Activities of Anna FOTYGA related to 2020/2041(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
New EU-Africa Strategy (debate)
Opinions (1)
OPINION on a new EU-Africa Strategy – a partnership for sustainable and inclusive development
Amendments (60)
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines that Europe and Africa are in close geographical proximity, have strong historical and cultural ties and are being brought ever closer by the increase in trade and shared challenges, from terrorism and migration to environment, health and climate change, which call for a continental-African approach and result- oriented use of EU resources;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that the process of development on the African continent is of key importance for the prosperity, stability and security of both the EU and Africa;, along with the transition to a closer and mutually beneficial strategic partnership
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls that Africa is our closest neighbour, home to over 1 billion people and more than half of the world’s population growth by 2050 is expected to take place in Africa, while six out of the ten fastest growing economies in the world are African.
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Notes that thirty-six of the world’s most fragile countries are located in Africa, often weakened by conflicts, while the continent hosts 390 million people living below the poverty line. Stresses that the population growth in some of the poorest and most underdeveloped countries, together with the effects of climate change and factors as radicalization and proliferation of organized crime will inevitably lead to a series of new challenges, which, if not addressed immediately, may result in uncontrolled migration waves, widespread terrorist activity and destabilization across borders, what would lead to extremely challenging scenarios for the African countries the European Union and its Member States;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Supports the view that the EU must maintain flexible country-to-country and sub-regional approaches that tailor its engagement and support to the specific needs and circumstances of each country within the five regions of Africa;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Stresses that the EU and its Member States constitute Africa’s biggest partner on all accounts: investment, trade, development aid, humanitarian assistance and security; however this increasingly close cooperation is yet to result in a shared understanding or viable strategic partnership, in line with shared interests, growth potential, geographical proximity and centuries-old links between two continents;
Amendment 74 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Highlights that European interests in Africa range from trade, security, counter-terrorism, fighting organized crime, illegal migration and human trafficking, health, promotion of democracy and human rights, strengthening trade and investment relations, which demand a continental African approach that can reconcile these divergent strands into a comprehensive coherent strategy, which will be measured in its output, evaluated continuously and protect from overstretching the EU’s limited resources.
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4d. Is of the opinion that a stronger long-term and multi-faceted partnership between the EU and Africa is urgent and must be reliable and should also translate into stronger political co-operation. Welcomes that the very first visit of the new President of the European Commission was to Africa and calls for more frequent high level meetings and contacts; Stresses that the EU must be confident in creating a fresh and modern approach to its Africa policy, thus creating a strong relationship built on equality, honest dialogue, trust and shared values;
Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 9 March 2020 entitled ‘Towards a comprehensive strategy with Africa’ (JOIN(2020)0004); c, striving for a closer and more comprehensive partnership between the EU and Africa. Calls for strong and constant EU engagement in the security, stability and development of Africa; Expresses however, its disappointment that, according to our African neighbours, the communication “Towards a comprehensive strategy with Africa” has not been thoroughly discussed and developed with African partners before its publication;
Amendment 89 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Regrets that the Communication lacks clear proposals for coordinated approaches between the EU and the AU to tackle common challenges which could be addressed jointly in multilateral systems (e.g. UN); stresses that HRVP and EU Missions in capitals throughout the African continent should be more active in presenting EU policy objectives. Encourages European think tanks and academia in this regard to cooperate more actively with their African counterparts;
Amendment 98 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Regrets the limited consultation process and public debate during the process of drafting the EU-Africa Strategy; underlines the importance of future relations with Africa requires a broad involvement of civil societies of both continents; calls for a stronger engagement on all levels, including business, academia, think tanks, cultural and religious institutions and others;
Amendment 101 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Notes that Africa’s potential attracts increased interest from many players on the world scene, and expresses concern that in many areas Africa has become a new arena of great power competition;
Amendment 130 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses that the EU and its Member States need to become a source of stability and reliability in the region. Believes that the European Union needs to play a bigger geopolitical role in Africa and establish relations that account for the good of all;
Amendment 132 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Regrets that other actors not always contribute to peace, stability and prosperity of African nations, with their policies of maximizing influences and subservience by increasing financial indebtedness, use of bribes, opaque agreements, lack of environmental or ethical standards and exchanging political and military support for e voting support at international forums including the United Nations, World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, Interpol; Food and Agriculture Organization, International Telecommunication Union or International Civil Aviation Organization.
