2198 Amendments of Charles GOERENS
Amendment 64 #
2023/2229(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines that the EIB’s environmental and social policy strengthens the commitment to promote and implement the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, in particular the requirement that financed projects cause no significant harm to biodiversity and ecosystems; welcomes the change from ‘no net loss’ to ‘no loss’ of biodiversity; insists onstrives for the full application of the EIB’s environmental and social policy, in particular in renewable energy projects; expecturges the EIB to fully align its environmental and social policy with the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework;
Amendment 79 #
2023/2229(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes the EU for Ukraine initiative established by the EIB as a short-term and targeted initiative to enable the Bank to continue supporting Ukraine while new instruments are established under the Ukraine Facility; recalls in this context the importance of the EU budget as the sole guarantor for the EIB’s activity providing loans outside the EU in support of EU policies; calls for an increase in the guarantees granted to the EIB by the EU budget in order to allow the EIB to continue to deliver vital public- and private-sector operations in Ukraine and expand its activities in the Global South; ; welcomes the fact that all EIB actions in Ukraine are guided by the priorities for reconstruction and will be fully aligned with the upcoming Ukraine plan; welcomes the technical assistance component to ensure optimal project preparation and implementation, as well as capacity building measures; welcomes the EIB’s efforts to prevent, deter and investigate fraud and corruption in relation to its projects in Ukraine;
Amendment 91 #
2023/2229(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. expects the EIB be consistent with the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest;
Amendment 94 #
2023/2229(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20 b. 20a Notes that since the new development branch was set up, EIB Global has made record use of the dedicated investment window provided by the NDICI- Global Europe, delivering over EUR 10 billion in 2022, notably in support of Ukraine and the Global Gateway
Amendment 99 #
2023/2229(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Takes note ofWelcomes the EIB Global strategic roadmap and the expectation that it will facilitate at least highlights the important points therein setting out how the EIB is partnering with the Commissione third of the EUR 300 billion in investments set out to be geneo deliver EUR 100 billion of the EUR 300 billion committed under the Global Gateway stratedgy by the end of 2027; expresses concern over the lack ofinvites for more inclusive and meaningful consultations with stakeholders who are impacted by its operations; calls for more support for projects with limited bankability and high public returns; reiterates its call for EIB Global to limit blending operations to areas where they can add value to the local economy and to ensure that blended finance is not used for essential public services;
Amendment 113 #
2023/2229(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Is concerned that the EIB is falling behind other public financial institutions in terms of transparency and in ensuring that no harm is done by its intermediated investments, as it rated only ‘fair’ on the 2023 Foreign Direct Investment Transparency Index; recalls that the EIB’s transparency policy runs counter to the presumption of disclosure and is not aligned with the applicable exceptions listed in Regulation (EC) No 1049/20013 and Regulation (EC) No 1367/20064 ; urges the EIB to implement the European Ombudsman’s recommendations of 20 November 2023 from Case 2252/2022/OAM and of 21 April 2022 from Case 1251/2020/PB to allow for a meaningful assessment of the environmental and social aspects of projects it is considering for funding; _________________ 3 Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43). 4 Regulation (EC) No 1367/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 September 2006 on the application of the provisions of the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters to Community institutions and bodies (OJ L 264, 25.9.2006, p. 13).
Amendment 121 #
2023/2229(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. ReiteEncouratges its concern thatthe EIB Vice- Presidents are oftennot to be involved in project proposals from their home countries; invites the EIB to fully implement all recommendations received from the European Ombudsman in Case 1016/2021/KR;
Amendment 126 #
2023/2229(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25 a. Recalls that EIB funds are public money and should always be subject to public scrutiny and accountability;
Amendment 128 #
2023/2229(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25 b. Calls for more accountability towards the EU institutions, especially towards Parliament, as transparency is one of the cornerstones of democracy; believes that Members of the European Parliament should be allowed to submit questions for written answer to the EIB, as already provided for the European Central Bank;
Amendment 8 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. StressesCommends the important role that NGOs and CSOs working for the promotion and protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law play an important role in societies around the world; highlights, in this regard, the crucial work of these organisations in collecting public interest information, exploring and proposing new ways of promoting human rights and democracy, informing individuals and groups, especially the most vulnerable, about their rights and standing up for them when those rights are violated, denouncing human and civil rights violations, promoting civic engagement and public participation, countering disinformation and hate speech, holding governments and elected representatives accountable to citizens, and fighting corruption and impunity for human rights abuses;
Amendment 11 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights the serious risks that people working for human rights NGOs face in their activities around the world, including threats against them and their families, intimidation and all forms of harassment, including through online channels and social media, abusive legal proceedings and prosecution, arbitrary detention, violence, torture, disappearances, killings and executions, that can force them to exile;
Amendment 13 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is alarmed by the fact that some governments, whose aim is to shrink civil society space and silence dissenting voices, have adopted legislation based, inter alia, on security, counter-terrorism and the fight against foreign interference, that imposes discriminatory obligations on human rights NGOs and their workers, stigmatises, restricts or bans their activities, including by closing these NGOs, freezing their assets, deterring their donors from contributing funds or depriving them from access to funding;
Amendment 15 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Subheading 2
Subheading 2
Transparency and accountability of human rights NGOs funded by the EU 2021-2027 external action budget
Amendment 19 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the need to make more transparent and accessible to the public, the available information on the beneficiaries, including NGOs, of EU external action funds dedicated to human rights and democracy support and to the related EU- funded projects which are implemented worldwide; acknowledges the precariousrisky and life threatening conditions faced by some human rights defenders and NGOs in non- EU countries; believes, in this regard, that confidentiality and data protection must be ensured in order not to put them at risk;
Amendment 23 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to improve the clarity and organisation of information and data available in the Financial Transparency System on the beneficiaries of EU-funded projects to be implemented, in particular, in the field of human rights and democracy support; stresses that the publication of this information should in no terms put at risks the beneficiaries;
Amendment 33 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Points out that human rights NGOs receiving EU funding must be transparent about the funding received and give visibility to the EU’s support in different ways, and sometimes incompletely, through various communication channels, including official websites; calls for the establishment of harmonised approaches to make EU funding for human rights and democracy support more transparent and visible to the public;
Amendment 40 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses that the funding by non-EU countries of EU-based legal entities, including human rights NGOs, while also carrying out lobbying or advocacy activities within the EU and aiming to influence EU foreign policymaking, raises questions as to their objectives; denounces the use of organisations sponsored by non- EU country governments (government- organised NGOs (GONGOs)) to spread disinformation and false narratives related, in particular, to human rights issues; highlights that, in the context of recent corruption allegations against some Members and former Members of the European Parliament, an NGO, whose stated purpose was to carry out advocacy activities on human rights, is suspected to have been used as a vector of foreign interference; considers that there is a public interest in knowing the financial sources, including non-EU funding, of the stakeholders active in the fields of lobbying or advocacy;
Amendment 46 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the progress made in the use of the EU Transparency Register and is committed to continuing its work to expand the scope of the Register and strengthen the monitoring of the data it contains; points out that, as a general rule, annual financial data on the sources of funding, including EU grants and domestic and non-EU donations, of registered legal entities are made publicly available under the EU Transparency Register; stresses that, since 12 July 2023, the participation of ‘interest representatives’ as invited active guests at Parliament’s events is conditional on their prior registration in the EU Transparency Register, except if registration is likely to endanger an individual’s life or personal safety or the existence of the NGO or where other compelling reasons require confidentiality;
Amendment 54 #
2023/2122(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Recommends that legal entities engaging in lobbying, including NGOs, be required to register in the EU Transparency Register as a condition for applying for EU grants and receiving EU funding as long as it does not put at risks their existence due to the use of that information by authoritarian or illiberal regimes to attack them; calls on the Commission to present proposals to enhance the transparency of interest representation bodies and to ensure that lobbying or advocacy activities, in particular on behalf of non-EU country governments, their budgets and their policy scope are properly disclosed under the EU Transparency Register and that false declarations are subject to sanctions.
