Activities of Viola VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL related to 2021/2237(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
EU Association Agreement with the Republic of Moldova (debate)
Amendments (43)
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6
Citation 6
Amendment 6 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Amendment 193 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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;