Amendment 134 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Regrets that China and Russia continue to threaten the financial independence of African nations, support military dictatorships, pillage natural resources and undermine national labour markets as a means to increase their power at the expense of the sovereignty of African nations; is of the opinion that Europe cannot risk to become reactive to Sino-Africa dynamics and Russian engagement in fragile states;
Amendment 135 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6d. Reiterates that engaging together on the global scene to strengthen the multilateral rules-based order requires shared values and respect of international law and fundamental rights;
Amendment 136 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 e (new)
Paragraph 6 e (new)
6e. Calls on the Commission and Member States to advise and assist African nations in sharing best practices and European integration experiences, so to deepen cooperation and reconciliation, especially in implementation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the African Continental Free Trade Area, the African Visa-Free Area, Single African Digital Market, the Single African Air Transport Market, and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Amendment 137 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 f (new)
Paragraph 6 f (new)
6f. Notes that Africa, in a rapidly changing world, has an immense potential that is not yet fully realized. Believes that whether or not African countries achieve this potential depends greatly on their follow through with their stated strategic objectives and how they foster relationships with nations who share similar experiences, particularly those in Europe.
Amendment 138 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 g (new)
Paragraph 6 g (new)
6g. Calls for closer cooperation on implementation EU-Africa strategy with the UN, NATO, OSCE, and key allies such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
Amendment 139 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 h (new)
Paragraph 6 h (new)
6h. Welcomes that the EU considers peace and security in Africa as key conditions for sustainable development and that the Union is committed to “markedly step up its support to Africa in cooperation with the international community”;
Amendment 156 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses that a lack of economic progress in the region, weak governance, instability, violation of human rights, corruption, lack of rule of law and impunity, inequality, unemployment or underemployment, climate change and water shortage; accompanied by conflicts and proliferation of radical Islamic terrorism and other forms of violent conflict, creates an increasingly fertile ground for uncontrolled mass migration, both within the continent and overseas, mainly to Europe;
Amendment 165 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Is of the opinion that as stated in the EU global strategy migration constitutes a priority topic in the EU’s external relations, including its relations with Africa, and more political efforts should be put into the fight against human trafficking and smuggling; Is however of the opinion that both partners should also focus more on roots of migration as well as the effective use of development cooperation instruments;
Amendment 168 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Takes note that the Communication aims at deepening EU support to African peace efforts through a more structured and strategic form of cooperation focussing on regions in Africa where tensions are the highest and calls for specific strategies in conflict regions to be considered a priority; encourages the EU and its Member States to continue burden-sharing with international organizations and partners, including allies and African states that serve a reliable ally against terrorism such as Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Ghana and Ethiopia; calls to strengthen EU’s relationships with these pivotal states; calls on the EU to continue to assist African partners in building the capacity of their forces and security institutions to provide effective and sustainable security and law enforcement services to their citizens, including through the European Peace Facility and its CSDP missions, and focuses on an integrated approach to conflict and crises, acting at all stages of the conflict cycle, from conflict prevention, through response to management and resolution;
Amendment 172 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 d (new)
Paragraph 7 d (new)
7d. Supports increasingly proactive approach taken by cooperative regional security organizations towards the full operationalisation of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA); commends in particular initiatives such as G-5 Sahel given its increasingly pivotal role in taking decisive action to ensure peace and security by African nations in their own neighbourhood and calls on the Commission and Member States to increase political, financial, operational and logistical support to G-5 Sahel;
Amendment 174 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 e (new)
Paragraph 7 e (new)
7e. Stresses the increasing importance of regional security actors such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) and the African Union’s African Standby Force in assisting struggling countries in providing peace and prosperity for their citizens;
Amendment 176 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 f (new)
Paragraph 7 f (new)