Amendment 4 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
– having regard to the UN Convention against Corruption,
Amendment 10 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas victims of corporate abuse often face multiple and overlapping obstacles to accessing remedies and these obstacles are even more severe for vulnerable or marginalised persons or groups; whereas impunity for human rights abuses by transnational corporations remains largely unaddressed in the absence of a robust and comprehensive regulatory framework and alignment at global and regional level;
Amendment 17 #
2023/2108(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that people in developing countries, especially indigenous and traditional communities, smallholders and other small-scale food producers, women, human rights defenders and workers, are disproportionally affected by the human, labour and environmental rights violations committed by TNCs, which often go unpunished; calls to promote and ensure access to justice with special focus on minorities and an effective remedy for victims of human rights violations and abuses;
Amendment 17 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the position of the EU and the Member States has marginally evolved in relation to the work of the OEIGWG; whereas, in the absence of a negotiating mandate, the EU representative only participated in the OEIGWG’s sessions as an observer and only contributed general statements;
Amendment 24 #
2023/2108(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Council to adopt an ambitious mandate for the Commission to fully engage in the negotiations on the UN legally binding instrument on TNCs and human rights (LBI), in accordance with the objectives stipulated by UN Human Rights Council Resolution 26/9 of 14 July 2014, which mandates those negotiations; notes that the Member States should otherwise engage in the process individually; calls to establish a strong EU mandate to ensure cooperation with established and potential partners in the area of business and human rights which would in turn strengthen the EU's diplomacy as a credible partner and human rights defender;
Amendment 26 #
2023/2108(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls the proposal by the European Commission for a Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence (CSDDD) which aims to foster sustainable and responsible corporate behaviour and to anchor human rights and environmental considerations in companies operations and corporate governance; underlines that CSDDD proposal should aim for a more comprehensive and inclusive approach;
Amendment 29 #
2023/2108(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses the importance that the scope of the LBI under negotiation covers TNCs and other business enterprises of a transnational character, as established by Resolution 26/9; worries, however, that there are still many governance gaps that persist at the international level and calls to continue multilateral engagement to send a consistent signal to existing and potential cooperation partners;
Amendment 30 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that the overall level of enjoyment of human rights worldwide is inevitably contingent, among others, on the behaviour of corporations, given the current scale of globalisation and the internationalisation of business activities and value chains;
Amendment 41 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes, with concern, that many procedural, substantive and practical barriers persist regarding access to justice for victims, including difficulties in identifying the competent court, barriers related to jurisdictional standards, short statutory limitation periods, excessive evidentiary burdens, limited liability owing to the corporate veil, access to legal representation and information, as well as other inequalities between claimants and defendants; emphasises that vulnerable or marginalised persons or groups, who may need additional attention in the context of stakeholder engagement activities, are facing heightened barriers to benefit equitably from compensation payments or other forms of restitution;
Amendment 47 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Chair of the OEIGWG and the UN member states to ensure that the negotiations are conducted in a transparent manner, with meaningful engagement with all stakeholders, including civil society, labour unions and the private sector with due attention to vulnerable stakeholders; insists, moreover, on the importance of ensuring active engagement from all regions, with a view to developing an effective instrument that reflects the global diversity of the legal, economic, cultural and political realities affecting human rights and that draws on best practices implemented at domestic and regional level; encourages regional human rights and economic organisations as well as officials to help facilitate this universal engagement;
Amendment 49 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recalls that the EU has a Treaty- based commitment to promote human rights worldwide and UN multilateral solutions to common problems, which has yet to be reflected in its participation in the OEIGWG with a negotiating mandate;
Amendment 53 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Underscores that the latest normative developments at EU level on business and human rights have scarcare important initial steps but have not adequately addressed access to justice and victims’ rights, which lie at the centre of the LBI as a core human rights treaty; stresses, in this regard, the complementary nature, objectives and scope of both normative tracks, which will operate at different levels;
Amendment 56 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Believes that the EU should actively engage in the ongoing negotiations, in particular to further develop the draft LBI, while focusing on victims of business-related abuses, dismantling barriers to justice and effective remedy, and enhancing cooperation by drawing on international perspectives and best practices; considers that this engagement would ultimately contribute to securing better implementation and enforcement of human rights internationally, while equally contributing to an international level playing field and delivering a global instrument that is both widely supported and ratified among states across all regions, including but not limited to the European Union, and that remains relevant in the face of constantly evolving business- related threats to human rights;
Amendment 60 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the Council’s commitment that the EU will strengthen its engagement and actively participate in the OEIGWG; considers, however, that the only meaningful and tangible way to enact this stated commitment is by adopting an EU mandate for negotiations; urges, therefore, the Commission to recommend that the Council adopt an ambitious mandate for negotiations as soon as possible so that the EU is able to actively participate in the negotiations with a view to shaping the future LBI, which is already at an advanced stage;
Amendment 66 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Commission, the European External Action Service and the Member States to engage proactively with all partner states and prioritisinclude the topic in their dialogues with non-EU countries and regional organisations;
Amendment 70 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Supports a broad scope for the LBI, which aims to cover all business enterprises, including transnational business activities and state-owned enterprises and which allows for differentiation so that obligations are commensurate with enterprise size, sector, operational context and the severity of impacts on human rights; considers that allowing states parties the flexibility to differentiate, under their domestic legislation, how business enterprises discharge the prevention obligations under the LBI, would provide important leeway for national adaptation and would be consistent with the universal scope of the UNGPs;
Amendment 79 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Regrets the fact that several references to the environment and climate change were removed from the scope of the LBI in the latest draft; considers that the EU and the Member States should strive for the environmental and climate impact of business activities to be included within the scope of the LBI in line with EU legislation;
Amendment 81 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Amendment 87 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Believes that the obligation for companies to undertake regular human rights impact assessments prior to and throughout operations, and to take into account the needs of those at heightened risk, constitute particularly important elements for the LBI prevention framework, including by integrating a gender perspective, but also by taking into account issues concerning groups at risk of vulnerability or marginalisation, including indigenous peoples;
Amendment 89 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls for the LBI to provide a central role to affected stakeholders, in particular through the obligation to promote the active and meaningful participation of relevant stakeholders, including trade unions, non-governmental organisations, indigenous peoples and community-based organisations, as well as the private sector, in the implementation of legislation, policies and other measures with special attention to the access to justice and remedies;
Amendment 91 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Calls for the LBI to provide a definition for active and meaningful participation of relevant stakeholders, including requirements for interactive processes of engagement conducted in good faith, on an ongoing basis, with proper follow-through, involving the identification and removal of potential barriers to engagement, and ensuring the safe participation of stakeholders without fear of reprisal;
Amendment 93 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Emphasises the need to ensure that states implement robust and effective, yet practical enforcement and compliance monitoring mechanisms; insists, furthermore, on the need for regular and in- depth reporting to be required from corporations and states parties; is concerned about the risks of forum- shopping and its impact on a level playing field, particularly in the context of the EU, urges EU level instruments to mitigate these risks including a monitoring mechanism through the European Semester for policy coordination;
Amendment 96 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Expects the EU and the Member States to promote robust provisions on access to justice, including access to state- based judicial remedy, within the LBI, in line with their commitment to protect victims, fight impunity and to upholding the UNGPs;
Amendment 104 #
2023/2108(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Insists that the LBI should address the practical and procedural obstacles faced by victims of corporate abuse when seeking justice with due attention to vulnerable or marginalized persons or groups;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
– having regard to its resolutions of 9 June 2022 on the call for a Convention for the revision of the Treaties, and of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties,
Amendment 4 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 b (new)
Citation 6 b (new)
– having regard to the European Council Conclusions of 14 and 15 December 2023,
Amendment 5 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 c (new)
Citation 6 c (new)
– having regard to the Enlargement Package adopted by the European Commission on 8 November 2023,
Amendment 6 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 d (new)
Citation 6 d (new)
– having regard to its resolution of 28 February 2024 on deepening EU integration in view of future enlargement,
Amendment 14 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the basis for the calculation of the number of seats per member states is to be based on Eurostat data on these member states’ resident population in accordance with a method established by means of Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council ; whereas the calculationfigures includes mobile EU citizens;
Amendment 16 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the European Council has repeatedly requested that Parliament proposeon several occasions outlined the benefits of an objective, fair, durable and transparentclear method to allocate the seats in the European Parliament ; whereas, despite considering the issue , Parliament has not put forward a proposal for such an allocation method so far; whereas there is a renewed call for Parliament to present a proposal as European Council Decision (EU) 2023/2061 of 22 September 2023 establishing the composition of the European Parliament requests that by the end of 2026 and in advance of the proposal on its composition, the European Parliament should propose an objective, fair, durable and transparParliament, in its legislative resolution of 15 June 2023 on the composition of the European Parliament, committed to resume works on a permanent seat allocation method implementing the principle of degressive proportionality, without prejudice to the institutions’ prerogatives under the Treaties; whereas the European Council Decision (EU) 2023/2061 of 22 September 2023 establishing the Composition of the European Parliament, further states that, taking into account the impact of possible future developments, such a method should safeguard a sustainable maximum number of members of the European Parliament;
Amendment 21 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas European Council Decision (EU) 2023/2061 of 22 September 2023 establishing the composition of the European Parliament for the 2024-2029 legislative term increases the size of Parliament from 705 to 720 members; whereas the Treaty currently sets an upper limit of 751 members; whereas the current solution used to avoid seat losses by individual member states of tapping into the remaining reserve of seats until the upper limit is reached is neitherot sustainable nor contributes to a more equitable allocation of seats; whereas this situation underlines the need for an agreementthe reopening of discussions on an objective, fair, durable and transparentclear seat allocation method;
Amendment 26 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas further to these principles, a future seat allocation method should be objective, and transparentclear in terms of procedural application and data used, fair in terms of the equality of votes, and durable with respect to its application irrespective ofadaptable to variations in the populations of the Member States, and the number of Member States, and the total number of EP seatsEP seats Parliament aims at using;
Amendment 29 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas it is necessary to ensure that the allocation method is flexible enough to accommodate future EU enlargements and possible changes to applicable Union law, and in particular to the Treaties or EU electoral law;
Amendment 31 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. Whereas compliance with the principle of sincere cooperation, as enshrined in Articles 4.3 and 13.2 TEU, involves mutual efforts towards the attainment of the Union’s objectives; whereas the call on Parliament to identify a permanent system of seat allocation is not matched by similar efforts on the Council side to pursue works on Parliament’s proposal for the reform of the Electoral Law;
