Activities of Vladimír BILČÍK related to 2022/2204(INI)
Plenary speeches (3)
2022 Report on Serbia (debate)
2022 Report on Serbia (debate)
2022 Report on Serbia (A9-0172/2023 - Vladimír Bilčík) (vote)
Reports (1)
REPORT on the 2022 Commission Report on Serbia
Amendments (54)
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the future of the Western Balkans lies in the European Union;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas the EU is Serbia’s biggest investor, trading partner and principal donor;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the fact that EU membership continues to be Serbia’s strategic goal and in this context, welcomes the appointment of the new Minister for European Integration; underlines the fact that progress on the rule of law and fundamental rights, and on the normalisation of relations with Kosovo and alignment with the CFSP will determine the dynamics of the accession process, as set out in the Negotiating Framework; underlines, in this context, that the importance of EU’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP) alignment remains essential;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Regrets Serbia’s continued insufficient commitment and low level of alignment with the CFSP, in particular in the context of the Russian war on Ukraine; regrets that in 2022, the European Commission noted backsliding in one of the negotiating chapters, notably in Chapter 31 on Foreign, security and defence policy; underlines the fact that, as a candidate country, Serbia must adhere to the EU’s principles and policies, and; alignment with any warmongering autocratic regime is unacceptable;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes Serbia’s alignment with the EU in voting in favour of relevant UN General Assembly resolutions and Russia’s suspension from the Human Rights Council; regrets, however, the fact that Serbia has consistently failed to align with the EU’s restrictive measures against Russia; deplores Serbia’s close relationship with Russia; nd most declarations on behalf of the High Representative/Vice-President of the European Commission against Russia; welcomes Serbia’s alignment with EU’s restrictive measures against Belarus for its role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as measures against former Ukrainian leadership; welcomes Serbia’s energy assistance to and reconstruction efforts in Ukraine; deplores, however, Serbia’s continued close relationship with Russia; is concerned about the degree to which Russian officials influence some decisions of Serbian public institutions;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets the fact that some key components of Serbian foreign policy run directly counter to EU positions, including the signature of agreements setting out joint foreign policy priorities between Serbia andthe Plan of Consultations Between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia for 2023-2024 and meetings with senior officials from Russia who are on the EU sanctions list; is concerned by the appointment of the Director of the Security Intelligence Agency, who is known for his anti-EU and pro-Kremlin rhetoric; underlines that mutual trust between Serbia and the EU and Serbia’s genuine commitment to EU integration are essential in the context of the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. ERecalls that the EU accession processes is based primarily on the candidate country’s genuine willingness to adhere to EU values and principles; expresses concern about the recent decreasing trend in public support for EU membership in Serbia which remains consistently the lowest in the region and is a result of a long-standing anti-EU political rhetoric; recalls that the EU is Serbia’s main political and economic partner and by far the largest donor; expects that the Government of Serbia takes measures to counter disinformation about the EU and supports the accession process at the level of the Serbian population actively;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. NotWelcomes the initial steps taken by Serbia to align with the EU’s list of non- EU countries whose nationals require visas for the EU and calls for further alignment; notes that since autumn 2022 Serbia has cancelled visa-free regimes with 6 countries, including the ones identified as priorities (India, Tunisia, Burundi and Cuba); this has led to a decrease of numbers of citizens from these countries crossing illegally into EU Member States and applying for asylum; welcomes Serbia’s continued good cooperation with Frontex and the opening of negotiations for concluding a broader agreement;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Welcomes Serbia’s continued active participation in and positive contribution to EU missions and operations under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP);
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. NotWelcomes the approval of the amendments to the Serbian constitution and stresses that the reform process should continuefollowing the referendum in January 2022, which aims to strengthen the independence of the judiciary and enhance the transparency and effectiveness of the Serbia’s rule of law institutions; welcomes the adoption of the new judicial laws by the Serbian National Assembly on 9 February 2023; welcomes the constructive and inclusive consultation process leading up to their adoption; stresses that the reform process should continue through the adoption of the relevant implementing legislation in line with European best practices, fully implementing the Venice Commission recommendations and in line with the constitutional deadlines; calls on Serbia's public institutions to strengthen the safeguards for the independence and efficiency of the judiciary as a matter of priority;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Welcomes the adoption of measures on improving the electoral conditions and media environment ahead of the April 2022 elections as a result of the iInter-pParty dDialogue (IPD) facilitated by the European Parliament; welcomes the readiness of the National Assembly to continue this dialogue process; welcomes the readiness of the National Assembly to continue this cooperation and supports the establishment of European Parliament’s co-facilitated Parliamentary Dialogue in Serbia;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Recalls the importance of following the rules of procedure in the National Assembly, including the timely organisation of parliamentary debates and keeping order in the Assembly during key political debates;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes the conclusions