Activities of Barry ANDREWS related to 2023/2031(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Role of EU development policy in transforming the extractive industries for sustainable development in developing countries (A9-0322/2023 - Barry Andrews) (vote)
Reports (1)
REPORT on the role of EU development policy in transforming the extractive industries for sustainable development in developing countries
Amendments (52)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas large-scale mining (LSM) and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations have traditionally coexisted, the type of employment and local value provided varies significantly, as the ASM largely operates with high degrees of informality, labour intensity and illegality, poor occupational health, safety and environmental standards, and relatively low levels of capital investment, mechanisation and recovery of minerals, providing jobs and income for unskilled workers in often remote and rural areas, while LSM are usually heavily mechanised and formally regulated, contributing to the national economy, but with little positive impact on local communities; whereas according to the UNEP, the Artisanal and Small-scale Mining in Protected Areas and Critical Ecosystems (ASM-PACE) project estimates that ASM produces approximately 10 % of the world’s gold, 15-20 % of its diamonds, 20 to 25 % of its tin and tantalum and 80 % of coloured gemstones1a; whereas ASM often involves women, thereby increasing their vulnerability, due to the lack of access to, use of and control over resource-rich land and other productive resources and finance; __________________ 1a UNEP, ‘Mineral Resource Governance in the 21st Century. Gearing Extractive Industries Towards Sustainable Development’, p.81.
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the extractive industries canshould play a crucial role in the development of many resource-rich developing countries, by providing public revenues from mining and mining-related operations, employment opportunities and infrastructure (from concessions, taxes, direct and indirect spending in the country of operation), employment opportunities and infrastructure, which have the potential to reduce poverty, support economic growth and social development at national and local level, if certain factors are met;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the extractive industries can also have severe negative social, economic, environmental and institutional impacts at local, national, regional and global level, by contributing to human and labour rights violations, gender-based violence, forced labour, child labour, forced displacement, poverty, pollution, water use competition, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, destruction of cultural and spiritual sites, harassment against human and environmental rights defenders, disruption of social fabric, corruption, volatility in commodity prices, illicit financial flows, tax fraud and evasion, and armed conflicts, as well as pose many challenges due the “enclave” nature of the extractive industry, with few links to the local economy; whereas extractive industries often affect the rights of indigenous communities, environmental and social impact studies can play a crucial role in protecting these rights;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas Community Development Agreements (CDAs) can provide a means of strengthening and advancing a sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship for governments, companies, and communities, as well as of preventing conflicts and increasing transparency and accountability; whereas CDAs are considered by the World Bank as best practice for extractive agreements1a; whereas the 10 Mining Principles of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) encourage its members to carry out proper stakeholder engagement and contribute to the sustainable development of host countries and communities7 ; __________________ ; whereas the IRMA Standard for Responsible Mining has been developing best practices on how responsible mining could look like; __________________ 1a World Bank, https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/ser ver/api/core/bitstreams/8161b734-e57b- 572c-863a-851103471a5f/content 7 https://www.icmm.com/en-gb/our- principles/mining-principles/mining- principles.
