Activities of Katrin LANGENSIEPEN related to 2021/2206(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
The EU’s strategic relationship and partnership with the Horn of Africa (debate)
Amendments (33)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
— having regard to the Council conclusions of 25 June 2018 entitled ‘Horn of Africa/RedSea’,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
— having regard to the Strategic Compass for Security and Defense as adopted on 21 March 2022,
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) coordinate EU initiatives and support with African counterparts by favouring African ownership of the programmes whenever possible, thus helping to find African solutions to African problems; adopt, in this regard, a conditionality approach based on the more for more and less for less principle;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
(c) coordinate efforts in the region with the African Union and its regional components, as well as with the UNthe Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), as well as with the UN, international financial institutions (IFIs) and other like- minded partners;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
(d) adopt a proactive, inclusive and cooperative approach based on selective engagement with countries and actors present in the Horn of Africa, sharing EU best practices and experience in integrating economic, financial, social, cultural and security-related issues to foster effective cooperation across the region and in the maritime domain, while also acting as a facilitator of dialogue with all parties involved especially through the EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(d a) ensure greater transparency and visibility of the work of the EUSR on the Horn of Africa, including by public reporting on country visits, work programme and priorities, as well as the creation of individual webpages to allow public scrutiny of her action; to ensure that the EUSR prioritises human rights and democracy support in her engagement with her interlocutors from the region and carries out a proactive engagement towards civil society actors, human rights defenders or voices of dissent, which may be under threat or targeted by the local authorities;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
(e) contribute to regional security and stability both through conflict resoluivilian conflict prevention, conflict resolution, dialogue, reconciliation and mediation activities and by addressing the root causes of conflicts;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point e a (new)
(e a) endorse the concept of human security as the starting point of any regional security considerations and as a complement to state security approaches which puts measures and institutions at the service of its people;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point e b (new)
(e b) strengthen the EU-AU strategic partnership as regards conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacekeeping;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
(f) support all diplomatic efforts devoted to ending the ongoing conflicts within Ethiopia, both at national level and in the forums provided by the African Union, in order to agree on a permanent ceasefire, allow humanitarian relief to reach in-need areas and facilitate internal reconciliation;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
(f a) demand a new approach at the operational level to security sector reform, security assistance and military capacity building (SSR, DDR, CBSD) which incorporates lessons learned in particular in Mali and which puts the emphasis on (a) democratic control of all security forces including armed forces, (b) democratic and transparent governance of the sector, (c) systematic monitoring of full and strict compliance of all actors with international human rights law and international humanitarian law, (d) and clear mechanisms for suspension, or withdrawal in case of impunity, and ongoing violations;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g
Paragraph 1 – point g
(g) understand climate change as risk and threat multiplier, exacerbating insecurity and existing tensions, and address climate security as a core element of any comprehensive regional strategy; provide the countries affected by conflicts and natural disasters with prompt and adequate humanitarian assistance, in coordination with like-minded partners;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
(h) acknowledge the positive impacts of Operation Atlanta in guaranteeing maritime security, and take note of the non-extension of its mandate within the UNSC; call on the Member States to show adequate commitment to the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the EU Training Mission in Somalia both in terms of personnel and means, in order to empower the Somali Armed Forces to guarantee security in the country while fully complying with international humanitarian law and international human rights law;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i
Paragraph 1 – point i
(i) take note of the growing activity of terrorist groups, namely Al-Shabaab, Al- Qaeda and ISIS in the whole region, and provide tailored and effective assistance to the affected countries in countering both the immediate effects of this expansion and the root causes of extremism and radicalisation while fully complying with international humanitarian law and international human rights law;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j
Paragraph 1 – point j
(j) ensure that assistance channelled through the European Peace Facility abides by European fundamental values andNDICI's CBSD policy and the European Peace Facility complies with the eight criteria of the legally binding EU Common Position on arms exports, human rights and humanitarian law, obligations to carry out comprehensive ex ante risk assessment and permanent monitoring by the EU level of the supply of military technology to third country actors, and effective transparency provisions such as the publication of a detailed list of military equipment provided to partner countries, ensure the traceability and proper use of the material delivered to partners under the EPF, and that this assistance helps in building a transparent, accountable and reliable security sector;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k
Paragraph 1 – point k
(k) fully support democratic transitions, the rule of law and state- building processes and promote an open political space; deploy, whenever possible, at the same time incorporate local approaches, hybrid models and procedures for the operationalisation of universal values and norms of democracy, rule-of-law and human rights; deploy, whenever necessary, election observation missions;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point k a (new)
(k a) take particular care to assess and prevent any violation linked to the Union’s own policies, projects and funding in the region, including by creating a complaints mechanism for individuals or groups whose rights may have been violated by EU activities in these countries;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l
Paragraph 1 – point l
(l) work in partnership with our African counterparts and increase cooperation with civil society to identify and address the main human rights challenges and priorities in the region, to strengthening democratic and fundamental rights accountability;
Amendment 157 #