Amendment 33 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. whereas the perspective of enlargement imposes an in-depth reform of the Union’s institutional architecture and policies that would affect the composition of the European Parliament;
Amendment 35 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes that European Council Decision (EU) 2023/2061 has tasked the Parliament with proposingRecalls that Parliament, in its legislative resolutions of 15 June and of 13 September 2023 has committed to resume works on an objective, fair, durable and transparentclear seat allocation method implementing the principle of degressive proportionality, without prejudice to the prerogatives of the institutions under the Treaties
Amendment 42 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that Treaty requirementsthe decision-making procedure established by the Treaty, together with political realities, have led to ad hoc negotiated agreements on the composition of the European Parliament every mandate; observes that the reason for the politicisationunanimity vote requirement isn the aim of everyEuropean Council gives Member States incentives to minimise seat losses and maximise seat gains in absolute or relative terms; emphasises that in the last two decisions concerning the allocation of seats, seats were allocated that became available after the United Kingdom left the EU; highlights that, in the long-term, this strategy is not sustainable, given the Treaty limitation of a maximum of 751 seats and the potentially distortive effects of a political solution, rendering an agreement on an equitable allocation in the future more difficultrequest of Parliament to allocate 28 seats to a Union-wide constituency;
Amendment 44 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Recalls that, in its legislative resolution of 22 November 2023 on proposals of the European Parliament for the amendment of the Treaties, Parliament has proposed amendments to Article 14(2) underlines that these amendments aim at making the composition of the European Parliament Parliament’s competence, subject to the Council’s consent, and at overcoming unanimity voting in the procedures regulating the European Parliament's composition;
Amendment 45 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that a seat allocation method offers great potential for providing in the future a permanent system to allocate the seats of the European Parliament in an objective, fair, durable and transparent wayclear way; regrets that, in absence of Treaty changes, the adoption of said allocation method requires an unanimous vote of the European Council;
Amendment 54 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that in choosing the most suitable formulaseat allocation system, priority needs to be given to objective and evidence-based criteria; further believes that changes to the relevant Treaty provisions can be considered ;
Amendment 59 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Notes that the Treaty on European Union Art. 14 (2) lays down a number of numerical criteria for the allocation of seats among Member States, by imposing minimum and maximum limits for the number of seats allocated and by setting the number of MEPs overall; further notes that the Treaty also specifies that the allocation of seats shall be degressively proportional; underlines that any formulaseat allocation system must comply with these criteria;
Amendment 64 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines that any method chosen should be transparent; continues. therefore.Continues to support using Eurostat data as the official source of population figures for the calculations, which is publicly available; fully supports that the same population figures are used as basis for the calculations on the EP composition and the qualified majority in Council;
Amendment 72 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Points out that the method chosen should be understandable, avoiding a level of complexity that citizens cannot understandstraightforward, unambiguous, and accessible to EU citizens ;
Amendment 82 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Is of the opinion that a permanent system based on a formulaallocation mechanism needs to be durable and therefore flexible enough to account for changes in population figures, for future enlargements and for possibleadaptable to changes in population figures, and to changes of applicable legislative provisions, such as the electoral law or treaty changes;
Amendment 86 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that a fair method must include elements that balance the interestsensure the fair representation of citizens from all Member States, while also respecting the overall balance of the institutional system as laid down in the Treaties when it comes to the indirect decision-making power of Union citizens, represented by MEPs in the European Parliament and by their governments in the Council;
Amendment 90 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes that the definition of degressive proportionality, as recognised by the European Parliament1 and the European Council2 , does not imply a particular method for seat allocation in the EP, but that, mathematically, there are an infinite number of options to choose from; _________________ 1 Legislative resolutions of 15 June 2023 on the composition of the European Parliament and of 13 September 2023 on the draft European Council decision establishing the composition of the European Parliament (00013/2023 – C9- 0319/2023 – 2023/0900(NLE)) 2 European Council Decision (EU) 2023/2061 of 22 September 2023 establishing the composition of the European Parliament
Amendment 91 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Points to the existence of a vast number3 of previous recommendations concerning the formula; a potential models of permanent seat allocation system ; _________________ 3 These formulas include the Cambridge Compromise, the Power method, the Parabolic method, the D’Hondt method, the 0.5 DPL method and the FPS method.
Amendment 93 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Observes that previous recommendations for seat allocation comprised several elements; notes that these included a fixed base number of seats for all Member States, and an allocation of remaining seats in proportion to respective population figures with a minimum of six and a cap of 96 seats; stresses that these recommendations, such as the so-called ‘Cambridge Compromise’, have been criticised for not respecting Treaty criteriabreaching Treaty requirements, such as degressive proportionality, in certain circumstances;
Amendment 95 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Further notes that the ‘Cambridge Compromise’ has been criticised for neglecting the interests of citizensoverlooking the fair representation of medium-sized Member States, entailing considerable seat losses for these countries; recalls that in order to counterbalance this tendency of the ‘Cambridge Compromise”, an extensive reform of the qualified voting mechanism currently in force in the Council; regretfully acknowledges that, , due to high political hurdles, such as Treaty change, these reforms were never pursued;
Amendment 102 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Stresses the need for any method chosen to maintain the advantages of the known formulas, while minimising their disadvantages; points out that ‘base seat’ elements of the seat allocation system can be used to ensure the democratic representation of citizens from smaller Member States, while the proportional elements ensure that the larger a Member State’s population , the greater the number of seats allocated to it; highlights that seats allocated in proportion to the square root of the population of Member States contribute to ensuring that degressive proportionality is achieved and the citizens of small and medium-sized Member States are democratically represented; believes that the combination of these elements can be converted into a mathematical formula and used as the basis of the most suitable allocation system; believes that such allocation system should be proposed and adopted in the form of a political decision;
Amendment 104 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Recalls the European Council decision of December 2023 to formally open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, to grant candidate status to Georgia, calling for the acceleration of the accession process of Western Balkans, of North Macedonia, other than to monitor the compliance with the membership criteria of Bosnia Herzegovina; recalls that the perspective of enlargement imposes an in-depth reform of the Union’s institutional architecture and policies;
Amendment 105 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Highlights as well the benefits of the “Power compromise” or "Power law" model, comprising of a number of base seats attributed equally to all Member States; of a divisor ensuring that the sum of seats does not exceed a pre-established number; and of a power parameter, which yields a degressively proportional allocation of seats;
Amendment 106 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Stresses that, irrespectively of the identification of a permanent mechanism of allocation of seats for the composition of the European Parliament 2029-2034, any reassessment of the number of seats of the European Parliament, and of the requirements necessary to ensure a representative and democratic composition in an enlarged Union, shall be carefully reviewed in the context of the upcoming process of revision of the Treaties, triggered by Parliament through its report of 23 November 2023;
Amendment 107 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Underlines that the “Power Compromise” ensures that the resulting composition respects the minimum and maximum allocation of seats established by the Treaties, the representativeness of medium-sized countries, and the principle of degressive proportionality;
Amendment 108 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
Paragraph 17 c (new)
17c. Is of the view that the adoption of any allocation system should be part of a package deal including the proposal for a reform of the European Electoral law of May 2022;
Amendment 109 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 d (new)
Paragraph 17 d (new)
17d. Highlights that maintaining the number of seats of the European Parliament at 751 in an enlarged Union of potentially more than thirty Member States would dramatically broaden electoral inequality and cause distortions in the representation of Union citizens; Believes that the number of seats should be increased in the context of future enlargements, while ensuring that the European Parliament remains at a workable size;
Amendment 112 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Proposes that the newCalls on the newly elected Parliament to pursue works on a proposal for a seat allocation system should be applied for, ,applicable to the allocation of seats among Member States forom the parliamentary term following the next parliamentary term after the adoption of this resolution ;
Amendment 118 #
2023/2104(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Believes that the seat allocation system will make it easier for the European Parliament to swiftly adopt its proposal to the European Council concerning the composition of the European Parliament; resolves to make this seat allocation system the basis of its proposal to the European Council; points out that Parliament’s consent is required on the European Council decision on the composition of the European Parliament; further resolves not to give its consent to the European Council decision, if that decision deviates from the allocation resulting from the application of allocation system proposed by Parliament;
Amendment 124 #
Amendment 29 #
2023/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas SDG target 3.4 on non- communicable diseases and mental health seeks to reduce by 2030 by one third the premature mortality rate from non- communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and to promote mental health and well-being;
Amendment 33 #
2023/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas non-communicable diseases are linked to poverty, as they impede poverty reduction initiatives by increasing the share of household costs for health care; whereas treatments of non-communicable diseases tend to involve long-term treatment that can be hard to access to and have a significant impact on household economy;
Amendment 40 #
2023/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Ac. whereas low- and middle-income countries’ health systems focus on acute illness because of their weaknesses; whereas, as a result, the patient's journey is often characterised by gaps, whether at the diagnostic phase, treatment or lack of adherence to therapy; whereas prevention aspects are often missing in those systems;
Amendment 42 #
2023/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
Ad. whereas non-communicable disease-related health misinformation is a growing concern as more and more individuals obtain their health information from new media such as search engines or social media platforms; whereas, while increased access to information on health issues can be seen as generally positive, the spread of inaccurate medical information is problematic and can lead to harmful lifestyle or dietary choices, self- medication, the abandonment of medical treatment and incorrect diagnoses;
Amendment 65 #
2023/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. (new) reminds that the priority 2 of the European Global Health Strategy is to "strengthen health systems and advance universal health coverage"; insists that particular attention should therefore be put on prevention, diagnostic and community-centred approaches that can facilitate those aspects;
Amendment 72 #
2023/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. (new) highlights that the fight against stigma is also an important component of the fight against non- communicable diseases, which is particularly critical for mental health issues, which are part of non- communicable diseases; reminds that stigmas lead to non disclosure or concealment of conditions, which are often related to a concern related to reduced work, employment opportunities but also social isolation;
Amendment 79 #
2023/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. (new) reminds the scale of the problem of health misinformation and the potential danger to human lives that has become apparent with the COVID-19 pandemic; calls on the Commission to support projects, tools and policies that seeks to fight the health misinformation topic;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2073(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
– having regard to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change special report of 24 September 2019 on the ocean and cryosphere in a changing climate,
Amendment 23 #
2023/2073(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas, while energy is at the heart of all SDGs, SDG 7 stipulates the aim to achieve sustainable access to affordable and clean energy by 203012 ; _________________ 12 UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, ‘The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023: Special Edition – July 2023’, New York, USA, 2023.
