34 Amendments of Michael GAHLER related to 2023/2119(INI)
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
– having regard to the Joint Communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 18 May 2022 on the Defence Investment Gaps Analysis and Way Forward (JOIN(2022)0024),
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 b (new)
Citation 9 b (new)
– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2023/1525 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 July 2023 on supporting ammunition production (ASAP),
Amendment 17 #
– having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 27 September 2023 “Towards a more resilient, competitive and sustainable Europe” (COM(2023) 558 final),
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the People’s Republic of China has for many years promoted an alternative narrative, challenging democratic values, open markets, and the rules-based international order; whereas China’s increasing influence in international organisations has impeded positive progress and further excluded Taiwan from meaningful participation;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the European Union needs to prepare its future framework for defence cooperation on military capabilities, ranging from their conception, through their development to their operational employment, with a view to increase our defence readiness in a common effort;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stands united with Ukraine and resolutely condemns Russia’s illegal war of aggression; deplores the global consequences of Russia’s illegal war of aggression which is hitting countries and vulnerable societies around the world through increased energy prices and food shortages and which also grossly violates and endangers international law and the principles of the UN Charter and undermines European and global security and stability;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Confirms that the EU will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes to end Russia’s war of aggression and restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, enabling it to effectively exercise its sovereignty, protect its civiliatizens and fulfil their wish for EU membership grounded in the strong identification with European values of freedom, democracy and the rule of law;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses the importance of the European Peace Facility (EPF) which has supported the Ukrainian armed forces by financing and delivering military equipment and training, while providing coordination for all stakeholders through the Clearing House Mechanism hosted by the EU Military Staff; calls for the financial sustainability and durability of the EPF to be ensured in order to provide Ukraine and other EU partners around the world with the support they request; strongly supports the HR/VP’s proposal to increase the financial envelope of the EPF to 5 billion EUR per year; points out, while acknowledging that supporting Ukraine through the EPF remains the top priority, that the EPF was initially designed to contribute to financing CSDP operations and support partner countries, especially in Africa; considers it necessary to also provide adequate resources to African partners in light of the recent coup d’états in Niger, Gabon and the ongoing conflict in Sudan as Africa is of strategic importance for European security interests;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Commends the flexibility and adaptability of the European Union Advisory Mission in Ukraine in implementing its revised mandate in difficult conditions; calls on the EU to ensure it can operate with the adequate financial, logistical and human means to meet Ukraine’s needs; welcomes the HR/VP’s proposal of an increased target of 40.000 Ukrainian soldiers to be trained until the end of 2023;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines the EU’s concrete support to Ukraine through the ‘three ammunition tracks’; urges faster delivery of ammunition from Member States’ existing stocks through the EPF; calls for the joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine to be sped up and stresses the need to ramp up the third track and ensure the effective implementation of the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP); further stresses that concrete steps should be taken towards Ukraine’s integration in EU defence policies and programmes during the EU membership process, building on the existing agreement with the European Defence Agency (EDA) and as a beneficiary of the European defence industry reinforcement through common procurement act (EDIRPA); calls on the European External Action Service to come forward with a plan for a sustainable and long-term package of security commitments for Ukraine; stresses that EDIRPA and ASAP, in light of their limited budget and duration, need to be complemented by a long-term, comprehensive and adequately funded European Defence Investment Program; calls, in that regard, on EU Member States to provide the necessary funds in the upcoming MFF revision; points out that EU funding for joint procurement and the ramp-up of production capacities should be complemented by regulatory measures reflecting the original Commission proposal for the ASAP regulation, most notably the mapping of production capacities and supply chains as well as the priority rated orders; stresses, however, that a renewed proposal of such measures should be preceded by a comprehensive dialogue between all relevant stakeholders in order to avoid counterproductive outcomes; favours an incentive-based approach with regard to priority rated orders; underlines that the mapping exercise requires secure communication channels between the industry and the Commission in order to ensure protection of these sensitive information from foreign intelligence as well as market competitors; stresses that security of supply as well as reducing dependencies on third countries with regard to equipment, components and raw materials in the area of defence is of utmost importance; highlights in that regard the provision in the EDIRPA regulation to identify such dependencies in order to facilitate mitigating measures by the Commission;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines that the EU and NATO’s commitments to Ukraine are part of a wider internationally coordinated package of security guarantees for Ukraine, including the G7’s launch of a multilateral framework for the negotiation of bilateral security commitments and arrangements for Ukraine; stresses that