Activities of Markéta GREGOROVÁ related to 2019/2200(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the implementation of the EU Association Agreement with Georgia
Amendments (37)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)
Citation 12 a (new)
- having regard to the Memorandum of Understanding and the Joint Statement, signed by the ruling and opposition parties of Georgia on 8 March, regarding the 2020 parliamentary elections;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 b (new)
Citation 12 b (new)
- having regard to the ODIHR Election Observation Mission Final Report on the Presidential Election in Georgia of 28 February 2019;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 c (new)
Citation 12 c (new)
- having regard to the Opinion on the Draft Revised Constitution of Georgia by the Venice Commission of 19 June 2017;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 d (new)
Citation 12 d (new)
- having regard to the Venice Commission’s final opinion of 19 March 2018 on Georgia’s constitutional reform (CDL-AD(2018)005);
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 e (new)
Citation 12 e (new)
- having regard to the Urgent Opinion on the Selection and Appointment of Supreme Court Judges of Georgia by the Venice Commission of 16 April 2019 and the ODIHR Second Report on the Nomination and Appointment of Supreme Court Judges in Georgia of 9 January 2020;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas Georgia and the EU, as associated partners, are committed to promoting political association and economic integration based on common values and principles such as democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms, the rule of law and good governance; whereas Georgian society continues to show strong support for the country’s European aspirations;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the entry into force of the revised Constitution in December 2018 concluded Georgia's transition to a full parliamentarian system; whereas progress has been made in the implementation of the Association Agreement between the EU and Georgia, including the move to a fully proportional election system as of 2024;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the recent EU/US- facilitated dialogue between the ruling and the opposition parties has resulted in a Memorandum of Understanding and a Joint Statement, undersigned by all major parties, on 8 March 2020, which represents a crucial step towards depolarization and normalization of the political environment in Georgia in the run-up to the parliamentary elections in October 2020;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates its full support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and condemns the illegal occupation of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia by the Russian Federation; emphasises that the AA covers the entire territory of Georgia, including its occupied regions, and aims to benefit its whole population; calls on the Russian Federation to fulfil its obligations under the EU-mediated ceasefire agreement of 12 August 2008, notably to withdraw all its military forces from Georgia’s occupied territories and allow the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) unhindered access to the whole territory of Georgiaremove all impediments for the establishment of international security mechanisms therein; asks the Commission and the EEAS to enhance their efforts to resolve the conflict peacefully, including through the EUMM and the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, through continued support for the Georgian Parliament’s "A Step for a Better Future" package, as well as through people-to-people contacts and confidence-building measures;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Demands that the de-facto authorities in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia reopen closed crossing points without delay, cease attempts to prevent the work of the EUMM and restrict its mandate, and limit freedom of movement in those regions; calls for an immediate end to the increasing process of borderisation along the dividing line between Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia and Tbilisi- controlled territory and asks the High Representative/Vice-President and EU Member States to denounce this process;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the fact that Georgian citizens have made 900 000 visa-free visits to Schengen and Schengen-associated countries since March 2017; is concerned by the increasing number of unfounded asylum requests by Georgian citizens; calls on all the Member States that have not already done so to recognise Georgia as a safe country of origin in order to speed up the processing of such requests; stresses the importance of continuous implementation of the visa liberalisation benchmarks by Georgia;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Commends the Georgian authorities for completing the constitutional reform process and the major political parties for signing the Memorandum of Understanding of 8 March 2020, which established the key features of the electoral system to be used for the upcoming parliamentary elections; calls on all parties to ensure that the agreement is translated into law and fully implemented as soon as possible; welcomes the outcome of the cross-party dialogue as a clear sign of willingness to find a common solution, but underlines the importance of continuing to rebuild trust between political parties to provide for smooth and peaceful parliamentary elections in 2020, as a basis for a stable political situation in Georgia over the coming years;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Emphasises the crucial role in democratic oversight of civil society organisations; calls on the Commission and the EU Member States to provide political, technical and financial support to civil society, particularly election observer groups and independent activists, ahead of the October 2020 parliamentary elections in Georgia;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Georgian authorities to implement swiftly and fully the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations and review relevant legislation to address the identified shortcomings, including to tackle the misuse of administrative resources, campaign financing, dissemination of hate speech and xenophobia, opposition representation in the election administration and pressure on voters;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Encourages the Georgian government to continue the fight against corruption and state capture, as well as the promotion of public administration reform, modernisation, decentralisation, and good governance, in order to enhance further integration between Georgia and the EU;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Commends the constitutional reforms carried out in 2018, while encouraging all political actors to cooperate and maintain open dialogue, also with civil society, to strengthen democratic institutions and consolidate the rule of law and pluralistic democracy in Georgia;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Expresses its concern about recent court cases against opposition politicians, which contributed to a climate of increased mistrust and heightened tensions between the ruling party and the opposition, and led to afurther polarisation of politics and society; calls on