Amendment 49 #
2023/2073(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas in developing countries that heavily rely on biomass for cooking food, the EU should support alternative solutions to the consumption of wood, and in particular mangroves, and promote, for instance, the use of solar cookers;
Amendment 66 #
2023/2073(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the energy autonomy of Small Island Developing States (SIDS), building upon their high renewable energy potential, should remain a clear objective;
Amendment 96 #
2023/2073(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas the EU and partner countries share a common but differentiated responsibility to achieve a sustainable energy transition; whereas EU support for renewable energy projects must, in the first place, meet the local population’s needs before supporting export; whereas the stated desire of certain developing countries to exploit their hydrocarbon resources should also be analysed in the light of the EU's push for a global pledge at COP28 to phase out fossil fuels;
Amendment 107 #
2023/2073(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Calls for the EU to support access to clean energy in developing countries through capacity-building and transfers of technology; highlights the need to develop solutions to help deliver renewable energy deployment in developing countries, including marine and river energy; encourages partnerships moving away from the exploitation of fossil resources and focusing rather on clean energy use and biodiversity conservation in developing countries;
Amendment 116 #
2023/2073(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that energy poverty disproportionately affects women and girls; highlights their daily involvement in collecting firewood and charcoal far from their homes; calls for the EU to step up its support in mainstreaming gender in the energy transition; stresses that particular attention should be given to the crucial role of women and the youth in developing countries, including in marine conservation areas;
Amendment 163 #
2023/2073(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Is worried about the impact that water-intensive energy conversion practices, such as hydropower plants, have on agricultural communities; highlights the adverse effects of hydropower dams on rivers and biodiversity, especially in estuaries;
Amendment 168 #
2023/2073(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Is concerned about the fragility of facilities in the face of extreme weather events such as the recent floods in Libya that swept away entire neighbourhoods and damaged critical infrastructure; insists on the paramount objectives of SDG 9, which seeks to build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation;
Amendment 180 #
2023/2073(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Insists on the relevance of green energy in agroforestry and climate change adaptation projects such as the Great Green Wall, which promotes the integrated management of ecosystems and provides a solution to water access and food insecurity in the Sahelian strip by combating land degradation and desertification;
Amendment 192 #
2023/2073(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Warns against the risk of a new ‘green hydrogen curse’ that would foster developing countries’ reliance on exports and could crowd out investments in the development of local energy markets; is concerned about the lack of required infrastructure, the long-distance transport costs, the limited investments and financial capacities and the risks linked to weak institutions and corruption; calls for the EU to support the development of a green hydrogen value chain only when it can guarantee that it equally benefits exporting countries and their populations; stresses the crucial role of hydrogen as a tool to decarbonise the energy system and achieve the Paris Agreement goals; recalls the importance of life cycle assessments taking into account production and transport modes used;
Amendment 197 #
2023/2073(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Acknowledges that the expansion of green hydrogen also has negative social and environmental impacts in the Global South, in particular as it relies on mining and the use of raw materials and rare earths; stresses the need to develop a global resource governance system that prioritises sustainability, efficiency and circularity, with a view to reducing global demand for virgin materials; emphasises the need for a systemic approach when assessing the local opportunities and consequences of green hydrogen production for European needs in developing countries;
Amendment 204 #
2023/2073(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Notes the proliferation of desalination plants to deal with water scarcity; points out that seawater desalination can have major environmental impacts, in particular on marine biodiversity; calls for the promotion of a sustainable approach in water desalination and solutions that have no impact on coastal areas, such as deep sea desalination; highlights that reducing water use and recycling or reusing treated wastewater is often less expensive than desalination;
Amendment 219 #
2023/2073(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls for the EU and its Member States to increase the amount of official development assistance it devotes to the energy sector, particularly in Africa, prioritising grants over loans and reorienting financing towards countries with lower rates of access to electricity to support their clean energy transitions and to develop public-private partnerships, as well as programmes for facilitating the transfer of knowledge and green technologies;
Amendment 8 #
2023/2065(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that the EPA should contribute to diversifying value chains in SADC countries and their economies, creatingencourage trade and development policies based on the promotion of human rights, rule of law and democracy, create added value and jobs locally and thereby helpinglp to fight inequalities and thereby to reduce and eventually eradicate hunger and poverty in a sustainable manner;
Amendment 20 #
2023/2065(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that the EPA should contribute to establishing an effective, predictable and transparent regional regulatory framework for trade and investment, provide a sustainable foundation for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area and thereby attract private capital, which is indispensable for fostering sustainable long-term development and achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda;
Amendment 25 #
2023/2065(INI)
6. Highlights the importance of broadly, systematically and meaningfully involving development partners and local and regional civil society in the EPA’s implementation and the ex post evaluations thereof. to ensure the EPA meets the needs of the population while guaranteeing the fundamental principles of sustainable development;
Amendment 29 #
2023/2065(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Underlines that while EPAs can provide significant advantages for ACP countries, they also come with their own set of challenges and drawbacks; insists therefore that policymakers carefully consider these factors and work to ensure that EPAs are implemented in a way that maximizes benefits for all parties involved;
Amendment 31 #
2023/2065(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Recalls that implementing EPAs can be challenging for smaller ACP countries that lack the resources and infrastructure; calls on the EU and its members states to assist their partner developing countries in a way that they can fully take advantage of the opportunities presented by EPAs;
Amendment 33 #
2023/2065(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Underlines the importance of the EU’s commitment to multilateral co- operation, and securing Europe’s own trade interests while at the same time addressing some of the key interests of ACP states – particularly with regard to regional integration;
Amendment 34 #
2023/2065(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6d. Recalls the two-pillar solution for addressing the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation and globalisation of the economy, as agreed by the members of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting;
Amendment 35 #
2023/2065(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 e (new)
Paragraph 6 e (new)
6e. Calls on the EU and its Member States to ensure that the agreed global minimum corporate tax rate of 15% for Multinational Enterprises is effectively applied; underlines that this minimum tax is estimated to generate around USD 150 billion in additional global tax revenues annually.
