28 Amendments of Konstantinos ARVANITIS related to 2024/2030(DEC)
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Appreciates Eurojust’s continued support to Ukraine, by the JIT investigating alleged core international crimes committed in Ukraine, by operating the Core International Crimes Evidence Database (CICED) to preserve, store and analyse evidence of core international crimes in a single, secure, central database, by ensuring a safe digital data transmission method for the evidence submission, and its analysis; further welcomes the launching of the new International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (ICPA) at Eurojust with the aim to support national investigations and agree on common investigative and prosecution strategies, and by actively contributing to the work of the Seize and Freeze taskforce in order to ensure the effective implementation of EU sanctions across the European Union;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes the Court’s observation on recurrent high rates of carry-overs related to operational activities amounting to EUR 6,4 million (23 %) of available 2023 commitment appropriations to 2024; notes that it is a lower rate than in 2022, when the rates of carry-overs were 26%; notes that the specific frame in which FRA works makes it difficult to fully avoid carry overs and that FRA maintains a good budget implementation with an outturn higher than 99% in the last ten years;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Commends the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights’ (FRA) assistance to policymakers implementing existing EU law and policies in the field of equality and anti-discrimination, such as EU law and policies combating racism and antisemitism, supporting the collection of equality data and the implementation of national Roma strategic frameworks, and providing input for to the mid-term review of the 2020–2025 LGBTIQ equality strategy, the protection of civil society and of human rights defenders at risk, as well as supporting the revision of the victims’ rights directive, and advising on the implementation of the horizontal enabling conditions related to fundamental right for the use of EU funds; welcomes the publication in 2023 of FRA's second edition of the report "Being Black in the EU – Experiences of people of African descent";
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. EmphasisWelcomes FRA’s guidance and engagement in the area of asylum and migration, including cooperation with the European Union Asylum Agency (EUAA) to enhancing the understanding of guardians and legal representatives assisting unaccompanied children seeking international protection within the Union and; notes the training provided to staff of Europol enhancing awareness and understanding of fundamental rights considerations in relevant operational contexts; welcomes FRA’s timely input on the temporary protection directive implementation in the context of refugees fleeing from Ukraine, as well as on identifying the challenges with regard to the implementation of Union law on long- term residence, as well as identifying the shortcomings in the visa code faced by human rights defenders to enter and stay in the EU, when in need of protection, and the list of actions the Union and its Member States can take to reduce fatalities at sea;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Welcomes FRA advice in 2023 on the implementation of the novel horizontal enabling conditions related to fundamental rights for the use of EU funds, notably its recommendation for a more systematic involvement of national fundamental rights bodies and civil society.
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Welcomes FRA's extensive work in 2023 to strengthen respect for fundamental rights when new technologies are deployed, notably through the start of its multiannual project on the use of remote biometric identification technologies by law enforcement agencies;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the fact that the Asylum Reserve Pool became operational and, by the end of 2023, included close to 350 experts; regrets that due to delays in nominations by some Member States of their respective experts, the envisaged number, 500, was not yet reached; stresses the need to urgently reach at least 500 experts, including interpreters, cultural mediators and psychosocial workers;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Appreciates the efforts of EUAA to move towards digitalisation, including by adopting the strategy on digital innovation in asylum procedures and reception systems7 ; stresses nevertheless the need to ensure full access to asylum and compliance with fundamental rights in this process; _________________ 7 https://euaa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/pu blications/2023-10/2023_EUAA-Strategy- on-Digital-Innovation-in-Asylum- Procedures-and-Reception- Systems_EN.pdf
