Activities of Alyn SMITH related to 2015/2273(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the EU relations with Tunisia in the current regional context PDF (312 KB) DOC (122 KB)
Amendments (27)
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Aa (new)
Recital Aa (new)
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas one third of the population lives with less than 2.3 euros a day; Whereas out of Tunisia's population of 10 million over 0.7 million are unemployed, 1 Million are under- employed and each year an additional 50,000 unemployed youth are added;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the absence of appropriate legal frameworks for foreigners and asylum seekers in Tunisia prevents the safeguarding of their economic and social rights as well as their right to international protection;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Affirms that Tunisia's historical democratic transition, in spite of a dire social and economic situation, call for a much more ambitious EU-Tunisia partnership beyond conventional measures; believes the EU should make more concessions, notably as regards internal markets access, if it wants to play a substantial role in anchoring Tunisia among democratic states;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3 c. Believes the EU has been too slow and too unambitious in its response to the Arab spring, including in Tunisia;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises the need to support the People’s Representatives Assembly (PRA) given the challenge of enhancing stability in a volatile regional context while deepening democracy; expresses concerns at the lack of means of the PRA thereby hindering its scrutiny of the executive; encourages Parliament’s services to enhance the capacity-building support activities provided to the PRA in the framework of the Comprehensive Democracy Support Approach; recommends the urgent adoption of a budget for Members of the PRA to recruit assistants and advisers, in the interest of all elected members; recommends that Parliament assess the needs in terms of support of the PRA and organise a political meeting at the highest political level, such as a ‘Tunisian Week’, on its premises, in order to foster parliamentary cooperation and express its support for Tunisia;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for the continuation of technical and capacity-building support for civil society groups, since these have proven to be of fundamental importance for democratic transition and overall development, government accountability, and monitoring of respect for human rights, including the protection of women; Welcomes Tunisia's respect of international standards regarding freedom of association, which has given Tunisia a leading role in strengthening an independent civil society in the Arab world;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Deems it necessary that the Commission and the EEAS provide support for local elections (scheduled in October 2016) and an EU monitoring mission, should it be requested by the Tunisian Government; calls for strengthened support for municipalities in the framework of Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM), and by fostering the development of twinning projects in coordination with the Member States; Strongly recommends the adoption of a law on the competences of elected local and regional bodies to ensure a genuine public debate takes place ahead of these elections;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for support for gender- balanced policies, for an increased participation of women in public life and the private sector and for the inclusion of young people in political life, especially regarding the promotion of youth participation in local elections; welcomes the legislative provisions regarding youth representation at local and regional elections; Recommends Tunisia reforms its personal status code to abolish discriminatory laws against women, in line with the Constitution's principle of gender equality, notably on right to inheritance, dowry, parenthood, the right to marry, and to abolish the reduction of prison sentences for a husband murdering his wife if she commits adultery; recommends the lifting of Tunisia's general declaration on the Convention for the Elimination of Discriminations Against Women;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for a reform of the penal code, and in particular for the repeal of Article 230, which penalises homosexual practicesity with imprisonment for three years, and is contrary to the constitutional principles of non- discrimination and the protection of privacy, as well as amendments to Law No 92-52 on Narcotics, which propose disproportionate sentences for drug offences, to align it to international standards for the consumption of soft drugs;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Encourages best practice standards in the media sector to truly reflect investigative and differentiated journalism; recognises the enabling effects of uncensored access to the internet and of digital and social media; welcomes Tunisia’s vibrant and open online media landscape but calls on the Tunisian authorities to further invest in basic technological infrastructures and to promote digital connectivity and literacy, especially in the poorest areas of the country; Welcomes the adoption of the new information law in March 2016 to effectively protect the right to freedom of information in Tunisia, which should protect the rights of whistle blowers including the journalists involved in the Panama Leaks;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Calls on Tunisia to urgently reform its 1978 state of emergency law, currently enforced outside of the Constitution's basic provisions;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12 b. Is worried that little progress has been made to overhaul the code of criminal procedures and the penal code to uphold freedom of expression; is worried that several citizens have been prosecuted and imprisoned for alleged defamation, insult of state officials in rap songs or harming public morals, including journalists and bloggers, for expressing their opinions;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12 c. Raises concerns regarding repeated cases of torture, by Tunisian authorities, of minors suspected of wanting to join terrorist organisations;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. WelcomNotes