Activities of Nacho SÁNCHEZ AMOR related to 2023/2105(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the role of the European Parliament and its parliamentary diplomacy in the EU’s foreign and security policy
Amendments (28)
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the European Parliament is one of the most respected parliaments or assemblies in the world, whose positions and resolutions are taken note of and often generate reactions and repercussions in third countries;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas the European Parliament develops its role in parliamentary diplomacy, among others, through its 45 delegations that maintain and deepen relations with other parliaments of non- EU countries, regions and organisations, spreading the positions the European Parliament adopts;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas the Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group (DEG) of the European Parliament, which is headed by the chairs of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Development and includes MEPs from across the political spectrum, oversee Parliament's efforts to support democracy beyond the EU, including with regard to election observation, mediation and dialogue; whereas through the Jean- Monnet Dialogue for peace and democracy, Parliament brings non-EU political leaders together to promote inter- party communication and consensus building; whereas MEPs act as special envoys and mediators for conflict prevention in situations of high tension in specific countries;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Cd. whereas the European Parliament assists national parliaments and international regional assemblies beyond the EU’s borders in order to reinforce their institutional capacity and it establishes an ongoing dialogue with these legislatures, exchanging best practices and supporting their participation as fully-fledged members of the democratic community;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)
Recital C e (new)
Ce. whereas Parliament is developing an increasing role as a normative actor worldwide, including in inter- parliamentary cooperation;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas by exercising parliamentary diplomacy Parliament engages through dialogue with elected officials and diplomat, government representatives, diplomats, public institutions, as well as civil society representatives and other stakeholders from non-EU countries and multilateral institutions on a continuous basis, in particular through the work of its delegations and committees, including through holding hearings and country visitpromoting the EU interests in general and encouraging their partners to uphold universal values;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1
Subheading 1
An emerg consolidating parliamentary diplomacy
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes Parliament’s growing role in the EU’s external action, gradually evolving from a somewhat marginal to a substantial one, combining its legislative, budgetary and scrutiny powers with multiple forms of engagement with countries and societies from outside the EU; underlines particularly Parliament’s budgetary powers and its consent power to EU international agreements;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights the distinct role and value of parliamentary diplomacy in complementing EU's diplomacy and reinforcing the visibility and impact of EU foreign and security policy, alongside the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Commission and the diplomatic services of the Member States, while assuring the Parliament’s own autonomy; underlines, in this sense, the paramount importance of parliamentary diplomacy as a means to reach out to more diverse stakeholders in partner countries with a view to reinforcing awareness about EU legislation and positions, to better understanding perceptions, impacts and consequences of such legislation and positions in third countries and to forging alliances and solid partnerships in an increasingly complex and multipolar international context;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses the importance of parliamentary diplomacy and Parliament’s activities in this regard to promote political pluralism and democratic parliamentary standards worldwide, as well as to contribute in the improvement of human rights in third countries; notes that MEPs can address more sensitive issues, such as human rights violations and make public statements on these, open avenues for communication or engage with local partners when the space of traditional diplomacy is more restricted;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Highlights Parliament’s specific, dynamic and public contribution to the EU’s foreign and security policy through the work of its committees working on external affairs, which contribute to relations with non-EU countries and international organisations; welcomes the visits of presidents and prime ministers, leading government officials and representatives from international and non-governmental organizations to the Committee on Foreign Affairs as an important tool for Parliament’s diplomacy;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that, under the overall oversight of the Committee on Foreign Affairs,Stresses that the standing delegations complement the work of the committees by establishing a regular and sustained forum for political dialogue with non-EU countries, including multilateral assemblies and through joint parliamentary bodies and multilateral assembliewhich constitute the parliamentary dimension of the EU political and trade agreements;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Recognizes the positive contribution of the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (Eurolat) in strengthening and promoting bi-regional relations; appreciates the role of the Eurolat Assembly as a parliamentary institution of the bi-regional strategic partnership between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean, and underlines the need to continue supporting its work to strengthen ties between both regions;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Stresses the important work of Parliament’s Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group (DEG) in the fields of international election observation, reinforcement of parliamentary democracy in non-EU countries and in initiatives involving mediation, facilitation and the promotion of human rights; acknowledges its key contribution to the parliamentary diplomacy activities of the Parliament, complementing the activities of the committees and delegations; calls for the findings from DEG activities on specific countries as well as those derived