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas accelerating the efforts to address climate change and dealing with the rapidly rising demand for the raw materials indispensable to achieving the green and digital transitions should be, as well as sustainability and diversification requirements in place in the EU, raise both challenges and opportunityies for the extractive industries sector to become sustainable and for resource-rich developing countries to capitalise on this demand and attain economic and social development, while reducing their GHG emission; whereas the EU can set frameworks for the extractive industries sector in developing countries in a way to better harness this demand in line with SDGs by increasing their fiscal space and boosting public expenditure, as well as their role in the international community, while reducing their GHG emissions; whereas developing countries need to decrease their reliance on extractive industries and expand their economies into future-oriented sectors like net-zero emissions technologies to broaden their revenue sources;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraphs 1 and 1 a (new)
Paragraphs 1 and 1 a (new)
1. Recalls that the EU is the largest donor of development aid in the world, mainly channelled through international organisations and Member States; stresses, therefore, the importance of mainstreaming sustainable development principles across all EU external action, in particular in policies related to the extractive industries, in line with the EU’s legal obligation to ensure policy coherence for development; , as laid down in Article 208 TFEU; 1 a. Calls for the EU to promote a partnership between equals among the EU and the developing countries significantly dependent on extractive industries; underlines that all EU projects in extractives in developing countries should create win-win situations, including for local communities and should place people-centred and environment-centred development at the heart of their objectives and all operational policy frameworks; to this effect, stresses that the EU should support low-income resource-rich countries, to move away from the enclave nature and the extractivist model of the mining sector, and to provide developing countries with sufficient policy space to do so, including through the use of international trade tools in order to achieve resource-based industrialisation at the local level; further stresses that projects must be carried out in a fair and climate friendly way and not at the expense of the environment, human rights and peace using the most innovative methods available; points out that sustainable investment facilitation and the EU’s overall trade and investment strategy have to encourage investment opportunities in developing countries, in order to achieve the SDGs; asks the Commission to make sustainability a priority of raw material sector projects under the Global Gateway Initiative and to facilitate access to finance accordingly;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Underlines that the EU and its Member States must respect, and request from their partner countries to respect the needs of local populations and indigenous peoples, in particular indigenous peoples’ right to free and informed consent prior to the approval of any extractive project affecting their lands or territories, in line with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples; points out that mining increases the risk of land grabbing, in a context where governments of developing countries often fail to recognise indigenous peoples and communities customary rights to the lands they inhabit; calls for the compliance with FAO Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests, to avoid land grabbing resulting from extractive industries; stresses that the promotion of the rights of indigenous peoples and their traditional practices is important to achieving sustainable development and combating climate change;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraphs 2, 2 a (new) and 2 b (new)
Paragraphs 2, 2 a (new) and 2 b (new)
2. Invites the Commission to strengthen its dialogue and cooperation with civil society organisations, trade unions, local communities and indigenous peoples in developing countries directly affected by extractive industries, in order to promote their rights and ensure their meaningful engagement and active participation in decision-making processes, particularly with regard to designing and assessing the impacts of Global Gateway flagship projects; underlines that civil society actors should have formal representation on the governance board of the Global Gateway; welcomes the announcement of the Global Gateway Civil Society Organisation and Local Authorities Dialogue Platform to ensure that a meaningful dialogue takes place when selecting and supporting Global Gateway projects; 2 a. Calls for the convening of a Global Gateway Monitoring Group (GGMG) to provide robust and effective oversight of all Global Gateway projects and their respect for the principle of PCD, composed of civil society actors, in particular, those representing indigenous peoples, Members of the European Parliament, representatives of the Member States and other relevant experts; stresses that the GGMG should compile an annual report on the impact of Global Gateway projects on human rights, the environment, civil liberties, peace, inequality and poverty reduction; calls upon the President of the Commission to invite the chair of the GGMG to all meetings of the Governance Board; underlines that the GGMG should have access to all documents and minutes of meetings of the Business Advisory Group, Governance Board and CSO and Local Authorities Dialogue Platform; 2 b. Calls on the Commission to strengthen the capacity of civil society actors to engage effectively in decision- making processes, including by providing training and support in areas such as legal literacy, negotiation skills, environmental impact assessments and project monitoring;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for the EU to support capacity-building efforts in developing countries, including through technical assistance to relevant stakeholders, such as government officials, judiciary and law enforcement agencies, to strengthen their legal and regulatory frameworks for extractive industries, including measures to increase governance and transparency, combat corruption, revenue mismanagement, tax fraud and evasion and illicit financial flows, improve labour, human rights and environmental standards, and strengthen law enforcement; recalls that some of the natural resources that feed some of the world's most enduring and brutal conflicts pass through supply chains linked to companies operating in developed countries, namely in the EU; therefore, highlights the need to ensure effective access to justice for victims of social or environmental misapplication of legislation by multinational companies operating in developing countries;