of the final report of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe / Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights election observation mission, according to which the 3 April 2022 parliamentary elections presented diverse political options, but a number of shortcomings resulted in an uneven playing field, favouring the incumbents; calls on the Serbian authorities to fully address the outstanding recommendations well ahead of the next elecaddress fully the outstanding recommendations, in particular contestants’ access to media, enhanced transparency and accountability of campaign finance, and measures to tackle pressure on voters and misuse of administrative resources well ahead of the next elections, in consultation with expert civil society organisations;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the participation of all relevant political actors in the early parliamentary elections, resulting in a more pluralistic parliament; regrets, however, the delays in the finalisation of election results and in the formation of the new parliament and government, which resulted in limiteddelays in important decision-making, including on EU-related reforms;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10 b. Welcomes the fair distribution of vice presidential offices and committee chairmanships in the new Assembly which reflect its composition; regrets, however, the return of the unwelcome practices in the work of the parliament, including the absence of government question-time sessions, lack of discussion on reports of independent institutions, and more frequent use of urgent procedures; stresses that the return of these practices reverses most of the progress achieved by the reform of parliament in recent years; expresses concern about the occasional heated atmosphere in the parliament as well as the instances of obstruction of the work of some parliamentary committees;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Reiterates its call on the National Assembly to avoid abusive inflammatory language and to counter hate speech and sexism towards women during parliamentary debate; calls on the Women’s Parliamentary Network of the Assembly to take a proactive role in this regard;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes some progress in the fight against corruption; stresses the fact that more effort and political will are needed to achieve tangible results, in particular with regard to serious and organised crime, and a convincing track record with effective investigations, prosecutions and final convictions, including freezing and confiscation of criminal assets;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Notes the adoption of the programme for reform of the local government system 2021-2025, which aims to address shortcomings in the functioning of local governments, and underlines that implementation is key; regrets that local authorities continue to remain weak; deplores the fact that the Law on Vojvodina’s financing resources has still not been adopted, despite being provided for under the Constitution;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11 b. In line with the Tirana Declaration of 6 December 2022, calls upon the authorities to uphold core European values and principles, securing the primacy of democracy, fundamental rights, values and the rule of law, including separation of powers;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. NStresses that respect for human rights is an essential element of democracy and progress on the European path; notes that Serbia’s adequate legislative and institutional framework for upholding fundamental rights needs to be put into practice; urgescalls on the Serbian authorities to intensify their efforts to safeguard human rights, notably in regards to specific vulnerable groups, including by strengthening human rights institutions, and by investigating and prosecuting the perpetrators of human right violations;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Deplores the stagnation on freedom of expression, the cases of hate speech and smear campaigns and the increasing number of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) in the country; reiterates that pressure and attacks on activists, journalists and media outlets are unacceptable; urges the authorities to investigate and prosecute all such offences, including those against the investigative outlet KRIK and the daily newspaper Danas, and to create an environment in which freedom of expression can genuinely flourish; notes the continuing impunity in the cases of the murder of Slavko Ćuruvija and the attack against Milan Jovanović; condemns attacks against local media; in this respect, welcomes the establishment of the working group for the protection of journalists under the Prime Minister's Office;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Urges Serbia to improve and protect media professionalism, diversity and pluralism and to promote quality investigative journalism and media literacy;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Condemns the opening of an RT (formerly Russia Today) office in Belgrade and the launch of its online news service in Serbian in addition to the already available international English broadcast; urges the Serbian authorities to counter hybrid threats and align with the Council’s decision on the suspension of the broadcasting activities of Sputnik and RT; calls on Serbia to fight disinformation, including manipulative anti-EU narratives;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Expresses concern about the delayed implementation of the media strategy and the related action plan; encourages its speedy implementation; urges the government to increase the transparency of media ownership and financing and ensure the independence of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM);