apart from security guarantees and assistance to Ukraine, measures must be in place to deal with mental health problems that arise and will continue to arise among military personnel and citizens serving in the war;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Underlines and expresses its unwavering support to the commitment of the EU’s heads of state and government, made in the Versailles Declaration, to provide all the necessary support needed by Ukraine and to take greater responsibility for European security by bolstering European defence capabilities; calls on the EU and its Member States to deliver on this commitment by accelerating the full implementation of the Strategic Compass in order to make the European Union a stronger and more capable security provider;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Highlights the importance of PESCO for improving the EU’s defence capabilities; notes with regret that tangible results within the currently 70 ongoing projects are still missing; points out that participating Member States agreed to 20 binding commitments in order to meet the EU’s ambition in defence; considers it necessary to conduct a thorough review of the PESCO projects with regard to results and prospects thereof that should also include the possibility of closing of projects that lack progress; proposes to establish a priority scheme within PESCO in which the EUFOR Crisis Response Operation Core (EUFOR CROC) that aims at creation of a coherent full spectrum force package should provide the anchor from which other projects are prioritised along the most urgent needs to fulfil the ambition of EUFOR CROC; calls on the Member States to regularly, at least twice per year, provide the European Parliament with an assessment of the progress within PESCO;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Calls on Member States to assess the reform of the decision-making process in CSFP/CSDP with a view to realising untapped potential within the Treaties, in particular by activating Article 31 TEU extending qualified majority voting (QMV) to areas relating to the CSDP and pursuing full use of the ‘passerelle clauses’ and scope of articles that enhance EU solidarity and mutual assistance in the event of crises; proposes changes to the Treaties in the CSDP, to be discussed and decided upon within a convention following up on the Conference on the Future of Europe, which should address (1) primarily focusing on switching from unanimity to QMV for Council decisions with military implications with an exception for the mutual defence clause in Article 42 (7) and on defence matters for situations where passerelle clauses do not apply, requiring 72% of Council members representing at least 65% of population, (2) introduction of provisions in Articles 42 and 46 TEU enabling the joint procurement of defence equipment and other security-related spending from the budget of the Union as well as the establishment of joint and permanently stationed military units including command structures and (3) revision of Article 346 TFEU in order to limit possibilities for EUMS to deviate from the provisions of the procurement directive (2009/81/EC) as well as to introduce the requirement of justification for such deviations to be assessed by the Commission and communicated to the European Parliament;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Welcomes the revision of the Capability Development Plan (CDP) and the envisaged presentation of the results this year; regrets the limited progress in capability development since the first CDP in 2008; stresses that, especially in light of Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine and the threat to European security, stronger and more joint efforts by EU Member States are needed in order to deter aggressors and protect European citizens and interests; calls accordingly upon the Member States to achieve timely substantial progress in that area by making full use of EU instruments such as the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) which needs to be included in national defence planning processes in conjunction with NATO’s planning process;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Reminds the Member States of their commitment to strengthening the mMilitary pPlanning and cConduct cCapacbility and (MPCC) and the need to timely achievinge full operational capability, including through the provision of adequate premises, staff, and reorganisation of the EU Military Staffufficient staff, necessary command, control and communication capabilities and reorganisation of the EU Military Staff in order to enable the MPCC to assume its role as the EU's preferred command and control structure that is capable to plan and conduct all non-executive military missions and two small-scale or one medium-scale executive operation/s, as well as live exercises according to the level of ambition as defined in the Strategic Compass; calls furthermore for the establishment of a joint civil-military headquarter on European level that combines the civil and military instruments in order to make full use of the EU’s integrated approach in crisis management right from strategic planning to the actual conduct of the respective mission or operation;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Reiterates its full support for the rapid deployment capacity (RDC) with at least 5 000 troops available for rescue and evacuation tasks, initial entry and stabilisation operations or temporary reinforcement of missions; calls on the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) to set out the practical modalities for implementing Article 44 TEU, in order to allow a group of willing and able Member States to plan and conduct a mission or operation within the EU framework and, thereby, ensure the swift activation of the RDC; considers the RDC as a key element for achieving the EU’s level of ambition which should form a nucleus for a joint European Corps in reference to the Helsinki Headline Goal of 1999 by gradually assigning additional troops and force elements and that such a European Corps should also be included in tier 2 of the new NATO force model given the single set of European forces; raises concern that the rotational, voluntary provision of forces by EU Member States as it is the case with the EU Battlegroups could lead to a situation where the RDC is not fully staffed and rapidly deployable; reiterates that the RDC needs to provide added value in comparison to EU battlegroups and should therefore be set up as a standing force which is permanently