10 Amendments of Gisela KALLENBACH related to 2008/2149(INI)
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the progress made in the Stabilisation and Association Process and, in particular, the recent signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreements with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia; calls on the Member States to conclude the ratification process for all the SAAs as soon as possible; welcomes the progress made in the implementation of the Interim Agreements and calls on the Western Balkan countries to continue their efforts in this field; stresses the importance of enhancing further the multilateral dimension of the Stabilisation and Association Process with a view to fully resuming regional cooperation in all fields;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Indent 1 a (new)
Indent 1 a (new)
- Points out that there are significant differences in the EU’s economic and trade relations with the individual countries of the Western Balkans; calls, therefore, in the light of the experience gained with the enlargement process thus far, for the requisite conclusions to be drawn and for the various components of the IPA instrument to be made more flexible, to be tailored more closely to actual needs and to focus more specifically on the sustainable development of the regions concerned;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Indent 1 b (new)
Indent 1 b (new)
- Calls for support to be given, as a matter of priority, to national development plans which take account of the economic development of both urban centres and rural areas; in that connection, emphasises the particular importance of providing support for corresponding training, further training and in-service training programmes;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Indent 2 (new)
Indent 2 (new)
– Calls on the Commission and the Member States to endow the IPA instrument with the additional financial resources needed to develop more ambitious projects and to provide real assistance at local and regional levelsprojects tailored to real needs and to provide effective and focused assistance at local and regional levels; emphasises the importance of people-to-people projects, which can be particularly effective in making local people aware of European added value;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Indent 4
Indent 4
– Welcomes the fact that one of the priorities of the IPA is to contribute to developing institutional and administrative capacities in the Western Balkans, at both the national and the regional level, and; urges the Commission to reinforce this type of activity in order to stimulate the development of governance and to prepare these countries and regions for the proper take-up of the structural funds in the future; calls on the Commission to guarantee a high level of transparency in connection with the development of institutions and to take suitable measures to prevent corruption;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses the vital role that regional organisations, and in particular the Regional Cooperation Council, can play in facilitating economic and trade cooperation in the region; calls on the Commission to continue to support their activities; takes the view that the development and strengthening of the regional markets can help to prepare the Western Balkans countries better by counterbalancing the effects of the opening of their markets to the European one;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Indent 6
Indent 6
– Encourages EU regions to take the initiative in implementing cross-border projects with the Western Balkan region in order to establish close and long-term cooperation at regional level, and in promoting exchanges of experience and good practice in the framework of the European regional cooperation networks; takes the view that cooperation in the region can be fostered by strengthening the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC);
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on all authorities of the region to continue to make the necessary efforts to create a business-friendly environment while respecting all rules aimed at promoting sustainable development; underlines in that respect the need to step up the fight against corruption at all levels and to improve transparency;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Is worried about the poor social cohesion in the Western Balkan region with regard, in particular, to the social impact caused by the possible closure of certain local economic activities which are unable to cope with the European competition; highlights the fact that stability and sustainable economic growth canmust be achieved by addressing both economic and social reforms as well as establishing high standards for environmental protection;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Points out that there are significant differences in the EU’s economic and trade relations with the individual countries of the Western Balkans; calls, therefore, in the light of the experience gained with the enlargement process thus far, for the requisite conclusions to be drawn and for the various components of the IPA instrument to be made more flexible, to be tailored more closely to actual needs and to focus more specifically on the sustainable development of the regions concerned;