32 Amendments of Raimon OBIOLS related to 2011/2157(INI)
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
– having regard to its Written Declaration No 15/2011 of 27 September 2011 on the establishment of Euro-Mediterranean Erasmus and Leonardo da Vinci programmes,
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 16
Citation 16
– having regard to its resolutions of 19 January 2006 on the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP)2 , of 15 November 2007 on strengthening the ENP3 , of 6 July 2006 on the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI)4 , of 5 June 2008 on the annual report from the Council to the European Parliament on the main aspects and basic choices of the CFSP5 , of 19 February 2009 on the review of the ENPI6 , of 19 February 2009 on the Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean7 , of 17 January 2008 on a Black Sea Regional Policy Approach8 , of 20 January 2011 on an EU Strategy for the Black Sea9 , of 20 May 2010 on the Union for the Mediterranean10 , of 20 May 2010 on the Need for an EU Strategy for the South Caucasus11 , of 9 September 2010 on the situation of the Jordan River, with special regard to the Lower Jordan River area12 ,of 3 February 2011 on the situation in Tunisia13 , of 17 February 2011 on the situation in Egypt14 , of 10 March 2011 on the Southern Neighbourhood, and Libya in particular, including humanitarian aspects15 and, of 7 July 2011 on Syria, Yemen and Bahrain in the context of the situation in the Arab World and North Africa, and of 15 September 2011 on the situation in Syria,
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
– having regard to the conclusions of the inaugural meeting of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) held in Barcelona on 21 January 2010,
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the ENP should take account of the new regional context and the demonstrations calling for freedom, democracy and reforms in several countries in the EU’s Southern Neighbourhood, as they illustrated the strong desire among the people for genuine change and better living conditions in the region,
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas, in this new context, relations with these countries should be given fresh impetus, based on cooperation focusing on democracy and prosperity on both shores of the Mediterranean, and not only security and migration control,
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the EU needs to define more precisely its strategic goals and priorities in its partnership with its eastern and southern neighbours, and should attach due importance to the relevant items on its political agenda and in its budgetary planning,
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the EU should provide itself with flexible and properly funded instruments in order to match its ambitions and events in the regions,
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. having regard to the European Parliament’s support for the establishment of Euro-Mediterranean Erasmus and Leonardo da Vinci programmes through Written Declaration 15/2011 of 27 September 2011,
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Strongly welcomes the Joint Communications of the Commission and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on A new response to a changing Neighbourhood and A partnership for democracy and shared prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean and the approach presented therein, in particular regarding the principles of mutual accountability and shared commitment to universal values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, as well as conditionality and a tailor- made approach towards the partner countries;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Strongly welcomes the Joint Communication of the Commission and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on A new response to a changing Neighbourhood and the approach presented therein, in particular regarding the principles of mutual accountability and shared commitment to universal values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, as well as conditionality and a tailor- made approach towards the partner countries together with the advancing of multilateral and sub-regional cooperation;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Although the EU does not seek to impose a model or a ready-made recipe for political reforms, uUnderlines that the ENP is based on shared values and the commitment to democracy, human rights, the rule of law and good governance;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. WelcomNotes the proposal for a European Endowment for Democracy, which is a timely response to the clamour for democracy by the populations of our neighbouring countries; underlines that it should be based on the principles of transparency and flexibility and should complement already-existing EU Instruments and the exemplary work of longstanding European political or non- political foundations; stresses that its scope and organisation should be clearly defined and that its structures and procedures should be light and straightforward; calls for a truly political steering committee to be established with the participation of the European Parliament, which should also be involved in the ex-post control mechanisms;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the EEAS and the Commission to strengthen the role of civil society organisations, in particular human rights and women’s organisations, in policy monitoring; notes that civil society organisations are the EU’s faithful and powerful allies in promoting democratic values, good governance and human rights in partner countries; calls for the increased involvement of regional and local authorities and of professional organisations and the social partners in EU cooperation with its southern neighbours; calls on the Council and the Commission to further strengthen and make more effective use of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights in this regard;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Considers that human rights situations should be continuously monitored and that an annual assessment of the situation couldmust be included in the annex to the annual progress report of each partner country with a clear mechanism to reconsider and progressively limit bilateral cooperation if human rights violations are confirmed;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Stresses again that economic and social development and a higher standard of living are essential for consolidating political reforms and achieving social stability in the partner countries concerned;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses that immediate measures, such as cofinancing of already identified flagship or pilot projects or other concrete economic projects of strategic importance, which can be implemented on the ground rapidly, with unquestionable tangible results, should be promptly undertaken to alleviate the situation of the countries currently facing significant socioeconomic crises, with special regard to partner countries where democratic transition aggravates economic difficulties;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Strongly supports the promotion of sub-regional cooperation and stresses the importance of developing partner-to- partner bilateral and multilateral economic cooperation, which would bring tangible benefits for citizens and improve the political climate in the region; places particular emphasis on the importance of encouraging the development of ‘South- South’ trade and economic integration among the countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Calls on the EU to lend strong support to the process of political and economic reform in the Southern