stationed and trains together; reiterates its call on the Council and the Commission to thoroughly assess this option, especially by taking into account funding possibilities under Article 41 TEU or by amending the financial regulation in order to include the RDC as an EU institution following the example of the European External Action Service; calls on Member States to commit to substantially narrowing critical gaps in strategic enablers by 2025, in particular linked to the RDC, such as strategic airlift, space communication assets, medical assets, cyber-defence capabilities and intelligence and reconnaissance;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Calls for the appointment of a Defence Union Commissioner (DUC), within the next Commission who shall be responsible for all defence-related budgets, structures, actions and tasks as well as initiatives at EU-level, including under the military CSDP; the DUC shall ensure the defence readiness of the European Union under the guidance of the HR/VP and, for the purposes of the Article 42 (2) TEU, the European Council; the DUC shall be entrusted by the Council with the CSDP related tasks before the vote of consent on the European Commission by the European Parliament;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Calls for a comprehensive reform of the European Defence Agency in order to enable the agency to support the armed forces of the Member States, to manage advanced research and capability development and foster joint procurement;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the VP/HR and Member States to deliver more robust, flexible and modular CSDP missions and operations, that can adapt to the changing security context and that build on the synergies and complementarities of civilian and military dimensions of CSDP; welcomes the adoption of the new Civilian CSDP Compact and the commitment to increase the effectiveness, flexibility and responsiveness of civilian missions, including through speeding up decision making, strengthening operational planning, improving selection and recruitment of personnel, emphasising greater gender equality and improving responsiveness tools; underlines that European armed forces face severe recruitment and retention problems; considers it necessary to analyse these challenges and therefore invites the HR/VP to task the EUMC with gathering and analysing data across EU Member States on these issues in order to identify possible counter-measures; points out that a true European Defence Union cannot be built without a common military culture and calls therefore upon the HR/VP to task the European Security and Defence Colleague (EESC) with advancing and expanding the educational modules for military personnel from Member States’ armed forces;
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the increased budgets and investment in defence by EU Member States and institutions, and calls for their impact to be maximised in order to deliver the needed capabilities to Europe’s armed forces through increased joint procurement and joint investment in defence research and development; highlights in that regard the ambition of EU Member States to achieve a level of joint defence investment of 35% as declared already in 2007;
Amendment 314 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Considers that the European Defence Fund, regrettably still underfinanced, shows the added-value of EU-level action in European defence and recommends the extension of Commission proposals in all defence-related fields of EU policy in coordination with Member States and the VP/HR; acknowledges that two parallel research projects to address the technological gap in the defence against hypersonic missiles can provide added-value through the exploration of different technological venues; stresses, however, with regard to the limited funding of the EDF, that these two strains need to conflate in a single subsequent development project; raises concern that the EDF project on main battle tanks risk an unnecessary and costly duplication of efforts undertaken in the French-German project on the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS); regrets the increasing delay of the MGCS project as well as the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) as these capabilities are urgently needed and stresses that all possible synergies with the EDF should be used; points out that in order to achieve an adequate level of economies of scale for important capability projects such as MGCS, FCAS or the development of a new military helicopter, these projects should be conducted jointly with a larger number of EU Member States in an EU framework in order to facilitate a joint definition of requirements that would ensure interoperability;
Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses that fostering joint procurement on the European level is a logical complement to the EDF by covering the whole circle from research and development to procurement, thus consolidating demand that improves interoperability of Member States’ armed forces, achieves economies of scale and ultimately strengthens European defence; points out that EDIRPA can only be a first step towards improving the European technological and industrial base’s capacities to supply Member States with the products and quantities needed and should be complemented with further initiatives, including the envisaged long- term European Defence Investment Program (EDIP) for which adequate funding needs to be ensured; highlights that joint procurement could be further facilitated by building pan-EU value chains in production of defence products;
Amendment 335 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls on Member States to increase their levels of defence spending to adjust to the current geopolitical situation, and address the significant threats towards the Union’s security; calls on the EU NATO Member States to increase their military budgets to at least 2 % of GDP considering the global increase of defence spending with China being of particular relevance in that regard as well as the impact of historic under-investment and spiralling inflation on defence budgets;