Amendment 3 #
2023/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas rural areas face the urgent challenges of demographic decline and ageing, especially affecting EU farming populations, along with rural abandonment, lack of or poor access to public and private infrastructure and services, including particularly digital infrastructure, mobility, healthcare and social services, education and training, as well as low incomes and fewer job opportunities;
Amendment 7 #
2023/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas SME play a particularly important role in rural areas as employers, as facilitators of a diversification of farm income and as sponsors of social and cultural life and thus help to make rural areas more attractive to young people;
Amendment 9 #
2023/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the digital and green transitions offer opportunities for stronger, connected, resilient, innovative and prosperous rural areas in the long term; whereas an up-to-date digital infrastructure is a precondition for digital and smart farming solutions and hence the success of the green transition, as well as a key enabler for competitive SME in rural areas;
Amendment 22 #
2023/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that small and family farms and SME are the backbone of EU rural areas, providing food security and ecosystem services for European citizens;
Amendment 27 #
2023/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the importance of improving the policy coherence and rural proofing of future EU initiatives to effectively prevent rural depopulation and to facilitate generational renewal, broadband access and job creation in rural areas; Stresses the importance of implementing a rural proofing mechanism for all EU initiatives so as to assess the coherence and complementarity of EU policies and their potential impact on rural areas to ensure that they are fit for purpose; underlines the importance of involving local and regional authorities in the definition and implementation of rural proofing mechanisms;
Amendment 54 #
2023/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls on the Member States to make effective use of the various funding opportunities also with a view to improving the prospects of SMEs, given their major role in generating employment in rural areas, and calls on the Commission to monitor and assess whether its support reaches rural areas and benefits their communities;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2029(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A (new)
Recital A (new)
A. Whereas the EIB, given its role under the Treaties and its role in supporting Union policies, remains the natural partner of the European Commission for the implementation of operations under the EFSD+,
Amendment 1 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recitals A and Aa (new)
Recitals A and Aa (new)
A. whereas the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (‘the Instrument’) entered into force on 14 June 2021 and consolidated a merged previous instruments under a single instrument; whereas this instrument, with an overall budget of EUR 79.5 billion, constitutes a historic change in the EU’s external and development policies; Aa. whereas the Commission is responsible for the identification, formulatitude of previous instruments under a single instrumenton, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of EU assistance; whereas the EEAS has the responsibility to ensure the continuity and coherence of EU external policies in line with the integrated approach which includes this Instrument; whereas Parliament is responsible for democratic oversight and scrutiny and as co-legislator under the co- decision procedure; whereas the creation of the Team Europe approach should contribute to a single strategic coordination framework for the EU’s external response to major challenges; whereas this approach enables further cooperation between the EU institutions, the Member States and the EIB, continuously increasing the EU’s collective effectiveness and visibility; whereas the Instrument is to be implemented through a mix of modalities including bilateral cooperation, grants to a diversity of partners and an investment framework;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2029(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls its long-standing position that the Heading 6 ceiling is insufficient to allow the Union to achieve its ambitions on the global stage; stresses, in particular, the need for the EU budget to make a tangible contribution to the reconstruction in Ukrainein particular to promote democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and address long- term challenges in its neighbourhood and beyond, including the response to the food, energy, climate and economic crisis; stresses, in particular, the need for the EU budget to make a tangible contribution to the reconstruction in Ukraine including through additional guarantees for the European Investment Bank which are necessary in order to allow continued engagement of the EU Bank in the country; calls, therefore, on the Commission to present a revision of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) with sufficient funding for Heading 6, since the current financial programming is insufficient for the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) and for the geopolitical ambitions of the European Union;
Amendment 2 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Instrument’s external investment framework brings together blended finance and guarantees under the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) External Action Guarantee (EAG), which is to be implemented by eligible partners in an open and collaborative approach, with a specific role for the European Investment Bank (EIB); whereas the EFSD+ considerably expands the financial envelope of its predecessor, the EFSD, and will be able to guarantee operations up to EUR 53.4 billion through EAG; whereas the ‘policy first’ principle must result in a cooperation driven by policy objectives and ensure that the European financial architecture for development is aligned in this regard;
Amendment 3 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recitals C and Ca (new)
Recitals C and Ca (new)
C. whereas due to limited resources, the external financing instruments have often been stretched to their limits; whereas, since the adoption of the Regulation establishing the Instrument, events such as the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine (which triggered a food, energy and cost of worsened the food crisis in the world, triggered an energy, cost of living and debt crises globally and created economic uncertainty, potentially further destabilivsing crisis)Member States and third countries and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated the situation to such a degree that an early mid-term evaluation (MTE) of the Instrument and a mid-term revision (MTR) of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) are necessary; Ca. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has deepened the already significant SDGs financing gap and caused an overall decline in resources of USD 700 billion, and at the same time a significant increase is needed to respond to the pre- pandemic gap in developing countries; whereas 80% of the cushion has already been used and an increase of it should be considered; whereas the current political and financial leadership of and efforts by the EU are not sufficient for achieving the European Consensus on Development, SDGs, and the goals of the Paris Agreement and addressing other acute global challenges, in particular worsening climate change, the consequences of COVID-19 and violent conflicts, and therefore joint engagement at international level is required to ensure that the Instrument is able to respond to these emerging challenges;
Amendment 4 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recitals D, Da (new), Db (new) and Dc (new)
Recitals D, Da (new), Db (new) and Dc (new)
D. whereas project implementation under the Instrument cannot yet be evaluated fully, as it is still in its early stages; whereas the MTE expected in 2024 should assess whether the Instrument contributes to the EU’s strategic priorities and effectively promotes its values in partner countries, promotes human rights and contributes to poverty and inequalities reduction along with the promotion of the sustainable development of third countries and whether it is allocated based on third countries’ needs and development strategies; Da. whereas the European Court of Auditors concluded in 2023 that there are deficiencies in the methods for allocating funds and impact monitoring and that the wide scope of the Instrument may limit the impact, and that improvements are needed in the way development aid is allocated and monitored; Db. whereas the Instrument should be used to form closer and more effective partnerships with third countries that deliver tangible results, based on mutual interests, strategic priorities, structured and effective cooperation, and clear-long term goals; whereas EU-Africa and Neighbourhood relations are of particular strategic importance; whereas the Instrument should be used to ensure a fair green transition, promoting local added values and respecting the “do no significant harm principle”; whereas efficiency, effectiveness and the development impact of the Instrument are key indicators to track; Dc. whereas since the adoption of the Instrument, geopolitical competition has evolved and increased; whereas this places the Instrument in a new and more urgent light; whereas the Global Gateway is a response to this challenge, aiming to provide a viable and attractive alternative for partner countries that delivers lasting benefits for local communities; whereas there is a need to better communicate and raise the visibility of EU actions in partner countries; whereas, despite the Global Gateway’s focus on the EU’s geopolitical objectives, the Instrument’s ODA must serve long-term sustainable development in partner countries;
Amendment 5 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission communica’s proposal for a revision of the MFF 2021- 2027 with additional funding for Heading 6, since the current financial programming is insufficient and underfunded for the Instrument that should better reflect the geopolitical ambitions on the mid-term revision of the MFF 2021-2027f the EU and its global commitments; takes note of the additional funds proposed by the Commission for Heading 6 out of which EUR 10,5 billion for responding to external dimension of migration, including external challenges, EUR 3 billion for the Instrument’s emerging challenges and priorities cushion and EUR 2,5 billion for the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR);
Amendment 6 #
2023/2029(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Notes that, since the setting up of the new development arm in 2022, the EIB Global has made record use of the dedicated investment window entrusted to it under Article 36 of the NDICI regulation, delivering over 10bn EUR notably in support of Ukraine and the Global Gateway; underlines the importance of the EU budget as the sole guarantor for the EIB's ability to provide loans outside the Union in support of EU policies; calls for an increase in the guarantees granted to the EIB by the EU budget in order to allow the EU bank to continue operations in Ukraine and to expand its activities in the Global South;
Amendment 6 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines the need to review the EU’s external and development policies in the light of geopolitical changes; recogniseslight of the funding gap, the increasing inequalities between and within countries and global food insecurity; recognises the impact of geopolitical changes, in particular Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the EU’s new priorities and the enhanced importance of strategic partnerships with partner countries, aligned with the principle of Policy Coherence for Development (PCD), and the specific role of EU investments, which have to reflect both the values and interests of the EU and the interests of our partners; further stresses the need for this review to assess whether the Instrument’s objectives of reduction of poverty and inequalities, promotion of human rights and long-term sustainable development of partner countries are being met;