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes with satisfaction that 1 000 training sessions were organised by EUAA, and that there is a constant increase in terms of the number of asylum and reception officials and civil society actors trained (+6 % compared to 2022); welcomes the further development of the European asylum curriculum, with training modules such as the ones addressing gender-based violence, vulnerability and the situation of children in the asylum process;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Expresses concerns on the participation in 2023 of the EUAA in "Pilot projects" in Bulgaria and Romania intended to strengthen border controls, accelerate asylum and deportation proceedings while EU legislation had not yet been approved;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Acknowledges eu-LISA’s efforts to achieve the objectives set for 2023 in the Single Programming Document 2023– 2025; notes with satisfaction the full implementation of the renewed Schengen Information System (SIS) in March and the smooth integration of Cyprus to SIS in July 2023 and the integration of Croatia into Visa Information System (VIS);
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes the new Interoperability roadmap; regretnotes that the new timeline for the roll-out and interoperability of EU information systems was necessary due to delays in development of the Entry/Exit System (EES), European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and European Criminal Records Information System on third-country nationals (ECRIS-TCN); underlines that swift, effective, and reliable information exchange, while fully complying with fundamental rights, is critical for sustaining and strengthening the Union’s area of freedom, security, and justice;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Expresses concern that Frontex is the largest EU agency which has received exponential budget increases in the last years despite evidence of lack of implementation of its regulation and fundamental rights violations as reported in the 2022 OLAF report, including that Frontex used European taxpayer money to fund pushbacks in at least six instances;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. NotesExpresses concern over the significant increase in returns, with Frontex exceeding its target of 20 000 by assisting 39 239 returns in total, including an impressive 87% increase in voluntary returns and a 20% rise in forced returns compared to 2022; welcomnotes the enhanced support provided to Member States in post-return and post- arrival assistance, with Frontex exceeding its target of 5 000 cases in the Joint Reintegration System, successfully managing 6 438 cases in 2023;
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes the progressivExpresses concern over the expansion of cooperation with third countries throughout 2023, marked by a variety of activities such as familiarisation visits, identification missions, and workshops, totalling 36 initiatives aimed at strengthening collaboration; highlights the high risks of Frontex becoming complicit of fundamental rights violations given the widely reported violations occuring in third countries Fronex cooperates with;
Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Acknowledges the essentialNotes the limited role Frontex plays in Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, withas shown in the Cutro and Pylos shipwrecks cases in 2023 and as emphasised in the inquiry launched by the European Ombudsman; notes nevertheless that maritime and aerial assets deployed in joint operations respondinged to 785 incidents involving 43 508 migrants, underscoring the critical contribution of Frontex to humanitamongst which many were pulled back to Libya despite Libya not being a safe port; calls urgently on Frontex to cease its cooperation with the so-called Libyan coast guards; notes the legal notice pursuant to Art. 265 TFEU requesting Frontex’s Executive Director, Mr. Hans Leijtens, to partian effortslly terminate the agency’s aerial surveillance activities in the ‘pre-frontier area’ in the Central Mediterranean;
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights the positivNotes some progress in implementing Fundamental Rights targets, including the ongoing execution of the Fundamental Rights Action Plan and the independent evaluation of the Agency’s compliance with the Fundamental Rights Framework, in line with the EBCG Regulation; welcomes the proactivnotes the follow-up by Frontex on complaints related to fundamental rights, with the majority being dismissed for non-admissibility; welcomes Frontex's reinforced commitment to transparency and accountability as well as the increasing Serious Incident Reports related to fundamental rights violations; deplores however the inaction of national authorities in investigating the facts contained in Serious Incident Reports, that create an increasing culture of impunity within the EU when it comes to migrants' fundamental rights violations; notes that the FRO recommended for Frontex to suspend its activities in Greece under article 46 of the EBCG Regulation; deplores also that, despite Frontex's reinforced commitment to transparency and accountability has not fully become a reality in practice, as noted by the European Ombudsman, including through its refusal to disclose documents relating to its cooperation with the so called Libyan coast guard;