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for the Commission to put forward an EU Code of Conduct on Responsible Investment in Extractive Industries in Developing Countries that would be voluntary for businesses and development finance institutions, drafted with inputs from industry and trade unions, as well as from civil society in developing countrieorganisations and from representatives of indigenous communities and local communities; considers that the code should articulate clear commitments and tailored guiding principles for investment in developing countries; stresses that local cons in compliance with inter alia due diligence processes as defined by EU legislation and existing international standards, guidelines and initiatives such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the UN Global Compact, the OECD Guidelines for Multination, local consental Enterprises, the ISO 26000 standards and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative; stresses that free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples and local communities and local sustainable development should be the overarching objective of the code; believes that the code should cover, at a minimum, commitments on: a) stakeholder involvement; considers that where a third country has not legislated for mandatory CDAs, European businesses should implement them as a prerequisite for doing business; considers that the agreements should be negotiated with local communitiesin the framework of multi- stakeholder platforms meaningfully involving indigenous people and local communities, complying effectively with the principle of free, prior and informed consent and should be made publicly accessible; b) transparency, including proactive environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting on projects in developing countries, in line with the principle of double materiality, as well as the publishing of contracts and financial transactions, including detailing the payments made to host government; underlines that all public information should be provided in a clear and understandable manner to hold relevant actors accountable; b a) rule of law and corruption prevention, including compliance with legal frameworks, anticorruption measures, transparency in financial transactions and whistle-blower protection; c) human rights issues, such as the use of forced and child labour, workers’ rights, displacement, discrimination, indigenous rights, health and safetywomen's and girls’ rights, education, health and safety, as well as safe working conditions; d) environmental protection, performance and impact; e), including pollution prevention measures, sustainable use of natural resources and measures and resources to ensure proper recycling and waste management of raw materials; conservation and biodiversity; e)
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4 c. Invites the Commission to support incentives and capacity building programmes, particularly those involving women for developing countries taking steps to formalise the artisanal and small- scale mining sector and integrate it into the rural and national economy in order to improve labour conditions and the livelihood of the local communities, as well as to stop illicit financial flows often responsible of corruption and armed conflicts; recalls that artisanal and small- scale mining is a highly gendered activity; calls on the EU to support the formation of women’s mining cooperatives and associations to improve women’s participation, bargaining power, work conditions and economic independence; highlights the threat to food security, the environmental and health risks associated with unregulated ASM activities in rural areas and the fact that according to the UNEP, many ASM activities occur on global commons of forested lands in critical ecosystems that were not previously used;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 14 March 2023 on Policy Coherence for Development (PCD),
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. UNotes with concern that for a majority of resource-rich developing countries, mining, oil or gas exploitation has not translated into broad-based economic, human and social development; underlines that addressing the ‘resource curse’ or 'paradox of plenty' involves not only economic diversification, but also strengthening institutional resilience, upholding the rule of law and increasing third countries’ fiscal space to facilitate sustainable development; stresses that the EU should proactively encourage domestic resource mobilisation in partner countries, such as direct taxation, and enable the possibility to apply export taxes on commodities, insofar as it is WTO- compatible and not applied in a discriminatory manner; calls on the Commission and the Member States to commit to scaling up concessional finance in parallel to the Critical Raw Materials Act8 ; reiterates that the ceilings in Heading 6 of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) must be increased accordingly in the context of the upcoming MFF review; __________________ 8 Proposal of 16 March 2023 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020 (COM(2023)0160).