the Commission’s proposal for a macro-financial assistance of EUR 500 million and calls for a swift adoption by the Council and Parliament; regrets however that this assistance is provided in the form of a loan and not a grant, and hence needs to be repaid; underlines its aim should be to pay back odious debt contracted by the former Ben Ali regime;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Underlines the need to address unemployment, especially for young university graduates, and to launch deep reforms to promote growth and employment (e.g. facilitate currency restrictions, access to microcredit, reform of the labour laws) and the diversification of the Tunisian economy; calls on all parties to maintain the spirit of good cooperation to focus on reforms with a view to the inclusive economic development for all territories of the country; Is worried that the most impoverished inland regions representing 35% of Tunisia's population only receive 10% of loans to foster job creation;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Calls on the EU to step up its support against desertification in Tunisia; Notes that Tunisians are experiencing a serious shortage of water; Calls on Tunisia to foster sustainable agriculture and eating habits; recommends a land reform to incite farmers to preserve forests and rivers; Recalls that a sustainable development of Tunisia's coastal tourism requires a strong reduction of hotel density in order to rationalize investments and manage the water front;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls on the Member States to demonstrate support and political will in order to speed up the recovery of frozen Tunisian assets; welcomes the Council decision to extend the asset freeze of 48 persons by one year; Welcomes the creation of the National Authority against corruption; deplores its limited budget, calls for a more independent nomination of its chair; Recommends the urgent adoption of a law to enhance the Authority, which was created by decree; calls therefore for a full implementation of the Tunisian Constitution, particularly as regards the declaration of assets for certain public figures;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls for the conversion of Tunisian debt into investment projects especially for building strategic infrastructures and reducing regional disparities; Calls on EU Member States to allow for a preferential rescheduling of Tunisia's debt and a diversification of debt components;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Calls for EU cooperation to focus more on the green economy and to increase the use of renewable energies as well as better water and waste treatment, especially considering Tunisia’s high potential in the renewable energy sector; welcomes projects such as the depollution of the Lake of Bizerte, the plant roofs of Ghar el Melh or organic waste used for consumption in Beja;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Recognises that Tunisian security is weakened by the current internal situation in Libya; notes the building of a wall at a very limited part of the border with Libya; expresses concerns at the high number of Tunisian foreign fighters joining Daesh and other terrorist groups; underlines the necessity to reform the country’s intelligence services while respecting the rule of law and human rights conventions;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28 a. Welcomes the inclusion, since the July Counter Terrorism law, of legal protection for journalists to protect their sources, and the criminalization of unauthorized government surveillance;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 b (new)
Paragraph 28 b (new)
28 b. Is highly concerned by a number of provisions in the Counter-Terrorism law which endanger basic defence rights, such as the right to see a lawyer from the start of the detention, prior to and during interrogations; Is of the view that Incommunicado detention for 15 days without a lawyer for individuals suspected of links to a terrorist organization is highly disproportionate and violated basic individual rights;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Welcomes the EU and the Tunisia Mobility Partnership signed in March 2014 and calls for its rapid implementation; cCalls for the signature of a visa waiver for Tunisia; notes that though mobility partnerships rely on national competences, they are included in the EU proposal within the ENP and recommends that Member States show their solidarity with Tunisia by facilitating visas for entrepreneurs, students, researchers etc.;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Stresses the importance of the free movement of people, and supports enhancing mobility within the neighbourhood, in a secure and well managed environment, through visa facilitation and liberalisation, particularly for students, young people, artists and researchers; calls on the Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, to develop possibilities for circular migration schemes which would open up safe and legal routes for migrants; condemns trafficking in human beings, most of the victims of which are women, and stresses the importance of reinforcing cooperation with partner countries in order to combat it; Notes that the delivery of long-term visas with several entries, instead of short-term visas, are best to decrease irregular migration, including through smuggling and human trafficking; Recommends Tunisia amends the 2004 law on the criminalization of individuals who have left its territory without authorization, in accordance with international law;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Welcomes the EU-Tunisian partnership in the field of research and innovation, the participation of Tunisia in the Horizon 2020 Framework programme; underlines that Tunisia should become a full participant in the Erasmus + programme in order to develop the further exchange of university students; calls for a ‘positive discrimination policy’ to be implemented for young students coming from less developed regions with incentives to allow their participation in such programmes; Recalls that 40% of university graduates entering Tunisia's job market are unemployed; Calls on Tunisia to readjust and prioritize partnerships to develop skills in foreign languages, engineering, renewable energies, sciences and computer science which have the highest employment rates;