(l a) enhance their support to human rights defenders in the region; make use of all tools at their disposal and in a flexible manner, and fully implement the EU Guidelines on human rights defenders including ensuring accountability for violations through private and public advocacy on individual cases, and patterns of violations, ensuring internal protection mechanisms, services and support for those in the country, safe evacuation paths and specific measures to protect those in transit in third countries and coordinating in granting visas to those seeking to leave the country;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – subheading 4
Paragraph 1 – subheading 4
Sustainable and inclusive economic growthdevelopment – society
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point o a (new)
(o a) take into account that at least 20 million people are at risk of starvation this year due to unprecedented drought in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia, a situation exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine, which has contributed to rising food and fuel prices and disrupted supply chains and welcomes the allocation of €21.5 million in additional EU humanitarian funding for the Horn of Africa; stress however that assistance should be significantly scaled up given that, as reported by the WFP, less than 4% of theUS$437 million needed to save lives and help communities facing recurrent and worsening climate shocks has been raised;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
(p) devote particular attention to widespread, locally-owned projects that are more effective in improving people’s lives, i.e. off-grid solar power systems, in particular in the most remote areas and make sure that EU investments in sustainable energy in Africa, should primarily benefit the local population with the objective to end energy poverty not to export it to the European Union; stress that finding agronomic alternatives to expensive synthetic fertiliser can be the most cost-effective policy option for EU and countries in the Horn of Africa and recalls in this regard the EU Farm to Fork Strategy’s intention to reduce farmers’ dependency on external outputs;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point p a (new)
(p a) address the highly concerning deadlocked dispute between Ethiopia on one side and Sudan and Egypt on the other over the use and distribution of the waters of the Nile the in the context of Ethiopia’s construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and call upon the conflicting parties to return to the negotiation table to avoid further escalation and find a balanced solution taking into account Ethiopia’s interest to generate hydropower as well as the riparian states’ concern about water security; take into account that the effect of climate change presents a major challenge to the Horn of Africa and requires the region to cooperate closely in the production of sustainable energy as well as resource sharing; call on the EU to contribute to mediation formats between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, support the role of the AU and IGAD in settling the conflict, and increase investment in the region’s green transition, including infrastructure such as trans-national energy grids;
Amendment 199 #
(q) adopt a holistic, conflict-sensitiveand contexte sensitive and human centred approach to cooperation on migration, in line with the Khartoum Process and the Global Compacts on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and on Refugees, taking into account the different drivers of migration in the region and the persistent vulnerabilityies of migrants, respecting the rights of migrants and refugees, and recognising the necessity, normality and benefits of circular migration and regional mobility in the wider Red Sea region;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
(q a) develop a long-term partnership that focuses on safe, orderly and regular migration;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r
Paragraph 1 – point r
(r) provide assistance and support to the countries hosting and assisting refugees; facilitate the relocationsettlement of displaced persons and internally displaced persons;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point r a (new)
(r a) ensure that all migration cooperation and readmission agreements with the region strictly comply with international human rights and refugee law, particularly with the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol; strictly delink development cooperation from cooperation on readmission or migration management;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s
Paragraph 1 – point s
(s) adopt a team Europe approach in the region, working with a wide spectrum of actors, including from the private sector, in supporting African-owned initiatives;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point s a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point s a (new)
(s a) urge the EC and public financial institutions, including the EIB, to make sure that EU investments are aligned with the Paris Agreement and are used to steer a just climate transition along the lines of the European Green Deal objectives, and requires, that no single investment in the region should finance sectors that fuel the climate crisis, primarily fossil fuel industries;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t
Paragraph 1 – point t
(t) acknowledge that efficient infrastructures are key to consistent, sustainable and fair development in the region; fully exploit the potential ofnotes new EU-sponsored initiatives aiming at enhancing regional integration and connectivity; increase consultation and coordination with African counterparts in the definition of specific projects to be developed in the global gateway framework; note the prominent role attributed to blending mechanisms in the Global Gateway at the expense of other aid modalities; recall that there is little evidence of the development impact of blending; recall equally that blending raises concerns in terms of debt sustainability; call on the EU and its Member States, in a context where ODA remains a scarce resource, to limit blending operations to those areas where they can add value to the local economy, but to exclude blending finance from essential public services, particularly health, education and social protection, as the monetisation of those sectors could widen already existing inequalities and jeopardise the universal access to those services; more broadly, urge the European Commission and the Member States to prioritise partnerships with LDC domestic enterprises that pursue sustainable and inclusive business models;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point t a (new)
(t a) highlight the important role of the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development(IGAD) as the Horn of Africa´s regional body in fostering stability and diplomacy; call on the EU to continue supporting and strengthening these multilateral organisations;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u
Paragraph 1 – point u
(u) take note of the growing, multifaceted influence of third parties in the region, in particular Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Turkey; recognise that the increasing presence of actors that do not share the Union`s values, interests and objectives could undermine the EU’s role as a privileged partner; call on the EU to promote itself as a partner in support of a regional approach, furthering economic cooperation and conflict prevention as opposed to third actor’s exacerbation of fragmentation and geopolitical escalation;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point v
Paragraph 1 – point v
(v) reinforce strategicits communication through effective and fact-based campaignspublic information about EU actions, EU objectives and EU sponsored initiatives in the region, underlining their objective to create an added value for local communities, sustainable development and inclusive growth, while also countering disinformation and false narratives from third parties;