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to propose a G20 initiative on making extractives work for local sustainable development in resource-rich developing countries; stresses that the initiative should be tailored to each context and could comprise, inter alia, financial support, debt assistance, debt relief and cancellation, capacity building in governance, taxation and anti-corruption; calls on the Commission to mediate on debt relief talks to give developing countries financial space to transform non- sustainable extractive industries and to attract sustainable extractive industries as well as to adhere to sound environmental and social standards; calls on the Commission to support the reform and expansion of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative to include vulnerable middle- income countries, many of which are dependent on extractives, and operationalizing a long-term Debt Swap Mechanism (DSM) to facilitate debt-for- climate and nature swaps; stresses the need to end tax havens as conduits for illicit financial flows in the extractive sector;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for the EU to promote inclusive and transparent multi- stakeholder partnerships at regional and international level, by facilitating dialogue and collaboration among governments, civil society organisations, the private sector and international institutions to promote sustainable development in the extractive industries, fostering inclusive decision-making processes; emphasises that the current context of growing global demand for critical raw materials and increasing geopolitical instability means there is a need to step up efforts to ensure a stable, adequate and diversified supply of critical raw materials; stresses, however, the need to move away from a culture of extractivism to a resource governance system that takes into account i.e. the rate of depletion, the availability of substitutes, efficiency, recycling and the sustainability of consumption; welcomes the partnership between the EU and the UN Interagency Framework Team for Preventive Action, which aims to support national and local stakeholders to improve land and natural resource management (NRM) for conflict prevention and better coordination;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Reaffirms the urgent need for a UN binding treaty on business and human rights to regulate the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises; asks, therefore, the Commission and the Member States to play an active role in the current negotiations on the instru that lays down clear human rights obligations, due diligence requirements and provisions for access to remedy, in line with the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework; asks, therefore, the Commission and the Member States to play an active role in the current negotiations on the instrument that should encourage corporate actors and investors in the extractive sector to assume their responsibilities with regard to human and labour rights, and respect for environment;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas large-scale mining (LSM) and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations have traditionally coexisted, the type of employment and local value provided varies significantly, as the ASM largely operates with a high degree of informality and illegality, providing jobs and income for unskilled workers in often remote and rural areas, while LSM are usually heavily mechanised and formally regulated, contributing to the national economy, but with little positive impact on local communities;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for the EU to support regional and, international and global initiatives to improve transparency and accountability in the use and management of extractive resources, including the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which promotes transparency and accountability in countries rich in oil, gas, and mineral resources, the Extractives Global Programmatic Support, and the Kimberley Process; World Bank multi-donor trust fund for the inclusive and sustainable implementation of EITI in resource-dependent developing countries to support poverty reduction and boost inclusive, sustainable growth and development, the Kimberley Process, which prevents the flow of conflict diamonds, and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Asks the Commission to use the 2023 review process of the Conflict Minerals Regulation, which obliges since 2021 EU companies to source their imports of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold responsibly and to ensure that their supply chains do not contribute to funding armed conflict, as an opportunity to assess thoroughly the impact of the regulation on the ground and the possibility to include further mandatory measures and cover other minerals; underlines the need to meaningfully include civil society organizations and affected communities throughout the review process;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. UrgWelcomes the Council to signupcoming signature of the new Partnership Agreement between the EU and the members of the OACPS, as it provides a strengthened and modernised framework for cooperation with ACP countries, which contains specific references to the extractive industries, such as the promotion of transparency, accountability and responsible management of extractive industries and the strengthening of corporate social responsibility and responsible business conduct in order to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth and development; recalls, in this context, that sustainability entails compliance with due diligence processes, as defined by EU legislation and OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, as well as with the FAO Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests, where land tenure rights are concerned;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the extractive industries can play a crucial role in the development of many resource-rich developing countries, by providing public revenues from mining and mining-related operations, employment opportunities and infrastructure (from concessions, taxes, direct and indirect spending in the country of operation), employment opportunities and infrastructure, which have the potential to reduce poverty, support economic growth and social development at national and local level;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the extractive industries can have severe negative social, economic, environmental and institutional impacts at local, national and global level, by contributing to human and labour rights violations, gender-based violence, forced labour, child labour, forced displacement, pollution, water use competition, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, destruction of cultural and spiritual sites, harassment against human and environmental rights defenders, corruption, illicit financial flows, tax fraud and evasion, and armed conflicts;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas extractive industries can affect positively or negatively several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a direct or indirect way, in particular SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 15 (life on land) and SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions);
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. whereas the SDGs are universal and thus demand coherence from the EU in its internal and external action; whereas the European Union has been shown to negatively impact developing countries’ progress towards the SDGs through its consumption of resources, the so-called spillover effect1a; _________________ 1a Europe Sustainable Development Report, SDSN, 2022, https://s3.amazonaws.com/sustainabledev elopment.report/2022/europe-sustainable- development-report-2022.pdf.
