Activities of Vladimír BILČÍK related to 2019/2173(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
2019-2020 Reports on Montenegro (debate)
Amendments (19)
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the fact that on its first working day, the newly formed Montenegrin Government held an exchange of views with Members of the European Parliament and EU officials; encourages the new Government to use its mandate to accelerate EU-related reforms and accession negotiations; underlines the importance on moving ahead in EU- accession and stresses that it is vital not to reverse earlier achievements in the reform process; notes that the new enlargement methodology foresees both positive and negative conditionality, and the principle of reversibility;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes recent public opinion surveys, which show that 75 % of the citizens support Montenegro’s accession to the EU, which is a clear message to the new Government that the people want reforms based on European values; notes that this is one of the highest rates of public support for the EU in the region;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Takes note of the findings and conclusions of the international observers from the OSCE ODIHR, and calls on the authorities to address their recommendations fully; welcomes the Government’s adoption of a decision on the establishment of the Council for the Control of the Electoral Roll; notes that the Parliament of Montenegro passed a Decision on the establishment of the Committee for Comprehensive Electoral Reform in December 2020; expects the Committee for Comprehensive Electoral Reform to begin functioning without any further delay; encourages holding local elections simultaneously across the country in order to bring more stability to Montenegro’s democracy and avoid the phenomenon of perpetual campaigning;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on all political forces in the newly elected Skupština (Parliament) of Montenegro to engage in a constructive, meaningful and inclusive dialogue in the Parliament, as this is the key to a successful parliamentary democracy; reiterates that a functioning parliamentary democracy is based on the participation of both government and opposition in the parliamentary decision- making process; underlines that broad consensus of both the ruling majority and the opposition is fundamental in moving forward on the EU accession path and on reforms; calls on all political parties represented in the parliament to refrain from boycotting the work of parliament; calls on measures aimed at improving dialogue and trust across the political spectrum;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Welcomes the first appointments to Montenegro’s Delegation to the EU- Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC); calls for the finalisation of the process and the appointment of members of the opposition as soon as possible; reiterates that the work of SAPC should resume as soon as possible;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Welcomes the steps aimed at improving the supervisory role of the Parliament of Montenegro over the executive and its transparency and openness to citizens and civil society of the Parliament of Montenegro;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Calls for the newly elected parliament to step up its efforts to ensure inclusive political dialogue within parliament; calls also for a stronger role for civil society which remains an essential element of a well-functioning democracy;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Deplores the state of freedom of expression and media freedom, an area in which five successive Commission reports have noted ‘no progress’; strongly condemns all types of attacks against the media and intimidation of journalists, and calls for the urgent and effective investigation of these; regrets that some cases of violence against journalists still remain unsolved; urges Montenegro to provide conditions conducive to the effective exercise of freedom of expression, which is one of the EU’s fundamental values and a crucial element of Montenegro’s EU accession process; underlines the need to strengthen the media environment, including by supporting professionalism of the media and media organisations and improving working conditions for journalists;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Underlines that media literacy and media freedom are key to combating disinformation; calls for the strengthening of European cooperation with Montenegro on addressing manipulative disinformation, and cyber and hybrid threats that seek to undermine the European perspective of the region; encourages concrete steps in building resilience and cyber security at the time when Montenegro faces increasing pressure through foreign interference that seeks to undermine Montenegro’s statehood and pro-Western orientation;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Notes that women continue to be underrepresented in public life and in decision-making processes and face vulnerabilities in employment and in social policies;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 d (new)
Paragraph 23 d (new)
23d. Notes that some minorities, in particular Roma and Egyptians, face difficulties in access to the labour market, education and public life;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 f (new)
Paragraph 23 f (new)
23f. Recalls that while the Montenegrin government approved the annual action plan of the strategy for the protection of persons with disabilities from discrimination and for the promotion of equality (covering 2017- 2021), the implementation remains the key goal; regrets that persons with disabilities still face discrimination and difficult access to justice;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Welcomes progress on the protection of LGBTI rights and the adoption of the law on same-sex partnerships; welcomes the peaceful conduct of the Pride Parade in 2019;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Commends Montenegro for its commitment to inclusive regional cooperation, and the constructive role it plays in the Western Balkans region, and welcomes its active participation in numerous regional initiatives; underlines that regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations are linked to Montenegro’s EU perspective;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Welcomes the signing of the Protocol on the Determination of the Border Point between Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia in May 2019 and calls for a speedy conclusion of similar agreements with other neighbouring countries;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 e (new)
Paragraph 26 e (new)
26e. Reiterates its support for the initiative to establish the Regional Commission for the establishment of facts about war crimes and other gross human rights violations on the territory of the former Yugoslavia (RECOM); highlights the importance and the work carried out by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO);
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Welcomes the ratification and the entry into force of the agreement on border management cooperation between Montenegro and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) which will allow Frontex to assist Montenegro in border management and carry out joint operations;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Welcomes the positive developments in further aligning Montenegro’s national environmental and climate change legislation with the acquis; calls on the authorities to take urgent measures to better safeguard protected areas and potential Natura 2000 sites; including Ulcinj Salina, Lake Skadar, the Tara river and others; recalls that establishing military training and weapons testing area in UNESCO- protected areas, including the Tara River area and the Sinjajevina mountain area, must follow UNESCO principles of socio- cultural and ecological sustainability;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 f (new)
Paragraph 36 f (new)
36f. Welcomes the launching of the Green Agenda in the Western Balkans, adopted at the EU-Western Balkans Sofia Summit in November 2020;