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Highlights the importance and the innovative potential of the European Defence Industrial Technological Base (EDTIB) for a capable European defence; regrets that the EDTIB’s potential and investments are being hampered through significant difficulties with regard to access to finance in comparison to other economic entities; calls in line with the Strategic Compass for ensuring sufficient access to public and private finance and investment for companies of the EDTIB; considers it, in light of the lack of an inclusion of the EDTIB within the taxonomy on sustainable finance, imperative to that end that military equipment should be removed from the list of excluded activities of the European Investment Bank (EIB) in order to send a signal to private finance actors; calls accordingly on EU Member States to adapt the EIB’s policy guidelines in that regard;
Amendment 343 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Underlines the EDTIB’s essential role for equipping Member States armed forces in order to enable them to protect European citizens and interests; points out that this specific role should be taken more thoroughly into consideration by the Commission while drafting legislative proposals; is concerned of a possible prohibition of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), especially with regard to the production of CBRN protection equipment;
Amendment 363 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Calls for heightened attention to China’s escalating hybrid warfare tactics in the Indo-Pacific, particularly pertaining to Taiwan, which faces five million cyberattacks every day, primarily from China. Acknowledges that the potential repercussions of destabilisation in the region would resonate far beyond the Taiwan Strait and impact the security of the EU; stresses the importance of developing regular dialogue, cooperation, and capacity building with Taiwan, which possesses substantive expertise and employs scientific methods to counter Chinese cyberattacks and FIMI based on its extensive experience, technological advantages, and linguistic proximity to China;
Amendment 450 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Underlines the importance of the partnership dimension of the Strategic Compass in reinforcing cooperation between the EU and its allies and partners around the world in order to counter foreign strategies aimed at undermining the EU and destabilising the rules-based international order; welcomes the long- awaited third Joint Declaration on EU- NATO Cooperation which confirmed that the EU and NATO are essential partners who share common values and strategic interests, and who work in complementarity to ensure Euro-Atlantic and global security and stability; calls in particular for synergies and coherence between NATO’s Strategic Concept and the EU’s Strategic Compass, particularly in the areas of countering Russian aggression, hybrid and cyber warfare, and providing support to partners; calls for stronger linkage between both organisations by establishing a double function of the Director General of the EU Military Staff as EU Deputy SACEUR in NATO;
Amendment 457 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Expresses deep concern about China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour in the Taiwan Strait, including its 1,727 fighter jet incursions into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone in 2022, which is undermining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. Encourages Member States to increase the frequency of freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and deepen security dialogues with Taiwan to deter Chinese aggression against the democratic island. Condemns China’s disruptive activities in the South China Sea, including island- building, harassment, and dangerous manoeuvres conducted by its navy, coast guard, and maritime militia. These actions have raised tensions with neighbouring countries and threatened maritime security in one of the most important global trade routes. Calls for greater Coordinated Maritime Presences (CMP) and capacity building with the EU’s partners in the region. Stresses the need to cooperate with a broader set of actors in the Indo-Pacific, including Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, and Taiwan, in terms of information exchange, burden-sharing, and strategic alignment, in order to optimise the use of the EU’s limited resources;
Amendment 464 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Highlights the importance of the EU’s close relationship to the United States which is based on the shared values of democracy, freedom and the rule of law; values the United States’ and the current administration’s unwavering and strong commitment and engagement to the territorial defence of Europe, especially in light of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine that threatens the whole continent; takes note that the United States are also challenged in the Indo-Pacific to counter China’s increasing military posture; stresses that EU Member States need to step up their efforts to improve European defence capabilities in order to pave the way for a burden shifting in the long run with the EU taking more responsibility for its defence and allowing the United States to allocate the necessary resources to the Indo-Pacific;
Amendment 511 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Notes that Russia’s illegal war of aggression and the EU’s responses indicate the evolution of defence as a genuine EU policy field; calls upon the European Council to implement a common defence in reference to article 42 (2) of the Treaty of the European Union; calls on the Commission to develop comprehensive legislation in order to increase the Union’s defence readiness;
Amendment 512 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Notes that the recent increase in spending on defence policies and programmes at an EU level and among the Member Statesreflect the necessities of the current security context and indicate the evolution of defence as a genuine EU policy field that requires full parliamentary scrutiny and accountability; underlines the existingstrongly reiterates its calls for the establishment of a fully- fledged European Parliament Committee on Security and Defence, in recognition of the emerging d with full legislative and budgetary responsibilities on European defence matters including measures addressed to strengthen the EDTIB; stresses in reference acquis in the framework of the EU with scrutiny, legislation and budgetary responsibilitiesto the successful cooperation between the subcommittee Security and Defence and the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy in the process of the EDIRPA regulation that until a fully- fledged committee is established, the subcommittee should be included in all legislative procedures with relevant implications for European defence;