Activities of Andrew DUFF related to 2012/2025(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Enlargement: policies, criteria and the EU’s strategic interests (debate)
Amendments (20)
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas although after 20 years after the Copenhagen summit the moment has come for a general re-evaluationaccession criteria have stood the test of theime, accession criteria, of the established procedures and of enlargement policy as a wholeprocedures can be improved in order to be more rigorous about the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights; whereas Parliament contributes to improving the transparency and accountability of enlargement and thereby increasing public support for this process;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas a commitment to political, economic and legislative reforms is first and foremost in the best interest of the candidate and potential candidate countries and their citizens;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas true reconciliation between different peoples and the establishment of good neighbourly relations between countries contribute substantially to a genuine European integration process, and are of key importance to the enlargement process; whereas a number of candidate and potential candidate countries continue to have unresolved issues with their neighbours; whereas these issues should be resolved prior to accession;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Strongly believes that enlargement needs to continue to be a credible policy; considers it, therefore, important for the EU to fulfil the promises alreadyand the candidate and potential candidate countries to respect the commitments made and to create the conditions for ensuring that future enlargements are successful;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that the Copenhagen criteria continue to represent a valuable basis and should remain at the heart of enlargement policy; underlines, however, the need to keep the economic subcriteria up to date in line with recent develstresses that full and rigorous compliance with these Copments in the sphere of economic governance, while taking due account of their social implications for the candidate and potential candidate hagen criteria is imperative and that the integration capacity of the European Union must be taken fully into accountries;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that the EU continues to be attractive, also because of its unique combination of economic dynamism with a social model, and regrets that this social dimension has been largely neglected in the enlargement process; invites the Commission to reflect on possible options, including developing a set of social criteria, to address this deficiency and foster positive social transformation in the future EU Member Stdimension; stresses that failure to adjust to the EU's social models would effectively prevent a candidates; stresses thate failure to comply with the EU's common basic social standards constitutes a form of social dumping which is detrimental to European enterprises and worom participating in the single markerst;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Takes the view that strict conditionality requires that the progress of a country is effectively assessed at every stage of the process, and that coun; stries wishing to join the EU should proceed from one stage to the next only once all the conditions have been met at each stage; notes, however, certain tendencies to exaggeration, and recommends avoiding requiring of candidate and potential candidate countries higher standards than those applying in the EU; stresses the importance of settses the importance of agreeing transparent and fair benchmarks throughout the process;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the new negotiating approach that prioritises issues related to the judiciary and fundamental rights, as well as to justice and home affairs; agrees that these should be tackled early in the accession process and that the corresponding chapters, as a rule, Chapters 23 and 24 should be opened accordingly on the basis of action plans, as they require the establishment of convincing track records; calls on the Commission to report to Parliament regularly on progress in these areas, and for the monthly pre-accession reports of the EU delegations to be forwarded to the members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the new negotiating approach that prioritises issues related to the judiciary and fundamental rights, as well as to justice and home affairs; agrees that these should be tackled early in the accession process and that the corresponding chapters should be opened accordingly on the basis of action plans, as they require the establishment of convincing track records; calls on the Commission to report to Parliament regularly on progress in these areas, and for the monthly pre-accession reports of the EU delegations to be forwardedavailable to the members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs upon request;
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Encourages greater participation by civil society and non-state actors in the accession process; stresses that civil society can work as an engine of approximation with the EU and create bottom-up pressure for the implementation of the European agenda; calls for additionalstresses the importance of adequate financial support, inter alia via the Civil Society Facility;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Reiterates its position that bilateral issues should not represent or be used as an obstacle in the accession process, butTakes the view that any acceding State should resolve its main internal and bilateral problems, particularly those concerning territorial issues, before it can join the Union; these issues should be addressed in a constructive spirit and as early as possible, taking account of the EU's overall interests and its values; stresses that the accession negotiations should not be used to pre-empt the final settlement of such issues, notwithstanding and the obligation to fully comply with the acquis and respect the principles on which the EU itself is founded;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the EU to support efforts to resolve outstanding disputes, including border disputes, before accession; in line with the provisions of the UN Charter, encourages all parties to disputes whose continuation is likely to impair the implementation of the acquis or endanger the preservation of international peace and security to engage constructively in their peaceful resolution and, in case of proven inability to reach a bilateral agreement, to refer the matter to the International Court of Justice or to commit themselves to a binding arbitration mechanism of their choice;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Takes note ofWelcomes initiatives such as the positive agenda on Turkey and the high- level accession dialogue with the Former Yugoslav Republic ofdialogue instigated with a view to overcoming the dispute on the name of the Macedonian state; welcomes the aim of creating a fresh dynamic in the reform process, but stresses that these initiatives must in no way replace the formal negotiation procedures;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Supports the Commission's commitment to improving the quality of the accession process by making it more benchmark-driven and transparent; takes the view that this will make the process fairer and more objectively measurable, thus further enhancing its credibility; in this context, recommends that the progress reports should be more assertive and clearer in their demandcontinue to improve the quality of the accession process; stresses that the benchmarks should not set additional conditions for the candidate and potential candidate countries, but should translate the general membership criteria into concrete steps towards accession;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Is of the opinion that, in order to maintain thencourage support of theamong EU's citizens for further enlargement and the commitment of the citizens of the candidate and potential candidate countries to continue with reforms, it is crucial to present them with clear and comprehensive information on the political, socio- economic and cultural benefits of enlargement; considers it essential, in particular, to explain to the public how the pursuing of enlargement policy has brought in its wake new investment and export opportunities for the older Member States, and how it can help attain the EU's objectives in terms of tackling the economic crisis, creating jobs, protecting the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change, and enhancing security and safety, while at the same time accelerating the reform agenda and improving living conditions in the enlargement countries for the benefit of all European citizens; stresses the need to target, as a priority in this regard, young people and trade unions, as well as key opinion-formers such as journalists, representatives of civil society and economic actors;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Strongly believes that the EU can still attain great strategic benefits through enlargement policy; emphasises that EU membership represents a stable anchor in the swiftly changing international environment, and that ‘belonging to the club’ continues to offer hope for stability and prosperity, despite the ongoing economic crisis; is of the opinion that enlargement is a long-term strategic concept, which cannot necessarily be measured in terms of short-term balance sheets; considers it important to take due account of its value as representing soft but nevertheless essential power for the EU;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Remains fully committed to the prospect of enlargement, and calls on the Member States to maintain the momentum of the enlargement process by reconfirming the European perspective of every candidate and potential candidate country, notwithstanding the requirement of strict compliance with the Copenhagen criteria; stresses its conviction that with the Lisbon Treaty the EU can both pursue its enlargement agenda and maintain the impetus of deeper integration;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Recognises, however, that not all European states will choose to seek full membership and some that do will not fulfil the accession criteria; recommends, therefore, that at the next general revision of the Treaties European Parliament initiates a discussion on the introduction of a new category of associate membership of the Union;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recalls that the process is not concluded with the simple transposition of the acquis, and stresses the importance of effective implementation; considers that in order to maintain the credibility of the accession conditions, existingEU Member States should also be assessed for their continued compliance with the EU's fundamental values and the fulfilment of their commitments concerning the functioning of democratic institutions and the rule of law; calls on the Commission to work out a detailed proposal for a monitoring mechanism, building on the provisions of Article 7 TEU and Article 258 TFEU;