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas Community Development Agreements (CDAs) can provide a means of strengthening and advancing a sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship for governments, companies, and communities; whereas CDAs are considered by the World Bank as best practice for extractive agreements1a; whereas the 10 Mining Principles of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) encourage its members to carry out proper stakeholder engagement and contribute to the sustainable development of host countries and communities7 ;7 _________________ 1a World Bank, https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/ser ver/api/core/bitstreams/8161b734-e57b- 572c-863a-851103471a5f/content 7 https://www.icmm.com/en-gb/our- principles/mining-principles/mining- principles.
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas Article 3(5) of the TEU obliges the Union to, inter alia, ‘contribute to peace, security, the sustainable development of the Earth, solidarity and mutual respect among peoples, free and fair trade, eradication of poverty and the protection of human rights’; whereas, as per Article 21(1) of the TEU ‘the Union’s action on the international scene shall be guided by the principles which have inspired its own creation’, including democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
Gb. whereas the EU’s political commitment to PCD was reaffirmed in the 2017 New European Consensus on Development, which identified PCD as a ‘crucial element of the [EU’s] strategy to achieve the SDGs and an important contribution to the broader objective of Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD)’;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G c (new)
Recital G c (new)
Gc. whereas the EU development policy should support developing countries in transforming their extractive industries to ensure they contribute to sustainable development in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G d (new)
Recital G d (new)
Gd. whereas the EU has recently adopted or will adopt legislation to enhance corporate social responsibility and responsible business conduct that have an impact on the extractive industries operating in developing countries, such as the Conflict Minerals Regulation, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, the Forced labour product ban Regulation and the Critical Raw Materials Regulation;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G e (new)
Recital G e (new)
Ge. whereas the Impact Assessment Report accompanying the document Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (European Critical Raw Materials Act) does not adequately assess the social, environmental, human rights and economic impacts of the proposal on developing countries (as prescribed by Better Regulation tool #35 and SDG tool #19) and the livelihoods of local indigenous communities, including women and girls1a; _________________ 1a https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52023 SC01
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Underlines that all EU projects in extractives in developing countries should create win-win situations, including for local communities; stresses that projects must be carried out in a fair and climate friendly way and not at the expense of the environment, human rights and peace;
Amendment 65 #
1b. Underlines that the EU and its Member States must respect, and request from their partner countries to respect. indigenous peoples’ right to free and informed consent prior to the approval of any extractive project affecting their lands or territories, in line with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, stresses that the promotion of the rights of indigenous peoples and their traditional practices is important to achieving sustainable development and combating climate change;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Urges the EU to enhance its support for resource-rich developing countries in reducing their dependency on extractive industries and diversifying their economies, sensitive to economic shocks and price volatility, by promoting sustainable alternatives;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1d. Considers that the EU should support resource-rich developing countries in capturing and managing in an effective and transparent manner their revenues coming from the extractive economy to achieve inclusive and sustainable development for the benefit of their populations and the advancement of the SDGs;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Invites the Commission to strengthen its dialogue and cooperation with civil society organisations, local communities and indigenous peoples in developing countries affected by extractive industries, in order to promote their rights and ensure their meaningful participation in decision-making processes, particularly with regard to designing and assessing the impacts of Global Gateway flagship projects; underlines that civil society actors should have formal representation on the governance board of the Global Gateway; welcomes the announcement of the Global Gateway Civil Society Organisation and Local Authorities Dialogue Platform;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls for the establishment of a Global Gateway Monitoring Group (GGMG) to provide robust and effective oversight of all Global Gateway projects and their respect for the principle of PCD, composed of civil society actors, in particular, those representing indigenous peoples, Members of the European Parliament, representatives of the Member States and other relevant experts; stresses that the GGMG should compile an annual report on the impact of Global Gateway projects on human rights, the environment, civil liberties, peace, inequality and poverty reduction; calls upon the President of the Commission to invite the chair of the GGMG to all meetings of the Governance Board; underlines that the GGMG should have access to all documents and minutes of meetings of the Business Advisory Group, Governance Board and CSO and Local Authorities Dialogue Platform;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 – point c
Paragraph 4 – point c