7f. Welcomes the decisive drop in piracy off the coasts of both Eastern and Western Africa as a result of international maritime security efforts that serve as a precedent for European, African and transatlantic security cooperation;
Amendment 178 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 g (new)
Paragraph 7 g (new)
7g. Considers it important that the EU continue efforts to build more resilient states and societies through capacity building and security sector reforms, including through the European Peace Facility and its CSDP missions, and focuses on an integrated approach to conflict and crises, acting at all stages of the conflict cycle,
Amendment 180 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 h (new)
Paragraph 7 h (new)
7h. Regrets that the African continent remains home to a variety of active terrorist organizations that openly and continuously threaten African and European citizens and interests alike, including, but not limited to: ISIS, al- Qaeda, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, al-Shabaab and Boko Haram;
Amendment 182 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 i (new)
Paragraph 7 i (new)
7i. Expresses concern that a significant rise in casualties due to terrorist activity and jihadi recruitment have made the African continent on the major theatre of warfare in the 21st century; is deeply concerned that all major radical Islamic terrorist groups operate and recruit on the African continent, causing untold suffering against innocent civilians, peacekeepers, partner forces, but also serving as a ground for establishing control and command centres engaged in plotting attacks against European citizens and various targets across the international community;
Amendment 184 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 j (new)
Paragraph 7 j (new)
7j. Regrets that the fight against terrorism seems to be less prominent in the Communication compared to the demands by the European Parliament, although it was identified as a priority area by the AU and the EU and calls for the EU-Africa strategy to address this serious threat in a comprehensive way.
Amendment 186 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 k (new)
Paragraph 7 k (new)
7k. Continues to support regional capability building to combat terrorism, transnational organized crime, human trafficking, illegal extortion of natural resources, wild animal trade and looting of cultural heritage which are often a primary source of income for terror and criminal organisations in the region
Amendment 188 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 l (new)
Paragraph 7 l (new)
7l. Calls for the EU to address the consistent and growing threats to the protection and preservation of Africa’s cultural heritage and clamp down on the smuggling of cultural artefacts, especially in conflict zones; Notes that depriving societies of their cultural heritage and historical roots makes them more vulnerable to radicalization and more susceptible to global jihadist ideologies; calls for the EU to develop a broad strategy to counteract such threats;
Amendment 190 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 m (new)
Paragraph 7 m (new)
7m. Highlights the special role of religious entities in Africa that regularly play a mediating role in conflicts , with whom dialogue and cooperation is needed, especially in the conflict areas as the interreligious dialogue between may contribute to peace and reconciliation;
Amendment 192 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 n (new)
Paragraph 7 n (new)
7n. Notes that the information sphere in Africa is more and more influenced by our global adversaries; calls in this regard on the EEAS and EC to actively tackle the problem of lack of presence of European voice within the African societies and to counter false narratives and better promote the European approach and democratic values to the African people, which requires better strategic communication focused on key regions and countries, through establishing a special unit responsible for such actions in close cooperation with the EU Delegations;
Amendment 194 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 o (new)
Paragraph 7 o (new)
7o. Stresses the need to provide more visibility of actions carried out within the framework of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), and ensure coordination
Amendment 195 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 p (new)
Paragraph 7 p (new)
7p. Urges the continuation of Annual Joint Consultative Meetings of the Political and Security Committee of the European Union and of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union with the objective to expand the scope of cooperation to include joint field visits, joint sessions, developing shared understandings and analyses on crisis situations, as well as investigating avenues for joint early action as the best means of establishing viable strategic partnership;
Amendment 198 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 q (new)
Paragraph 7 q (new)
7q. Calls on to ensure that CSDP missions are planned in an effective, accountable, robust way with efficient operations and stronger mandates tied to substantive political will aimed at resolving conflicts instead of freezing them,
Amendment 200 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 r (new)
Paragraph 7 r (new)
7r. Calls on to work closely with African partners to ensure security, resilience and deterrence against cybercrime and to prevent the exploitation of the Internet for terrorism and violent extremism.