Amendment 7 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine; stresses, however, that this support should not come at the expense of other partners and third countries, whose EU funding should not be cut; calls, therefore, for a thorough evaluation of the Instrument’s resources, which should also assess whether they are sufficient to meet the Instrument’s objectiveIn the face of the ongoing Russian war of aggression, reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine, in all its dimensions, including humanitarian assistance, recovery, reconstruction and modernisation; stresses, however, that this support should not come at the expense of official development assistance (ODA), other partners and third countries who are adversely affected by the Russian war of aggression and whose EU funding should not be cut; calls, therefore, for a thorough evaluation of the Instrument’s resources, which should also assess whether they are sufficient to meet the Instrument’s objectives as per the Regulation and to raise the resources accordingly, as well as ensure that they continue to be relevant in the context of on-going geopolitical challenges and allow the EU to be seen as a trustworthy partner and counteract the influence of other global powers;
Amendment 8 #
2023/2029(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. notes that Ukraine and Moldova, as the EU candidate countries, will require further financial and technical assistance to prepare for the accession; calls on the Commission to put forward proposals to include Ukraine and Moldova on the list of beneficiaries of the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA III);
Amendment 8 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the consolidation of most of the EU’s external action in a single Instrument, gradually streamlining and harmonising the numerous previous instruments; is of the opinion, however, that although this simplification has enhanced flexibility and efficiency, it has not been accompanied by sufficient levels of effective accountability and transparency; underlines, in this regard, that measures can only be considered effective when this can be proven by clear and comparable monitoring and evaluation mechanisms; recalls the findings of the ECA’s Special Report 14/2023, which points out that, in more than 20% of the sampled indicators, baseline indicators have been missing or unclear and 24% had either no targets or unclear targets, and furthermore data sources in the multiannual indicative programmes (MIPs) were fragmented or missing; calls on the Commission to make the use of ‘Global Europe Results Framework’ (GERF) indicators compulsory, that should be the norm, for measures throughout the entire implementation cycle of MIPs, that is planning, implementation and reporting of results, and to considerably increase EU delegations capacities; emphasises that the Instrument should provide for an efficient, effective, coherent and inclusive implementation, underpinned by the ‘policy first’ principle and in line with the strategic interests and values of the EU and the priorities of partner countries; reiterates its call on the Commission to publish, at least biannually, an aid effectiveness progress report, that consistently includes standardised, comprehensible and comparable indicators, covering joint planning, joint implementation and joint results frameworks; calls on the Commission to present this progress report to Parliament;
Amendment 9 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. CExpresses deep concern about the escalation of geopolitical turmoil, authoritarian trends and recent global attacks globally on the foundations of democracy and the rule of law; calls for the MTE to evaluate in depth the Instrument’s capacity to achieve the EU’s overall external policy goals, and particularly the objective of contributing to the promotion of multilateralism, sustainable development and of protecting, promoting and advancing democracy, the rule of law and human rights and fundamental freedoms; stresses that the EU's external democracy action, implemented under the Instrument, must adjust to a new geopolitical reality marked by competing governance models, in order to better prevent and respond to democratic backsliding; calls on the Commission to assess through a critical lens with an appropriate level of informative granularity in evaluating the progress in the implementation of the Instrument, across programmes, spending targets and benchmarks, abstaining from repeating shallow policy positions; reaffirms that according to the treaties and the New European Consensus on Development, the primary objective of development cooperation should be the eradication of poverty and to foster sustainable economic, social and environmental development of developing countries; stresses that ‘policy first’ should be guided by the principles and objectives set out in the European Consensus on Development, the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda;
Amendment 10 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraphs 6 and 6a (new)
Paragraphs 6 and 6a (new)
6. Calls, in particular, for an honest and thorough assessment of the use of Article 42(4) and recital 40 of the Regulation establishing the Instrument, the latter of which states that assistance could be suspended in the event of degradation in democracy, human rights or the rule of law in third countries; calls for ex ante assessments to determine the possible implications and risks of projects with regard to human rights, in line with Article 25 (5) of the Regulation; calls for human rights monitoring throughout the implementation of projects in third countries, especially in relation to projects entailing a high risk of violations; calls for a suspension or modulation of projects that contribute to human rights violations in third countries; calls on the Commission to share all human rights related assessments with Parliament in a proactive manner; underlines the necessity for the EU to take a more principled approach to partner countries that go in the opposite direction when it comes to central values and principles; upholds the suspension of budget support as a good example in this regard; 6a. Worries that the financing of assistance for Ukraine through the mobilisation of the Instrument’s cushion, rather than through the appropriate budgetary instrument, has exhausted much of it, leaving the Instrument with limited ability to respond to unforeseen challenges; welcomes the proposal for establishing the Ukraine Facility, which should ensure sustainable long-term financing for Ukraine while preserving the Instrument’s ability to cope with future challenges;
Amendment 11 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Requests that the MTE provide legal and political clarity with regard to the listing of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia as beneficiaries under the neighbourhood chapter of the Instrument; notes that these countriesUkraine and the Republic of Moldova have become candidates for accession to the EU andwhile Georgia is considered a potential candidate for EU membership; against this background, underlines that Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia should therefore be listed as beneficiaries with the adequate budgetary transfer of bilateral financial envelopes to the Instrument for Pre- accession Assistance (IPA III) Regulation10 ; welcomes the Commission’s proposal for a Ukraine facility, having a distinctive legal basis and policy framework different from the Instrument and the European Neighbourhood Policy, which would reduce the pressure lying on the Instrument, welcomes the Commission’s proposal for a new and dedicated Ukraine facility by combining future support in a separate single instrument under Heading 6 of the MFF to meet immediate needs, but stresses the importance of using a long- term instrument; __________________ 10 Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 September 2021 establishing the Instrument for Pre-Accession assistance (IPA III) (OJ L 330, 20.9.2021, p. 1).
Amendment 12 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. whereas the European Union and the 27 EU Member States together remain the world’s biggest provider of external assistance, responsible for approximately 43% of the total ODA provided by all OECD ODA members to developing countries; whereas external financing instruments are the main mechanism for supporting the EU’s action on the global scene, and whereas the EU’s external action is of increasing importance to European citizens;
Amendment 12 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for the MTE to assess, in particular, the extent to which funding has delivered tangible results in Africa, in line with the Instrument’s objectives, the EU- Africa Strategy as well as the outcomes of and priorities set at the 6th AU-EU Summit in 2022, and whether a review of priorities and objectives is necessary; stresses that the analysis of tangible results of the assistance provided, based on clear indicators, is particularly important for adequately assessing the effectiveness of the use of funds; invites the Commission to make better use of the possibility to combine geographic envelopes for the benefit of Pan-African programmes as provided for in Article 4(2), in support of EU-AU commitments; underlines the necessity for the EU to continue to actively support the new African Continental Free Trade Area, also through this Instrument, building on its own experience in developing the European Single Market, to spur sustainable economic development, boost job creation, reduce poverty and increase shared prosperity in Africa; stresses the need to support African partner countries by harnessing its great untapped renewable energy potential and accelerate progress on SDG7 in Africa, which will not only boost economic growth, job creation and social development, but also significantly increase the global share of renewables;
Amendment 13 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (‘the Instrument’) entered into force on 14 June 2021 and consolidated a multitude of previous instruments under a single instrument; whereas this instrument, with an overall budget of EUR 79.5 billion, constitutes a historic change in the EU’s external and development policies;
Amendment 13 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses the importance of meeting all the Instrument’s spending and programmatic targets and calls for detailed information on the progress made in this regard; regrets, in particular, the substantial deficit in reaching the Instrument’s climate target and the substantial deficit in reaching the Instrument’s 30% climate target, in contributing to the 10% biodiversity target under the MFF for 2026 and 2027 as well as in ensuring to fulfil its global financial commitments under the UN framework and in particular the contribution to the Loss and Damage Fund; recalls that climate change will increasingly put pressure on food production and access, especially in vulnerable regions, undermining food security and nutrition; further recalls that biodiversity is a crucial factor in combatting climate change and that the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services will undermine progress in approximately 80% of the assessed targets for the SDGs; calls for a detailed plan outlining how the Commission intends to meet the climatespending and gender targets by the end of the MFF;
Amendment 14 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraphs 10, 10a (new) and 10b (new)
Paragraphs 10, 10a (new) and 10b (new)
10. RStrongly reaffirms the commitment set out in the Instrument to eradicating poverty, fighting inequalities and discrimination and promoting human developmente poverty, fight climate change and food insecurity, fight inequalities and discrimination and promote sustainable human development; recalls the commitment made by the EU and the Member States to increase their ODA to 0.7% of gross domestic product by 2030, including contributing with the NDICI- GE to at least 20% of the ODA funded under the Instrument to social inclusion and human development, such as in health, education, nutrition and social protection, and 0.2% of the EU’s gross national income for ODA to the least developed countries; underlines that the EFSD+ should aim to support investments as a means of contributing to the achievement of the SDGs; emphasises the importance of following a holistic approach to human security as a new guiding paradigm; calls, in the context of the forthcoming programming process, for the full implementation of the EU Gender Action Plan III, with a strong commitment on gender perspective and mainstreaming, as well as the operationalisation of the EU Global Health Strategy and the Youth Action Plan in EU external action; underlines the need to enhance the Union’s efforts to promote and protect human rights in its external action, welcoming the mid-term review of the implementation of the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy; highlights the importance of a strong anti-corruption perspective in all EU development efforts and supports the Council conclusions of 4 May on corruption as an obstacle to development; 10a. Stresses that investments in human development are crucial for the fight against inequalities and for education, including vocational training, should remain a clear priority in the forthcoming programming process, given that it enables developing partner countries to unlock the human capital potential of their young populations and boost human development, economic growth and employment in their countries; calls on the Commission to introduce a child policy marker that builds on existing methodology developed in the areas of gender, climate, migration and digitalisation, in order to allow EU institutions and partners to measure and monitor investments in children; stresses that tracking and monitoring of the EU's investment in children is fundamental to show the EU's added value and effectiveness; underlines that COVID-19 was a wake-up call for low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) to accelerate progress towards building universal, publicly financed health systems; requests that grants and public sector promotion are prioritised in the health sector to assure development aid reaches people first in the programming of the Instrument; stresses the importance of continuing to commit enough budget for improving social outcomes and addressing systemic issues; 10b. Expresses concern about the state of LGBTIQ+ rights worldwide as well as the general backlash against women’s rights, gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in developing countries; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to address the setback in the recognition and protection of these rights; underlines, in this regard, that targeted support to CSOs and communities advocating for the respect of SRHR, women’s rights, gender equality and the LGBTIQ+ community and other marginalised populations, including enhanced measures to decriminalise homosexuality, should be prioritised; recalls that at least 85% of new actions implemented under the Instrument should have gender equality as a principal or a significant objective and at least 5% of these actions should have gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights and empowerment as a principal objective;
