine and the Commission shall ensure that civil society organisations are duly consulted and involved in the process and have timely access to relevant information to allow them to play a meaningful role in the design of the Ukraine Plan.
Amendment 410 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 17 a (new)
Article 17 a (new)
Article17a Involvement of the Verkhovna Rada and obligation of the Monitoring Committee in the implementation and evaluation of the Ukraine Plan 1. Following the submission of the Ukraine Plan, the Ukrainian government, shall regularly provide the Verkhovna Rada and the public with summaries of all relevant information regarding the implementation of the plan, in a comprehensive and timely manner including through quarterly in person reports by the Government representatives at the Verkhovna Rada plenary meetings, as well as in the form of a regular, publicly accessible inter-institutional dialogue, which shall include independent experts and civil society representatives. Updates shall be given in this forum in particular in the context of amendments to the Ukraine Plan, as referred to in Article 20. 2. In line with the EU Partnership Principle and the European Code of Conduct, the Ukrainian Government shall establish a Monitoring Committee involving a diverse range of stakeholders, including non-governmental organisations, as well as a specific framework agreement for cooperation with non-governmental organisations. 3. The Monitoring Committee shall be updated regularly on the state of implementation of the Ukraine Plan and the evaluation of its measures. It shall be provided comprehensive, timely and relevant information for this purpose and be given appropriate time to process such information. Opinions of the Monitoring Committee shall be forwarded to the European Commission, which should make them available to the European Parliament and the European Council without delay. 4. Upon a well reasoned request by the Monitoring Committee, the Ukrainian Government or, where relevant, the Commission shall request audits or external evaluations of one or more measures in the Ukraine Plan, funded by funds available under Article 6(1d).
Amendment 411 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 1
Article 18 – paragraph 1
1. The Commission shall assess the relevance, comprehensiveness and appropriateness of the Ukraine Plan or, where applicable, the amendment to that Plan referred to in Article 20, without undue delay, and makwhere a pproposal for a Council implementing decisionriate may adopt a delegated act in accordance with Article 19(1). When carrying out that assessment, the Commission shall act in close cooperation with Ukraine, and may make observations or seek additional information. The Commission’s assessment shall be transmitted simultaneously to the European Parliament and the Council, prior to the adoption of the delegated act. The final assessment shall be published without delay. The Commission shall regularly inform the European Parliament and the Council, on equal terms, on the progress of negotiations with Ukraine on the Ukraine Plan, Framework Agreement and Financing Agreement, and any updates thereof.
Amendment 412 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 2
Article 18 – paragraph 2
2. When assessing the Ukraine Plan, and in the determination of the amount to be allocated to Ukraine, the Commission shall take into account relevant available analytical information on Ukraine, the justification and the elements provided by Ukraine as referred to in Article 16(2), as well as any other relevant information such as, in particular, the information listed in Article 15(5).
Amendment 414 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 3 – point a
Article 18 – paragraph 3 – point a
(a) whether the Plan outlines measures under the components established under Article 15(1) and represents a needs-based, coherent, comprehensive and adequately balanced response to the objectives set out in Article 3, including structural reforms and measures to promote the convergence with the Union, so that the Plan as a whole raises the growth rate of the Ukrainian economyas well as the application of the conditions measures referred to in Article 15(2);
Amendment 418 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 3 – point a a (new)
Article 18 – paragraph 3 – point a a (new)
(aa) whether the plan and its measures are is consistent with the general principles, referred to in Article 4, including adherence to the ‘do no harm principle’ as well as requirements, plans and programmes referred to in Article 15;
Amendment 419 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 3 – point a b (new)
Article 18 – paragraph 3 – point a b (new)
(ab) whether Ukraine has taken utmost care to avoid, report and counter any corrupt practices, favouritism or undue regional or sectoral concentration of resource allocation or use;
Amendment 420 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 3 – point b
Article 18 – paragraph 3 – point b
(b) whether the Plan corresponds to the recovery, restoration, reconstruction and modernisation needs stemming from the warRussia’s war of aggression in Ukraine’s regions and municipalities, and thereby enhances their economic, social, environmental and territorial development, supports the decentralisation reform across Ukraine and convergence towards the Union’s standards; whether the methodology and processes used for the selection and implementation of projects, and the mechanisms to involve sub- national authorities, in particular municipalities and civil society organisations, in decision-making on the use of support in the reconstruction process at local level and in the democratic scrutiny process, in particular timely and equal access to information and funds for the relevant sub-national authorities are appropriate; whether the methodology used to track related expenditure for the reconstruction projects selected and implemented by such sub- national authorities is appropriate and whether such projects constitute an adequately substantial share of the support;
Amendment 423 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
Article 18 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
(ba) whether at least 50% of planned investments falling under the Reconstruction Component in Pillar I, referred to in Article 15(1), contribute to the green transition or to addressing the challenges resulting therefrom;
Amendment 426 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 3 – point c
Article 18 – paragraph 3 – point c
(c) whether the arrangements proposed by Ukraine are expected to ensure an effective monitoring, reporting and implementation of the Ukraine Plan and any updates thereof, in particular comprehensive and timely involvement of the Verkhovna Rada and the Monitoring Committee, referred to in Article 17a, including the envisaged timetable, qualitative and quantitative steps, and the related indicators and ensure that the financial interests of the Union are protected;
Amendment 430 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 18 – paragraph 3 – point d a (new)
Article 18 – paragraph 3 – point d a (new)
(da) whether the Ukraine Plan effectively reflects the inputs of the stakeholder consultation process, conducted in accordance with the national legal framework, of relevant stakeholders, including the Verkhovna Rada, local and regional representative bodies and authorities, social partners and civil society organisations;.
Amendment 431 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – title
Article 19 – title
Amendment 432 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 1
Article 19 – paragraph 1
1. In case of a positive assessment, on a proposal from the Commission, the Council shall approve by means of an implementing decision the assessment by the Commission of the Ukraine Plan submitted by Ukraine in accordance with Article 17(1) or, where applicable, of its amendment submitted in accordance with Article 20(1) or (2), the Commission is empowered to adopt a delegated act in accordance with Article 38 to supplement this Regulation with provisions setting out the matters referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Article.
Amendment 434 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 2
Article 19 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission proposal for a Council implementing decisiondelegated act shall set out, for the part to be funded by the Facility, measures under the rReforms and investm Component, Stability Component and Reconstruction Components, to be implemented by Ukraine, including the conditions stemming from the Plan as described in Article 15(2), including, as well as the indicative timetable, andthe milestones and targets required for the disbursal of the amounts referred to in Article 6(1) point (a) and (2) and relevant contributions under paragraph 4 of that Article.
Amendment 436 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – introductory part
3. The Commission proposaldelegated act referred to in paragraph 2 shall also lay down:
Amendment 438 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – point a
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – point a
(a) the indicative non-repayable financial support and indicative amount of the loan support to be paid in instalments, structured in accordance with Article 15(2), once Ukraine has achieved satisfactory fulfilment of the relevant qualitative and quantitative steps identified in relation to the implementation of the Ukraine Plan, including the adherence to the ‘do no significant harm’ principle and the commitment by the Commission to take utmost care to avoid, report and counter any corrupt practices, favouritism or undue regional or sectoral concentration of resource allocation or use;
Amendment 439 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – point b a (new)
(ba) all reforms to be addressed by the Ukrainian government under the Reform Component as well as the relevant indicators relating to the fulfilment of the envisaged milestones and targets;
Amendment 440 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – point d
Article 19 – paragraph 3 – point d
(d) the arrangements and timetable for monitoring and implementation of the Ukraine Plan, including particular the involvement of the Verkhovna Rada and the Monitoring Committee, referred to in Article 18a, as well as, where relevant, measures necessary for complying with Article 33;
Amendment 442 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 20 – paragraph 1
Article 20 – paragraph 1
1. Where tThe Ukraine Plan, including relevant qualitative and quantitative steps, is no longer achievable by Ukraine, either partially or totally, because of objective circumstances, Ukraine may propose an amended Ukraine Plan. In that case, Ukraine mayian government, after consulting the Verkhovna Rada and the Monitoring Committee referred to in Article 18a, may at any time make a reasoned request to the Commission to make a proposal to amend all or part of the Council implementing decisiondelegated act referred to in Article 19(1).
Amendment 443 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 20 – paragraph 2
Article 20 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission may, after informing the European Parliament and the Council, in agreement with Ukraine, make a proposal to amend the Council implementing decisiondelegated act referred to in Article 19(1), in particular to take into account a change of the amounts available, notably due to additional contributions by the Member States or from other sources as referred to in Article 6(4).
Amendment 444 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 20 – paragraph 3
Article 20 – paragraph 3
3. Where the Commission considers that the reasons put forward by Ukraine justify an amendment to the Ukraine Plan, the Commission shall assess the amended Ukraine Plan in accordance with Article 18 and shall make a proposal foradopt an amendment of the Council implementing decisiondelegated act referred to in Article 19(1) without undue delay. The Commission’s assessment shall be transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council simultaneously and without delay.
Amendment 447 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 2
Article 21 – paragraph 2
2. Upon adoption of the Council implementing decisiondelegated act referred to in Article 19(1), the Commission shall enter into a loan agreement with Ukraine in respect of the amount referred to in Article 6(2). The loan agreement shall lay down the availability period and the detailed terms of the support under the Facility in the form of loans, including in relation to the internal control systems as referred to in Article 9(4), points (a) and (c). The loans shall have maximum duration of 35 years. In addition to the elements laid down in Article 220(5) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046, the loan agreement shall contain the amount of pre-financing and rules on clearing of pre-financing. The Commission shall transmit to the European Parliament and the Council, simultaneously, the following elements: a) the amount of the loan in EUR; b) the average maturity; c) the pricing formula, and the availability period of the loan; d) the maximum number of instalments and a clear and precise repayment schedule.
Amendment 449 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 4
Article 21 – paragraph 4
4. No provisioning for the loans under this Regulation shall be constituted and, by way of derogation from Article 211(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046, no provisioning rate as a percentage of the amount referred to in Article 6(2) of this Regulation shall be set. The loan agreement shall be transmitted simultaneously to the European Parliament and the Council.
Amendment 450 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 1
Article 24 – paragraph 1
1. Without prejudice to Article 23, if the Framework Agreement referred to in Article 9 is not signed or the Ukraine Plan referred to in Chapter III is not adopted by 31 December 2023, the Commission may decide to provide limited, exceptional support to Ukraine for a period of up to threesix months after either the entry into force of this Regulation, or 1 January 2024, whichever is later, subject to having made satisfactory progress on the preparation of the Ukraine Plan, in order to support the macro-financial stability of the country, subject to conditions to be agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding between the Commission and Ukraine, to the respect of the precondition mentioned in Article 5, to compliance with Article 6 and to available funding.
Amendment 452 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 25 – paragraph 2
Article 25 – paragraph 2
2. Every quarter, Ukraine shallmay submit a duly justified request for payment of the non- repayable financial support and of the loan, and the Commission shall pay the relevant non-repayable financial support and loan, on the basis of the assessment described in paragraph 3. This request shall be transferred to the relevant committee of the European Parliament as well as the relevant Council formation.
Amendment 453 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 25 – paragraph 3
Article 25 – paragraph 3
3. The Commission shall assess without undue delay whether Ukraine has achieved satisfactory fulfilment of the qualitative and quantitative steps set out in the Council implementing decision delegated act referred to in Article 19(1). The satisfactory fulfilment of qualitative and quantitative steps shall presuppose that measures related to the steps for which Ukraine had achieved satisfactory fulfilment have not been reversed by Ukraine. The Commission may be assisted by experts.
Amendment 454 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 25 – paragraph 4
Article 25 – paragraph 4
4. Where the Commission makes a positive assessment of the satisfactory fulfilment of qualitative and quantitative steps, it shall adopt without undue delay a decision authorising the disbursement of the part of the non-repayable financial support and of the loan corresponding to such steps. This assessment shall be transferred to the relevant committee of the European Parliament as well as the relevant Council formation.
Amendment 455 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 25 – paragraph 5
Article 25 – paragraph 5
5. Where the Commission makes a negative assessment of the fulfilment of qualitative and quantitative steps as per the indicative timetable, the payment of the non-repayable financial support and of the loan corresponding to such steps shall be withheld. The payment withheld shall only be disbursed when Ukraine has duly justified, as part of a subsequent payment request, that it has taken the necessary measures to ensure satisfactory fulfilment of the qualitative and quantitative steps. A methodology for handling partial fulfilment of steps shall be published as guidance by the Commission.
Amendment 457 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 25 – paragraph 7
Article 25 – paragraph 7
7. The Commission may reduce the amount of the non-repayable financial support, including by offsetting in line with Article 102 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046, or of the loan to be disbursed to Ukraine as referred to in paragraph 4, in the event of identified cases of, or serious concerns in relation to, irregularities, fraud, corruption and conflicts of interests affecting the financial interests of the Union that have not been corrected by Ukraine, or a serious breach of an obligation resulting from such agreements, including on the basis of the reports of the Audit Board referred to in Article 34 or information provided by OLAF. Information about such decisions need to be transferred to the European Parliament and the Council.
Amendment 458 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – title
Article 26 – title
Transparency with regard to persons and entit, entities and final beneficiaries receiving funding for the implementation of the Plan
Amendment 459 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 1
Article 26 – paragraph 1
1. Ukraine shall publish up to date data on persons and entit, entities and final beneficiaries receiving amounts of funding exceeding the equivalent of EUR 500 000, cumulative over the period of 4 years, for the implementation of reforms and investments specified in the Ukraine Plan referred to in this Chapter. Ukraine shall update those data twice a year, in June and DecemberThe relevant rules defined in Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 shall apply.
Amendment 463 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 26 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. For persons and entit, entities and final beneficiaries referred to in paragraph 1, the following information shall be published in machine-readable format on a webpage, in order of total funds received, having due regard for the requirements of confidentiality and security, in particular the protection of personal data:
Amendment 464 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 26 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) in the case of a legal person, the recipient’s full legal name and VAT identification number or tax identification number, where available, or another unique identifier established at the national level, and the recipient’s beneficial owner as mandatorily disclosed by the recipient;
Amendment 465 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 26 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) in the case of a natural person, the first and last name(s) of the recipient and place of residence;
Amendment 466 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 3
Article 26 – paragraph 3
3. TheOn an exceptional basis and where duly justified by the Ukrainian government, information referred to in paragraph 2 shallmay not be published, in cases where disclosure risks unduly threatening the rights and freedoms of the persons or entities concerned or seriously harming the commercial interests of. Such information shall be transferred to the European Commission and to the Audit Board in any case, who shall be able to overturn the rdecipientssion not to publish such information.
Amendment 467 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 26 – paragraph 4
Article 26 – paragraph 4
4. Ukraine shall transmit electronically in a machine readable form to the Commission at least once a year the data on the persons and entities referred to in paragraph 1 with the exception of the data referred to in paragraph 3, in a, in a machine-readable format to be defined in the Framework agreement referred to in Article 9(4), point (i).
Amendment 471 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27 – paragraph 3
Article 27 – paragraph 3
3. The operational board of the Ukraine Investment Framework shall comprise representatives of the Commission, of each Member State, the European Parliament, and representatives of the Ukraineian Government and the Verkhovna Rada. Counterparts implementing the Ukraine Guarantee and financial instruments supported by the Ukraine Investment Framework may be given observer status. The Commission shall chair the operational board.
Amendment 472 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27 – paragraph 5 a (new)
Article 27 – paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. At least 50% of the the guarantees provided under Pillar II shall be used to provide support to Micro-, Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises, as defined in Article 2 of the Annex to Recommendation 2003/361/EC, including startups, including through financial tools which have as an objective to de-risk the lending operations of local Ukrainian banks, for example through risk sharing facilities, coverage of risk in loan pools, bank lending incentives, or other means to de-risk investment and trade such as public guarantees for investment insurance or the insurance of trade and commercial transactions.
Amendment 473 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27 – paragraph 5 b (new)
Article 27 – paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. For the purpose of Pillar II, the Commission, supported by the operational board, shall develop a methodology and processes for annual reporting of investment support outlining at least the following elements: (a) allocation of grants, and that of loans, each broken down by: (i) size of the final beneficiary; (ii) region of the headquarter of the final beneficiary; (iii) sector; (b) use of financing instrument for SME support; (c) percentage of investment support at a high likelihood of impairment; (d) qualitative analysis of the principal successes and challenges of Pillar II.
Amendment 474 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27 – paragraph 6
Article 27 – paragraph 6
Amendment 475 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 27 – paragraph 8
Article 27 – paragraph 8
8. The Commission shall report annually on the implementation of the support under the Ukraine Investment Framework in accordance with Articles 41(4) and (5) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046, including on the elements addressed in paragraph 7 of this Article. For that purpose, each counterpart of the Ukraine Guarantee and each entrusted entity implementing financial instruments shall provide on an annual basis the information necessary to allow the Commission to comply with its reporting obligations.
Amendment 477 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 29 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 29 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. The Commission shall commit all eligible counterparts and eligible entrusted entities to take utmost care to avoid, report and counter any corrupt practices, favouritism or undue regional or sectoral concentration of resource allocation or use and require dedicated reporting and auditing on these aspects, where relevant.
Amendment 479 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 30 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 30 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. The Ukraine Guarantee shall be used to cover the risks for the following types of operations, in line with the provisions of Article 27 :
Amendment 480 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 30 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
Article 30 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
The Commission shall provide information on the signature of each Ukraine Guarantee agreement in the reports referred to in Article 27(8). Upon their request, those agreements shall be made availableThe European Parliament and the Council shall be notified simultaneously of the signature of all Guarantee agreements concluded under the Ukraine Guarantee. All Ukraine Guarantee agreements shall be transmitted simultaneously to the European Parliament and the Council, taking into account the protection of confidential and commercially sensitive information.
Amendment 481 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 30 – paragraph 4 – point c
Article 30 – paragraph 4 – point c
(c) a reference to the objectives and purpose of the Facility, an assessment of the needs and an indication of the expected results; an assessment of the sectors and industries, as well as the share targeted at Start-ups and SMEs;
Amendment 489 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 31 – paragraph 2
Article 31 – paragraph 2
2. The provisioning rate shall be reviewed at least everyonce a year fromollowing the entry into force of this Regulation.
Amendment 490 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 1
Article 32 – paragraph 1
1. Assistance under this Chapter shall support Ukraine in attaining the objectives set out in Article 3. In particular, assistance provided under this Chapter shall aim to support Ukraine’s progressive alignment to Union ‘acquis’ with a view to future Union membership, thereby contributing to mutual stability, security, peace and prosperity. Such support shall include strengthening of the rule of law, democracy, respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, reinforcing of the effectiveness of public administration and institutional capacities, decentralisation, and supporting transparency, structural reforms, sectoral policies and good governance at all levels. Such support should also contribute to the implementation of the Plan.
Amendment 492 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 2
Article 32 – paragraph 2
2. Assistance under this Chapter shall also be provided to ensure that capacities of stakeholders, including social partners, civil society organisations and local and regional authorities, are strengthened.
Amendment 497 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 4
Article 32 – paragraph 4
4. Assistance under this Chapter shall support the creation and strengthening of Ukrainian authorities responsible for ensuring appropriate use of funds, audit, and effective fight against mismanagement of public funding, in particular fraud, corruption, conflict of interests and irregularities incurred in relation to any amount spent to achieve the objectives of the Facility.
Amendment 503 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 33 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) to take appropriate measures to prevent, detect and correct fraud, corruption, conflicts of interests and irregularities affecting the financial interests of the Union, to detect and avoid double funding and to take legal actions to recover funds that have been misappropriated, including in relation to any measure for the implementation of reforms and investment projects under the Ukraine Plan;
Amendment 504 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 33 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) to accompany a request for payment as set out in Chapter III by a declaration that the funds were used in accordance with the principle of sound financial management and for their intended purpose and managed appropriately in particular in accordance with Ukrainian rules complemented by international standards, on prevention, detection and correction of irregularities, fraud, corruption and conflicts of interests, accompanied by a declaration of assurance by the Ukrainian authorities;
Amendment 509 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 2 – point e a (new)
Article 33 – paragraph 2 – point e a (new)
(ea) to use the Early Detection and Exclusion System;
Amendment 510 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 2 – point e b (new)
Article 33 – paragraph 2 – point e b (new)
(eb) to provide a similar level of access to information and authority to carry out on-the-spot controls as the Commission and the Court of Auditors to the independent external auditor appointed by the Audit Board.
Amendment 517 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 34 – paragraph 2
Article 34 – paragraph 2
2. The Audit Board shall be composed of independent members appointed by the Commission. Representatives of Member States, the European Parliament and other donors may be invited by the Commission to participate in the activities of the Audit Board.
Amendment 518 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 34 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 34 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. At least one-fifth of the Audit Board should be composed of Ukrainian nationals of proven high professional competence and integrity and with no personal or professional affiliation to Ukrainian state institutions or officials as well as demonstrably independent international experts with a proven track record of understanding of Ukraine’s economy and political system.
Amendment 529 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 36 – paragraph 4
Article 36 – paragraph 4
4. The Commission shall provide an annual quarterly report to the European Parliament and the Council on progress towards the achievement of the objectives of this Regulation and the adherence to the general principles in Article 4.
Amendment 530 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 37 – paragraph 1
Article 37 – paragraph 1
1. After 31 December 2027, but by 31 December 2031 at the latest, the Commission shall carry out an ex-post evaluation of the Regulation by means of an independent external evaluation. That ex-post evaluation shall assess the Union contribution to the achievement of the objectives of this Regulation. The Commission shall take due account of proposals by the European Parliament or the Council for this independent external evaluation.
Amendment 531 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 37 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Article 37 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
The Commission shall communicate the findings and conclusions of this ex-post evaluation accompanied by its observations and follow-up, to the European Parliament, the Council and the Member States. This ex-post evaluation may be discussed at the request of Member States or the European Parliament. The results shall feed into the preparation of programmes and actions and resource allocation. These evaluations and follow-up shall be made publicly available.
Amendment 532 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 38 – paragraph 2
Article 38 – paragraph 2
2. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Articles 13, 19, 20 and 31 shall be conferred on the Commission for an indeterminate period from seven days after the entry into force of this Regulation.
Amendment 533 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 38 – paragraph 3
Article 38 – paragraph 3
3. The delegations of power referred to in Articles 13, 19, 20 and 31 may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council. A decision to revoke shall put an end to the delegation of the power specified in that decision. It shall take effect on the day following the publication of the decision in the Official Journal of the European Union or at a later date specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of any delegated acts already in force.
Amendment 534 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 38 – paragraph 6
Article 38 – paragraph 6
6. A delegated act adopted pursuant to Articles 13, 19, 20 and 31 shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or by the Council within a period of onetwo months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and the Council or if, before the expiry of that period, the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission that they will not object. That period shall be extended by one month at the initiative of the European Parliament or of the Council.
Amendment 535 #
2023/0200(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 40 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 40 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Information, communication and publicity shall be provided in accessible format, in accordance with the UN CRPD Article 9, and EU harmonised legislation, notably Directive 2019/882 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019 on accessibility requirements for products and services;
Amendment 6 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
Amendment 7 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
— having regard to the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, adopted on 25 June 1998, at the Fourth Ministerial Conference in the ‘Environment for Europe’ process, being ratified by the European Community on 17 February 2005, and by the Republic of Serbia on 31 July 2009,
Amendment 8 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 c (new)
Citation 8 c (new)
— having regard the UN General Assembly Resolution of 26 July 2022 on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment,
Amendment 16 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11
Citation 11
— having regard to the agreement on free movement between the governments of Serbia and Kosovo of 27 August 2022, and to the agreement on licence plates of 23 November 2022, as well as to the Energy Agreements’ Implementation Roadmap in the EU-facilitated Dialogue of 21 June 2022,
Amendment 23 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 35 a (new)
Citation 35 a (new)
— having regard to the Global Corruption Perception Index 2022 published by Transparency International on 31 January 2023,
Amendment 27 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas enlargement ishas historically been the most effective EU foreign policy instrument, one of the EU’s most successful policies to incentivise and encourage fundamental reforms, including in the rule of law area, and a geostrategic investment in long-term peace, stability, and security throughout the continent;
Amendment 29 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas its effectiveness has considerably decreased over the last years due to a failure from the EU side to live up to its promises, 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 30 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas the new enlargement momentum sparked by the EU membership application of Eastern partnership countries has prompted the EU to accelerate the long-overdue deliveries to the Western Balkans by making decisions on starting of accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania, and granting of the candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Amendment 40 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas past 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 45 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the political leaders in all Member States, as well as in the enlargement countries need to prove their genuine commitment to enlargement with concrete steps and progress, in order to re-energise the whole process, ensuring its continuity, consistency, credibility and impact;
Amendment 48 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas in recent years the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has steadily eroded political rights and civil liberties, putting pressure on independent media, the political opposition, and civil society organisations;
Amendment 64 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the fact that EU membership continues to be Serbia’s strategic goal; underlines the fact that progress on the rule of law and fundamental rightsregrets, however, that narratives of government-controlled media do not underpin this; underlines the fact that progress on the rule of law and fundamental rights, functioning of democratic institutions respecting principles of liberal democracy, the normalisation of relations with Kosovo and alignment with the CFSP will determine the dynamics of the accession process;
Amendment 75 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Regrets Serbia’s continued low level of alignment with the CFSP, in particular in the context of the Russian war on Ukraine; underlines the fact that, as a candidate country, Serbia must adhere to the EU’s principles and policies, and alignment with a warmongering autocratic regimef aggression against Ukraine; regrets that in 2022, for the first time, the European Commission detected backsliding in one of negotiating chapters with Serbia (Chapter 31: Foreign, security and defence policy); underlines the fact that, as a candidate country, Serbia must adhere to the EU’s principles and policies, and its close relationship with the Russian warmongering autocratic regime, declared by this house as a state sponsor of terrorism, is unacceptable;
Amendment 93 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes Serbia’s alignment with the EU in voting in favour of relevant UN General Assembly resolutions and Russia’s suspension from the Human Rights Council; regrets, however, the fact that Serbia has consistently failed to align with the EU’s restrictive measures against Russia; deplore as well as Serbia’s close relationship with Russia; condemns state officials' and influential media’s systematic campaign attempting to undermine the EU and the integration process;
Amendment 104 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets the fact that key components of Serbian foreign policy run directly counter to EU positions, including the signature of agreements setting out joint foreign policy priorities between Serbia and Russia for 2023-2024 and meetings with senior officials from Russia who are on the EU sanctions list; is concerned by the appointment of the Director of the Security Intelligence Agency, who is known for his anti-EU and pro-Kremlin rhetoric ; recalls that the new Director of the Security Intelligence Agency, Aleksandar Vulin, has had close cooperation with Russian state security officials, including the allegations of handing them over intelligence on the activities of Russian opposition members in Serbia;
Amendment 119 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Expresses concern about the decreasing public support for EU membership in Serbia reaching an all-time low this year and being a direct result of a decade of anti-EU/ pro-Russian propaganda widely spread via government-controlled media as well as by government officials and of a gross failure from official side to face and come to terms with Serbia’s past; calls Serbian authorities to develop and engage publicly in a systemic and unequivocal communication campaign on EU accession process’ opportunities for citizens of Serbia; recalls the importance of transparency in the EU accession process and regrets that important documents, such as the reports on the implementation of the National Programme for the Adoption of Acquis, have not been published for years;
Amendment 130 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Notes with concern that, since the European Commission 2020 Report on Serbia, there has been no improvement in the assessment of the overall state of play across 33 negotiating chapters and that, in 2022, the Commission did not detect “good progress” in any chapter;
Amendment 132 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Calls on the EU to prioritise the alignment of accession countries with the EU’s common foreign and security policy and advance accession negotiations with Serbia only when the country aligns with EU sanctions against Russia and makes significant progress on EU-related reforms, in particular in the area of rule of law and media freedom;
Amendment 134 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5 c. Calls on Serbia to systematically align with the EU’s restrictive measures and general policy towards Russia, including immediately ending all cooperation, in particular military, with Russia, to demonstrate progress in democracy and the rule of law and to genuinely embrace EU values and priorities;
Amendment 135 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5 d. Calls on the EU and Member States to reconsider any bilateral and EU funds for Serbia that would benefit the Serbian authorities, in particular any pertaining to projects financed under the Western Balkan Economic and Investment Plan, in order to ensure that all EU expenditure is fully in line with the EU’s own strategic goals and interests;
Amendment 136 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 e (new)
Paragraph 5 e (new)
5 e. Reiterates its concern over Serbia’s increasing dependence on defence equipment and technologies from China, including a mass surveillance system in Belgrade provided by Huawei;
Amendment 146 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Welcomes the appointment of a new Minister for EU integration, Tanja Miščević; expects the formation of Serbia’s new EU accession negotiating team with a clear division of competencies for a more efficient coordination of EU accession process; expresses concern over continues decline of Serbia’s administrative and institutional capacities over the past five years; invites authorities to develop objectives and feasible capacity building plans to strengthen Serbia’s capacities in order to become more sustainable and capable of implementation of EU accession process requirements;
Amendment 151 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes the approval of the amendments to the Serbian constitution and stresses that the reform process should continue as a matter of priority; commends the adoption of judicial laws and by-laws necessary for the implementation of judicial reforms; calls for the full alignment with the Venice Commission’s opinions on the set of judicial laws and for ensuring the implementation of solutions that remove any undue influence on the judiciary; while recognizing the formal progress, expresses concerns regarding the remaining strong political influence over the judiciary and the work of the Public Prosecutor; reminds Serbian authorities that substantial and concrete progress will be required and measured against the track record and actual implementation of rule of law reforms, judiciary practice, respect of fundamental rights and work of Public Prosecutor’s Office;
Amendment 159 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Welcomes the adoption of measures on improving the electoral conditions and media environment ahead of the April 2022 elections as a result of the inter-party dialogue facilitated by the European Parliament; welcomes the readiness of the National Assembly to continue this dialogueEuropean Parliament; regrets that, since the start of the inter-party dialogue in 2019, political will to seriously improve electoral conditions has often been absent, seriously limiting the effectiveness of the measures adopted ahead of the 2020 and 2022 elections; notes with regret the parallel dialogue “without external mediation” that threatened to undermine the inter-party dialogue facilitated by the European Parliament and that many measures have been implemented with delays and without the participation of all relevant actors; welcomes the readiness of the National Assembly to continue this inter-party dialogue, and especially the constructive approach of opposition political groups, while stressing that a clear political decision and commitment are needed on Serbia’s strategic direction;
Amendment 169 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes the conclusions of the final report of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe / Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights election observation mission, according to which the 3 April 2022 parliamentary elections presented diverse political options, but a number of shortcomings resulted in an uneven playing field, favouring the incumbents; calls on the Serbian authorities to fully address the outstanding recommendations well ahead of the next elections; regrets that the longstanding issues of unbalanced media reporting, pressure on voters and the abuse of public office have persisted throughout the election campaign; regrets that the integrity of elections was undermined, due to legal uncertainty caused by a comprehensive change of electoral framework shortly prior to elections and due to voters being deprived of a balanced and objective information about the electoral offer, thus endangering the freedom of choice for certain groups of the population; urges the Serbian authorities to fully address the outstanding recommendations well ahead of the next elections in close cooperation with civil society organisations (CSOs) with the relevant expertise, in particular the more ambitious recommendations that could lead to substantial improvements in the electoral conditions, especially in levelling the playing field, enabling pluralism in the media, and protecting voters’ rights; urges the authorities to properly investigate and prosecute pressure on voters, clientelism, corruption and other recorded allegation on criminal acts in relation to elections; deplores the institutional lack of reaction and sanctions from previous elections that directly contributed to the atmosphere of impunity in regard to pressure on voters, clientelism and corruption; regrets serious allegations about manipulation with the voter registry that lacked adequate institutional response; expresses concern that it took 93 days to determine the final results of the early parliamentary elections; urges Serbian authorities to ensure that the electoral results are determined efficiently and transparently in the future;
Amendment 179 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the participation of all relevant political actors in the early parliamentary elections, resulting in a more pluralistic parliament; regretcondemns, however, the delays in thlast-minute formation of the new parliament and government, which resulted in limited and inadequate decision- making, including on EU-related reforms; , but not limited to deciding on EU-related reforms; expresses concerns over the work of Parliament’s Committees which are often adopting important legislative proposals without substantial discussion, thus performing their work as formality while degrading the role of the Committees; expresses concern about the limited space for opposition's engagement in the parliament, gross misconduct towards opposition MPs, tensions and slandering campaigns, including misogynist slurs in the plenary; condemns obstructions and misuse of parliamentary mechanisms, including particularly parliamentary oversights and control instruments; calls for equal treatment of opposition MPs, consistent and effective implementation of the parliamentary Code of Conduct and impartial sanctioning of parliamentary integrity breaches;
Amendment 184 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Welcomes the distribution of vice presidential offices and committee chairmanships in the new parliament which reflect its composition; regrets, however, the return of the unwelcome practices in the work of the parliament, including the absence of government question-time sessions, lack of discussion on reports of independent institutions, and increased use of urgent procedure; stresses that the return of these practices reverses most of the progress achieved by the reform of parliament in recent years; expresses concern about the occasional heated atmosphere in the parliament as well as the instances of obstruction of the work of some parliamentary committees;
Amendment 189 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10 b. Welcomes the appointment of the new Serbian delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee; encourages Serbian MPs and MEPs to continue with constructive cooperation;
Amendment 190 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10 c. Notes that all but one Serbian parliament in the past ten years were dissolved early and that any further unnecessary snap elections would not contribute to political stability;
Amendment 191 #
2022/2204(INI)
10 d. Notes that constant early elections, permanent campaign mode and long delays in forming governments do not contribute to an efficient democratic governance of the country, but weaken the Parliament, favouring decision- making by the one President, thus leading to a lack of transparency and accountability, as well as a lack of parliamentary legislative oversight and legitimacy;
Amendment 194 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes some progress in the fight against corruption; stresses the fact that more effort and political will are needed to achieve tangible results, in particular with regard to serious and organised crimeStresses the fact that more effort and political will are needed to achieve tangible results in the fight against corruption, in particular with regard to serious and organised crime; reiterates its call on Serbia to deliver convincing results in the cases of high level of public interest, including Krušik, Jovanjica and Savamala; is concerned that there has been little progress in any of these cases since last year’s report; expresses serious concern over the work, or lack of it, of the State Prosecutor, as her absence from public is sending unsettling message to the public regarding priorities of her Office and her willingness to engage her autonomy, integrity and capability to fight against organised crime, corruption and other criminal acts; calls on the authorities to investigate and prosecute claims on voter pressure; regrets the delay in and the overall intransparent selection of the director of the anti-corruption agency;
Amendment 203 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11 b. Urges Serbia to deliver convincing results, including a sustainable track record of effective investigations in the area of fight against corruption, especially in cases with a high level of public interest, and to improve its track record in pressing charges and delivering final convictions and results in high-level corruption cases, including the seizure and confiscation of criminal assets;
Amendment 208 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Notes with concern that the new Ombudsperson has not been elected despite the fact that the five-year term in office of the current one has expired; also notes that the Government of Serbia has not filled the vacancies in the Anti- Corruption Council;
Amendment 212 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11 c. Express concerns about growing corruption risks and shrinking space for public participation in urban and spatial planning and issuing of construction permits;
Amendment 215 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 d (new)
Paragraph 11 d (new)
11 d. Reiterates its call for justice with regard to the unlawful demolition of private property in the Savamala neighbourhood in Belgrade; notes the allegations of the sentenced policeman Goran Stamenković that he was forced to take the sole responsibility for the entire case; reiterates its concern about the possibility of this process becoming obsolete in the next few years; urges the authorities to fully investigate the case and prosecute all persons responsible;
Amendment 218 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 e (new)
Paragraph 11 e (new)
11 e. 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 219 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 f (new)
Paragraph 11 f (new)
11 f. Reiterates its call on the Commission to implement the recommendations of the European Court of Auditors Special Report 01/2022, in order to ensure an effective impact of EU financial assistance in support to the rule of law in the Western Balkans, in particular by developing guidelines on the application of IPA III provisions on modulation/ conditionality;
Amendment 225 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that Serbia’s adequate legislative and institutional framework for upholding fundamental rights needs to be put into practice; urgescalls on the Serbian authorities to intensify their efforts to safeguard human rights, including the rights to clean and healthy environment;
Amendment 229 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Welcomes that the Government of Serbia withdrew the Draft Law on Internal Affairs in December 2022 following a strong negative reaction of the civil society; notes that this was the second time that the Government introduced highly controversial provisions, including the legalisation of the use of biometric face-recognition cameras purchased from China; commends the Government for the constructive public consultation process with the civil society and human rights organisations on these issues; urges the Government of Serbia to introduce a moratorium on the use of biometric surveillance in public spaces and mass processing of citizens' biometric data;
Amendment 237 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Deplores the stagnfurther deterioration onf freedom of expression, the cases of hate speech and smear campaigns, including President Vučić’s targeting of N1 journalists in December 2022, and the increasing number of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) in the country; reiterates that pressure and attacks on activists, journalists and media outlets are unacceptable; urges the authorities to investigate and prosecute all such offences, including those against the investigative outlet KRIK and the daily newspaper Danas, and to create an environment in which freedom of expres and expects from the authorities and officials a clear, strong, public and unambiguous rejection of hate speech, threats and attacks directed towards critical media, civil society organisations, journalists and individuals; condemns the extreme imbalance between the presence of government and opposition members in the reporting of the national television chan genuinely flourishnels outside the period of the election campaign, which remains a major challenge for media pluralism in Serbia;
Amendment 241 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Calls on the authorities to create an environment conducive to freedom of expression, media pluralism and journalistic professionalism that allows for independent and investigative media to access funding and operate safely; calls for increased transparency of media public financing and its distribution based on merit; calls for immediately stopping all public funds for generators of disinformation;
Amendment 247 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. CStrongly condemns the opening of an RT (formerly Russia Today) office in Belgrade and the launch of its online news service in Serbian; urges the Serbian authorities to counter hybrid threats and align with the Council’s decision on the suspension of the broadcasting activities of Sputnik and RT; calls on Serbiaurges Serbia’s authorities to fight disinformation campaigns, including manipulative anti-EU narrati-EU narratives instead of spreading these themselves via government-controlled media or by high government officials and important members of the ruling partives;
Amendment 258 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14 b. Notes that some of the media outlets close to the ruling parties are the main source of the anti-EU and pro- Russian narratives in Serbia; notes that the public broadcaster RTS initially used the Kremlin speaking points about the war in Ukraine, which only changed after Serbia's vote for its condemnation in the UN;
Amendment 259 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Is highly alerted that 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; is alarmed that Hungary and Serbia are helping China and Russia with their geopolitical objectives;
Amendment 264 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. EUrges the authorities to address the lack of political pluralism on the public service broadcaster, as well as across the media spectrum; regrets that pluralism was only present during the election campaign; expresses concern about the delayed implementation of the media strategy and the related action plan; urges the government to increase the transparency of media ownership and financing and ensure the independence of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM); calls for an investigation into the government connections and financing of the media;
Amendment 269 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. RDeeply regrets the fact that the REM awarded four national frequencies to channels that have a history of violating journalistic standardshate speech, dehumanisation, violating rights of minors, misleading the public, in particular Happy TV, violating journalistic standards, including disseminating disinformation and manipulative anti- opposition narratives, as well as demonizing non-Serb ethnic groups, especially Kosovo Albanians, non- compliance with warnings issued by the REM and spreading pro-Russian propaganda; is concerned that it will not be possible to change the worrying situation in the media scene in Serbia unless REM is depoliticized and brought back to its original purpose; calls for the fifth licence to be awarded through a transparent and impartial process; condemns the unjustified delay in the process; regrets the decision of REM to suspend its work for two weeks in December 2022;
Amendment 282 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Underlines the importance of a framework enabling civil society organisations to operate freely and participate in policy-making in inclusive and meaningful ways, which is currently not the case in Serbia; commends the work of the National Convention on the European Union in this regard; welcomes the adoption of the National Strategy for an Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development and its Action Plan; strongly condemns slandering campaigns and attacks against the civil society portraying them as traitors and state enemies, including by state officials and politicians;
Amendment 286 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Welcomes Serbia’s lively and pluralistic civil society that remains a beacon of fight for democracy, fundamental rights and media freedoms; commends the Government for the adoption of “Guidelines on inclusion of CSO in the decision-making processes” and encourages the government to enhance its cooperation in order to build cooperative relationships and to genuinely implicate civil society in a transparent legislative process from an early stage onwards;
Amendment 288 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19 b. Is worried about the repetitive restrictions of the freedom of assembly, as bans of gatherings on divisive matters such as dealing with the past or LGBTIQ rights should not be justified by the inability of the police to ensure the safety of peaceful protesters;
Amendment 289 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17 b. Reiterates its concerns about the lack of progress regarding the “List” case, which represents an abuse of the legal framework by state authorities in order to target particular civil society organisations and media critical of government policies, as confirmed by UN special rapporteurs, Moneyval and FATF; reiterates its call on the Serbian Administration for the Prevention of Money Laundering of Serbia’s Ministry of Finance to fully clarify these investigations and solve the situation for the concerned CSOs and media outlets;
Amendment 296 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the significant representation of national minorities in the new parliament; welcomes the appointment of ministers from the national minorities; welcomes the holding of the regular elections for the national minority councils in November 2022;
Amendment 308 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Reiterates its concerns about violence by extremist groups, with recent instances including the demolition of a cafe in Novi Sad and antisemitic graffiti on the (Sephardic) Jewish cemetery in Belgrade; raises further concerns about the alleged activities of Russian Wagner group in Serbia; calls on the authorities to prosecute all illegal activities in connection with such groups;
Amendment 310 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Calls on the Serbian government to be more committed to the protection and promotion of cultural heritage; is concerned about the unsuitable and unsustainable development projects affecting the protected ensemble of the Belgrade Fortress which is already put on the EuropaNostra list of most endangered cultural heritage sites and calls the government for its prompt and comprehensive protection;
Amendment 311 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18 b. Is seriously concerned about the complaints of ethnic Albanians from the Preševo valley who were apparently deleted from the civil registry at the place of their residence, thus being deprived of their fundamental and political rights by the Serbian authorities; strongly condemns Serbian authorities abusing the law on the residence of citizens and the ‘passivisation’ of residential addresses of citizens of Albanian ethnicity living in southern Serbia in a systematic and discriminatory manner; repeats its urgent calls on the international community for an independent and thorough investigations into these allegations and on the Serbian authorities to cease all discriminatory practices and targeting;
Amendment 326 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the holding in Belgrade of the first-ever EuroPride march in south- east Europe; regrets the contradictory communication by the Serbian authorities, including the initial ban on the march, as well as comments by the President stoking anti-LGBTIQ sentiments leading to the need to protect the event with an overwhelming police force against violent right-wing extremists and fundamentalist protestors; calls for support by the government for the 2023 Belgrade Pride;
Amendment 329 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Calls on the Parliament to urgently adopt the Law on Same-Sex Partnerships, which was drafted by the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, as well as to follow the Ombudsman’s recommendation to regulate legal gender recognition, as already planned in the previous anti- discrimination strategy; calls on the Serbian authorities to ensure that the rights of LGBTI+ persons are better protected;
Amendment 338 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Welcomes the adoption of new strategies on anti-discrimination and Roma inclusion and calls for their effective implementation; deplores the instrumentalisation and violation of civil rights of vulnerable groups, particularly the Roma community, in the pre-election period and during the elections, due to politically motivated systemic pressures; calls on the Serbian government to investigate all allegations about the use of social assistance instruments to put pressure on voters, especially among vulnerable groups and members of the Roma minority;
Amendment 358 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Welcomes the recent steps taken to improve the relations between Serbia and Croatia and encourages both sides to address all outstanding issues in good faith;
Amendment 362 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Strongly condemns widespread public denials of international verdicts for war crimes, including the denial of the Srebrenica genocide; also condemns in this context the role of state-supported hooligan groups in the protection of the mural of the convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić in Belgrade, and corresponding incidents which have exposed close links between hooligans and the police; expresses concern over the authorities’ apparent unwillingness to ensure a permanent removal of the mural in opposition to both the wishes of the tenants and the formal municipal decisions; regrets that a number of Serbian political parties and figures, including at ministerial level, continued to provide support to and public space for convicted war criminals, including Veselin Šljivančanin, Dragoljub Ojdanić and Nikola Šainović, who are close to the ruling parties in Serbia;
Amendment 364 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 c (new)
Paragraph 23 c (new)
23c. Strongly condemns the repeated presence of Serbian high government officials at the illegal celebrations of the Republika Srpska day in Bosnia- Herzegovina, aiming to undermine the country’s statehood, while certain Serbian politicians continue to deny the Srebrenica genocide without repercussions;
Amendment 368 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 d (new)
Paragraph 23 d (new)
23d. Stresses the importance of regional cooperation on war crimes and missing persons, and calls on Serbian authorities to achieve justice for victims by recognising and respecting court verdicts on war crimes, fighting against impunity for wartime crimes, investigating cases of missing persons, investigating grave sites, and supporting domestic prosecutors in bringing perpetrators to justice;
Amendment 369 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 e (new)
Paragraph 23 e (new)
23e. Urges Serbian authorities to implement the new national strategy for the prosecution of war crimes, to increase investigations and indictments in high- level cases and address the case backlog of 1 731 pre-investigative cases via a new prosecutorial strategy with clear targets and indicators; calls for transparency and inclusiveness in reporting on the implementation;
Amendment 372 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 f (new)
Paragraph 23 f (new)
Amendment 376 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Reiterates its full support for the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue; calls on Serbia and Kosovo, Miroslav Lajčák; calls on Kosovo and Serbia to engage in this dialogue in good faith and in the spirit of compromise to achieve a comprehensive, legally binding agreement on the normalisation of their relations, based on mutual recognition, in accordance with international law; calls for the full implementation of all the relevant agreements, including the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb- Majority Municipalitie with no further delay; calls on both sides to be ready to make difficult decisions which lead to progress in the Dialogue and reconciliation between their societies; underlines that the current geopolitical environment makes it even more imperative to overcome the legacies of the past and engage in meaningful negotiations; calls for the full implementation in good faith and in a timely manner, of all the relevant agreements, including the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb- Majority Municipalities; urges Serbia to end its de-recognition campaign against Kosovo and to stop trying to block the country from becoming regular member in international organisations;
Amendment 386 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Is of the opinion that the so-called European (Franco-German) proposal, promoted on the level of and also by the EU, including by Miroslav Lajčák, is a good basis for furthering the normalisation talks between Serbia and Kosovo; urges both to embrace this proposal and put all efforts behind it to finally achieve a sustainable long-term solution;
Amendment 388 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Reiterates its call to improve the quality of the Dialogue process through the participation of women, increased transparency towards the public and meaningful involvement of civil society;
Amendment 394 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Condemns all actions that endanger stability and jeopardise the reconciliation process; is deeply concerned about the tensions in Nthe north of Kosovo and the unacceptable shooting on Orthodox Christmas Eve; recalls the shared responsibilitythe Stojanović brothers on Orthodox Christmas Eve in Štrpce; condemns the arbitrary detention of Kosovo Serb politician Rada Trajković at Merdare crossing point in December 2022; deplores the attacks at the Municipal Electoral Commission offices and the EULEX car patrol; calls for speace and the rule of law fedy, transparent and thorough investigations into all these incidents and to hold all perpetrators all people inccountable; condemns Serbia’s close links to organised crime groups operating in the north of Kosovo;
Amendment 401 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Regrets the collective resignation of the Kosovo Serb judges, police officers and other officials; calls the negotiating parties to restore and enable the implementation of the reached agreements within the Brussels dialogue;
Amendment 402 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Calls on the Serbian authorities to engage in a constructive and respectful dialogue with their Kosovar counterparts and stop with the defamatory rhetoric against Kosovo officials; condemns the requests of the President of Serbia asking for the deployment of army and police personnel in the territory of Kosovo; urges the Serbian authorities to refrain from military threats and to work towards deescalating the conflict with Kosovo;
Amendment 403 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 c (new)
Paragraph 25 c (new)
25c. Calls on the Serbian and Kosovar authorities to promote people-to-people contacts between local communities in order to strengthen dialogue and reconciliation, including at a non- governmental level;
Amendment 404 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 d (new)
Paragraph 25 d (new)
25d. Commends cultural and youth initiatives, such as the annual cross- border art festival Mirëdita, Dobar Dan, which promotes cooperation between artists and activists of Kosovo and Serbia; encourages Kosovar and Serbian authorities, including at the local level, to further build upon such positive initiatives and use cultural heritage as means of bringing different communities together;
Amendment 405 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 e (new)
Paragraph 25 e (new)
25e. Welcomes the continued work of civil society organisations that bring young people, activists, young political leaders, journalists and others together, establishing people-to-people contacts which will pave the way for long-term reconciliation and better mutual understanding of two societies; encourages both governments of Kosovo and Serbia to invest more in language courses, translation of books, films and other cultural content which would bring closer Serbian and Albanian communities;
Amendment 408 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Welcomes the recent agreements in the framework of the Berlin Process on 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;
Amendment 413 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Welcomes Serbia’s progress in developing a functioning market economy but underlines the fact that the country’s private sector is hampered by structural weaknesses in the rule of law; notes the record high FDIs in Serbia in 2022, while underlining the need to uphold environmental, labour and social standards for all investments;
Amendment 416 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Welcomes the agreement at the Tirana Summit on reduced roaming costs between the EU and the Western Balkans starting as from 1 October 2023; encourages full removal of roaming costs between EU and all enlargement countries in the near future;
Amendment 423 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls on the Serbian authorities to take measures to counter depopulation; notes the results of the 2022 population census, which detected a decrease of population by 495.975 since 2011;
Amendment 443 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Recalls the substantial EU assistance provided to the country, in particular through the Instrument for Pre- Accession Assistance; urges the Serbian authorities to strengthen strategic communication and improve the visibility of EU funding; reiterates its call on the EU and Member States to reconsider any bilateral and EU funds for Serbia that would benefit the Serbian authorities, in particular any pertaining to projects financed under the Western Balkan Economic and Investment Plan, in order to ensure that all EU expenditure is fully in line with the EU’s own strategic goals and interests, as well as to put a stronger focus on support to Serbian CSOs and independent quality media;
Amendment 447 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Calls on the Commission, EBRD and Western Balkan Investment Framework implementing partners to put in place the necessary safeguards to prevent Chinese companies from circumventing fair competition rules and decent environmental and work standards and implementing projects supported by the EU or EIB;
Amendment 457 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 c (new)
Paragraph 32 c (new)
32c. Welcomes the progress made on the gas interconnector between Serbia and Bulgaria, thus decreasing dependence on Russian energy supply;
Amendment 460 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Underlines the utmost importance for the energy support package funds to be directed to support Serbia moving towards an energy efficient and renewable energy based economy, while in the short term, also help to relieve the effects of the energy crisis arising from the dependency on fossil fuels for the lowest income households and the energy poor;
Amendment 461 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 b (new)
Paragraph 32 b (new)
32b. Calls on the Serbian authorities to adopt an integrated energy and climate plan in a transparent and participative procedure and to define ambitious climate and coal phase out goals, in accordance with the EU climate neutrality goals and the Paris Agreement;
Amendment 463 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 d (new)
Paragraph 32 d (new)
32d. Expresses concern about breaches of the Treaty Establishing Energy Community and calls on the European Commission to issue an independent report on the application of the Energy Community Treaty with recommendations for improvements;
Amendment 464 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 e (new)
Paragraph 32 e (new)
32e. Expresses deep concern about serious problems of corruption and rule of law in the environment area, the general lack of transparency and environmental and social impact assessments of infrastructure projects; notes in this context the opening of Cluster 4 “Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity” in the EU accession negotiations; calls on the EU and Serbian authorities to follow-up on the legitimate concerns expressed in the environmental protests and to urgently address these problems during the negotiations;
Amendment 465 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 f (new)
Paragraph 32 f (new)
32f. Calls on the Serbian authorities to align the Law on Environmental Impact Assessment with the recent Environmental Impact Assessment Directive (2014), to remove inconsistencies between the Law on Environmental Impact Assessment and the Law on Planning and Construction and to prevent adverse practice of issuing construction permits without environmental impact assessment study approval, or proper screening procedure;
Amendment 466 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Expresses concern about air pollution; reiterates its calls on the Serbian authorities to urgently accelerate the implementation of air quality plansthe National air quality programme and to tackle non-inclusive development, poor quality and application of local air quality plans; regrets the fact that several cities in Serbia are often on the list of the most polluted cities in the world in terms of air quality; urges the authorities to swiftly take measures to improve air quality, especially in large cities and industrial areas such as Belgrade, Smederevo, Bor and, Kolubara and Tamnava valleys; stresses the importance of finding sustainable solutions and limiting the use of lignite and other coal in energy production, as well as for heating;
Amendment 475 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Expresses concerns about the breaches of environmental impact of new infrastructure constructions in Serbia by Chinese companieand competition rules by Chinese companies operating in Serbia, including new infrastructure constructions, and urges the Serbian authorities to take necessary compliance measures as well as to conduct transparent, inclusive and comprehensive impact assessments of any such projects; calls on the Serbian authorities to address the legitimate concerns expressed in the environmental protests;
Amendment 485 #
2022/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Calls on the government to take measures regarding river pollution and further align with the EU acquis on water quality and nature protection; welcomes the establishment of a Special Police Unit for Environmental crimes, while calling for increasing its resources and capacities so as to make it fully capable for dealing with eco crimes;
Amendment 11 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
— having regard to the Treaty Establishing Energy Community (Official Journal of the European Union L 198/18 of 20 July 2006) and the Council Decision of 29 May 2006 on the conclusion by the European Community of the Energy Community Treaty (2006/500/EC),
Amendment 13 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
— having regard to Kosovo’s membership application for the Council of Europe of 12 May 2022,
Amendment 14 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
— having regard to Kosovo’s application to join the European Union of 14 December 2022,
Amendment 16 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10
Citation 10
— having regard to the agreement on free movement between the governments of Serbia and Kosovo of 27 August 2022, and to the agreement on licence plates of 23 November 2022, as well as the Energy Agreements’ Implementation Roadmap in the EU-facilitated Dialogue of 21 June 2022,
Amendment 20 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21
Citation 21
— having regard to the Council conclusions of 13 December 2022 on enlargement and the stabilisation and association process, in particular the Council’s support for visa liberalisation for Kosovo,
Amendment 23 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 32 a (new)
Citation 32 a (new)
— having regard to the Global Corruption Perception Index 2022 published by Transparency International on 31 January 2023,
Amendment 26 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas enlargement ishas historically been the most effective EU foreign policy instrument, one of the EU’s most successful policies to incentivise and encourage fundamental reforms, including in the rule of law area, and a geostrategic investment in long-term peace, stability, and security throughout the continent;
Amendment 28 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas its effectiveness has considerably decreased over the last years due to a failure from the EU side to live up to its promises, 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 30 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas the new enlargement momentum sparked by the EU membership application of Eastern partnership countries has prompted the EU to accelerate the long-overdue deliveries to the Western Balkans by making decisions on starting of accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania, and granting of the candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Amendment 35 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas past 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 38 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
B b. whereas some of the countries in the Western Balkan region display a great potential for destabilisation, thus further threatening the security and stability on the continent; whereas exploitation of this potential by third countries is already ongoing in many enlargement countries; whereas stability, security and democratic resilience of the Western Balkans are inextricably linked to the EU’s own security, stability and democratic resilience;
Amendment 39 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