Amendment 202 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 s (new)
Paragraph 7 s (new)
7s. Calls to ensure that EU aid does not prolong conflicts or facilitate the predatory behaviour of autocratic regimes; which lies at the root of many of Africa’s socio-economic problems and political conflicts; Stresses that the pursuit of common interests and cooperation must be consistent with international law, the EU’s fundamental values and the objectives of supporting democracy, good governance and human rights;
Amendment 203 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 t (new)
Paragraph 7 t (new)
7t. Appreciates efforts to strengthen African-owned mechanisms and regulations of human rights protection such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and its protocols, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights; continue to assist African partners in adaptation of their own human rights instruments and mechanism to internationally recognized principles, laws, and standards;
Amendment 205 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 u (new)
Paragraph 7 u (new)
7u. Believes that more participation of women in politics will provide a platform to support empowering marginalized groups improve policies on issues such as access to education for girls, ending FGM and child marriage, combatting security challenges for young girls, and encouraging women entrepreneurship; Notes that the presence of increased female representation in some African nations is widely viewed as a very positive step forward; Observes however that women remain poorly represented in many other countries on the African continent.
Amendment 208 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 v (new)
Paragraph 7 v (new)
7v. Calls on the EU to more actively engage with Africa in support of freedom of expression, media pluralism and safety of journalists;
Amendment 210 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 w (new)
Paragraph 7 w (new)
7w. Considers that the challenges posed by the refugee crisis have had a significant impact and placed considerable strains on countries in both Africa and the EU. Stresses the EU must be bold infighting against human trafficking and put forward a sustainable approach to deal with the refugee crises;
Amendment 212 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 x (new)
Paragraph 7 x (new)
7x. Recalls that the high amount of young talent in Africa can only reach its potential when Africa and its partners invest in education and innovation; Stresses that under good governance and successful development are an indispensable prerequisite to achieve this goal, and calls on to link development aid with anti-corruption measures, higher education standards and women empowerment;
Amendment 213 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 y (new)
Paragraph 7 y (new)
7y. Recalls the importance of the role of the International Criminal Court in upholding the values of peace, security, equality, fairness, justice and compensation; stresses that the ICC serves as a vehicle for tackling the impunity of war criminals; calls for the European Union and African states to continue supporting the Rome Statute and the International Criminal Court;
Amendment 216 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 z (new)
Paragraph 7 z (new)
7z. encourages the EU, European NGOs, political parties and civil societies to cooperate closely with African counterparts, including public officials to generate substantive political dialogue through the development of issue-based policies, promote strong practices of democratic governance, enhance representation and inclusion of marginalized populations; and promote meaningful participation by civil society and citizens in public life at all levels.
Amendment 217 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph null (new)
Paragraph null (new)
Is of the opinion that more efforts should be made to promote multi-party political systems and democratic governance in Africa, especially in fragile states, by facilitating citizen-government working groups, utilizing technology platforms to collect citizen input on policy issues and promoting best practices through peer-to- peer exchanges to enhance government accountability and responsiveness.
Amendment 220 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph null (new)
Paragraph null (new)
Continues support for strengthening the electoral process, both by improving the African Union (AU) capacity in conducting long-term election observation up to international standards and bilateral cooperation with respective countries and their civil societies, with the aim to deliver inclusive, transparent and credible elections in Africa.