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Regrets the fact that the REM awarded four national frequencies to channels that have a history of violating journalistic standards; calls for the fifth licence to be awarded through a transparent and impartial process without unnecessary delay and in compliance with international media freedom standards;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16 b. Is concerned about the dominant market position of a telecommunications company, where the majority stakeholder is the state; is also concerned about the level playing field when it comes to the competitive media market environment; in this context, underlines the importance of advances in the area of EU competition policy;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16 c. Urges Serbia to ensure full financial and operational independence of the regulators for electronic communication and postal services (RATEL) and for electronic media (REM) to boost their capacity to work proactively; calls on Serbia to align to the EU electronic communication code, ensure competivness and market operators’ access to the electronic communication infrastructure;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Underlines the importance of a framework enabling civil society organisations to operate freely and participate in policy-making in inclusive and meaningful ways; welcomes the adoption of the National Strategy for an Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development and an action plan for the implementation of the strategy for creating a conducive environment for the development of civil society and calls for its implementation without delay;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the significant representation of national minorities in the new parliament; encourages the Serbian authorities to step up efforts to ensure the non-discriminatory treatment of ethnic, religious and sexual minorities and other vulnerable groups and to ensure swift processing of discrimination cases against women, ethnic minorities, the LGBTIQ community, refugees, displaced persons, and people with disabilities;
Amendment 317 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Is concerned about gender-based discrimination and violence; calls on the government to adopt the overdue action plan and funding for the strategy relating to violence against women and domestic violence, including verbal violence in the National Assembly;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Urges Serbia to appoint members of the government's gender equality body on the basis of a credible track record;
Amendment 319 #
19 b. Welcomes the adoption of the gender equality strategy and prevention and protection against discrimination strategy and calls for implementation without delays; calls for a more comprehensive response to all violence against women as covered by the Istanbul Convention;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the holding in Belgradeorganisation of the first-ever EuroPride march in south- east Europe; regrets which took place in Belgrade; regrets, however, the contradictory and unclear communication by the Serbian authorities, including the initial ban on the march; notes with concern that investigation, prosecution and penalties for hate speech, threats and attacks against members of the LGBTIQ community are often inadequate;
Amendment 330 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Notes the need for Serbia’s further efforts to eliminate human trafficking; urges the government to adopt the 2021- 2022 national action plan for the implementation of the strategy for the prevention and suppression of trafficking in human beings; reiterates that Serbia must improve alignment with EU labour laws, also in light of the alleged forced labour and violation of human rights and trafficking in the Chinese Linglong factory;
Amendment 332 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Welcomes the adoption of a new general protocol for the protection of children from abuse and neglect; encourages Serbia to improve the situation of all children, especially those from vulnerable groups and with disabilities; calls for the adoption of a national action plan for the rights of the child as the previous one expired in 2015;
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Welcomes the adoption of new strategies on anti-discrimination and Roma inclusion and calls for their effective implementation, as well as action plans on gender equality and Roma inclusion and calls for their effective implementation; underlines that more tangible results are still needed to guarantee the rights of persons belonging to national minorities, especially in the areas of education, use of minority languages, access to media and religious services in minority languages;
Amendment 346 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Notes Serbia’s engagement in regional cooperation initiatives; encourages Reiterates that good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation remain essential elements of the enlargement process; notes Serbia’s engagement in regional cooperation initiatives; welcomes recent improvement in bilateral relations between Serbia and Croatia and a constructive approach to solving outstanding bilateral issues; in this regards, welcomes the appointment of minister of human and minority rights and social dialogue from the Croatian minority; encourages it to step up its reconciliation efforts and seek solutions to past disputes; underlines that there is no place for genocide denial or the glorification of war criminals in a candidate country;
Amendment 355 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Welcomes the participation of Serbia in the inaugural summit of the European Political Community in Prague on 6 October 2022; regrets, however, the lack of representation at the Crimea Platform;
Amendment 379 #
24. Reiterates its full support for the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajčák; calls on Serbia and Kosovo to engage in this dialogue in good faith and in the spirit of compromise to achieve a comprehensive, legally binding agreement on the normalisation of their relations in accordance with international law and without further delay; calls for the full implementation, in good faith and in a timely manner, of all the relevant agreements, including the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb- Majority Municipalities; calls on both sides to be ready to make difficult decisions which lead to progress in the dialogue and reconciliation between their societies; underlines that the current geopolitical environment makes it even more imperative to overcome the legacies of the past and engage in meaningful negotiations;
Amendment 398 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Condemns, in the strongest terms, all actions that endanger stability and jeopardise the reconciliation process; is deeply concerned about the tensions in North Kosovo and the unacceptable shooting on Orthodox Christmas Eve and several other violent incidents targeting Serbs in Kosovo; recalls the shared responsibility for peace and the rule of law for all people in Kosovo;
Amendment 409 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Welcomes the recent agreements in the framework of the Berlin Process; on the Freedom of Movement with Identity Cards, on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications, and on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications for Doctors of Medicine, Dentists and Architects; calls for their rapid implementation;