B c. whereas the political leaders in all Member States, as well as in the enlargement countries need to prove their genuine commitment to enlargement with concrete steps and progress, in order to reenergise the whole process, ensuring its continuity, consistency, credibility and impact;
Amendment 40 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the EU is the largest provider of financial support to Kosovo, notably from the Instrument for Pre- Accession Assistance, having provided over 1.2 billion euro since its inception in 2007;
Amendment 54 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes Kosovo’s application for EU membership, which reflects the pro- European orientation of its citizens, and a clear geopolitical strategic choice cross party consensus on the EU integration, as well as a clear geopolitical strategic choice; calls on the Council to mandate the European Commission to prepare an opinion on the merits of the country’s application;
Amendment 67 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the long-awaited agreement on granting visa liberalisation to the citizens of Kosovo and reiterates that the European Parliament repeatedly called on the Member States in the Council to proceed with its adoption as Kosovo fulfilled all the benchmarks since 2018; regrets that this short-sighted blockade in the Council, driven by internal considerations/reservations of some Member States, has hampered the credibility of the enlargement policy, contradicting its merit-based approach, increased pessimism and negative views among the population regarding the EU and the accession perspective and decreased the EU’s political leverage for supporting reforms in the country, which can now hopefully be overcome; commends Kosovo’s achievements in its fight against corruption and organised crime and management of migration;
Amendment 77 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Urges the Member States, notably Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus, Romania, and Greece, that have not yet recognised Kosovo as a sovereign state to do so; and thus allow it to progress on its European path on an equal footing with candidate countries;
Amendment 90 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Commends Kosovo’s ongoing alignment with the EU’s foreign and security policy, in particular its strong condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its implementation of the EU’s restrictive measures against Russia and Belarus, confirming its clear geostrategic orientation, firmly anchoring the country in the European and transatlantic alliance as reliable and valuable partner;
Amendment 99 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Reiterates its full support for Kosovo’s application for membership of the Council of Europe and, the country’s plan to join the NATO Partnership for Peace programme and bids to join other international organisations, such as INTERPOL; calls on the organisations and member states to proactively support Kosovo’s respective bids;
Amendment 108 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Commends Kosovo’s progresefforts in strengthening democracy and the rule of law and its increased legislative activities on EU-related reforms, while reiterating that implementation is key to the success of these reform and for sustainable progress; urges the government to make use of a stable majority in the Parliament and to urgently speed up the necessary reforms;
Amendment 116 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes the adoption of significant anti-corruption legislation and calls for the rigorous implementation thereof; underlines that a strong political will is necessary to effectively address high-level corruption, including the Law on Agency for Prevention of Corruption, the new Law on Asset Declaration, and the new Code on Criminal Procedure and calls for the rigorous implementation thereof; underlines that continued efforts are needed to achieve more proactive investigations, final court decisions and final confiscation of assets and that a strong political will is necessary to effectively address high-level corruption; commends the fact that according to the Global Corruption Perception Index Report 2022 Kosovo has continued to ameliorate its position and is among the frontrunners in the region, having improved its legal framework for political and election campaign finance, while it also highlights the need to implement the reforms;
Amendment 122 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Reiterates its concern about Kosovo’s judiciary, which continues to be inefficient and vulnerable to undue interference; encourages the Kosovar authorities to improve the implementation of existing instruments to safeguard the independence, efficiency and integrity of the justice system; as welcoml as to improve its professionalism; notes the government’s commitment to following the Venice Commission’s opinion on the concept paper on the vetting of judges and prosecutors, in close cooperation with the EU;
Amendment 123 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Is deeply concerned by the fact that the mandate of the State Chief Prosecutor ended in April last year and regrets that the new one has not been appointed, even though the Prosecutorial Council has proposed a new candidate; urges the President of Kosovo to decide on the proposed candidate, as results in the fight against corruption and organised crime are missing due to that; notes the steps taken to reform the legislative framework governing the prosecutorial system by amending the Law on the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council;
Amendment 128 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. WelcomUrges the positive steps taken towards reforming Kosovo’s public administration and encourages the government to intensify its efforts to create a professional, depoliticised and citizen- oriented civil servicegovernment to intensify its efforts to create a professional, depoliticised and citizen-oriented civil service, appointed through a transparent and merit-based process; regrets that the newly adopted law on public officials and the law on salaries did not take into account the comments of the international experts in this regard, thus potentially making the civil service vulnerable to politicisation; reminds the government that a sufficiently staffed, functional public administration cooperating in a trustful manner with the political level is key for a successful implementation of reforms;
Amendment 133 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. RNotes the need to ensure constructive parliamentary cooperation between the majority and the opposition; regrets the fact that legislative work has been negatively affected by a polarised political atmosphere and difficulties in achieving a decision-making quorum; calls on the relevant stakeholders to improve the management of the legislative agenda and urges the members of the opposition to cease the practice of abstaining; that prevents legislation from being adopted; encourages extra efforts from the ruling majority as well as the opposition to strengthen the role of the Assembly as a forum for constructive political dialogue and consensus-building, particularly regarding the EU reform agenda;
Amendment 135 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Reiterates its call on Kosovo to address recurrent shortcomings of the election process and to implement related EU Election Observation Missions recommendations; welcomes the creation of a multi-party ad hoc committee to work on these reforms and calls for enhanced efforts to deliver finally on all long- outstanding recommendations;
Amendment 138 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the fact that there have been some successful operations involving international and cross-border cooperation targeting organised crime, but notes with regret that limited progress has been made in investigating and prosecuting such cases; is concerned about the challenging situation regarding the fight against organised crime in the north of Kosovo, where criminal gangs of Milan Radoičić and Zvonko Veselinović with close ties to the Serbian ruling SNS party continue to operate, thus taking all Kosovo citizens in the north hostage in this situation;
Amendment 142 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Is deeply concerned about the shortcomings in the investigation and the prosecution of the assassination of the Kosovo Serbs opposition leaders, Oliver Ivanović and Dimitrije Janićijević, in Mitrovica; urges the Kosovo authorities to step up the efforts in these cases and uncover the political background of these assassinations;
Amendment 143 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12 b. Is deeply concerned with the continuing lack of implementation of the 2016 judgement of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo concerning the Visoki Dečani Monastery; reiterates its call on the government to promptly implement the ruling, in line with its commitment to the rule of law and respect of an independent judiciary; regrets in that regard the continuous attempts to construct an international road through the special protective zone of the Visoki Dečani Monastery, which raises serious issues for the protection and preservation of the cultural heritage and the environment, and calls the local and national authorities to put a definitive end to the road construction plan;
Amendment 145 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12 c. Welcomes the work on the draft law on cyber security, including plans to establish the State Authority for Cyber Security; calls on the EU to increase cooperation with Western Balkan partners to strengthen democratic resilience and comprehensively counter hybrid threats, including cyber security, protecting critical infrastructure and food and energy security;
Amendment 147 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 d (new)
Paragraph 12 d (new)
12 d. 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 149 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes that Kosovo has the necessary institutional set-up for the promotion and protection of human rights; underlines, however, that there must be more commitment to prioritising human rights and ensuring accountability and adequate sanctions for violations and abuses by improving the implementation of relevant legislation;
Amendment 152 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes Kosovo’s lively and pluralistic media environment, but deplores the derogatory statements and smear campaigns, often by political and religious groups, aimed at investigative journalists; is particularly concerned about the lack of freedom of expression in the north of Kosovo, including self-censorship; strongly condemns the recent attacks on journalists in Kosovo’s northern municipalities and calls on the police and international security forces in Kosovo to provide journalists with better protection as to safeguard the right to information in the north of the country; warmly welcomes the journalists in residence programme which is hosting journalists from Ukraine and Afghanistan in Kosovo;
Amendment 154 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Reiterates its call for the introduction of effective measures for the financial sustainability and independence of media outlets to be ensured in order to eliminate political influence and empower them in serving the public interest and carrying out their important democratic roles and responsibilities; calls for greater transparency and reliable information on media ownership with a view to enhancing media independence and pluralism;
Amendment 155 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Notes the recent appointment process for the new director of television at Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK) which questions the integrity of the process and risks further undermining of public trust in the political autonomy of the broadcaster; calls the Kosovo government to ensure a stable and sustainable funding model for RTK, as the current funding is at the lowest level in a decade; calls for a new recruitment process based on merit, professionalism and independence;
Amendment 159 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Encourages the government to enhance its cooperation with civil society on decision-making and to make more use of the Government Council for Cooperation with Civil Society for building cooperative relationships and genuinely implicating civil society in a transparent legislative process from an early stage onwards; stresses the importance of increasing accountability and transparency in relation to public funding for civil society organisations; underlines that civil society is vital in fostering democracy and pluralism and promoting good governance and social progress;
Amendment 161 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Strongly denounces an increasing number of cases of strategic litigation against public participation (SLAPPs) in the Western Balkan countries, including some initiated by EU companies, as they are a serious threat to democracy and fundamental rights, such as freedom of expression and information, as journalists and activists can be prevented or penalised for speaking up on issues of public interest and it sends a chilling effect to all actual or potential critical voices; calls on Kosovo to take appropriate measures such as allowing the early dismissal of such suits, awareness raising exercises among judges and prosecutors, introducing measures to punish abuse, particularly by reversing the costs of proceedings, as well as giving practical support to those who are sued, and calls on Kosovo’s international partners to support them in this endeavour;
Amendment 162 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16 b. Is deeply concerned about the longstanding impunity for the murders and disappearance in Kosovo of seven Serb and six Kosovo Albanian journalists from 1998 to 2005, namely Afrim Maliqi, Aleksandar Simović, Bardhyl Ajeti, Bekim Kastrati, Đuro Slavuj, Enver Maloku, Shefki Popova, Xhemajl Mustafa, Ljubomir Knežević, Marjan Melonaši, Milo Buljević, Momir Stokuća, and Ranko Perenić; calls the Kosovo authorities for their prompt resolution as all cases of attacks against journalists and past cases of murders and disappearance need to be effectively investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice;
Amendment 166 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Deplores the many cases of femicide and gender-based and sexual violence, including against minors; calls on the government to step up its efforts to combat domestic and gender-based violence and improve the protective and preventive measures in place, including through an increase of the number of gender-sensitive law enforcement agents and judges, sustainable public support for women shelters and legal aid to victims; urges the effective implementation of the national strategy against domestic and gender-based violence and calls on the government to adopt the law on prevention and protection against domestic violence, violence against women and gender-based violence without delay;
Amendment 172 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the government’s approval of a draft law amending and supplementing the Criminal Code, which introduces tougher penalties for domestic violence, sexual harassment and rape, including criminalization of virginity testing, which is considered a violation of human rights; encourages the Kosovo Assembly to swiftly adopt it and for its speedy implementation;
Amendment 173 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Calls on Kosovo Government and the recently established Council for Democracy and Human Rights to increase efforts in combating gender- based discrimination and to improve human and administrative capacities in order to enhance implementation of the Law on Gender Equality; underlines the importance of education in the fight against gender-based discrimination; stresses the need for relevant stakeholders to take tangible actions in achieving gender mainstreaming in all policies and measures, as well as in promoting and advancing gender equality and the implementation of the Istanbul Convention’s requirements;
Amendment 175 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Is concerned aboutCondemns cases of discrimination and hate speech against ethnic minorities, LGBTIQ+ people, refugees and displaced persons; reiterates its call for the intensification of efforts to provide minority groups with equal opportunities, promoting adequate representation in political and cultural life and protecting and promoting their language rights;
Amendment 179 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Calls on the Kosovo Government to be more committed to the protection and promotion of cultural heritage and to adopt the Law on Cultural Heritage and the Law on Religious Freedom; encourages the authorities to re-establish relations with the Serbian Orthodox Church in order to find sustainable solutions for protection and preservation of heritage sites;
Amendment 181 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19 b. Welcomes the adoption of the Strategy for the Advancement of the Rights of the Roma and Ashkali communities 2022-2026 and its Action Plan 2022-2024; calls for a bolder commitment to improving the situation of the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities and to ensure they have equal opportunities in social and public life; underlines the importance of implementing the strategy, including by budgeting it accordingly;
Amendment 184 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)
Paragraph 19 c (new)
19 c. Reiterates its call on the competent authorities to continue working on the Civil Code that is in line with the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, EU acquis, European standards and international practices, and ensure its adoption without further delay, stresses the importance of ensuring rights for all people in Kosovo and including same-sex marriage in the Civil Code to safeguard respect for constitutional rights and opportunities for the LGBTIQ community;
Amendment 188 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)
Paragraph 19 d (new)
19 d. Calls for support by the government for the 2023 Pristina Pride; urges the government to ensure the equality of LGBTIQ+ persons with other citizens and enjoyment of their full rights;
Amendment 191 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Underlines the importance of ensuring that persons with disabilities have equal access to education, health services, public buildings and transport; welcomes the initiation of the process of amending the Constitution for the inclusion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the developments on Draft Law on the Assessment, Recognition of Status, Benefits and Services for Persons with Disabilities; reiterates its calls on Kosovo to better integrate children with disabilities into educational facilities and to increase support to improve social and health services for these children;
Amendment 195 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Regrets that many obstacles for the return of persons forcibly displaced during the conflict persist; emphasises that political will and sustainable funding are crucial to creating adequate conditions for sustainable return, including improved security and full access to social and economic rights for returnees; deplores the frequent attacks on Kosovo Serb returnees; calls Kosovar government to ensure that displaced persons are granted their property rights, access to documents and citizenship, as well as the use of Serbian language in public administration;
Amendment 197 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. CommendNotes Kosovo’s engagement in a number of regional cooperation initiatives and encourages it to step up its reconciliation efforts and seek solutions to past disputes, such as the Energy Community, Transport Community, the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) and the Regional Cooperation Council;
Amendment 199 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21 b. Is deeply concerned regarding the present shortcomings in the investigation, prosecution and trying of war crimes in Kosovo; urges Kosovo to increase resources towards the special unit within the Special Prosecutorial Office and increase the number of prosecutors dealing with war crimes, as a necessary step to ensure that perpetrators of crimes committed during the war in Kosovo are brought to justice and that victims and their families receive the closure and justice they deserve;
Amendment 200 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Encourages Kosovo to step up its reconciliation efforts and seek solutions to past disputes; calls for the stepping up of efforts and the delivery of solutions on the issues of missing persons; expresses its deep sympathy to the families of the missing persons and urges the government to pay particular attention to keeping them informed and apply a sensitive mode of communication;
Amendment 202 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21 c. Calls on the Kosovar government to step up its efforts with the adoption of a comprehensive national strategy for dealing with the past, while stressing the pivotal role played by civil society organisations in Kosovo in this field and their contribution to the preparation of the Transitional Justice Strategy; commends the fact that the first draft of the Law that regulates the work of the new Institute of Crimes Committed during the War in Kosovo includes crimes committed in the period up to 31 December 2000 and related to the war; calls on the Parliament to adopt the law with this proposed timeline and to make it mandatory to document these crimes; encourages the government to overcome inconsistency between laws related to the war and ensure the applicability of this timeline in all cases;
Amendment 205 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Regrets the fact that the initiatives to involve the Serb community in Kosovo’s political, social and economic structures remain very limited; reiterates its call to the Kosovar government to considerably step up its efforts, improve the internal dialogue and genuinely engage directly with independent civil society organisations of Kosovo Serbs, in particular in the north, with the aim of building trust, facilitating the daily life of Kosovo Serbs and successfully integrating them; calls on the Government of Kosovo and the representatives of Kosovo Serbs to commit to genuine dialogue in order to increase mutual trust; urges Kosovo authorities to ensure the good quality translation of official documents and laws in Serbian language;
Amendment 210 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Calls on the Kosovar government to act with utmost sensitivity and full respect for the rule of a law, including when it comes to the expropriation of land in Serb-majority north for projects of public interest, providing for a period for public consultation and an opportunity for citizens to oppose it before any expropriation decision becomes final;
Amendment 215 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Reiterates its full support for the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Miroslav Lajčák; calls on Kosovo and Serbia to engage in this dialogue in good faith and in the spirit of compromise to achieve a comprehensive, legally binding agreement on the normalisation of their relations, based on mutual recognition, in accordance with international law; calls for the full implementation with no further delay; calls on both sides to be ready to make difficult decisions which lead to progress in the Dialogue and reconciliation between their societies; underlines that the current geopolitical environment makes it even more imperative to overcome the legacies of the past and engage in meaningful negotiations; calls for the full implementation in good faith and in a timely manner, of all the relevant agreements, including the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb- Majority Municipalities;
Amendment 223 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Is of the opinion that the so-called Euopean (Franco-German) proposal, promoted on the level of and also by the EU, including by Miroslav Lajčák, is a good basis for furthering the normalisation talks between Serbia and Kosovo; urges both to embrace this proposal and put all efforts behind it to finally achieve a sustainable long-term solution;
Amendment 225 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23 b. Calls on the EU and US actors to support Kosovo’s authorities, providing expertise, concrete security guarantees and opportunities for socio-economic integration when working towards the implementation of the Association/Community of Serb- Majority Municipalities, which must be in line with the Constitution of Kosovo;
Amendment 230 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24 b. Strongly urges to consider making EULEX first security responder in the north of Kosovo, including policing, as long as the Kosovo police forces is lacking the personnel on the ground in the north; warmly welcomes recent deployments of additional units to strengthen capacities of the EULEX Formed Police Unit (FPU); calls on the EU and Member States to even further increase EULEX’ units on the ground, in particular in the north; commends EULEX’ regularly published monitoring and assessment reports, ensuring transparency about their work, fostering an informed public debate about concrete legal remedies to improve accountability and a more efficient delivery of justice;
Amendment 231 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 c (new)
Paragraph 23 c (new)
23 c. Reiterates its call to improve the quality of the Dialogue process through the participation of women, increased transparency towards the public and meaningful involvement of civil society;
Amendment 232 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Condemns all actions that endanger stability and jeopardise the reconciliation process, including the recent tensions in Nthe north of Kosovo, and recalls the shared responsibility; is deeply concerned about the unacceptable shooting of the Stojanović brothers on Orthodox Christmas Eve in Štrpce; deplores the attacks at the Municipal Electoral Commission offices and the EULEX car patrol in the north of Kosovo; calls for speace and the rule of law for all people in Kosovoedy, transparent and thorough investigations into all these incidents and to hold all perpetrators accountable; welcomes the decision of Kosovo President to postpone the extraordinary elections for mayors and municipal assemblies of the four northern municipalities amid the tense situation;
Amendment 236 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Is deeply concerned that a potential escalation of violence, including pertaining to the unresolved issues of car licence plates, is still looming and is exacerbated by the institutional and security vacuum; condemns in that context also the burning of Kosovo Serbs’ cars in the north; calls on all sides to work towards a sustainable solution, strongly rejecting any attempts to undermine Kosovo’s territorial sovereignty, integrity and security; reiterates the need for urgent return of Kosovo Serbs to the institutions, including police, judiciary and public administration while encouraging the government to significantly step up efforts for their re-integration;
Amendment 244 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Welcomes the recent agreements in the framework of the Berlin Process on 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;
Amendment 246 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25 a. Reiterates its support for the initiative to establish the Regional Commission for the establishment of facts about war crimes and other gross human rights violations on the territory of the former Yugoslavia (RECOM); highlights the importance of the work carried out by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) and welcomes Kosovo’s active participation; reiterates the need to reach out especially to young people from the northern municipalities and to integrate them in the socio-economic structures of the country;
Amendment 248 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25 b. Commends cultural and youth initiatives, such as the annual cross- border art festival Mirëdita, Dobar Dan, which promotes cooperation between artists and activists of Kosovo and Serbia; encourages Kosovar and Serbian authorities, including at the local level, to further build upon such positive initiatives and use cultural heritage as means of bringing different communities together; commends in this regard the cooperation between the Municipality and Mayor of Peja/Peć and the Goraždevac community as an inspiring example for peaceful relations between Kosovo Serbs and Albanians;
Amendment 249 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 c (new)
Paragraph 25 c (new)
25 c. Welcomes the continued work of civil society organisations that bring young people, activists, young political leaders, journalists and others together, establishing people to people contacts which will pave the way for long-term reconciliation and better mutual understanding of two societies; encourages both governments of Kosovo and Serbia to invest more in language courses, translation of books, films and other cultural content which would bring closer Serbian and Albanian communities;
Amendment 251 #
2022/2201(INI)
26. Reiterates the necessity of carrying out structural reforms in order to boost competitiveness and ensure inclusive and sustainable economic growth; welcomes the progress made in tackling the informal economy; remains, however, concerned over a large informal sector; calls for ensuring the immediate implementation of newly adopted anti-corruption legislation;
Amendment 257 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Expresses concern over the low labour market participation of young people, women and ethnic minorities; welcomes in that regard a recent initiative by the government to provide 1,000 scholarships specifically for women wishing to study in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) sector; stresses the significance of young people’s participation in the labour market for economic development and the overall social cohesion; encourages Kosovo to prioritise reducing the skills mismatch and to improve the availability and affordability of early childhood education and care; and address the shortcomings in maternity and paternity parental leave policy;
Amendment 262 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Welcomes the launch of the education strategy for 2022-2026, which, for the first time, has the use of digital technology to improve services and quality in education as one of its five strategic objectives; calls for its effective implementation; calls for a comprehensive review of all textbooks used in the education system to identify and eliminate any misinformation, derogatory and discriminatory language for ethnic minorities, sexual minorities and women as a crucial step in promoting equality and inclusiveness in education and contribution towards creating a more inclusive and democratic society and encourages government authorities to pursue the initiative started in late 2021 aimed at updating them;
Amendment 267 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29 a. Notes the fiscally prudent position regarding the pensions of war veterans and the Pension Savings Trust;
Amendment 270 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. CRegrets that the 2022-2023 school year started with a one-month delay due to a teachers’ strike; calls on the government to improve the conditions for social dialogue and collective bargaining, and emphasises the importance of constructive and inclusive social dialogue in strengthening economic resilience and promoting social justice;
Amendment 273 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Underlines the importance of providing high-quality health services for the improvement of human health and long-term societal and economic development; notes the establishment of Executive Committee for Health aiming to improve the quality of health services in the country; expresses concern over high turnover of ministers of health and its impact on the effectiveness of the Ministry and reforms in the health sector; Urges the government to ensure better access to healthcare services and to speed up its work on the introduction of a universal health coverage scheme;
Amendment 275 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Welcomes the agreement at the Tirana Summit on reduced roaming costs; between the EU and the Western Balkans starting as from 1 October 2023; encourages full removal of roaming costs between EU and all enlargement countries in the near future;
Amendment 277 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Regrets the limited progress made on consumer policy; calls on Kosovo to pursue further alignment with the EU acquis on consumer protection and to step up its efforts in raising awareness of consumer rights in order to empower consumers and increase their trust in public authorities, enhance competition and speed up the economic recovery;
Amendment 278 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33 a. Welcomes the exceptional export performance; notes, however, a rise in imports which contributed to a nearly unchanged trade deficit; regrets the unilateral introduction of export restrictions on some agricultural products without justification and compliance with the procedures set out in the SAA; calls on the government to lift the remaining unjustified restrictive measures;
Amendment 280 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 b (new)
Paragraph 33 b (new)
33 b. Encourages Kosovo to effect transition in the agricultural sector in order to increase local food production and reduce imports of basic food items; calls the government to ensure more transparent and comprehensive agriculture financing, as well as support of agri-exporters in establishing its presence on foreign markets;
Amendment 287 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Stresses the importance of taking action to address the climate and environment emergency by reducing fossil fuel dependency; urges the government to implement the climate change strategy and the associated action plan and phasing out coal in line with the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans with a view to curbing the greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate impact; urges the government to implement the climate change strategy and the associated action plan and prepare a roadmap for alignment with the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans/ calls for drafting of an ambitious, credible and cohesive National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP);
Amendment 293 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Welcomes the Commission’s energy support package of €1 billion in EU grants to help the Western Balkans overcome the energy crisis; calls on the Kosovar authorities to make the best use of this assistance in order to build a resilient and environmentally friendly energy system; , including immediate budgetary support of €75 million to Kosovo; underlines the utmost importance that the emergency funds must be designated to relieve the effects of the energy crisis, and support Kosovo towards an energy efficient and renewable energy based economy; acknowledges Kosovar authorities’ efforts in tackling the energy crisis and the timely developed action plan to use the Commission’s energy support package; calls on the Kosovar authorities to make the best use of this assistance in order to build a resilient and environmentally friendly energy system in line with the REpowerEU; underlines the importance of ensuring a reliable and clean energy supply, diversifying energy sources, and investing in renewables and improvement of energy efficiency; notes the importance of Solar4Kosovo flagship investments;
Amendment 295 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Regrets the fact that Kosovo has failed to adopt the long-announced energy strategy for 2022-2030, and calls for the immediate adoption and implementation of both this strategy and the law on renewable energy sources; welcomesthe strategy as well as the law on renewable energy sources; further highlights that the draft energy strategy includes limited efforts towards a coal phase out and notes as a shortcoming of the strategy that it only focuses on the energy sector; reiterates its concern that the overwhelming majority of Kosovo’s energy derives from coal and calls for removing all non-compliant coal subsidies, decentralising energy production and moving towards renewables; notes the Electricity Markets Cooperation Framework Agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding with Albania that contribute to establishing a sustainable market in the two countries; regrets the lack of progress ensuing the adoption of athe roadmap for the implementation of the 2013 and 2015 energy agreements regarding the supply of electricity in four Kosovo Serb-majority municipalities in the north of Kosovo and urges the government for swift implementation as the losses are covered from the state budget;
Amendment 298 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
37 a. Calls on Kosovo to respect the Energy Community law and to align its legislation with the EU Directives on large combustion plants and industrial emissions; reiterates its call for liberalization of the retail electricity market in line with the Third Energy Package;
Amendment 299 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 b (new)
Paragraph 37 b (new)
37 b. Urges the government to minimise the impact on biodiversity by stopping hydropower development in protected areas, in particular in the two national parks Sharr Mountain/Šar planina National Park and Bjeshkët e Nemuna/Prokletije National Park; underlines the need to improve environmental impact assessments, strategic environmental assessments including public participation and transparency of procedures across eco- sensitive sectors and to boost the prosecution of environmental crimes;
Amendment 300 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 c (new)
Paragraph 37 c (new)
37 c. Encourages Kosovo to exclude hydropower as an option towards energy sustainability policies due to its water stress situation it faces;
Amendment 302 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Calls for urgent action to tackle air pollution and soil and water contamination and management; urges Kosovo to comply with emission ceilings established under its National Emission Reduction Plan (NERP) and increase environmental mainstreaming in different sectoral policies;
Amendment 303 #
2022/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Regrets the inadequate and dilatory response to Kosovo’s growing waste management issues; reiterates the need for improvement in waste management legislation and implementation along the circular economy path, including the establishment of the extended producer responsibility system;
Amendment 5 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)
Citation 14 a (new)
– having regard to the EEAS statement by the Spokesperson on the latest developments in Uzbekistan of 4 July 2022,
Amendment 6 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 b (new)
Citation 14 b (new)
– having regard to the statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Tashkent on 15 March 2023,
Amendment 7 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 c (new)
Citation 14 c (new)
– having regard to the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) 2021 Election Observation Mission Final Report of 22 April 2022,
Amendment 11 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas negotiations on European Union-Uzbekistan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), which modernises the existing Partnership and Cooperation Agreement signed in 1999, were formally launched on 23 November 2018 and were successfully concluded on 6 July 2022; whereas the EPCA will require Parliament’s consent for it to enter into force; whereas Uzbekistan joined the EU’s GSP+ arrangement in 2021;
Amendment 13 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas Central Asia is facing one of the most severe water crises on earth, which has seriously limited the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the region; whereas only 57% of the population in Uzbekistan has access to safe drinking water, with rural areas having significantly lower water security than urban areas; whereas agriculture consumes more than 90% of Uzbekistan’s water; whereas the water flowing through the Syr Darya and Amu Darya Rivers, which provide much of Uzbekistan’s water supply, is expected to decrease by up to 15% by 2050; whereas Uzbekistan's intensive cotton industry and its associated water usage majorly contribute the growing water crisis; whereas since the collapse of the Soviet Union and its unitary water management system, tensions over water have repeatedly sparked conflicts in Central Asia;
Amendment 15 #
2022/2195(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Welcomes Uzbekistan's efforts to eradicate the worst forms of child labor and sexual exploitation by bringing its legislation into compliance with international standards and introducing more adequate penalties for individuals who commit such crimes; commends the elimination of systemic child labor in the cotton harvest but expresses concern on still widespread individual cases in the cotton industry and beyond where children occasionally are still used as labor force; urges Uzbekistan government to make data on child labor more transparent for all stakeholders and allow registration of NGOs working on the issue of forced labor, child labor and exploitation;
Amendment 15 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas the security and stability of the Central Asia region are greatly affected by water disputes; notes that climate change in Central Asia has affected water resources and intense human activities have led to water overexploitation; whereas reckless water mismanagement and pollution of the key rivers to irrigate cotton fields, started by the Soviet regime and largely continued in the modern times, has had catastrophic consequences for the basin of the Aral Sea encompassing six countries of the region, has resulted in almost complete disappearance of the Aral Sea and many of its sub-lakes, and exposed the vulnerable population of the area to disastrous health, ecological, and social problems; whereas frequent water conflicts and political instability have limited unified planning and efficient allocation of transboundary rivers, leading to the ineffective exploitation and utilisation of water resources in the region;
Amendment 16 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas Uzbekistan suffered serious and unprecedented energy shortages during the 2022-2023 winter leaving large parts of the country without heating and electricity and contributing to decreasing public confidence in the state’s administration;
Amendment 17 #
2022/2195(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Welcomes that after years of intense policy advocacy and campaigning, led by Uzbek and international civil society, state-imposed forced labour is no longer systematically used in the cotton harvest; is concerned that independent monitoring shows that human rights risks, including individual cases of forced labour, remain in the cotton industry; is concerned that independent groups that conduct field level monitoring and capacity building are unable to register and operate freely; calls on Uzbekistan to introduce broader reforms to empower civil society and develop effective institutions to provide transparency and accountability and consolidate progress across all parts of the cotton sector;
Amendment 17 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Cd. whereas the Uzbek parliament’s lower house has set 30 April 2023 as the date for the referendum on constitutional reforms after a postponement due to the 2022 crisis in Karakalpakstan; whereas amendments presented in the referendum set to change about two-thirds of the constitution; whereas the referendum will ask citizens whether to “nullify” President Mirziyoev’s previous and current terms, allowing him to run for another two consecutive terms and to extend the duration of a presidential term to seven years, clearing the path to a Mirziyoev presidency until 2040; whereas promised legal reforms have stalled, including the revision of the Criminal Code and a new NGO code;
Amendment 18 #
2022/2195(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Reiterates the importance of Uzbekistan’s membership of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus, which contributes to economic growthsustainable development and economic diversification and yields very positive results (exports to the EU increased by 34 % in 2021); underlines that joining this arrangement entails a commitment to effective implementation of 27 core international conventions on human and labour rights, environmental and climate protection and good governance; calls on the Commission to prioritise the impact of the upcoming constitutional referendum in its ongoing monitoring of Uzbekistan’s GSP+ obligations, as well the decriminalisation of homosexuality; calls on Uzbekistan to uphold its commitments to effectively implement ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise and Convention 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining and encourages the ratification of the ILO Minimum Wage Fixing Convention (No. 131);
Amendment 18 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas protests erupted in the Republic of Karakalpakstan on 1 July 2022 following the publication of the proposed amendments to Uzbekistan’s constitution, which would have abolished its status as a sovereign republic within Uzbekistan and its right to secede; whereas at least 21 people were killed, and over 270 were injured, in the ensuing crackdown by the authorities; whereas human rights groups have documented that law enforcement officers used excessive force in response to the largely peaceful demonstrations, leading to serious injuries, unlawful deaths of multiple participants and reportedly torture and ill-treatment of some detainees; whereas 22 people were sentenced on 13 January 2023 for their participation in the unrest and Dauletmurat Tajimuratov, a lawyer accused of leading the unrest, was sentenced to 16 years in prison; whereas on 17 FebruaryMarch 2023, the trial startedsecond trial against another 39 people charged with participating in the protests ended with lengthy prison sentences of up to 11 years; whereas in November 2022, the Prosecutor General’s office said that 171 people in total were under arrest facing criminal charges in connection with the events;
Amendment 27 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas Uzbekistan is ranked as ‘not free’ in 2022 Freedom House’s 2023 Freedom in the World and 2022 Freedom on the Net rankings and is ranked 133rd out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ 2022 World Freedom of the Press Index, which is an improvement from 157th position in 2021, though the country’s overall score decreased;
Amendment 30 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas under the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan, consensual same-sex conduct between men is a criminal offense punishable by up to three years in prison; whereas this law not only violates the human rights of gay and bisexual men, but also has a harmful impact on the broader LGBTIQ community, making it challenging for them to live their lives freely and openly; whereas the criminalisation of same-sex relations between men in Uzbekistan creates a hostile and discriminatory environment, further marginalising LGBTIQ people and hindering their ability to access basic rights and services;
Amendment 31 #
2022/2195(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that owing to the lack of direct access to seaports, developing infrastructure and logistics corridors, in particular the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, is crucially important for trade and for connecting Uzbekistan with the markets of potential trading partners;
Amendment 31 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas in March 2020, the United Nations Human Rights Committee, which monitors compliance with the International covenant on Civil and Political Rights, expressed concern about “continued reports of torture and ill-treatment, including sexual violence and rape, by prison officials and law enforcement personnel against persons deprived of liberty, including individuals detained on what appear to be politically motivated charges”;
Amendment 35 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas in January 202, the UNHR Committee against Torture reported that “torture and ill-treatment continue to be routinely committed by, at the instigation of and with the consent of the State party’s law enforcement, investigative and prison officials, principally for the purpose of extracting confessions or information to be used in criminal proceedings”; whereas President Mirziyoyev’s promises to address the root causes of torture in state custody have led to the adoption of some positive measures such as legislation stipulating that evidence obtained under torture is not admissible in court; whereas these legal safeguards are not implemented consistently and cases of torture are typically not properly investigated by the authorities; whereas detainees often refrain from lodging complaints for fear of reprisals;
Amendment 40 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Amendment 42 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E d (new)
Recital E d (new)
Ed. whereas under the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan, consensual same-sex conduct between men is a criminal offence punishable by up to three years in prison; whereas this law not only violates the human rights of gay and bisexual men, but it also has a harmful impact on the broader LGBTI community, making it challenging for them to live their lives freely and openly; whereas the criminalisation of same-sex relations between men in Uzbekistan creates a hostile and discriminatory environment, further marginalising LGBTI people and hindering their ability to access basic rights and services;
Amendment 51 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas the Uzbek government publicly claims that there are over 10,000 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) currently operating in Uzbekistan, while civil rights groups indicate that a majority of these organisations are in fact government-organised non-governmental organisations (GONGOs);
Amendment 56 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Notes that Uzbekistan joined the EU’s GSP+ arrangement in 2021; reiterates that joining this arrangement entails a commitment to effective implementation of the 27 core international conventions on human and labour rights, environmental and climate protection and good governance; calls on the Commission to take into account the impact of the upcoming constitutional referendum in its ongoing monitoring of Uzbekistan’s GSP+ obligations; reiterates its call for decriminalisation of homosexuality to be a requirement for participating in the GSP schemes;
Amendment 59 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Amendment 64 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes the ambitious reforms planned under the Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan for 2022-2026, which purportedly aims to achieve genuine change in the country in socioeconomic development, efficient administration and respect for human rights; stresses that the constitutional reform is an opportunity to strengthen the rule of law and to give the reforms a solid legal foundation; calls on the authorities of Uzbekistan to continue this process in consultation with citizens and stakeholders, including the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe , based on international norms and best practices;
Amendment 66 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Notes that after years of intense policy advocacy and campaigning, led by Uzbek and international civil society, state-imposed forced labour is no longer systematically used in the cotton harvest; stresses that independent monitoring shows that human rights risks, including individual cases of forced labour, remain in the cotton industry; is concerned that independent groups that conduct field level monitoring and capacity building are unable to register and operate freely, putting progress at risk; calls on Uzbekistan to introduce broader reforms to empower civil society and develop effective institutions to provide transparency and accountability across all parts of the cotton sector;
Amendment 69 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Calls on Uzbekistan to uphold its commitments to implement ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise and Convention 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining and to ratify the ILO Minimum Wage Fixing Convention (No. 131); urges the Commission to urge Uzbekistan to implement broader labour reforms and uphold international labour and human rights standards in all aspects of life within the context of its ongoing engagement with Uzbekistan under the GSP+ arrangement;
Amendment 78 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that Uzbekistan is uniquely positioned to be the driving force for regional cooperation that would help Central Asia become a more resilient, prosperous and more closely interconnected economic and political space; encourages the EU to intensify its political engagement with Central Asia in line with its geostrategic importance and in keeping with the values of democracy, human rights and rule of law that underpin EU external action; underlines the great potential of mutually beneficial cooperation on sustainable connectivity, in particular through its Global Gateway on initiative, on energy and security;
Amendment 86 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recognises that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its implications present both challenges and opportunities for Uzbekistan and other Central Asian states, which have traditionally maintained close relations with Russia; noteregrets that Uzbekistan abstained in the votes on the United Nations General Assembly resolutions on Ukraine, in particular those of 2 March 2022, 24 March 2022 and 23 February 2023 demanding an end to the Russian offensive and immediate withdrawal from Ukraine; notes that Uzbekistan opposed the expulsion of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council on 7 April 2022; notes the commitment of the political leadership of Uzbekistan not to allow the circumvention of sanctions imposed on Russia; calls on the Commission to ensure that the 11th package of sanctions against Russia addresses sanction circumvention via Central Asia, noting the sharp rise in trade between the countries in this region and the Russian Federation since last year;
Amendment 89 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes Uzbekistan’s long-standing and close relations with Afghanistan, which have continued after the takeover by Taliban; regrets Uzbekistan’s efforts to integrate the Taliban into the international system and normalise their regime through international engagement events held in Tashkent; commends its efforts to mitigate the severe humanitarian crisis in the country through the provision of humanitarian aid and electricity; invites Uzbekistan to use its contacts with the Taliban and through the establishment of the Termez UNHCR Regional Humanitarian Logistics Hub near the Uzbek-Afghan border in October 2021; regrets the lack of human rights conditionality as part of German investments in the development of Termez Airport; invites Uzbekistan to use its contacts with the Taliban to insist on the rights and humanity of women and girls to be respected and more generally to call for respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Afghans, in particular women, girls andcluding minorities, which are essential conditions for greater international engagement with Afghanistan; reiterates its strong condemnation of the Taliban’s decisions to ban women and girls from attending secondary and university education and to prohibit the employment of women with non-governmental organisations;
Amendment 97 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Notes that Uzbekistan is currently hosting several thousand Afghan refugees, but is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention, creating difficulties for a long-term solution for Afghans in Uzbekistan; calls in this regard on the Uzbek government to urgently sign and ratify the convention;
Amendment 98 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Welcomes the collaboration between the EU and Uzbekistan on providing children, youth and families who were forced to flee Afghanistan with UNICEF support including through inclusive education, social services and legal aid; calls on the Member States and EEAS to engage with Uzbekistan on assisting women who try to flee Afghanistan;
Amendment 104 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Welcomes Uzbekistan’s growing role in regional water diplomacy, in particular in improving its relations with Kyrgyzstan in this regard; is highly concerned about the persisting risk of further ecological crises in the region and emphasises the need for a stronger focus on mitigating these risks as part of Uzbekistan’s regional water diplomacy; stresses the importance of improving regional relations in the context of water as research has shown that the water crisis in Central Asia is not caused by a shortage of total water resources but by water allocation practices; highlights that reconciling conflicts, including concerning water distribution, is crucial for achieving long-term regional stability and achieving the SDGs;
Amendment 108 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Calls on the Commission and EEAS to assist Uzbekistan in water diplomacy and cooperation with its neighboring countries, particularly with Kazakhstan as well as to provide Uzbekistan and its relevant neighbors with the technical and financial assistance needed for restoring the collapsed ecosystems of the Aral Sea and its basin by increasing water flow in order to decrease salinity, improving irrigation canals, and helping to introduce crops requiring less water and toxins;
Amendment 110 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Calls on the Commission and EEAS to increase efforts contributing to the development of renewable energy sources in Uzbekistan in line with the SDGs and in view of preventing future crises due to shortages of fossil fuels; welcomes successful UNDP projects that have developed energy efficient and low carbon housing in Uzbekistan that withstood the energy crisis and calls on the Uzbek authorities to contribute to expanding these efforts and extend them also to existing housing;
Amendment 112 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. RCondemns the repression and violence against Karakalpak people and regrets the loss of life during protests in the Republic of Karakalpakstan on 1 and 2 July 2022; calls on the authorities to investigate the actions of the security services that led to deaths and injuries among the protesters and calls on the authorities to bring those responsible to justice; calls for the independence and transparency of the judicial process to be ensured in the cases linked to the protests; welcomes the Uzbek authorities’ commitment to maintaining the current constitutional status of Karakalpakstaninsists on people’s right to freedom of assembly, the right to freedom of association and the right to freedom of speech; calls on the authorities to establish a genuinely independent, impartial, and effective investigation events, including into deaths and severe injuries that occurred and the actions taken by the security forces, including the weapons they used; calls on the authorities to bring those responsible to justice; welcomes the Uzbek authorities’ commitment to maintaining the current constitutional status of Karakalpakstan; calls to Uzbekistan authorities to ensure access to Karakalpakstan for journalists and international human rights organisations;
Amendment 119 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Regrets that Karalkalpak protesters have been convicted and sentenced to long jail terms; calls for an independent investigation into all allegations of torture reported by defendants during the trials linked to the protests, as well as into the death of Polat Shamshetov who died days after being convicted; calls for a retrial in those cases where there was a clear lack of evidence; calls for charges of plotting to seize power by disruption the constitutional order to be dropped since protesters were calling for the constitution to be upheld; calls for the release of all political prisoners, including those arrested during the Karalkalpakstan protests, as well as the thousands of others in prison on politically motivated charges;
Amendment 125 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Expresses concern at reports of transnational repression by Uzbekistan targeting diaspora Karakalpaks in the aftermath of the July 2022 protests, as Karakalpak activists have been arrested in or forcibly deported from other countries;
Amendment 127 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Notes the upcoming constitutional referendum slated for 30 April 2023; calls on the Uzbek authorities to ensure a free and fair vote and to allow international observation at the referendum; calls on the Uzbek authorities to ensure that voters are adequately informed about the significant amendments to the constitution proposed in the referendum, including the extension of the president’s mandate; seconds the statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights who stated during his recent visit to Uzbekistan that it is vital that pledges by the authorities to act on human rights are translated into action on the ground;
Amendment 129 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 d (new)
Paragraph 7 d (new)
7d. Welcomes Uzbekistan's efforts to eradicate the worst forms of child labor and sexual exploitation by bringing the legislation into full compliance with international standards and increasing punishments for individuals who commit such crimes; commends the elimination of systemic child labor in the cotton harvest but expresses concern on widespread individual cases in the cotton industry and beyond where children occasionally are still used as labor force; calls on Uzbekistan authorities to continue efforts on raising awareness of child labor in the society and enforce prohibitions; urges Uzbekistan government to make data on child labor more transparent for all stakeholders and allow registration of NGOs working on the issue of forced labor, child labor and exploitation;
Amendment 130 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines the important role that civil society can play in supporting effective and inclusive reforms and good governance; regrets the significant barriers to NGO registration ands several independent CSOs have repeatedly been denied registration on grounds that appear to be politically motivated; regrets the obligations imposed on NGOs receiving foreign funding by the Regulation on Coordination Between Non- Governmental Non-Commercial Organisations and Public Authorities in the Implementation of International Grant Projects approved by Decree No 328 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan on 13 June 2022, which shrink the space for civil society activities and impede the exercise of the freedom of association; calls on Uzbekistan to bring legislation, regulations and practices on the registration, operation and funding of CSOs into line with international standards and allow CSOs to register in a simple, transparent procedure and carry out their activities without undue state interference; calls on the Uzbek government to respect freedom of association by allowing independent human rights organisations, including international human rights groups, to register in the country;
Amendment 135 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on the Uzbek authorities to implement the recommendations from the ODIHR 2021 Election Observation Mission Final Report, including to revise legislative and administrative requirements for the registration of political parties and to establish clear separation between state and party along with effective sanctions against the misuse of administrative resources;
Amendment 140 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses the need to ensure respect for the rights of journalists, independent bloggers and human rights defenders and their protection against harassment, pressure and threats and to investigate any attacks against them; calls for the release of journalists, independent bloggers and human rights defenders, including those from Karakalpakstan, who were prosecuted for their work; notes in this regard the specific cases of bloggers Otobek Sattoriv, Miraziz Bazarov, Fazilhoja Arifhojaev, as well as Karakalpak journalist Lolagul Kallykhanova, and others including Sobirjon Babaniyazov and Valijon Kalonov;
Amendment 147 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls on the Uzbek authorities to withdraw a draft Information Code, published on 14 December 2022, that, if adopted, would violated freedom of expression, including media freedom, and includes discriminatory provisions against “promoting same-sex relations, which would only worsen the stigma and discrimination faced by LGBTQ people in Uzbekistan;
Amendment 153 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Stresses to importance of refraining from limiting or blocking websites to cases where such limitation is in line with international standards, is based on objective and transparent criteria defined in law, and is content- specific, while making sure the public is duly informed;
Amendment 154 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Condemns the ongoing use of torture in detention in Uzbekistan and calls for legal safeguards to be implemented consistently and proper investigations of all reports of torture;
Amendment 158 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes that despite the adoption of a number ofWelcomes the bill on gender-based violence, including domestic violence and sexual abuse of minors, adopted by the Uzbek Senate on 6 April 2023 and signed by President Mirziyoyev on 11 April 2023 as a significant step towards the complete criminalisation of domestic violence in accordance with international standards; recognises in this regard the years of advocacy conducted by Uzbek women’s rights activists;notes that despite the adoption of previous laws, including the Law on Protection of Women from Harassment and Violence of 2019, gender- based violence against women remains widespread; regrets that domestic violence is not defined or specifically criminalised in Uzbekistan’s legislationcalls for all laws concerning gender-based violence to be effectively implemented and enforced by the authorities in all regions of Uzbekistan;; calls on the authorities to take additional measures to bring ensureUzbekistan into linefully complies with its obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, as indicated in the concluding observations on the sixth periodic report of Uzbekistan by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women; calls on Uzbek authorities to work with civil society organisations and international partners to address these issues;
Amendment 164 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Condemns, in the strongest possible terms, that consensual same-sex sexual relations between men remain criminalised and is deeply worried about the prevalence of intimidation, harassment, violence and stigma against LGBTIQ people in the country; urges the authorities of Uzbekistan to decriminalise same-sex sexual conduct by repealing article 120 of the criminal code, in line with the ICCPR, to exclude any provisions criminalising same-sex conduct from its new criminal code and to adopt a comprehensive anti-discrimination law that includes sexual orientation and gender identity as protected grounds;
Amendment 165 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Emphasises that women’s active participation in public and political life, especially at the senior and decision making levels, should be facilitated by means of comprehensive legal, institutional, and educational initiatives and that political parties should be encouraged to facilitate women’s political advancement, increase visibility of women during electoral campaigns, and integrate gender issues into their platforms;
Amendment 170 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Stresses that LGBTI people in Uzbekistan are at constant risk of serious human rights violations without any possible recourse to justice and face significant challenges and discrimination, particularly regarding the criminalisation of same-sex relations between men; condemns the fact that in 2021 at least 36 individuals were convicted under Article 120 of the Criminal Code that criminalises homosexuality, of whom 26 were sentenced to prison terms; condemns the use of humiliation, torture, including forced anal examination by the authorities, and threats of persecution under Article 120 by police officers; condemns the practice that Uzbek police have access to confidential medical information of LGBTI people registered at HIV treatment centres that is used to blackmail, threaten or persecute individuals; also calls on Uzbekistan to revise plans for a new law, proposed in August 2022, requiring compulsory medical examination of so-called “dangerous groups”, namely men who have sex with men, sex workers, and drug users, to test for HIV;
Amendment 175 #
2022/2195(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10c. Urges the Uzbek authorities to review the Article 120 of the Criminal Code in line with ICCPR in order to end the criminalisation of same sex relations between consenting adult men; calls on the Uzbek government to work towards creating a inclusive and accepting society where the rights of all individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics, are respected and protected;
Amendment 10 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that the EIB is a leading issuer andGroup continuously contributes to innovations and developments in the capital markets while promoting the most rigorous standards; , implementing the EU’s desired financial architecture and implementing EU policies mostly in the domain of sustainable investment and development;
Amendment 19 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses that the European Union’s 2021-2027 long-term budget (EUR 1.2 trillion in current prices), together with the Next Generation EU (NGEU) temporary recovery instrument (EUR 806.9 billion in current prices) - of which 75% is managed by the EIB, are an unprecedented and unique response aimed at helping to repair the economic and social damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and facilitating the digital and green transitions;
Amendment 20 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes with appreciation that despite the general context of uncertainty in the global financial markets caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the EIB continues to maintain a robust liquidity position and highest credit rating;
Amendment 27 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. PraisWelcomes the EIB Group's efforts, whose financial support in 2021 to over 431 000 SMEs and mid-caps sustained 4.5 million jobs; recalls that the EIB’s support to SMEs accounts for 47 % of the overall volume of financing signed by the EIB and almost all of the EIF’s activities; recalls that, in absolute terms, in 2021 SME financing represented EUR 45 billion of the EIB Group’s total lending of EUR 94.9 billion, offered at favourable financing terms in the form of lower interest rates and/or longer maturities and advisory services; calls on the EIB to continue its actions and enhance support with additional growth capital to enable SMEs to scale up their operations;
Amendment 33 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Reiterates its calls for the EIB’s due diligence in the preparation phase of all the projects to include careful consideration and respect for human rights and indigenous communities;
Amendment 34 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Stresses that the requirement for financial intermediaries and corporate clients to draw up decarbonisation plans as soon as possible and at the latest by the end of 2025 must not prevent SMEs from accessing finance; however it is a crucial requirement in light of the EIB’s ambitions of becoming the EU’s climate bank and achieving the rate of at least 50% of financing going into green and sustainable projects;
Amendment 37 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Is aware that the EIB’s actions connected to climate, innovation and development and recognises that innovation and technology are key enablers for the transition to a net-zero emission economy; welcomes the partnership between the Commission and the Breakthrough Energy Catalyst aiming at mobilising up to USD 1 billion over the 2022-2026 period in order to accelerate the deployment and commercialisation of innovative technologies that will help deliver European Green Deal ambitions and the European Union’s 2030 climate targets;
Amendment 64 #
2022/2153(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46 a (new)
Paragraph 46 a (new)
46 a. Acknowledges long-standing concerns and complaints regarding vast pay gaps between administrative and professional categories of staff; reiterates the high costs of living in Luxembourg while the correction coefficient for Luxembourg is fixed at 100% although it should be higher; points out to the challenges faced by the staff members employed under the administrative category and how it can negatively impact the attractiveness of the EIB’s recruitment as well as standard of living of its staff;
Amendment 19 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes with concern the findings of the Court of Auditors (the “Court”) regarding the protection of the Union budget; takes note of the Court’s Special Report 11/2022 “Protecting the EU budget” where the Court found that although the Commission’s exclusion system has some strengths, shortcomings limit its effectiveness; notes with concern that the implementation of the Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES) has taken longer than planned; is worried that differences in the approaches undermine the overall effectiveness of exclusion; calls on the Commission to work hand in hand with the Parliament on recast of the EU Financial Regulation to further improve the EDES to make it an efficient and effective tool;
Amendment 20 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the need to enlarge the areas where the EDES is used beyond direct management and requests the Commission to use it for all Union funds including funds under shared management: notes that, the EDES has to be used systematically to ensure that companies and beneficial owners who have been convicted in relation to fraud, corruption or other serious economic criminal activities cannot benefit from Union funds, including a permanent and irreversible exclusion from participating in EU projects or in any way receiving the funds from the EU budget; stresses the need to harmonise the indicators in ARACHNE with the exclusion grounds of EDES to ensure that excluded economic operators are also visible in ARACHNE; calls for maximum interoperability between ARACHNE, EDES and other software to reduce the need to insert information items into various IT systems multiple times and keep the administrative burden as low as possible; believes that not more but better targeted control systems are needed, including the use of new technologies;
Amendment 23 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Reiterates the imperative need of a single mandatory integrated and interoperable information and monitoring system provided by the Commission, allowing for the electronic recording and storage of data on the recipients of Union funding, including their beneficial owners and allowing for the availability of this information for data-mining and risk- scoring purposes; underlines that it is essential to get a clear and provide for a transparent overview of the distribution and potential concentration of Union funds disbursed, including through a functionality that allows for the aggregation of these funds; underlines that this would reduce the bureaucratic burden on the financial actors, on controllers and auditors, as well as on the recipients of Union funds, and should facilitate risk assessment for the purposes of selection, award, financial management, monitoring, investigation, control and audit and would also contribute to effective prevention, detection, correction and follow-up of fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest, double funding and other irregularities;
Amendment 27 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses the increased use and importance of performance indicators, including the selection of indicators, definition of targets and milestones and monitoring and reporting in light of the new delivery models for the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and the reformed Common Agricultural Policy; welcomecalls in this regard on the Commission's work to to further improve monitoring and reporting on performance of the Union budget with more streamlined and qualitative indicators such as indicators on gender mainstreaming and indicators on biodiversity, as reflected in the adopted basic acts of the 2021-2027 spending programmes; notes that milestones and targets as well as output indicators are different in nature; notes that the RRF further differentiates between investments and reforms; stresses that performance auditing is a new tool for the respective audit authorities; reiterates its call on the Commission to provide an overview of the complete audit cycle within the Member States, the Commission as well as an overview of the cooperation with the respective audit authorities including the Court, as well as OLAF and the EPPO;
Amendment 29 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Is concerned about the increasing number and complexity of the Commission’s quasi-legal instruments such as opinions, recommendations, communications, non-legislative resolutions, notices, guidance documents and statements of administrative priorities; calls on the Commission to simplify and streamline these instruments and use them with an intention to further simplify the procedures and cut the bureaucratic burden and not to the opposite;
Amendment 31 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Reiterates the need to step up the efforts in the fight against fraud both at Union and Member State level, in close cooperation with the EPPO and OLAF; appreciates the remarkable efforts and stresses the role of the EPPO in the investigation and prosecution of fraud and other criminal offences affecting the financial interests of the Union; highlights the importance of the EPPO’s full independence and impartiality for the effective exercise of its functions; recalls the importance of providingstresses the fact theat EPPO and OLAF with’s independence, impartiality and their effectiveness demands sufficient financial and human resources;
Amendment 33 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Notes that the Commission presents its annual report on the protection of the EU financial interests (PIF report) in the autumn of the following year making it impossible for the Parliament to adopt the report sooner than 2 years after the concerned period in the report (n+2); stresses that in order to achieve better efficiency in adopting the EU policies and counter-measures to the fraud, tax evasion and other financial irregularities presented in the report, the Parliament should be able to process and adopt the PIF report no later than next year (n+1); calls on OLAF and the Commission to adopt their reporting on PIF accordingly;