Amendment 15 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the Commission is responsible for the identification, formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of EU assistance; whereas the EEAS has the responsibility to ensure the continuity and coherence of EU external policies in line with the integrated approach which includes this Instrument; whereas Parliament is responsible for democratic oversight and scrutiny and as co-legislator under the co- decision procedure; whereas the creation of the Team Europe approach should contribute to a single strategic coordination framework for the EU’s external response to major challenges; whereas this approach enables further cooperation between the EU institutions, the Member States and the EIB, continuously increasing the EU’s collective effectiveness and visibility;
Amendment 15 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraphs 11 and 11a (new)
Paragraphs 11 and 11a (new)
11. Reaffirms the commitment outlined in the Instrument to addressing the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement; is of the opinion that, without prejudice to unforeseen circumstances, the commitment within the Instrument to dedicate an indicative 10 % of the Instrument’s financial envelope to actions supporting the management and governance of migration and forced displacement within the objectives of the Instrument should be respected and that this clause should not be reopened; notes, however, that 14% of the funds committed in 2021 contributed to the migration spending target; expects to receive regular substantial updates on the state of play; 11a. Regrets that the current use of the rapid response pillar does not visibly and effectively contribute to promoting EU interests in the world; therefore requests to reconsider re-establishing programmatic support to EU’s foreign and security policy objectives during the 2024 MTE;
Amendment 16 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that under no circumstances should the 2024 MTR of the MFF result in the Instrument’s funds being cut or reallocated between programmes; underlines the key role of the Instrument, the EFSD+ and the EAG in providing a strategic framework for blended finance, de-risking investments and guarantees and in mobilising resources from the private sector with the support of the EU budget, particularly in the light of increasing geopolitical and economic competitionthe long-term thematic and geographic programmes dedicated to sustainable development; worries that the Instrument was underfunded since the start of the MFF 2021-2027 and that its geographisation has come at the expense of important thematic funding lines, such as the people’s Global Challenges budget line, which was even more under pressure due to COVID-19, leaving little to no room for manoeuvre to fully honour the EU’s commitments to supporting multilateral health initiatives in the coming years; underlines that the lack of funds creates a dangerous gap between the EU’s ambition and its ability to deliver on its promises; recalls that insufficient funding will also create damaging competition between short-term needs and long term investments, and between core development sectors, ultimately hampering the effectiveness of EU aid and its contribution to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda; underlines the key role of the Instrument, the EFSD+ and the EAG in providing a strategic framework for blended finance, de-risking investments and guarantees and in mobilising resources from the private sector with the support of the EU budget, particularly in light of increasing geopolitical and economic competition; stresses that blended finance projects and effective partnerships with the private sector in developing countries must focus on maximising development outcomes and be consistent with the SDGs, the Paris agreement and national development priorities; recalls that private sector is an addition, rather than a replacement, to public investments, in particular in critical services, such as health, education and social protection, which provide crucial long-term prospects for the graduation from poverty; calls for the EFSD+ not to finance investments that have a negative impact on the SDGs, particularly as regards combating climate change; asks that the long-term budget must be adapted to protect the EU’s positive impact, influence and credibility on the global stage;
Amendment 17 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Instrument’s external investment framework brings together blended finance and guarantees under the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) External Action Guarantee (EAG), which is to be implemented by eligible partners in an open and collaborative approach, with a specific role for the European Investment Bank (EIB); whereas the EFSD+ considerably expands the financial envelope of its predecessor, the EFSD, and will be able to guarantee operations up to EUR 53.4 billion through EAG; whereas the ‘policy first’ principle must result in a cooperation driven by policy objectives and ensure that the European financial architecture for development is aligned in this regard;
Amendment 17 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recognises the specific role of EU investments, which must reflect the strategic interests and development objectives of both the EU and our partner countries as well as the EU's values, and underlines the important part played by the budgetary guarantees in delivering them under the ‘policy first’ principle as referred above; highlights the importance of ensuring that the guarantees counterbalance the risk involved in the highest-risk countries for investment so that relevant investment is also directed to them; stresses that the EU should lead by example in this regard, in view of the ongoing debate on the reform of multilateral development banks;
Amendment 18 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes the specific role played by the EIB in the European financial architecture for development, as set out in Article 209 of the TFEU and in Article 36 of the Regulation establishing the Instrument, and acknowledges the EIB’s potential to mobilise additional funding that contributes to the Instrument’s objectives; welcomes the creation of EIB Global, which has been operational since 1 January 2022 and sets out to increase the bank’s presence and expertise in developing countries; notes that, since the setting up of the new development branch, the EIB Global has made record use of the dedicated investment window provided by the Instrument, delivering over EUR 10 billion in 2022, notably in support of Ukraine and the Global Gateway; recalls the importance of the EU budget as the sole guarantor for the EIB’s to provide loans outside the EU in support of EU policies; calls for an increase in the guarantees granted to the EIB by the EU budget in order to allow the EU bank to continue to deliver vital public and private sector operations in Ukraine and to expand its activities in the Global South; calls on the EIB to use its position to mobilise investments for sustainable development in line with the purpose and criteria established by the EFSD+; highlights the important role of the EIB in partnering with the Commission to deliver EUR 100 billion of the EUR 300 billion commitment under the Global Gateway strategy; calls on the EIB to prioritise a sustainable development agenda; calls on the EIB to take higher risk in financing projects with high social returns; calls on the EIB to continue strengthening its presence in the field by building on the current approach of co- location within EU delegations, while further exploiting possible synergies with the EBRD and other European DFIs; encourages the EIB to continue to actively engage in developing planning, monitoring and evaluation at country level, hand in hand with the EU delegations and through co-financing with development finance institutions; calls for stronger coordination between the Commission and the EEAS and EU delegations to facilitate discussions and cooperation with relevant actors on the ground in order to identify projects which best meet development effectiveness objectives;
Amendment 19 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes the ‘open architecture’ of the EFSD+, which was established to support private-sector investments, and calls on the Commission, the EIB, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Member States and development finance institutions (DFIs) to fully utilise the options provided by the EAG and the relevant investment windows to promote sustainable private-sector investments; underlines the need to leverage private sector financing, with a particular focus on SMEs, and calls for increased efforts to address bottlenecks and obstacles to investment; recognises additionally the important role of the private sector in generating new investments, employment and financing for development where possible; recalls Parliament's power of scrutiny and the need for transparency in the implementation of the EFSD+;
Amendment 20 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the Global Gateway strategy aims at increasing EU’s geopolitical weight in the global arena, by boosting smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport and strengthening health, education and research systems across the world, in the framework of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its SDGs;
Amendment 20 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Welcomes the Team Europe approach and its aim of increasing the coherence, impact and visibility of EU development projects, and calls for more joint actions with the Member States, in particular Team Europe Initiatives (TEIs); recalls the Court of Auditors’ observation that individual Member States’ contributions to TEIs are not indicated in the MIPs, bringing uncertainty over the Member States’ financial support which contributes to making the future of TEIs unclear as a collective initiative; calls on the Commission and Member States to review the effectiveness of the approach and to inform Parliament of its findings; calls on the Commission to clarify the roles surrounding the Team Europe approach and to propose a mechanism that increases the transparency and democratic scrutiny of the initiatives; further calls for joint action by the EU and Member States to increase effectiveness and maximise resources; encourages the Member States and development financing institutions as well as the EIB and EBRD to play a more active role in Team Europe with financial commitments and joint actions, steered by the Commission;
Amendment 21 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraphs 17 and 17a (new)
Paragraphs 17 and 17a (new)