Amendment 410 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Calls on the EU to increase cooperation with Serbia to strengthen democratic resilience and counter hybrid threats, including cyber security, protecting critical infrastructure and food and energy security;
Amendment 412 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Welcomes Serbia’s continued progress in developing a functioning market economy but underlines the fact that the country’s private sectoreconomy is hampered by weaknesses in the rule of lawlong standing structural challenges including weaknesses in the rule of law; reiterates that reforms in the fundamental areas as well as efforts to tackle corruption, enhance transparency, strengthen institutions and social dialogue remain essential for economic development;
Amendment 417 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Welcomes the agreement atTirana Summit agreement on reduced roaming costs, which will allow for the Tfirana Summit on reduced roaming costsst reduction in roaming costs between the EU and the Western Balkans in 2023, with a view to full removal thereafter;
Amendment 421 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Calls on the Serbian authorities to take measures to counter depopulation and brain drain, in particular through investments in education and health care as well as through the decentralization of the country by investing in medium-sized cities;
Amendment 427 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Notes the ongoing population census and welcomes the encouragements by minority leaders to participate in it; encourages the authorities to allocate rights to the relevant minority communities based on the census results;
Amendment 430 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Is deeply concerned about the investments in Serbia by Russia and China and their influence on the political and economic processes in the regionmalign third countries and China and their influence on the political and economic processes in the region, as well as with the higher number of projects conducted outside the regular public procurement system through intergovernmental agreements; notes the increasing share in total investments in Serbia by China, the increase in imports from China, as well as the planned Free Trade Agreement with China and China's influence on the political and economic processes in the region; recalls that the EU is Serbia’s most important trade partner; recalls that all projects irrespective of their origin should support Serbia’s efforts to join the EU and respect European policies and rules as regards for instance, public procurement, competition, environment, including Environmental Impact Assessments, energy or transport;
Amendment 439 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Encourages Serbia to invest more efforts in establishing the Western Balkans Common Regional Market based on EU rules as this is part of Serbia’s preparations for the requirements of the EU’s internal market;
Amendment 444 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Urges the Serbian authorities to strengthen strategic communication linked to EU accession and Serbia’s European future; recalls that the Serbian authorities should act in line with the Brdo and Tirana Summit declarations calling for pluralistic media as crucial components of any democratic system that would also accurately reflect EU’s support to Serbia and improve the visibility of EU funding;
Amendment 445 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 b (new)
Paragraph 31 b (new)
31b. Calls on the EEAS, in the light of intensified foreign interference and information manipulation operations in the region, to reinforce its strategic communications work and presence in the region by establishing a regional stratcom post that would, in line with the Tirana Summit Declaration of 2022, intensify the EU’s efforts with the aim of helping Serbia fight foreign interference and information manipulation, including disinformation that seek to undermine the region's stability, democratic processes and its EU perspective; calls upon the EEAS to continue to lead and reinforce its engagement on dealing with foreign interference and information manipulation threats and further strengthen its work on building region’s resilience, by fostering media professionalism and media literacy that would also contribute to increasing the impact of strategic communication about EU - Western Balkans relations and the enlargement process in particular; calls on the Serbian authorities to join these EU-led efforts;
Amendment 450 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Welcomes the Commission’s energy support package of 1 billion EUR in EU grants to help the Western Balkans overcome the energy crisis and building resilient and environmentally friendly energy systems; welcomes the signing of the 165 million EUR budget support to fight the energy crisis in Serbia; calls on the Serbian authorities to prepare a credible plan for reducing the country’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels and building environmentally friendly energy systems in line with REpowerEU; welcomes the beginning of construction of gas interconnector between Serbia and Bulgaria;
Amendment 459 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Welcomes the announcement that new energy policy, environmental protection and climate change are among the five priorities of the government; reiterates its urge to swiftly adopt and implement the integrated national energy and climate plan; calls on the Serbian Government to intensify efforts in integrating climate change into other sectoral policies and strategies;
Amendment 469 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Expresses concern about persistent air pollution; welcomes the new plan on protection from air pollution and reiterates its calls on the Serbian authorities to urgently acceleratestart the implementation of air quality plans; these plans; underlines that fossil fuels are redundant in a carbon-neutral economy and welcomes the announced efforts to diversify energy mix, improve energy efficiency and increase energy independence;
Amendment 479 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Expresses concern about the environmental impact of new infrastructure constructions in Serbia by Chinese companies; calls on the Serbian authorities to address theall legitimate concerns expressed in the environmental protests;