Amendment 36 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Underlines the increasing need to ensure the transparency of NGOs and of their funding, as they are important actors in the implementation of the Union budget, especially in the area of external action; demands the Commission to re- evaluate its identification of entities as NGOs, improving the reliability of information (making sure to have them registered as lobbyists, having clearly established whether they stand for the topics they claim they represent, and having insight intomportance of transparent operations of NGOs and of their funding; calls on the Commission to further improve the EU Lobby Register, making sure that NGOs who approach EU institutions are registered as lobbyists, set up an effective mechanism to assure NGOs’ activities are aligned with the EU values and demand a full transparency on part of their financing); demands the disclosure of their financing be it private (e.g. NGOs financed by the industrial actors) or public; recalls that as regards public funding, the Union basic acts regulate how transparency and visibility in this regard need to be handled, therefore reminds the Commission about the responsibility it has to check the compliance with rules and procedures, especially rules and procedures on sub- granting to NGOs; moreover, demands that the Commission provides the discharge authority with clear information about the total amount of Union funds implemented by NGOsan overview of total amount of Union’s NGOs related expenditure;
Amendment 50 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes the RRF's contributionpotential to preventing a strong economic downturn following the COVID-19 pandemic; notes that the RRF has been instrumental in making progress with the implementation of the Country Specific Recommendations (CSRs) stemming from the European Semester in almost all Member States; notes however that several CSRs remain unaddressed, despite the financial incentives stemming from the RRF;
Amendment 55 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Is concerned by the findings of the Court in its first annual assessment of the RRF; considers that the implementation of the RRF takes place under time pressure, with however a much more straight forward delivery model that puts much, lighter requirements on both the Commission, and reduces the control burden from the Commission towards the Member StateMember States, and reduces Commission’s control levels, in particular in comparison with the cohesion policy; is thefinancing, refpore concerned by the types of findings of the Court which fundamentally calls into questionting and control structure of cohesion or agricultural policy; is concerned whether the Commission can handle even this reduced control burden; calls on the Commission not to apply the performance based delivery model as used in the implementation of the RRF forto other EU programs and policies until the advantages and disadvantages are more clear, following the evaluation of the implementation of the RRF by 20 Februin early 2024;
Amendment 57 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the agreement reached in the inter-institutional negotiations on RePowerEU on the bi-annual publication of the 100 biggest final beneficiaries per Member State on the RRF Scoreboard; reiterates its call for the list of all final beneficiaries in all EU policies and projects to be made available to auditorthe relevant EU institutions and to the discharge authority;
Amendment 59 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes the successful efforts of the Commission to raise funds on the financial markets to provide the financial means for the RRF; is concerned by the resulting debts, the rising interest rates and the resulting uncertain capacity to repay the loans and the risk this poses for the Union budget and Union policies; calls on the Commission to mitigate the risk and keep the Parliament fully informed on the annual status of these loans;
Amendment 66 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Is concerned that the late adoption of a number of regulations governing different Union polices has, similarly as at the beginning of 2014 - 2020 period, implied a significant delay in the starting of implementation for the 2021-2027 period; inviturges the Commission to take all the necessary measures to speed up the implementation of the policies on the ground, while keeping a high focus on quality and the need to step up the fight against fraud and protect the financial interests of the Union; draws attention to the fact that especially under shared management a significant part the 2021 budgetary allocation has to be reprogrammed to the following years; highlights in this context the risk that outstanding commitments bear on the Union budget, possibly generating significant decommitments which in turn would decrease the impact of the Union budget; demands that the Commission indicates to the discharge authority the measures it intends to take to avoid this situation and draws the necessary conclusions and experience to avoid the similar situation from repeating at the start of the 2028 -2034 MFF;
Amendment 72 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Regrets that the Court has again issued an adverse opinion on the legality and regularity of the expenditure side of the EU budget, issued by the Court;
Amendment 73 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Notes the overall error rate calculated by the Court of 3,0 %, which is 1,0 % point above the materiality threshold; notes that this is a deterioration in comparison with 2020, when the error rate was 2,7 %, also well above the materiality threshold; notes the Commission’s reply that it does not dispute the Court’s established error rate, and but at the same time defends the results of its own work resulting in an estimated error rate at payment which is based on a different methodology; notes that the Commission calculates its risk at payment for 2021 as 1.9 %; is worried by the fact that, contrarily to the Court, the Commission estimates its error rate to be both below the materiality threshold and the lowergoes even lower than the bottom range of the estimated level of error of the Court, of 2.2%;
Amendment 75 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. NotAgrees with concern that the Court considersthe Court that the Commission’s risk assessment is likely to underestimate the level of risk in several areas; highlights that the Court has reported weaknesses in the Commission’s ex-post audits in Heading 1 'Single market, innovation and digital', underestimation of errors in Heading 2 'Cohesion, resilience and values', and underestimations of risk and a high number of errors in Heading 6 'Neighbourhood and the world', among other issues; highlights that in ‘Natural Resources and Environment’ both institutions are aligned in their calculations while for examplebut stresses the fact that for ‘Single Market, Innovation and Digital’ the Court estimates a level of error of 4.4 % while the Commission estimates a risk at payment of 1.3 %;
Amendment 78 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. ExpressReiterates its support for the audit approach and methodology of the Court; notes with concern the divergences between the error rates and risk at payment as calculated by the Court and the Commission; highlights that these differences can not simply be attributed to a different methodologies used as they do not occur in all expenditure areas; remarks the fact that the Commission’s estimates for risk at payment are consistently in the lower range or below the statistical estimations of the Court and is concerned that this represents a systematic underestimation of the existing error level by the Commission; is worried that the Commission, acting on potentially underestimated risks, is not able to effectively protect the financial interests of the Union; is also concerned by the confusion this creates for the discharge authority and Union citizens, as the Commission on the one hand embraces the Court’s error rate in areas where this is below the materiality threshold (natural resources), however presents its own estimated error at payment in areas where the Court’s error rate is above the materiality threshold;
Amendment 79 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Is worried that the Commission, acting on potentially underestimated risks, is not able to effectively protect the financial interests of the Union; is also concerned by the confusion this creates for the discharge authority and Union citizens, as the Commission on the one hand embraces the Court’s error rate in areas where this is below the materiality threshold (natural resources), however presents its own estimated error at payment in areas where the Court’s error rate is above the materiality threshold and thus casts a shadow on the reliability of its financial reporting;
Amendment 83 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Notes that the Court divides their audit population into high risk (mainly reimbursement based payments) and low risk (mainly entitlement based payments) expenditure; notes with concern however, that the Commission in its Annual Management and Performance Report categorises the expenditure into higher, medium and lower risk segments; emphasises that the use of different risk categories by the Court and the Commission impedes the work of the discharge authority in making a comparative analysis of the respective reports; notes with concern the discrepancy between the Court’s calculation of high- risk expenditure as 63.2 % compared to Commission’s calculation of 22 %; highlights that such discrepancies between the Court and the Commission are hampering the reliability of input data needed for the discharge authority;
Amendment 88 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Notes that, despite the fact that the Court considers the RRF expenditure accepted in the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2021 as legal and regular in all material respects, there is one milestone in the payment to Spain that ihas not been satisfactorily fulfilled, casting doubt on the Commission’s assessment of the milestone and targets associated with the related RRF expenditure; recalls that the only reason the identified error was not quantified was the absence of a methodology for partial payments by the Commission;
Amendment 92 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Notes with concern that in 2021 the implementation of commitments was very low, at 68 % of the total available amount, and that the late adoption of sectoral regulations during 2021 delayed the launch of new programmes; welcomes that the overall ESIF absorption rate increased in 2021 due to higher payments than in 2020; highlights that at the end of 2021, around EUR 161 billion remained to be absorbed by the closure of ESIF programmes in 2025; noreiterates withs concern theover significant differences in absorption rates by Member States, and the fact that some Member States still have more than 40 % of their committed amounts to absorb; stresses again that huge differences in absorption capacities between Member States in fact present one of the most serious obstacles to more effective development of less developed regions;
Amendment 96 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. NoReiterates withs concern that at the end of 2021, total outstanding commitments reached a record high of EUR 341,6 billion; highlights that outstanding commitments are likely to exceed EUR 460 billion in 2023 but that they will then fall as NGEU draws to a close; despite of the later the discharge authority expresses its utmost concern over the risks that outstanding commitments pose to the normal functioning of the EU budget and its solvency;
Amendment 102 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Strongly supports the recommendations of the Court in its Annual Report as well as in related special reports; calls on the Commission to implement them without delay and to keep the discharge authority informed on the progress of the implementation;
Amendment 104 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 – point b
Paragraph 43 – point b
b. simplify rules and procedures, develop compulsory training sessions and practical information for applicants, in particular new applicants, and improve the assistance and guidelines for SMEs and NGOs, spin- offs, start-ups, administration and payment agencies and all other relevant stakeholders without compromising the quality of the controls;
Amendment 105 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 – point c
Paragraph 43 – point c
c. keep increasing the administrative capacity of the Commission and Member States and propose adequate budget lines for the Court, the EPPO and OLAF to insure their efficiency in relation to the implementation of the new upcoming tasks related to the NGEU instrument in order to protect the Union finances;
Amendment 106 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 – point d
Paragraph 43 – point d
d. summarise and report to the discharge authority and the Court the reasons for the differences in the various expenditure areas and recoveries, and also in the results concerning the estimated level of error as calculated by the Court and the risk at payment as calculated by the Commission in the AMPR and engage in an exchange with the Court on both managerial and technical level with the aim of introducing a single methodology on EU expenditure error rate;
Amendment 113 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Regrets that the Court considers that the sources dedicated to the preparation of this performance report hasve a negative impact on its audit andconducting audits on other emerging Union priorities; takes note of the Court’s decision to return to reporting on performance along the lines previously used in chapter 3 of the Annual Report; remarks that due to the legal deadlines in place, the Court may find it difficult to include its assessment of the AMPR in its Annual Report; calls for the Court to nevertheless take account of the AMPRs in their annual reporting or through a separate document if necessary in order to account for the annual discharge exercise; recalls that the staff of the Court has been already increased in 2023 in order to account for the increased workload due to NGEU;
Amendment 114 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. RegretsIs deeply concerned by the fact that the AMPR provides overly positive conclusions on the progress made towards mainstreaming targets, that there is little information available on whether spending contributes meaningfully to multiple priorities at the same time, that the Commission’s performance framework does not yet measure outcomes, and that the Commission’s review of reported information faces challenges;
Amendment 115 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. WelcomNotes that according to the Commission climate and biodiversity priorities are integrated into the performance framework; but notes with great concern the additional findings of the Court in its Special Report 09/2022 “Climate Spending in the 2014-2020 EU budget”; is worried that reported spending is not always relevant to climate action and that the Union budget contribution to climate and biodiversity is overstated; notes with further concern the Court’s findings that the overall reporting on climate spending was unreliable, since it involved significant approximation and tracked only the potential positive impact on climate without evaluating the final contribution to Union climate goals; notes with concern that the risk that the planned or committed amounts would not be spent, could further inflate reported climate spending; is worried that the Court found that only limited improvements are expected in the 2021- 2027 climate reporting; regrets that the Commission has not yet addressed weaknesses in the reported figures of their new methodology; expresses its profound disappointment about the reaction of the Commission which indicates a lack of responsibility and a failure to fully recognise the shortcomings in its methodology; cannot accept the Commission’s statement about ‘agreeing to disagree’ with Members of the discharge authority given the fact that the amount reported as having been spent on climate action had been overstated by at least EUR 72 billion for the 2014-2020 period according to the Court;
Amendment 117 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. WelcomNotes that progress has been made in incorporating gender equality into the performance framework; notes with great concern that on top numerous discussions of Parliament’s Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality the Court has identified weaknesses in gender mainstreaming; regrets that the Commission’s first estimation of the overall contribution of the Union budget to promoting gender equality was affected by weaknesses; notes with concern that there are Commission continues to implement Union’s programs with no spending targets and only a few indicators for gender equality;
Amendment 118 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. RDeeply regrets that there is only limited information available on the progress of Union programmes towards the SDGs; notes with grave concern that previous work from the Court shows that the Commission does not report on the budget’s contribution to the SDGs; welcomes that the Commission has started reporting on the links between Union spending programmes and the SDGs and awaits newest assessment by the Court on the reliability of Commission’s reporting;
Amendment 119 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Welcomes that the digital transition is a new priority; understands that the Commission has provided information on the contribution to the digital transition for specific programmes and awaits newest assessment by the Court on the reliability of Commission’s reporting on the implementation of this priority;
Amendment 120 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53
Paragraph 53
53. Strongly supports the recommendations of the Court in its Annual Report as well as in related special reports; calls on the Commission to implement them without delay and to keep the discharge authority informed on the progress of the implementation;
Amendment 121 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54 – point b
Paragraph 54 – point b
b. follow-up on the Court’s recommendations to better link the Union’s expenditure to its climate, biodiversity, gender mainstreaming and energy objectives;
Amendment 127 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54 a (new)
Paragraph 54 a (new)
Amendment 130 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65
Paragraph 65
65. Notes withIs deeply concerned that the Court found that the estimated level of error in spending on ‘Single Market, Innovation and Digital’ was material, reaching 4,4 %, compared to 3.9 % in the previous year; is worried that the estimated risk at payment calculated by the Commission is 1.3 %, which is below both materiality and the range of estimated level of error of the Court; notes the Court’s observation that, despite the measures already taken by the Commission, its error rate remains understated;
Amendment 132 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 67
Paragraph 67
67. Notes with concern that the rules for declaring personnel costs under H2020 remain complex, despite simplification efforts, and their calculation remains a major source of error in the cost claims; regrets that one of the main causes of error is the incorrect application of the methodology for calculating personnel costs; draws attention to the Court’s observation that private entities, in particular SMEs and new entrants, are prone to error; urges the Commission to foster and facilitate the application of correct methodology for calculating personnel costs;
Amendment 141 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 74
Paragraph 74
74. Notes withIs deeply concerned that the Court found that the level of error in spending on ‘Cohesion, resilience and values’ was material and for MFF heading 2, of an estimated overall level of error of 3.6 %, compared to 3.5 % in the previous year; notes that spending under subheading 2a has an estimated level of error of 4.1 %; remarks that the Commission reported a combined risk at payment for heading 2 as a whole of between 1.7 % and 2.3 %, while for subheading 2a the Commission estimated the risk of at payment to be between 1.8 % and 2.5 %; draws attention to the difference in the figures between the Commission and the Court;
Amendment 142 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78
Paragraph 78
78. Notes with concernDeeply regrets that shortcomings remain in the way audit authorities perform and document their work; is worried that the Court found quantifiable errors that had not been previously identified by the national audit authorities in many cases when re- performing their audits;
Amendment 149 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 87
Paragraph 87
87. Takes note that the Court, in its Special Report 14/2022 “The Commission’s response to fraud in the Common Agricultural Policy” found that fraud risks vary between the CAP payment schemes; welcomnotes that the Commission has taken action on fraud spending; regrets that according to the Court, the actions taken by the Commission were not sufficiently proactive; notes with concern that some paying agencies have indicated a need for more practical advice from the Commission;
Amendment 150 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 87 a (new)
Paragraph 87 a (new)
87a. Regrets that the Commission’s actions to detect and counter fraud in the CAP payments does not lead to the substantial eradication of risks and abuses; urges the Commission to systematically assess the use of CAP payments by providing the list of biggest beneficiaries per Member State and publish it accordingly;
Amendment 153 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 91 – point a
Paragraph 91 – point a
a. Substantially simplify rules and procedures, develop compulsory training sessions and practical information for applicants, in particular new applicants, and improve the assistance and guidelines for SMEs, spin- offs, start-ups, administration and payment agencies and all other relevant stakeholders without compromising the quality of the controls;
Amendment 156 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 91 – point d a (new)
Paragraph 91 – point d a (new)
da. contributes to the transparency and accountability of CAP spending by collecting and publishing data on biggest AGRI beneficiaries across the Member States, including the integrated data from other EU funds;
Amendment 159 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 94
Paragraph 94
94. NotesIs concerned that, of the 28 transactions the Court examined, nine (32 %) were affected by errors, that the Court quantified six errors which had an impact on the amounts charged to the Union budget, and that the Court also found six cases of non- compliance with legal and financial provisions, with no impact on the Union budget;
Amendment 165 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 100
Paragraph 100
100. Welcomes the adoption of NDICI- Global Europe in 2021 as the main funding instrument under this MFF heading, with its objective to uphold and promote Union values, principles and fundamental interests worldwide, and help promote multilateralism and stronger partnerships with non-EU countries; notes that NDICI- Global Europe reflects a major change compared to the 2014-2020 MFF, with the integration of cooperation with African, Caribbean and Pacific partner countries, previously financed by the European Development Funds, into the Union general budget; regrets that a more integrated approach in global development projects is missing;
Amendment 166 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 102 a (new)
Paragraph 102 a (new)
102a. Calls on the Commission to provide a comprehensive overview of spending under the new Global Gateway programme and simplifies the existing instruments in order to mainstream EU priorities under the Global Gateway; welcomes in that regard the Team Europe approach and urges the Member States to ensure that the selection of development projects is aligned with the Commission priorities;
Amendment 168 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 104
Paragraph 104
104. Notes the results of the seventh study on the Residual Error Rate (RER) carried out in 2021 by DG NEAR, and in particular the overall RER that was found to be 1,05 %, below the materiality threshold of 2 %; noteregrets the limitations that the Court identified as regards the methodology to determine the RER, in particular that a substantial share of DG NEAR’s expenditure is not considered in the sampling population of the RER, which the Court considers to carry the risk that errors remain undetected; is in particular worried that DG NEAR did not disclose the limitations in its 2021 Annual Activity Report;
Amendment 172 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 105 a (new)
Paragraph 105 a (new)
105a. Notes the importance of linking the rule of law conditionality, as well as the alignment with EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy; reiterates that IPA III funding shall be strictly linked to the these criteria and no funds be disbursed to the Western Balkans countries unless these criteria are clearly met, as underlined in the ECA Special Report 01/2022 “EU support for the rule of law in the Western Balkans”;
Amendment 178 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 107 – point b a (new)
Paragraph 107 – point b a (new)
b a. increase coherence and sustainability of the NDICI-Global Europe funding;
Amendment 192 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 118
Paragraph 118
118. Takes note that the Court, in its Special Report 28/2022 “Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE)” found that the SURE instrument was a timely response to mitigate the risk of unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic and that it entailed a limited financial risk to the Union budget; welcomes that SURE loans helped to finance the national job retention schemes to contain the rise of unemployment during the COVID-19 crisis; regrets that the impact of SURE cannot be fully assessed because of limitations in the monitoring of data and the lack of an ex-post evaluation; calls on the Commission to significantly improve the monitoring of data and dedicates much needed resources to allow for the reliable assessment of the results and outcomes of its programmes and policies; stresses the fact that a constant lack of ex- post assessments does not provide for a fact based planning of the next Union’s budget;
Amendment 194 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 119 a (new)
Paragraph 119 a (new)
119 a. Stresses an obligation of every EU institution, Member State, public or private recipient of Union's funds to disclose all documents, even confidential ones, upon an official request made by the Court as part of the ongoing audit; deplores and finds Commission's refusal to provide the Court with information on the preliminary negotiations conducted by the President of the Commission for a contract with Pfizer/BioNTech unacceptable ; finds this refusal by the Commission a dangerous precedens that could severely limit the Court in carrying out their core business as set in the TFEU;
Amendment 201 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 121 – point b
Paragraph 121 – point b
b. verify that COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers comply with the terms of advance purchase agreements, in particular as regards production cost estimates, the use of upfront financing and, where applicable, no-profit clauses, and take corrective action as necessary and keep the Discharge authority fully informed;
Amendment 213 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 124
Paragraph 124
124. Notes the Court’s observation regarding the RRF in its 2021 Annual Report concerning the first payment request from Spain; notes that the Court assessed the Commission’s ex-ante work on all milestones associated with the payment to Spain in 2021; observesis concerned by the fact that it will not be possible for the Court to assess all milestones associated with future payments;
Amendment 231 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 127
Paragraph 127
127. Recalls the CONT committee’s opinion to the committee on Budgets and the committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council regulation establishing the RRF; recalls the call therein for a list of all final beneficiaries and projects of the Facility; considers that Article 22(2) (d) of that Regulation puts the requirement on the Member States to keep these records, and that the provisions in Article 22(3) call for making the data concerned availableavailable at the Commission’s disposal in the framework of discharge, for the discharge authority;
Amendment 243 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 130
Paragraph 130
130. Notes the Commission’s approach to adherence to procurement and state aid rules in the investments under the RRP is to rely on national systems, and revert to infringement procedures when cases of non-compliance in Member States are detected; considers that the protection of the Union financial interests is not timely guaranteed and does not necessarily target the beneficiaries that enjoyed an unfair advantage of the cases of non-compliance; acknowledges that the first responsibility in this regard lies with the Member States; recalls the repeated findings by the Court as reflected in previous discharge reports that the work of certain national authorities is too error-prone and unreliable; stresses therefore that the Commission has the residual responsibility to make sure that effective and efficient internal control systems are in place, and to step in where Member States do not act as is required by the RRF Regulation; including through partial payments when there is non- compliance with public procurement or state aid rules;
Amendment 245 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 131
Paragraph 131
131. Is concerned that differences in the quality of controls and the complexity of the control systems applied by the Member States may result in a less effective internal control system for the funds available under the RRF in some/many Member States; is concerned by repeated warnings by OLAF, the EPPO, Europol and other competent bodies that a less effective internal control system attracts misuse, fraud and organised crime;
Amendment 250 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 132
Paragraph 132
132. Reiterates that the effectiveness of the rule of law conditionality mechanism in smaller part rests on information stemming from audits and investigations at Union level and not having this information available will make the mechanism less effectivecould negatively influence the effectiveness of the mechanism;
Amendment 259 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 135
Paragraph 135
135. Acknowledges that the Scoreboard contains a complete and useful repository of official documents that gives insight in the most important agreements reached with the Member States in the National RRPs and related documents; regrets howevernotes in this regard that the RRF Scoreboardregulation does not allowrequire tracing financial flows from Union- level to the level of the final beneficiaries in the Member States and does not provide a clear overview of the actual implementation of the RRF in that regard due to its governance;
Amendment 264 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 136
Paragraph 136
136. Considers that the element of Union funding being additional to national funding is not satisfactorily communicated by the Commission, and that it cannot be excluded with certainty that money from the RRF is used to replace national expenditure; considers an analysis of national expenditure is necessary to see if to what extend the funding made available through the RRF ishas been truly additional and was not used to substitute recurring national expenditure, in accordance with Article 5(1) of the RRF Regulation; considers inrecalls that in line with thise regard that it is unclearulation at this stage there is no information available on what has happened with the payments andto pre-financing received by Member States for which no investment related costs were incurred yet;
Amendment 277 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 141
Paragraph 141
141. Is deeply worried by the negligible contribution of the RRF to cross-border cooperation, especially considering the amounts of Union funding involved; calls on the Commission to ask the member States to involve a much stronger element of cross-border cooperation in the updated National Recovery and Resilience plans and in particular in the RepowerEU chapters;
Amendment 288 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 145
Paragraph 145
145. Notes the statements made by Commission representatives that all payments will go towards the investments made under the RRF, so that after a certain time lag where instalments are paid out for reforms as well, by August 2026, the total amount of payments will have been spent on investments; rRecalls the Court’s finding that the Commission, in its assessment of all National RRPs , gave a ‘B-rating’ for the cost estimates of these investments, calling into question the accuracy of the amounts involved; underlines in the light of the Commission’s statement the problematic fact that of front-loading reforms and back-loading investments in the RRPs; reiterates its concern that this only amplifies the risk that Member States might not request the last payment tranche, and thus might fail to fulfil all reforms and investments after having received made under the RRF, highlighting possible problems with the accuracy of the amounts involved; underlines that the specific combination of investments with reforms ensures that necessary reforms are implemented in a timely manner and often in the leargest part of their total financial support under the RRFlier years and upheld; emphasises that the discharge authority cannot wait to receive full clarity on the proper use of Union funds until after the end of the RRF;
Amendment 292 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 146
Paragraph 146
146. Notes that it is important that all funds allocated to the Member States under the RRF will result in reforms and investments, as only then the discharge authority can be sure that all funds were allocated to final beneficiaries in full respect of the principle of additionality; recalls the criticism expressed in previous discharge reports of the practice that some Member States systematically overbook funding programmes in shared management and withdraw projects from Union funds when irregularities and/or fraud are discovered in its related expenditure, thereby effectively evading Union investigations and/or an effective follow-up and possible corrections; deplores that the burden of these irregularities and possible fraud is shifted to the national budget, and thus, the national tax-payer;
Amendment 300 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 147
Paragraph 147
147. Is worried by the Court’s observation that certain milestones and targets lack clarity; shares the Court’s concern that the absence of clear and comparable definitions of milestones and targets implies the risk that these milestones and targets are difficult to assess and the related risk that the initially aimed at objective was not fulfilled; underlines that this leaves the Commission with a large margin of discretion when assessing whether a vaguely defined milestone and target was “sufficiently” achieved; notes in this regard the observation of the Court that milestone 395 in the first payment request from Spain was not satisfactorily fulfilled; notes with concern the Commission’s reply that the element that the Court considered as not fulfilled is not part of the milestone, but is contained in the description of the measure;
Amendment 304 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 148
Paragraph 148
148. Is worried by the finding of the Court that milestones and targets are often based on output and even input indicators, which limits the possibility of measuring the performance of measures by presenting achieved results and ultimately their middle-term impacts on the Union policy objectives of the RRF;
Amendment 306 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 149
Paragraph 149
149. Notes the Court’s finding that the Commission’s assessment of RRPs was often based on arrangements not yet in place; notes in this regard the Court’s finding that the Commission included additional milestones and targets to be achieved before the first payment in order to adopt the RRP; is worried that not having a fully functional monitoring system in place at the start of the implementation of the RRP risks that milestones and targets in reality may not have been fulfilled until the milestones on monitoring are fulfilleddelays in assessments and monitoring of achieving milestones and targets; highlights the fact that the monitoring systems or implementing bodies were partly not yet in place at the time the RRPs were approved also limited the Commission’s assessment of their administrative capacity; notes further in this regard the Court’s finding that even on audit and control arrangements, the last resort in terms of reliability of information, an A rating was given despite several measures not being in place; recalls that adequate audit and control structures are a prerequisite for receiving funds from the RRF;
Amendment 311 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 151
Paragraph 151
151. Strongly supports the recommendations of the Court in its Annual Report as well as in related special reports; calls on the Commission to implement them without delay and to keep the discharge authority informed on the progress of the implementation;
Amendment 312 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 152 – point a
Paragraph 152 – point a
a. develop an effective methodology to sample milestones and targets for which it will re-assess the Commission’s assessment, since it will not have the resources to check all milestones and all targets of all payment requests in the future; considers that this methodology should effectively identify milestones and targets that have a higher risk of non- fulfilment and / or have a higher relevance to contribute to the overall success of the final goals set;
Amendment 332 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 153 – point g
Paragraph 153 – point g
Amendment 335 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 153 – point i
Paragraph 153 – point i
Amendment 340 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 153 – point j
Paragraph 153 – point j
Amendment 343 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 153 – point k
Paragraph 153 – point k
k. report to the discharge authority what Member States that receivedwith each payment request made by Member State on the share of pre- financing from the RRF that could not yet be allocated to investments did with the funds receivalready cleared;
Amendment 347 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 153 – point l
Paragraph 153 – point l
l. only accept milestones and targets for which is has received documentation supporting its implementation, and not just statements of Member States; requests in that regard a re- following a thorough assessment ofby the fulfilment of milestone 215 in the Spanish payment request by a qualified IT-expert, accompanied by a decCommission; paying particular ation of assurance by an IT-auditor, taking account of the requirements of the milestone and ittention in the assessment to the respect of the DNSH principle as rwelated measure, and the statements of the Commission in its assl as to substantiate results for invesstment that the milestone has been satisfactorily fulfilleds contributing to the 37% green target in the RRF;
Amendment 352 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 153 – point n
Paragraph 153 – point n
n. closely monitor fulfilment of milestones and targets, given negative experience with the first payment request handled by the Commission, and the non- satisfactory fulfilment of one milestone, in particular also those where additional milestones were considered necessary for audit, monitoring and control purposes;
Amendment 355 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 153 – point o
Paragraph 153 – point o
o. discontinue the practice of assessingassess not only the set-up but also the functioning of Member States’ future audit and control arrangementobligations aund in cases where this has already been agreed, to check not just the set-up but also the actual functioninger Article 22;
Amendment 365 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 153 – point s
Paragraph 153 – point s
s. strongly encourage Member States that seek to amend theirin their amended RRPs to include cross-border projects in their investments and to put more emphasis on such truly European projects in general;
Amendment 377 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 153 – point v
Paragraph 153 – point v
v. make sure that the reliability of the repositories of the final beneficiaries of the Member States is guaranteed, in particular as regards the integrity and completeness, with a view that once irregularities concerning final beneficiaries are discovered, correct follow-up at Union level is ensured;
Amendment 1 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
— having regard to the Presidency Conclusions of the European Council in Copenhagen of 21-22 June 1993, also known as the Copenhagen Criteria,
Amendment 2 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 b (new)
Citation 1 b (new)
— having regard to the conclusions of the General Affairs Council of 29/30 April 1997 on the application of conditionality with a view to developing a coherent EU strategy for relations with the countries in the Western Balkan region,
Amendment 3 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4
Citation 4
— having regard to its previous resolutions on the matter, in particular that of 24 October 2019 on opening accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania1 , its recommendation of 19 June 2020 to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the Western Balkans, following the 2020 summit2 , and its resolutions on 2021 Commission reports on enlargement countries and on Candidate status of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia of 23 June 2022, _________________ 1 OJ C 202, 28.5.2021, p. 86. 2 OJ C 362, 8.9.2021, p. 129.
Amendment 4 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
— having regard to the European Commission strategy for 'A credible enlargement perspective for and enhanced EU engagement with the Western Balkans' of February 2018,
Amendment 22 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)
Citation 12 a (new)
— having regard to the European Court of Auditors Special Report of 10 January 2022 entitled ‘EU support for the rule of law in the Western Balkans: despite efforts, fundamental problems persist’,
Amendment 26 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
— having regard to the Council conclusion of July 2020 “Promoting values and rules-based pan-European co- operation and supporting a reinvigorated Council of Europe”,
Amendment 37 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas enlargement ishas been the most effective EU foreign policy instrument and one of the Union’s most successful policies, and it remains a strategic investment in stability and prosperity on the European continentbut its effectiveness has considerably decreased over the last years due to a failure from the EU side to live up to its promises;
Amendment 42 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas genuine commitment to enlargement remains a strategic investment in stability, security, unity and prosperity on the European continent;
Amendment 56 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas a new impetus is, commitment and vision is urgently needed to reenergise the enlargement process, ensuring its continuity, consistency, credibility and impact;
Amendment 60 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas in the past years the Council has grossly failed the enlargement countries by blocking the accession process and not delivering on the EU’s long outstanding promises, notably the start of accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia, as well as visa liberalisation for Kosovo, despite the enlargement countries consistently fulfilling the required benchmarks as confirmed by the Commission;
Amendment 62 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
B b. whereas another reason for the limited progress has been a lack of genuine political will to advance fundamental reforms by some of the political leaders in the enlargement countries;
Amendment 63 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
B c. whereas the level of political will proven by the respective political leaders to make meaningful progress on reforms do not always correlate with the level of progress in the accession process of the different countries;
Amendment 74 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
B d. whereas the EU’s lack of engagement and credibility of the past years has created a vacuum, thus opening the space for Russia and China and other harmful third actors;
Amendment 76 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the Russian invasion ofwar of aggression against Ukraine has prompted three countries with EU Association Agreements – Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova – to submit membership applications;
Amendment 80 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas past developments have shown that non-enlargement has a massive strategic cost and can undermine security and stability on our continent; whereas the membership applications of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia express their peoples’ wish to live in free and democratic countries, firmly anchored in the European family;
Amendment 81 #
2022/2064(INI)
C c. whereas, on 17 June, the Commission published its opinions on the membership applications of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, recommending to the Council that all three countries should be given the perspective to become a member of the European Union, as well as to grant candidate status to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, and to grant candidate status to Georgia after the country fulfils certain criteria;
Amendment 85 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
C d. whereas the European Council at its meeting on 23 and 24 June 2022 decided to follow the Commission’s recommendations and granted candidate status to Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova;
Amendment 91 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas some of the countries in the Western Balkan region display a great potential for destabilisation, thus further threatening the security and stability on the continent; whereas exploitation of this potential by third countries is already ongoing in many enlargement countries; whereas stability, security and democratic resilience of the Western Balkans are inextricably linked to the EU’s own security, stability and democratic resilience;
Amendment 94 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)
Recital C e (new)
C e. whereas during the 23/24 June meeting the European Council created another major disappointment for the Western Balkan countries and their citizens by failing to greenlight any of the issues in the currently blocked accession process despite the dramatic geopolitical situation during this watershed moment for Europe; whereas the European Parliament expresses again its full solidarity and heartfelt sympathies with the countries’ citizens while deploring the EU’s failure to deliver on its promises and stresses again that this delay is leading to a significant decrease of the positive public attitude towards the EU, thus undermining the positive transformative power of the enlargement policy, while playing into the hands of Russia and other harmful third actors;
Amendment 96 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C f (new)
Recital C f (new)
C f. whereas Turkey is a candidate country for EU accession; whereas an analysis of the EU’s reports in recent years reveals that Turkey remains vastly distant from the EU’s values and normative framework, a gap that is actually growing in fundamental areas, such as respect for international law, the rule of law, human rights, individual liberties, civil rights and freedom of expression, as well as good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation;
Amendment 105 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Amendment 107 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
D b. whereas there is no place in the EU or in countries aspiring to become Member States for inflammatory rhetoric, genocide denial, or glorification of war criminals from any side; whereas coming to terms with the past is the only way to warrant genuine reconciliation, which is crucial for prosperous societies and a successful integration;
Amendment 111 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
(a) recognise that the EU’s prosperity and security rests on its ability - to defend democracy, human rights and the rules- based multilateral orderconsolidate and support democracy, the rule of law, human rights including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, and the principles of international law, - to safeguard its values, fundamental interests, independence and integrity, - to preserve peace, prevent conflicts, manage crises and strengthen international security and thereby upholding its foundational values;
Amendment 132 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) retain the geostrategic relevance and credibility of the EU by enhancing integration in the areas of common foreign, security and defence policies, and by streamlining its decision-making processes; change therefore the unanimity rules in the Council in order to take decisions by qualified majority on foreign policy issues, including enlargement;
Amendment 158 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(d a) to acknowledge and anchor in its enlargement strategy that rule of law, strong independent democratic institutions, media freedom and a vibrant civil society are inextricably linked to democratic resilience, in particular against malicious interference by third countries or actors;
Amendment 180 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
(f) avoid using unresolved bilateral disputes to block candidate courefrain from blocking candidate countries’ accession processes by reference to bilateral issues, in line with Article 24 of the TEU, the conclusions of the 2003rd Council meeting and the 2016 Vienna declaration on bilateral disputes of the Western Balkan states, as well as ensure that such blockages cannot happen in the future by applying qualified majority decision for interies’ accession prom steps and decisions during the process while applying unanimity only for the step of final accessesion;
Amendment 188 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
Amendment 194 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g
Paragraph 1 – point g
(g) strengthen strategic communication on the benefits of enlargement both in the accession countries and in the Member States, with a special focus on countering disinformation and increase the fight against foreign interference;
Amendment 199 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
(g a) step up communication towards the citizens of enlargement countries, as well as to the citizens within the EU on the benefits of enlargement, to further increase support and better understanding for and throughout the accession process;
Amendment 211 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
(h) overcome the enlargement gridlock by revamping the accession process both as a political goal and in terms of itseffectively implementing the Commission’s revised methodology;
Amendment 223 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i
Paragraph 1 – point i
(i) accelerate the integration of countries that demonstrate strategic orientation and unwavering commitment to EU-related reforms, democratic consolidation and foreign policy alignment; ensure therefore that each country is assessed on its own merits, and that each country’s progress on the path to accession happens at a rate dependent on its progress in adopting reforms and implementing the EU acquis;
Amendment 229 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point j a (new)
Amendment 234 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k
Paragraph 1 – point k
(k) establish clear, transparent and consistent performance benchmarks including timelines, improve the measuring of progress and ensure continued political and technical support throughout the accession process;
Amendment 237 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point k a (new)
(k a) include in the regular reporting also the issue of non-progress or reversal of progress made in the past in a systematic and transparent manner and therefore, clarify the conditions to assess and indicators to measure ‘any serious or prolonged stagnation or backsliding’ on which sanctions on accession countries will be based in order to afford them more clarity in the process;
Amendment 246 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l
Paragraph 1 – point l
(l) reward progress with a wider phasing-in of candidate countries into respective EU policies and initiatives, including participation in Council meetings, inclusion in EU programmes and gradual integration in the EU single market, while sanctioning any backtracking;
Amendment 253 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point m a (new)
(m a) provide additional resources, as well as increased technical assistance and political support, in order to assist accession countries on their path towards EU membership and to promote their integration;
Amendment 270 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o
Paragraph 1 – point o
(o) assissupport Bosnia and Herzegovina to improve its legislative and institutional framework to ensure meaningful progress in addressing the 14 key priorities, as a precondition for obtaining candidate statuidentified by the Commission on 29 May 2019 for obtaining official candidate status and opening of accession negotiations, after the country has held its elections in October 2022 and once the institutions are fully functional and not anymore blocked by ethno-nationalistic parties; ensure that the relevant ECtHR verdicts are always the basis of EU policy towards BiH and the implementation of these is not an issue to compromise on; calls on the EU Delegation to closely involve the Venice Commission in any negotiations on constitutional or electoral law changes and publicly reject any proposals that are not fully in line with the ECtHR verdicts;
Amendment 278 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
(p) encourage the acceleration of Montenegro’s accession process, as the most advanced candidate country, including by giving Montenegro the closing benchmarks for all negotiating chapters;
Amendment 290 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q
Paragraph 1 – point q
(q) recognise the threat created by Russia’s war of aggression by immediately granting EU candidate status to Ukraine committedly and intensively assisting Ukraine and Moldova to advance on their accession path and continuing to provide political and technical support to Moldova and Georgia with a view to enabling them to reach this important milestone as soon as possiblegranting EU candidate status to the country, as a clear political signal of support to the people of these countries, and a means to accelerate internal reform processes;
Amendment 297 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
(q a) focus in particular on the conditions on an independent judiciary, the fight against corruption, democratic oversight, human rights and de- oligarchisation, as set out in the Commission’s 17 June 2022 opinions, in the EU’s engagement with Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia;
Amendment 301 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point q b (new)
(q b) ensure in particular, when adding Ukraine, Moldova and eventually Georgia to the beneficiaries under IPA III, that the overall IPA III financial envelope will be sufficiently increased, so that there will not be a cut in funds for current IPA III beneficiaries;
Amendment 308 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r
Paragraph 1 – point r
(r) step up the EU’s constructive engagement with the authorities of both Serbia and Kosovo to achieve a comprehensive legally binding normalisation agreement based on mutual recognition between the two in the framework of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue;
Amendment 316 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s
Paragraph 1 – point s
(s) prioritise the alignment of accession countries with the EU’s common foreign and security policy and continueprogress on accession negotiations with Serbia only if the country aligns with EU sanctions against Russia and makes significant progress on needed reforms in order to join the Union; reconsider any EU funds for Serbia in this light, in particular any projects financed under the Western Balkan Economic and Investment Plan, in order to ensure that all EU expenditures are fully in line with the EU’s own strategic goals and interests and not contradictory to them;
Amendment 330 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t
Paragraph 1 – point t
(t) formally suspendkeep accession negotiations with Turkey, in accordance with the negotiating framework frozen, until the country reengages with the EU and demonstrates clear and significant progress in the field of fundamental freedoms, human rights and the rule of law, as well as other EU-related reforms, while continuing partnership in essential areas of joint interest;
Amendment 338 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u
Paragraph 1 – point u
Amendment 359 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point v a (new)
(v a) ensure at the highest level that these standards are not undermined or downplayed from within the EU institutions;
Amendment 361 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point v b (new)
(v b) thoroughly evaluate the enlargement strategy and work of the EU, EEAS and local EU delegations, in particular in Serbia and BiH, with a view to applying a more credible, merit-based approach based on the rule of law, improving their reputation and to assess, why the results and progress, in particular in the area of rule of law, remain so weak;
Amendment 363 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w
Paragraph 1 – point w
(w) improve the consistency, efficiency, visibility and transparency of pre-accession assistance and clearly reflect the priorities in the area of the so-called fundamentals also in the allocation of IPA III funding;
Amendment 373 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point y
Paragraph 1 – point y
(y) strategically apply targetedapply conditionality based on clear progress benchmarks, rewarding reforms and sanctioning regression or a persistent lack of progress;
Amendment 377 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point y a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point y a (new)
(y a) implement the recommendations of the European Court of Auditors Special Report 01/2022, in order to ensure an effective impact of EU financial assistance in support to the rule of law in the Western Balkans, in particular by developing guidelines on the application of IPA III provisions on modulation/ conditionality;
Amendment 379 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point y b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point y b (new)
(y b) 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 384 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point z a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point z a (new)
(z a) ensure that next to the conditionality throughout the accession procedure, compliance to the Union’s common values for future as well as current Member States is enforced, by applying and strengthening internal procedures to decisively tackle existing Rule of Law related problems such as budget conditionality, infringement procedures and ultimately the Article 7 procedure;
Amendment 390 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ab
Paragraph 1 – point ab
(ab) foster electorfundamental reforms, democratic pluralism, intra-party democracy, transparency of party and media funding, and judicial and media independence and freedom;
Amendment 395 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ab a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ab a (new)
(ab a) continue its cooperation with the Council of Europe to support the countries in carrying out essential reforms and training, regarding justice, the fight against corruption, the promotion of human rights, and the role of free and independent media and civil society;
Amendment 397 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ac
Paragraph 1 – point ac
(ac) uphold democratic accountability, increase transparency and inclusiveness and enhance the parliamentary dimension of the accession process;
Amendment 412 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ae
Paragraph 1 – point ae
(ae) considerably reinforce efforts towards sustainable reconciliation, including effective and impartial prosecution of war crimes, ensuring access to truth, justice and effective and non-selective reparations, including to survivors of sexual violence, as well as increase efforts towards good neighbourly relations, inclusive regional cooperation and solidarity;
Amendment 417 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ae a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ae a (new)
(ae a) help to refocus on and advance the Berlin process, as suitable format for an inclusive regional economic cooperation scheme, which is acceptable to all six countries, establishing cooperation on an equal footing among all six countries, while strengthening further alignment with EU standards and acquis, and express clear reservations against any regional economic cooperation initiative, that is not encompassing all six countries and not based on EU rules, namely the Open Balkan initiative, since this could have a negative impact on the EU integration processes;
Amendment 419 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ae b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ae b (new)
(ae b) update the Eastern Partnership as the framework for regional cooperation among the countries of the EU’s Eastern neighbourhood;
Amendment 421 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ae a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ae a (new)
(ae a) mainstream gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights, empower women and youth and invest in them, step up the fight against gender-based violence and focus on the protection of minorities, including Roma, LGBTIQ+ persons and persons with disabilities, and fully implement the principle of non- discrimination;
Amendment 429 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point af
Paragraph 1 – point af
(af) step up citizen participation and, the involvement of civil society in the enlargement process and invest in the youth and intraregional mobilicrease cooperation with and support for a vibrant civil society;
Amendment 436 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point af a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point af a (new)
(af a) invest in intraregional mobility, with a particular focus on youth; reinforce and, where possible, increase the EU’s and Western Balkan countries’ common efforts on people-to-people contacts and exchanges in order to build mutually positive images of each other among the population;
Amendment 441 #
2022/2064(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ag
Paragraph 1 – point ag
(ag) advance energy efficiency, connectivity and the transition to renewable energiesthe clean energy transition, as well as energy efficiency, connectivity, increasing the diversification and security of energy supply, as well as sustainable development;
Amendment 62 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Title 1
Title 1
Proposal for aDIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCILon protecting persons who engage in public participation from manifestly unfounded or abusive court proceedings (“Strategicfrom abusive lawsuits against public participation” (SLAPPs)
Amendment 66 #
2022/0117(COD)
(2) Article 10(3) of the Treaty on European Union states that every Union citizen has the right to participate in the democratic life of the Union. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the ‘Charter’) provides, inter alia, for the rights to respect for private and family life (Article 7), the protection of personal data (Article 8), freedom of expression and information, which includes respect for the freedom and pluralism of the media (Article 11), freedom of assembly and of association and to an effective remedy and to a fair trial (Article 47).
Amendment 68 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The right to freedom of expression and information as set forth in Article 11 of the Charter includes the right to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. Article 11 of the Charter should be given the meaning and scope of the correspondent Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (“ECHR”) on the right to freedom of expression as interpreted by the European Court of Human Rights (“ECtHR”). The fundamental freedom of art and science as set forth in Article 13 of the Charter recalls that arts and scientific research shall be free of constraints and that academic feedom is repsected.
Amendment 70 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The purpose of this Directive is to provide protection to natural and legal persons who engage in public participation on matters of public interest, in particular journalists and human rights defenders, such as civil society, non-governmental organisations and trade unions, activists, citizen journalists, researchers, academics, artists, whistleblowers and publishers of journalistic and artistic works against court proceedings, which are initiated against them to deter them from public participation (commonly referred to as strategic lawsuits against public participation or ‘SLAPPs’).
Amendment 82 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) Human rights defenders also play an important role in European democracies, especially in upholding fundamental rights, democratic values, social inclusion, environmental protection and the rule of law. They should be able to participate actively in public life and make their voice heard on policy matters and in decision-making processes without fear of intimidation. Human rights defenders refer to individuals or organisations engaged in defending fundamental rights and a variety of other rights, such as environmental and climate rights, women’s rights, LGBTIQ rights, the rights of the people with a minority racial or ethnic background, the rights of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, labour rights or religious freedoms. Other participants in online and offline public debate, such as academics and researchers, artists, cultural and creative workers, activists, and whistleblowers also deserve adequate protection.
Amendment 86 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) A healthy and thriving democracy requires that people are able to participate actively in public debate without undue interference by public authority or other powerful actors, be they domestic or foreign. Thus, it is essential to mainstream awareness raising about their rights and freedoms, along with ensuring adequate access to educational and training activities that develop media literacy and critical thinking. In order to secure meaningful participation, people should be able to access reliable information, which enables them to form their own opinions and exercise their own judgement in a public space in which different views can be expressed freely.
Amendment 92 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) To foster this environment, it is important to protect journalists and human rights defenders fromall persons and entities from abusive court proceedings against public participation. Such court proceedings are not initiated for the purpose of access to justice, but to silence public debate typically using harassment and intimidation.
Amendment 98 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) SLAPPs are typically initiated by powerful entities, for example individuals, lobby groups, corporations and state organs. They often involve an imbalance of power between the parties, with the claimant having a more powerful financial or political position than the defendant. Although not being an indispensable component of such cases, where present, an imbalance of power significantly increases the harmful effects as well as the chilling effects of court proceedings against public participation. SLAPPs can be used as a tactic to shrink the civic space for civil society to act and engage in public participation.
Amendment 107 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) Public participation should mean any statement or activity by a natural or legal person expressed or carried out, online and offline, in exercise of the right to freedom of expression and information on a matter of public interest, such as the creation, exhibition, advertisement or other promotion of journalistic, political, scientific, academic, artistic, commentary or satirical communications, publications or works, and any preparatory activities directly linked thereto. It can also include activities related to the exercise of the right to freedom of association and peaceful assembly, such as the organisation of or participation to lobbying activities, demonstrations and protests or activities resulting from the exercise of the right to good administration and the right to an effective remedy, such as the filing of complaints, petitions, administrative and judicial claims and participation in public hearings. Public participation should also include preparatory, supporting or assisting activities that have a direct and inherent link to the statement or activity in question and that are targeted to stifle public participation. In addition, it can cover other activities meant to inform or influence public opinion or to further action by the public, including activities by any private or public entity in relation to an issue of public interest, such as the organisation of or participation to research, surveys, campaigns or any other collective actions.
Amendment 108 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 18
Recital 18
(18) The notion of a matter of public interest should include also quality, safety or other relevant aspects of goods, products or services, such as certain ingredients, country of origins, and production conditions, where such matters are relevant to public health, safety, the environment, climate or enjoyment of fundamental rights. A purely individual dispute between a consumer and a manufacturer or a service provider concerning a good, product or service should be covered only when the matter contains an element of public interest, for instance concerning a product or service which fails to comply with environmental or safety standards, labour rights, consumer rights, or human rights of those directly or indirectly involved.
Amendment 113 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) Abusive court proceedings typically involve litigation tactics used in bad faith such as delaying proceedings, causing disproportionate costs to the defendant in the proceedings or forum shopping. These tactics are used by the claimant for other purposes than gaining access to justice. Such tactics are often, although not always, combined with various forms of intimidation, harassment or threats. In this context, attention should also be paid to gender-based harassment as a particularly vicious indicator/form of abuse.
Amendment 116 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) A matter should be considered to have cross-border implications unless both parties are domiciled in the same Member State as the court seised. Even where both parties are domiciled in the same Member State as the court seised, a matter should be considered to have cross-border implications in two other types of situations. The first situation is where the specific act of public participation concerning a matter of public interest at stake is relevant to more than one Member State. That includes for instance statements or activities on matters which the public of more than one Member State may legitimately take an interest in, and therefore are or may become of relevance to more than one Member State, such as the enjoyment or abuse of rights or freedoms under EU law, including in the area of non-discrimination, gender equality and protection from violence against women, online and offline public participation acts in events organised by Union institutions, such as appearances in public hearings, or statements or activities on matters that are of specific relevance to more than one Member State, such as cross-border pollution or allegations of money laundering with potential cross- border involvement. The second situation where a matter should be considered to have cross-border implications is when the claimant or associated entities have initiated concurrent or previous court proceedings against the same or associated defendants in another Member State. These two types of situations take into consideration the specific context of SLAPPs.
Amendment 123 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 24 a (new)
Recital 24 a (new)
(24 a) Entities that are involved in defending the rights of persons engaging in public participation shall have the possibility to be part of the proceedings, in support of the defendants.
Amendment 126 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) To provide the defendant with an additional safeguard, there should be a possibility to grant him or therm a security to cover all costs, including procedural costs and/or damages, when the court considers that even if the claim is not manifestly unfounded, there are elements indicating an abuse of procedure and the prospects for success in the main proceedings are low. A security does not entail a judgement on the merits but serves as a precautionary measure ensuring the effects of a final decision finding an abuse of procedure. It should be for Member States to decide whether a security should be ordered by the court on its own motion or upon request by the defendant.
Amendment 132 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 31
Recital 31
(31) Costs should include all costs of the proceedings, including the full costs of legal representation incurred by the defendant unless such costs are excessive. Costs of legal representation exceeding amounts laid down in statutory fee tables should not be considered as excessive per se. Where the domestic law does not guarantee the compensation of costs for legal representation beyond statutory fee tables, the court should be enabled to indemnify costs not encompassed in statutory fee tables through the award of damages. Full compensation of damages should include both material and immaterial damages, such as physical and psychological harm.
Amendment 141 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 34 a (new)
Recital 34 a (new)
(34 a) For the efficiency, relevance and effectiveness of this directive, active and enhanced monitoring of SLAPP cases shall be ensured, and adequate support and resources to these monitoring efforts shall be guaranteed. The monitoring process shall include judicial authorities, professional organisations, non- governmental organisations, human rights defenders, journalists and other stakeholders involved or affected by the SLAPPs.
Amendment 148 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
This Directive provides safeguards against manifestly unfounded or abusive court proceedingsabusive lawsuits against public participation in civil matters with cross- border implications brought against natural and legal persons, in particular journalists and human rights defenders, on account of their engagement in public participation.
Amendment 151 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1
This Directive shall apply to matterany type of legal claims of a civil or commercial nature with cross- border implications that are ongoing or continued before a national court at the time of its entry into force, whatever the nature of the court or tribunal. It shall not extend, in particular, to revenue, customs or administrative matters or the liability of the State for acts and omissions in the exercise of State authority (acta iure imperii).
Amendment 152 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 1
1. ‘public participation’ means any statement or activity, physical or digital, by a natural or legal person expressed or carried out in the exercise of the right to freedom of expression and information on a matter of public interest, and preparatory, supporting or assisting action directly linked thereto. This includesthe right to freedom of association and of assembly, academic freedom, freedom of science, artistic freedom, freedom of culture, and the right of collective bargaining and action, the right to good administration and the right to an effective remedy or other rights and freedoms, and preparatory, supporting or assisting action directly linked thereto. This includes any activity, regardless of the nature, medium or format, which serves the disclosure, dissemination or promotion of information to the public such as but not limited to demonstrations, protest, assemblies, performances, online content, complaints, petitions, administrative or judicial claims and participation in public hearings;
Amendment 158 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point a
(a) public health, safety, the environment, climate or enjoyment of fundamental rights including non- discrimination, gender equality and protection from violence against women;
Amendment 164 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point e
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point e
(e) scientific and research activities and activities aimed to fight disinformation;
Amendment 165 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point e a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point 2 – point e a (new)
(e a) abuse or misuse of power by state or EU institutions and organs including systemic and state violence;
Amendment 182 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 3
Article 5 – paragraph 3
3. Member States mayshall provide that measures on procedural safeguards in accordance with Chapters III and IV can be taken by the court or tribunal seised of the matter ex officio.
Amendment 186 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that a court or tribunal seised of court proceedings against public participation may accept that non- governmental organisationentities safeguarding or promoting the rights of persons engaging in public participation, such as non-governmental organisations, professional and representative associations, trade unions and other collective bodies acting in the interest of the defendant, may take part in those proceedings, either in support of the defendant or to provide information.
Amendment 190 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Member states shall ensure that in court proceedings against public participation, the court or tribunal seised has the power to require the claimant to provide security for procedural costs, or for proceduralcosts, including procedural and associated costs and damages, if it considers such security appropriate in view of presence of elements indicating abusive court proceedings.
Amendment 203 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 14 – paragraph 1
Article 14 – paragraph 1
Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that a claimant who has brought abusive court proceedings against public participation can be ordered to bear all the costs of the proceedings, including the full costs of legal representation incurred by the defendant, unless such costs are excessive. This award of costs should be an automatic feature of the court's decision within the same proceedings relating to the given abusive lawsuit.
Amendment 208 #
2022/0117(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Article 15 – paragraph 1
Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that a natural or legal person who has suffered harm as a result of an abusive court proceedings against public participation is able to claim and to obtain full compensation for that harm. To ensure that accessing such compensation is not a burden for the victims and to avoid perpetuating the negative impact of the SLAPPs on the victims, this compensation shouldn't require the filing of a separate formal claim by the defendant and should come as an automatic feature of the proceedings.
