Activities of Viola VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL related to 2022/2201(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
2022 Report on Kosovo (debate)
2022 Report on Kosovo (debate)
Reports (1)
REPORT on the 2022 Commission Report on Kosovo
Amendments (82)
Amendment 11 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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;