from EU Election Observation Missions to be better integrated into the relevant work of committees, delegations and plenary sessions when focusing on those same countries;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Considers that Parliament’s official missions outside the EU form an integral part of EU external policy, which must therefore enjoy the full support of the EU delegations; stresses the need for these missions to count with the highest level of information and security and, in this regard, calls for the EU INTCEN and the EEAS Crisis Response Center to be provided with all necessary resources;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Underlines that parliamentarians should be fully prepared on the cultural and international cultural relations dimension of a third country when going on an official mission, thus fostering a culture of dialogue within the context of a dialogue of cultures; calls in this regard for the EEAS, and particularly its Strategic Communication and Foresight division, which should count with all necessary resources, to fully support Parliament’s official missions to third countries;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8c. Suggests that Parliament's Conference of Committee Chairs (CCC) and the Conference of Delegation Chairs (CDC) take up the task of promoting this internal coordination by, among other actions, periodically setting a list of priority countries with whom to engage - based on upcoming legislative files and geopolitical or strategic priorities-, by holding joint exchanges of views on EU relations with priority countries or on horizontal geopolitical issues, and by fostering synergies among the high number of Parliament's missions abroad to avoid unnecessary multiplications, streamline resources and reinforce consistency in Parliament's messages;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses the consistent dedication of Parliament to placing human rights and democracy at the heart of EU external action and providing a key forum in which to hear and amplify the voice of civil society and democratic actors from around the world; reminds, nevertheless, that the provisions set out in the Treaties, such as in Art. 21 of TEU establishing the principles that will guide the EU’s external actions are binding for all EU institutions and therefore warns against any division of roles between ones defending values and other attached only to a 'realpolitik' approach;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Highlights the great relevance of the debates and resolutions on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (Rule 144) as one of Parliament's tools with greatest impact abroad when addressing human rights situations in non-EU countries; calls, therefore, for better visibility of these debates and resolutions, including with regard to the agenda of the plenary sessions, and increased involvement during their drafting with relevant office- holders from other parliamentary bodies;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Takes note of EU tools for its relations with Member States’ national parliaments such as COSAC and IPEX and calls to explore the feasibility of their use in the relations with third countries or parliamentary assemblies worldwide; considers that creating an inter- parliamentary platform for exchange of information, such as IPEX, with parliaments outside the EU could strengthen Parliament’s diplomatic toolbox and its relation with parliamentarians from third countries;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Believes that the next parliamentary term and the establishment of the future Commission should be an opportunity to strengthen the framework of interinstitutional relations between Parliament, the EEAS and the Commission, including EU delegations, in order to enhance parliamentary diplomacy and strengthen the EU’s toolbox for external action; calls for a framework on strengthening external action cooperation between the EEAS and the European Parliament, which could enhance the EU’s own foreign policy toolbox and Parliament’s role in EU Diplomacy;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls for a further strengthening of Parliament’s relations with the Member States’ national parliaments, which are well-placed bodies to act as a relay towards Member States’ executive branches; highlights the importance of the inter- parliamentary conferences on CFSP/CSDP which can help to better align these policy dimensions within the EU and its Member States;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Considers that Parliament has a unique role to play in bringing EU foreign policy closer to European citizens, in particular and in strengthening its democratic legitimacy, including by engaging with sub-state entities such as regional governments and parliaments;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Takes the view that, in the context of backsliding in terms of respect for human rights and democracy worldwide, Parliament has a specific role to play in helping democratically elected parliaments globally to consolidate their institutional role and internal working methods; calls for a strengthened coordination with the Commission, including DG NEAR and DG INTPA in supporting parliamentary democracy worldwide and bolstering institutional support for parliaments; suggests that the Network with National Parliaments on democracy support, established by the Parliament, could become a regular institutional venue to coordinate activities and leverage expertise;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Highlights the specific role of Parliament in helping partner countries and, in particular, enlargement countries' parliaments to strengthen their role in the EU accession process, including by accompanying them in developing their capacities throughout the enlargement process;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Highlights the need to exchange good practices on parliamentary diplomacy and cooperation from EU Member States’ parliaments, particularly in their relations with those from third countries;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Reiterates its call to develop an autonomous EU diplomacy determined by a common diplomatic culture from an EU perspective and underlines Parliament’s role in this regard; considers that the implementation of Parliament’s Pilot Project on the creation of the European Diplomatic Academy, and specially its future and permanent structure, is a concrete step in this regards; calls to guarantee Parliament's permanent participation and active involvement in the future European Diplomatic Academy´s managing or governing bodies, as well as in its training programmes and activities;