Amendment 4 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 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 19 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas each enlargement country is judged on its own merits and whereas it is the implementation of the necessary reforms that, notably in the area of “fundamentals”, that should determines the timetable and progress of accession;
Amendment 24 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas democracy and the rule of law are the fundamental values on which the EU is founded; whereas reforms are profound reforms and their implementation are needed to tackle the challenges that remain in these areas;
Amendment 30 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas Freedom House lists Serbia unchanged as a “partly free” country and notes it has one of the major downturns in democracy scores in the last 10 years globally;
Amendment 58 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Expresses support for Serbia’s future membership of the EU and recalls that a credible enlargement perspective requires sustainable efforts and irreversible reforms in all areas; calls on Serbian authorities to prove their political will, thus genuinely engaging in the necessary reforms and bringing the country back on the right track towards EU integration;
Amendment 68 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the increased voter turnout at the elections on 3 April 2022 and the return to a more pluralistic parliamentNotes that elections on 3 April 2022 were only partly free and not fair; regrets the highly polarised political environment of the campaign, which was characterised bthe absence of a level-playing field, very limited media pluralism and wide-spread pressure on voters; condemns the violent attack on Pavle Grbović, one of the opposition leadersregrets that the abuse of public office by the ruling party members, especially the President of Serbia, remained a persistent problem throughout the campaign; regrets that the problems with the accuracy of the Single Electoral Roll had not been resolved in advance to this election cycle and notes that this had left room for its abuse; strongly condemns the violent attack on Pavle Grbović, one of the opposition leaders and calls upon the authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable; welcomes the increased voter turnout and the return to a more pluralistic parliament;
Amendment 75 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Expresses concern over the absence of a more proactive role of the Republic Electoral Commission and the City Electoral Commission of Belgrade when it came to determining and communicating the election results; notes that this might contribute to the deterioration of trust of the citizens in the independence of the election administration; expresses concern that the preliminary results of the Belgrade local election were only published more than two weeks after the election;
Amendment 82 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the new majority to acceleratresume Serbia’s alignment with European policies and values; underlines its readiness to work further in the context of the Inter- Party Dialogue, while stressing that clear and unambiguous political decisions are needed on Serbia’s strategic direction; calls for the distribution of parliamentary positions to reflect the political pluralism in the National Assembly; notes that all but one Serbian parliament in the past ten years were dissolved early and that any further unnecessary snap elections would not contribute to political stability;
Amendment 91 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. RDeeply regrets the fact that Serbia has not aligned with EU sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; calls on the newly elected authorities to show realunambiguous commitment to EU values and to, standards and rules and to urgently align with the EU’s decisions and positions in foreign and security policy, including sanctions against Russia;
Amendment 103 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Reiterates the importance of alignment with the EU common foreign and security policy (CFSP), which must progressively become an integral part of Serbia’s foreign policy as a condition for the accession process; expresses concern about Serbia’s alignment rate, which is the lowest in the region; notes that some high-level politicians and government officials, including the Minister of Interior, continue to make statements that call into question Serbia’s EU orientation;
Amendment 114 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Calls on Serbia to immediately end all military cooperation with Russia, frequently camouflaged as civilian activities, such as the “regional humanitarian centre” in Niš;
Amendment 116 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 e (new)
Paragraph 5 e (new)
5e. Expresses its concern over Serbia’s increasing dependence on defence equipment and technologies from China, including a mass surveillance system in Belgrade provided by Huawei and the recent delivery of a surface-to-air missile system from China;
Amendment 117 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Amendment 119 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5d. Expresses concern following the reports about the wiretapping of Russian opposition figures in Belgrade by the Serbian authorities and the subsequent transfer of the material to Russian security services; expresses further concern over the establishment of the Working group for the fight against "coloured revolutions" between the Serbian and Russian government, whose purpose and goals remain unclear; stresses that any cooperation that contribute to authoritarian and anti- democratic practices in both Russia and Serbia are detrimental to the future EU- Serbia relations;
Amendment 124 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the adoption of the measures improving the electoral conditions and media space ahead of the April 2022 elections as a result of the Inter- Party Dialogue facilitated by the European Parliament; notes progress in theirregrets that many measures have been implemented with a delay and without the participation of all relevant actors; regrets that more ambitious measures that could have led to a more substantial implrovementation on the electoral conditions were not adopted;
Amendment 127 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. NotWarmly welcomes the decision of the non- parliamentary opposition to participate in the April 2022 elections; reiterates that the only way to guarantee political representation is to engage in political and electoral processes; invites all political actors to remain engaged and to work together in order to further improve electoral conditions and implementation of electoral regulations; invites the new government to use the momentum and turn to a new page in its relation with the parliament fully respecting one of the major democratic principles of clear division of power; invites the new parliament to use the momentum and start implementing fully-fledged legislative oversight over the work of the government; invites all political actors to act in line with principles of transparency, accountability and inclusiveness, and to utilise still untapped capacities of the civil society in Serbia;
Amendment 136 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Reiterates its call on Serbia and EU Member States to pursue more active and effective communication about the benefits of EU enlargement; repeats its previously expressed concerns that publicly financed media outlets, often quoting office- holders, continue to contribute to the dissemination of anti-EU rhetoric in Serbia; invites the new parliament to take its share of the responsibility, to develop its own communication strategy and start a nationwide dialogue with citizens on Serbia’s European future; reiterates European Parliament’s readiness to take part in communication activities together with Serbian MPs to bring the EU and its policies closer to the citizens of Serbia;
Amendment 148 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Notes that the adoption of the new accession methodology has not led to a substantial progress in the EU accession process of Serbia and calls for full implementation of all its aspects;
Amendment 152 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Regrets that the European integration process in Serbia is insufficiently transparent, as important documents, such as the reports on the implementation of the National Programme for the Adoption of Acquis, have not been published for years;
Amendment 166 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Urges the newly elected majority to focus on addressing structural shortcomings in the rule of law, fundamental rights, freedom of expression, media freedom, the fight against corruption and the functioning of democratic institutions and public administration;
Amendment 168 #
2021/2249(INI)
10. Welcomes the recent changes to the Constitution following the referendum in January 2022, which aim to enhance the independence of the justice system; regrets the continuous pressure on the judiciary and public denials of international verdicts for war crimesiterates the need to adopt the remaining set of legislative acts, which are of crucial importance for the proper implementation of constitutional amendments, in a transparent and inclusive manner; calls on authorities to take into account the Venice Commission’s opinion related to these laws and already set benchmarks for the independence of judiciary; condemns the continuous pressure on the judiciary and calls on the newly elected majority to strengthen the safeguards for the independence and efficiency of the judiciary as a matter of priority;
Amendment 176 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes some improvements inRegrets that the work of the National Assembly; is concerned, however, that inflammatory language was limited, due to the lack of genuine political debate between majority and opposition parties; is concerned that the Parliament is not exercising its oversight role and that legislation is mainly handled by government; is concerned that inflammatory language against political opponents, civil society, media and judiciary is still used during parliamentary discussions, including by government officials, and calls on the new parliament not to tolerate this practice; and to adequately implement the Code of Conduct for MPs;
Amendment 187 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Reiterates its concern about very limited progress in the fight against corruption and organised crime and calls on Serbia to intensify its efforts to effectively address these issues; calls upon the authorities to refrain from commenting ongoing investigations and trials, exercising pressure on the judiciary; notes with concern the emergence of new cases of high-level corruption in the investigative media and so called “Pandora papers”;
Amendment 192 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 d (new)
Paragraph 12 d (new)
12d. Urges Serbia to deliver convincing results, including a sustainable track record of effective investigations in the area of fight against corruption, especially in cases with a high level of public interest, and to improve its track record in pressing charges and delivering final convictions and results in high-level corruption cases, including the seizure and confiscation of criminal assets;
Amendment 194 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Notes with concern that none of high-level public interest cases mentioned in the previous report – Krušik, Jovanjica, Telekom Srbija – are still remaining unresolved and have either not been fully processed by the judiciary or have not been fully investigated;
Amendment 196 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Reiterates its call for justice with regard to the unlawful demolition of private property in the Savamala neighbourhood in Belgrade; notes the allegations of the sentenced policeman Goran Stamenković that he was forced to take the sole responsibility for the entire case; reiterates its concern about the possibility of this process becoming obsolete in the next few years; urges the authorities to fully investigate the case and prosecute all persons responsible;
Amendment 198 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12c. Urges the authorities to investigate all alleged ties between the Belivuk criminal group and parts of the government and to prosecute all responsible for maintaining those ties;
Amendment 201 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 e (new)
Paragraph 12 e (new)
12e. Stresses that the EU’s Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) foresees that 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 IPAIII funds in the Western Balkan countries;
Amendment 207 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Urges the Commission to implement the findingrecommendations of the European Court of Auditors Special Report 01/2022, in order to ensuringe an effective rule-of-law impact of EU financial assistance in the Western Balkanssupport to the rule of law in the Western Balkans, in particular by developing guidelines on the application of IPA III provisions on modulation/ conditionality;
Amendment 210 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Urges the Commission to consider initiating an independent senior experts’ report on the rule of law issues in Serbia modelled after similar reports carried out in North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (Priebe Report);
Amendment 211 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Expresses its serious concern regarding the revelations based on institutional sources and internal documents, concluding that the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement downplays the importance human rights and rule of law related concerns in accession countries, in particular as regards Serbia, thus undermining EU standards, values and principles, as well as weakening the credibility of the European Union; regrets the lack of a serious response by the European Commission in this regards, which had been called for by the European Parliament and urges the Commission to take the allegations serious and launch an internal investigation, reporting the results of which to the Parliament and the Council;
Amendment 216 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. RegretCondemns the limitations on the freedom and independence of the media and the misuse of the media by the ruling party to gain an unfair political advantage, attack political opponents and spread disinformation; notes that the abuse of public money to acquire ownership in media outlets is considered to be one of the main mechanisms of media capture in Serbia;
Amendment 224 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Calls on the authorities to create an environment conducive to freedom of expression, media pluralism and journalistic professionalism and that allows for independent and investigative media to access funding and operate safely; calls for increased transparency of media public financing and its distribution based on merit;
Amendment 227 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Notes that some of the media outlets close to the ruling parties are the main source of the anti-EU and pro- Russian narratives in Serbia; notes that the public broadcaster has been using Kremlin talking points, such as “limited military operation”, since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine;
Amendment 228 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Notes that several recent elections of the members of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM), as well as the election of the members of the governing board of the Radio Television of Serbia in June 2021 were considered controversial; notes with concern the persisting assessments that REM's decision making is politically biased; notes the new open call for the allocation of national television frequencies, and urges REM members to carry out this process in a fair and professional manner;
Amendment 236 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Deplores the continuing physical attacks, intimidation, hate speech and political slurs against journalists and civil society, including by MPs and government officials; calls on the authorities to investigate all cases of such attacks, to bring the perpetrators to justice and to improve the safety of journalists and human rights defenders;
Amendment 243 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls for general respect for the basic right to peaceful gatherings; condemns and calls upon law-enforcement officials to refrain from the use of excessive force; regrets that a number of citizens faced misdemeanour proceedings and calls for refraining from these disproportionate limitations of the right to peaceful assembly; condemns increasing violence by groups of extremists and hooligans, in particular during the peaceful protestsenvironmental protests, but also in general; denounces their close links to high-level political figures, including close to the government; calls on authorities to ensure that these cases of violence are duly investigated and that the perpetrators are held responsible, including any public officials involved; calls for a full investigation into any links between hooligans and the police;
Amendment 247 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the adoption of the Law on Gender Equality and the amendments to the Law on the Prohibition of Discrimination; calls on government to ensure that the laws are promptly implemented; is concerned that the socio- economic status of women is still significantly worse than that of men, as well as by the high prevalence of patriarchal attitudes and gender stereotypes in society and public discourse, and the lack of knowledge of the judiciary, prosecutors and lawyers in this regard; calls on Serbia 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 251 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Welcomes the adoption of a new strategy on violence against women and against domestic violence; stresses, however, that implementation and improvements are needed, and calls for a coherent policy approach towards the implementation of the Istanbul Convention, efficiently addressing the need for preventive measures, gaps in service provision for victims, low levels of awareness, sensitisation and capacity- building, as well as particular obstacles for a wide range of women due to intersecting factors such as ethnicity, poverty, social origin and disability;
Amendment 253 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Regrets that in the previous term, the parliament failed to adopt the Law on Same-Sex Partnerships which was drafted by the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue; calls on the new and more pluralistic parliament to do so;
Amendment 256 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on the Serbian authorities to step up efforts to ensure the non- discriminatory treatment of nationethnic, religious and sexual minorities and to actively pursue investigations and convictions for hate- motivated crimes;
Amendment 266 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17c. Welcomes the commitment of Serbian authorities to support the organisation of EuroPride in Belgrade as a key moment for the LGBTI+ community in Serbia and in the region; calls on the government and on police forces to ensure a smooth planning and execution of the programme, as well as the safety and well-being of participants;
Amendment 272 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Reiterates its concern over the allegeddemnation of the use of forced labour and violation of basic human rights at the Chinese Linglong factory construction site; calls upon the relevant authorities to thoroughly follow- up on these cases and to ensure that labour rights and basic human rights of citizens and residents are respected;
Amendment 281 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Deplores the deportation of a Bahraini national despite the European Court of Human Rights interim ruling that his extradition should be postponed; urges Serbian authorities to respect its international obligations and fully enforce all judgments of the European Court of Human Rights;
Amendment 289 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Is deeply concerned about the spread of disinformation about Russian aggression against Ukraine, in particular by media outlets close to the government and the ruling party; calls on the Serbian authorities and the Commission to bolster infrastructure to fight disinformation and other hybrid threats;
Amendment 293 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Is highly alerted that 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; is alarmed that Hungary and Serbia are helping China and Russia with their geopolitical objectives; recommends convening dialogues with Western Balkan civil society and the private sector to coordinate anti-disinformation efforts in 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 pivot to 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 294 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls on the Serbian authorities to align with the EU sanctions concerning the suspension of Russian propaganda channels and to take the appropriate measures to prevent Russia Today and Sputnik Serbia from disseminating fake new and disinformation;
Amendment 298 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. WelcomNotes Serbia’s participation in regional cooperation mechanisms and commitment toefforts to improve bilateral relations and encourages itSerbia to step up its efforts to promote reconciliation; commends its decision to donate vaccines to the region;
Amendment 312 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Reconfirms its support for the EU- facilitated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and reiterates the importance of constructive engagement on the part of the authorities of both Serbia and Kosovo in order to achieve a comprehensive legally binding normalisation agreement, which is crucial for both countries to advance on their respective European paths; calls for all past agreements to be respected and fully implemented, including the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities; reiterates, in this regard, its full support for the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade- Pristina Dialogue, Miroslav Lajčák;
Amendment 317 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Calls on the EEAS to set up a mechanism to monitor and verify the implementation of all the agreements so far reached and to report periodically to the European Parliament about the state of play;
Amendment 319 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls in this context on the EU actors to support the local authorities, providing concrete security guarantees and opportunities for socio-economic integration when working towards the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities as part of a mutual agreement;
Amendment 330 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Reiterates its call to improve the quality of the dialogue process through the participation of women, increased transparency towards the public and meaningful involvement of civil society;
Amendment 331 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 c (new)
Paragraph 25 c (new)
25c. Calls on the Serbian and Kosovar authorities to promote people-to-people contacts between local communities in order to strengthen dialogue and reconciliation, including at a non- governmental level;
Amendment 333 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Regrets the decision of the Government of Kosovo to reject a proposal enabling the collection of the ballots of eligible voters to allow them to vote in the territory of Kosovo in the 3 April 2022 Serbian elections, as had been the case previously; positively notes, however, increased efforts by the Kosovar authorities to enable smooth border crossings, so that Kosovo Serbs could cast their vote;
Amendment 336 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Is seriously concerned about the complaints of ethnic Albanians from the Presevo valley who were denied to vote and apparently deleted from the civil registry at the place of their residence, thus being deprived of their fundamental and political rights by the Serbian authorities; strongly condemns Serbian authorities abusing the law on the residence of citizens and the ‘passivisation’ of residential addresses of citizens of Albanian ethnicity living in southern Serbia in a systematic and discriminatory manner; calls for independent and thorough investigations into these allegations and on the Serbian authorities to cease all discriminatory practices and targeting;
Amendment 340 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. UReiterates that there is no place in Europe to deny genocide, to celebrate war crimes and war criminals or to publicly support those who support genocide and celebrate war crimes or who undermine the integrity of countries in the neighbourhood and who threaten regional stability and reconciliation; urges the Serbian authorities to act decisively against the glorification of convicted war criminals and to immediately cease all divisive rhetoric and actions that undermine the integrity of countries in the neighbourhood and threaten regional stability and reconciliation; strongly condemns widespread public denials of international verdicts for war crimes; also condemns in this context the role of state- supported hooligan groups in the protection of the mural of the convicted war criminal Ratko Mladić in Belgrade, and corresponding incidents which have exposed close links between hooligans and the police; expresses concern over the authorities’ apparent unwillingness to ensure a permanent removal of the mural in opposition to both the wishes of the tenants and the formal municipal decisions; regrets that persons sentenced for war crimes, such as Veselin Šljivančanin, Dragoljub Ojdanić and Nikola Šainović, are close to the ruling parties in Serbia;
Amendment 346 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Stresses the importance of regional cooperation on war crimes and missing persons, and calls on Serbian authorities to achieve justice for victims by recognising and respecting court verdicts on war crimes, fighting against impunity for wartime crimes, investigating cases of missing persons, investigating grave sites, and supporting domestic prosecutors in bringing perpetrators to justice;
Amendment 352 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Welcomes the adoption of the new National Strategy for the Prosecution of War Crimes; calls for its proper implementation and for transparency and inclusiveness in reporting on the implementation;
Amendment 353 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 c (new)
Paragraph 27 c (new)
27c. Reiterates its support for the initiative to establish the Regional Commission for the establishment of facts about war crimes and other gross human rights violations on the territory of the former Yugoslavia (RECOM);
Amendment 355 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls for the EU and its allies to further strengthen the work on reconciliation; welcomes the renewed engagement of the EU allies, in particular the appointment of US and UK special envoys for the Western Balkans, as well as the one from Germany; calls for their close cooperation and coordination with the EU envoy, with a view to strengthening leverage and providing coherent advice and support;
Amendment 359 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Welcomes the introduction of a roaming-free zone in the entire Western Balkans as of 1 July 2021, improving connectivity and bringing tangible and concrete benefits to citizens and businesses in the region;
Amendment 362 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Urges the Serbian authorities to unambiguously support setting up of a common regional market within the Berlin process framework, establishing and guaranteeing free movement of persons, goods, services and capital in the region as a stepping stone in the EU accession path;
Amendment 363 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 b (new)
Paragraph 29 b (new)
29b. 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;
Amendment 368 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Notes with concern that none of the allegations mentioned in the previous report made by investigative journalists of government manipulation of COVID-19 statistics for political purposes have been investigated; stresses that trust and transparency are of particular importance in the government’s efforts against COVID-19 and therefore urges the Serbian Government to provide citizens with all relevant statistics;
Amendment 375 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Is deeply concerned by the socio- economic situation in several districts of southern Serbia; calls on the Serbian government to investigate all allegations about the use of social assistance instruments to put pressure on voters, especially among vulnerable groups and members of the Roma minority; calls on the Serbian government to respond to the challenges of poverty and unemployment in these parts of the country;
Amendment 389 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Reiterates its serious concern about Serbia’s growing dependence on Chinese investments and urges the Serbian authorities to improve the transparency and ensure comprehensive environmental impact assessment of Chinese investments;
Amendment 402 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36a. Expresses concerns about the lack of progress regarding the “List” case, which represents an abuse of the legal framework by state authorities in order to target particular civil society organisations and media critical of government policies, as confirmed by UN special rapporteurs, Moneyval and FATF; reiterates its call on the Serbian Administration for the Prevention of Money Laundering of Serbia’s Ministry of Finance to fully clarify these investigations and solve the situation for the concerned CSOs and media outlets;
Amendment 410 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Expresses serious concern that Serbia continues to prioritise investments in new coal power plants; urges the authorities to adopt a strategy consistent with the European Green Deal’s zero emissions target for 2050 and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans;
Amendment 416 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Calls on Serbia to step up its efforts to diversify its energy supply and overall energy mix, and in particular to reduce its dependency on Russia; urges the Commission to ensure that the IPA funds contribute to the building of a climate neutral economy in Serbia, fully in line with the Paris Agreements and the EU decarbonisation targets;
Amendment 419 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Welcomes the progress made on the gas interconnector between Serbia and Bulgaria, thus decreasing dependence on Russian energy supply; notes with concern the consistent lack of compliance with and the consequent breach of the Energy Community Treaty;
Amendment 422 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Reiterates its concern at the high levels of air pollution and urges the authorities to speed up the implementation of air quality plans; regrets the fact that several cities in Serbia are often on the list of the most polluted cities in the world in terms of air quality; urges the authorities to swiftly take measures to improve air quality, especially in large cities and industrial areas such as Belgrade, Smederevo, Bor and, Kolubara and Tamnava valleys; stresses the importance of finding sustainable solutions and limiting the use of lignite and other coal in energy production, as well as for heating;
Amendment 429 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Notes the withdrawal of the exploration licences for the lithium extraction and processing project in Western Serbia; calls for more transparency and a comprehensive impact assessment, including concerned local communities, civil society organisations, as well as independent experts in a meaningful manner, when issuing new licences;
Amendment 432 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 b (new)
Paragraph 36 b (new)
36b. Expresses deep concern about serious problems of corruption and rule of law in the environment area, the general lack of transparency and environmental and social impact assessments of infrastructure projects, including from Chinese investments and loans, as well as from multinational companies, such as Rio Tinto; notes in this context the opening of Cluster 4 “Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity” in the EU accession negotiations; calls on the EU and Serbian authorities to follow-up on the legitimate concerns expressed in the environmental protests and to urgently address these problems during the negotiations;
Amendment 434 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 a (new)
Paragraph 41 a (new)
41a. Calls for an increase of the total area of the territory of Serbia under protection, as well as areas in the first degree of protection and to ensure substantial implementation of measures and adequate financing of nature protection; calls for the consistent application of the Law on Nature Protection and the Law on the Use of Renewable Energy Sources, with a view to stopping any harmful projects, such as hydropower facilities, in protected areas, as well as in areas, where protection is planned; calls for enhanced cooperation between protected area managers and the local community through representatives of citizens' associations;
Amendment 436 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 b (new)
Paragraph 41 b (new)
41b. Calls for a review of all small hydro projects (SHPPs) built so far and whether the law and procedures were duly respected in all issued permits; calls for immediate measures to return the rivers to the state they were in before the construction of SHPP, in all cases where the law has been clearly violated, like in the Rakita case; calls for the completion of the drafting process of a new SHPP cadaster, which must be made available to the public and correspond to scientific standards;
Amendment 438 #
2021/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 c (new)
Paragraph 41 c (new)
41c. Calls for the removal of facilities that endanger shores, lakes, watercourses and groundwater; underlines that illegal fencing and privatisation of access to water resources must be effectively sanctioned; highlights the need that any project endangering water resources, such as mini hydropower plants or the exploitation of gravel and other river aggregates, must be brought under control and put on the list of projects for which an environmental impact assessment study is required; calls against this background for reconsidering the privatisation of the Institute for Water Management "Jaroslav Cerni", thus preventing a further collapse of the credibility of independent institutes and laboratories of national importance for the preservation of natural resources;
Amendment 5 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
— having regard to the Sofia Summit of 10 November2020, including the Declaration on the Common Regional Market and the Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans,
Amendment 36 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the European Union is Kosovo’s biggest trading partner, accounting for 33 % of total exports and 50 % of total imports in 2020;
Amendment 37 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas the EU is the largest provider of financial assistance to Kosovo and whereas Kosovo benefits from pre- accession assistance under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA), with a total of EUR 1.21 billion between 2007 and 2020;
Amendment 38 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas the Commission adopted a package of EUR 70 million under IPA II to help fund the access of Western Balkan countries to COVID-19 vaccines procured by EU Member States;
Amendment 39 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E d (new)
Recital E d (new)
Ed. whereas the assistance under IPA III is based on strict conditionality and envisages modulation and suspension of assistance in cases of backsliding in democracy, human rights and the rule of law;
Amendment 44 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes Kosovo’s renewed commitment to advance on EU-related reforms and the overwhelming public support for European integration; notes the strong majority in the Kosovo Parliament following the general elections and calls on the government to make use of its stable majority to urgently advance the necessary reforms;
Amendment 56 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. WelcomeCommends the peaceful and orderly conduct of the early legislative elections of 14 February 2021 and the municipal elections of 17 October and 14 November 2021;, regrets, however, the low representation of women and the limited political competition in the Kosovo-Serb municipalitie, freedom of choice and of expression in the Kosovo-Serb municipalities, as noted in the EU election observation mission reports;
Amendment 61 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on Kosovo to address the long-standing deficiencies in the electoral process as a matter of urgency, in particular with regard to campaign rules, the voting by citizens abroad and the accuracy of voter lists; deplores the fact that many of the recommendations issued by previous EU election observation missions since 2013 remain unaddressed and underlines that these long overdue reforms need strong political commitment and meaningful involvement of the political parties and civil society;
Amendment 71 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Reiterates its call on the Council to proceed urgently with the adoption of a visa-free regime for the citizens of Kosovo; Deeply regrets that the Council has failed to deliver on the EU’s promise to approve the visa-free regime for Kosovo, as well as on starting accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania; emphasises its full solidarity and sympathies with the countries’ citizens and considers this failure, which undermines the public attitude towards the EU, a serious danger to the enlargement policy as a whole, damaging the EU’s reputation as a reliable partner and serious geopolitical actor; reiterates its call on the Member States in the Council, in particular France and the Netherlands, to proceed urgently with the adoption of a visa-free regime for the citizens of Kosovo and recalls that Kosovo has consistently fulfilled all the benchmarks since 2018; underlines that the lack of visa liberalisation affects directly Kosovo citizens while emboldening criminal networks involved in illicit smuggling and organised crime;
Amendment 83 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes also Kosovo’s intention to apply for membership of the European Union in 2022, but stresses that there is no fast-track procedure and thatfor any candidate or potential candidate country and theat normalisation of relations with Serbia is necessary for Kosovo to advance on its European path; therefore, encourages Kosovo’s authorities to refocus their efforts on advancing and delivering on the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue process, and to not create another source of disappointment for its citizens by prematurely applying for EU membership;
Amendment 97 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Regrets the fact that five EU Member States, namely Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain, have not yet recognised Kosovo and reiterates its call for them to do so;
Amendment 103 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. WNotes that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is a source of utmost concern for the Western Balkans, in particular for Kosovo citizens; welcomes the adoption of the resolution of the Assembly of Kosovo strongly condemning the military aggression and the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, and commends Kosovo for its speedy alignment with the EU by adopting sanctions against Russia and its strong solidarity expressed with Ukraine, positioning Kosovo as a very reliable partner, deeply anchored in the European and transatlantic alliance; notes with relief that no concrete serious threats to the security and the territorial integrity of Kosovo have been reported recently; underlines that a successful integration of the North and further efforts to improve the daily life of Kosovo Serbs can contribute essentially to the overall stability and security situation in the country;
Amendment 110 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the increased efforts to fight corruption, including by the adoption of the Rule of Law Strategy and underlines that implementation is key; commends Kosovo for having moved up 17 places on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2021; encourages Kosovo to continue improving its track record in the fight against high- level corruption and organised crime and to be more active in the fight against money laundering;
Amendment 115 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 e (new)
Paragraph 16 e (new)
16e. Welcomes Kosovo’s continued efforts to repatriate and integrate foreign fighters; encourages Kosovo to adopt a new Strategy for the Prevention of Violent Extremism and Radicalism Leading to Terrorism, bearing in mind that the implementation of the previous strategy faced a lack of institutional coordination and of financial tools;
Amendment 118 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Is concerned that the judiciary continues to be inefficient and vulnerable to political interference; welcomes, in this respect, the proposals for the reform of the prosecutorial system and underlines that the opinion of the Venice Commission should be fully taken into account in their implementation, highlighting that it is of utmost importance to ensure irreversible political independence and integrity of the judiciary;
Amendment 120 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Encourages Kosovo to step up efforts to strengthen in general the independence of the judiciary, increase the capacity of law enforcement agencies, enforce assets declaration and confiscation of criminal assets; notes in this context the proposal for a new agency on civil confiscation of assets and reiterates the need to fully take into account the Venice Commission opinion before proceeding with the legislation;
Amendment 124 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Takes note of the government’s plans for the vetting of judges and prosecutors, and underlines the importance of the Venice Commission’s opinion; stresses that vetting should be used as a last resort and insists that the EU and the US reservations should not be disregardedabout a possible paralysis of the justice system should not be disregarded; strongly encourages Kosovar authorities to make full use of the already existing mechanisms and instruments to immediately improve the justice system’s integrity and functioning;
Amendment 126 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Regrets that despite the EU’s repeated calls to ensure a fair, transparent and merit-based selection of the Chief State Prosecutor, the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council has concluded the selection process disregarding these principles;
Amendment 128 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the efforts to de- politicise and professionalise Kosovo’s civil service and public administration, and calls on Kosovo to step up its reforms of the public administration and public finances in a progressive and proportionate manner; reiterates the importance of a sound, depoliticised and citizen-oriented public administration appointed through a competitive, merit- based, transparent and fair process;
Amendment 131 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the long-overdue adoption of the laws on Political Party Financing and Disclosure of Assets by the Assembly of Kosovo and calls for their rigorous implementation;
Amendment 132 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Deplores the practice of continuous boycotts of the Presidency of the Assembly of Kosovo by Srpska Lista representatives and the high absenteeism of deputies in the Assembly sessions, leading to blockages of some agenda points; welcomes the first-reading adoption of the new Regulation of the Assembly introducing financial sanctions against parliamentarians who do not justify their absence and calls for its speedy final adoption and implementation;
Amendment 135 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Commends Kosovo’s vibrant and constructive civil society for its work and engagement; encourages the government to establish cooperative working relations with them, based on mutual trust, while respecting their independence, and to ensure their meaningful involvement in the respective reform projects, in particular for key legislation;
Amendment 140 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Urges the government to implement the ruling of the Constitutional Court granting parcels of land to the Visoki Dečani Monastery; is concerned that the authorities have still not implemented this court decision, thereby undermining the government’s commitment to enforcing the rule of law and its respect for an independent judiciary; underlines the importance of implementing all Constitutional Court decisions and to apply a non-selective approach to the concept of rule of law;
Amendment 144 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Welcomes the prolongation of the mandate of the EULEX mission and the cooperation shown by Kosovo authorities, as well as the recent deployment of a temporary unit to strengthen capacities of the EULEX Formed Police Unit (FPU); encourages Kosovo to continue its cooperation with EULEX and with the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, as an important demonstration of its commitment to the rule of law;
Amendment 147 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Commends the agreement with Europol for secure exchange of information as a step towards further cooperation between the Kosovo Police and Europol;
Amendment 148 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16d. Underlines in this context that Interpol is an important instrument in the fight against organised crime; regrets that Kosovo is not yet a member of Interpol, despite its multiple attempts to become one; calls for Kosovo’s inclusion in Interpol and on EU Member States to proactively support Kosovo's bid to join this organisation;
Amendment 149 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Urges the Commission to implement the findingrecommendations of the European Court of Auditors Special Report 01/2022, in order to ensuringe an effective rule-of-law impact of EU financial assistance in the Western Balkanssupport to the rule of law in the Western Balkans, in particular by developing guidelines on the application of IPA III provisions on modulation/ conditionality;
Amendment 150 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Calls 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 151 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Calls on the European Commission to link funding more closely to progress on the rule of law, to increase support to civil-society organisations and independent media;
Amendment 155 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes that Kosovo’s legal and institutional framework broadly guarantees the protection of human, minority and fundamental rights, but that implementation is key;
Amendment 158 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Regrets the Kosovo Assembly’s failure to adopt the draft Civil Code, which would bring much-needed progress for Kosovo citizens, in particular in improving the conditions of the most vulnerable parts of Kosovo society, especially women and children, as well as LGBTI+ persons, and would have a positive impact on the economic development of Kosovo;
Amendment 160 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Condemns in this context all derogatory, discriminating, and degrading speech against the LGBTI+ community, single parents and others, including by some high-level politicians; calls on the competent authorities to continue working on the Civil Code, fully in line with the constitution and ensuring its swift adoption; calls in this regard for more public engagement of the Kosovar leadership promoting fundamental human rights for all Kosovar citizens, including LGBTI+ people; expresses its support for the inclusion of same-sex partnerships into the legislation, in line with the Kosovar constitutions;
Amendment 164 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Regrets the fact that the initiatives to involve the Serb community in Kosovo’s political, social and economic structures are only very limited; reiterates that the institutionalisation of the learning of official languages in Kosovo and equal access to services and information in the official languages are essential; welcomes in this respect the establishing of the Department for Balkan studies at the University of Pristina and the decision to open a language centre for learning Kosovo’s official languages; reiterates its call to the Kosovar government to considerably step up its efforts, improve the internal dialogue and genuinely engage with independent civil society organisations of Kosovo Serbs, in particular in the North, with the aim of improving the daily life of Kosovo Serbs and successfully integrating them;
Amendment 171 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Reiterates its call for greater inclusion and protection of persons belonging to minorities, including the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities, as well as persons with disabilities and displaced persons, by providing them with access to adequate healthcare and social protection, ensuring their access to education, justice, public services, housing and the labour market, as well as to political and social decision-making, while efficiently tackling intersectional forms of discriminations these groups are facing, through a systemic institutional approach; urges for more efforts to fight antigypsyism; encourages the government to accelerate work on a new 2021-2026 strategy and action plan for the inclusion of the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities in Kosovo;
Amendment 176 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls for the urgent revision of high-school textbooks, which provide misinformation and use discriminatory language and descriptions for ethnic minorities, sexual minorities and women; encourages government authorities to pursue the initiative started in late 2021 aimed at updating them;
Amendment 181 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Underlines that the free media are one of the essential pillars of democracy and that journalists must be protected from political pressure; stresses that the use of defamatory language against journalists is unacceptabcondemns the political pressure to which they are often subjected, as well as the use of SLAPPs to intimidate them and which also leads to self-censorship; stresses that the use of defamatory language against journalists is unacceptable; warns against any statements stigmatising media in particular from officials and public figures who should lead by example;
Amendment 184 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Notes that the media landscape has been distorted in recent years, with large- scale investments leading to increased private sector influence over major media outlets and online media being frequently used for commercial and political blackmail; reiterates the need to guarantee media transparency, including on media ownership; warmly welcomes the appointment of the new members of the Board of Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK) while noting that further steps are needed in order to safeguard its independence;
Amendment 188 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Is deeply concerned about the continuing high level of domestic and gender-based violence in Kosovo; calls for the effective implementation of the national strategy against domestic and gender-based violence; and the number of femicide cases, as well as the underwhelming performance of the judiciary in efficiently prosecuting femicides and cases of GBV; calls for the effective implementation of the national strategy against domestic and gender-based violence; underlines that education is key in order to fight gender-based discrimination; highlights the need to ensure a proper functioning of the system of protection, prevention and adjudication of all forms of gender-based violence, including through an increase of the number of gender-sensitive law enforcement agents and judges, of support to women shelters and legal aid to victims, as well as of public awareness raising campaigns;
Amendment 193 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Welcomes Kosovo's efforts to improve overall coordination on gender equality while calling for further progress in achieving gender equality and advancing women’s rights, including by prioritising gender mainstreaming and increased cooperation with civil society, in particular women’s organisations;
Amendment 197 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls against this backdrop for the EU to urgently strengthen its support for and cooperation with Kosovo in addressing disinformation and fighting malign hybrid activities, in particular from Russia and China;
Amendment 199 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Is highly alerted that 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; is alarmed that Hungary and Serbia are helping China and Russia with their geopolitical objectives; recommends convening dialogues with Western Balkan civil society and the private sector to coordinate anti-disinformation efforts in 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 pivot to 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 206 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Emphasises 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;
Amendment 213 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Reconfirms its unequivocal support for the EU- facilitated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and explicitly commends the work of the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Miroslav Lajčák; reiterates the importance of constructive engagement on the part of the authorities of both Serbia and Kosovo in order to achieve a comprehensive legally binding normalisation agreement, which is crucial for both countries to advance on their respective European paths; calls for all past agreements to be respected and fully implemented, including the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities;
Amendment 218 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Calls on the EU actors to support Kosovo’s authorities, providing concrete security guarantees and opportunities for socio-economic integration when working towards the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities consistent with the Constitution of Kosovo, and as part of a mutual agreement;
Amendment 220 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 c (new)
Paragraph 29 c (new)
29c. Reiterates its regret that the Mitrovica Bridge has not yet been opened to all traffic, in spite of the completion of the renovation works; calls on the Serbian and Kosovar authorities to promote people-to-people contacts between local communities in order to strengthen dialogue, including at a non- governmental level;
Amendment 222 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Reiterates its call to improve the quality of the dialogue process through the participation of women, including in the negotiation team, increased transparency towards the public and meaningful involvement of civil society;
Amendment 229 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls for the stepping up of efforts and the delivery of solutions on the issues of missing persons and the electricity arrangements in the north of Kosovo; expresses its deep sympathy to the families of the missing persons and urges the government to pay particular attention to keeping them informed and apply a more sensitive mode of communication;
Amendment 233 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Regrets the destabilisation activities on the border in the North of Kosovo in September 2021, strongly condemning Serbia’s show of military threats, and calls on Kosovo and Serbia to address all issues through dialogue; welcomes the establishment of the Working Group tasked to find a solution on the use of vehicle license plate and urges it to finally come up with a sustainable solution to the benefit of the citizens of both countries;
Amendment 239 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 b (new)
Paragraph 29 b (new)
29b. Deplores several instances of officials not being allowed to enter the territories of Kosovo or Serbia; calls on both parties to treat all visits in a way that is beneficial to the normalisation process and to the overall work in the context of EU-facilitated dialogue;
Amendment 240 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 e (new)
Paragraph 29 e (new)
29e. Reiterates its support for the initiative to establish the Regional Commission for the establishment of facts about war crimes and other gross human rights violations on the territory of the former Yugoslavia (RECOM); highlights the importance of the work carried out by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) and welcomes Kosovo’s active participation; reiterates the need to reach out to young people from the northern municipalities and to integrate them in the socio-economic structures of the country;
Amendment 245 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Welcomes the introduction of a roaming-free zone in the entire Western Balkans as of 1 July 2021, improving connectivity and bringing concrete and tangible benefits to citizens and businesses in the region;
Amendment 246 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 d (new)
Paragraph 29 d (new)
29d. Commends cultural and youth initiatives, such as the annual cross- border art festival Mirëdita, Dobar Dan, which promotes cooperation between artists and activists of Kosovo and Serbia; encourages Kosovar and Serbian authorities, including at the local level, to further build upon such positive initiatives and use cultural heritage as means of bringing different communities together;
Amendment 249 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls for the EU to further strengthen foreign policy and security cooperation, public diplomacy and international partnerships in order to achieve progress in reconciliation; welcomes the renewed engagement of the EU allies, in particular the appointment of US and UK special envoys for the Western Balkans, as well as the one from Germany; calls for their close cooperation and coordination with the EU envoy, with a view to strengthening leverage and to provide coherent advice and support;
Amendment 256 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Welcomes positive developments in Kosovo’s economic growth; welcomes that Kosovo will also benefit from the EU Digital Single Market, given the great potential of digitalisation for the development of Kosovo’s economy;
Amendment 261 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34a. Notes the heavy impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Kosovo economy and welcomes the government’s emergency measures; underlines, however that assistance for the groups most affected by the pandemic was limited; encourages Kosovo to provide well-targeted and temporary pandemic- related fiscal support to vulnerable households and businesses; stresses that the post-pandemic recovery will significantly depend on the authorities’ ability to address the structural challenges and the effective implementation of the economic support packages;
Amendment 266 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Underlines that the implementation of both fundamental and structural reforms remains essential for economic recovery and development, as efforts to tackle corruption, improving the rule of law, enhance transparency and strengthen institutions and social dialogue would also contribute to attracting foreign direct investments to the country;
Amendment 271 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Underlines that the inadequate and unreliable supply of electricity is one of the constraints on Kosovo’s competitiveness and that the lack of energy security gives rise to significant costs for business and represents big obstacle to attracting high-quality foreign direct investment; urges Kosovo to step-up efforts to make use of the potential for energy efficiency;
Amendment 272 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Urges the authorities to continue their efforts to reform the education system so that it provides students with the skills and knowledge required by the labour market; calls for increased efforts to integrate women into the labour marketunderlines the necessity of improving the quality and relevance of the education system to increase employment and mitigate skills mismatches; calls for increased efforts to integrate women into the labour market and in particular to address the lack of implementation of women workers’ rights, gender stereotyping, gender imbalance, and gender pay gap in the labour market; 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 277 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 b (new)
Paragraph 33 b (new)
33b. Is concerned about the continuing emigration, which deprives Kosovo of much-needed highly skilled workers; welcomes the launch of reforms to improve the capacity of the employment service and the implementation of relevant active labour market policies, including upskilling and on-the-job training;
Amendment 281 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 b (new)
Paragraph 34 b (new)
34b. Stresses the need to streamline the social security system, including the revision of the war veteran pension scheme, and to establish a coherent, fair and fiscally affordable compensation system for public employment;
Amendment 284 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 c (new)
Paragraph 34 c (new)
34c. Encourages Kosovo to effect transition in the agricultural sector in order to increase local food production and reduce imports of basic food items;
Amendment 292 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Calls on the government to speed up its work on the Energy Strategy 2022- 2030, in cooperation with civil society, with a particular focus on a sustainable and affordable energy supply, increased energy efficiency and the further diversification of energy sources in line with the Green Deal Agenda and the Paris Agreement; regrets the continuous delay of the publication of the strategy;
Amendment 295 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36a. Reiterates its concern that the overwhelming majority of Kosovo’s energy derives from coal and calls on removing all non-compliant coal subsidies, decentralising energy production and moving towards renewables; recognizes the need to fully integrate the northern part of Kosovo into the billing system;
Amendment 296 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 b (new)
Paragraph 36 b (new)
36b. Stresses the need for a healthy environment and the protection of water resources and ecosystems, with a particular focus on rivers for the development of agriculture and strengthening food and water security;
Amendment 297 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 c (new)
Paragraph 36 c (new)
36c. Calls to stop all dam projects inside protected areas, including future Natura 2000 sites (Emerald);
Amendment 299 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
37a. Commends the efforts in improving the quality of the water basin management and the related permits; welcomes the verdict of Kosovo Supreme Court to suspend the water permit of a hydropower plant in Shterpce;
Amendment 301 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Reiterates its call to implement sustainable public transport and mobility policies and address long-standing infrastructure deficiencies; welcomes plans for the modernisation of railways with loans from the EBRD and EU grants;
Amendment 302 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Encourages Kosovo to liberalize its energy market, including retail electricity, in order to allow choice to consumers and to terminate the existing monopoly in the sector; welcomes the opening of a new district heating plant in Gjakova, financed by the EU funds, which is the only plant in Kosovo operating with biomass, and which is expected to reduce the pollution in the area by over 90%;
Amendment 305 #
2021/2246(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 b (new)
Paragraph 38 b (new)
38b. Welcomes the operations undertaken by Kosovo Police in cooperation with EULEX to disrupt illegal logging throughout Kosovo, encourages the relevant authorities and law enforcement agencies of north and south to increase their cooperation in order to combat this and other crimes;
Amendment 4 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6
Citation 6
Amendment 6 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16
Citation 16
— having regard to the recommendations by and activities of the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee, Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, EU-Moldova Civil Society Platform and other representatives of civil society in the Republic of Moldova,
Amendment 13 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Economic Recovery Plan for the Republic of Moldova was proposed as part of the renewed agenda for recovery, resilience and reform for the Eastern Partnership countries, underpinned by an Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) for post-COVID-19 socio-economic recovery and long-term resilience, under the motto ‘build back better’; whereas the EIP flagship initiatives for Moldova foresee investments in energy efficiency, infrastructure and connectivity but not in the clean energy transition;
Amendment 15 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the emergency COVID-19 EU macro-financial assistance programme for Moldova is completed, with the first tranche of EUR 50 million disbursed in November 2020 and a second 50 million EUR instalment on 7 October 2021, following significant progress achieved in fulfilling the policy conditions of the Memorandum of Understanding;
Amendment 18 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas, despite changes in government, the lack of significant improvements in the fight against corruption is of great concern; whereas the new government still needs to tackle critical deficiencies in the justice sector and the rule of law that continue to hamper democratic governance in Moldova;
Amendment 22 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas civil society organisations continue to call for increased transparency in decision-making in Parliament and other public authorities, reiterating their proposals submitted in 2016-2017 regarding the legislative framework on access to information;
Amendment 24 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. whereas cooperation between public authorities and civil society remained sporadic and largely not institutionalised;
Amendment 25 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B e (new)
Recital B e (new)
Be. whereas the Commission identified key problems in relation to the right to access healthcare, to access information of public interest, the rights to work and decent life, freedom of movement, and freedom of expression in its latest implementation report;
Amendment 26 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B f (new)
Recital B f (new)
Bf. whereas women continue to face gender inequality; whereas the legal framework no longer prohibits access to certain professions, its implementation remains slow and women continue to face de facto obstacles, such as lack of access to affordable care services; whereas women’s involvement in decision-making is limited due to gender stereotypes and norms; whereas hate speech remains an issue of concern and mainly targets women and LGBTI persons;
Amendment 27 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B g (new)
Recital B g (new)
Bg. whereas the Commission in its implementation report points to serious issues with infant mortality, child labour, including links to trafficking and sexual exploitation, the particular situation of Roma children and children left behind by their parents, the stagnating number of babies and children with disabilities in institutional care facilities and the insufficient quality of social services to support families in vulnerable situations;
Amendment 28 #
2021/2237(INI)
Bh. whereas Moldova imports around 80% of its energy, and wind, solar and small hydro supply only around 1 % of Moldova’s energy mix; whereas biomass is Moldova’s only significant domestic energy source, contributing 19 % of the total energy supply;
Amendment 29 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B i (new)
Recital B i (new)
Bi. whereas Moldova committed to reducing emissions by 70 % in 2030 compared to 1990 levels under the Paris Agreement;
Amendment 66 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Welcomes the Commission’s new proposal for an MFA package for Moldova, but underlines the crucial importance of strict conditionality, which also applies to all other EU funding to its partners;
Amendment 72 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the ambitious reform agenda of the government of Natalia Gavriliţa and the tangibleinitial progress already achieved in its implementation, in particular on the fight against corruption, judicial reform, improving the living standards of the most vulnerable population groups and improving the business climate in the country; reiterates that sufficient progress in implementing agreed reforms is a key condition for continued EU financial support and the application of the ‘more for more’ principle;
Amendment 76 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Points to the importance of effectively implementing the government’s ambitious reform agenda in order to meet citizens’ expectations and conserve and rebuild trust in state institutions;
Amendment 83 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the Commission’s decision to provide the Republic of Moldova with EUR 60 million through a new budget support programme in order to deal with a gas supply crisis artificially created by Gazprom and to mitigate the impact of the rising prices on the most vulnerable Moldovanspeople; notes that the crisis further underscores the importance of the diversification of energy supplies and routes, and of building long-term resilience through a transition to more sustainrenewable energy sources and investing in key infrastructure and energy efficiency, including in the energy production, transport and household sectors;
Amendment 102 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that while the presidential and the early parliamentary elections were well managed and competitive, persistent shortcomings need to be addressed by implementing the recommendations of the Council of Europe Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR, including tackling vote buying, fairness of electoral campaigns, voting abroad, intimidation of election observers, electoral bribery and other corrupt practices, as well as the misuse of state resources;
Amendment 105 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Urges the Moldovan government to put in place all necessary measures to ensure that the citizens of Moldova living in the Transnistrian region as well as outside of Moldova can participate in elections in an inclusive, transparent and fair way, free from foreign interference;
Amendment 111 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the agreement between the EU and the Republic of Moldova on launching a High-Level Political and Security Dialogue; invites the Republic of Moldova to further align its positions with those of CFSP and to continue its contribution to Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and its missions; calls for increased security cooperation between the EU and Moldova, in particular given the volatile security situation in the Eastern neighbourhood;
Amendment 119 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Reiterates its support for a comprehensive and peaceful settlement of the Transnistria conflict based on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova with a special status for Transnistria, while ensuring the protection of human rights on the territories currently not controlled by constitutional authorities; supports efforts to extend the benefits of the DCFTA and the visa-free regime to the Transnistrian region, which enable significant growth in mobility and trade with the region;
Amendment 158 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Calls on the Moldovan government to urgently make progress in the fight against corruption, strengthen democratic institutions, improve decentralisation and implement crucial reforms concerning the institutional setup of the public administration; calls on Moldovan authorities to ensure merit- based selection and promotion of judges, as well as the de-politicization of public anti-corruption institutions;
Amendment 160 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to uphold the principles of local democracy and local autonomy in accordance with the European Charter of local self-government providing proper competencies and sufficient funding for the local governments and assuring their effective functioning, including through further improvements of the rule of law and implementation of good governance principles at all levels;
Amendment 161 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12c. Calls on the Moldovan government to increase transparency, democratic oversight and accountability across decision-making processes and to closely cooperate with civil society, in order to allow for adequate public scrutiny and inclusive input to these processes; reiterates the importance of ensuring sustainable funding of civil society, in particular given significant budget cuts during the pandemic; stresses the general importance of the government’s active open dialogue with civil society organizations, trade unions, business associations, as well as with the parliamentary and extra-parliamentary opposition, to ensure an inclusive and participatory decision-making process;
Amendment 162 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 d (new)
Paragraph 12 d (new)
12d. Calls on the Moldovan government to continue efforts to depoliticize law enforcement agencies and invest in building increased trust between the citizens and law enforcement agencies;
Amendment 176 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (‘the Istanbul Convention’) by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova on 14 October 2021; calls for its effective implementation at all levels to be ensured in order to improve the situation of women and girls, and to undertake further efforts to progress towards achieving gender equality, in particular on improving women’s access to the labour market and tackling the gender pay gap, tackling the gender pay gap, age-based discrimination, and women’s representation and equal treatment at all levels of political and societal life; requests the European Commission and the EEAS to mainstream gender equality in all its policies, programmes and activities in relation to Moldova;
Amendment 181 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls on the Moldovan government to put a special emphasis on countering worsened gender inequality, gender-based violence, and discrimination against marginalised groups exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic in their response to the pandemic; urges authorities to address the increase in violence against children and in child poverty as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying measures to control it;
Amendment 187 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Urges for the full and timely implementation and approval of secondary legislation, including to counter hate speech and further protect the rights of minorities, including Roma, LGBTI persons and immigrants; calls on Moldova to abolish the constitutional ban on same-sex marriage from 1994 and to establish anti-discrimination measures for LGBTI persons;
Amendment 192 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Amendment 193 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 d (new)
Paragraph 14 d (new)
14d. Calls on the authorities to guarantee the right to a fair trial and the respect of human rights in detention facilities, including addressing inadequate healthcare provisions, as well as to avoid selective and politically motivated justice; underlines the need to eradicate torture and ill-treatment, as well as investigating allegations of torture and other human rights violations committed by police and other law enforcement officers;
Amendment 206 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Reiterates the importance of the effective implementation of the reforms needed to fully benefit from the DCFTA and to achieve progress in further economic integration with the EU’s internal market; recalls the importance of sustainable development and respect for international commitments, in particular the Paris Agreement, and compliance with WTO rules;
Amendment 210 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls on the Moldovan government to also focus on the social dimension of trade and sustainable development by respecting and enforcing labour standards, ratifying and fully implementing all ILO conventions, and eliminating remaining deficiencies in the labour inspection system;
Amendment 214 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Acknowledges the commitment of the Republic of Moldova to pursue approximation with EU agricultural legislation in order to increase exports to the EU and open up new opportunities for its farmers and rural communities; calls on the Moldovan authorities to progress more rapidly on approximation to the AA/DCFTA in terms of animal health and food safety;
Amendment 219 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Encourages Moldova to make full use of preferential export opportunities into the EU through more efficient and sustainable cultivation of farmlands, as well as more democratic access and use of land, thus generating agricultural products that amplify Moldova’s relative agricultural advantages;
Amendment 227 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Calls on the Moldovan government to strengthen the healthcare system and improve sanitation standards, especially in hospitals; urges the European Commission, the EU Member States and Moldova to increase cooperation on public health resilience, exchange best practice and work with civil society on establishing epidemic strategies focusing on the most vulnerable groups in society;
Amendment 231 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Urges Moldova to increase infrastructure cooperation with the EU and countries in the region, and to implement deep structural reforms in the energy sector, including by diversifying energy supplies, increasing energy efficiency, attracting investment into renewable energies and improving connectivity while ensuring environmental sustainability; calls on Moldova to fully implement its commitments under the Energy Community Treaty;
Amendment 232 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16d. Calls for greater cooperation between the EU and Moldova in reducing dependence on Russian energy and asks the EU to show stronger energy solidarity with Moldova, in accordance with the Association Agreement, by increasing interlinkages of energy infrastructures;
Amendment 237 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 e (new)
Paragraph 16 e (new)
16e. Notes the use of biomass and hydropower in Moldova’s diversification efforts, but recalls the need to ensure their sustainability, efficiency and environmental requirements; stresses that the development of renewable energy sources is a crucial element of efforts towards both clean energy transition and energy independence, while also contributing to local job creation, air quality and citizens’ health;
Amendment 238 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 f (new)
Paragraph 16 f (new)
16f. Calls on Moldova to further enhance its engagement in the fight against climate change, and on the European Commission to facilitate Moldova’s participation in the European Green Deal and to ensure that the DCFTA does not contradict the environmental objectives and initiatives set out therein;
Amendment 244 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Is encouraged by the Republic of Moldova’s association to Horizon Europe, the EU research and innovation programme, for 2021-2027, which opens up new opportunities for its science and innovation community to forge partnerships with their counterparts in the EU, as well as the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme;
Amendment 249 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Stresses the importance of fighting disinformation, fake news and propaganda, in particular through strategic communication and resilience against disinformation and information manipulation by domestic and foreign actors, online and offline; hopes that the reconstituted Television and Radio Broadcasting Council will effectively carry out its tasks as an independent media watchdog and address the long-standing shortcomings of the media landscape, including the issue of political independence of the public broadcasting company;
Amendment 258 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Calls on Moldovan authorities and the European Commission to cooperate on programmes and reforms concerning media and information literacy to reflect the current digital age, as well as to upgrade sectoral cooperation in the digital economy;
Amendment 262 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Is concerned by the large-scale emigration of Moldovan citizens, which accentuates negative demographic trends, and encourages the Moldovan government to implement further measures to prevent and counter this phenomenon, in particular by creating opportunities and improving conditions and wages for young workers;
Amendment 264 #
2021/2237(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. Calls on the EU and Moldova to further improve people-to-people contacts and exchanges in order to build mutually positive images of each other among the population;
Amendment 5 #
2021/2235(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the EIB’s AAA rating is necessary to ensure appropriate market sources of financing and must bet most preferential rates and must be, therefore, preserved;
Amendment 18 #
2021/2235(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes the establishment of the EGF as a new instrument within the EIB’s portfolio that will provide up to EUR 200 billion of additional financing; notes that as of 31 December 2020, the EIB had approved EUR 2.7 billion, aiming to mobilise EUR 27.8 billion of total financing; is, however, concerned about the compromised transparency of the intermediated transactions under EGF and the increased risk-appetite for some transactions under EGF;
Amendment 20 #
2021/2235(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Reiterates its call for the strengthening of technical assistance in line with the EIB’s policy of ‘lending, blending and advising’ for and the financial expertise of local and regional authorities, especially in regions with low investment capacity, in order to improve accessibility to EIB funding; invites the EIB Group to intensify cooperation with national promotional banks and institutions;
Amendment 22 #
2021/2235(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Notes that in July 2020, the EIB adopted project carbon footprint methodologies to provide guidance to EIB staff on how to calculate the carbon footprint of the investment projects financed by the bank; notes EIB’s decision to refuse financing of any climate- negative projects involving traditional fossil fuels;
Amendment 24 #
2021/2235(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24 a. Welcomes the launch of The City Climate Gap Fund, anew advisory facility aiming to provide early-stage assistance supporting climate-smart projects in cities in developing and emerging countries;
Amendment 47 #
2021/2235(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. ReiteratesNotes the new tripartite agreement signed between ECA,EIB and the European Commission allowing greater access and improved streamline of audited EIB documents; reiterates, however, its calls for the extension of the right of access to information by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) in respect of EIB operations implementing EU policies; regrets the fact that the Commission and the EIB refer to the definition of the ECA’s mandate as laid out in the TFEU in order to prevent the Court from accessing information related to EIB operations whose sole reason to exist is the implementation of the EU policies;
Amendment 63 #
2021/2235(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53
Paragraph 53
53. Notes that, in 2020, the Ethics and Compliance Committee adopted three decisions concerning activities of former Management Committee members during their respective cooling-off periods; calls on the responsible committee to guarantee that during cooling-off periods, former Management Committee members carry out no business relations or lobbying activities with the EIB Group, irrespective to the portfolios held during their Management Committee mandates; reiterates the importance of putting in place policies preventing conflict of interest and revolving-doors phenomena;
Amendment 66 #
2021/2235(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57
Paragraph 57
57. Expresses serious concerns at the lack of social dialogue at the EIB, in particular to address concerns about harassment allegations and the working environment; urges the EIB management to engage in constructive dialogue with staff in order to address their concerns and to foster trust and a culture of accountability; encourages the EIB to continue launching surveys and consultations across its staff; notes consecutively negative outcomes of staff surveys in recent years and urges the EIB to implement tangible measures aiming at fixing issues reported by staff members, particularly which relates to internal mobility concerns;
Amendment 4 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
— having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights (‘ECHR’),
Amendment 6 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8
Citation 8
— having regard to the reports of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) of the Council of Europe, notably the 2016 country monitoring report on Armenia1a and its adopted 2019 conclusions on the adoption of the recommendations,1b _________________ 1a https://rm.coe.int/fourth-report-on- armenia/16808b5539 1b https://rm.coe.int/conclusions-5th- cycle-on-armenia/1680972faa
Amendment 8 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
Amendment 9 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
— having regard to the report of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe following her visit to Armenia from 16 to 20 September 2018,1a _________________ 1a https://rm.coe.int/report-on-the-visit-to- armenia-from-16-to-20-september-2018- by-dunja-m/168091f9d5
Amendment 13 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16 a (new)
Citation 16 a (new)
— having regard to the Eastern Partnership Index 2021,
Amendment 57 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas human rights defenders, activists and independent civil society often face online hate speech, smear campaigns and targeting by various right- wing groups linked to previous regimes in Armenia; whereas they lack protection and recognition for the work they do for the society and the democratic reforms in the country, in particular when it comes to the promotion of human rights, democracy and rule of law;
Amendment 58 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the defence of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including through the respect of the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Convention of Human Rights, is a crucial tenet of the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between the EU and Armenia ('CEPA');
Amendment 60 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Amendment 61 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas following the 2018 Velvet Revolution, Armenia initially made significant democratic improvements and positive strides against corruption, promised anti-corruption and judicial reforms slowed down in 2021 in the wake of the political and economic crisis triggered by the pandemic and renewed conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh;
Amendment 63 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas the human rights of LGBTIQ people in Armenia are at best discarded and at worst actively fought against by government and state institutions; whereas ILGA Europe’s Rainbow Index shows Armenia as having one of the largest deficits in legislation and policy aiming to protect LGBTIQ people, ranking it in the 3rd worst place among all Council of Europe countries, tied with the Russian Federation;
Amendment 65 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E d (new)
Recital E d (new)
Ed. whereas PACE adopted in 2022 a resolution on violations of the rights of LGBTI persons in the Southern Caucasus and made several calls to authorities to reform legislation in order to address them; whereas the recommendations reflect the 2016 ECRI findings; whereas already in 2019 ECRI had concluded that its recommendations had not been addressed sufficiently, including that none of the relevant provisions of the new Criminal Code had been adopted; whereas the lack of response of the government to international bodies’ recommendations is alarming;
Amendment 67 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E e (new)
Recital E e (new)
Ee. whereas the European Court of Human Rights recognized in its judgement on Cases 1367/12 and 72961/12 (Ogazenova v Armenia) that criminal law measures are required with respect to hate speech, notably on grounds of sexual orientation and sexual life; whereas domestic law currently prohibits hate speech, yet sexual orientation and gender identity continue not to be included in the characteristics of victims of the offence despite the recommendations of the relevant international bodies in that respect;1a _________________ 1a ECtHR, Cases 1367/12 and 72961/12 (Ogazenova v Armenia), ¶121-122
Amendment 119 #
2021/2230(INI)
4. Recalls that the EU’s passive stance during and immediately after the 2020 war gave other regional actors, such as Russia, Iran and Turkey, the opportunity to gain influence; strongly supports, therefore, the initiative taken by the President of the European Council Charles Michel to convene and mediate bilateral meetings of the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels and encourages the work on the ground of the EU’s special representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia; urges the governments of both countries to fully engage in the drafting of a peace treaty and welcomes in this regard the meetings of the foreign affairs ministers of both countries;
Amendment 120 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the VP/HR and the EEAS to step up efforts to revitalise and effectively contribute to the peaceful resolution of this conflict, including through support for stabilisation, post- conflict rehabilitation, reconstruction, and confidence-building measures;
Amendment 126 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes note of the initial discussions on the process of border delimitation; welcomes the agreement to deploy a civilian EU mission to build trust and contribute to the border commissions; regrets Azerbaijan’s lack of consent in deploying the civilian mission on both sides of the border;
Amendment 136 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the humanitarian aid provided by the EU for the conflict- affected population in and around Nagorno-Karabakh and its assistance for humanitarian demining in the areas affected by the conflict; calls on the Commission to increase EU assistance to the people in need, including in Nagorno- Karabakh, facilitate the implementation of more ambitious confidence-building measures and enhance people-to-people contacts between citizens on both sides of the border; calls for finding mutual solutions for the safe return of displaced populations;
Amendment 139 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Emphasises the urgent need for increased and credible confidence- building measures in order to counter the perpetuated polarisation, lack of trust, hate speech and other inflammatory rhetoric between Armenia and Azerbaijan;
Amendment 147 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Continues to be concerned about the fate of Armenian prisoners, both military and civilian, detained during and after the conflict and still held by Azerbaijan and welcomes the release of some of them; demands the immediate and unconditional release of all the remaining detainees, including those captured during the recent military confrontations, and that they be treated in accordance with international humanitarian law; recalls that all captured or detained persons must be treated humanely and benefit from the protections of international law; calls on all sides to clarify the fate and whereabouts of the disappeared, and to treat dead bodies with dignity;
Amendment 155 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Condemns the footage that has appeared depicting the torture, mutilation and killing of an Armenian servicewoman and unarmed Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijani armed forces; calls for a full and impartial investigation of the videos to identify those responsible and hold them accountable for their actions; condemns all instances of torture and enforced disappearances, also when perpetrated in armed conflict, as well as ill-treatment and the desecration of bodies;
Amendment 170 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Strongly insists that Azerbaijan and Armenia refrain from destroying, misattributing or miscategorising cultural, religious or historical heritage; calls for the restoration of damaged sites in accordance with UNESCO standards and indications; calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to quickly allow a UNESCO mission to visit both countries without preconditions;
Amendment 172 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Insists that both states are under international obligations to conduct independent, prompt, public and effective investigations and prosecute all credible allegations of grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions and other violations of international law and war crimes, in order to ensure accountability of those responsible and redress for the victims;
Amendment 177 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Stresses the need to consult and cooperate with civil society and human rights defenders, in particular on issues of reconciliation and humanitarian assistance, as well as the importance of sustainable funding and the freedom of such organisations to conduct their work without restrictions;
Amendment 178 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Highlights the particular effect of the conflict on women and marginalised groups, including the rise in domestic violence in the aftermath of the recent war, as well as the exclusion of women from the official peace process; calls on the Armenian government, as well as international mediators to remove barriers to women's participation, across all tracks, and systematically include women experts and women human rights defenders in all consultations;
Amendment 194 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the full entry into force of CEPA on 1 March 2021 and Armenia’s commitment to its implementation; welcomes the fact that the government recognises CEPA as a strategic blueprint for key reforms in Armenia; commends Armenia for the significant reforms and thorough democratisation process implemented over the past few years and thus becoming a leader in democracy in the region;
Amendment 198 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Acknowledges Armenia’s successful fight against crime and corruption making it one of the safest countries in the region;
Amendment 209 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Regrets polarising language often used by political opponents and destructive attempts by some Russia- affiliated political groups to derail the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan;
Amendment 212 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Underlines the important role of civil society in the shaping and implementation of key reforms; calls on the Armenian government to maintain and extend the key role of civil society in democratic policymaking and further strengthen government-CSO cooperation, as well as to introduce legislation to better protect human rights defenders; calls on the EU Delegation and Member States’ representations in Armenia to increase their support for civil society and human rights defenders’ work;
Amendment 217 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Welcomes Armenia’s association to Horizon Europe, the EU’s research and innovation programme for 2021-2027, enabling Armenian researchers, innovators and research entities to strengthen partnerships with their counterparts in the EU, and Armenia’s successful cooperation on Erasmus+ Programme;
Amendment 218 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Calls on the government to step up judicial and anti-corruption reforms and on the EU to increase support in those areas, in particular technical support and exchange of expertise;
Amendment 219 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. UHighlights that Article 1 of CEPA includes as an objective to enhance cooperation in the area of freedom, security and justice with the aim of reinforcing the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; underlines the importance of media freedom, anti-discrimination, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly for preserving a vibrant democracy; is concerned by the pervasive presence of discrimination, disinformation and harsh rhetoric; , as well as hate speech towards certain social groups; urges authorities to categorically uphold all human rights enshrined in the ECHR, notably when they concern vulnerable groups such as women, children, persons with disabilities and LGBTIQ persons1a; _________________ 1a Referring to Commissioner’s for Human Rights country reporting on Armenia: https://www.coe.int/en/web/commissioner/ -/report-on-armenia-recommends- measures-to-improve-women-s-rights- protection-of-disadvantaged-or- vulnerable-groups-and-establishing- accountability-for-p
Amendment 223 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Underlines the importance of media freedom, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly for preserving a vibrant democracy; is concerned by the presence of disinformation and harsh rhetoric; calls on the Armenian government and the Commission to increase support for independent media in the country, also with a view to countering disinformation;
Amendment 226 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Recalls that the fight against discrimination is a cornerstone of democratic systems; considers that the democratic transition in Armenia is an opportunity to strengthen the human rights system; recalls that the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe encouraged the government to take a prompt stance and adopt several legal reforms1a; considers that the authorities have all recommendations at their disposal to make progress on human rights and calls for their implementation; _________________ 1a https://rm.coe.int/report-on-the-visit-to- armenia-from-16-to-20-september-2018- by-dunja-m/168091f9d5, ¶106-107
Amendment 230 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Calls on the Armenian government to refrain from measures that limit the freedom of speech and freedom of media; insists on greater cooperation with diverse stakeholders around laws that have an impact on human rights and democratisation, such as the serious insult law, which has recently de facto been cancelled, and other laws that concern the work of media;
