Activities of Viola VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL related to 2023/2106(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the EU strategy on Central Asia
Amendments (27)
Amendment 2 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Amendment 11 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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;