Neighbourhood, by using all existing instruments in order to support as effectively as possible the process of democratic transition, with a focus on respect for fundamental freedoms, good governance, the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption, thus responding to the needs and expectations of the peoples of our southern neighbours;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Emphasises that the Union must afford special importance to decentralised cooperation at local level, by means of small-scale projects providing immediate and tangible improvements to the quality of life of citizens in neighbouring countries, thereby helping consolidate the progress made towards democracy across the entire territory of these countries;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Reaffirms that, for the Sou the aim of thern partnership, with the aimEU’s should be mutually beneficial and ambitious trade arrangements which can lead to DCFTAs, which will surely represent the first step towards a big ‘Euro-Mediterranean Economic Space’, which will also help to solve the economic problems of our neighboring partners in the Souththern neighbours is to bring the two shores of the Mediterranean closer together with a view to establishing an area of peace, democracy, security and prosperity for their 800 million inhabitants, and to provide the EU and its partners with an effective bilateral and multilateral framework enabling them to overcome democratic, social and economic challenges, to promote regional integration, in particular in relation to trade, and to ensure their co-development for the benefit of all;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Wishes objective, binding criteria for granting ‘advanced status’ to be defined; stresses the need to clarify the rights and duties arising from this bilateral commitment, both for partner countries and for the EU;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Underlines the importance of paying particular attention to the younger generation; stresses that the EU should increase cooperation in the field of education, immediately broadening and increasing scholarship programmes and mobility of students, graduates, teachers and academics by promoting university and high-school exchanges and public- private partnerships in the field of research and enterprises; stresses the strong need for a structured information policy towards the citizens of the ENP partners concerning the possibility of participation in EU programmes;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Calls on the Commission to take over Parliament’s proposal, produced in the wake of the Arab Spring, to establish a Euro-Mediterranean Erasmus programme, an initiative which – assuming that it were successful – would be suitable to extend to the neighbourhood as a whole; at this stage deplores the inadequacy of the Commission proposals, which, notwithstanding the Commission’s statements on 27 September 2011, in reality provide only for a very modest increase in the number of Erasmus Mundus scholarships;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Calls on the Commission to take over Parliament’s proposal, produced in the wake of the Arab Spring, to establish a Euro-Mediterranean Leonardo da Vinci programme aimed at encouraging the mobility of young people wishing to acquire vocational training abroad, the object being to help combat the youth unemployment endemic to the southern Mediterranean;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 c (new)
Paragraph 20 c (new)
20c. Hopes that partner countries will become more actively involved in the work of the European Training Foundation and the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Believes that the EU should advance its work on visa facilitation and readmission agreements, with a view to moving – once all conditions are met – to a visa-free regime; believes, further, that the EU should advance its work on readmission agreements if, and only if, the partner country concerned gives sufficient guarantees regarding the protection of human rights; endorses the Commission’s new resolve to conclude visa facilitation and readmission agreements simultaneously, and not separately, so as to overcome bottlenecks; also calls for the material conditions for the issue and renewal of visas to be more respectful of human rights; underlines that the provisions on asylum must be fully in line with international obligations and commitments and EU standards, especially in the human rights field;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 d (new)
Paragraph 21 d (new)
21d. Reiterates its firmly held view that the European Neighbourhood Policy will not be wholly effective unless synergy is created between its bilateral and multilateral dimensions; considers it essential, therefore, to strengthen the multilateral component of the ENP, to which a more substantial proportion of funding should be allocated under the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Recalls the importance of cofinancing specific tangible regional projects to contribute to a shared process of development and integration; in this regard, welcomes the opportunity offered by the establishment of the UfM to streNotes that the multilateral component of the ENP should serve to aid the early, effective launch of tangible Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) projects to pave the way for a shared process of development and integration, not least by cofinancing feasibility studies and supporting then complementarity between bilateral policies and regional policies, in order to achieve more effectively the goals of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, based wider use of concessional loans; regarding the current state of play, welcomes the increase in the overall budget onf the mutual recognition of common valuesNeighbourhood Investment Facility;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Is convinced that the UfM should be relaunched to take account of the new developments in the region; takes the view that the UfM should promote sound economic, social and democratic development and create a strong and common basis for a close relationship between the EU and its southern neighbours;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Stresses that the contractual relations with all ENP countries contain arrangements for a regular forum to address human rights issues, in the form of subcommittees on human rights; calls on the EEAS to make full use of these arrangements and involve existing subcommittees in any negotiations,
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Welcomes the proposal for the new European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) and the increase of funding for the ENP, as requested in its previous resolutions; considers that the distribution of funds should be flexible and adequate for both regions, with an approach that is performance-driven and not geographically drivencentred on commitments and progress as regards reforms in partner countries, as well as on their needs and capacities; notes that more flexibility and simplification should respect the right of democratic scrutiny and be accompanied by increased supervision of the spending;
Amendment 340 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Welcomes the work carried out by the European Investment Bank and, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the EIB’s Facility for Euro- Mediterranean Investment and Partnership (FEMIP), and underlines the importance of and the need for more synergies with other international financial institutions also active in these countries; supports the modification of the EBRD’s statutes in order for the Southern neighbourhood partners also to be eligible for its assistance;