Amendment 232 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Considers that LGBTIQ persons are in dire need of protection; calls for the adoption of anti-discrimination legislation adding sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sex characteristics as prohibited grounds, alongside the adoption of civil, administrative and/or criminal proceedings to protect people from hate speech and hate crimes; calls on authorities to reform criminal legislation by adding the previous grounds as aggravating circumstances; urges Armenia to stop considering homosexuality as a mental illness1a; _________________ 1ahttps://pace.coe.int/en/files/29711/html ¶10-11
Amendment 235 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Calls on the Armenian government to launch joint efforts to address disinformation directed at civil society actors and human rights activists which intends to undermine their democratic role;
Amendment 238 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Calls on the Armenian government, including the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, to raise public awareness around the issue of LGBTIQ- phobia and the need to change prevailing patriarchal structures to counter gender stereotypes; calls on the Armenian government to adopt and implement action plans with the aim of strengthening the rights of LGBTIQ persons and their living conditions, and preventing and combating social exclusion, stigmatisation and all forms of discrimination against them;
Amendment 239 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Stresses the importance of reforms in the field of gender equality, women’s protection representation and equal treatment at all levels of political, economic and societal life, as well as non- discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, which would be of great benefit to the democratic development of Armenia and help advance human rights protection;
Amendment 240 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16d. Calls on the Armenian government to ratify the Istanbul Convention and to adopt and implement policies to combat domestic and gender- based violence;
Amendment 244 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes the potential of the Economic and Investment Plan to help Armenia build a sustainable, dynamic and resilient economy; welcomes Armenia’s progress in the implementation of flagship initiatives;
Amendment 245 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Calls on Armenia to further enhance its engagement in the fight against climate change and the protection of the environment; encourages Armenia to increase its emissions reduction targets under its NDC in order to mirror its commitment and good track record in cutting emissions;
Amendment 246 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Calls on the Armenian authorities to undertake crucial steps to accelerate the development of renewables, increase energy efficiency and reduce the energy dependence on nuclear energy and fossil fuel imports, coming in particular from Russia;
Amendment 256 #
2021/2230(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Reiterates its concerns regarding the ongoing operation of the outdated Metsamor nuclear power plant; calls for the swift adoption of a road map or action plan for the closure and safe decommissioning of the plant; urges to refrain from developing an additional nuclear unit in seismologically and militarily volatile region;
Amendment 56 #
2021/2209(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Emphasises the important role of physical education in schools, as physical activity and healthy lifestyles are key factors in improving learners' health; calls therefore on the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to support national authorities in ensuring sufficient and safe sports facilities in schools and the training of qualified sports teachers;
Amendment 2 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. GPostpones its decision on grantsing the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 9 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 8
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. ApprovPostpones the closure of the accounts of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2020;
Amendment 15 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates its deep concerns regarding the situation concerning the rule of law in a number of Member States, which is deeply worrying in its own right and may ultimately leads to serious losses for the Union budget and underlines its requests to the Commission to use all available tools to limit the risk of such losses. This should include the immediate and full application; regards Commission’s decision to refrain from triggering Article 6(1) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget, despite conditions to do so have been fulfilled, as financially irresponsible and politically opportune; notes in this regard the latest rulings by the Court of Justice in cases C- 156/21 and C-157/21 which confirmed full validity of this Regulation;
Amendment 18 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Stresses that in its resolution on the Commission’s 2020 Rule of Law Report the Parliament already called on the Commission to take immediate action under the Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget(Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation) and to make full use of its existing investigation tools without further delay in order to address rule of law deficiencies in Member States that affect or seriously risk affecting the sound financial management of the Union budget; notes with deep concern that despite the recent ruling of the Court of Justice which confirmed the full validity of Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation, and numerous calls of the Parliament, the Commission did not yet apply the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation; stresses that not applying this conditionality mechanism goes against the letter and spirit of the Regulation upon which the Commission is bound to act; is of the opinion that the by not implementing the Rule of Law conditionality mechanism the Commission fails to perform its duty as Guardian of the Treaties which constitutes a basis strong enough to postpone the Commission’s discharge;
Amendment 20 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Urges the Commission to promptly use the means at its disposal, such as the use of suspension instruments; in this regard points to the fact that the Commission never applied Common Provisions Regulation’s provision to suspend funds in case of serious deficiencies in the functioning of control and management system in Hungary or Czech Republic where confirmed serious deficiencies in management and control systems exist, still, the Commission only threatened to interrupt payments;
Amendment 21 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Underlines that the fact that the Commission, after repeated demands from the Parliament to do so, still cannot present a list of the biggest recipients of Union funds under shared management, presents a major obstacle to both the assessment of EU expenditure related risks as well as the overall transparency of its spending; finds the answers and explanations on this issue offered to the Parliament by the Commission as inadequate and the Commission’s efforts to establish such a database inefficient and un-successful;
Amendment 22 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3 c. Regards the long lasting dispute on the Conflict of Interests between the Commission and Czech ex -Prime Minister Babis as in-efficient and unduly long; reiterates that no decisive action on Prime Minister Babis’ conflict of interest was taken and that the fact that in the end, the elections ended the his conflict of interests, doesn’t shy a positive picture on the Commission; points to the fact that Prime Minister Babis has meanwhile negotiated the MFF and Recovery Fund on behalf of the Czech Republic;
Amendment 23 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is concernedStresses the serious risk that the amount of outstanding commitments (RAL) continued to rise at the end of 2020 reached a new record high of EUR 303,2 billion; acknowledges that a certain level of outstanding commitments is a natural consequence of the Union budget system with commitment appropriations and payment appropriations but underlines that an amount of outstanding commitments, which equals two full years of payment appropriations may constitute a risk for the smooth operation of the budget in the future; regards the regular annual increase of outstanding commitments, in the light of upcoming NextGenerationEU instrument and much increased EU spending a matter of priority for the Commission to prepare a detailed plan of actions on bringing the amount of outstanding commitments down; calls on the Commission to present such a plan to the Discharge authority;
Amendment 26 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Regrets that despite the gained experience from the previous MFF and the help and cooperation provided by the Commission through the technical assistance the cumulative absorption rate from the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) at the end of 2020 continues to be approximately 7 % lower than under the previous 2007-2013 MFF; encourages the Commission to intensifycontinue its work with Members States including through technical assistance in order to increase the ability of Member States to make use of the funds allocated to them and to intensify the effort to increase the absorption rate of ESIF from both the 2013-2020 MFF and the new 2021-2027 MFF in order to avoid a further increase of total outstanding commitments, without compromising the quality of projects and the efforts made to avoid misuse and fraud of Union funds; asks the Commission to relaunch the taskforce for better implementation (TFBI) to increase the absorption rate and to develop best practices among the Member States;
Amendment 31 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the need to enlarge the areas where the Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES) is used beyond direct management and encouragerequests the Commission to use it for all Union funds including funds under shared management: notes that, the EDES has to be used systematically to ensure that companies and beneficial owners who have been convicted in relation to fraud, corruption or other serious economic criminal activities cannot benefit from Union funds;
Amendment 37 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Notes that both 2019 and 2020 Court annual reports attest “pervasive error in expenditure” and gives an adverse opinion on the legality and regularity of expenditure; recalls the repeated finding by the Court that control mechanisms of the Commission and Member States are simply not reliable enough;
Amendment 41 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. AskRequests the Commission to modify the spending rule N+3 years to the previous rule N+2 years in order to increase the budget execution and reduce the outstanding commitments;
Amendment 46 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Reiterates the need to simplify rules and proceduresbetter balance the simplification of rules and procedures with increased controls over the most repeated areas of irregular spending, develop compulsory training sessions and practical information for applicants, in particular new applicants, and improve the assistance and guidelines for SMEs, spin-offs, start-ups, administration and payment agencies and all others relevant stakeholders;
Amendment 53 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission to continue promoting gender balance and a gender budgeting approach in the allocated fundsall areas of EU spending; calls on the Commission to urgently develop a gender mainstreaming methodology in close cooperation with the Parliament in order to integrate a gender equality perspective in all policy areas;
Amendment 55 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Reiterates the need to step up the efforts in the fight against fraud both at Union and Member State level, in close cooperation with the EPPO and OLAF; appreciates the remarkable efforts and stresses the role of the EPPO in the investigation and prosecution of fraud and other criminal offences affecting the financial interests of the Union; recalls the importance of providing EPPO and OLAF with sufficient financial and human resources;
Amendment 59 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Regrets that the Court for the year 2020 has again issued an adverse opinion on the legality and regularity of the expenditure side of the budget and at the same time acknowledgstresses that the level of error has remained stable at 2,7 % in 2020, which is the same as for the year 2019, in Court’s own words represents the minimal level of error due to the fact that the Court was not able to perform any on-the-spot checks due to the COVID-19 restrictions;
Amendment 61 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Notes that the Court audited 728 transactions in order to establish the estimated level of error, which was found to be 4,0 %with concern that based on audited 728 transactions checked by the Court, estimated level of error for high-risk expenditure, which is continues to be well above the materiality threshold, at 4,0 % while the estimated level of error is below the materiality threshold for low-risk expenditure;
Amendment 63 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Notes with growing concern that the Union balance sheet shows that the total liabilities at the end of 2020 were EUR 313.5 billion, an increase of EUR 62,0 billion or 24,7% compared to the previous year (EUR 251.5 billion);
Amendment 64 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Notes that the annual absorption rate for EFSI funds in 2020 was 15 %, which is the same as the final year of the previous 2007-2013 MFF but that the cumulative absorption rate is still only 55 %, which is 7 % lower than at the end of 2013with a concern that there seems to be little progress in the cumulative absorption rate for EFSI funds, which is still only 55 % (7 % lower than at the end of the last year of the previous MFF), although the annual absorption rate in2020 was the same as the final year of the previous 2007-2013 MFF (15 %). Notes that this implies that 45 % of the total commitments under the EFSI funds for the period 2014-2020 equal to EUR 209 billion has still not been paid out and constitutes the main part of the total outstanding commitments (RAL) of EUR 303 billion;
Amendment 70 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28 a. Regrets with great concern that relaxation of applicable rules both at the EU and national level, especially in the field of public procurement led to numerous non-transparent procedures and that the controls over the legality of public spending, while at the moment of urgency often dismissed or carried out under severe limitations, were not sufficiently carried out at later stage as ex-post controls and audits;
Amendment 72 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Regrets that the COVID-19 pandemic made it much more difficult to carry out on-the-spot checks and audits, which implies that the estimated error rates for 2020 should be considered as minimum rates; underlines the need for more in- person audit visits in the coming period to ensure sound audit management;
Amendment 78 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33 a. Requests the Commission to identify additional possibilities to further strengthen the absorption capacities of the Member States by investing in the administrative capacities, trainings and digitalisation of fund management;
Amendment 83 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 – point a
Paragraph 34 – point a
a. ensure the protection of the Union budget by making general and systematic use of digital and automatisedinteroperable systems for reporting, monitoring and audit;
Amendment 84 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 34 – point a a (new)
a a. carry out a series of ex-post on- the-spot checks and controls of national public procurements using EU funds and take note of the already carried out audits or media reports, pointing to a considerable risks to legality of these procedures;
Amendment 91 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 – point g
Paragraph 34 – point g
g. increase the administrative capacity of the Commission in relation to the and propose adequate budget lines for the Court, EPPO and OLAF in relation to the new upcoming tasks related to the NextGenerationEU instrument in order to protect Union finances;
Amendment 96 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Underlines that auditing the performance of the Union budget is equally as important as compliance auditing in order to get a comprehensive view of the legality of spending as well as the effectiveness, efficiency and economy of the spending; points to the numerous recommendations issued by the Court as well as the Discharge authority that the Commission should pay much more attention to assessing the results, outcomes and impacts of its policies and programs (effectiveness) and don’t stop at presenting sheer numbers of funds spend or people involved in individual programs (efficiency);
Amendment 107 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Notes with great concern that the Court found that in 2020, the Commission closed its verification cycle in respect of GNI data for own resources from the year 2010, a 10 year gap; highlights that as a result of the verification cycle closure, the Commission set a large number of GNI reservations in respect of specific compilation procedures in the Member States that called for improvement; remarks that this significantly increases budgetary uncertainty in the national budgets in relation to the GNI-based contribution; is concerned by the Court finding that the impact of globalisation on GNI is not properly addressed and the EU revenue could be affected as a result;
Amendment 144 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 65
Paragraph 65
65. Expresses its strong concern that the number and impact of the errors detected demonstrate that the controls in place do not yet sufficiently mitigate the high inherent risk of error in this area; is concerned that this concerns, in particular, managing authorities whose verifications are ineffective in preventing or detecting irregularities in expenditure declared by beneficiaries; notes with concern that the Court also considers that other errors are the result of decisions taken by managing authorities themselves;
Amendment 170 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 – point c
Paragraph 78 – point c
c. make the use of IT tools such as EDES or Arachne systematic and mandatory for all Union funds including shared management and ensure better use of new technology in order to increase controls and protect the Union budget against fraud and misuses of funds;
Amendment 175 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 – point j a (new)
Paragraph 78 – point j a (new)
j a. start presenting Key Performance Indicators (KPI) in its’ AARs based on the Social Progress Index (SPI), as the return of Cohesion funds has to be measured through social and environmental outcomes and not purely economic ones;
Amendment 182 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 78 – point m a (new)
Paragraph 78 – point m a (new)
m a. continue its work on the Decent Work Worldwide strategy for a global just transition and sustainable recovery, making Europe a responsible global player in post-pandemic period;
Amendment 189 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83
Paragraph 83
83. Acknowledges that DG AGRI has calculated the risk at payment to be around 1,9% for CAP spending as a whole in 2020; notes with concern that the Court estimates the level of error at 2%, which represents an increase of 0,1% compared to 2019; regrets that the level of error in spending on ‘Natural resources’ is close to materiality;
Amendment 190 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 84 a (new)
Paragraph 84 a (new)
84 a. Strongly regrets the fact that the Commission’s failure to gather reliable data on final CAP funds beneficiaries leaves many unresolved cases for recovery of funds by Member States; notes with concern that the use of reporting and monitoring tools, such as ARACHNE, is only being used optionally;
Amendment 225 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 106
Paragraph 106
106. Notes with great concern that most indicators are either not on track or their progress is unclear; underlines that the sector approach was a strategic choice in order to improve IPA II’s performance; regrets that it could not be applied consistently; regrets that indirect management by beneficiary countries sometimes had an adverse effect on operational efficiency;
Amendment 241 #
2021/2106(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 108 – point k a (new)
Paragraph 108 – point k a (new)
k a. ensure that the new Rule of Law Conditionality is strictly applied to the new IPA III funds and Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, as an indispensable part for distribution of funds in the 2021-2027 period;
Amendment 1 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
— having regard to the Commission communication of 3 March 2021 entitled “Union of Equality: Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021 - 2030”;
Amendment 3 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
— having regard to the conclusions of the Council and of the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council on Access to sport for persons with disabilities (2019/C 192/06);
Amendment 8 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas COVID-19 has had an adverse economic and social impact on the sport sector;
Amendment 14 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas sport faces a range of challenges such as governance issues, corruption, match-fixing, doping, financing, digital piracy, purely profit- based models, human rights violations, discrimination and violence; environmental impact and sustainability;
Amendment 28 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Insists on the increased involvement of Parliament in order to provide a framework for regular political debate and action on sport; and in the monitoring and parliamentary scrutiny with regard to the implementation of the strategic goals;
Amendment 36 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for a European sports model that recognises the need for a strong commitment to integrating the principles of solidarity, sustainability, inclusiveness, open competition and sporting merit; stresses that such principles should be encouraged by sport events’ organisers, stakeholders in the sport sector, broadcasters, online intermediaries and national authorities;
Amendment 42 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recognises the role of federations in governing their sport and encourages closer coordination with authorities and all relevant stakeholders; stresses the need for the Commission to address issues relating to the organisation of sport and its governing structures in the EU;
Amendment 52 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Urges public authorities, sports federations and organisations to uphold values such asincluding human rights, democracy and, the rule of law and sustainability in all of their actions, especially when awarding host status for major sporting events;
Amendment 60 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Notes that governance structures of sports associations and the mere focus on profit maximisation in professional sport have contributed to the erosion of its role model effect and consequently hollowing out of the ideals of sport;
Amendment 62 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Calls on the Commission to support measures to restore the credibility and integrity of professional sport and to develop recommendations for guidelines for good governance;
Amendment 72 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes reforms and measures to improve transparency and accountability in the player transfer market across sports and urges further efforts; calls for a stronger commitment in promoting financial regulations for sport stakeholders in that regard;
Amendment 81 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Highlights the need for information and educational campaigns on the prevention of doping, match-fixing, corruption, sexual abuse and other integrity-related matters with a focus on amateur sport;
Amendment 84 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Highlights that in order to achieve a healthier society and upgrade physical inactivity rates in Europe, sports stakeholders, municipalities, and the sports community need to cooperate towards a more sustainable and inclusive sports sector;
Amendment 109 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Calls on the Member States to step up efforts towards the inclusion in sports activities and programmes of persons with disabilities; including through educational and awareness campaigns, specialised training for relevant actors; specific action towards ensuring the access of persons with disabilities to sports infrastructure, including attendance at sports events, training or participation in sports;
Amendment 116 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls for the EU institutions, the Member States and sports organisations to prioritise policies that safeguard children from any form of abuse and provide access to remedies; calls on the Commission to systematically compile and evaluate empirical data and research results available in the Member States;
Amendment 122 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls on the Member States and public authorities to develop sports infrastructure and to increase the amount of physical education and extracurricular physical activities in schools; and to integrate sport in an overall approach of Active cities, promoting physical activity in every-day life of European citizens by increasing the amount of physical education and extracurricular physical activities in schools and by developing active and sustainable mobility to increase active means of transportation; and by promoting sport and physical activity in the workplace;
Amendment 131 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Welcomes initiatives and campaigns to encourage physical activity such as the European Week of Sport, #BeActive and HealthyLifestyle4All; underlines the importance of regular and thorough assessments of their outreach, efficiency and impact;
Amendment 136 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Highlights the role of teachers, youth workers, coaches and sport staff in developing the skills of and in educating young people;
Amendment 152 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Stresses the need to further increase funding for sport; in a targeted manner with a particular focus on grassroots sports and in line with the implementation of the strategic goals of the EU;
Amendment 166 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Welcomes the higher budget for sport under the new Erasmus+ programme and supports further synergies between programmes and funds such as the EU4Health programme, the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund, INTERREG and the European Social Fund Plus; underlines that the removal of all obstacles in the application process at national level are key in this regard;
Amendment 176 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Calls on the Commission to develop a methodology for defining the criteria for measuring and monitoring the social impact of sports-related projects together with all relevant stakeholders including civil society, social partners and public authorities and to regularly update and present data on the social impact of sport;
Amendment 184 #
2021/2058(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 a (new)
Paragraph 41 a (new)
41a. Highlights the necessity of the inclusion of sport and physical activity within the New European Bauhaus; Acknowledges the potential for the development of active spaces and the promotion of sustainable sports infrastructure within the initiative; Calls for the Commission to ensure that projects involving sport and promoting physical activity, especially in public space are prioritised within the initiative;
Amendment 1 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
— having regard to the activities of the Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism (MONEYVAL) and the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF),
Amendment 4 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
— having regard to the Berlin Process and the 2018 anti-corruption pledges made by the Western Balkan countries,
Amendment 10 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas corruption and organised crime remain a serious concern across the Western Balkan region; whereas organised crime networks are closely interlinked and rooted in EU member states and non-EU member states;
Amendment 12 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas organised crime in the Western Balkans is a structural problem with deeply rooted links to business and state institutions, as one of the symptoms of state capture, which reforms relating to the EU integration process aim to overcome;
Amendment 13 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas organised crime and corruption go hand in hand with money- laundering activities, tax evasion, clientelism as well as impunity;
Amendment 14 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas organised criminal groups collaborate well across borders and ethnic lines, in comparison to the police and judicial authorities of the Western Balkan countries, which lackurgently need to improve such coordination;
Amendment 16 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas harmonised legal frameworks, their effective implementation, and independent anti- corruption and counter-crime bodies, as well as a genuine political will are key to the eradication of organised crime;
Amendment 17 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas civil society organisations have established themselves as important stakeholders in the fight against organised crime and corruption across the region, since they play a crucial role in particular in monitoring the situation and evaluating anticorruption policies;
Amendment 19 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas more research and more reliable data on organised crime is needed to better design effective policy responses to organised crime and corruption in the region;
Amendment 20 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
Ec. whereas education plays a key role in preventing crime and promoting a culture of lawfulness;
Amendment 23 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the threat posed by criminals originating from the Western Balkans has been wrongfully used as an argument against EU accession in some countries;
Amendment 39 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that depriving countries of the Western Balkans of a European perspective is worsening rather than improving the situation as regards organised crime, and underlines that only by fostering the EU integration process can it be improved;
Amendment 43 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. NoteRegrets that the rule of law and the fight against corruption and organised crime are areas in which the authorities in the Western Balkan countries need to show more progreshave failed to meaningfully progress; urges them to significantly step up their efforts and prove their political will to advance the necessary reforms on their EU path; calls for the EU to promote, as a priority of enlargement policy, the correct transposition of relevant international instruments targeting corruption and organised crime;
Amendment 55 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Regrets the lack of genuine political will of parts of the local political elites to fight organised crime, corruption and eliminating any elements of state capture;
Amendment 57 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Deplores the lack of independence of the judiciary in the Western Balkan countries and urges that a more strategic approach be adopted in addressing challenges posed by organised crime; calls for the EU to provide further assistance in order to stimulate a culture of criminal justice professionalism and performance and to improve the integrity of the judiciary;
Amendment 61 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the transposition into national laws by the Western Balkan countries of EU and international standards on asset recovery; regrets, however, that implementation remains low and urges Western Balkan authorities to establish a solid track record in recovering such assets to the benefit of all their citizens; urges the jurisdictions in the region to establish the confiscation of proceeds and instrumentalities of crime as a priority in the fight against corruption and organised crime; calls in this context for sufficient resources, highlighting in particular the need to increase expertise in financial forensics in public prosecutor’s offices;
Amendment 64 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Western Balkan countries to target criminal organisations rather than individual cases, while establishing a decent track record in prosecuting and convicting high-profile criminals; underlines the importance of cooperating witnesses turning state’s evidence for defeating organised crime networks; urges the relevant authorities to strengthen the protection of informants and whistleblowers, including their close relatives, to increase the capacity to dismantle organised criminal groups; encourages an exchange of best practices with EU member states, who have been successful in the fight against organised crime; invites countries in the Western Balkans to adopt similar legislation following the example of the Italian “pentito” legislation, which successfully led to the defeat of several organised crime groups; calls on EU Member States to support witness protection schemes, including through relocation;
Amendment 72 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Is highly alerted by reports about high-level government officials and politicians being deeply involved in organised crime structures;
Amendment 74 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Reminds 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 84 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. 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 in Bulgaria and former Albanian Prime Minister Berisha; calls on the EU to thoroughly assess a possible alignment to such actions;
Amendment 86 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that the Western Balkan countries are both an origin of and a destination for trafficking in human beings; calls on the relevant authorities to place more focus on prevention and strengthening the resilience of groups that are vulnerable to the risks of trafficking in human beings, while underlining the need for an intersectional gender-sensitive approach; welcomes joint actions carried out with international partners, including Interpol and Europol, which have led to the arrests of suspected traffickers and migrantpeople smugglers;
Amendment 89 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that the Western Balkan countries serve as a transit corridor for migrants and refugees and that the large population movements in recent years have posed an enormous challenge to the region in fighting the smuggling of migrantpeople, as well as in protecting fundamental rights of the smuggled persons, in particular of unaccompanied minors; calls for greater exchange of information and enhanced coordination between countries of the Western Balkans, and encourages the EU and its Member States to provide more assistance in addressing these issues through, inter alia, the Joint Operational Office and the Operational Platform – Eastern Mediterranean Route, as well as through assistance in establishing dignified reception conditions, including special safeguards for unaccompanied minors, offering safe and orderly pathways, with the view to significantly strengthening capacity for processing asylum claims and improving cooperation with the EU on among others resettlement and access to asylum;
Amendment 97 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines that tackling criminal finances is crucial to uncover criminal activities and prevent infiltration into the legal economy; highlights that beneficial ownership transparency has emerged as an important policy tool for combating corruption, stemming illicit financial flows, as well as fighting tax evasion; welcomes the efforts of the governments of the Western Balkan countries to address money laundering, including through the adoption of revised anti-money laundering frameworks; reiterates, however, that adequate implementation is still lacking and enforcing due diligence provisions, as well as beneficial ownership transparency need to be significantly improved, including in the banking sector;
Amendment 119 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the increased cooperation between the EU and the Western Balkan countries in the fight against organised crime and encourages the EU to further support capacity building in the Western Balkans and the facilitation of police and judicial cooperation in countering organised crime; stresses that any cooperation agreement between EU agencies/ structures and third countries must be in full respect for fundamental rights and an adequate level of data protection ensured, as pre-condition for a successful police and judicial cooperation;
Amendment 132 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Underlines that Interpol is an important instrument in the fight against organised crime; regrets that Kosovo is not yet a member of Interpol, despite its multiple attempts to become one; calls for Kosovo’s inclusion in Interpol and on EU Member States to proactively support Kosovo's bid to join this organisation;
Amendment 139 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Reiterates the need to increase the focus on prevention activities and education, as well as a proper understanding of citizenship, and to increase resilience, paying greater attention to socio-economic conditions, especially in suburban and rural areas, and providing support for local initiatives to reduce vulnerability to crime and corruption, while stressing the need for an intersectional gender sensitive approach;
Amendment 151 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 d (new)
Paragraph 22 d (new)
22d. Underlines the need for more in- depth interdisciplinary research into the topic of organised crime in the region, for a database assembling relevant and reliable data on organised crime and for an intersectional gender sensitive approach to better design evidence-based efficient policies to prevent and tackle organised crime and corruption;
Amendment 152 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Underlines the crucial role of civil society organisations (CSO) in monitoring the work of governments and assessing track records in fighting organised crime; notes that legal and institutional frameworks for CSO participation are largely in place in the Western Balkan countries but regrets that their potential is not being used to the full extent; calls for strengthening their inclusion in the legislative process, ensuring their meaningful contribution to key pieces of legislation, including free access to information, public procurement, protection of whistleblowers, declaration and confiscation of illegal assets; calls in this context on Western Balkan authorities to urgently develop and adopt improved laws on free access to information through inclusive processes, involving CSOs, journalists and external experts;
Amendment 161 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Commends the valuable work of investigative journalists reporting on high- profile cases and disclosing links between organised criminal groups, politicians and businesses; strongly condemns intimidation, hate speech and slandering campaigns against investigative journalists and civil society; calls on the authorities to ensure their protection, in particular when propagated by representatives of governments, ruling parties and government-controlled media; calls on the authorities to ensure their protection and to provide conditions conducive to the effective exercise of freedom of expression, which is one of the EU’s fundamental values; reiterates its call on the Commission and the EEAS to strengthen their cooperation with and support for civil society, NGOs and independent media on the ground, reform-oriented policy makers, academia and independent media on the ground, as well as to increase their support for them; encourages the Commission and the local EU Delegations to work together with local stakeholders to establish procedures for regular trial monitoring of corruption and organised- crime cases;
Amendment 167 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Deeply regrets the increasing number of SLAPP (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation) cases, which are often used by corporations and governments to threaten and sue journalists and individuals in order to silence them and to prevent them from exposing wrongdoings of those in power, thus making a public debate impossible;
Amendment 168 #
2021/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
22b. Calls on Western Balkan authorities to significantly increase their efforts and work towards transparency of media ownership, newsroom independence and safeguarding media freedom from political interference, as key elements of a free democratic society and essential for the success in the fight against organised crime and corruption;
Amendment 198 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 1
(1) In order to achieve the greatest possible impact of Union funding and the most effective contribution to the Union's policy objectives, Regulation [XXXX] of the European Parliament and of the Council10 (the ‘Horizon Europe Regulation’)] established the policy and legal framework for European partnerships with private and/or public sector partners. European partnerships are a key element of the policy approach of Horizon Europe. They are set up to deliver on Union commitments and priorities targeted by Horizon Europe and ensure clear impact for the EU and, its people and the environment, which can be achieved more effectively in partnership, through a strategic vision that is shared and committed to by partners, rather than by the Union alone. _________________ 10 OJ [….].
Amendment 199 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 2
(2) In particular, European partnerships in the “Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness” pillar of Horizon Europe play an important role in achieving the strategic objectives such as accelerating the transitions towardsachievement of the UN sustainable development goals, the Union’s commitment under the Paris Agreement and a green and digital Europe and should contribute to a socially, economically and environmentally resilient recovery from the unprecedented COVID- related crisis. European partnerships address complex cross-border challenges that require an integrated approach. They make it possible to address the transformational, systemic and market failures described in the impact assessments accompanying this Regulation by bringing together a broad range of players across the value chains and ecosystems to work towards a common vision and translating it into concrete roadmaps and coordinated implementation of activities. Furthermore, they allow concentrating efforts and resources on common priorities to solve the complex challenges to the benefit of society.
Amendment 203 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 3
(3) To deliver on priorities and impact, European partnerships should be developed through a broad involvement of relevant stakeholders across Europe including industry, universities, research organisations, bodies with a public service mission at local, regional, national or international level, and civil society organisations such as, including foundations and NGOs that support and/or carry out research and innovation. They should also be one of the measures to strengthen cooperation between private and/or public sector partners at the international level including by joining up research and innovation programmes and cross-border investment in research and innovation bringing mutual benefits to people and businesses while ensuring that the Union can uphold its interests in strategic areas.
Amendment 207 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 7
(7) Where relevant, pPartnerships should consider Technical Screening Criteria as of Art. 3 and the “Do No Significant Harm” principle as of Art. 17 of the Regulation (EU) 2020/852 as an instrument to improve their projects readiness and access to green financing that will be crucial for market uptake and wider deployment of the innovative technologies and solutions they will deliver. Scientific evidence is at the core of the Technical Screening Criteria. Research and innovation, pursued by Partnerships, should play an important role to help economic operators reach or go beyond the standards and thresholds set up in the Regulation and to keep the Technical Screening Criteria up-to-date and consistent with the European Green Deal objectives.
Amendment 208 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 7 a (new)
(7 a) The joint undertakings should ensure the effective promotion of equal opportunities for all and the implementation of gender mainstreaming, including the integration of the gender dimension in R&I content. It should aim to address the causes of gender imbalance. Particular attention should be paid to ensuring, to the extent possible, gender balance in all bodies of the joint undertakings as well as evaluation panels and in other relevant advisory bodies, such as expert groups.
Amendment 209 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 10
(10) The research and innovation activities undertaken by the joint undertakings should be funded from Horizon Europe and should contribute to the latter's climate mainstreaming target of at least 35%. To achieve maximum impact, the joint undertakings should develop close synergies with other Union programmes and funding instruments, particularly with those supporting the deployment of innovative solutions, education and regional development, and in order to respond to global challenges and increase economic and social cohesion and, reduce imbalances and environmental impacts.
Amendment 211 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 11
(11) The new policy approach for European Partnerships, and in particular institutionalised European partnerships, calls for a novel way of establishing the legal framework under which they would operate. While the setting up of joint undertakings on the basis of Article 187 TFEU for the purpose of Horizon 2020 has proven to be effective as far as the implementation is concerned, it is necessary to step it up. Therefore, this Regulation aims at increasing the coherence, efficiency, effectiveness and, impact-orientation and societal added value of implementation through translating the Horizon Europe provisions, and the experience gained from programme implementation under Horizon 2020 into common provisions across the joint undertakings in a harmonised way. It aims at facilitating the creation of collaboration and synergies between European partnerships, thereby making full use of their interconnections at the organisational level. Joint undertakings should seek opportunities to involve representatives of other European partnerships in discussions during the drafting of their work programmes, identify the areas in which complementary or joint activities would address the challenges more effectively and efficiently, avoid overlaps, align timing of their activities and ensure access to results and other relevant means of knowledge exchange.
Amendment 216 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 14
(14) Horizon Europe introduces a more strategic, coherent and impact-driven approach to European partnerships, building on the lessons learned from the Horizon 2020 interim evaluation. In line with the new ambition, this Regulation aims at a more effective use of institutionalised European partnerships notably by focusing on clear objectives, outcomes and impact that can be achieved by 2030, and by ensuring a clear contribution to the related Union policy priorities and policies. Close collaboration and synergies with other relevant initiatives at Union, national and regional level, in particular with other European partnerships, are key in achieving greater scientific, socio-economic and environmental impact and ensuring take up of results. In assessing the overall impact, broader investments beyond the contributions from partners and triggered by the joint undertakings that contribute to achieving their objectives should be taken into account.
Amendment 218 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 15
(15) This Regulation is based on the principles and criteria set out in the Horizon Europe Regulation, including openness and transparency, a strong leverage effect and long-term commitments of all the involved parties. One of the objectives of this Regulation is to ensure the openness of the initiatives to a broad range of entities, including newcomers. The partnerships should be open to any entity that is willing and capable to work towards the common goal, and promote broad and active participation of stakeholders in their activities, membership and governance, and to ensure that the results would be for the benefit of all Europeans and contribute to global sustainable development, notably through a broad dissemination of results and pre- deployment activities across the Union.
Amendment 224 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 18
(18) In line with the ambitions set out in the Horizon Europe Regulation, one of the preconditions of setting up institutionalised partnerships is ensuring partner’s contributions throughout the lifetime of the initiatives. In this context, private partners should deliver a significant part of their contributions in the form of in- cash and in- kind contributions to operational costs of the joint undertaking. JIn the case of in- kind contributions, joint undertakings should be able to seek measures to facilitate these contributions through their work programmes, notably by reducing funding rates. These measures should be based on the specific needs of a joint undertaking and the underlying activities. In justified cases, it should be possible to introduce additional conditions that require the participation of a member of the joint undertaking or their constituent or affiliated entities, targeting activities where the industrial partners of the joint undertaking can play a key role, such as large-scale demonstrations and flagship projects, and contribute more via lower funding rates. The level of participation of members should be monitored by the executive director in order to empower the governing board to take appropriate actions, ensuring a balance between commitment from partners and openness. In duly justified cases, the capital expenditure for, e.g., large scale demonstrators or flagship projects, may be considered as an eligible cost in line with the applicable legal framework.
Amendment 226 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 19
(19) In line with the principle of fair sharing of contributions among the members of joint undertakings, financial contributions to the administrative costs of the joint undertakings should be divided equally between the Union and the members other than the Union. Deviations from that principle should only be considered in exceptional and duly justified cases such as where the size or the membership structure of a member of the joint undertaking other than the Union would result in contributions per constituent or affiliated entity, in particular small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), research organisations or universities, of such a high level that they would seriously jeopardise the incentive to become or remain a constituent or affiliated entity of the member of the joint undertaking. In such cases, the minimum percentage of annual financial contribution to the administrative costs of the joint undertaking from members other than the Union should be 20% of the total annual administrative costs and the contributions from SMEs, research organisations and universities should be significantly lower than those from larger constituent or affiliated entities. Once a critical mass of membership that allows for a contribution higher than 20% of the total annual administrative costs is reached, annual contributions per constituent or affiliated entity should be maintained or increased with the aim to gradually increase the share of the members other than Union in the overall contribution to the annual administrative costs of the joint undertaking. The members of the joint undertaking other than the Union should endeavour to increase the number of constituent or affiliated entities in order to maximise the contribution to 50% of the administrative costs of the joint undertaking over its lifetime.
Amendment 227 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 20
(20) The Horizon Europe Regulation requires the partners to show their long term commitment, including a minimum share of public and/or private investments. Consequently, it is necessary for the Union to identify in this Regulation founding members established in member states, countries associated to the Horizon Europe Programme or international organisations. However, where necessary, it should be possible to expand the membership base of joint undertakings after they are established with associated members selected following regular open and transparent procedures, taking into account in particularcalls for interests and subsequent selection procedures, taking into account the opinion of the scientific advisory body as well as the new technological developments and innovative approaches or the association of additional countries to the Horizon Europe Programme. Legal entities interested in supporting the joint undertakings’ objectives in their specific areas of research, without becoming a member, should also be offered the possibility to become contributing partners of these joint undertakings.
Amendment 229 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 21
(21) The establishment of a joint undertaking ensures a mutually beneficial public-private partnership for the members involved, including by promoting certainty on major budget allocations for the relevant industries over a period of seven years. Becoming a founding member or associated member, or one of their constituent or affiliated entities, allows gaining influence, either directly or through the industry representatives, in the governing board of the joint undertakingproviding political signalling, enhanced planning and investor certainty over a period of seven years. The governing board is the decision- making body of the joint undertaking that decides on the long-term strategic orientation of the partnership, as well as its annual priorities based on input of all partners, including the private sector, the scientific community, member states representatives and non-profit civil society organisations active in the field of the respective joint undertaking. Founding members and associated members and if applicable representing their constituent entities, should therefore be able to contribute to together with all other relevant stakeholders should therefore be consulted on the joint undertaking's agenda and priority setting through the adoption and possible amendmentrevision of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, as well as the adoption of the annual work programme, including the content of the calls for proposals, the applicable funding rate per call topic, and the related rules for submission, evaluation, selection, award and review procedures. The actual drafting of Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda and the annual work programmes should be led by the Commission, the Scientific Committee, and the Member States Group ensuring the joint undertakings priorities’ alignment with public interest and societal added value.
Amendment 232 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 22
(22) It is appropriate that the members other than the Union commit to the implementation of this Regulation by means of a letter of commitment. Those letters of commitment should be published in a timely manner on the website of the respective joint undertaking and be legally valid throughout the lifetime of the initiative and closely monitored by the joint undertaking and the Commission. Joint undertakings should create a legal and organisational environment that enables members to deliver on their commitments while ensuring continuous openness of the initiative and, transparency and the non-existence of conflict of interest during their implementation, notably for priority setting and for participation in calls for proposals.
Amendment 236 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 23
(23) Further simplification is a cornerstone of the Horizon Europe Framework Programme. In that context, there should be a simplified reporting mechanism for partners, who are no longer required to report on non-eligible costs. In- kind contributions to operational activities should be accounted solely on the basis of eligible costs. That allows for the automated calculation of in-kind contributions to operational activities via the Horizon Europe IT tools, lowers the administrative burden for partners and makes the reporting mechanism for contributions more effective. In-kind contributions to operational activities should be closely monitored by the joint undertakings and regular reports that should be made publicly in a timely manner on the website of the respective joint undertaking should be prepared by the executive director of the governing board based on regular assessments by independent external experts in order to establish whether the progress towards reaching the in-kind contributions targets is satisfactory enough. The governing board should assess both the efforts made and the results achieved by the members contributing to operational activities, as well as other factors, such as the level of participation of SMEs and attractiveness of the initiative to newcomers. When necessary, it should take appropriate remedial and corrective measures taking into account the principles of openness and transparency.
Amendment 238 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 24
(24) The joint undertakings should provide a systematic opportunity and incentive for members other than the Union to combine their research and innovation activities with those of the joint undertaking. Additional activities should not receive financial support from the joint undertaking. However, they can be accountquantified as members’ in-kind contributions when contributing to the objectives of the joint undertaking and directly linked to its activities. That link can be established through the uptake of results from indirect actions funded by the joint undertaking or its preceding initiatives, or by demonstrating a significant Union added-value. This Regulation should lay down more specific provisions concern quantifying and identifying the scope of additional activities in the most transparent way for each joint undertaking, to the extent that it is necessary to achieve the desired directionality and impact. It should be further decided by joint undertakings’ governing boards whether, for valuquantifying the contributions, the use of simplifying methods such as lump-sums or unit costs is necessary to achieve simplification, cost effectiveness and appropriate level of protection of confidential commercial data.
Amendment 239 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 24 a (new)
(24 a) In order to support young researchers’ careers and foster excellence in research and innovation, the joint undertaking should ensure provide up to date information and regular open calls tailored to PhD and postdoc students in the remit of the respective joint undertaking fostering, where relevant, complementarities and synergies with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Programme;
Amendment 242 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 25
(25) The governance of joint undertakings should ensure that their decision-making processes are fit to keep pace with fast-changing socio-economic, socio-ecological and technological environment and global challenges. Joint undertakings should benefit from the expertise, advice and support from all relevant stakeholders, in order to effectively implement their tasks and ensure synergies at Union and nat, national and regional level. Therefore, joint undertakings should be empowered to set up advisory bodies with a view to providing them with expert advice and carrying out any other task of an advisory nature that is necessary for the achievement of the joint undertakings' objectives. In setting up the advisory bodies, joint undertakings should ensure a balanced representation of experts within the scope of the activities of the joint undertaking, including with respect to gender balance. The advice provided by these bodies should bring in scientific perspectives as well as those of national and regional authorities and of other stakeholders of joint undertakings including representatives from non-profit civil society and end-user organisations..
Amendment 245 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 26
(26) Joint undertakings should be able to set up an advisory body with a scientific advisory function. That body or its members should be in a position to provide independent scientific advice and support to the respective joint undertaking. The scientific advice should concern, in particular, annual work plans, additional activitieMembers of other governing bodies of the joint undertakings shall not be part of the scientific advisory body to ensure independence. The scientific advice should concern, in particular, the strategic research and innovation agenda, the annual work plans, additional activities anticipated long-term socio-economic, environmental and climate impacts, potential new members as well as any other aspect of the joint undertakings’ tasks, as necessary.
Amendment 247 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 28
(28) With the view to ensuring that joint undertakings are aware of the positions and views of stakeholders from the entire value chain in their respective fields, joint undertakings should be able to set up their respective advisory stakeholders groups, to be consulted on horizontal issues or specific questions, as per the needs of each joint undertaking. Such groups should be open to all public and private stakeholders, including organised interest groups, not-for profit civil society organisation, and international interest groups from member states, associated countries as well as from other countries, active in the field of the joint undertaking.
Amendment 253 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 29 a (new)
Amendment 254 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 29 b (new)
(29 b) The joint undertaking, its bodies and staff should avoid any conflict of interest in the implementation of their activities. The governing board shall adopt rules for the prevention, avoidance and management of conflicts of interest. Members of the Governing Board, of the Scientific Committee and the Executive Director shall make publicly available and keep updated a declaration of full professional activities, of financial interests and of conflict of interests.
Amendment 255 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 30
(30) The joint undertakings should be implemented using a structure and rules that enhance their impact, efficiency and ensure simplification. To that effect, the joint undertakings should adopt financial rules specific to its needs in accordance with Article 71 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council12 . _________________ 12Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 (OJ L 193, 30.7.2018, p. 1).
Amendment 261 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 33
(33) One of the main purposes of joint undertakings is to foster the Union’s economic capacities and in particular its scientific and technological sovereignty. Moreover, the post pandemic recovery highlights the need to invest in key technologies such as 5Gnew communication technologies, AI, cloud, cybersecurity and green tech and the valorisation of these technologies in the Union. Results generated by all participants will play an important role in this respect and all participants will benefit from the Union funding through the results generated in the project and access rights thereto, even those participants not having received Union funding. Therefore, to protect the Union interests, the right for joint undertakings to object to transfers of ownership of results or to grants of an exclusive licence regarding results should also apply to participants not having received Union funding. In exercising this right to object the joint undertaking should strike a fair balance between the Union interests and protection of fundamental rights on the results of the participants without funding in accordance with the principle of proportionality, taking into account that these participants did not receive any Union funding for the action from which the results were generated.
Amendment 263 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 39
(39) In the context of the European CommissUnion’s priority of “A European Green Deal”13 supported by the revised Union Bioeconomy Strategy14 , the EU Biodiversity Strategy15 , the Clean Planet for All Communication16 , the Circular Economy Action Plan17 and the new Farm to Fork communication18 , the European bio-based sector, including SMEs, regions and primary producers should become climate neutral, more circular and moreenvironmentally sustainable while remaining competitive on the global scale. A strong, circular and resource efficient and competitive bio-based innovation ecosystem that operates within planetary boundaries and protects biodiversity and the integrity of the remaining functioning ecosystems in Europe and abroad can decrease dependency on and accelerate competitiveness and the substitution of non-renewable fossil raw materials and mineral resources. It can develop renewable bio-based products, materials, processes and nutrients from waste and biomassresidues from biological origin through sustainability and circularity-driven innovation. To enable this, the guiding principle of a biomass hierarchy should be integrated across EU policies concerning biomass use and 'cascade utilization' of biomass should be supported: first directed to high-value applications such as biochemicals and biomaterials then lower value applications (biofuels, bioenergy). Such ecosystem can also create value from local feedstock – including waste, residuesbased on waste and residue-streams – to deliver jobs, economic growth and development throughout the Union not only in urban areas but also in rural and coastal territories where biomass is produced and that are often peripheral regions that rarely benefit from industrial development. _________________ 13 https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities- 2019-2024/european-green-deal_en 14 COM(2018)673 final 15 COM/2020/380 final 16https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52018 DC0773&from=EN 17 COM(2020)98 final 18 COM(2020)381 final
Amendment 268 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 40
(40) The Bio-Based Industry Joint Undertaking established under Horizon 2020 has focused on sustainable resource use, especially in resource-intensive and high-impact sectors, such as agriculture, textiles manufacturing and construction, in particular also aiming at local operators, manufacturers, plants and factories. Its interim evaluation published in October 2017 included a strong set of 34 recommendations that are reflected in the design of the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking established by this Regulation. The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking is not a direct continuation of the Bio-Based Industry Joint Undertaking but rather a programme that builds on the achievements of the predecessor and addresses its shortcomings. In line with the recommendations, the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking should cover the entire bio-based value chain and involve a wider range of stakeholders including the primary sector (across technologies, agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry) as well as, providers of waste, residues and residue streams, regional authorities and investors to prevent market failures and unsustainable bio-based processes. To deliver on its objectives, it should only fund projects that are respecting principles of circularity, sustainability and planetary boundaries. as well as representative of the non-profit and civil society sector. In particular it shall ensure openness to smaller actors, such as from the non-conventional agriculture sectors. To deliver on its objectives, it should only fund projects that are respecting principles of circularity, sustainability and planetary boundaries and that do not come at the expense of essential social and environmental demands, such as food production or the integrity of the remaining functioning ecosystems in Europe and in third countries, avoiding unsustainable land-use conversion or land-grabbing practices, while having a positive impact on biodiversity and ecosystems.
Amendment 269 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 41
(41) The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking should establish Deployment Groups that should serve as advisory bodies and should actively participate in the strategic discussions that are setting the agenda for the partnership. It is crucial to include those advisory bodies in the governance structure to ensure wider participation, including from the non- conventional agriculture sector, and non- profit sector civil society organisations, and higher private investment in the circular bio-based sector. The Deployment Groups should in particular provide support to the strategic Governing Board meetings where industrial leaders, scientists and the stakeholders’ representatives together with high-level Commission representatives join the permanent Governing Board to discuss and set the strategic direction and ensure the environmental and social sustainability of the partnership.
Amendment 271 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 42
(42) The main objective of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking should be to contribute to reducing the ecological footprint of aviation by accelerating the development of climate neutralalternative and more environmental friendly means of transport as well as zero emission aviation technologies for their earliest possible deployment, therefore significantly contributing to the ambitious environment impact mitigation goals of the European Green Deal, that is to say a 55%in particular the 55% greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, and climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest. This objective can only be achieved through accelerating and optimising the research and innovation processes in aeronautics and by improving the global competitiveness of the Union aviation industry. The Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking should also ensure that cleaner aviation remains safe, secure and efficient for the transportation of passengers and goods by air.
Amendment 273 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 43
(43) The Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking builds on the experience gained from the Clean Sky and Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertakings. The new partnership should be more ambitious by focusing on developing breakthrough demonstrators. In line with the findings of the interim evaluation of the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking, a new initiative should ensure that every demonstrator has a 'business case' basis in order for the zero-emission and silent technologies developed to really serve the "earliest possible deployment" which is a key priority. Therefore, the new initiative should focus on increasing the visibility of its individual exploitation objectives and strengthening the monitoring, management and reporting capabilities of the joint undertaking to reflect the complexity of the research and innovation effort required for the partnership to reach its objectives.
Amendment 274 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 44
(44) The Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking should build on a diverse membership base, bringing together a broad spectrum of stakeholders and ideas, including scientific experts and relevant civil society organisations in the fields of environment and climate. In view of identifying the most promising approaches and entities capable of pursuing them, the Commission launched a call for expression of ideas and potential members19 . The Governing Board should be allowed to select associated members based on the results of that call in order to provide for a swift expansion of the group of members. _________________ 19https://ec.europa.eu/info/news/new-call- ideas-clean-aviation-partnerships-2020- aug-26_en
Amendment 277 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 45
(45) In order to maximise and accelerate the impact of the research and innovation activities undertaken by the Clean Aviation and Single European Sky ATM Research 3 Joint Undertakings on effective emission reduction and the digitalisation of the aviation industry, they should seek close collaboration with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in the work of the partnership, ensuring an early exchange of knowledge on new zero- emission technologies developed. That will be crucial to accelerate market uptake, by facilitating the certification process of resulting products and services as required by Regulation (EU) 2018/118920 . _________________ 20 OJ L 212, 22.8.2018, p. 1.
Amendment 280 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 47
(47) Europe faces the challenge of having to play a leading role in internalising the societal costs of greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts in the air transport business model while continuing to ensure a ‘level playing field’ for European products and services in the global market. Therefore, the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking should support the European representatives in international standardisation and international legislative efforts.
Amendment 281 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 48
(48) Interest in Hydrogen has evolved dramatically in the last five years with all member states having signed and ratified the Conference of the Parties (COP21) Paris Agreement. At the end of 2019, the Commission presented the European Green Deal, which aims to transform the Union into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy, where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases in 2050. Priority areas include clean hydrogen, fuel cells, other alternative fuels and energy storage. Hydrogen is prominent in the July 2020 “Communications on a hydrogen strategy for a climate-neutral Europe and an EU Strategy for Energy System Integration” as well as for the launch of the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance that brings allhydrogen stakeholders together to identify technology needs, investment opportunities and regulatory barriers to build a clean hydrogen ecosystem in the Uniorenewable hydrogen ecosystem in the Union. Being only one-two investment cycles away from 2050, priority areas include fully renewable based hydrogen, fuel cells, other alternative fuels and energy storage. It is more critical than ever to avoid investments and policy decisions which may lock the EU into fossil dependence or that become stranded assets. With major global economies developing hydrogen strategies and committing to climate neutrality, the hydrogen electrolyser market is widely expected to expand in the coming years. EU companies are well-placed to gain competitiveness benefits from electrolyser market growth, due to a leading position along the whole value chain.
Amendment 285 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 49
(49) Dedicated research and innovation activities related to hydrogen applications have been supported since 2008, mainly through the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertakings (FCH Joint Undertaking and FCH 2 Joint Undertaking) under FP7 and Horizon 2020 as well as by traditional collaborative projects, covering all stages/fields of the hydrogen value chain. The CleanRenewable Hydrogen Joint Undertaking should strengthen and integrate Union scientific capacity to accelerate the development and improvement of advanced cleanrenewable hydrogen applications ready for market, across energy, transport, building and industrial end-used-uses where renewables-based electrification or no other cost-effective or technical alternative exists, such as steel production and the chemical industry, and long haul transport, especially maritime and air applications. This will only be possible if combined with strengthening competitiveness of the Union cleanrenewable hydrogen value chain, and notably SMEs.
Amendment 287 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 50
(50) To achieve the scientific objectives of the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, all sectors concerned by the hydrogen economy should be given the possibility to get involived in preparing and implementing itsput to Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda. The public sescientific community should help to determine renewable hydrogen applications and to identify research gaps, whereas public and non-profit civil society actors should also be involved, especially regional and national authorities, the latter being responsible for setting up climate and energy policies and measures related to market mechanisms, to fill in the gaps between ready-to-market technology development and large-scale uptake.
Amendment 289 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 51
(51) Since renewable hydrogen can be deployed as a fuel, energy carrier and for storing energy it is essential that the cleanrenewable hydrogen partnership establishes structured collaboration with many other Horizon Europe partnerships, notably for end-use. The clean hydrogen partnership should interact in particular with the zero emission road and waterborne transport, Europe’s railway, clean aviation, and processes for the planet and clean steel partnerships. For that purpose, a structure should be set up reporting to the Governing Board in order to ensure the co-operation and synergies between these partnerships in the domain of hydrogen. The clean hydrogen initiative would be the only partnership focused on addressing hydrogen production technologies. Collaboration with end-use partnerships should in particular focus on demonstrating the technology and co- defining specifications. The results and findings of the renewable hydrogen partnership should be easily accessible and widely published and made available to a wide range of actors, including in the fields of energy system integration, climate research and civil society as well as the hydrogen industrial alliance.
Amendment 293 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 53
(53) The European Green Deal aims to transform the Union into a fair and prosperous society, with a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use. Priority areas include accelerating the shift to sustainable and smart mobility, with rail at its forefront.
Amendment 295 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 54
(54) The Commission Communication on a New Industrial Strategy for Europe22 (March 2020) underlines that sustainable and smart mobility industries, such as the rail industry, have both the responsibility and the potential to drive the digital and green transition, support Europe’s industrial competitiveness and improve connectivity. Therefore road, rail, aviation, and waterborne transport should all contribute to a 9100% reduction in transport emissions by 2050. As a matter of priority, a substantial part of the 75% of inland freight carried today by road should shift onto rail and secondarily to inland waterways. _________________ 22https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/?qid=1593086905382&ur i=CELEX:52020DC0102
Amendment 298 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 56
(56) The objective of Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking should be to deliver a high capacity integrated European railway network by eliminating barriers to interoperability and providing solutions for full integration, covering traffic management, vehicles, infrastructure and services. This should exploit the huge potential for digitalisation and automation to reduce rail’s costs, increase capacity and improve the service to the end user, such as with through-ticketing, and enhance its flexibility and reliability, and should be based upon a solid Reference Functional System Architecture shared by the sector, in coordination with the European Union Agency for Railways.
Amendment 299 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 57
(57) The Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking should define in its Master Plan, the joint undertaking’s strategic research and innovation agenda, its priority research and innovation activities, and overall system architecture and harmonised operational approach, including large-scale demonstration activities, required to accelerate the penetration of integrated, interoperable and standardised technological innovations necessary to support the Single European Railway Area.
Amendment 301 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 58
(58) Rail is a complex system, with very close interactions between infrastructure managers, rail undertakings (train operators) and their respective equipment (infrastructure and rolling stock). It is impossible to deliver innovation without common specifications and strategy across the rail system. Therefore, the System Pillar of the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking should enable the sector to converge on a single operational concept and system architecture, including the definition of the services, functional blocks, and interfaces, which form the basis of rail system operations. It should provide the overall framework to ensure that research targets customer requirements and operational needs that are commonly agreed and shared customer requirements and operational needs, in order to deliver enhanced passenger rights. The governance model and the decision making process of the Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking should reflect the Commission’s leading role in unifying and integrating Europe’s railway system, especially in rapidly and effectively delivering the single operational concept and system architecture, while involving the private partners in advisory and technical support roles.
Amendment 305 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 63
(63) The Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking should build on the experience gained during the EDCTP and EDCTP2 programmes, achieving results by harnessing investments of the Union, the member states, associated countries and African countries which could not have been achieved by individual countries or by the Union research framework programme alone. The EDCTP Association, representing the states participating in the programme, should contribute financially and with additional activities, to the EDCTP3 Programme and its implementation. It should provide meaningful participation and involvement of the sub-Saharan countries in the decision-making process, which is essential for tackling the burden of diseases in sub- Saharan countries. The initiative should include other international research funders, such as philanthropies, the pharmaceutical industry and other third countries, that should contribute to the partnership as contributing partners on an ad hoc basis. Furthermore, to increase the impact of the programme, the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking should collaborate closely with the IHI Joint Undertaking and have, for specific calls, the possibility to identify legal entities that could participate in indirect actions. It should be possible to provide in the work programme that such legal entities would not be eligible for funding by the joint undertaking.
Amendment 309 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 66
(66) In the context of the European Commission’s priorities of “An economy that works for people” and “A Europe fit for the digital age”, the European industry, including SMEs, should become greener, moreenvironmentally sustainable, circular and more digital while remaining competitive on the global scale. The Commission has emphasized the role of enhanced diagnostics, treatments, medical devices and digital technologies addressing emerging health challenges and the use of e-health services to provide high- quality health care, along with a call for ensuring the supply of affordable medicines to meet the Union’spatients’ needs, whilst supporting an innovative and world- leading European pharmaceutical industry. The Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking aims to contribute towards strengthening the competitiveness of the Union’s health industry, a cornerstone of the Union’s knowledge-based economy, to an increasedaddressing key challenges in public health and improving the quality and delivery of health services throughout the Union, while supporting economic activity in the development of health technologies and treatments, notably of integrated health solutions, and thus serve as a tool for increasing technological sovereigntydevelopment and innovative solutions and fostering the digital transformation of our societies. Such political priorities can be achieved by bringing together the crucial players: the public sector, academia, companies of various sizes and end-users of health innovations, under the umbrella of a public-private partnership in health research and innovation. The Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking should help reach the objectives of the ‘Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan’24 and the ‘European One Health Action Plan against Antimicrobial Resistance’25 . The Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking should be aligned with the new Industrial Strategy for Europe26 , the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe27 and the SME strategy for a sustainable and digital Europe28 and the European Green Deal. _________________ 24https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better- regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/12154- Europe-s-Beating-Cancer-Plan 25 https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/health/files /antimicrobial_resistance/docs/amr_2017_a ction-plan.pdf 26 COM(2020) 102. 27 COM(2020) 761. 28 COM(2020) 103.
Amendment 311 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 67
(67) The Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking builds on the experience gained from the Innovative Medicine Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking (IMI2 Joint Undertaking) including the work done by this initiative to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. In line with the recommendations of the interim evaluation of IMI2 Joint Undertaking29 , a successor initiative needs to “enable the active engagement of other industry sectors with the pharmaceutical industry to capitalise on their expertise in the development of new health care interventions”. Therefore, the industry sectors need to cover the biopharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical technology sectors, including companies active in the digital area. The new initiative should first and foremost be driven by public health and patient needs, with leadership of public authorities and structured engagement of civil society and patient organisations. The scope of the initiative should cover prevention, diagnosis, treatment and disease management and mustshould be established taking due account of the high burden for patients and/or society due to the severity of the disease and/or the number of people affected, as well as the high economic impact of the disease for patients and for health care systems. The funded actions must respond to the Union public health needs, supporting the development of future health innovations that are safe, people and patient-centred, effective, cost- effective, accessible and affordable for patients and for health care systems. _________________ 29 The Interim Evaluation of the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking (2014-2016) operating under Horizon 2020 (ISBN 978-92-79-69299-4).
Amendment 315 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 68
(68) To ensure the best opportunity for generating new scientific ideas and successful research and innovation activities, the key actors in Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking should be researchers from various types of entities, public and private. At the same time, end-users such as Union citizens, consumer and patient groups, health care professionals and health care providers should provide input into the strategic design and activities of the initiative, ensuring that it addresses their needs. Furthermore, Union-wide and national regulatory authorities, health technology assessment bodies and health care payers should also provide early input to the partnership’s activities, while ensuring the absence of any conflicts of interest, in order to increase the likelihood that the results of funded actions meet patients' needs and the requirements necessary for uptake and thus reaching the expected impacts. All that input should help better target research efforts towards areas of unmet or underfinanced needs.
Amendment 316 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 70
(70) The partnership’s objectives should focus on the pre-competitive area, thereby creating a safe space for efficient collaboration between companies active in different health technologies and treatments. To reflect the integrative nature of the initiative, help break the silos between health industry sectors and strengthen the industry- academia collaborations, the majority of the projects funded by the initiative should be cross- sectoral and involve patient and end-users groups from the outset of the R&I activities.
Amendment 319 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 71
(71) The term Key Digital Technologies refers to electronic components and systems that underpin all major economic sectors. The Commission highlighted the need to master those technologies in Europe, notably in the context of delivering on European policy priorities such as digital technology autonomyresilience30 . The importance of the area and the challenges faced by the stakeholders in the Union require urgent action in order to leave no weak link in Europe’s innovation and value chains. A mechanism at Union level should therefore be set up to combine and focus the provision of support to research and innovation in electronic components and systems by member states, the Union and the private sector. _________________ 30Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on Shaping Europe’s digital future (COM(2020) 67 final).
Amendment 320 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 72
(72) The Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking should address clearly defined topics that would enable European industries at large to design, manufacture and use the most innovative technologies in electronic components and systems. Structured and coordinated financial support at European level is necessary to help research teams and European industries maintain their current strengths at the leading edge in a highly competitive international context and close the gap in technologies that are critical for a digital transformation in Europe that reflects core Union values and fundamental rights including privacy and trust, security and safety at all levels of the value chains. Collaboration among stakeholders of the ecosystem, representing all segments of the value chains, is essential for the development of new technologies that are based on privacy and security by design and their fast market uptake of innovation. Openness and flexibility to integrate relevant stakeholders, including in particular SMEs and non profit civil society organisations, in emerging or adjacent areas of technology, or in both, is also vital.
Amendment 324 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 73
(73) The Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking should combine the financial and technical means that are essential to master the escalating pace of innovation in this area, to generate important spill-overs for society, and to share risk-taking by aligning strategies and investments towards a common European interest. Therefore, the members of the Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking should be the Union, member states and associated countries to Horizon Europe on a voluntary basis, and associations as private members representing their constituent companies [and other legal entities active in the field of electronics components and systems in Europe] Participation of member states will furthermore facilitate a coherent alignment with national programmes and strategies, reducing overlap and fragmentation of efforts while ensuring synergies across stakeholders and activities.
Amendment 325 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 74
(74) In accordance with [Article 8(1)(c)] of the Horizon Europe Regulation, participating states should entrust the Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking with the implementation of their contribution to their national participants in indirect actions. The beneficiaries should sign a single grant agreement with the joint undertaking following the Horizon Europe rules, including the respective framework for intellectual property rightopen access, depending on the Union programme supporting the corresponding grant activity. Public financial support should always result in public results and technologies, and open collaboration models like open source software and hardware should be encouraged. The Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking should process the cost claims and execute the payments to the beneficiaries.
Amendment 327 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 76
(76) As a continuation of the practice established in the ECSEL Joint Undertaking, a derogation from [Article 30] of the Horizon Europe Regulation is necessary in order to allow different reimbursement rates depending on the type of participant, namely SMEs and non- profit legal entities, and the type of action, to be applied invariably across beneficiaries from all participating states. That should ensure the right balance of stakeholders’ participation in the actions funded by the Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking and foster a higher involvement of SMEs as recommended in the ECSEL Joint Undertaking interim evaluation as well as the enhanced involvement of the non profit civil society sector.
Amendment 328 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 77
(77) The Union’s Single European Sky legal framework31 seeks to reform the European air traffic management (ATM) system through institutional, operational, technological and regulatory actions with the aim of improving its performance in terms of capacity, safety, efficiency, climate and environmental impact, including air and noise pollution. _________________ 31Regulation (EC) No 549/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 March 2004 laying down the framework for the creation of the single European Sky (OJ L 96, 31.3.2004, p.1).
Amendment 329 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 78
(78) The Single European Sky Air Traffic Management (ATM) Research and Development project (the ‘SESAR project’)32 aims to modernise ATM and to bundle technological and operational innovation in support of the Single European Sky. It aims at providing the technological solutions for a highly performing ATM by 2035 to enable an uncongested, even safer and more environmentally and climate friendly functioning of the air transport sector allowing it to comply with the objectives ob the European Green Deal and the emissions’ reduction targets of the European Climate Law. The SESAR project comprises three interrelated, continuous and evolving collaborative processes that define, develop and deploy innovative technological systems and operational procedures underlying the digital European sky defined in the European ATM Master Plan33 . _________________ 32Council Regulation (EC) No 219/2007 of 27 February 2007 on the establishment of a Joint Undertaking to develop the new generation European air traffic management system (SESAR) OJ L 64, 2.3.2007, p. 1. 33Council Decision 2009/320/EC endorsing the European Air Traffic Management Master Plan of the Single European Sky ATM Research (OJ L 95, 9.4.2009, p.41).
Amendment 330 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 79
(79) The “European ATM Master Plan” is the planning tool for ATM modernisation across Europe, connecting ATM research and innovation activities with deployment activities scenarios to achieve the Single European Sky performance objectives, not only improving the efficiency in the course of individual flights, but particularly also enabling the continuous adaptation of its overall capacity alongside the technological progress, in order to timely meet the sectorial emissions’ reduction objectives.
Amendment 331 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 81
(81) The Single European Sky ATM Research 3 Joint Undertaking should build on the experience of the SESAR Joint Undertaking and continue its coordination role for ATM research in the Union. The main objectives of the Single European Sky ATM Research 3 Joint Undertaking should be to strengthen and further integrate the research and innovation capacity in Europe, helping to accelerate the digitalisation of the sector and rendering it more resilient and scalable to fluctuations in traffic. It should strengthen, through innovation, the competitiveness of manned and unmanned air transport and ATM services, to support economic recovery and growth. , as a result of seasonal patterns but also the possible overall reduction needs in order to comply with the European Climate Law objectives, while fully clean fuels and aviation technologies are developing. It should develop and accelerate the market uptake of innovative solutions to establish the Single European Sky airspace as the most efficient and environmentally friendly sky to fly in the world.
Amendment 334 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 83
(83) Participation in the Single European Sky ATM Research 3 Joint Undertaking should be open to the widest possible range and representation of stakeholders from all member states and countries associated to Horizon Europe, including SMEs, scientific experts and relevant non-profit civil society organisations in the fields of environment and climate, through different forms of participation. In particular, participation should ensure a proper balance between equipment manufacturers for both manned and unmanned aviation, airspace users, air navigation service providers, airports, military and professional staff associations, and offer opportunities to SMEs, academia and research organisations. In view of identifying the most promising approaches and entities capable of pursuing them, the Commission launched a call for expression of interest for potential members. The Governing Board should be allowed to select associated members on the basis of the results of that call in order to provide for a swift expansion of the group of members.