Georgia to respect the highest standards of the rule of law, human rights, judicial independence and fair trial as committed to under the AA; expects the EEAS and EU Delegation on the ground to monitor all trials in Georgia related to politically-motivated cases;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Emphasises the importance of a depoliticised judiciary, as well as transparency and meritocracy in the appointment of judges for the Supreme Court of Georgia and other judiciary institutions, and encourages the Georgian government to continue its reforms of the judiciary system, including the Prosecutors’ Office, while fostering an open dialogue with all political actors and civil society and ensuring international standards;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for a revision of the selection procedures for judges to be carried out to ensure that the recommendations of ODIHR and the Venice Commission are fully implemented before any new appointments are made; regrets that the recent selection procedure of Supreme Court judges suffered from serious shortcomings;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Demands a prompt and thorough investigation into the violence on the side of Georgian law enforcement authorities against protesters, journalists and opposition politicians in June 2019, and to ensure that the perpetrators are held to account; urges the Georgian government to uphold the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, including by attenuating the currently disproportionate sanctions and harsh fines for protesters;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Condemns any political interference in media freedom and pluralism; urges the Georgian government to cease any such interference and non-transparent actions, including on social media and through arbitrary, selective taxation practices;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Urges the Georgian government to safeguard the information environment ahead of the 2020 elections and strengthen resilience against disinformation and information manipulation by domestic and foreign actors, online and offline; calls on Facebook and other social media platforms to take effective actions to protect the information environment and prevent undermining electoral integrity by misuse of social media platforms;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Demands the Russian Federation to provide EUMM access to the whole territory of Georgia and to ensure safe and dignified return of all internally displaced persons and refugees to their homes;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Urges all parties to resume and take part in the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRMs), a result of the Geneva International Discussions for addressing and resolving the challenges stemming from the conflict between Russia and Georgia in August 2008, in order to improve the safety and humanitarian situation of the conflict- affected population on the ground;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Underlines that gender equality is a key precondition to sustainable and inclusive development; commends the work of the Georgian Parliament’s Gender Equality Council and its efforts to identify sexual harassment as a form of discrimination; urges the Georgian government and authorities to implement measures to further improve women’s representation and equal treatment at all levels of political and societal life; requests the European Commission to mainstream gender equality in all its policies, programmes and activities in relation to Georgia;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines the importance of reducing antagonism and the polarisation of politics and ensuring constructive cooperation in the country’s democratic institutions, in particular the parliament;, and therefore profoundlyemphasises the need to build and increase trust among all political and institutional actors, as well as between them and the Georgian people; regrets that the ninth meeting of the EU-Georgia Parliamentary Association Committee of 12 and13 February 2020 in Strasbourg ended without an agreement on a final statement and recommendations being reached;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes with satisfaction that the EU is one of Georgia’s largest trading partners, representing 27% share of its total trade; welcomes the continued approximation of Georgia’s legislation in trade-related areas;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls on the Commission to support the full implementation of the DCFTA through coordinated assistance, to promote sustainable economic development, and to support structural reforms in the economic system, including promoting market principles, fair business climate, in particular for regional and SMEs, and independent regulatory mechanisms, in cooperation with businesses and civil society, including a major reform of the banking and financial sector aiming to combat money laundering and tax evasion;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. ERecalls that DCFTAs must always include strong, binding and enforceable sustainable development chapters that fully respect international commitments, in particular the Paris Agreement, and be compliant with WTO rules; encourages the speeding up of the implementation of the third National Environment Action Programme and the approximation of Georgian legislation with the EU acquis relating to the environment, in line with the AA requirements on environmental protection; calls on Georgia to further enhance its engagement in the fight against climate change, and on the Commission to facilitate Georgia’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 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Stresses the importance of economic diversification and of supporting a favourable business environment for regional and small and medium-sized enterprises to develop Georgia's ability to further innovate in different economic sectors; calls on the Commission to explore increased sectoral cooperation in education and research, innovation, and to enhance ICT sector and digitalisation as well as green technologies, and to share know-how and best practices; emphasises the importance of focused youth programmes to create fair job opportunities;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Demands that the Commission supports and assists 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 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the allocation by the Commission of EUR 3.4 billion for 18 priority projects in Georgia under the indicative trans-European transport network (TEN-T) investment action plan; calls on Georgia to improve its energy sector and connectivity, while ensuring environmental sustainability, in particular preservation of biodiversity and protected sites, during the implementation process, also taking into account local community’s needs;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Urges the European Commission, the EU Member States and Georgia to increase cooperation on public health resilience, including cooperation between public health authorities, research facilities, and emergency capabilities, as well as to exchange best practice and work with civil society on establishing epidemic strategies focusing on the most vulnerable groups, including the elderly, homeless, seasonal workers, and migrants;