Activities of Antonio LÓPEZ-ISTÚRIZ WHITE related to 2023/2119(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT Implementation of the common security and defence policy – annual report 2023
Legal basis opinions (0)
Amendments (44)
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas Ukraine needs to be provided with the necessary military capabilities for as long as it takes to end Russia’s illegal war of aggression and to restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders; whereas Ukraine in defending itself is also protecting and fighting for European values;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas through the recently founded European Peace Facility (EPF) the EU has provided Ukraine with over €5 billion worth of military equipment;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Strategic Compass aims to equip the EU with the necessary strategic guidance, realistic and operational tools to move towards a coherent and credible defence policy, and to make it an effective and capable security provider and an assertive global actor with the ability to rapidly respond to crises outside the EU; whereas EU leaders have committed to developing modalities for more flexible decision-making, particularly through Article 44 TEU, which allows ‘coalitions of the willing’ to conduct missions and operations on behalf of the EU;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas NATO remains at the core of Europe’s security; whereas the EU Member States of Ireland, Malta, Austria and Cyprus are not Members of NATO;
Amendment 98 #
Bb. whereas EU-NATO cooperation is of fundamental importance and whereas recently this cooperation has improved significantly;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas Article 5 of NATO as well as Art. 42 (7) of the TEU entail a mutual defence clause for its members; whereas Art. 222 of the TFEU further specifies a “solidarity clause” among EU Member States;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. whereas Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has underlined the lack of investment in security and defence in numerous EU and NATO Member States, highlighting the improving yet comparatively weak European defence capabilities and budget; whereas Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, parallel with the weaponisation of other issues such as energy, food supplies, migration and information have signalled the advent of a more competitive and less secure international geopolitical environment;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B e (new)
Recital B e (new)
Be. whereas EU-NATO cooperation has been fundamental in coordinating weapons deliveries to Ukraine;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B f (new)
Recital B f (new)
Bf. whereas since the outbreak of the war the EU has tried to tackle its shortfalls in the defence sector by notably fostering ammunition production through the ASAP proposal and encouraging joint procurement through the EDIRPA proposal;
Amendment 125 #
Bg. whereas the EU’s ambition to become a capable security actor dates back over 20 years, while results with regard to capabilities, interoperability and cost-effective cooperation remain somewhat limited despite the establishment of various structures and processes, such as the European Defence Fund (EDF), the European Defence Agency (EDA), the Capability Development Plan, Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) and the Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD);
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B h (new)
Recital B h (new)
Bh. whereas the European Commission and the European Parliament are committed to reinforcing the EU as an external actor, able to act more strategically and autonomously;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B i (new)
Recital B i (new)
Bi. whereas at the NATO Vilnius Summit NATO Members reconfirmed their commitment to the 2% GDP spending goal and underlined that this figure should represent a floor, not a ceiling, of investments;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B j (new)
Recital B j (new)
Bj. whereas the EU is increasingly faced with challenges in its immediate neighbourhood, ranging from the southern Mediterranean, to the Western Balkans, the Eastern Neighbourhood and to the Arctic; whereas in each of these regions the EU has a strategic interest to increase its engagement and actively ensure that we have a positive agenda which not only is in line with our long- term interest of fostering peace, prosperity, democracy and the rule of law, but also positively advances the interests of the local populations;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B k (new)
Recital B k (new)
Bk. whereas malign foreign interference and disinformation campaigns, in particular sponsored by Russia, and in some cases other actors such as China and Iran, are a severe challenge to the EU’s foreign policy;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B l (new)
Recital B l (new)
Bl. whereas the backsliding in democracy in the Sahel region, in particular the recent coups in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, pose a challenge to the EU’s engagement towards this strategic region and hinder our efforts to combat terrorism and advance human rights, local development and democracy, particularly as Niger was potentially seen as an important security hub in the region by the EU and Western partners; whereas the increasing presence of Russia, often in the form of the so-called “Wagner Group”, is not only a huge additional obstacle to any cooperation with the EU, but also an obstacle to any domestic progress and development in the region and hence against the interest of the local population;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B m (new)
Recital B m (new)
Bm. whereas Latin America is a strategic partner for the EU and whereas there is a lot of untapped potential when it comes to building a true strategic partnership, including in the field of security cooperation;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B n (new)
Recital B n (new)
Bn. whereas the United States of America is our closest ally and friend and whereas our joint cooperation, partnership and friendship, mirrored among others through our joint cooperation at NATO, is the backbone of our shared freedom, prosperity, democracy and security;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B o (new)
Recital B o (new)
Bo. whereas by increasing our cooperation with like-minded partners and democracies in the Asia-Pacific region, in particular with Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, we are contributing to stability and peace in this strategic region;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B p (new)
Recital B p (new)
Bp. whereas China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour, in particular in its own neighbourhood such as the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, pose a risk to regional and global security;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B q (new)
Recital B q (new)
Bq. whereas the North Korean dictator Kim met his counterpart Putin on 13 September, thus highlighting the likely increased military cooperation between North Korea and Russia; whereas Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has obligations under various UN resolutions leading to sanctions against North Korea;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B r (new)
Recital B r (new)
Br. whereas cyber security continues to be a field of strategic relevance for the EU’s common security and defence policy;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B s (new)
Recital B s (new)
Bs. whereas the promotion of peace remains the objective of EU foreign policy; whereas to achieve this fundamental goal it is necessary to understand both peace and threats components;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stands united with Ukraine and resolutely condemns Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified 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 international law and the principles of the UN Charter and undermines European and global security and stability;