Amendment 335 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 87
(87) With the purpose of creating a broad stakeholder base for ensuring the Smart Networks and Services partnership’s objectives, the 5G Infrastructure Association36 has been established building on the 5G Infrastructure Association. While the new industry association, in the first years following its establishment, is expected to only have a limited number of constituent and affiliated entities, it has the objective to include new members from stakeholder constituencies active in the Smart Network and Services value chain. Considering its expected modest size and the impact on its small and medium enterprises constituent entities, it is not sustainable for the association to contribute to 50% of the administrative costs of the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking over its lifetime, in particular in the first years following its establishment. Additionally, the crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on the economy has posed challenges on the European economic actors including in the field of ICT. Therefore it should be ensured that the private partners of the joint undertaking are able to fulfil their commitments, while the conditions remain attractive and incentivise new partners to join the association. The minimum percentage of annual financial contribution to the administrative costs from members other than the Union should therefore be 20% of the total annual administrative costs. In particular, it5GIA should be possiblensure that small and medium sized enterprises constituent entities contribute less than bigger enterprises. The members of the joint undertaking other than the Union should endeavour to increase the number of constituent or affiliated entities in order to maximise their contribution tof 50% of the administrative costs of the joint undertaking over its lifetime. The use of the reduction in annual financial contribution should be properly reflected in the decision making process. _________________ 36The 5G Infrastructure Association (5GIA) plans to modify its name before the launch of the SNS JU, to better reflect the SNS JU new stakeholders communities and extended scope, in comparison with the Horizon 2020 5G PPP.
Amendment 336 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 88
(88) In the context of the European Commission’s priorities for 2019-2024 “A Europe fit for the digital age”, “An economy that works for people” and the policy objectives set out in the context of its Communications on “Shaping Europe’s digital future”, Europe needs to develop the critical digital infrastructures based on 5G networks and build its technological capacities towards 6Gnew technologies with a time horizon 2030. In this context the Commission has emphasized the strategic importance of a European Partnership for Smart Networks and Services to provide secure connectivity-based services to consumers and businesses. Those priorities can be achieved by bringing together the key players, that is to say industry, academia, non-profit civil society organisations and public authorities, under the umbrella of a European partnership that builds on the achievements of the 5G PPP initiative, which successfully developed 5G technology and standards.
Amendment 339 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 89
(89) The Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking is designed to address policy issues in the field of digital infrastructure and to extend the technology scope of research and innovation for 6Gcommunication networks. It should, with close involvement of member states, strengthen the response to Union policy and social needs regarding network energy efficiency, cybersecurity, technological sovereigntyresilience, privacy and ethics and will extend the research and innovation scope from networks to cloud based service provisioning as well as components and devices enabling services for citizens and a broad range of economic sectors such as health care, transport, manufacturing and media.
Amendment 341 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Recital 91
(91) Advanced 5G infrastructures willcan be the basis for developing the ecosystems for the digital and green transitions and, in the next step, for Europe’s position to adopt 6Gdevelop new communication technologyies. The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) 2 Digital programme as well as the Digital Europe Programme and InvestEU offer opportunities for the development of 5G and later 6G-based digital ecosystems. Taking into account the broad set of public and private stakeholders involved in such deployment projects, it is essential to coordinate the setting up of a strategic agenda, the contribution to the programming, as well as stakeholder information and engagement related to such programmes. As a strategic basis for those tasks, the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking should coordinfacilitate the development of Strategic Deployment Agendas for the relevant areas of deployment, such as 5G systems along roads and along railways. Those agendas should inter alia set out technology recommendations, deployment roadmaps, the main options for cooperation models and other strategic issues.
Amendment 343 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 1 – paragraph 1
This Regulation sets up nine joint undertakings within the meaning of Article 187 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union for the implementation of institutionalised European partnerships defined in [Article 2(3)] and referred to in point [(c)] of [Article 8(1)] and Annex III of the Horizon Europe Regulation. It determines their objectives and tasks, membership, organisation and other operating rules.
Amendment 346 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 9
9. 'additional activity' means an activity outsideincluded in the annual additional activities plan annexed to the main part of the work programme and that does not receive financial support from the joint undertaking but contributes to its objectives and is directly linked to the uptake of results from projects under that joint undertaking or its preceding initiatives or has a significant Union added-value;
Amendment 349 #
Amendment 352 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 4 – paragraph 1
1. The joint undertakings referred to in Article 3 shall contribute to the general and specific objectives of the Horizon Europe Regulation as set out in [Article 3] thereof.
Amendment 355 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. The joint undertakings shall, through the involvement and commitment of partners in designing and implementing a programme of research and innovation activities to the benefit of society and, deliver on the following general objectives:
Amendment 357 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) strengthening and integrating the Union’s scientific, innovation and technological capacities to support the creation and diffusion of high-quality new knowledge notably with a view to deliver on global societal challenges, securing Union competitiveness, sustainability and contributing to the a reinforced European Research Area;
Amendment 362 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) securing sustainability-driven global leadership and resilience of Union value chains and Union open strategic autonomy in key technologies and industries in line with the industrial strategy for Europe; and the European Green Deal;
Amendment 364 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) develop and accelerate the uptake of innovative solutions throughout the Union addressing climate, environmental, health and other global societal challenges contributing to Union strategic priorities, in particular to reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and achieve climate neutrality in the Union by 2050 at the latest in line with the EU's commitment under the Paris Agreement.
Amendment 369 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point b
(b) accelerate the social, ecological and economic transitions in areas and sectors of strategic importance for Union priorities, in particular to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in accordance with the climate and energy targets set in line with the European Green Deal as well as to achieve a zero-pollution and toxic free environment and the preservation and restoration of ecosystems and biodiversity;
Amendment 373 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point c
(c) enhance the research and innovation capabilities and performance of existing and new European research and innovation ecosystems and value chains, including in small and medium- sized enterprises (SME);
Amendment 375 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point d
(d) accelerate the deployment, uptake and diffusion of innovative solutions in reinforced European research and innovation ecosystems and ultimately in society, including through wide and early engagement and co-creation with end- users, consumer organisations, citizen and regulatory and standardisation bodies;
Amendment 379 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 4 – paragraph 3 – point e
(e) deliver environmental, energy and resource saving and productivity improvements in new products and services thanks to a harnessing of the circular economy and therewith linked Union capabilities and resources.
Amendment 383 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 4 – paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. In the implementation of the Horizon Europe Regulation, the joint undertakings shall respect the principles of open science set out in [Articles10, 35] of that Regulation, requiring beneficiaries to provide open access to research results and data following the principle “as open as possible, as closed as necessary”. The joint undertakings shall lay out strict rules for derogations from these open access requirements. Costs related to open access including data management plans shall be eligible for reimbursement as further stipulated in the grant agreement. Open access practices should be closely monitored by the Commission. Any exemption should be listed transparently on the websites of the individual joint undertakings.
Amendment 385 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(a a) supporting the implementation of Union policy priorities including in particular the sustainable development goals and the Paris Agreement ;
Amendment 390 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(c a) promoting responsible research and innovation, taking into account the precautionary principle
Amendment 391 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
(c b) strengthening the gender dimension in research and innovation
Amendment 393 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point f
(f) increase public awareness, acceptance, demand and uptake of new solutions by involving citizens and end- us, non-profit civil society organisations, consumer organisations and end-users, including SMEs and workers in co-design and co- creation processes;
Amendment 397 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
(h a) fostering open science and ensuring visibility to the public and open access to scientific publications and research data, in accordance with the Horizon Europe Regulation […];
Amendment 399 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 – point i
(i) support the evidence-basedprovide scientific evidence and findings in view of supporting the implementation of related Union policies, as well as regulatory, standardisation and sustainable investment activities at European and global levels.
Amendment 401 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) provide financial support, mainly in the form of grants, to research and innovation indirect actions, selected following transparent open and competitive calls, unless otherwisexcept in duly justified cases to be specified in their work programme;
Amendment 406 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) develop close cooperation and ensure coordination and synergies with other European partnerships, including by dedicating, where appropriate, a part of the joint undertaking’s budget to joint calls;
Amendment 409 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) seek synergies with and, where appropriate, possibilities for further funding from relevant activities and programmes at Union, national, and regional level, in particular with those supporting the deployment of innovative solutions, training, education and regional development, such as Cohesion policy funds in line with smart specialisation strategies;
Amendment 412 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) promote and ensure the involvement of SMEs in their activities and take measures ensuringensure timely information to SMEs, in line with the objectives of Horizon Europe;
Amendment 413 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point e a (new)
(e a) promote and ensure the involvement of young researchers in their activities by providing up to date information and regular calls tailored to PhD and postdoc students in the remit of the respective joint undertaking and in close synergies with the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Programme;
Amendment 416 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point e b (new)
(e b) Develop strategies for attracting new members and expand collaborative networks as well as foster better linking of existing national R&I ecosystems and networks among each other as well as towards the European level
Amendment 418 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point h
(h) develop a strategic research and innovation agenda on which bases they define and implement their work programme;
Amendment 419 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point i
(i) liaise with the most extensive range of stakeholders including, but not limited to, decentralised agencies, research organisations and universities, not-for- profit civil society organisations, end users and public authorities, in particular for the purpose of defining the priorities and activities of each initiative as well as to ensure inclusiveness and genuin societal added value;
Amendment 423 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point j
(j) engage in information, communication, publicity and dissemination and exploitation activities by applying Articles 10 and 39 and mutatis mutandis [Article 46] of the Horizon Europe Regulation, including making the detailed information on results from funded research and innovation activities available and accessible in a common Horizon Europe e-database;
Amendment 424 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point l
(l) contribute to developing a more effective science-policy interface, to fostering open science by ensuring access to and better exploitation of results and to addressing policy needs, as well as to promoting faster dissemination and uptake of results;
Amendment 426 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point n
Amendment 430 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 5 – paragraph 2 – point o
(o) considerrespect the ‘Do No Significant Harm Principle’ pursuant to Article 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/852 and take into account the provisions of that Regulation to improve access to sustainable finance, where relevant;
Amendment 431 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 7 – paragraph 1
1. Joint undertakings mayshould launch an openregular open and transparent calls for expression of interest in view of selecting new associated members. The call for expression of interest shall be carried out in an open and transparent manner and shall set out the key capacities needed in order to achievecontribute to the achievement of the objectives of the joint undertaking. All calls shall be published on the joint undertaking’s website and communicated through all appropriate channels, including, where applicable, the states’ representatives group, in order to ensure the widest possible participation in the interest of achieving the objectives of the joint undertaking.
Amendment 435 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 7 – paragraph 2
2. The executive directorgoverning board shall assess the applications for membership with the assistance of independent experts and, where appropriate, of relevant bodies of the joint undertaking, in particular the scientific advisory body, on the basis of documented knowledge, experience, possible conflict of interest and potential added value of the applicant in achieving the objectives of the joint undertaking, the applicant’s financial soundness and long- term commitment for financial and in-kind contributions to the joint undertaking, and taking into account potential conflicts of interest.
Amendment 437 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 7 – paragraph 3
3. The governing board shall assess and where appropriate approveapprove or reject applications for membership.
Amendment 440 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 7 – paragraph 4
Amendment 442 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 8 – paragraph 2
2. Each private member shall inform the joint undertaking of any merger or acquisition between members likely to affect the joint undertaking or any takeover of a member by an entity that is not a member of the joint undertaking.
Amendment 443 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 8 – paragraph 4
4. Each private member without any delay shall inform the joint undertaking of any other significant changes in its ownership, control or composition. Where the Commission considers that the change is likely to affect the Union’s or the joint undertaking’s interest on grounds of security or public order, it may propose to the governing board to terminate the membership of the concerned private member. The governing board shall decide on a termination of the membership of the member concerned. The private member concerned shall not participate in the vote of the governing board.
Amendment 444 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. Any candidate contributing partner as defined in Article 2(7) shall submit a letter of endorsement to the governing board. The letter of endorsement shall specify the scope of the partnership in terms of subject matter, activities and duration and detail the applicant’s contribution to the joint undertaking. The letter of endorsement shall be made publicly available on the website of the respective joint undertaking.
Amendment 446 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 9 – paragraph 2
2. The governing board shall assess the letter of endorsement and shall approve or reject the application taking into account the advice of the scientific advisory body as well as potential conflict of interest..
Amendment 449 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 10 – paragraph 1
1. The Union financial contribution to the joint undertakings, including EFTA appropriations, shall cover administrative and operational costs up to the maximum amounts specified in Part Two. The Union contribution specified in Part Two may be increased with contributions from third countries if the latter are available provided that this amount is matched by the contribution of members other than the Union, or its constituent or affiliated entities. The Union contribution specified in Part Two may be increased with contributions from third countries provided that this amount is at least matched by the contribution of members other than the Union, or its constituent or affiliated entities.
Amendment 456 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. The contributions of private members shall consist of: financial and of in-kind contributions to operational activities
Amendment 457 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – point a
Amendment 458 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 11 – paragraph 1 – point b
Amendment 459 #
Amendment 460 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 11 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Additional costs by the members other than the Union or contributing partners, including their entities, consisting of the costs incurred by them in implementing to additional activities outside the work plan of the respective joined undertaking shall be specified in an additional activities plan and, approved by the governing board in accordance with point (l) of Article 16(2).In any case those cost do not substitute for the in-kind contributions from the members other than the Union or contributing partners, including their entities;
Amendment 463 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 11 – paragraph 2
2. Unless specified otherwise in Part Two, the private members shall report by 31 March each year to their respective governing board on the value of the contributions referred to in point (b) of paragraph 1 a (new) made in each of the previous financial years. For the purpose of valuing these contributions, the costs shall be determined in accordance with the usual cost accounting practices of the entities concerned, to the applicable accounting standards of the country where the entity is established, and to the applicable International Accounting Standards and International Financial Reporting Standards. The costs shall be certified by an independent external auditor appointed by the entity concerned. The valuation method may be verified by the joint undertaking concerned should there be any uncertainty arising from the certification. In duly specified cases, the governing board may authorise the use of lump-sums or unit costs for valuing the contributions.
Amendment 466 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 11 – paragraph 6 – point a
(a) financial contributions to both administrative and operational activities;
Amendment 468 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 11 – paragraph 9
9. Following the procedure set out in Article 26(6), any member of the joint undertaking other than the Union that fails to meet their commitments concerning the contributions referred to in this Regulation shall be disqualified from voting in the governing board until their obligations have been met. Where any such member fails to meet their obligations upon expiry of an additional six-month period, their membership shall be revoked, unless the governing board decides otherwise in duly justified cases. The entity concerned shall not participate in the vote of the governing board nor of any other key activities and inputs organised in the context of any of the joint undertaking’s advisory body it is a member of.
Amendment 472 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 12 – paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
(g a) foster the exchange of best practices among the joint undertakings.
Amendment 478 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 13 – paragraph 2
2. A joint undertaking may alsoshall have a scientific advisory body, a states’ representatives group and a stakeholders group and such other body in accordance with the provisions in Part Two.
Amendment 479 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 14 – paragraph -1 (new)
-1. The composition of the Governing Boards shall respect a balanced representation of geographical, gender, sector and actors background, including at least one member from a non-profit civil society organisations;
Amendment 481 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 14 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. The term of office of representatives of the governing board other than in paragraphs 1and 2 shall be limited to a maximum of four years taking into account the interim evaluation of the joint undertaking and the future tasks and challenges of the joint undertaking.
Amendment 483 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 15 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. The representatives of the members in the governing board shall make every effort to adopt decisions by consensus. Failing consensus a vote shall be held. A decision shall be deemed adopted by a simple majority of at least 75% of the votes including the votes of representatives who are absent.
Amendment 484 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. The Union shall hold 501% of the voting rights, unless specified otherwise in Part Two. The voting rights of the Union shall be indivisible.
Amendment 485 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 15 – paragraph 3
3. The chairperson of the governing board shall be appointed among its members on a rotating annual basis by the Union and by the other representatives, in turn, unless otherwise provided in Part Two.
Amendment 486 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 15 – paragraph 4
4. The governing board shall hold ordinary meetings at least twice a year. Extraordinary meetings may be convened at the request of the chairperson, of the executive director, of the Commission or of a majority of the representatives of the members other than the Union or of the participating states. The meetings of the governing board shall be convened by the chairperson and shall take place at the seat of the joint undertaking concerned, unless exceptionally decided otherwise by the governing board in duly justified cases. The list of participants, the agenda and meeting minutes shall be made publicly available in a timely manner on the respective website of joint undertaking.
Amendment 492 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 15 – paragraph 11
11. The representatives of the members and observers shall be bound by Article 40 of this Decision as well as the provisions of a code of conduct. The code of conduct shall establish the obligations of such memberrepresentatives to safeguard the integrity and reputation of the joint undertaking concerned and of the Union.
Amendment 493 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 16 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. The governing board of each joint undertaking shall have overall responsibility for the strategic orientation, coherence with overarching Union goals and policies and the operations of that joint undertaking and shall supervise the implementation of its activities.
Amendment 495 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) take measures to ensure the implementation of the general, specific and operational objectives of the joint undertaking, assess their effectiveness and impact, ensure close and timely monitoring of the progress of the joint undertaking’s research and innovation programme and individual actions in relation the overarching Union goals and policies, to the priorities of the Commission and the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda and take corrective measures where needed to ensure that the joint undertaking meets its objectives and respects the do no significant harm principle;
Amendment 497 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) assess, accept or reject applications for membership in accordance with Article 7taking into account the advice of the scientific advisory body in accordance with Article 19 and potential conflict of interests;
Amendment 498 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) assess, accept or reject applications of prospective contributing partners in accordance with Article 9 taking into account the advice of the scientific advisory body in accordance with Article 19 and potential conflict of interests;
Amendment 501 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point i
(i) appoint based on an open and transparent procedure, dismiss, extend the term of office, provide guidance and monitor the performance of the executive director in accordance with Article 17;
Amendment 502 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point j
(j) adoptensure the adoption of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda at the beginning of the initiative and amend it throughout the duration of Horizon Europe, where necessary. The Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda shall identify the partnership’s targeted impact, foreseen portfolio of activities, measurable expected outcomes, based on input of all partners, including the private sector, the scientific community, member states representatives and non-profit civil society organisations active in the field of the respective joint undertaking. The Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda shall identify the partnership’s targeted impact, foreseen portfolio of activities, measurable expected outcomes, anticipated societal benefit and uptake, possible involvement of citizen and/or consumer organisations, expected contribution to achieving the EU’s environmental, energy and climate objectives resources, deliverables, and milestones within a defined timeframe. It shall also identify the other European partnerships with which the joint undertaking shall establish a formal and regular collaboration and the possibilities for synergies between the joint undertaking’s actions and national or regional initiatives and policies based on information received by the participating states or the states’ representatives group as well as synergies with other Union programmes;
Amendment 505 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point k
(k) adopt the work programme and corresponding expenditure estimates, including anticipated contribution to the climate mainstreaming target under Horizon Europe [ Regulation], as proposed by the executive director to implement the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, including the administrative activities, the content of the calls for proposals ensuring that there is a number of open calls that are independent from the content of calls more tailored to the joint undertaking’ s member as well as covering also the lower range of TRL, the research areas subject to joint calls and cooperation with other partnerships and synergies with other EU programmes, the applicable funding rate per call topic, as well as the related rules for submission, evaluation, selection, award and review procedures, including specific procedures for identifying and avoiding conflicts of interest, and with particular attention to the feedback to policy requirements;
Amendment 507 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point k a (new)
(k a) adopt measures for attracting newcomers, in particularly SMEs, universities, research organisations and non-profit civil society organisations, into the activities and actions of the joint undertaking;
Amendment 511 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point n
(n) assess and approve the consolidated annual activity report, including the corresponding expenditure and the budget dedicated to joint calls with other European partnerships;
Amendment 513 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point s
(s) approve the list of actions selected for funding after consulting the scientific advisory body;
Amendment 515 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point v
(v) set up, as required, ad hoc advisory or working groups, including in collaboration with other joint undertakings, in addition to the bodies of the joint undertaking referred to in Article 13, for a determined period of time and to fulfil a specific purpose;
Amendment 516 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 16 – paragraph 2 – point w
(w) collect and submit to the Commission, where appropriate, any requests to amend this Regulation proposed by a member of the joint undertaking;
Amendment 523 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 17 – paragraph 1
1. The executive director shall be appointed by the governing board on the basis of merit and, skills and relevant experience, from the list of candidates proposed by the Commission, following an open and transparent call for expression of interest and subsequent selection procedure which shall respect the principle of gender balance.
Amendment 531 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 17 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall propose a shortlist of candidates for executive director after consultation with the members other than the Union of the joint undertaking as well as the scientific advisory body. The list of candidates shall contain at least two candidates of different gender.. For the purpose of such consultation the members other than the Union of the joint undertaking shall appoint by common accord theirone representatives as well as anone observer on behalf of the governing board.
Amendment 536 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 17 – paragraph 4
4. The term of office of the executive director shall be four years. By the end of that period, the Commission after consulting the members other than the Union shall carry out an assessment of the performance of the executive director, the interim evaluation of the joint undertaking and the future tasks and challenges of the joint undertaking.
Amendment 537 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 18 – paragraph 4 – point c
(c) prepare and submit for adoption to the governing board the work programme based on input of all partners, including the private sector, the scientific community, member states representatives and non-profit civil society organisations active in the field of the respective joint undertaking and the corresponding expenditure estimates for the joint undertaking, to implement the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda;
Amendment 539 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 18 – paragraph 4 – point c a (new)
(c a) hold regular open public consultation in order to ensure input beyond the existing joint undertaking’s members;
Amendment 540 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 18 – paragraph 4 – point e
(e) prepare and submit for assessment and approval to the governing board the consolidated annual activity report including information on the corresponding expenditure and contributions from members other than the Union referred to in Article 11(1);
Amendment 541 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 18 – paragraph 4 – point f a (new)
(f a) monitor the implementation of measures for attracting newcomers, in particularly SMEs, universities, research organisations and non-profit civil society organisations
Amendment 542 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 18 – paragraph 4 – point j
(j) assess applications for associated members to the joint undertaking following an regular open calls for expression of interest and submit proposals for associated members to the governing board;
Amendment 544 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 18 – paragraph 4 – point q
(q) protect the financial interests of the Union by applying preventive measures against fraud, conflict of interest, corruption and any other illegal activities by means of effective checks and, if irregularities are detected, by recovering amounts that were wrongly paid and, where appropriate, imposing effective, proportionate and dissuasive administrative and financial penalties;
Amendment 545 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 18 – paragraph 4 – point q a (new)
(q a) ensure that the activities of the Joint Undertaking are carried out in complete independence and without any conflicts of interest
Amendment 547 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 18 – paragraph 6 – point c
(c) provide to the members and the bodies of the joint undertaking all relevant and timely information and support necessary for them to perform their duties;
Amendment 548 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 19 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) a scientific advisory body, or its members, to be set up by the joint undertaking in accordance with the relevant provisions set out in Part Two, and subject to the provisions in this Article; and/or
Amendment 549 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 19 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) ad hoc requests for exptertise externalnal independent expertise by the governing board to the joint undertaking on specific questions.
Amendment 550 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 19 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Amendment 555 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 19 – paragraph 2
2. There shall be a balanced representation of experts among the members of the scientific advisory body, within the scope of the activities of the joint undertaking, including with respect to gender balance. Collectively, the members of the scientific advisory body shall have the necessary competences and expertise covering the technical domain in order to make science-based recommendations to the joint undertaking, taking into account the climate, environmental and socio- economic impacts of such recommendations and the objectives of the joint undertaking.
Amendment 557 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 19 – paragraph 4
4. The governing board shall establish the specific criteria and selection process for the composition of the scientific advisory body of the joint undertaking and shall appoint its members. Where relevant, tbased on transparent and open calls for the expression of interest and shall appoint its members fora maximum of four years and may extended once, for a period of not more than three years. The governing board shall take into consideration the potential candidates proposed by the states’ representatives group.
Amendment 558 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 19 – paragraph 5
5. The scientific advisory body shall elect its chair from among its members as well as the representatives to the respective Governing Board on a rotating bases.
Amendment 559 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 19 – paragraph 6
6. The scientific advisory body shall meet at least twice a year and meetings shall be convened by the chairperson. The chairperson may invite other persons to attend its meetings as observers. The scientific advisory body shall adopt its own rules of procedure. The agenda, participants and minutes of the meetings shall be published in a timely manner on the website of the joint undertaking
Amendment 561 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 19 – paragraph 7 – point a
(a) advise on the draft and final strategic priorities of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda as well as on the scientific priorities to be addressed in the draft and final work programmes, in line with the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda and the Horizon Europe strategic planning;
Amendment 563 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 19 – paragraph 7 – point d
(d) provide independent advice and scientific analysis on specific issues as requested by the governing board, in particular as regards developments in adjacent sectors as well as on the potential impacts of the joint undertaking’s activities in terms of environmental, social and climate impact ;
Amendment 564 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 19 – paragraph 7 – point e
(e) where specified in Part Two, evaluate the results and impacts of from technology and innovation actions that are funded by the joint undertaking and report to the governing board;
Amendment 565 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 19 – paragraph 7 – point f a (new)
(f a) assess and advise the governing boards on applications of potential associated and contributing partners
Amendment 568 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 19 – paragraph 8
8. After each meeting of the scientific advisory body, its chairperson shall submit to the governing board a report outlining the body’s and its members’ opinions on the matters discussed during the meeting. This report shall be made publicly available in a timely manner on the website of the respective joint undertaking
Amendment 572 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 19 – paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. The governing boards shall inform without undue delay the scientific advisory body of the follow up it has given to its recommendations or proposals, or it shall give reasons if they are not followed up. A written version of the follow-up shall be annexed to the minutes of the governing board and be made publicly available on the website of the respective joint undertaking
Amendment 573 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 20 – paragraph 5
5. The chairperson of the states’ representatives group may invite other persons to attend its meetings as observers, in particular representatives of relevant federal or regional authorities within the Union, representatives of SME associations representatives of non- profit civil society organisations and representatives of other bodies of the joint undertaking.
Amendment 576 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 20 – paragraph 6
6. The agenda of the State Representatives Group’s meetings shall be circulated sufficiently in advance to ensure appropriate representation by each member state and associated country. The agenda shall also be circulated for information to the governing board and be made publicly available in a timely manner.
Amendment 577 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 20 – paragraph 7 – point b
(b) updating of strategic orientation in line with the Horizon Europe strategic planning, overarching EU policies and goals and with other Union and member states funding instruments;
Amendment 578 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 20 – paragraph 7 – point e
(e) involvement of SMEs, universities and research organisations, non-profit civil society organisations and measures taken for promoting participation of newcomers.
Amendment 580 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 20 – paragraph 7 – point e a (new)
(e a) potential impacts of the joint undertaking's activities in terms of their environmental, social and climate impact and societal added value.
Amendment 584 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 21 – paragraph 2
2. The stakeholders group shall be open to all public and private stakeholders, including organised groups and not for profit civil society organisations, active in the field of the joint undertaking, international interest groups from member states, associated countries as well as from other countries. The composition of the stakeholders group shall be balanced in the representation of geographical, gender, sectors and actors backgrounds. It shall be ensured that there is a continuous openness to new members, which shall be assessed in the context of the interim evaluation and be addressed by the Commission with targeted measures if it is found not to be the case.
Amendment 590 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 21 – paragraph 4
4. The meetings of the stakeholders group shall be convened by the executive director at least once a year.
Amendment 591 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 21 – paragraph 5
5. The executive director may advise the governing board to consult the stakeholders group on specific questions. Where such consultation takes place, a report shall be submitted to the governing board after the relevant discussion in the stakeholders group and be made publicly available on the website of the respective joint undertaking..
Amendment 595 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 23 – paragraph 2
2. The work programme shall be adopted by the end of the year prior to its implementation. The work programme shall be published on the website of the joint undertaking and of Horizon Europe, and, to support the coordination with the overall strategy of Horizon Europe, be shared with the relevant clusters’ programme committee for information.
Amendment 596 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 24 – paragraph 1
1. The executive director shall provide the governing board with a consolidated annual activity report on the performance of his or her duties in accordance with the financial rules of the joint undertaking. . The annual activities report shall be made public in a timely manner on the website of the respective partnership.
Amendment 600 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 24 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) the collaboration with other European programmes and partnerships, including joint calls, and synergies between the joint undertaking’s actions and national or regional initiatives and policies.
Amendment 602 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 24 – paragraph 2 – point e a (new)
(e a) the amount of the Union financial contribution as set out in the Union budget, the amounts of the financial contributions from members other than the Union and the amounts on committed and actually provided financial and in- kind contributions.
Amendment 610 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 34 – paragraph 2
2. For the purposes of developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating Union policies or programmes, the joint undertaking shall provide the Commission with the information included in submitted proposals. All relevant data related to projects submitted and funded by the joint undertakings shall be included in the single Horizon Europe database
Amendment 613 #
Amendment 616 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 40 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Amendment 617 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 40 – paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Members of the Joint Undertaking and representatives of the Governing Board must disclose any director indirect personal or corporate interest in the outcome of the deliberations of the Governing Board in relation to any matter on the agenda. This requirement also applies to the staff in relation to the tasks which are assigned to them
Amendment 618 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 40 – paragraph 2 c (new)
2 c. Based on the disclosure mentioned in paragraph 2 b(new) the Governing Board may decide to exclude members, participants or staff from decisions or tasks where a conflict of interest is likely to occur. They will not have access to information relating to the fields deemed subject to potential conflicts of interest.
Amendment 619 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 43 – paragraph 1
1. Joint undertakings shall be wound up at the end of the period laid down in Article 3 or if the joint undertaking does not demonstrate to fulfil its objectives.
Amendment 620 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 43 – paragraph 4
4. During the winding up procedure, the assets of the joint undertaking shall be used to cover its liabilities and the expenditure relating to its winding up. Any surplus shall be distributed among the members of the joint undertaking at the time of the winding up in proportion to their financial contribution to the joint undertaking. Any such surplus distributed to the Union shall be returned to the general budget of the UnionHorizon Europe.
Amendment 621 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 44 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) accelerate the innovation process and development of bio-based innovative solutionsand environmentally sustainable solutions that do not jeopardise the limited availability of biomass, biodiversity and quality of soil, water and air and arable land;
Amendment 625 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 44 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) accelerate market deployment of the existing environmentally sustainable mature and innovative bio- based solutions;
Amendment 627 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 44 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(c a) ensure the avoidance of induced demand in view of scarce availability of bio-based raw materials
Amendment 628 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 44 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) increase the intensity of cross- disciplinary research and innovation activities to reap the benefits of the advancement in life sciences and in other scientific disciplines for the development and demonstration of environmentally and socially sustainable bio-based solutions;
Amendment 630 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 44 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) increase and integrate the research and innovation capacity of stakeholders across the Union to exploit the local bio economy potential without depleting local resources and ecosystems;
Amendment 631 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 44 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) increase the research and innovation capacity for addressing social and environmental challenges and development of more sustainaenvironmentally sustainable and socially responsible bio- based innovations;
Amendment 633 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 44 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) reduce the risk for research and innovation investment in bio-based companies and proprojects that are in line with the EU climate and environmental objectives;
Amendment 636 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 44 – paragraph 2 – point f
(f) ensure that environmental considerations are taken into accountnegative social and environmental impacts are minimised in the development and implementation of research and innovation bio-based projects.
Amendment 637 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 45 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) support high impact multidisciplinary research and innovation projects that enhance the industrial innovation and sustainability in bio-based industry to deliver on the objectives of the Circular Bio-Based Europe Joint Undertaking in line with the EU’s climate and energy objectives;
Amendment 638 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 45 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) intensify research and innovation activities of the Circular Bio-Based Europe Joint Undertaking along the whole innovation chain from low to high Technology Readiness Levels taking into account from the outset and minimising their potential negative environmental and social impacts;
Amendment 640 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 45 – paragraph 1 – point e
(e) mobilise and integrate research and innovation actors from rural, coastal, urban areas and regions with unexploited potential for environmentally sustainable bio-based industry development to co- operate in project activities;
Amendment 641 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 45 – paragraph 1 – point f
(f) ensure that research and innovation activities under the Circular Bio-Based Europe Joint Undertaking focus on issues ofits from the outset public interest, specifically on the environmental and climate performance of the bio-based industrEU targets and objectives, including biodiversity, soil, water and air quality, both in terms of understanding the relevant problems and developing solutions to thembio-based industry;
Amendment 642 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 45 – paragraph 1 – point g
(g) promote communication and collaboration between research and innovation actors and, industrial and non-profit civil society stakeholders under the Circular Bio-Based Europe Joint Undertaking to raise awareness about rapidly evolving knowledge and technology, their potential social and environmental impacts, facilitate cross- sector collaboration and facilitate market uptake of innovative sustainable bio-based solutions;
Amendment 644 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 45 – paragraph 1 – point h
Amendment 646 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 45 – paragraph 1 – point i
(i) set scientifically robust environmental and social sustainability criteria and performance benchmarks beyond existing legal obligations, apply and monitor them in all research and innovation activities of the Circular Bio- Based Europe Joint Undertaking, and promote them beyond the initiative to the bio-based industry;
Amendment 647 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 45 – paragraph 1 – point j
(j) communicate and promote innovative bio-based solutions towards policy makers, industry, NGOs and consumers at large.publish and communicate its findings and results in a transparent and accessible manner, including on its social and environmental impacts within the EU and third countries
Amendment 652 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 48 – paragraph 2
2. The contribution referred to in paragraph 1 shall consist of in-kind and financial contributions to the Circular Bio- based Europe Joint Undertaking in accordance with Article 11(1).
Amendment 653 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 49 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Notwithstanding the Governing Board’s power of decision concerning the additional activities plan pursuant to Article 16(2)(l) and within the scope of Article 2(9) and Article 2(10), the Bio- based Industries Consortium or members otheir constituent or affiliated entitiesthan the Union shall each year make a proposal for the additional activities. The additional activities are those directly linked to projects and activities of, but not representing contributions to the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking, including in particular:
Amendment 654 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 49 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) investments in a new innovative and sustainable production plant or flagshipenvironmentally sustainable pilote plant;
Amendment 656 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 49 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) non-eligible investment made in parallel with a Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking project, complementing the results of the project and bringing it to a higher Technology Readiness Level;
Amendment 657 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 49 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) non-eligible investments needed for the deployment of a Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking project’s results following the closure of the project until the winding up of the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking. In justified cases, the investment related to deployment of results of projects from the predecessor partnership (BBI Joint Undertaking) may be taken into account.
Amendment 658 #
Amendment 660 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 51 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) five representatives of the members other than the Union, at least one of which should represent SMEs and non-profit civil society organisations.
Amendment 661 #
Amendment 662 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 52 – paragraph 1
1. The members other than the Union shall collectively hold 5049 % of the voting rights.
Amendment 663 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 52 – paragraph 2
2. The Governing Board shall elect its chairperson among its members for a period of two years.
Amendment 666 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 52 – paragraph 4
4. In addition to the meetings referred to in paragraph 23, the Governing Board shall also hold a strategic meeting at least once a year with the primary objective of identifying challenges and opportunities for sustainable bio-based industry and provide additional strategic orientation for the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking.
Amendment 668 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 52 – paragraph 5
5. In the strategic meeting additional chief executive officers or officers with decision-making power of leading European bio-based companies and the Commission,independent external experts, in particular with a scientific climate and sustainability background shall be invited. The chairpersons of the States’ Representatives Group, the Scientific Committee and the Deployment Groups may be invited as observers.
Amendment 669 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 53 – paragraph 2
2. The Scientific Committee should have no more than 15 permanent members. It shall elect a chairperson from amongst its members and five representatives to the Governing Board.
Amendment 670 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 53 – paragraph 4
4. The Scientific Committee shall set- up a task force composed of members with the appropriate profiles to contribute towards ensuring sufficient focus and input on all sustainability aspects of the work programme. Whenever possible, aAdvice of the Scientific Committee on the work programme shall include aspects related to the limited availability of biomass and the reduction of resource use, circularity, environmental sustainability, biodiversity preservation and enhancement, land, soil, water quality as well as broader aspects of climate impacts as well as social and environmental sustainability of the bio- based systems and related value chains.
Amendment 671 #
Amendment 672 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 54 – paragraph 1
1. One or more DeploymentStakeholders Groups shall be established pursuant to Article 21. The role of the Deployment Groups is to advice the Governing Board on issues critical to market uptake of bio-based innovation and to promote deployment of environmentally sustainable bio-based solutions.
Amendment 674 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 54 – paragraph 2
2. The composition of the DeploymentStakeholders Groups shall ensure appropriate thematic focus and representativeness of the bio-based innovation stakeholders. Any stakeholder other than the members of the Bio-Based Industry Consortium, their constituents or their affiliated entities may express its interest to become members of a DeploymentStakeholders Group. The Governing Board shall set out the envisaged size and composition of the Deployment GroupStakeholders Groups, ensuring the representation of SMEs as well as civil society organisations, the duration of the mandates and the possibility of renewal of its members, and select their members. The list of members shall be publicly available.
Amendment 677 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 54 – paragraph 3
3. The DeploymentStakeholders Groups shall meet at least once per year in a physical or virtual meeting. At the first meeting, the DeploymentStakeholders Groups shall adopt their rules of procedure. These rules of procedure shall be approved by the Governing Board. Extraordinary meetings of the DeploymentStakeholders Groups shall be called upon the request from the Governing Board. The Governing Board may request the participation of additional persons in the extraordinary meetings. The agenda, minutes and list of attendees to those extraordinary meetings shall be publicly available.
Amendment 679 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 54 – paragraph 4
4. The DeploymentStakeholders Groups shall elect a chairperson, and a vice-chair per thematic focus, for a period of two years. The chairperson coordinates activities and represents the DeploymentStakeholders Group. The chairperson may be invited to meetings of the Governing Board as an observer without voting rights, and meetings of the Scientific Committee and the States Representatives Group.
Amendment 681 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 54 – paragraph 5
5. The DeploymentStakeholders Groups shall provide recommendations on the issues related to the deployment of environmentally sustainable bio-based innovation upon request from the Governing Board. The DeploymentStakeholders Groups can also issue recommendations to the Governing Board anytime at their own initiative.
Amendment 686 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 55 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) to integrate and demonstrate disruptive aircraft technological innovations able to decrease net emissions of greenhouse gasses, including non-CO2 impacts, by no less than 30% by 2030, compared to 2020 state-of-the-art technology while paving the ground towards climate-neutral aviation by 2050;
Amendment 687 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 55 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) to ensure that the technological and the potential industrial readiness of innovations can support the launch of disruptive new products and services by 2035, with the aim of replacing 75% of the operating fleet by 2050 and developing an innovative, reliable, safe and cost-effective European aviation system that is able to meet the EU environmental objective and of climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest;
Amendment 689 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 55 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) to expand and foster integration of the climate-neutral aviation research and innovations value chains, including academia, research organisations, industry, and SMESMEs as well as non-profit civil society organisations, also by benefitting from exploiting synergies with other national and European related programmes.
Amendment 693 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 56 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) assistprovide feedback for the Commission upon its request with the establishment and development coordination of regulations and standards supporting market uptake of clean aviation solutions, in particular by conducting studies, simulations and providing technical advice, while taking into account the need to eliminate barriers to market entry.
Amendment 701 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 61 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) the European Clean Aviation Scientific Advisory Body;
Amendment 706 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 64 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) promote the market uptake of technologies and solutions for contributing to achieving the Green Deal’s objectives and ensure the achievement of the Joint Undertaking’'s specific objectives in Article 55 in line with the Green Deal's objectives;
Amendment 708 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 64 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda and its possible amendments and the work programme, after having consulted the Clean Aviation Scientific Advisory Group, including on open calls for proposals;
Amendment 709 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 64 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) the strategic multiannual planning of Clean Aviation calls and their alignment with overarching Union priorities and objectives as well as the objectives of Horizon Europe and the related work programmes and the technical priorities and research actions, including the open calls for proposals;
Amendment 710 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 65 – paragraph 1 – point c
Amendment 714 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 65 – paragraph 6 – point a
(a) based on broad stakeholder consultation prepare proposals for the amendment of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda as needed for deliberation and final decision by the Governing Board;
Amendment 715 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 65 – paragraph 6 – point b
(b) based on broad stakeholder consultation prepare proposals for the technical priorities and research actions to be included in the work programme, including the research topics for open calls for proposals;
Amendment 716 #
Amendment 717 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 68 – paragraph 1
1. The European Clean Aviation Advisory Body shall be the sScientific aAdvisory bBody of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertakingshall be set up in accordance with point (a) of Article 19(1).
Amendment 719 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 68 – paragraph 2
2. The European Clean Aviation Scientific Advisory Body shall have no more than 15 permanent members., who are not members of any of the other bodies under this joint undertaking
Amendment 721 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 68 – paragraph 3
3. The chairperson of the European Aviation Scientific Advisory Body shall be elected among its members for the duration of two years.
Amendment 722 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 68 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. There should be at least one scientific expert with a background in environment and climate science in the context of aviation.
Amendment 723 #
Amendment 725 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 71 – title
Additional objectives of the CleanRenewable Hydrogen Joint Undertaking
Amendment 729 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 71 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) to contribute to the objectives set out in the 2030 Climate Target Plan51 , and the European Green Deal52 , by raising the EU's ambition onin terms of energy efficiency savings and the expansion of renewables as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions to at least 55% below 1990 levels by 2030, and for achieving climate neutrality by 2050 at the latest; _________________ 51 COM/2020/562 final. 52 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, COM/2019/640 final.
Amendment 734 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 71 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) to contribute to the implementation of the 2020 European Commission’s Hydrogen Strategy for a climate neutral Europe53 and the EU Strategy for Energy System Integration; _________________ 53 COM(2020) 301 final: A hydrogen strategy for a climate-neutral Europe.
Amendment 735 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 71 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) to strengthen the competitiveness of the Union cleanrenewable hydrogen value chain, with a view to supporting, notably the SMEs involved, accelerating the market entry of innovative competitive cleanhighly energy efficient and renewable based solutions;
Amendment 739 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 71 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) to stimulate cleancontribute to the stimulation of renewable hydrogen production, distribution, storage and end use applications.
Amendment 744 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 71 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) improve through research and innovation the cost-effectiveness, reliability, quantity and quality of cleanrenewable hydrogen solutions, including production, distribution, storage and end uses developed in the Union such as more efficient and cheaper hydrogen electrolysers, reduction of energy and conversion losses and cheaper transport and industrial applications;
Amendment 748 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 71 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) carry out demonstrations of cleanrenewable hydrogen solutions with the view to local, regional and Union-wide deployment, addressing renewable production, distribution, storage, and use for transport and energy-intensive industries as well as other applications, where renewables-based electrification or no other cost-effective or technical alternative exists; ;
Amendment 753 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 71 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) increase public and private awareness, acceptance, and uptake of cleanrenewable hydrogen solutions, in particular through cooperation with other European partnerships under Horizon Europe.
Amendment 754 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 71 – paragraph 2 – point d a (new)
(d a) contribute to improving EU safety and technical standards enhancing the safety and safe handling of renewable based hydrogen and related technologies and applications.
Amendment 758 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 72 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) assess and monitor technological progress and technological, economic and societal barriers to market entry as well as impact on the environment;
Amendment 761 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 72 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) notwithstanding the Commission’s policy prerogatives, under the Commission’s policy guidance and supervision, contribute toat the request of the collect feedback together with abroad range of other stakeholders as part of a public process on the development of regulations and standards with the view to eliminating barriers to market entry, minimising the environmental, climate and social impacts, including in 3rd countries, and to supporting interchangeability, inter- operability, and trade across the internal market and globally;
Amendment 768 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 73 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(c a) the associated members to be selected in accordance with Article 7.
Amendment 771 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 75 – paragraph 2
2. The contribution referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall consist of both in-kind and financial contributions to the CleanRenewable Hydrogen Joint Undertaking in accordance with Article 11(1).
Amendment 773 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 76 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. For the purpose of point (b) of Article 11(1), additional activities may include activities directly linked to the activities of the CleanRenewable Hydrogen Joint Undertaking andnot financed by it but contributing to its objectives, including the following: :
Amendment 775 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 76 – paragraph 1 – point e
(e) awareness-raising activities on renewable hydrogen technologies and safety measures;
Amendment 778 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 77 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(c a) the Independent Scientific Advisory Board
Amendment 779 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 78 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) six representatives of the Commission on behalf of the Union;
Amendment 780 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 78 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) six representatives of Hydrogen Europe, having regard to geographical, gender, and sector representmembers other than the Union representing different parts of the value chain with at least one of them coming from a SME and one from non-profit civil society organisation;
Amendment 781 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 78 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) onesix representative of Hydrogen Europe Research.the Independent Scientific Advisory Board
Amendment 782 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 79 – paragraph 1
1. In addition to the voting rules set out in Article 15(2), the Industry Grouping shall hold 43 % of the voting rights and the Research Grouping 7 % of the voting rights in the Governing BoardGoverning Board shall make every effort to achieve consensus. Failing consensus, the Governing Board shall take its decisions by simple majority.
Amendment 783 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 79 – paragraph 2
2. The chairperson of the Governing Board shall be a representative of the private membersresearch community and shall be appointed by the Governing Board.
Amendment 785 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 80 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) foster synergies with relevant activities and programmes at Union, national, and regional level, in particular with those supporting the deployment of research and innovation solutions, infrastructure, education and regional development on the use of cleanrenewable hydrogen;
Amendment 787 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 80 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) provide pursuant to point (b) of Article 5(2) and Article 16(l) strategic orientation as regards the collaboration with other European partnerships, including the partnerships towards zero emission road transport, zero emission waterborne, Europe’s rail, clean aviation, processes for the planet and clean steel in accordance with their respective Strategic Research and Innovation Agendas as well as the EU Energy System Integration Strategy and related initiatives on energy efficiency, electrification and renewables, or other equivalent document; ;
Amendment 790 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 80 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) encourage market uptake of technologies and solutions for achievingin line with the European Green Deal’s objectives.
Amendment 794 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 81 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) support and contribute to other Union initiatives related to renewable hydrogen, subject to approval by the Governing Board;
Amendment 796 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 81 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) convene an annual European Clean Hydrogen partnership forum, which, where possible, shall be held jointly and in parallel with the European Hydrogen Forum of the Clean Hydrogen Alliance.
Amendment 798 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 81 a (new)
Article 81 a Independent Scientific Advisory Board The Independent Scientific Advisory Board shall consist of 9 members following an open selection process in application of Article 19(4) and which are not part of any of the other bodies of this Joint Undertaking. The membership of the Independent Scientific Advisory Board shall be geographically and gender-balanced. The members shall reflect a balanced representation of worldwide recognised experts from academia, of which at least two scientific expertise in the fields of environment and climate. Collectively, the members shall have the necessary scientific competencies and expertise covering the technical domain needed to make science-based recommendations to the Renewable Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, including in the field of renewables and energy system integration. In addition to the tasks set out in Article 19, the Independent Scientific Advisory Board shall also perform the following tasks: (a) provide input on the scientific, strategic and technological and innovation priorities and potential social, environmental and climate impacts tobe addressed in the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda and subsequent work programmes; (b) provide suggestions to enable concrete synergies to take place between the Renewable Hydrogen Joint Undertaking and programmes, policies and sectors with which synergies will be deemed of added value; (c) provide advice to the Governing Board on strategies to promote scientific excellence; (d) provide input to the Stakeholder Forum. The Independent Scientific Advisory Board shall adopt its rules of procedure.
Amendment 800 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 82 – paragraph 2
2. The Stakeholders Group shall consist of representatives of sectors which generate, distribute, store, need or use cleanrenewable hydrogen across the Union, including the representatives of other relevant European partnerships, as well as representatives of the European Hydrogen Valleys Interregional Partnership, representatives from the renewables sector and with expertise on energy system integration, electrification and energy efficiency as well as representatives from non-profit civil society organisations.
Amendment 805 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 82 – paragraph 3 – point b
(b) provide suggestions to enable concrete synergies to take place between the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking and the adjacent sectors or any sector with which synergies are deemed of added value in particular through the lenses of the energy efficiency first principle and energy system integration.;
Amendment 807 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 82 – paragraph 3 – point c
Amendment 812 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 83 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) deliver an integrated European railway network by design, eliminating barriers to interoperability and providing solutions for full integration, covering traffic management, vehicles, infrastructure and services, including through-ticketing and providing the best answer to the needs and rights of passengers and businesses, accelerating uptake of innovative solutions to support the Single European Railway Area, while increasing capacity and reliability and decreasing costs of railway transport;
Amendment 836 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 97 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) to reduce the socio-economic burden of infectious diseases, in particular poverty-related and neglected diseases, in sub- Saharan Africa promoting the development and uptake of new or improved health technologies, diagnosis and treatments that are affordable, accessible and suitable for low resource settings;
Amendment 844 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 106 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. The Scientific committee shall have a balanced representation of stakeholders from a geographical, thematic and gender perspective, and in particular African expertise.
Amendment 847 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 106 – paragraph 2 – point j a (new)
(j a) assess applications of aspirant contributing partners to the Global Health Joint Undertaking, and advise the governing board on rejecting or accepting applications and on the scope a potential collaboration should have.
Amendment 849 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 107 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
The Stakeholders Group shall have a balanced representation of stakeholders from a geographic, thematic and gender perspective, including in particular African expertise, and should foster membership and meaningful involvement of non-profit civil society, especially non- governmental organisations working with communities most affected by poverty- related and neglected infectious diseases. In addition to the tasks set out in Article 21, the Stakeholders’ Group shall also perform the following tasks:
Amendment 851 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 111 – title
Collaboration with the European Medicine Agency and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and relevant African agencies and organisations
Amendment 852 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 111 – paragraph 1
The Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking shall ensure a close collaboration with the European Medicine Agency and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control as well as with relevant African agencies and organisations, including the Africa Centres for Disease Control, African Union's Regional Economic Communities, NEPAD-AUDA, and the African Academy of Sciences.
Amendment 856 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 112 – paragraph 1
Participants to indirect actions funded by the Global Health EDCTP3 Joint Undertaking shall ensure that the products and services developed based or partly based on the results of the indirect action are available and, accessible to the publicand affordable for vulnerable populations and to the public general, in particular in low-resource settings, at fair and reasonable conditions. For that purpose, where relevant, the work programme shall specify additional exploitation obligations applicable to specific indirect actions.
Amendment 858 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 113 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) contribute towards the creation of a Union-wide health research and innovation ecosystem that facilitates translation of scientific knowledge into innovationel products or services, notably by launching at least 30 large- scale, cross-sectoral projects, focussing on health innovations;
Amendment 861 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 113 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) foster the development of safe, effective, people-centred, affordable for patients and for health care systems and cost-effective innovations that respond to strategic unmet public health needs, by exhibiting, in at least five examples, the feasibility of integrating health care products or services, with demonstrated suitability for uptake by health care systems. The related projects should address the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and/or management of diseases affecting the Union population, including contribution to Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and the European One Health Action Plan against Antimicrobial Resistance;;
Amendment 865 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 113 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) contribute towards a better understanding of the determinants of health andenvironmental and health determinants , unmet medical needs, emergency preparedness, infectious diseases, including poverty- related diseases, non-communicable and rare diseases and other priority disease areas;
Amendment 867 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 113 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) integrate fragmented health research and innovation efforts bringing together health industry sectors and other stakeholders, focussing on unmet public health needs, to enable the development of tools, data, platforms, technologies and processes for improved prediction, prevention, interception, diagnosis, treatment and management of diseases, meeting the needs of patients and end- users and overcoming market failure for unmet medical needs;
Amendment 868 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 113 – paragraph 2 – point c a (new)
(c a) ensure that beneficiaries comply with the principles of accessibility, effectiveness, affordability and availability
Amendment 869 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 113 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) exploit the full potential of digitalisation and data exchange in health care , while strictly respecting the principles of data protection as defined in Article 27 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 EUDPR, while also;
Amendment 873 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 114 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) foster close and long-term cooperation between the Union, other members, contributing partners, and other stakeholders involved in health care such as other relevant industries, health care authorities (such as regulatory bodies, health technology assessment bodies and payers), patient organisations, health care professionals and providers, as well as the academiathe academia as well as non-profit civil society organisations;
Amendment 875 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 114 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) ensure that all stakeholders have the possibility of proposing areas for future calls for proposals based on meaningful regular open consultations and the organisation of an annual Stakeholder Forum meeting;
Amendment 877 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 114 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) regularly review and make any necessary adjustments to the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda of the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking in light of scientific developments occurring during its implementation or emerging public health needs and emergencies;
Amendment 878 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 114 – paragraph 1 – point e
(e) publish timely information on the projects, including participating entities and the amount of the financial contribution of the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking and committed in-kind contributions per participant as well as the minutes of the governing board;
Amendment 880 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 117 – paragraph 2
2. The contributions referred to in paragraph 1 shall consist of in-kind and financial contributions to the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking in accordance with Article 11(1).
Amendment 882 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 117 – paragraph 6
6. Work programmes of the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking mayshall set out specific limits for in-kind contributions to operational costs incurred in third countries other than countries associated with Horizon Europe at an indirect action level. The decisions on such specific limits shall take into account in particular the objectives and the impact sought by the actions concerned and shall not result in an excess of the ceiling set out in paragraph 5 at the Innovative Health Initiative programme level.
Amendment 883 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 118 – paragraph 2
2. Where relevant, project proposals shall include a plan forquantifying their related additional activities. Costs associated to such project-specific additional activities do not substitute for the in kind contributions from the Members other than the Union or their constituent entities and must be incurred between the date of submission of the proposal and up to two years after the end date of the indirect action.
Amendment 884 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 118 – paragraph 3
3. In order for the costs to be accounted for as in-kind contributions referred to in point (b) of Article 11(1), tThe underlying additional activities shall be carried out in the European Union or countries associated to Horizon Europe.
Amendment 885 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 119 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(b a) Independent Scientific Advisory Board
Amendment 886 #
Amendment 887 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 120 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(b a) 5 representatives Independent Scientific Advisory Board
Amendment 888 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 121 – paragraph 1
The members other than the Union shall collectively hold 5049 % of the voting rights.
Amendment 892 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 122 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) twofour independent representatives of the scientific community not part of any of the other bodies of the Joint Undertaking , appointed by the Governing Board following an open and transparent selection process in application of Article 19(4) having declared any absence of potential conflict of interest;
Amendment 895 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 122 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) up to six permanent panellistrepresentatives, appointed by the Governing Board following an open selection process in application of Article 19(4), ensuring in particular appropriate representation of stakeholders involved in health care, covering notably the public sector, patients and end-user, end-users and non-profit civil society organisations in general;
Amendment 901 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 122 – paragraph 4 – introductory part
4. Notwithstanding the States’ Representatives Group’s tasks set out in Article 20(7), the Innovation Panel shall provide advice to the Governing Board, at its request or on its own initiative, on scientific and technological matters related to the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking’s objectives taking into account the advise of the Independent scientific advisory body, in particular about:
Amendment 902 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 122 – paragraph 4 – point e
(e) creation of synergies with other Horizon Europe activities, including other European partnerships and missions, in particular EDCTP3, as well as other Union funding programmes and national funding programmes.
Amendment 903 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 122 – paragraph 4 – point e a (new)
(e a) societal uptake, accessibility and affordability in particular for vulnerable people and society at large.
Amendment 904 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 122 – paragraph 5
5. The Innovation Panel shall be chaired by the Executive Director. In duly justified cases, the Executive Director may appoint a senior member of staff of the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking programme office to chair the Innovation Panel on his or her behalf.permanent representatives of the Innovation Panel shall elect its chair from among its members, in accordance with Article 19(5)
Amendment 912 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 122 – paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Both permanent and ad hoc membership in the Stakeholder Group shall be transparent, with strong conflict of interest rules applied to all members in accordance with Article 44.
Amendment 913 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 122 – paragraph 8 b (new)
8 b. The permanent representatives of the Stakeholders Group shall be appointed based on their competences and expertise, in order to ensure the provision of science- and public health needs-based recommendations to the joint undertaking.
Amendment 914 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 122 – paragraph 8 c (new)
8 c. The Stakeholders Group shall regularly organise open consultations with public and private stakeholders, including non-profit civil society organisations, organised groups active in the field of the joint undertaking, international interest groups from member states, associated countries as well as from other countries, in application of Articles 21(2) and (3). These consultations shall inform the joint undertaking’s planned initiatives, promote international collaboration, encourage exploitation of research and innovation results, and foster cooperation and the creation of synergies with other EU and global initiatives.
Amendment 915 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 122 a (new)
Article 122 a Independent Scientific Advisory Board In addition to the tasks set out in Article 19, the Independent Scientific Advisory Board shall also perform the following tasks: (a) provide input on the scientific, strategic and technological and innovation priorities to be addressed in the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda and subsequent work programmes; (b) provide suggestions to enable concrete synergies to take place between the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking and programmes, policies and sectors with which synergies will be deemed of added value; (c) provide advice to the Governing Board on strategies to promote scientific excellence; (d) provide input to the Innovation Panel.The Independent Scientific Advisory Board shall consist of eight independent representatives appointed following an open selection process in application of Article 19(4). The membership of the Independent Scientific Advisory Board shall be geographically and gender-balanced. The Independent Scientific Advisory Board shall adopt its rules of procedure.
Amendment 916 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 123 – paragraph 1
1. For the purpose of this Regulation, an unmet public health need shall be defined as a health need currently not addressed by the health care systems for availability, affordability or accessibility reasons, for example where there is no effective and efficient satisfactory method of diagnosis, prevention or treatment for a given public health challenge (both communicable and non-communicable diseases) or health condition or if people's access to health care is limited because of cost, including out of pocket payments, distance to health facilities or waiting times. This definition should be also informed by the core health indicators by WHO Europe, WHO Priority Medicines List and by the results of European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions survey (EU-SILC). People- centred care refers to an approach to care that consciously adopts individuals’, carers’, families’ and communities’ perspectives and considers them as participants as well as beneficiaries of health care systems that are organised around their needs and preferences rather than individual diseases.
Amendment 920 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 124 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) reinforce the Union’s open technological autonomyresilience in electronic components and systems to support future needs of vertical industries and the economy at large. The overall target is to contribute towards doubling the value of the design and production of electronic components and systems in Europe by 2030, in line with the weight of the Union in products and services;
Amendment 921 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 124 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) establish Union scientific excellence and innovation leadership in emerging components and systems technologies with the active involvement of SMEs. SMEs should represent at least one third of the total number of participants in indirect actions and at least 20% of public funding should go to them while public funding should lead to public results and technologies;
Amendment 923 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 124 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) ensure that components and systems technologies address Europe’s societal and environmental challenges. The target is to align with the Union policy on energy efficiency and contribute towards the reduction of energy consumption by 32.5% in 2030. as well as the Circular Economy Action Plan, including Eco design principles and sustainability by design..
Amendment 928 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 124 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) build a dynamic Union-wide ecosystem based on digital value-chains with simplified access to newcomers, including from non-profit civil society background and SMEs;
Amendment 931 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 124 – paragraph 2 – point f a (new)
(f a) make more use of open source solutions and/or open standards when (re)building Information and Communication Technology (ICT) technology, including those developed and/or promoted by EU programmes for interoperability and standardisation, such as ISA2
Amendment 936 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 126 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(b a) the associated members to be selected in accordance with Article 7
Amendment 943 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 128 – paragraph 4
4. The contributions referred to in paragraph 1 shall consist of contributions laid down in Article 11(4). The contributions referred to in paragraph 2 shall consist of contributions laid down in Article 11(1), including at least EUR 2 489 074 000 of contributions laid down in point (a) and (c) of Article 11(1). The contributions referred to in paragraph 3 shall consist of contributions as laid down in point (c) of Article 11(1).