Amendment 94 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Supports Frontex’s continued efforts to strengthen its FRO, noting the employment of 46 Fundamental Rights Monitors (FRM) in 2023; stresses the importance of ensuring that all FRMs are recruited in AD grade, to further enhance their capacity and independence; recognisnotes that Frontex has taken significant steps in responding to the opinions of the FRO, particularly on issues such as gender mainstreaming and human trafficking; expresses concern that it has not been the case regarding FRO's recommendations to suspend operations based on article 46;
Amendment 99 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes with appreciation thatthat even if most Fundamental Rights targets were met in 2023, contributing to a more robust and rights-based approach to Frontex operationssevere fundamental rights concerns remain in countries where Frontex is being deployed; calls for continued focus on implementing concrete actions based on the recommendations of the FRO, including the suspension of its operations under article 46, and for further strengthening Frontex’s monitoring of human rights frameworkviolations;
Amendment 102 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. AcknowledgNotes the submission of 104 serious incident reports in 2023, 48 of which were related to fundamental rights, which also highlights Frontex's commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement; deplores the absence of adequate follow-up and investigation by national authorities regarding allegations of fundamental rights violations;
Amendment 114 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
Amendment 125 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Is highly alarmed about reports of CEPOL's cooperation with third countries with poor record on human rights, including its training to third countries on “covert techniques in forensics and mobile telecommunications” ; highlights also the collaboration started in 2023 with the Arab Interior Ministers’ Councilt (AIMC) that aims to coordinate the collection and exchange of information on terrorism matters in the MENA/SWANA region, despite the AIMC’s failure to include safeguards against human rights abuses into its existing information-sharing systems; reiterates that CEPOL must ensure its activities are in line with fundamental rights obligations through dedicated risk assessments and pose no risks for the human rights of individuals in third countries; calls on CEPOL to halt any operations with repressive authorities known to systematically commit human rights violations;
Amendment 130 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Welcomes EMCDDA"s efforts to highlights the social aspects and societal impact of drugs, promote social re- integration policies for drug users and approach the topic of drugs within a multi-disciplinary outlook; welcomes in this regard the publications comprising "Health and social responses to drug problems: a European guide";
Amendment 139 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes with satisfaction that, in 2023, Europol accepted 107 856 operational contributions, supported 3 155 operations, established 27 Operational Task Forces, delivered 21 096 first line SIENA responses, and provided increased operational information capabilities to national authorities, Member States and third parties;
Amendment 142 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Commends the successfulNotes the deployment of PERCI (EU Platform on Illegal Content Online), particularly with the fullincluding the implementation of the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) recommendations; appreciates the strongnotes the cooperation with EDPS and the joint working group established with Frontex to follow up on EDPS’ recommendations in relation to Frontex’s PeDRA (Processing personal data for risk analysis) programme where both agencies share a strong interest in protecting fundamental rights while advancing security;
Amendment 144 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. WelcomNotes the implementation of the Europol Regulation11 as amended in 2022, especially the swiftincluding the appointment of an FRO in January 2023, marking a signi; deeply regrets that the stronger role attributed to Europol under its Regulation lacks sufficaient step towards enhancing Europol’s commitment to human rights in its operations; afeguards and oversight, particularly on the processing of large sets of personal data;calls for the expansion of independent external oversight by the EDPS and FRO in order to strengthen fundamental rights protection; _________________ 11 Regulation (EU) 2016/794 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and replacing and repealing Council Decisions 2009/371/JHA, 2009/934/JHA, 2009/935/JHA, 2009/936/JHA and 2009/968/JHA (OJ L, 2016/794, 24.5.2016, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/794/oj).
Amendment 148 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. AppreciaNotes Europol’s ongoing and invaluable support to Ukraine, particularly through its participation in the Joint Investigation Team focused on investigating alleged core international crimes committed in Ukraine; notes with satisfaction the creation of an Operational Task Force (OTF) aimed at providing targeted support to ongoing investigations into war crimes, showcasing Europol’s crucial role in international justice and accountability;
Amendment 150 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6