Amendment 195 #
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; 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; welcomes the proposals for the “Ukraine Facility” and urges all actors to work for its speedy conclusion and implementation;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Underlines the outcome of the Vilnius Summit that clearly confirms Ukraine’s future is in the alliance; welcomes the Summit’s support package for Ukraine and the establishment of the NATO-Ukraine Council that will prepare Ukraine for NATO membership; welcomes the recent NATO accession by Finland and regrets that Turkey and Hungary, despite promises given during the recent NATO summit, have not ratified the accession of Sweden;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Believes however that as a long- term goal the EU needs to significantly increase its ambitions and work towards establishing a common and permanent EU Force (EUFOR) composed of national contributions, building on a gradual extension of the Rapid Deployment Capacity towards a 60.000- strong mobilisation strength that is linked to the NATO force structure through a double function of its commander as Director General of the EU Military Staff and EU Deputy SACEUR;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Calls for discussions on a joint civil-military headquarter on a European level that combines 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 mission or operation;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11c. Believes that it is time to finally agree on a true European Defence Union under the auspices of a Defence Union Commissioner appointed by the European Council after approval by the European Parliament, a Defence Committee in the EP and a Defence Council, jointly overseeing a dedicated and substantial Defence Union Budget;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Reminds that, as clearly stated in the Strategic Compass, the objective is for the EU to be able to act rapidly and robustly whenever a crisis erupts, even alone when necessary, as partnership cannot and must not be a substitute for postponing vital investments in the EU’s security and defence capabilities;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls for a deep reform of the European Defence Agency, ideally under the command of the Defence Commissioner, to support EU Forces, to manage advanced research and capability development, and to foster joint procurement in order to strengthen the Union's defence technological and industrial base, and improve defence financing through a reform of the European Investment Bank's lending policy;
Amendment 340 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Welcomes the findings and high level of ambition in the recommendations proposed in the new EU space strategy in the area of security and defence, which lives up to the high expectations of European players in the space sector, and calls for the recommended actions to be taken in a swift and effective manner;
Amendment 368 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Calls for a long-term and forward- looking EU Security Strategy towards China, the Mediterranean and Africa;
Amendment 371 #
20b. Condemns the presence of Cuban soldiers fighting for Russia in its war of aggression in Ukraine, demands their immediate withdrawal; calls on the Cuban government to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and end its attack against the Ukrainian people;
Amendment 402 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Welcomes the joint communication on the EU cyber defence policy and calls on Member States to implement the ambitious but realistic set of actions proposed by the Commission, including the proposal for a Cyber Solidarity Act to enhance their ability to detect and respond to cybersecurity threats and incidents in the EU; in this respect reminds that cybersecurity is a top priority for cooperation;
Amendment 420 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Expresses its severe concern about the recent Coup in Niger; points to the previous coups in Mali and Burkina Faso and underlines that the EU and its Member States need to re-evaluate their policy towards the strategic region of the Sahel and need to learn from past mistakes;
Amendment 439 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Underlines in the strongest terms the importance of the EU-US alliance and strongly welcomes the intensified partnership with the United States of America, exemplified among others through the EU-US dialogues on Security and Defence as well as on China;
Amendment 443 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. Strongly welcomes the signing of an Administrative Arrangement (AA) between the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the Department of Defense of the United States of America (DoD) in April 2023 and is of the firm opinion that this agreement further strengthens our transatlantic partnership in security and defense and helps us to confront shared security challenges, while working towards a stronger and more capable European defence that is complementary to and interoperable with NATO;
Amendment 496 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Underlines in particular the need to further deepen our partnership with like-minded democracies in the Indo- Pacific, in particular Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, particularly considering that military and security cooperation require a degree of trust, and like-mindedness is usually associated with common interests;
Amendment 498 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Expresses grave concern over China’s rapid military build-up in the South China Sea as well as its continued military pressure, assault exercises, airspace violations and other grey-zone military actions including cyber and disinformation campaigns against Taiwan; urges China to halt all these actions, which pose a threat to the stability of the entire region and have, overall, a direct impact on European security and prosperity; reiterates its support for cooperation between the EU and Taiwan;
Amendment 503 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 c (new)
Paragraph 27 c (new)
27c. Strongly condemns the numerous missile tests conducted by North Korea in 2023; underlines the particular responsibility of China and Russia when it comes to North Korea and calls on them to use their influence to prevent any further escalation;
Amendment 505 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 d (new)
Paragraph 27 d (new)
Amendment 507 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 e (new)
Paragraph 27 e (new)
27e. Expresses its profound concern about the recent meeting between the North Korean dictator Kim and his Russian counterpart Putin; believes that this meeting shows that the Russian regime itself now sees itself on par with the cruel and inhuman regime of North Korea; expresses severe concern about likely deliveries of North Korean arms and missiles to Russia and raises strong concerns if through its likely enhanced military cooperation Russia is violating UN sanctions and resolutions on North Korea;
Amendment 508 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 f (new)
Paragraph 27 f (new)
27f. Strongly condemns Iran for supplying Russia with drones and missiles to use in its illegal war against Ukraine, and underlines that further international efforts, in close cooperation with our partners, are needed regarding Iran;
Amendment 509 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 g (new)
Paragraph 27 g (new)
27g. Expresses severe concern about Johan Floderus, who has been illegally detained by the Iranian regime for over 500 days, and calls on Iranian authorities to immediately release him;