Amendment 949 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 131 – paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(d a) Independent Scientific Advisory Board
Amendment 951 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 136 – paragraph 5
5. The chairperson may invite other persons to attend its meetings as observers, in particular representatives of regional authorities within the Union, representatives of SME associations, representatives of non-profit civil society organisations and representatives of other bodies of the Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking.
Amendment 952 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 137 a (new)
Article 137 a Independent Scientific Advisory Board In addition to the tasks set out in Article 19, the Independent Scientific Advisory Board shall also perform the following tasks: (a) provide input on the scientific, strategic and technological and innovation priorities to be addressed in the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda and subsequent work programmes; (b) provide suggestions to enable concrete synergies to take place between the Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking, policies and sectors with which synergies will be deemed of added value; (c) provide advice to the Governing Board on strategies to promote scientific excellence; (d) provide input to the Private Members Board. The Independent Scientific Advisory Board shall consist of eight independent representatives appointed following an open selection process in application of Article 19(4). The membership of the Independent Scientific Advisory Board shall be geographically and gender-balanced. The Independent Scientific Advisory Board shall adopt its rules of procedure.
Amendment 953 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 139 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Upon invitation from the Private Members Board, academia and non profits civil society organisations that are not a member of the Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking may participate in the Private Members Board meetings as an observer. Observers shall receive all relevant documents and may give advice on any decision taken by the Private Members Board. All such observers will be bound by the confidentiality rules applying to the Public Authorities Board members.
Amendment 954 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 140 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) drawevelop input as part of an open public consultation for the drawing up and regularly updateing of the draft Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for achieving the objectives of the Key Digital Technologies Joint Undertaking set out in Article 4 and in Article 124 taking into account the input of the public authorities and the advisory Stakeholder Forum;
Amendment 956 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 140 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) organise an advisory Stakeholder Forum that is open to all public and private stakeholders, including non-for profit civil society, having an interest in the field of key digital technologies to inform them about and collect input and feedback on the draft Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda and work programme for a given year;
Amendment 960 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 142 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) develop and accelerate the market uptake of innovative solutions to establish the Single European Sky airspace as the most efficient and environmentally friendly sky to fly in the world minimizing air and noise pollution and duly contributing to climate neutrality through the timely compliance with the objectives of the European Green Deal and the overall emissions’ reduction targets within the European Climate Law;..
Amendment 962 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 142 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) coordinate the prioritisation and planning for the Union’s ATM modernisation efforts, based on a consensus-led process among the ATM stakeholderfocused not only at improving the efficiency in the course of individual flights, but particularly also enabling the continuous adaptation of its overall capacity alongside the technological progress, in order to timely meet the sectorial emissions’ reduction objectives;
Amendment 966 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 149 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
The Governing Board shall be composed, ensuring sufficient technical knowledge of environmental and climate matters, as follows:
Amendment 968 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 150 – paragraph 2 – point g
(g) a representative of the relevant scientific institutions or the relevant scientific community, including with specific environment and climate expertise, designated by their representative organisation at European level:
Amendment 969 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 150 – paragraph 2 – point g a (new)
(g a) a representative of relevant climate and environment non-profit civil society organisations with specific expertise in air transport and the aviation sector
Amendment 970 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 150 – paragraph 3
3. The number of votes of the members of the Single European Sky ATM Research 3 Joint Undertaking shall be in proportion to their contribution to the budget of the joint undertaking. However, the Union and EUROCONTROL shall each have at least 25% of the total number of votes and the representative of the civil users of airspace referred to in point (b), scientific representatives as referred to in point (g) and of relevant environment and climate NGOs as referred to in point (gg) of paragraph 2 shall have at least 10 % of the total number of votes.
Amendment 972 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 153 – paragraph 2
2. The Scientific Committee shall have no more than 15 permanent members ensuring the presence of climate and environment experts.
Amendment 974 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 159 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) foster Europe’s technological sovereigntyresilience in future smart networks and services by reinforcing current industrial strengths and by extending the scope from 5G connectivity to the broader strategic value chain including cloud-based service provisioning as well as components and devices;
Amendment 976 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 159 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) advance European technological and scientific excellence to support European leadership to shape and master 6Gnew communication technologies systems by 2030;
Amendment 977 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 159 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) strengthen the deployment of digital infrastructures and uptake of digital solutionproducts and technologies in the European markets and in particular by ensuring a strategic coordination mechanism for CEF2 Digital as well as synergies within CEF2, and with DEP and InvestEU as part of the scope and governance of the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking;
Amendment 978 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 159 – paragraph 1 – point e
(e) prepare the European smart networks and services supply industry for the longer term opportunities emerging from the development of vertical markets for 5G and later 6Gcommunication infrastructures and services in Europe;
Amendment 982 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 159 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) facilitate the development of technologies able to meet advanced communication requirements while supporting European excellence in smart networks and services technologies and architectures and their evolution towards 6Gnew communication technologies, including strong European positions on standards, essential patents, and identification of key requirements, such as spectrum bands needed for future advanced smart network technologies;
Amendment 983 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 159 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) accelerate the development and widespread deployment of 5G by 2025 and later 6G infrastructure in Europe by, in particular, ensuring the coordination and strategic support of 5G deployment for Connected and Automated Mobility along cross-border corridors, using the CEF2 Digital programme and other deployment programmes under CEF2 Digital as well as DEP and InvestEU;new communication infrastructure by 2025
Amendment 985 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 159 – paragraph 2 – point f
(f) support alignment with ethical and security requirements, in particular privacy and security by default and by design, including them into the Strategic Research and Innovation Agendas and provide input to the Union’s legislative process as appropriate.
Amendment 986 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 160 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) contribute, when requested, to the work programmes of other Union programmes, such as CEF 2 Digital, DEP and InvestEU that are implementing activities in the area of smart networks and services;
Amendment 987 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 160 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) coordinfacilitate Union piloting and deployment initiatives in the field of smart networks and services, such as pan- European 5G corridors for connected and automated mobility under CEF2 Digital, in liaison with the Commission and competent relevant funding bodies;
Amendment 989 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 160 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) develop and coordinateprovide feedback for the strategic deployment agendas for pan- European 5G corridors for connected and automated mobility with the involvement of stakeholders. Those agendas shall be programmingindicative documents covering the duration of CEF2 Digital by defining a common vision for the development of 5G- enabled ecosystems and the underpinning network and services requirements, and identifying deployment objectives and roadmaps as well as potential cooperation models.
Amendment 990 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 164 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) spin off research and development activities, in particular open source technology and software;
Amendment 991 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 164 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) contributions to standardisation, in particular for open standards;
Amendment 992 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 164 – paragraph 1 – point e
(e) contributions to activities of the 5G Infrastructure Association and any otherresearch, development and deployment activities groups or association of stakeholders in the area of the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking, not funded under a grant by thte Union ;
Amendment 993 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 164 – paragraph 1 – point f
(f) activities to develop the ecosystem including building open, interoperable and cooperative communication technologies and networks and cooperation with verticals;
Amendment 995 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 165 – paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(c a) Independent Scientific Advisory Board
Amendment 997 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 166 – paragraph 1 – point b a (new)
(b a) five representatives of the Independent Scientific Advisory Board
Amendment 998 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 167 – paragraph 1
The members of the 5G Infrastructure Association shall collectively hold 5049 % of the voting rights.
Amendment 999 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 168 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) adopt own strategic deployment agendas and, if appropriate, amend them throughout the duration of CEF2 Digital programme;
Amendment 1000 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 168 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) ensure that Union cybersecurity legislation and Member States’ existing and future coordinated guidance are implemented properly and beyond taken into consideration in all the activities of the Smart Network and Services Joint Undertaking;
Amendment 1001 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 168 – paragraph 1 – point c
(c) promote synergies and complementarities between the digital, transport and energy sectors of CEF2 through the identification of intervention areas and possible contribution to the work programmes, as well as synergies and complementarities with the other relevant Union programmes.
Amendment 1002 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 169 a (new)
Article 169 a Independent Scientific Advisory Board In addition to the tasks set out in Article 19, the Independent Scientific Advisory Board shall also perform the following tasks: (a) provide input on the scientific, strategic and technological and innovation priorities to be addressed in the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda and subsequent work programmes; (b) provide suggestions to enable concrete synergies to take place between the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking and programmes, policies and sectors with which synergies will be deemed of added value; (c) provide advice to the Governing Board on strategies to promote scientific excellence; (d) provide input to the the 5G Infrastructure Association. The Independent Scientific Advisory Board shall consist of eight independent representatives appointed following an open selection process in application of Article 19(4). The membership of the Independent Scientific Advisory Board shall be geographically and gender-balanced. The Independent Scientific Advisory Board shall adopt its rules of procedure.
Amendment 1003 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 171 – paragraph 1
1. The activities of the joint undertakings shall be subject to continuous monitoring and periodic reviews in accordance with their financial rules, to ensure the highest impact, scientific excellence and the most, societal added value and the most effective and efficient use of resources. The outcomes of monitoring and periodic reviews shall feed into the monitoring of European partnerships and evaluations of the Joint Undertakings as part of Horizon Europe evaluations.
Amendment 1004 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 171 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. The joint undertakings should organise continuous monitoring of their management and implementation activities and periodic reviews of the outputs, results and impacts of their projects implemented in accordance with [Article 45] and [Annex III and V] of the Horizon Europe Regulation. That monitoring shall result in annual progress reports that are made public on the respective website of each partnership in a timely manner, and shall include:
Amendment 1006 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 171 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) information on the level of mainstreaming social sciences and humanities, the ratio between lower and higher Technology Readiness Levels in collaborative research, the progress on widening countries participation, the geographical composition of consortia in collaborative projects, the use of two stage submission and evaluation procedure, the measures aimed at facilitating collaborative links in European research and innovation, the use of the evaluation review and the number and types of complaints, the level of climate mainstreaming and related expenditures, SME participation, private sector participation, integration of the gender dimension in the content of funded actions as well as gender participation in funded actions, evaluation panels, boards and advisory groups, the co- funding rate, the complementary and cumulative funding from other Union funds, the time-to-grant, the level of international cooperation, engagement of citizens’ and civil society participation and open access practices;
Amendment 1007 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 171 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) the levels of expenditure disaggregated at project level in order to allow for specific analysis, including per intervention area as well as the respective contribution to Horizon Europe's climate mainstreaming target;
Amendment 1008 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 171 – paragraph 2 – point d a (new)
(d a) reporting on measures for attracting newcomers and for expanding collaborative networks
Amendment 1009 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 171 – paragraph 2 – point d b (new)
(d b) reporting on quantitative and qualitative leverage effects, including on committed and actually provided financial and in-kind contributions by members other than the Union.
Amendment 1010 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 171 – paragraph 4
4. The Commission shall carry out and publish an interim and a final evaluation of each Joint Undertaking feeding into the Horizon Europe evaluations, as specified in [Article 47] of the Horizon Europe Regulation. The evaluations shall examine how each joint undertaking fulfils its mission and objectives, cover all activities of the joint undertaking and evaluate the joint undertaking’s concerned European added value, effectiveness, efficiency, including its openness and transparency, the relevance of the activities pursued as regards EU overarching policies and goals, in particular their contribution to achieving climate neutrality and the twin transition as well as contributing to societal needs and benefits and their coherence and complementarity with relevant regional, national and Union policies, including synergies with other Partnerships and other parts of Horizon Europe, such as missions, clusters or thematic or specific programmes. The evaluations shall take into account the views of stakeholders, at both European and national level and shall, where relevant, also include an assessment of the long-term scientific, societal, economic and technological impacts of the initiatives referred to in paragraphs (3) to (9) of Article 174 and annex V of the Horizon Europe [Regulation]. The evaluations shall also include, where relevant, an assessment of the most effective policy intervention mode for any future action, as well as the relevance and coherence of any possible renewal of each joint undertaking given the overall policy priorities and the research and innovation support landscape, including its positioning against other initiatives supported through the Framework Programme, in particular European partnerships or missions. The evaluations shall also take due account of the phasing out plan adopted by the Governing Board in accordance with Article 16(2)(y).
Amendment 1011 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 171 – paragraph 6
6. The Commission may carry out further evaluations of themes or topics of strategic relevance, with the assistance of external independent experts selected on the basis of an open and transparent proccall for expression of interesst, to examine the progress made by a joint undertaking towards the objectives set, identify activities not inconsistency with overarching EU policies and goals as well as identify the factors contributing to the implementation of the activities and identify best practices. By carrying out those further evaluations, the Commission shall fully consider the administrative impact on the joint undertaking concerned.
Amendment 1014 #
2021/0048(NLE)
Article 171 – paragraph 9
9. The Commission shall publish and communicate the results of the evaluations of the joint undertakings, which shall include conclusions of the evaluation and observations by the Commission, to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions as part of the Horizon Europe evaluations referred to in [Article 47] of the Horizon Europe Regulation.
Amendment 3 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 1
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2019 / Postpones its decision on granting the Commission discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2019;
Amendment 6 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 2
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2019 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2019;
Amendment 7 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 3
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Acting Director of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium- sized Enterprises discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2019 / Postpones its decision on granting the Acting Director of the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2019;
Amendment 8 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 4
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2019 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2019;
Amendment 9 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 5
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2019 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the European Research Council Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2019;
Amendment 10 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 6
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Research Executive Agency discharge in relation to the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2019 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Research Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2019;
Amendment 11 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 7
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Grants the Director of the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2019 / Postpones its decision on granting the Director of the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency discharge in respect of the implementation of the Agency’s budget for the financial year 2019;
Amendment 12 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Proposal for a decision 8
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Approves the closure of the accounts of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2019 / Postpones the closure of the accounts of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2019;
Amendment 13 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. the Union budget is a significant instrument for achieving common policy objectives, and on average represents 1.0 % of EU gross national income or 2,1 % of the Member States’ general government expenditure and total public spending in the Union;
Amendment 15 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. when the Parliament grants discharge to the Commission, it verifies and evaluates whether or not funds have been used correctly and policy goals have been achieved, thus confirming the regularity and the performance – value for money of the Commission’s spending;
Amendment 19 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. as a direct consequence of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) the Committee on Budgetary Control could not organise or fully carry out all of its planned activities related to the usual controls of the EU institutions’ spending, i.e. its fact finding missions, public hearings or workshops and thus had to rely even more on the work of the Court;
Amendment 22 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights, with regard to the implementation of the Union budget, the importance of complying with the principle of sound financial management as enshrined in Article 317 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU); recalls that the fully functioning principle of the rule of law is a precondition of the effective implementation of the budget;
Amendment 24 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Notes that the new regulation on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget is applicable since 1st January 2021;stresses that the Court of Justice of the European Union has already unequivocally established in its recent judgment in case C-5/16 Poland v EP & Council[1]that statements contained in European Council Conclusions cannot prevail over or modify the text of the regulation;calls therefore on the European Commission, as “Guardian of the Treaties" to apply the regulation from the date it entered into force and start the rule of law mechanisms when it is necessary; [1] Judgment of 21 June 2018, EU:C:2018:483.
Amendment 28 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Is concerned about the state of rule of law in certain member states and urges the Commission to continue monitoring the situation and initiate the necessary procedures as laid down in the Regulation on the protection of the Union's budget in case of generalized deficiencies as regards the rule of law in the Member States without hesitating;
Amendment 32 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5 c. Deplores the fact that the implementation of the CAP and the Cohesion Policy in EU Member States has in total 292 reporting systems, which makes the data fragmented and non- comparable, and prevents the effective use of AI and big data to control the funds; deplores the fact that none of the CAP and Cohesion policy reporting systems contains information on the ultimate beneficiaries, that disclosing this information is not legally required, and that not all information on beneficial owners of the companies is available in the national central registers of all Member States; calls on the Commission remedy the situation as a matter of urgency to create a unified reporting system which is updated automatically with comparable and timely data to make the system capable of monitoring, controlling with the use of AI and big data; calls on the Commission to make the publication of all information on beneficial owners as a legal requirement as a prerequisite for the use of EU funds as a matter of urgency;
Amendment 37 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Recalls that Commission established the Early Detection and Exclusion System to reinforce the protection of the Union's financial interests and to ensure sound financial management and to ensure that those companies and beneficial owners cannot benefit from EU funds who have been convicted in relation of fraud or corruption or other criminal activities related to use of Union funds, or against whom at least OLAF issued judicial recommendations to the criminal authorities of the Member States as of 1 January 2016; deplores the fact that this “EU blacklist” contains only 5 companies at the moment, is of the opinion that this tool could help the EU institutions and national bodies to better fight and prevent corruption and fraud in the Member States; calls therefore on the Commission to improve its use of this tool to connect the blacklist to the OLAF and EPPO and the national databases and create an automated system, which updates this database with reliable and timely information;
Amendment 45 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points out that Article 61 of the Financial Regulation has provided since August 2018 for an enlarged definition of conflicts of interests; emphasises the Commission’s responsibility to ensure that these provisions are implemented with due diligence across the Union, and all forms of conflicts of interests are tackled efficiently and effectively throughout the implementation of the Union budget; stresses the importance of available public information on final beneficiaries for all EU financial transfers, in order to prevent conflicts of interest in the implementation of EU budget;
Amendment 46 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Recalls that a number of scandals surrounding the distribution and the misuse of the EU funds in countries such as Bulgaria,Czechia or Slovakia and Romania, triggered massive public protests in recent months and years, with the EU citizens looking to the EU institutions, in particular to the Commission, to ensure the end of such mismanagement of public money;
Amendment 49 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reiterates its call on the Commission to ensure proper evaluation of the preventive measures taken by the Member States to avoid conflicts of interests; welcomes, in this regard, the guidelines from the Commission “Guidance on avoidance of conflicts of interest under the Financial Regulation”, distributed to the Member States in August 2020, aiming to promote a uniform interpretation and application of rules concerning conflicts of interests and to raise awareness on the applicability of these rules, including in relation to shared management; calls on the Commission to make these Guidelines public and also share the information about the audits carried out on these issues and examples of good practice with both Member States’ authorities and the Committee on Budgetary Control;
Amendment 52 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the new corporate Anti- Fraud Strategy, adopted by the Commission in April 2019, on OLAF’s initiative, with the objective of enhancing the Commission’s knowledge about fraud and its analytical capability to steer anti- fraud action, to ensure cooperation among departments and executive agencies in fighting fraud, and to strengthen the corporate oversight of the fight against fraud; calls on the Commission to prepare a follow-up report on the efficiency of its implementation and first results achieved and reports back to the discharge authority;
Amendment 56 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Notes with concern that in the period between January 2015 and December 2019 there was no decision taken by judicial authorities following OLAF’s recommendation in 199 cases and only in 178 cases was any decision taken1a; calls the Member States to properly follow-up all recommendations by OLAF; 1 _________________ 1ahttps://ec.europa.eu/anti- fraud/sites/antifraud/files/olaf_report_201 9_en.pdf
Amendment 57 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Endorses the recommendations from the Court of Auditors’ (the “Court”) Annual report on the 2019 financial year and the Report of the European Court of Auditors on the performance of the EU budget and encourages the Commission and other relevant parties to implement them as soon as possible while emphasising some of the most important and urgent recommendations below;
Amendment 61 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Calls on the Commission to pay increased attention and allocate increased staff and budget of the Commission to Member States, whose management and control systems are only partially or not reliable, where there is an increased risk of fraud and corruption related to funds and especially those Member States who did not join to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office;
Amendment 84 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Notes that the Court audited transactions worth a total of EUR 126,1 billion (out of EUR 159,1 billion of total Union spending), and that ‘Natural resources’ made up the largest share (47,2 %) of the Court’s overall audit population, followed by ‘Cohesion’ (22,5 %) and ‘Competitiveness’ (13,2 %);
Amendment 85 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5 c. Notes that in 2019 the Court provided specific error rates for four MFF headings: ‘Competitiveness’, ‘Cohesion’, ‘Natural resources ’and ‘Administration’; points out that the Court found the highest estimated level of error in spending under ‘Economic, social and territorial cohesion‘(4,4 %);
Amendment 86 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5 d. Notes that the Court did not estimate levels of error for areas of expenditure under MFF headings 3 ‘Security and citizenship’ and 4 ‘Global Europe’; points out that the provision of error rates would allow comparability between financial years;
Amendment 91 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Deeply regrets, however, that following the worsening trend of the level of error, for the first time in four years the Court had to issue an adverse opinion on the legality and regularity of the expenditure underlying the accounts;
Amendment 98 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Points outo the fact that, as in previous years, eligibility errors (namely ineligible costs in costs claims and ineligible projects, activities or beneficiaries) in reimbursement-based payments, where expenditure is often subject to complex rules, were the main contributors to the 2019 estimated level of error for high-risk expenditure at 74% (compared to 68 % in 2018);
Amendment 103 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Deeply regrets that the information and reports the Commission receives from Member States’ authorities often lack the data on concrete results or include too optimistic assessments, and that Commission’s particular role, as reflected in its methodology, and weaknesses in ex- post checks, which are a critical part of the control system, affects the Commission’s estimates of errors;
Amendment 104 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
Amendment 109 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
Amendment 113 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
Amendment 121 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. RegretsPoints to the adoption of three amending budgets in 2019, adding EUR 0,4 billion to commitment appropriations and EUR 0,3 billion to payment appropriations;
Amendment 126 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. RegretsIs deeply concerned of the fact that outstanding commitments have continued to grow, reaching EUR 298,0 billion at the end of 2019 (compared to EUR 281,2 billion in 2018); notes that the level of payment appropriations in the annual budgets has been noticeably lower than the MFF ceiling in recent years, which might lead to higher payment needs in the futuredemands for payments in2022 and 2023 and poses a serious risk to the liquidity of the EU budget;
Amendment 135 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes furthermore that by the start of 2019, after the current MFF had been in place for five years, only approximately 17 % of the total ESI funding committed through Financial Instruments under Shared Management (FISMs) had reached its final recipient; recalls here repeated scepticism expressed by the Parliament over strong support of the Commission of the financial instruments;
Amendment 138 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. NotesIs concerned that, as in previous years, substantial amounts of unused annual ESIF pre-financing was returned to the Union budget (EUR 7,7 billion in 2019), due mainly to delays in implementation;
Amendment 140 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. NotesStresses the fact that the main financial risks to which the Union budget was exposed to in 2019 were associated with financial operations in form of loans covered directly by the Union budget (53,7 %), and financial operations covered by an Union guarantee fund (46,3 %); observes that, when adding the possible future payments relating to the EFSI (European Fund for Strategic Investments) guarantee, the amount of the total risk borne by the Union budget reached EUR 90,5 billion by the end of 2019;
Amendment 147 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Notes that the current agreement between the Commission, the EIB and the Court concerning audits of operations which are financed or backed by the Union budget expiresd in 2020; views this an opportunity to ensure that the Court is enabledrenewed agreement will enable the Court to audit the regularity and also the performance of the EIB activities, which do not fall under a specific Union mandate;
Amendment 152 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 – indent 1
Paragraph 25 – indent 1
- closely follow payment needs, prepares possible scenarios with concrete solutions keeping in mind that the Union is not allowed to run on budgetary deficit and take action, within its institutional remit, with a view to ensuring the availability of payment appropriations taking into account the risk of insufficient payment appropriations and the extraordinary needs arising from the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 155 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26 a. In its support to the new European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) calls on the Commission to provide the EPPO with all necessary resources to allow them to work in full capacity while not weakening the work of OLAF; further calls on all EU Member States to join the EPPO and delegate their Prosecutors chosen based on clear and transparent criteria;
Amendment 167 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Strongly supports the recommendation that the Commission should improve explanations concerning the determination of targets and supporting data. Targets should be specific, ambitious but realistic and at the same time measurable on basis of reliable data. Emphasises, at the same time, that result and impact indicators are better suited for performance measurement and allow for a broader impact assessment than input and output indicators;
Amendment 170 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Calls on the Commission to include in its performance reports greater analysis of the efficiencyectiveness and economy (cost- effectiveness) of programmes when information becomes available, more systematic analysis of the significant external factors affecting programme performance; clear assessments of all the performance indicators reported on as regards whether they are on track to meet their targets; clear and balanced assessments of performance, covering all programme objectives in appropriate detail;
Amendment 171 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Underlines that according to the Financial Regulation, sound financial management implies effectiveness, efficiency and economy, and that the Commission should ensure a focus on all three elements; further notes that the International Audit Guidelines on performance now also include elements like Equality, Environment and Ethics and calls on the Commission to broaden its assessments by also looking into these areas;
Amendment 180 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Notes that in 2019, the expenditure from the Union budget amounted to EUR 147 billion, distributed over more than 240 000 payments; points out that 71 % of the budget was implemented under shared management, and the remainder was either spent directly by the Commission (22%) or indirectly in cooperation with entrusted entities (7 %);
Amendment 181 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Observes the Commission’s estimate that, in 2019, climate-related expenditure amounted to EUR 35 billion, equal to 21 % of the Union budget, and that cumulatively over the 2014-2020 period the Union budget will have contributed EUR 211 billion, equal to 19,8 % of total spending, to climate objectives, which falls slightly short of the initial target of 20 % due to lower contributions during the first years of the period; calls on the Commission to do its best to boost climate-related expenditure for the 2014- 2020 period with a view to a much more ambitious targets for the 2021 –2028 period;
Amendment 182 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Notes that, according to the Commission, the corrective measures confirmed amounted to EUR 1,5 billion in 2019 (25 % higher than in 2018); points to the fact that some Member States have seen a much more substantive correction amounts than others; calls on the Commission to adopt its audit sample to include these countries in their regular checks on a more frequent basis;
Amendment 183 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Observes that, for 2019, the Commission’s estimate for the overall risk at closure was at 0,7 % (compared to 0,8 % in 2018) of the relevant expenditure; notes that due to the higher risk at payment in relation to cohesion spending, the overall risk at payment estimated by the Commission was higher than in previous years, at 2,1 % for 2019 (compared to 1,7 % in 2018), but as the estimated future corrections were also higher (1,4 %, compared to 0,9 % in 2018), the Commission arrived at a stable risk at closure, and with an estimate of risk at closure of less than 2 %, the Commission considered that its multiannual control systems ensured effective protection of the Union budget; points out furthermore that in the Commission’s own estimate, the expenditure with risk at payment above the materiality threshold was very high at EUR 67 billion;
Amendment 186 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38 a. Observes that the Commission considered that its multiannual control systems ensured effective protection of the Union budget; points out furthermore that in the Commission’s own estimate, the expenditure with risk at payment above the materiality threshold was very high at EUR 67 billion; urges the Commission to adopt an ambitious action plan with measures allowing to significantly lower these risks;
Amendment 191 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 – introductory part
Paragraph 39 – introductory part
39. NotesObserves with alert that, with regard to the Commission’s own estimate of risk at payment, the Court has highlighted certain issues for specific MFF headingpresented in the text below for specific MFF headings and urges the Commission to respond to these findings with concrete actions:
Amendment 202 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Takes note of shortcomings in the Member States’ management of duties not yet collected, as reported in 15 of the 27 TOR inspection reports issued in 2019 by the Commission; is of opinion that (the findings in 10 of these 15 reports that were classified as systematic in nature) should be made available to the members of the Parliament’s relevant committees;
Amendment 205 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Underlines with great concern that two main systemic weaknesses concern the lack of Union- wide standards for the performance of customs controls for mitigating the risk of undervalued imports throughout the Customs Union, as well the fact that Member States are not able to identify the riskiest economic operators at Union level for post-release audits; points to the considerable loss of the Union’s revenue and urges the Commission and the Council to address these issues with great urgency;
Amendment 208 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. NoIs alertesd that, according to the Commission’s assessment, 24 of the 28 Member States had partially satisfactory or unsatisfactory control strategies for targeting the undervaluation risks;
Amendment 209 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Takes into accountPoints with great concern to the fact that action to identify and select the riskiest importers for post-release audits is limited across the Customs Union because there is no Union-wide accessible database covering all imports effected by economic operators;
Amendment 213 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Notes with concern that 54 long- outstanding TOR open points verified by the Court out of 122 revealed that the Commission’s follow-up and closing of such points took excessive time; regrets the fact thaturges the Commission had noto established a follow- up system prioritising TOR open points according to significance (either in terms of financial impact, or of systemic significance in the case of non-financial shortcomings) and report back to the discharge authority;
Amendment 228 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 61
Paragraph 61
61. RegretsPoints with great concern to the fact that 60% of errors was made up by ‘ineligible direct personnel costs’; underlines that despite efforts at simplification of the rules for declaring personnel costs under H2020, their calculation remains a major source of error in the cost claims; supports the opinion of the Court that the methodology for calculating personnel costs has become more complex in some respects under H2020 and this has increased the risk of error (of the 24 transactions affected by quantifiable errors 23 involved incorrect application of the methodology for calculating personnel costs);
Amendment 232 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62
Paragraph 62
62. FPoindts wit very regrettableh great concern that ‘unlawful/ / discriminatory selection/ / award criteria’ accounted for 16% of errors;
Amendment 235 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 63
Paragraph 63
63. Similarly, finds it very regrettableworrying that ‘ineligible other direct costs (VAT, travel, equipment)’ accounted for 15% of errors;
Amendment 239 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66
Paragraph 66
66. NotesDraws attention to the fact that 22 of the research projects the Court audited had been conducted in currencies other than the euro, meanwhile the exchange rate applied in ten of these projects was not the one stipulated in the rules (the financial effect of such errors is not in itself material, but their frequency demonstrates a lack of awareness of the rules); calls on the Commission to work together with Member States to pay a greater attention to this issue;
Amendment 246 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68 – indent 1
Paragraph 68 – indent 1
- conduct more targeted checks on SMEs’ cost claims and enhance its information campaign regarding H2020 funding rules, with p and declaraticular focus on these important beneficiarion of personnel costs, paying specific attention to the main types of error followed by carrying out targeted checks on their compliance with the rules;
Amendment 248 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68 – indent 2
Paragraph 68 – indent 2
Amendment 250 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 68 – indent 4 a (new)
Paragraph 68 – indent 4 a (new)
- address the acute problem of geographical un-balance (concentration) of the majority of H2020 funds awarded to beneficiaries in few most-developed Member States by tackling the source of the problem in less developed countries, i.e. by supporting the research, industry - universities cooperation, universities' cooperation with governments in public policy-making, the establishment of new university programmes, academia excellence, etc.;
Amendment 255 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70
Paragraph 70
70. Underlines that in context of the indicator for specific objective 5 ‘share of participating firms introducing innovations new to the company or the market’ the programme statement mentions neither milestones nor a target for this indicator; therefore, it cannot be used to assess whether the programme is on track, thereby lowering this indicator’s useful; calls on the Commission to update the programme statement so that it’ll include specific and measurable targets to allow for an assessment of efficiency and effectiveness;
Amendment 264 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 76 a (new)
Paragraph 76 a (new)
76 a. Regrets that the Commission has not properly assessed the risk of a ‘Dead weight’ of financing in cases where the needed investment could have been financed from other sources without involvement of EFSI funds;
Amendment 265 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 79 a (new)
Paragraph 79 a (new)
79 a. Observes that the Commission and the EIB have missed the opportunity to use the EFSI funds to further promote a shift from investments in big-scale infrastructure projects to smaller, modern, more sustainable projects while mostly trying just to revamp the EU's economic growth with little consideration about the future potential of these investments; points to some good examples of such investments in smaller - -scale projects the EIB supported outside the EU;
Amendment 269 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 81 – indent 3
Paragraph 81 – indent 3
- improve the assessment of whether potential EFSI projects could have been financed from other sources, like the so- called loss due to the 'Deadweight', (the EIB should assess at the appraisal stage of the project the likely replacement of other sources of finance. The EIB should use this information in assessing the eligibility of EFSI operations.);
Amendment 342 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 94 a (new)
Paragraph 94 a (new)
94 a. Based on the fact that the majority of all found errors were made up by ‘Ineligible projects’ stresses its serious concern on the trustfulness and the reliability of Commission's reporting on the results achieved since all these and such (yet undiscovered) projects should not in any way 'contribute' to the overall assessment of the broader results achieved with the help of EU's Economic, social and territorial cohesion policy; recommends that the Commission reassesses its process of reporting on the actual results achieved;
Amendment 363 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 100
Paragraph 100
100. Stresses that Cohesion policy objectives, such as those relating to employment rates, economic development, and climate and energy, are heavily influenced by a wide range of national and external factors, in Europe and the world; underlines that in many Member States, cohesion policy funding typically represents a small proportion of the funds dedicated to these issues, and so, without a specially tailored national policies and programmes to work hand-in-hand with cohesion policy objectives, can have only a very limited impact on these Member States' progress towards meeting these objectives;
Amendment 366 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 102
Paragraph 102
102. RegretsStresses with concern that of 72 indicators in total, only one third of the indicators are on track to meet their targets and that about half of the indicators are not on track; regrets that of 9 indicators linked to the general objectives, only two are on track, meanwhile about one third of the indicators have a mid-term milestone target set for 2018;
Amendment 370 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 103
Paragraph 103
103. NotesAlthough the ERDF and CF could still be paid out until 2023 it stresses with concern that in total, 40 % of the output indicators are on track, and that for result and impact indicators, this percentage is at low 10 %;
Amendment 371 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 105
Paragraph 105
105. Stresses with great concern that of all 10 indicators from the programme statements linked to the objective of supporting the shift towards a low-carbon economy in all sectors, only 1 – ‘Number of households with improved energy consumption classification indicator’ – is on track; demands the Commission, also in the light of the Green Deal targets, makes improvements linked to this objective an absolute priority;
Amendment 375 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 107
Paragraph 107
107. Finds itself in agreement withIs alarmed by the Court’s opinion that there are strong indications that the Union will not meet the 2030 climate and energy targets; notstresses that according to the Commission, there was only limited progress in the reduction of the negative environmental impacts stemming from the use of natural resources; highlights its agreement with the Court that half of the Union Member States were at risk of not generating enough electricity from renewable energy to meet their 2020 targets; notesraises its concern that in the Court’s landscape review of Union action on energy and climate change, the Court reported that the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions projected by Member States falls short of the 40 % target for 2030;
Amendment 379 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 108
Paragraph 108
108. Points out that in a 2019 report3 , 1a,the EEA highlighted that the current rate of progress will not be enough to meet 2030 and 2050 climate and energy targets; therefore calls on the Commission to review Member States’ action plans and together with them introduce the necessary improvements that will allow the Union to stay on the track of the Paris Climate Agreement and Commission’s own Green Deal targets; _________________ 3 1aEEA, European environment — state and outlook 2020, Knowledge for transition to a sustainable Europe, 2019.
Amendment 380 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 109
Paragraph 109
109. Regrets thatIs concerned that only half of the 16 indicators linked to the objective of ‘Promoting sustainable transport and removing bottlenecks in key network infrastructures’ are on track to meet their targets; highlighregrets that Member States have reduced most targets for 2023 in the latest report, approved by the Commission, in some cases by considerable amounts (for example, the combined ERDF and CF target value for the indicator “Total length of new railway line” was reduced from 947 km to 579 km (39 %) and the combined ERDF and CF target value for the indicator “Total length of new or improved tram and metro lines” was reduced from 680 km to 441 km (35 %));
Amendment 384 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 110
Paragraph 110
110. HighlightsStresses once again that in this policy area all indicators are output ones: they mainly provide data about the programme’s implementation in terms of infrastructure built but there are no common indicators to measure results (Court’s report on Union co-funded roads41a indicates that the Commission does not report information such as time savings or higher average speed, even though this information is sometimes available); urges the Commission to plan the policy so as to allow for a proper on-going and mid-term assessments of results and broader impacts achieved; _________________ 41aECA, special report no 9/2020, The EU- core road network: shorter travel times but network not yet fully functional.
Amendment 387 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 112
Paragraph 112
112. Is of the opinion that, as stated in the Court’s audit on TFIs, the traffic forecasts were usually overoptimistic, not well coordinated, not based on sound economic assessments and sometimes very simplistic, and in particular cost-benefit analyses had not been properly used as a tool for policy-making; stresses the fact that such a poor planning is not an exception and that especially in the field of climate change and much needed adjustments the Union will have to implement in the field of environmental protection and use of resources the Commission often uses simplistic and overoptimistic estimates;
Amendment 390 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 113
Paragraph 113
113. Finds it very regrettableDeplores the fact that the Commission in its legislative proposal for the ESIF for 2021-2027 removes all the appraisal requirements specific to major projects, including the cost-benefit analysis requirement, while this is recognised as bringing a reduction in the general administrative burden, this is outweighed by the increased risk that the co-financed investments will not offer the best value for money; calls strongly on the Commission to re-evaluate its proposal;
Amendment 392 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 114
Paragraph 114
114. Finds the fact that only 3 out of 9 indicators (33 %) from the programme statements linked to the ERDF specific objective – ‘Enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs’ are on track to meet their targets represents an underperformance; highlights that these three indicators are output- related, measuring the number of businesses supported by the ERDF, meanwhile other indicators, such as those measuring whether the private investment matches public support to businesses, and the employment increase in supported businesses are not on track; urges the Commission to plan the policy so as to allow for a proper on-going and mid-term assessments of results and broader impacts achieved, including assessing the impact of policies to combat long-term unemployment;
Amendment 396 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116 a (new)
Paragraph 116 a (new)
116 a. Notes with concern the lack of clear information on the final beneficiaries of the cohesion funds and calls the Commission to ensure all necessary information on its financing is gathered, not just about the financial intermediaries but especially on the final beneficiaries;
Amendment 397 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116 b (new)
Paragraph 116 b (new)
116 b. Recognises the importance of digital tools such as ARACHNE in the fight against corruption and misuse of EU funds; calls all Member States to implement such tools without any further undue delays; stresses that on top of the ARACHNE tool big data and other IT tools should be taken under Commission's serious consideration not only for investigation but also for monitoring changes in tendencies and prevention of other ways of misuse of EU funds;
Amendment 398 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116 c (new)
Paragraph 116 c (new)
116 c. Stresses the great potential of public registers of final beneficial owners introduced with the fifth Anti-Money Laundering Directive in fight against corruption, misuse of EU funds and conflict of interest; calls on the Commission to ensure the data on beneficial ownership of companies is set up and made available to the public;
Amendment 399 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 116 d (new)
Paragraph 116 d (new)
116 d. Is appalled by the fact that more than 2 years after the start of Commission’s audits, the situation around the alleged conflict of interest of Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš remains unsolved; calls on the Commission to finish the audit as soon as the legal deadlines allow for, present the final audit reports to the broader European public and fully inform both the Parliament and the Council of the audits’ results and advice on the necessary steps that should follow;
Amendment 417 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 120
Paragraph 120
120. Regrets thatStresses the fact that, as in previous years, 70 % of errors were made up by ‘Ineligible beneficiary/activity/project/expenditure’;
Amendment 420 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 124
Paragraph 124
124. Notes with great concern that of 14 transactions concerning market measures, in 5 cases (36 %) paying agencies had reimbursed ineligible costs, including 3 cases of non-compliance with the eligibility rules leading to errors exceeding 20 % of the amount examined;
Amendment 421 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 125
Paragraph 125
125. Notes with great concern that of 6 transactions concerning fisheries, the environment and climate action, 2 projects (33 %) had ineligible elements in the costs reimbursed;
Amendment 422 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 125 a (new)
Paragraph 125 a (new)
125 a. Considers transparency as an essential element for retaining or gaining citizens’/taxpayers’ trust and also the reputation of the CAP; notes the worrying conclusions of the Court, Ombudsman and numerous calls for improvements by the discharge authority on corruption and non-transparency; notes the limited progress made by the Commission; stresses that the Arachne data mining tool goes some way but not all the way to resolving these problems and should be further developed by adding other digital tools to help the Commission carry out efficient controls;
Amendment 423 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 125 b (new)
Paragraph 125 b (new)
125 b. Notes that capping should apply always to the parent undertaking where there is one, not the individual beneficiary or subsidiaries in order to avoid splitting up farms to avoid capping or to benefit from the 1250 euro subsidy income exemption to transparency rules;
Amendment 424 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 125 c (new)
Paragraph 125 c (new)
125 c. Is deeply concerned by the recent report published by the Slovak Supreme Control Office regarding the work of the Slovak Agricultural Paying Agency, which concluded the lack of transparency in the management of the direct subsidies as well as of the systematic control of applicants and recipients of subsidies1a; is concerned by the limitations in the reliability of the results of the certification bodies’ work, due to weaknesses identified by the Court in some certification bodies’ checks and sampling methodologies; _________________ 1ahttps://www.nku.gov.sk/web/sao/news/- /asset_publisher/FaxZbYV7Oqlp/content/ direct-aid-in-agriculture-without- targeted-control-with-holes-in-legislation.
Amendment 433 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 127 a (new)
Paragraph 127 a (new)
Amendment 459 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 127 b (new)
Paragraph 127 b (new)
127 b. Calls on the Commission to further improve the quality and enlarge the scope of auditing and controls of regularity and achieved results of the EU agricultural policy both on the national and European level as a key condition for the protection of EU financial interests;
Amendment 461 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 128 – introductory part
Paragraph 128 – introductory part
128. Finds it extremely worrying that the Court has identified serious weaknesses in the set of CAP performance indicators that could significantly influence the reporting on results achieved, making it overoptimistic, unreliable and unrealistic or even impossible to assess; furthermore, the Court has identified different financial support measures in CAP with little to no impact on the goals the individual measure should help achieve; urges the Commission to react to these findings without undue delays and annually reports back to the discharge authority on the introduced changes and progress achieved::
Amendment 490 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 128 – indent 4 – introductory part
Paragraph 128 – indent 4 – introductory part
- For the general objective on the sustainable management of natural resources and climate action, the indicators focus on the size of the area benefiting from the measures, but not on what has been achieved with the support. Concerning specifically climate change and biodiversity loss, the CAP measures are found to have low impact in addressing climate needs due to their design:
Amendment 493 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 128 – indent 4 – point b
Paragraph 128 – indent 4 – point b
b. in its latest AMPR, the Commission considers it an achievement that 79 % of the Union’s total agricultural area was subject to at least one greening obligation in 2018. However, the Court found12a that greening had had little measurable effect on farming practices and the environment. It had led to changes in farming practices on around 5 % of all Union farmland and tended to minimise disturbance to established farming practices. G; greening remained essentially an income-support scheme; _________________ 12 and in a much lesser or no part a measure to address the agri-environment- climate practices in agriculture; _________________ 1aECA' Special report No 21/2017 – Greening. Special report No 21/2017 – Greening.
Amendment 517 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 128 a (new)
Paragraph 128 a (new)
128 a. Is concerned about limited availability and public access to data on agriculture subsidies and their final beneficiaries; is of opinion that such information is of public interest and needs to be made available; Calls the Commission and EU member states to collect and publish such data in a transparent and user-friendly manner (including the machine readable format) in order to enable full transparency of final beneficiaries and public control of the use of the EU money;
Amendment 518 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 128 d (new)
Paragraph 128 d (new)
128 d. Notes with concern that under the current transparency rules data is available only for a two-year period in case of CAP funding; calls to apply the five-year rule in case of CAP funding similarly to structural funds;
Amendment 539 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 128 b (new)
Paragraph 128 b (new)
128 b. Calls the Commission to fully enforce the Financial Regulation of the EU, and particularly Article 61 thereof and to make sure the Financial Regulation is applied on all EU funds’ payments includ-ing the direct agriculture payments;
Amendment 540 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 128 c (new)
Paragraph 128 c (new)
128 c. Calls the Commission to ensure that the Fifth Anti-money laundering directive is implemented fully and correctly in all member states, particularly with regard to the implementations of public registers of beneficial owners and registers of beneficial owners of trusts; Notes that capping should apply always to the parent undertaking where there is one, not the individual beneficiary or subsidiaries in order to avoid splitting up farms to avoid capping;
Amendment 541 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 128 e (new)
Paragraph 128 e (new)
128 e. Calls the Commission to provide necessary financial resources for water management, including support the quality and quantity of water resources in agricultural land, forestry and wetlands as well;
Amendment 548 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 131
Paragraph 131
131. Notes with concern that, regarding the regularity of transactions, seven (37 %) of the 19 transactions examined by ECA were affected by errors (i.e. overstatement of salary costs);
Amendment 551 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 133
Paragraph 133
133. Takes into considerationnote of four cases of non- compliance with legal provisions regulating the selection of projects and procurement rules, but without a financial impact on the Union budget;
Amendment 554 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 134
Paragraph 134
134. Notes with satisfaction that the audit authorities in the Member States17 selected by the ECA for a check had developed and implemented detailed procedures of sufficient quality to report as required by the rules; _________________ 17Germany, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Lithuania, Poland and the United Kingdom for AMIF; Slovenia for the ISF.
Amendment 563 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 137 – introductory part
Paragraph 137 – introductory part
137. Takes into accountPoints to certain shortcomings in the work of audit authorities creating potential risks in failure to detect ineligible expenditure, unreliability of audit conclusions and of limited assurance such as examples below and asks the Commission and the Court to work together with national audit authorities to improve on these shortcomings:
Amendment 564 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 138 – introductory part
Paragraph 138 – introductory part
138. NotesPoints to shortcomings arising from the Commission’s assessments of annual control reports19 such as: _________________ 19From Bulgaria, Czechia, France, Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovakiaa, Estonia, Spain, Iceland, Malta and Finland.