Amendment 221 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph null (new)
Paragraph null (new)
Stresses that EU-Africa relations should transition from a development-orientated relationship to one which aims to put African nations on an equal footing, characterized by ambitious trade relations to raise African standards while EU should assist African nations move toward self-reliance; believes that enhancing economic ties with Africa is vital to safeguarding the economic independence of African states;
Amendment 224 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph null (new)
Paragraph null (new)
Highlights that the digital economy in Africa provides not only opportunities for increased job creation and data for actionable insights, but also the basis for recognizing human rights, accelerating access to quality basic services, improving transparency and accountability of governments, and enhancing democracy;
Amendment 225 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph null (new)
Paragraph null (new)
Recalls that open, inclusive, accountable governance is fundamental to delivering sustainable development, tackling global challenges and reduces the risk of spreading instability. Stresses that accountable institutions help to promote more equitable, sustained economic growth which helps tackle illicit financial flows, serious organized crime, and a culture of impunity; underlines importance of safeguarding for food security, notably in small-scale farming, climate change adaptation, the creation of more and better jobs, especially for young people, the empowerment of women and the support of education;
Amendment 226 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph null (new)
Paragraph null (new)
Is of the opinion that the EU should put more efforts on good governance, strengthening rule of law; reforming judicial systems and public financial management;
Amendment 227 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph null (new)
Paragraph null (new)
Stresses the importance of increased Foreign Direct Investment from the EU and its Member States as Africa has become a market of global competition, both economic and political. Is of the opinion that economic links are the best way to strengthen meaningful political cooperation and shared approaches to address common challenges. Insists that the EU develop a competitive approach for the investment and development of Smart city projects, the mining industry, connectivity and building national infrastructure; underlines that strategic relations whether in terms of trade, security or people- to people contacts need a certain level of connectivity by ports, harbours or airport sand calls to invest in these critical infrastructures which will serve to enable the very needed avenues for closer cooperation in terms of trade, tourism, people-to-people contacts, business and academic cooperation and security, without each meaning full political strategic partnership cannot be fully reached. Is of the opinion that investment via FDI in critical infrastructure must be implemented with a local labour force to ensure adequate transfer of best practices and cross community collaboration is maintained and to clearly differentiate between the value of European investment and Chinese or Russian investment.
Amendment 228 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph null (new)
Paragraph null (new)
Considers it of utmost importance to make sure that European financial aid is used efficiently and effectively in a transparent way to ensure that EU assistance does not amplify inefficient, unsuccessful, unaccountable, misgoverned or corrupted systems
Amendment 229 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph null (new)
Paragraph null (new)
Stresses the importance of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) as a tool for African nations to fully develop their own potential which would add to their autonomy and resilience from external pressures. Acknowledges the ambitions of African nations to overcome the existing challenges to AFCFTA and calls on the EU to share its experience; Is of the opinion that a single market and a single digital market would be a net value add in both economic, political and cultural terms
Amendment 230 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph null (new)
Paragraph null (new)
Recalls that a more holistic and integrated approach to address the specific problems of fragile states was also one of the key demands of the European Parliament in its 2017 report on the “ EU-Africa strategy: a boost for development”
Amendment 231 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph null (new)
Paragraph null (new)
Is of the idea that the EU-Africa strategy should also include assisting African countries in converting their mineral resource wealth into real development and calls for the review of effectiveness of existing measures, also with regard to questionable exploitation by China and Russia; Calls on the Commission and African partners for a smooth implementation of measures for the Conflict Minerals Regulation, and publish without delay including the list of companies outside the EU that do not fulfil requirements set out by Regulation2017/821,. Emphasizes Europe’s strengths — transparency, high quality goods and services, democratic governance — and trusts that the appeal of those fundamental values are a compelling alternative to authoritarian models;
Amendment 232 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph null (new)
Paragraph null (new)
Encourages African leaders to choose high-quality, transparent, inclusive, and sustainable foreign investment projects and supports access to financing opportunities that provide strong alternatives to external state-directed initiatives;
Amendment 233 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph null (new)
Paragraph null (new)
Is concerned at the widespread lack of medical devices in the health care sector in Africa that puts the health of health care workers and patients at risk, particularly in the case of virus outbreaks. Calls on the EU and its Member States to discover ways to assist African countries with medical supplies whenever possible
Amendment 234 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph null (new)
Paragraph null (new)
Calls for increased EU support for Africa in the area of debt reduction and debt sustainability as a clear message of solidarity in terms of Covid-19 pandemic crisis and underlines the need for international legislation and the creation of debt auditing commissions on cases of odious debt;