c) human rights issues, such as the use of forced and child labour, workers’ rights, displacement, discrimination, indigenous rights, women's and girls’ rights, health and safety;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Calls on the EU to increase technology transfer, knowledge sharing and capacity-building regarding sustainable resource management in developing countries, particularly in areas related to environmental management, responsible mining practices, and sustainable resource use in the extractive industries sector;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Encourages the EU to support developing countries in taking steps to formalise the artisanal and small-scale mining sector and integrate it into the rural and national economy in order to improve labour conditions and the livelihood of the local communities, as well as to stop illicit financial flows often responsible of corruption and armed conflicts;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines that addressing the ‘resource curse’ involves not only economic diversification, but also increasing third countries’ fiscal space to facilitate sustainable development; stresses that the EU should proactively encourage domestic resource mobilisation in partner countries, such as direct taxation; calls on the Commission and the Member States to commit to scaling up concessional finance in parallel to the Critical Raw Materials Act8 ; reiterates that the ceilings in Heading 6 of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) must be increased accordingly in the context of the upcoming MFF review; calls on the Commission to support the expansion of the Debt Service Suspension Initiative to include vulnerable middle- income countries, many of which are dependent on extractives, and operationalizing a long-term Debt Swap Mechanism (DSM) to facilitate debt-for- climate and nature swaps; _________________ 8 Proposal of 16 March 2023 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, (EU) 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020 (COM(2023)0160).
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls for the EU to promote multi- stakeholder partnerships at regional and international level, by facilitating dialogue and collaboration among governments, civil society organisations, the private sector and international institutions to promote sustainable development in the extractive industries, fostering inclusive decision-making processes;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Reaffirms the urgent need for a UN binding treaty on business and human rights to regulate the activities of transnational corporations and other business enterprises; asks, therefore, the Commission and the Member States to play an active role in the current negotiations on the instrument that should encourage corporate actors and investors in the extractive sector to assume their responsibilities with regard to human and labour rights, and respect for environment;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls on developing countries to upgrade their regional cooperation, developing or adopting common environmental, social and labour standards and norms for the extractive industries sector;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for the EU to support regional and international initiatives to improve transparency and accountability in the use and management of extractive resources, including the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, the Extractives Global Programmatic Support and the Kimberley Proceswhich promotes transparency and accountability in countries rich in oil, gas, and mineral resources, the Extractives Global Programmatic Support, a World Bank multi-donor trust fund for the inclusive and sustainable implementation of EITI in resource-dependent developing countries to support poverty reduction and boost inclusive, sustainable growth and development, and the Kimberley Process, which prevents the flow of conflict diamonds;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Calls on the EU to support developing countries in building their capacity to negotiate fair and transparent contracts with extractive industry companies; welcomes, in this regard, the EU financial support given to the G7 Connex initiative, which enhances developing countries’ negotiating expertise on the extractive sector, so that investment contracts are conceived to promote sustainability and development;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Asks the Commission to raise its support to the European Partnership for Responsible Minerals (EPRM), a multi- stakeholder partnership created to enhance the impact of the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation, by financing more development projects aimed at improving local mining practices especially in ASM, bringing better social, environmental and economic conditions for mine workers and local mining communities;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Asks the Commission to use the 2023 review process of the Conflict Minerals Regulation as an opportunity to assess, which obliges since 2021 EU companies to source their impactorts of the regulation on the ground and the in, tantalum, tungsten and gold resposnsibility to include furly and to ensure that their mandatory measures and cover other mineralssupply chains do not contribute to funding armed conflict, as an opportunity to assess the impact of the regulation on the ground;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Urges the Council to sign the new Partnership Agreement between the EU and the members of the OACPS, as it provides a strengthened and modernised framework for cooperation with ACP countries, which contains specific references to the extractive industries, such as the promotion of transparency, accountability and responsible management of extractive industries and the strengthening of corporate social responsibility and responsible business conduct in order to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth and development;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Calls on the Commission to better assess the impact the EU development assistance on sustainable development in the extractive industries sector to ensure effective and accountable use of EU financial resources;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Calls on the Commission to mainstream sustainable development and development cooperation considerations into all EU trade and investment agreements with developing countries, by including provisions that ensure respect for human rights, environmental protection and the equitable distribution of revenues from extractive industries;