Amendment 570 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 139
Paragraph 139
139. NotesPoints to four general impact indicators (on actual returns compared to return decisions, percentage of voluntary returns, difference in employment rates between Union and non-Union nationals, and convergence of recognition rates for asylum applicants); notes that these that are not directly related to the performance of AMIF, although spending from the fund may contribute to the corresponding target;
Amendment 575 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 140
Paragraph 140
140. Notes that 5 of the 24 indicator milestones for 2020 have already been achieved in previous years, but targets have not been adjusted upwards in line with good financial management practice to reflect the potential for more efficiency gainslitical will and potential for achieving even more;
Amendment 578 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 140 a (new)
Paragraph 140 a (new)
140 a. Notes with concern that the Court has found a significant delay regarding the achievement of the objective that the AMIF had set for the integration and legal migration;
Amendment 580 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 141
Paragraph 141
Amendment 595 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 145
Paragraph 145
Amendment 597 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 146
Paragraph 146
Amendment 602 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 147
Paragraph 147
Amendment 616 #
2020/2140(DEC)
148. Is concerned in relation toaware of the existence of two parallel Union funded schemes supporting the same type of return activities (AMIF NPs and Frontex return support) and points to the risk of insufficient coordination between both for forced return operations;
Amendment 625 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 150 – indent 2
Paragraph 150 – indent 2
- strengthen the performance- monitoring framework by a) ensuring that AMIF EMAS projects contain output and outcome indicators with clear targets and baselines where appropriate, and justifying when this is not the case; b) monitoring and reporting the outcomes achieved by EMAS-funded projects; c) for the new MFF 2021-2027, designing the AMIF CMEF and IMBF indicators, including their baselines and targets before the 2021- 2027 projects start;
Amendment 630 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 150 a (new)
Paragraph 150 a (new)
150 a. Calls on the Commission to create a data base regarding all cases of possible non-compliance with the Charter of Human Rights, including the allegations, reports, their investigation and follow-up actions;
Amendment 633 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 151 – indent 1
Paragraph 151 – indent 1
- setting up and planning of DG HOME’s audit activity (DG HOME should define and communicate the mission statement and mandate of the audit function, adjust roles and responsibilities, reporting lines and milestones for the clearance of accounts exercise; updating the audit strategies; analysing the resource needs for the audit activity);
Amendment 634 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 151 – indent 2
Paragraph 151 – indent 2
- executing the audit plan (DG HOME needs to plan and launch audits as soon as possible in the year after the adoption of the Annual Work programme and review of annual control reports and audit opinions; harmonising milestones for the audit process steps; ensuring that the final audit reports are sent to beneficiaries without delay and that this is monitored by senior management);
Amendment 635 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 151 – indent 3
Paragraph 151 – indent 3
- clearing of accounts (DG HOME should ensure that clearance decisions are made on time; it should clarify the procedure for accounts submitted before the year-end); adapting the clearance procedure to new organisational structure and improving the communication between financial units and audit sector (set-up and planning of the audit activity; execution of the audit plan; clearance of accounts);
Amendment 651 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 157
Paragraph 157
157. Regrets that the Union is still practicing budget support to third Countries which is regulated by legal provisions of a broad scopCalls on the Commission to fully introduce the principle of conditionality and regular ex-ante and ex-post checks on the creating a risk of loose interpretation by the Commission regarding the meeting of general conditions; that the Court ‘cannot cover what happens beyond the moment the Commission pays aid to the recipient country, since these funds then merge with that country’s own budget resources’22 gularity and performance of the Union’s funds for support to third countries and makes sure that legal framework that provides for the these support instruments allows for full recovery of funds in case of discovered irregularities1a; _________________ 221a P.211
Amendment 655 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 158 a (new)
Paragraph 158 a (new)
158 a. Recalls the importance of the promotion of Union values abroad, such as democracy, rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; thus calls the Commission to use Pre- Accession Fund to support democratic transformation and ensure the proper implementation of public policies and judicial reforms in the Western Balkans;
Amendment 703 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 170 a (new)
Paragraph 170 a (new)
170 a. Encourages the Commission to continue building on the principles of its open source strategy1a and the ISA2 Programme2a in order to prevent vendor lock-in, retain control over its own technical infrastructure contribute to stronger safeguards for user’s privacy and data protection and increase security and transparency for the public; asks the Commission to give preference to open source solutions in procurement and development, with the aim of promoting the sharing and re-use of software solutions, making procurement more sustainable and long-lived, and abiding by the ‘public money, public code’ principle; _________________ 1a https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/info rmatics/open-source-software-strategy_en 2a https://ec.europa.eu/isa2/isa2_en
Amendment 705 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 171
Paragraph 171
Amendment 714 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 172
Paragraph 172
Amendment 716 #
Amendment 718 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 173
Paragraph 173
Amendment 723 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 174
Paragraph 174
Amendment 730 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 175
Paragraph 175
Amendment 750 #
Amendment 751 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 177
Paragraph 177
Amendment 760 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 178
Paragraph 178
Amendment 784 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 185
Paragraph 185
185. Points out that the institutions and bodies had reduced their establishment plans by 1 409 posts (3 %) and at the same time gradually increased the employment of contract staff. Over the period, the proportion of contract staff in total workforce forecasts rose from 17 % to 22 %; %; expresses its concern as regards the possible negative effects of replacing officials with contract agents such as the necessary transfer of knowledge and also the perspective and job security of the contract agents;
Amendment 794 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 187
Paragraph 187
Amendment 800 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 188
Paragraph 188
Amendment 804 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 189
Paragraph 189
189. NoteRegrets that, for some institutions, there was an increase in FG I contract staff as a result of the conversion of permanent and temporary posts for clerical/secretarial assistants into contract staff;
Amendment 806 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 190
Paragraph 190
190. Finds it highly problematic that at the end of 2018, the institutions, bodies and executive agencies employed 11 962 contract staff, (representing an increase of 37 % since 2012); points out that most were employed by the European Commission, mainly in FG IV, the best paid function group, similarly, a majority of contract staff at the executive agencies were in FG III and FG IV (763 and 715 respectively);
Amendment 809 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 191
Paragraph 191
Amendment 817 #
Amendment 830 #
2020/2140(DEC)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 192
Paragraph 192
Amendment 1 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2
Citation 2
— having regard to the Council conclusions on Belarus of 15 February 2016 and the main outcomes of the video conference of Foreign Affairs Ministers of 14 August 2020,
Amendment 2 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
— having regard to the Conclusions by the President of the European Council following the video conference of the members of the European Council on 19 August 2020,
Amendment 8 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
— having regard to the 6th round of the bilateral Human Rights Dialogue between the EU and Belarus on 18 June 2019 in Brussels,
Amendment 9 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 b (new)
Citation 7 b (new)
— having regard to the Joint Statement by High Representative/Vice- President Josep Borrell and Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi of 10 August 2020, as well as the Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union on the presidential elections in Belarus of 11 August 2020,
Amendment 10 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 c (new)
Citation 7 c (new)
— having regard to the Statement by the EEAS Spokesperson on recent developments in Belarus of 19 June 2020 and the statements by the High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell related to the elections in Belarus of 14 July 2020, 7 August 2020, and 17 August,
Amendment 11 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 d (new)
Citation 7 d (new)
— having regard to statements by the EEAS Spokesperson on the application of the death penalty in Belarus, notably of 30 July 2019, 28 October 2019, 20 December 2019, 11 January 2020, and 7 March 2020,
Amendment 13 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
— having regard to the Report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus of 10 July 2020,
Amendment 48 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the Belarusian Central Electoral Commission denied registration as candidates in the 2020 Presidential elections to regime-critical politicians, who had reportedly collected more than 100,000 signatures, as prescribed by the national legislation, underlining the disproportionate and unreasonable barriers to candidacy, contrary to OSCE commitments and other international standards;
Amendment 49 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
Amendment 60 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the government of Belarus failed to issue a timely invitation to OSCE/ODIHR for the observation of the 9 August presidential elections, leading to the absence of independent international observers during these elections;
Amendment 63 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas the "Human Rights Defenders for Free Elections" report of further measures that disadvantaged opposition candidates, such as restricting locations where election activities can lawfully take place, detaining members of candidates’ campaign teams, and blocking nearly all opposition nominees to Precinct Election Commissions (PECs), leading to 1.1% of the total number of elected nominees from opposition parties and 96.7% from pro-government parties;
Amendment 65 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas the human rights situation in Belarus continued to deteriorate during the election campaign, with growing numbers of arbitrary detentions and fines, including for participating in peaceful assemblies; whereas NGOs and observers report of reprisals against regime opponents, election observers, journalists, bloggers, civil society activists, and human rights defenders, including through physical violence, abductions, administrative fines, threats of losing custody of a child, criminal proceedings, as well as physical and psychological torture;
Amendment 69 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Cd. whereas Belarus has seen unprecedented protests calling for free and fair new elections, following the presidential elections of 9 August and the announcement of a falsified result, claiming victory for the incumbent president; whereas the protests led to a violent crackdown and thousands of arrests, coupled with reports of inhumane conditions and treatment in places of detention;
Amendment 70 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)
Recital C e (new)
Amendment 77 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the Belarusian authorities denied that COVID-19 had spread in the country, thereby wasting precious time that could have been used to prepare and protect the country’s population and in particular its medical staff, did not cancel mass events, and instead engaged in the intimidation of journalists and ordinary people who dared to contradict the official government narrative; whereas the government and the President of Belarus failed to provide facts about and react timely to the pandemic, and were instead actively spreading false information that jeopardized the health of its citizens;
Amendment 84 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas there are no independent news agencies registered in Belarus, and press freedom in Belarus has significantly deteriorated since 2015,; whereas the few independent journalists or media outlets that are able to operate in the country are subject to systematic harassment and punitive measures, such as arrests or initiation of criminal investigations, and the number of prosecutions for statements on the internet has increased;
Amendment 89 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Amendment 143 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point -a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point -a (new)
(-a) stand firmly with the people of Belarus and emphasise the need for a peaceful and democratic solution to the current crisis, underpinned by independent and free media and a strong civil society;
Amendment 144 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point -a a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point -a a (new)
(-aa) demand new elections under the supervision of independent observers, an end to violence and unlawful detentions, and a full investigation of these crimes; work speedily towards targeted sanctions on those responsible for violence, repression and falsification of election results, as well as a review of the EU’s policy towards Belarus with a particular focus on the EU’s support to civil society and the people of Belarus;
Amendment 148 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point -a b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point -a b (new)
(-ab) urge the Belarusian government to engage in a constructive, mediated dialogue with the opposition and civil society organisations, in particular the National Coordination Council, as well as to cooperate fully with the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Belarus, the UN Committee against Torture and the UN Human Rights Committee, in order to carry out long-overdue reforms to protect human rights and strengthen democracy;
Amendment 149 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point -a c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point -a c (new)
Amendment 150 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point -a d (new)
Paragraph 1 – point -a d (new)
(-ad) insist on the immediate and unconditional release of and dropping of all charges against human rights defenders, activists, journalists and anyone else arbitrarily detained or convicted in retaliation for exercising their civil and political rights, as well as on a thorough and impartial investigation into all incidents of arbitrary detention, ill treatment and torture;
Amendment 151 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point -a e (new)
Paragraph 1 – point -a e (new)
(-ae) demand Belarusian authorities to cease all ill treatment and torture; call on Belarus to introduce into its Criminal Code a specific definition of torture in line with international human rights standards and ensure it is punished with sanctions, as well as legislative changes to criminalize enforced disappearance;
Amendment 152 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point -a f (new)
Paragraph 1 – point -a f (new)
(-af) insist on the need for the Belarusian government to ensure citizens’ rights to freedom of assembly, association, expression and opinion, as well as media freedom, and thus lift all restrictions in law and practice that impede these freedoms;
Amendment 153 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point -a g (new)
Paragraph 1 – point -a g (new)
(-ag) call on authorities to improve the access, availability and quality of healthcare in places of detention, in particular given the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the working conditions of medical staff, given reports of police preventing help for injured protesters and arresting medical workers;
Amendment 154 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point -a h (new)
Paragraph 1 – point -a h (new)
Amendment 155 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point -a i (new)
Paragraph 1 – point -a i (new)
(-ai) launch a targeted EU assistance programme to help victims of political repression and police violence, in particular with access to legal counsel, material and medical help, and rehabilitation;
Amendment 156 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point -a j (new)
Paragraph 1 – point -a j (new)
(-aj) avoid providing any funding to the government and state-controlled projects, including channelling assistance or funding earmarked for civil society through these entities;
Amendment 157 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point -a k (new)
Paragraph 1 – point -a k (new)
(-ak) take all necessary measures to receive refugees from Belarus, if the situation continues to deteriorate;
Amendment 158 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point -a l (new)
Paragraph 1 – point -a l (new)
(-al) condemn the suppression of internet and media, road blockades, and intimidation of journalists in order to stop the flow of information about the situation in the country, as well as the disinformation campaigns aimed at deliberately misleading the Belarusian public and blaming third actors for current events;
Amendment 180 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) acknowledge that while the critical engagement policy has brought about some developments in bilateral relations before the 2020 Presidential elections, progress achieved in the key areas of democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and civil society remains very limited or almost non- existentwas reversed with the situation in the country having deteriorated drastically, and, as the EU is engaging in a more tailored approach to the Eastern Partnership, consider applying the ‘less for less’ principle in the case of further deteriorationrestrict any EU cooperation and assistance to solely supporting civil society, human rights defenders, independent media and the people of Belarus;
Amendment 190 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
(c) insist that any future EU macro- financial support for mitigating the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is conditional on strict political criteria, notably those linked to democracy and human rights, nuclear safety concerns voiced by some of the EU Member States and threats posed by Belarus-Russia military cooperation, and that adequate measures are taken to combat the virus and protect the population, all of which should be closely monitored in order to prevent any misuse of EU funds;
Amendment 195 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(ca) urge the Belarusian government to strengthen the healthcare system and provide its citizens with all relevant and life-saving information about the pandemic in a transparent and inclusive manner;
Amendment 206 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
(d) maintain the issue of nuclear safety as a priority concern for the EU owing to the potentially disastrous consequences of an accident for the whole region; treat the issue of the Astravets Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) with urgency as it is approaching the start of its operations, the first delivery of nuclear fuel having been received from Russia in May 2020 and nuclear fuel loaded to the NPP in August 2020; insist on full respect for international nuclear safety standards and transparent and inclusive cooperation with international authorities; support efforts to ensure Member State solidarity on the issue of banning imports of energy from the Astravets NPP into the EU market;
Amendment 209 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(da) demand the deferral of the planned commissioning of the Astravets NPP until international nuclear safety standards have been met, obligatory public hearings were held, and the political situation in Belarus has stabilised, given a number of unresolved nuclear safety problems identified during stress tests, the absence of a final conclusion on its safety, insufficient storage capacity for spent nuclear fuel and for energy reserves, and the currently unstable situation in Belarus complicating response measures in the event of an accident, of which there is an increased risk during the start-up of the reactor;
Amendment 224 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
(e) pay close attention to the presidential election campaign and insist that a lack of progress in conductingsupport and insist on the Belarusian people’s call for free, fair, transparent and inclusive new elections according to international standards and furtherdenounce any crackdowns against the opposition will have direct adverse effects on relations with the EU;
Amendment 242 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
(f) insist that the upcoming constitutional reform is a crucial opportunity to introduce genuine changes which would address the weaknesses of the current political system and enable the Belarusian people to participate more actively in political life, and which should not be linked to the call for new elections;
Amendment 250 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g
Paragraph 1 – point g
(g) call on the authorities to remove the arbitrary barriers under which no new political party has been registered in Belarus since 2000 and enable the registration of political parties and public organisations, and to stop the restrictions applied to established organisations and the persecution of the regime’s political opponents;
Amendment 256 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
(ga) emphasise the urgent need to implement OSCE/ODIHR recommendations in order to include substantial procedural and legal safeguards that enhance inclusiveness, integrity and transparency during all stages of the electoral process, in particular to introduce clear and reasonable criteria and mechanisms for candidate registration and signature verification;
Amendment 266 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g b (new)
(gb) insist on Belarusian authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the financial flows of President Alexander Lukashenko and his associates, including offshore activities of state enterprises, as well as into corruption in Belarusian enterprises;
Amendment 285 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
(h) condemn the ongoing application of the death penalty in Belarus and continue to work with the Belarusian authorities towards a moratorium as a first step towards its permanent abolition and, pending the abolition of the death penalty, work towards an effective right to appeal against death penalty sentences;
Amendment 290 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i
Paragraph 1 – point i
(i) condemn the ongoing intimidation and persecution of human rights defenders, opposition figures, including presidential hopefuls, civil society activists and independent journalist, election observers, environmental rights defenders, religious leaders, and independent journalists and bloggers, and call on Belarus to cease these repressions and to guarantee their ability to carry out their activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions;
Amendment 298 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point i a (new)
(ia) acknowledge the chilling effect of repression on civil society and the important role of human rights defenders in ensuring independent monitoring, particularly during elections;
Amendment 305 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k
Paragraph 1 – point k
Amendment 327 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point l a (new)
(la) consider the reintroduction of further restrictive measures against individuals involved in the violation of international human rights law, as well as in the crackdown on civil society and democratic opposition, given the current repression of human rights defenders, opposition figures, civil society activists, election observers, and independent media workers;
Amendment 332 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point l b (new)
(lb) demand that Belarus establish an independent national human rights institution, create a new Human Rights Action Plan, and adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation that counters the continued discrimination and stigmatisation of people living with disabilities, people with HIV, minorities, LGBTQI people, and families of detainees;
Amendment 334 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l c (new)
Paragraph 1 – point l c (new)
(lc) mainstream gender equality in the EU’s relations with Belarus and urge the government and authorities to effectively counter the continued stereotyping and discrimination against women, in particular in the employment sphere, by improving the gender pay gap, promoting women political engagement and granting women access to all sectors of employment, among others;
Amendment 335 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l d (new)
Paragraph 1 – point l d (new)
Amendment 349 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point n
Paragraph 1 – point n
(n) welcome and encourage the energy diversification of Belarus, reducing its dependence on Russia through imports of oil and gas from new suppliers, including via the territory of the EU, as well as encourage improving the connectivity of Belarus’ energy sector while ensuring environmental sustainability;
Amendment 356 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o
Paragraph 1 – point o
(o) emphasise the importance that the EU attaches to the fight against climate change, notably through the implementation of the European Green Deal and the 2015 Paris Agreement, and encourage Belarus to enhance its cooperation with the EU on environmental matters, increase efforts to fight climate change, and implement climate change mainstreaming in all areas of policy- making;
Amendment 368 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
(p) maintain that the EU is interested in the broadest possible people-to-people contacts as the best way of bringing the EU and Belarus closer together, as well as promoting mutual understanding and exchange of best practice; promote exchange programmes with a proven track record such as MOST;
Amendment 378 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q
Paragraph 1 – point q
(q) intensify efforts to ensure that young people in Belarus can benefit from better-quality education through progress in the implementation of the Bologna Process and increased academic mobility and opportunities to study in the EU via the Erasmus+ programme;
Amendment 379 #
2020/2081(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
(qa) acknowledge and make use of the fact that growing mobility between the EU and Belarus increases citizens’ exposure to European values and support for democratic transformation;
Amendment 8 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
– having regard to the conclusions of the General Affairs Council of 29/30 April 1997 on the application of conditionality with a view to developing a coherent EU strategy for relations with the countries in the region,
Amendment 9 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 b (new)
Citation 11 b (new)
– having regard to the Berlin Process, launched on 28 August 2014, in particular the declaration of the Western Balkans Foreign Ministers on regional cooperation and bilateral disputes of 27 August 2015 and the establishment of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO),
Amendment 10 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 c (new)
Citation 11 c (new)
– having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 9 July 2015 on the Srebrenica Commemoration (2015/2747(RSP)),
Amendment 11 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 d (new)
Citation 11 d (new)
– having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 2 April 2009 on European conscience and totalitarianism,
Amendment 27 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas enlargement has been one of the EU’s most successful policies and the most effective foreign policy instrument contributing to extending the area of democracy, peace and prosperity across Europe, including the Union’s founding values of respect for human dignity, freedom, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities;
Amendment 76 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
(a) to enhance the accession process by ensuring that it strengthens fundamental values and brings sustainable democratic, economic and economiclogical transformation and social convergence, and by making sure that the internal reform of the EU and its enlargement run in parallelenlargement of the Union continues independently from the internal reform of the EU;
Amendment 79 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(aa) to increase efforts to build political will among the Member States in progressing with the enlargement to the Western Balkans instead of letting internal EU processes stand in the way, as well as improve the EU’s political and strategic guidance of overall policy in the region;
Amendment 84 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) to ensure that the enhanced methodology sustains fully-fledged EU membership as the final goal and that the EU sets clear and predictable rules and criteria and applies them consistently, thus restoring its credibility, and as a consequence endorse the revised methodology and the decision to open accession negotiations with both Albania and North Macedonia as a package at the 2020 Western Balkans Summit;
Amendment 107 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(da) to add to the accountability and predictability of the enlargement process for the Western Balkan countries by anchoring the Commission’s new methodology as a long-term policy adjustment and refraining from continuing to introduce changes to the process and parameters of accession;
Amendment 128 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
(ha) to strengthen the accession process in view of deepening the solidarity between the peoples of the Western Balkans countries and of the Member States, while respecting their respective history, culture and traditions;
Amendment 156 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point k a (new)
(ka) to defend the interest of the Union by mitigating the negative effect of free- trade agreements with the Eurasian Economic Union signed by countries which have applied for membership in the European Union and who have been granted the opportunity of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union, including by reviewing the level of assistance provided to such countries;
Amendment 161 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l
Paragraph 1 – point l
(l) to engage the representatives of accessioWestern Balkan countries in the Conference on the Future of Europe;
Amendment 172 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m
Paragraph 1 – point m
(m) to recognise the negative effects of the European Council’s failure to open accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia in June 2018, June 2019 and October 2019 and to acknowledge that opening accession talks would restore credibility to the accession process, as recommended by the European Parliament and the European Commission;
Amendment 191 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o
Paragraph 1 – point o
(o) to grant visa liberalisation to Kosovo as soon as possible, as the benchmarks have been fulfilled since July 2018;
Amendment 203 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
(p) to bring the primacy of human and fundamental rights, democracy and the rule of law back to the very centre of the enlargement process by opening first and closing last the chapters related to the judiciary, corruption and organised crime, as well as those related to respect for human rights and media freedom;
Amendment 208 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q
Paragraph 1 – point q
(q) to increase the involvement of rule of law experts from the Member States, civil society and human rights defenders on the ground and to improve the measuring of progress in this areadevelopments in this area, in particularly drawing upon the monitoring reports and recommendations of the Council of Europe and other standard setting bodies, while strengthening the role of the European Commission in line with the letter and spirit of the Treaties, while continuing to adhere to current, long-standing objective standards and not overly politicising this technical stage of the enlargement process;
Amendment 213 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
(qa) to similarly involve standing rapporteurs for the Western Balkans countries of the European Parliament in the process and on the ground;
Amendment 249 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w
Paragraph 1 – point w
(w) to insist on the full implementation of court rulings, including all rulings of the European Court of Human Rights and constitutional courts, as well as the recommendations of the Council of Europe monitoring bodies, including the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI);
Amendment 252 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point x
Paragraph 1 – point x
(x) to increase EU engagement in solving outstanding bilateral issues and to urge the Western Balkan countries to commit to reconciliation and peaceful solutions to longstanding disputes; on the basis of international law, human rights standards, including the Framework Convention of National Minorities, the European Charter of Regional and Minority Language sand the European Charter of Local Self-Government;
Amendment 268 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point y
Paragraph 1 – point y
(y) to urge the Western Balkan countries to increase their effortcomply with their international obligations in the prosecution of war crimes and the resolution of missing persons casesdetermination of the fate of missing persons, including full cooperation with the United Nations Residual Mechanisms for Criminal Tribunals, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor and the explicit upholding of the work and the findings of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia(ICTY), as well as the promotion and dissemination of the work and legacy of the ICTY to their citizens and within their judicial system and training;
Amendment 278 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a a
Paragraph 1 – point a a
(aa) to call for a stronger legal framework to prevent and actively to fight femicide and violence against women, including by recalling the obligations of the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence to the Western Balkans countries and by undertaking the necessary steps for the EU’s ratification of said Convention;
Amendment 285 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a b
Paragraph 1 – point a b
(ab) to put in place a strategic economic and investment plan with a view to improving competitiveness and sustainable development in the accession countrieswhole Western Balkans region, in line with the commitments made under the Paris Agreement and the strategic objective of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 as part of the European Green Deal;
Amendment 296 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a d
Paragraph 1 – point a d
(ad) to tackle the brain drain with concrete measures such as promoting quality and inclusive educational reforms and the creation of job opportunities for young people in particular, as well as other age groups prone to emigration;
Amendment 305 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a e
Paragraph 1 – point a e
(ae) to intensify assistance to the Western Balkan countries with a view to improving their environmental and climate laws and ensuring that they have the capacity to implement them in line with EU standards, including by honouring their obligations under the Energy Community Treaty with regard to the full alignment and implementation of the Energy acquis of the Union;
Amendment 313 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a g
Paragraph 1 – point a g
(ag) to include the accessionWestern Balkans countries in the European Green Deal and Just Transition Fund processes;
Amendment 318 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ag a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ag a (new)
(aga) to support the necessary energy transition in the Western Balkan countries, with regard to energy production from coal and lignite for domestic electricity and heat as well as for electricity imports to the EU, causing serious social and health consequences in our neighbourhood as well as in our Member States;
Amendment 367 #
2019/2210(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point ap a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point ap a (new)
(apa) to reinforce and, where possible, increase the EU’s and Western Balkan countries’ common efforts on people-to- people contacts and exchanges in order to build mutually positive images of each other among the population;
Amendment 12 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
— having regard to Freedom House’s 2020 “Freedom in the World” report, which gives Moldova a “partly free” assessment, and its 2020 “Nations in Transit” report, which assesses Moldova as a “Transitional or Hybrid Regime”,
Amendment 13 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 b (new)
Citation 15 b (new)
— having regard to the Democracy Index 2019 of The Economist Intelligence Unit, which classifies Moldova as a “Hybrid Regime”,
Amendment 15 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 17
Citation 17
— having regard to the recommendations and activities of the EU- Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee, Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, EU-Moldova Civil Society Platform and of other representatives of civil society in Moldova,
Amendment 36 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the 2018 Transparency International corruption perception list and Freedom House’s 2020 reports show slight progress in Moldova in the most recent past, while the overall trend in those indexes, as well as the Democracy Index, demonstrates a deteriorating long- term trend in the state of democracy, corruption, political rights and civil liberties in Moldova;
Amendment 37 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas, despite changes in government, Moldova’s state institutions remain weak and Moldova continues to struggle with the problem of state capture, as the concentration of power and control over all important sectors and institutions at the highest level of government has not significantly decreased;
Amendment 90 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the European Commission to develop a mechanism to monitor the concrete implementation of reforms, including clear benchmarks and ensuring the involvement of civil society;
Amendment 98 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Encourages a rapid adoption of the new Association Agenda in order to update the priorities of AA/DCFTA implementation, with active parliamentary participation and input from civil society and other stakeholders in the EU and Moldova;
Amendment 105 #
2019/2201(INI)
4b. Urges the European Commission, the EU Member States and Moldova to increase cooperation on public health resilience, exchange best practice and work with civil society on establishing epidemic strategies focusing on the most vulnerable groups in society;
Amendment 107 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Calls on the Moldovan government to strengthen the healthcare system, improve sanitation standards, especially in hospitals, as well as provide its population with all relevant information about the pandemic in a transparent and inclusive manner;
Amendment 116 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the progress achieved on the reform of public administration and public financial management, but encourages further steps to increase transparency; calls on the Moldovan government to ensure full implementation of the Public Administration Reform for 2016–2020, in particular the reform of Moldova’s administrative-territorial system, regional development and administrative decentralisation, with the possibility to generate local taxes;
Amendment 134 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Urges Moldova to foster free and independent media and ensure the effectiveness of the Audio-visual Council as an independent regulator, combating the ongoing intimidation of journalists, politicization and lack of transparency of public and regulatory institutions, lack of public access to information and quality media content, including by conducting an independent audit of the Audio-visual Council;
Amendment 140 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Urges the Moldovan government to safeguard the information environment, particularly with a view to the 2020 presidential elections, and strengthen resilience against disinformation and information manipulation by domestic and foreign actors, online and offline;
Amendment 146 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on the Moldovan government and authorities to guarantee free, inclusive, transparent, and fair elections, in particular with a view to presidential elections in November 2020, by further implementing measures to tackle vote buying, fairness of electoral campaigns, voting abroad, intimidation of election observers, electoral bribery and other corrupt practices, as well as the misuse of state resources;
Amendment 154 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Amendment 158 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Encourages the Moldovan authorities to improve the transparency of the legislative process and democratic oversight, in order to allow adequate public scrutiny of the government’s and the parliament’s activity;
Amendment 176 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Reiterates the EU’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova, and for the efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the Transnistrian issue, while ensuring the protection of human rights on the territories not controlled by constitutional authorities;
Amendment 182 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Welcomes the Moldovan government’s efforts to extend the benefits of the DCFTA and the visa-free regime to the Transnistrian region, which enabled significant growth in mobility and trade with the region;
Amendment 189 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Is concerned by the slow course of reforms on the rule of law and democratic institutions;
Amendment 193 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Urges the Moldovan Government to complete judicial reforms so as to ensure the independence, impartiality and effectiveness of the judiciary and specialised anti-corruption institutions, including by ensuring the transparent process of drafting and timely adoption of the amendments to the Constitution on the Supreme Council of Magistrates (SCM), in line with Venice Commission recommendations; calls on Moldovan authorities to ensure merit-based selection and promotion of judges;
Amendment 213 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Is concerned by the vpery high level of perceivedsistent long- term trend of lacking progress on corruption in Moldova, and therefore urges the Government to step up the fight against itcorruption and state capture, as well as money laundering, arms smuggling and organised crime; calls on the Moldovan Government to adopt concrete measures to reinforce the independence and integrity of the National Anticorruption Centre’s Office and the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office; , as well as the de- politicization of public anti-corruption institutions;
Amendment 221 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls on the Moldovan government to continue its efforts to depoliticize law enforcement agencies and invest in building increased trust between the citizens and law enforcement agencies;
Amendment 234 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to uphold the principles of local democracy and local autonomy in accordance with the European Charter of local self-government providing proper competencies and sufficient funding for the local governments and assuring their effective functioning;
Amendment 243 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Underlines that gender equality is a key precondition for sustainable and inclusive development; urges the Moldovan government and authorities to implement measures to further improve women’s representation and equal treatment at all levels of political and societal life; requests the European Commission to mainstream gender equality in all its policies, programmes and activities in relation to Moldova;
Amendment 246 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Welcomes the new 2018-2022 Human Rights Action Plan, but urges for the full and timely implementation and approval of secondary legislation, including to counter hate speech and further protect the rights of minorities, including Roma, LGBTI people and immigrants;
Amendment 249 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the authorities to guarantee the right to a fair trial and the respect of human rights in detention facilities, including by addressing inadequate healthcare provisions, as well as to avoid selective and politically motivated justice;
Amendment 253 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Acknowledges the measures taken at national level to prevent and fight torture, but underlines that the Republic of Moldova continues to be convicted frequently at the European Court of Human Rights for torture and ill- treatment; urges therefore the establishment of a fully independent agency specifically for the investigation of allegations of torture and other human rights violations committed by police and other law enforcement officers;
Amendment 259 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to ensure in practice the freedom of association; welcomes the progress in the adoption by the Moldovan Parliament of the new law on non-commercial organisations in the final reading and looks forward to its smooth and timely entry into force and implementation in order to improve the environment for civil society in Moldova; calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide political, technical and financial support to civil society;
Amendment 264 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 c (new)
Paragraph 19 c (new)
19c. Welcomes the exchange promoted by the EU-Moldova visa-free travel regime since 2014 and encourages both sides to uphold the free movement of people also during crises;
Amendment 266 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 d (new)
Paragraph 19 d (new)
19d. Is concerned by the large-scale emigration of Moldovan citizens, which accentuates negative demographic trends, and encourages the Moldovan government to implement further measures to prevent and counter this phenomenon, in particular by creating opportunities and improving conditions and wages for young workers;
Amendment 268 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 e (new)
Paragraph 19 e (new)
19e. Calls on the Union and Moldova to further improve people-to-people contacts and exchanges in order to build mutually positive images of each other among the population;
Amendment 274 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Recalls that DCFTAs must always include strong, binding and enforceable sustainable development chapters, that fully respect international commitments, in particular the Paris Agreement, and are compliant with WTO rules;
Amendment 278 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
Amendment 284 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls on the Moldovan government to also focus on the social dimension of trade and sustainable development by respecting and enforcing labour standards, ratifying and fully implementing all ILO conventions, and eliminating remaining deficiencies in the labour inspection system;
Amendment 285 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Welcomes the National Strategy ‘Digital Moldova 2020’, but demands the European Commission to support and assist programmes and reforms concerning media and information literacy to reflect the current digital age, as well as to upgrade sectoral cooperation in the digital economy;
Amendment 286 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
Paragraph 21 c (new)
21c. Encourages Moldova, including through dedicated measures in the next National Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development, to make full use of preferential export opportunities into the EU through more efficient and sustainable cultivation of farmlands, as well as more democratic access and use of land, thus generating agricultural products that amplify Moldova’s relative agricultural advantages;
Amendment 292 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Stresses the importance to increase infrastructure cooperation in the region, also with a view to diversifying Moldova’s energy supplies, and to improve the connectivity of Moldova’s energy sector while ensuring environmental sustainability;
Amendment 297 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls on the National Agency for Energy Regulations of the Republic of Moldova to approve the energy market rules based on fair competitiveness and to ensure their compliance by all market participants, including State-owned traders;
Amendment 306 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Welcomes the February 2019 package on climate and the environment, and calls for increased efforts on the national commitments related to the 2015 Paris Agreement to fight climate change, as well as for implementation of climate change mainstreaming in all areas of policy-making;
Amendment 309 #
2019/2201(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls on Moldova to further enhance its engagement in the fight against climate change, and on the Commission to facilitate Moldova’s participation in the European Green Deal and to ensure that the DCFTA does not contradict the environmental objectives and initiatives set out therein;
Amendment 7 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15
Citation 15
— having regard to the Commission communication of 6 October 2020 entitled ‘An Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans’ (COM(2020)0641), its Annex, and the Commission staff working document entitled ‘Guidelines for the Implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans’,
Amendment 8 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16
Citation 16
— having regard to the joint communication of 8 April 2020 of the Commission and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy entitled ‘Communication on the Global EU response to COVID-19’ (JOIN(2020)0011), and the Commission communication of 29 April 2020 entitled ‘Support to the Western Balkans in tackling COVID-19 and the post- pandemic recovery’,
Amendment 11 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 20 a (new)
Citation 20 a (new)
— having regard to the Second Compliance Report on Serbia by the Group of European States against Corruption (GRECO) as part of the Fourth Evaluation Round on Corruption prevention in respect of members of parliament, judges and prosecutors of 26 November 2020,
Amendment 12 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 20 b (new)
Citation 20 b (new)
— having regard to the Baseline Evaluation Report on Serbia by the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) of 22 January 2020,
Amendment 18 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas democracy, human rights, and rule of law are fundamental values on which the EU is founded and are at the heart of enlargement and stabilisation and association processes; whereas reforms are needed to tackle the significant challenges that remain in these areas;
Amendment 20 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas Serbia needs to develop an irreversible track record in adhering, upholding and defending the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to national and other minorities, domestically and in its international relations;
Amendment 23 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas a sustainable track record of achievements is yet to emerge in the areas of the judiciary and fundamental rights (chapter 23) and justice, freedom and security (chapter 24); whereas the Council decided to not open more chapters with Serbia yet;
Amendment 25 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas GRECO considers the situation as “globally unsatisfactory” and Serbia is found not to be in compliance with GRECO recommendations with regard to the prevention of corruption in respect of members of parliament, judges and prosecutors;
Amendment 27 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas Serbia has been continuously engagedan interest in the normalisation of relations with Kosovo;
Amendment 30 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas the EU's commitment to fostering the rule of law extends to Serbia, where the EU should continue its cooperation with the Council of Europe to support Serbia in carrying out essential reforms and training, regarding justice, the fight against corruption, the promotion of human rights, and the role of free and independent media and civil society, and to monitor the progress realised in those areas, in line with the strengthened methodology of enlargement;
Amendment 61 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that the momentum created by the new mandate following the 21 June 2020 elections in Serbia is an opportunity to make important progress towards Serbia’s European perspective; advocates for the opening of additional negotiating chapters aswhen Serbia makeadopts and implements the necessary commitments to reforms; notes that the opening of chapters is a tool for achieving sustainable pro-European change in Serbia;
Amendment 75 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that Serbia has continued aligning its legislation with the acquis; uUnderlines that progress on the rule of law and fundamental rights chapters, as well as on the normalisation of relations with Kosovo, continues to be essential and will determine the pace of accession negotiations;
Amendment 82 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Regrets the lack of progress in many areas of Serbia’s reform agenda and even backsliding on fundamental issues for EU accession; calls on the Commission to change its reporting methodology in order to take account of significant backsliding and send a clear message to accession countries, including Serbia;
Amendment 85 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Calls on the Serbian Government to appoint a new Head of its Negotiating Team for Serbia's accession to the EU as soon as possible and to improve administrative capacities of the Ministry of European Integration, including financial and human resources, in order to conduct accession negotiations;
Amendment 89 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses the importance of strategic communication on EU accession by Serbian stakeholders, and the adverse effect of anti-EU rhetoric of office- holders; underlines that public discussion about EU accession must be based on facts; encourages the Serbian authorities to communicate more actively their commitment to European values in public debate and to increase transparency of its communication, including access to information for the general public;
Amendment 99 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on Serbia and the EU Member States to pursue a more active and effective communication policy on the European perspective, aimed at both Serbian and EU citizens, including those belonging to national minorities;
Amendment 107 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Believes that the Conference on the Future of Europe should seek ways of involving Serbian representatives nominated by the Republic of Serbia, including from civil society;
Amendment 113 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Takes note of the conclusions of the final report of the OSCE/ODIHR special election assessment mission that the 21 June 2020 parliamentary elections were administered efficiently but that pressure on voters, media bias, the dominance of the ruling party, including in the media, was of concern; calls on the authorities to address fully, as well as the blurring of lines between the activities of state officials and partisan campaigning, including in the case of the President of Serbia; in this regard, points out the role of state-sponsored disinformation campaigns aiming to shift opinions vis-à- vis elections; calls on the authorities to fully and promptly address all ODIHR recommendations well ahead of the next elections;
Amendment 118 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Notes with concern changes to important elements of the electoral system, including the lowering of the electoral threshold, that were passed in parliament in February 2020 in a swift manner and without prior consultations, limiting the transparency and inclusiveness of the process, even though fundamental elements of electoral law should not be significantly amended less than one year before an election according to the Venice Commission;
Amendment 124 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Recalls election principles defined by the Venice Commission and notes with concern that President Aleksandar Vucic announced to hold early elections without constitutional grounding and political necessity, while announcing as President of Serbia and president of the biggest political party a single election day for Presidential, Parliamentary and municipal elections in Belgrade in spring 2022;
Amendment 131 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Condemns the series of attacks on Tanja Fajon, Member of the European Parliament, by Serbia’s ruling party’s MPs and ministers, as well as media close to the ruling party; is generally concerned about the link between media outlets and the ruling party, as well as attacks on the opposition and disinformation that is spread through them; calls for the Speaker of the Parliament and Speakers of the Groups represented in Parliament to uphold standards of democratic discourse and for the prosecution of hate speech emanating from MPs and members of the government;
Amendment 137 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for the continuation of the IPD with the involvement of all relevant stakeholders and pro-European political forces in the country; calls on all sides to lead the IPD in an inclusive manner and define clear goals, criteria, benchmarks and interlocutors in order to render this dialogue effective and legitimate;
Amendment 152 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Reminds Serbia to step up its efforts to effectively address corruption, focusing on prevention and repression of corruption, including by fully implementing the law on the prevention of corruption, adopting a new anti- corruption strategy underpinned by a credible and realistic action plan as well as an effective coordination mechanism, and increasing investigations, indictments and final convictions in high-level corruption cases;
Amendment 154 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12b. Calls on Serbia to improve its fight against organised crime and switch from an approach on cases to a strategy against organisations in order to dismantle big and internationally spread organisations, including through effective investigations, prosecutions and final convictions in serious and organised crime cases, including financial investigations, systematic tracking of money flows, robust oversight mechanism so as to avoid abuses, and increased financial and human resources capacity of the Prosecutor’s Office for Organised Crime, which should be free from any undue political influence;
Amendment 162 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Urges the Serbian parliament to adopt constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening the independence of the judiciary in consultation with all associations of judges and prosecutors, and to submit them to the constitutionally required referendum without delay;
Amendment 170 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes improvementNotes the announcement of changes to the practices and procedures of the national assembly and looks forward to their effective implementation; is concerned about the lack of a real opposition in the new parliament and inflammatory rhetoric among politicians, and therefore calls on political actors to adhere to a respectful attitude towards each other; underlines that the quality of the legislative process still needs to be improved by increasing transparency and social dialogue and ensuring that independent regulatory bodies are empowered to exercise their oversight roles effectively; notes with concern the lack of transparency around the reappointment process of the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality;
Amendment 176 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Notes with concern that the parliament met only 44 days after the declaration of the state of emergency in March 2020, which undermined its position as the key institution of parliamentary democracy as enshrined in the Constitution of Serbia;
Amendment 187 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Expresses concern about the allegations by investigative journalists about manipulations of official COVID- 19 statistics by the government for political and electoral purposes; stresses that providing citizens with all relevant information about the pandemic is crucial for transparency and trust when it comes to the government’s efforts against COVID-19;
Amendment 190 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Regrets the lack of progressdeterioration onf media freedom, and increase in abusive language, intimidation and even hate speech, especially against independent journalists; urges Serbian authorities to publicly condemn these actions, take immediate measures to guarantee freedom of expression and media independence and to ensure proper investigations into these cases;
Amendment 201 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Reiterates that a lively democracy needs a vibrant civil society and independent media which can operate in a safe environment and ensure a sound scrutiny of public institutions leading to the necessary checks and balances in a democratic society; calls on the Serbian authorities to counter the shrinking space for civil society and independent media and ensure that they can work free from all restrictions, including intimidation or criminalisation of these organisations;
Amendment 202 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Expresses concern over the arbitrary targeting and investigation of civil society, NGOs, and independent journalists by the Serbian Administration for the Prevention of Money Laundering of Serbia’s Ministry of Finance, and urges the competent authorities to refrain from these practices; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to strengthen their cooperation with civil society, NGOs and independent media on the ground, as well as to increase and simplify financial and other support for them;
Amendment 204 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Expresses concern over the increasing violence by extremist groups and organised crime, which needs to be properly investigated and prosecuted; calls on politicians and authorities to openly condemn any acts of violence and ensure that cases discovered by investigative journalists or whistle- blowers are duly investigated and that any public officials involved are held responsible;
Amendment 206 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16d. Deplores recent incidents of police violence, urges the Serbian authorities to ensure the freedom of peaceful assembly and to carry out effective investigations to establish responsibility and punish the officers responsible, facilitating that persons claiming to be victims of police misconduct can file a complaint to obtain redress and showing zero tolerance towards law enforcement officers who breach professional ethics or criminal law, in order to prevent impunity and to strengthen public trust in the police;
Amendment 207 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 e (new)
Paragraph 16 e (new)
16e. Condemns in particular the use of violence by police forces on the occasion of the July 2020 protests and demonstrations, the consequent lack of cooperation by police officers with the justice system and the public prosecutor;
Amendment 213 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes that the legal and institutional framework for upholding human rights is broadly in place and calls for its more effective implementation, with particular regard to the most vulnerable groups in society, including national minorities, in the areas of educationsuch as the Roma community, in the areas of education, health, employment, housing, use of minority languages, adequate representation in public administration and the judiciary;
Amendment 216 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Notes the continued problems with the general lack and low quality of collection of data and the provision of statistics; calls on Serbia to improve its capacities to provide statistics and to carry out the census as soon as possible, adhering to the highest international standards and with the inclusion of independent observers;
Amendment 220 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Urges Serbia to improve and simplify the institutional structure dealing with Roma integration, including through a clear distribution of tasks, coordination between national and local authorities, as well as Roma-sensitive budgeting;
Amendment 221 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17c. Calls on Serbia to strengthen human rights institutions, guarantee their independence, allocate them necessary financial and human resources, and ensure timely follow-up to their recommendations, as well as to adopt and implement a new anti-discrimination strategy;
Amendment 223 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17c. Is concerned by the failure of Serbian authorities to foster the de facto use of regional or minority languages;
Amendment 226 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Takes note of Serbia’s efforts to fight violence against women and children and domestic violence; stresses, however, that implementation and improvements are needed, in particular during the current pandemic; welcomes the GREVIO report on Serbia, which stresses the lack of a coherent policy approach towards the implementation of the Istanbul Convention, the need for preventive measures, gaps in service provision for victims, low levels of awareness, sensitisation and capacity-building, as well as particular obstacles for a wide range of women due to intersecting factors such as ethnicity, poverty, social origin and disability;
Amendment 229 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Is concerned that a new law on gender equality has been seriously delayed, that coordination and an efficient institutional set-up with adequate resources in this area are still lacking, that the socio-economic status of women is still significantly worse than that of men, as well as by the high prevalence of patriarchal attitudes and gender stereotypes in society and public discourse, and the lack of knowledge of the judiciary, prosecutors and lawyers in this regard; calls on Serbia 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 234 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Underlines the need for protection of LGBTI rights; calls for more adequate responses from the authorities to hate speech and hate-motivated crimes; calls on the government to legally regulate same- sex unions, and change of name and gender of transgender persons according to relevant jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, create a safe environment for LGBTI persons and promote a culture of tolerance towards them; stresses the importance for all institutions to support the preparation of EuroPride 2022 and ensure the safety of all participants;
Amendment 241 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Commends the strong female representation in the new government, in the hope that it will lead to the meaningful and substantive promotion of the human rights and political liberties of women; welcomes the representation of national minorities in the parliament;
Amendment 245 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 d (new)
Paragraph 20 d (new)
20d. Urges Serbia to improve access to healthcare services for people with disabilities, people living with HIV, children and adults who use drugs, prisoners, sex workers, LGBTI persons, internally displaced persons and the Roma, in particular with a view to the ongoing pandemic and problems in the health sector;
Amendment 259 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses that the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo is a priority and a precondition for EU accession; calls for active and constructive engagement in the EU-facilitated dialogue led by the EU Special Representative seeking a comprehensive and legally binding agreement, in accordance with international law; reiterates its call to move forward with the full implementation, in good faith and in a timely manner, of all the agreements already reached; in relation to possible adjustments of the border between Serbia and Kosovo, including exchanges of territories, reiterates the importance of the multi-ethnic nature of both Serbia and Kosovo and that ethnically homogeneous states should not be the objective in the region;
Amendment 268 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Condemns Serbia’s non- recognition campaign against Kosovo which led to several countries withdrawing their recognition and is not conducive to normalisation and good neighbourly relations; calls on Serbia to not take up these activities again;
Amendment 270 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Calls on the Serbian and Kosovar authorities to promote people-to-people contacts between local communities in order to strengthen dialogue, including at a non-governmental level;
Amendment 272 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the importance of regional cooperation on war crimes and missing persons, including of recognising and respecting court verdicts on war crimeand calls on Serbian authorities to achieve justice for victims by recognising and respecting court verdicts on war crimes, fighting against impunity for wartime crimes, investigating cases of missing persons, rejecting hate speech and the glorification of war criminals, investigating grave sites, and supporting domestic prosecutors in bringing perpetrators to justice;
Amendment 276 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Amendment 289 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Notes that Serbia’s healthcare system still suffers a lack of resources on all levels and a constant outflow of professional workforce, resulting in a lack of medical equipment, medical expertise, and laboratory testing capacities during the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 293 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls on Serbia to increase the sustainability of its energy sector by diversifying its energy sources and moving towards renewables while at the same time adopting the necessary measures to preserve and protect environmentally sensitive areasand less polluting fuels to ensure compliance with its indicative trajectory while at the same time removing all non-compliant coal subsidies and converting the existing coal-based or petroleum products-based district heating into a high efficiency cogeneration-and renewables-based system; notes with concern the consistent lack of compliance with the acquis of the Energy Community and hence the breach of international law; encourages Serbia to step up the monitoring of the implementation and the enforcement of the National Emissions Reduction Plan; urges the authorities to urgently take measures to reduce air pollution, stop sweet water and soil degradation;
Amendment 304 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Urges the authorities to ensure alignment with EU standards and policy objectives on cinvest resources in improving the environmental, energy efficiency and climate laws and to ensure alignment on climate protection and environment with EU standards and policy objectives, the Paris Agreement, and international oblimgate protection and environment, in order to facilitate the transition to a circular economy; encourages Serbiaions under the Energy Community Treaty, including but not limited to the introduction of carbon emissions pricing, update of energy efficiency legislation, and the development and adoption of an integrated National Energy and Climate Plan, in order to facilitate the transition to a circular economy and adopting the necessary measures to preserve and protect environmentally sensitive areas; encourages Serbia to finalise the reforms of the national electricity and gas sectors by ensuring in particular unbundling of the system operators and to work on regional connectivity and the completion of the regional energy market;
Amendment 316 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Reiterates the importance of alignment with the EU common foreign and security policy (CFSP), which must progressively become an integral part of Serbia’s foreign policy; is concerned by the fact that Serbia is consistently failing to align with EU CFSP by repeatedly backing Russia over the annexation of Crimea in the UN General Assembly;
Amendment 321 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Notes the signature of the agreement for economic normalization between Kosovo and Serbia on 4 September in Washington; underlines that transatlantic cooperation is a crucial factor for stability in the region; regrets, however, provisions in the text that ask Kosovo to stop seeking membership in international organisations, as well as provisions that run counter to accession countries’ ambition to align with EU CFSP; recalls, in that regard, that moving the Embassy of Serbia in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would go against the EU's position on Jerusalem and its firm commitment to the two-state solution with Jerusalem as capital of both the State of Israel and the future State of Palestine;
Amendment 331 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Calls for the strengthening of European cooperation with Serbia on addressingand urges the EEAS to address foreign and domestic disinformation and hybrid threats that seek to undermine the European perspective of the region by more strategically underscoring the EU’s relevance to citizens in the region; is particularly concerned about the disinformation narratives emanating from the Kremlin and distributed through Sputnik in Belgrade and other domestic actors in Serbia, and calls on the Serbian government to revisit the arrangements allowing these operations;
Amendment 338 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Stresses the need to improve coordination in order to fight regional disinformation campaigns often originating in Serbia; reminds of the strong link between weaknesses in media freedom and opportunities for local and foreign actors to manipulate facts and spread disinformation; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to closely cooperate on those linkages and overlapping challenges, as well as to foster the creation of a Balkan-focused Centre of Excellence on disinformation;
Amendment 347 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Takes note of Serbia’s decision to sign a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union in October 2019; expects Serbia, however, to align with EU trade policy; regrets that Serbia is still not a member of the World Trade Organisation; recalls the Union’s commitment to defend its interests by mitigating the negative effect of free-trade agreements with the Eurasian Economic Union signed by countries which have applied for membership of the European Union and signed an SAA, such as Serbia;
Amendment 352 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34a. Calls on Serbia to improve alignment with EU labour law, adopt a new law on the right to strike, tackle undeclared work, and amend the law on inspection oversight to comply with the relevant International Labour Organisation Conventions that were ratified by Serbia;
Amendment 362 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Expresses concern over Serbia’s increasing dependence on defence equipment and technologies from the People’s Republic of China, including a mass surveillance system in Belgrade provided by Huawei and personal data collection on a massive scale, and the insufficient transparency of the security sector’s public procurement practices; continues to be concerned about Serbia’s close political and military cooperation with Russia, frequently camouflaged as civilian activities, such as the “regional humanitarian centre” in Niš;
Amendment 372 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Welcomes the Commission’s Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) for the Western Balkans; recognises the importance of the EIP in reinforcing regional and cross-border cooperationefforts to invest more strategically in the Western Balkans through a dedicated Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) for the Western Balkans, in particular in terms of regional and cross-border cooperation, with a view to improving the opportunities of local and regional level administrations to reap the benefits of this investment; stresses that any investment must be in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and EU decarbonisation targets;
Amendment 376 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
37a. Calls on the Commission to focus IPA III funds on the ongoing democratic transition of Serbia, more so than infrastructure projects, especially in light of persistent problems with the investment climate, absorption capacity, and environmental standards in Serbia;
Amendment 380 #
2019/2175(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Calls on the Council and the Commission to fine-tune both incentives and conditionality in the future Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III); reiterates that the scale of financial assistance should match the goal of Serbia’s European perspective and to make use of suspension mechanisms in case of serious backsliding; reiterates that the scale of financial assistance should match the actual rate of implementing reforms and Serbia’s commitment to EU accession;
Amendment 6 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
- having regard to the framework agreement with Kosovo on participation in Union programmes, in force since 1 August 2017,
Amendment 7 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
- having regard to the Sofia declaration of the EU-Western Balkans summit of 17 May 2018 and the Sofia Priority Agenda,
Amendment 10 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7
Citation 7
— having regard to the reports of the UN Secretary-General on the activities of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), including the most recent report of 31 March 2020, and the reports on the operations of the Kosovo Forces (KFOR) of 7 February 2018,
Amendment 12 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
- having regard to the Council conclusions of 5 June 2020 on enhancing cooperation with Western Balkans partners in the field of migration and security,
Amendment 13 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
- having regard to the joint communication of 8 April 2020 of the Commission and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy entitled ‘Communication on the Global EU response to COVID-19’ (JOIN(2020) 11 final), and the Commission communication of 29 April 2020 entitled ‘Support to the Western Balkans in tackling COVID-19 and the post-pandemic recovery’,
Amendment 16 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
- having regard to the joint declaration of the European Parliament – Western Balkans Speakers’ Summit, convened by the President of the European Parliament with the leadership of the Western Balkan parliaments on 28 January 2020,
Amendment 18 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 b (new)
Citation 18 b (new)
- having regard to the Zagreb Declaration agreed during the EU- Western Balkans summit that took place via video conference on 6 May 2020,
Amendment 28 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas Kosovo’s flourishing informal economy is hindering the development of a viable economy for the country overall;
Amendment 31 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas Kosovo continues to struggle with political instability, in particular since the early legislative elections of 6 October 2019; whereas the end of the Kurti government exposed several structural issues, including undue interference of external actors into the work of the government and the Assembly, independence of the Constitutional Court, and lack of clarity on the legality of the vote on the government;
Amendment 32 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas there has been a lack of coordination between trans-Atlantic actors recently, with political pressure on Kosovo from the US, and the incoming US administration will provide a new opportunity for better cooperation;
Amendment 42 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas, according to the government of Kosovo, 114 countries have recognised Kosovo’s independence, including 22 of the 27 EU Member States;
Amendment 59 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes Kosovo’s continued commitment to advancing on its European path and to accelerate reforms, as well as the strong support for European integration among Kosovo’s population;
Amendment 70 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Expresses concern about the dissolution of the Ministry of the EU Integration, and calls on the Government of Kosovo to ensure that the new structure is granted the level of competence and responsibilities appropriate to ensuring proper coordination and steering of the integration process;
Amendment 72 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the peaceful and orderly conduct of the early legislative elections of 6 October 2019, but expresses its concern over the fundamental lack of competition, freedom of choice and expression in the Kosovo Serb community, noted by the EUEOM report; stresses the importance of addressing all the shortcomings identified and recommendations made by the EUEOM;
Amendment 82 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the Commission’s statement of 26 August 2020 confirmingconfirmation, in its 2020 Kosovo report, of its assessment ofregarding Kosovo’s ability to benefit from the visa liberalisation regime, and calls on the Council to urgently proceed with the adoption of a visa-free regime for the citizens of Kosovo; recalls, in this regard, that Kosovo continues to fulfil all the benchmarks of the visa liberalisation roadmap, as consistently confirmed by the Commission since July 2018; notes that the delay in approving visa liberalisation for Kosovo is weakening the EU’s credibility and withholding urgently needed opportunities for the citizens of Kosovo;
Amendment 96 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes the signature of the agreement for economic normalisation between Kosovo and Serbia on 4 September in Washington; underlines that transatlantic cooperation is a crucial factor for stability in the region; regrets, however, provisions in the text that ask Kosovo to stop seeking membership in international organisations, as well as provisions that run counter to accession countries’ ambition to align with EU CFSP; recalls, in that regard, that establishing an Embassy of Kosovo to Israel in Jerusalem would go against the EU's position on Jerusalem and its firm commitment to the two-state solution with Jerusalem as capital of both the State of Israel and the future State of Palestine;
Amendment 103 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Is concerned about disinformation campaigns to delegitimise Kosovo’s statehood;
Amendment 108 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses the need to intensify the fight against corruption, and expresses its serious concern about the abolition of the special anti-corruption departmenttask force within the Kosovo Police (KP); underlines that a strong political will is needed to effectively fight corruption and calls to cease any changes of law enforcement and anti- corruption institutions based on party political interests;
Amendment 112 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Welcomes the proposal for the new Law on Financing of Political Parties and encourages the National Assembly to adopt a legal framework regulating political party financing in line with the Venice Commission recommendations;
Amendment 113 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls on Kosovo to improve the implementation of its regulatory measures forrelating to the freezing, confiscation and recovery of assets, and forregarding final convictions in cases of high-level corruption, organised and financial crime, money laundering and terrorist financing, and ensure there is no interference with operational activities of law enforcement bodies and the prosecution; notes also the need to improve the financial oversight and accountability of publicly owned enterprises;
Amendment 119 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Welcomes the concluding of a Working Arrangement between the Kosovo Police and Europol aimed at increased cooperation, in particular in fighting terrorism and transnational organized crime;
Amendment 120 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11 b. Is concerned that despite an adequate normative framework, Kosovo’s justice system continues to be undermined by accountability shortcomings and transparency issues, failures to properly punish high-level corruption, and political interference;
Amendment 123 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11c. Is concerned by third countries’ efforts in supporting radicalisation, especially of young people, often by financing or providing significant resources to education institutions in Kosovo;
Amendment 124 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 d (new)
Paragraph 11 d (new)
11d. Welcomes progress in fighting radicalisation, extremism and terrorism; underlines that additional efforts are needed in addressing the financing of terrorism, as well as rehabilitation and reintegration of foreign fighters;
Amendment 125 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 e (new)
Paragraph 11 e (new)
11e. Commends Kosovo’s efforts in stemming the outflow of foreign fighters and in tackling terrorist threats; calls for active regional cooperation in countering potential terrorist activities;
Amendment 129 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the adoption by the Kosovo Judicial Council of measures helping to limit external interference in judicial proceedings, as well as the increase in final court judgments published; believes that further measures are required to ensure greater independence of the judiciary and to stop undue interference in high-profile cases;
Amendment 131 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Reiterates its support for the work of the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, which are an important demonstration of Kosovo’s commitment to the rule of law and whose work is also in the interest of Kosovo; stresses the importance of the Specialist Chambers being able to continue their work independently, without any outside interference; welcomes the prolongation of the mandate of the KSC and its work in The Hague;
Amendment 134 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Welcomes the prolongation of EULEX mission and asks Kosovo to fully cooperate with EULEX and with the Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office;
Amendment 137 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Welcomes the adoption of the law on Accessing Public Documents; recommends further efforts in increasing the transparency and better monitoring of public spending, including by improving the public procurement system;
Amendment 139 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Reiterates that non-merit based selections and appointments for high-level decision- making positions in the civil service and publicly owned enterprises remain of great concern and repeats its call for progress and clear political commitment to public administration reform, including depoliticisation, increased professionalism, and by advancing the implementation of the relevant legislation;
Amendment 143 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes the improvement in the organisation of the work of the National Assembly and the management of plenary sessions based on the rules of procedure; regrets however the frequent lack of quorum, and ongoing hold-ups in parliamentary work, which has been particularly damaging in the process of adopting the pandemic-related relief package; calls on the Assembly and the Government to adhere to parliamentary best practices;
Amendment 148 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes that Kosovo’s legal and institutional framework broadly guarantees the protection of human and fundamental rights; underlines that challenges remain in its implementation, in particular as regards language rights, including multilingual broadcasting, a lack of which impacts the minority communities’ access to information and has been particularly harmful during the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 149 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for greater protection and inclusion of persons belonging to minorities, including Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians, as well as persons with disabilities, by providing them with adequate health and social protection and care; urges more efforts to fight discrimination and antigypsyism, in particular during the COVID-19 pandemic and in light of its socio- economic consequences; urges more efforts to fight discrimination and antigypsyism; is particularly concerned by the social discrimination against Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities, their exclusion from political and social decision-making and continued lack of resources and access to employment opportunities, justice, public services, housing, healthcare, sewage systems, and running water;
Amendment 159 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes the pluralistic media environment, but also the failure to ensure the financial and editorial freedom of the public broadcaster; reiterates the need to guarantee full transparency of media ownership, independence of media, free from any political influence, as well as an end to impunity for crimes against journalists; calls for a swift appointment of the commissioner of media protection;
Amendment 162 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Urges the EEAS to address disinformation and hybrid threats that seek to undermine the European perspective of the region by more strategically underscoring the EU’s relevance to citizens in the region; stresses the need to improve coordination in order to fight regional disinformation campaigns; reminds of the strong link between weaknesses in media freedom and opportunities for local and foreign actors to manipulate facts and spread disinformation; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to closely cooperate on the those linkages and overlapping challenges, as well as to foster the creation of a Balkan-focused Centre of Excellence on disinformation;
Amendment 165 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Welcomes the adoption of the Law on Protection of Whistleblowers and encourages to proceed with all the necessary by-laws for its effective and efficient implementation; calls in this respect for the swift appointment of the Commissioner for the Information and Privacy Agency;
Amendment 166 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. Regrets the increasing number of SLAPP (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation) cases, by which journalists and individuals are being threatened and sued in order to silence them and make public debate impossible;
Amendment 169 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls for better cooperation between government and civil society, and for increased participation of civil society in policymaking; reiterates the need for an enhanced accountability and transparency in public funding for civil society;
Amendment 171 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Is concerned by the lack of coordination of international donors, cited by several organisations active in the country, and urges the Kosovar government to take action in order to avoid doubling efforts and unnecessary overlaps, and to manage its relations with international donors more effectively;
Amendment 173 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the progress on the protection of LGBTI rights at the legislative and policy level; notes, however, the need for full implementation of the existing anti-discrimination framework, and calls for the proper investigation of cases of hate crime against LGBTI persons; calls on the government to include same-sex partnerships in the Civil Code project, as guaranteed by the country’s Constitution;
Amendment 175 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Hails the unanimous decision by the National Assembly of Kosovo on 25 September 2020 to give direct effect to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention); expects the Kosovo government to move swiftly to implement the content of the Convention and provide the necessary resources and infrastructure to that effect;
Amendment 180 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls on the Kosovo authorities to increase efforts to promote t gender equality, including by prioritising gender mainstreaming and increased cooperation with civil society, including women’s organisations, as well as by creating an environment conducive to the better representation of women in decision- making positions; and by making sure school textbooks do not perpetuate stereotypes and discrimination; calls in this respect for the participation of women in the negotiation team responsible for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue; equally, demands that the EU side supports this endeavour and these efforts by adhering to the above mentioned recommendations itself;
Amendment 182 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Is concerned about the inactivity rate of women, including due to ongoing gender discrimination in the labour market, and calls on the Kosovo authorities to improve the participation of women in the labour market; urges Kosovo to adapt the new Labour law to also regulate leave in order to avoid gender-based discrimination when it comes to rights related to maternity leave, paternity leave and parental leave;
Amendment 185 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Reiterates its concern about the scale of domestic and gender-based violence; welcomes the revisions of the Criminal Code in this respect; notes, however, that the, as well as improvements observed in the EULEX report in certain aspects of the Kosovo police’s handling of sexual violence cases; notes, however, that the lack of prosecutions and serious punishment, impunity of perpetrators, isnsufficient systems for tracking and case databases, lack of adequate resources and services for victims (shelters, centres for examination, trauma support, counselling), outstanding training and institutionalised treatment protocols for the entire justice system are still of concern;
Amendment 186 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Stresses the fact that the COVID- 19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on women and minorities by deepening inequality, exacerbating existing problems, including increased domestic violence, and calls on the Kosovar government and authorities to take these issues into account in their responses to the pandemic;
Amendment 187 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Commends the work of the outgoing Ombudsperson in promoting a culture of human rights and the increased number of his recommendations being implemented by Kosovo authorities, effectively contributing, among others, to the prevention of torture and other cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment;
Amendment 188 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 c (new)
Paragraph 23 c (new)
23c. Hails the adoption of the Law on Child Protection, as a significant step in the protection of children’s rights in Kosovo; stresses that adequate financial and human resources are needed to ensure its effective implementation; points to a particular need to tackle the persistent problem of child and forced marriages, especially in Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities, by introducing a legal age for marriage and ensuring adequate actions by and reporting to law enforcement and justice institutions;
Amendment 198 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Stresses that normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo is a priority and a precondition for EU accession; calls for active and constructive engagement in the EU-facilitated dialogue led by the EU Special Representative, seeking a comprehensive and legally binding agreement in accordance with international law; reiterates its call to move forward with the full implementation, in good faith and in a timely manner, of all the agreements already reached; in relation to possible adjustments of the border between Serbia and Kosovo, including exchanges of territories, reiterates the importance of the multi-ethnic nature of both Kosovo and Serbia and that ethnically homogeneous states should not be the objective in the region; calls on Kosovo to tackle ongoing internal problems of Kosovo’s approach to the dialogue, introduce a dedicated team for the negotiations, as well as a joint negotiating platform and a dialogue between the ruling coalition and opposition parties;
Amendment 213 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Notes that five Member States have not yet recognised Kosovo, and reiterates its call for them to do so; stresses that recognition would be beneficial to the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia and condemns in this regard Serbia’s non-recognition campaign against Kosovo which led to several countries withdrawing their recognition;
Amendment 221 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Regrets that the Mitrovica Bridge has not yet been opened to all traffic, in spite of the completion of the renovation works; calls on the Serbian and Kosovar authorities to promote people-to-people contacts between local communities in order to strengthen dialogue, including at a non-governmental level; in that regard, calls on Kosovar authorities to ensure access to official documents in all official languages across Kosovo;
Amendment 223 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Calls on the Commission, EEAS and the Council to support the Prime Minister and his team in the internal reconciliation dialogue with Kosovo Serbs, providing concrete security guarantees and opportunities for socio- economic integration and working towards the establishment of the Association of Serb Municipalities, consistent with the Constitution of Kosovo, and as part of a mutual agreement;
Amendment 226 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 c (new)
Paragraph 27 c (new)
27c. Welcomes the Commission’s efforts to invest more strategically in the Western Balkans through a dedicated Economic and Investment Plan (EIP) and Kosovo’s inclusion in the EIP, in particular in terms of regional and cross- border cooperation; stresses that any investment must be in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and EU decarbonisation targets;
Amendment 229 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Reiterates its support for the initiative to establish the Regional Commission for the establishment of facts about war crimes and other gross human rights violations on the territory of the former Yugoslavia (RECOM); highlights the importance of the work carried out by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) and welcomes Kosovo’s active participation; reiterates the need to reach out to young people from the northern municipalities and to integrate them in the socio-economic structures of the country;
Amendment 231 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls for more efforts in dealing with the requests of family members of missing persons, the opening of wartime archives, and for information to be revealed about people who are still listed as missing from the 1998-99 Kosovo war; urges the continued implementation of the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council’s strategy on war crimes that is still severely hampered by political issues, a lack of resources and the lack of international and regional cooperation; underlines the importance of information on grave sites and convictions of all war crimes in order to provide justice for victims;
Amendment 235 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Encourages Kosovo authorities, in particular local municipalities, to use cultural heritage as a means of bringing different communities together and to promote more effectively the multi-ethnic cultural and religious heritage of the country; is concerned by the growing trend towards monolingualism and the lack of understanding of different languages of Kosovo communities, particularly among young people; therefore stresses the need to learn each other’s languages, introduce platforms to interact, adapt the education system, and tackle the underrepresentation of non- majority communities in the civil service;
Amendment 236 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 b (new)
Paragraph 29 b (new)
29b. Notes that visa-free travel between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo is a necessary pre-condition to expand regional cooperation;
Amendment 239 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30 a. Calls on the Commission to focus IPA III funds on the ongoing democratic transition of Kosovo, more so than infrastructure projects, especially in light of persistent problems with the investment climate, absorption capacity, and environmental standards in Kosovo;
Amendment 241 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Stresses the need for urgent implementation of active labour market policies, including upskilling and on-the- job training, in order to increase employment of vulnerable groups; underlines that the training and education system should be reformed to cope with labour and market needs; reiterates the importance of creating further opportunities for youth and women;
Amendment 245 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Urges Kosovo to work towards improving the quality of education in the country through further progress of school reforms, providing necessary learning materials and the right physical conditions for all students, in particular regarding problems of access to education during the current pandemic;
Amendment 250 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. EWelcomes the fact that Kosovo will also benefit from the EU Digital Single Market, and emphasises the need for investing in digitalisation as a way of improving services for citizens, minimising the digital divide and ensuring equal access to the internet, including for the most vulnerable groups and rural areas;
Amendment 252 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Notes that structural weaknesses have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, in particular due to the delay in adopting the law on economic recovery, and urges Kosovo authorities to implement effective structural reforms to mitigate the impact of pandemic and accelerate the post-crisis economic recovery, including the lack of public health insurance, as well as the issue of division of competences between President and Prime Minister in handling the pandemic, as demonstrated when declaring a state of emergency to enable a country-wide lockdown;
Amendment 253 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 b (new)
Paragraph 32 b (new)
32b. Welcomes the entry into force of the new Regional Roaming Agreement signed in April 2019 as a clear example of how regional cooperation can bring concrete benefits for the citizens and the businesses of the region;
Amendment 257 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Notes that the pandemic is putting the health system under stress; urges Kosovo to strengthen the health sector in order to provide adequate and accessible primary health services for all citizens, in particular through needs-based social benefits for the groups most affected by the COVID-19 crisis; notes that a high number of health professionals have left Kosovo, mostly to EEA countries, which is further worsening the lack of healthcare professionals;
Amendment 259 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Reiterates that the EU has swiftly mobilised immediate support for the Western Balkans to tackle the health emergency resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the socio-economic recovery of the region;
Amendment 260 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 b (new)
Paragraph 33 b (new)
33b. Notes the adoption of over EUR 138 million in assistance for Kosovo through the IPA 2019 and IPA 2020 programmes, out of which EUR 50 million has been re-programmed to tackle the social and economic fallout of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis in the short and medium term; calls on the Commission and the Council to ensure that Kosovo is also included in the joint EU procurement for vaccination;
Amendment 262 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 c (new)
Paragraph 33 c (new)
33c. Calls for improved revenue collection and better supervision of publicly owned enterprises; commends initial progress in reducing tax debt; stresses that further efforts are needed to raise tax revenue by reducing the informal economy and improving the efficiency of tax revenue collection, which could secure more funding for priority areas, including education and health;
Amendment 264 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls on the authorities to ensure alignment with EU standards and policy objectives on climate protection and environment, in line with the commitments made under the Paris Agreement and the strategic objective of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 as part of the European Green Deal, and asks the Commission to include Kosovo in theKosovo to work on the implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, which mirrors European Green Deal priorities;
Amendment 267 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Is deeply concerned that the overwhelming majority of energy in Kosovo derives from coal power, as well as at the plans to build a new coal power plant; urges Kosovo to increase the sustainability of its energy sector by diversifying its energy sources, removing without delay all non-compliant coal subsidies, decentralising energy production and moving towards renewables; calls on Kosovo to conduct environmental impact assessments of international standard and adopt necessary measures to preserve and protect environmentally sensitive areas;
Amendment 270 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35a. Recalls that prioritising and improving energy efficiency measures, including conversion of the existing coal- and petroleum products-based district heating into a high efficiency cogeneration and renewables-based system is a key factor in reaching climate targets; emphasises the importance of tackling energy poverty;
Amendment 271 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 b (new)
Paragraph 35 b (new)
35b. Calls on the full implementation of the Energy Community Treaty, including the implementation of the state aid acquis and full opening of the national electricity market, moving towards regional market integration; encourages work on regional connectivity and completion of the Regional Energy Market;
Amendment 273 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Expresses serious concern about the continuing high rate of premature deaths due to polluted air stemming from the emissions exceeding the legally established ceilings for large combustion plants; urges the Kosovo authorities to tackle air pollution immediately and phase out coal; calls on Kosovo to implement its National Emission Reduction Plan;
Amendment 277 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Encourages Kosovo authorities to give more priority to the enforcement of environmental legislation and biodiversity standards, as well as to environmental awareness and education among Kosovo citizens; encourages Kosovo to adopt the Law on Climate Change as soon as possible; calls on Kosovo to develop and adopt an integrated National Energy and Climate Plan without further delay;
Amendment 283 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Welcomes the adoption of the 2020 IPA Annual Action Programme for Kosovo of a total value of EUR 90 million, and insists that IPA funds are used to promote the green agenda by reinforcing environmental protection, contributing to mitigation and increasing resilience to climate change and, accelerating the shift towards a low-carbon economy; calls on the Commission to better monitor the use of funds and report any misuse of EU funds;
Amendment 285 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 b (new)
Paragraph 38 b (new)
38b. Calls on Kosovo authorities to respect the law on special protected zones, including the plans to build a new road near the Serbian Orthodox Visoki Decani monastery;
Amendment 286 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 c (new)
Paragraph 38 c (new)
38c. Is concerned about the low amount of available water resources; calls on Kosovo authorities to respect special natural and protected zones when planning hydropower plants and not to put in danger the sustainability of the water supply;
Amendment 287 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 d (new)
Paragraph 38 d (new)
38d. Calls on Kosovo to continue to increase the waste collection coverage, notably with the improvement of separation of waste and recycling, introduce circular economy measures to reduce waste and address the issue of illegal dumpsites;
Amendment 288 #
2019/2172(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 e (new)
Paragraph 38 e (new)
38e. Commends Kosovo in its continuous and constructive cooperation on migration; stresses that further actions are needed to ensure sufficient administrative and enforcement capacity to tackle migration challenges, including smuggling of migrants;