17. Welcomes the Global Gateway strategy as a concerted EU response to global challenges; regrets, however, the lack of transparency and of a regulatory framework for the strategy’s governance and implementation within the Instrument’s objectives and prioritiesis of the opinion that in times of new geostrategic challenges, EU foreign policy and security policy and development cooperation actors have to better coordinate to increase the EU’s presence and visibility worldwide by means of infrastructure investment that creates national value in partner countries, in line with the SDGs; recalls that Global Gateway is to be understood as a strategic concept in which foreign, economic and development policy are integrated; stresses that massive investments are required in both hard and soft infrastructure in developing countries, from digital, transport and energy networks to health, education and food systems; regrets, however, the lack of transparency and of a regulatory framework for the strategy’s governance and implementation within the Instrument’s objectives and priorities; stresses the need for adequate parliamentary involvement and scrutiny as well as consultation with the business sector and CSOs through a light governance framework that would quickly deliver a boost of investment and visibility of EU in partner countries at the backdrop of a complex geopolitical context; calls on the Commission to update the joint communication to clarify the governance framework, including Parliament’s scrutiny role, and to provide a clear definition of what a global gateway project is and how to distinguish it from other investment projects; calls for clarity as to how the EU financial regulation and public procurement rules apply; calls for a faster pace of implementation of the strategy in light of existing and emerging global challenges; 17a. Regrets the lack of clarity on the financing for the Global Gateway strategy and recalls that such new initiatives should be financed through fresh appropriations and the related upward revision of the Heading 6 ceiling; calls on the Commission to involve CSOs more systematically in Global Gateway and TEIs and to consider actively involving local CSOs under each country programming;
Amendment 22 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraphs 19 and 19a (new)
Paragraphs 19 and 19a (new)
19. Recalls Parliament’s functions of political control and consultation and stresses the role of the high-level geopolitical dialogue in providing general orientations for the implementation of the Instrumentpowers of political and budgetary control and consultation and stresses the role of the high-level geopolitical dialogue in providing general orientations for the implementation of the Instrument; stresses the importance of having detailed information on the budget executed, or to be executed; underlines that Parliament needs full and timely access to documents and has to be able to monitor the impact and progress of projects in order to better evaluate their scope and impact, which is why it needs full access to standardised baseline and target indicators, as well as data sources; calls on the Commission to provide a consistent inter-institutional information flow with the Parliament being kept informed about investment projects including Global Gateway projects and to make the Result Management Framework (ReMF) fully available; reiterates that Parliament’s positions need to be fully taken into consideration; also reiterates that European Parliament resolutions constitute part of the overall policy framework for the implementation of the Instrument; urges the Commission to significantly improve the timely provision of documentation to Parliament in advance of the high-level geopolitical dialogue, as well as the way in which it takes into account the EP’s recommendations, notably by engaging in a written procedure after each dialogue indicating the follow-up on each specific EP recommendation; 19a. Calls on the Commission to take advantage of the MFF revision to refine the nomenclature of the NDICI-Global Europe by including more budget lines in order to allow the budgetary authority to exercise its scrutiny powers, particularly as regards the neighbourhood budget lines, to strengthen the transparency to achieve a data-driven policy which can be audited regarding its objectives, and to reflect better a strategic approach, as well as to improve long-term programming; points out that the overlap of financial instruments, for example in the context of guarantees, makes scrutiny difficult; calls on the Commission to provide after consultations with the Parliament a comprehensible, clear and complete overview in a single document about the financial instruments, their relations with each other and the different actors, as well as a complete and precise overview about grants and guarantees and how they are covered; calls on the Commission to provide the budgetary authority with quarterly updates, including on the use and amounts of budgetary guarantees together with the estimated provisioning and future forecasts, as well as the state of play as regards the spending and programmatic targets;
Amendment 23 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Stresses the importance of the programming process, underlining the crucial role of the EEAS and EU delegations in this regard, as well as in ensuring the proper inclusion of partner countries and other development actors throughout the process, including by fostering close and transparent consultation of and association with regional and local authorities, in order to identify common priorities and enhance partner countries’ sense of ownership; stresses, furthermore, the important role of civil society organisations in the programming processunderlines the importance of guaranteeing an effective needs-based and people-centred approach in the EU’s external action and highlights the essential role that local partners and civil society should have in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes; stresses the importance of CSOs and, where relevant, the private sector in the implementation of the Instrument, in particular in the programming process; reaffirms the need to step up support to civil society worldwide;
Amendment 24 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraphs 21 and 21a (new)
Paragraphs 21 and 21a (new)
21. Regrets the rushed programming process that took place in the second half of 2021, preventing adequate scrutiny by Parliament; notes with concern the findings of the ECA’s Special Report 14/2023, which concluded that the programming process could be improved; expects the Commission and the EEAS to act on the recommendation made by ECA and draw the lessons learnt for the next programming exercise; calls on the Commission to ensure a more predictable and transparent programming exercise, to develop a standardised, comparable and transparent methodology for allocating funds to neighbourhood countries, to ensure rigorous application for non- neighbourhood countries and to clarify the methodology for assessing the impact of EU’s support and ensure its relevance in a developing geopolitical context; 21a. Welcomes the recent Macro- financial assistances adopted to support several countries and notably Ukraine to face the consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine; regrets the lack of information given to the budgetary authorities on the management of the financing of the interest costs of the MFA; worries that the current financing of the interest costs of the MFA through the mobilisation of the emerging challenges and priorities cushion, rather than through fresh appropriations, risks to exhaust most of it, if not all, for the remaining period, leaving the Instrument with no ability to respond to unforeseen challenges, and therefore, underlines the need to find sustainable long-term financing solutions, while preserving the ability to cope with future challenges;
Amendment 25 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraphs 22, 22a (new) and 22b (new)
Paragraphs 22, 22a (new) and 22b (new)
22. Regrets the Commission’s failure to always notify Parliament before the cushion is mobilised and deplores the practice of sending letters that arrive after mobilisation; calls on the Commission to always inform Parliament in detail before the cushion funds are mobilised and to take its observations into account, de facto undermining Parliament’s right of scrutiny and impeding the Commission from fully taking into consideration its observations on the nature, objectives and financial amounts envisaged; calls on the Commission to always inform Parliament in detail before the cushion funds are mobilised and to take its observations into account, in line with Recital 71 of the Regulation; 22a. Regrets that the Commission’s use of the cushion does not respect the spirit of Article 17 of the regulation, in particular as concerns the financing of new legislative initiatives; worries that already 80% of the funding available in the Instrument’s cushion for 2021-2027 has been earmarked, with only EUR 1.9 billion (21%) left until 2027; regrets the pre-allocation of 60% of funds for the remaining cushion without considering future anticipated needs has not been taken into account yet, such as the Syrian refugee package; 22b. Recalls the condition of better involvement of Parliament at all stages of governance and implementation of the Instrument laid out for accepting the merge of previous EFIs under the Instrument (2018 Schaake report and 2019 NDICI-Global Europe negotiating mandate); recalls that the Instrument offers the possibility to make legislative amendments to the Regulations, and suggests an in-depth assessment of Parliament’s role in providing strategic steer and scrutiny, or with regard to Parliament’s insufficient involvement in suspension of aid or use of the cushion, as well as regular comitology, which have unrealised potential;
Amendment 26 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraphs 24 and 24a (new)
Paragraphs 24 and 24a (new)
24. Considers that the current arrangements for reporting on what the EU is doing in any given country, region or thematic area are insufficient and excessively legalistic; calls for pragmatic and swift improvements with regard to updating useful data and for examples of best practices in implementation to be provided to Parliament flexibly and in good time, applying appropriate confidentiality rules where needed; considers the public projects database not to be user friendly and not to help with updated information; underlines that EU investment projects should be subject to evaluation, monitoring and reporting in order to determine their effectiveness and avoid unintended negative impacts; 24a. Calls on the Commission, together with EIB, EBRD and other European DFIs to develop standardised procedures, including ex ante and ex post evaluations and by applying the Commission’s Result Management Framework (ReMF); urges the Commission to publish this Framework and to make sure that DFIs using their own indicators to clearly define them and explain their application and comparability with the ReMF; calls on the Commission to follow-up environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards of all investment projects; calls on the Commission to make the EFSD+ Results Management Framework accessible in order to facilitate scrutiny on progress towards more accountable development finance;
Amendment 27 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Requests that the MTE be used to the fullest extent possible in order to update either the Instrument or its delegated acts on priority areas and to reassess the validity of the geographic and thematic MIPs, including more prominent conditions relating to compliance with international law, human rights, rule of law and democracy and alignment with the EU’s foreign policy and the application of the associated suspension mechanism, as a last resort, where the foreign policy of an Instrument beneficiary country diverges completely from EU foreign policy; stresses the importance of increasing the visibility of EU actions, notably for its development cooperation efforts; calls therefore for equipping the EEAS and EU delegations with the tools to develop their strategic communication capabilities to better explain EU actions to decision makers and the general public in third countries, and to counter disinformation; calls on the EU to oppose any support to aggressor states and their policies, in particular the Russian Federation in its war of aggression against Ukraine;
Amendment 28 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Stresses that the MTE should be accompanied by the necessary legislative changes to the Instrument and the IPA III so that the relevant regulations reflect Ukraine and Moldova’s new status as EU candidate countries, and by a new delegated act setting out the specific objectives and priority areas of cooperation for each region; stresses the importance of providing funding through development financing institutions and EIB that targets access to critical raw materials and related actions on skills, infrastructure and regulatory framework in compliance with EIB’s environmental and social standards, as part of shared planning for the development of renewable energies between Europe and its partners in the context of achieving the SDGs;
Amendment 29 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has deepened the already significant SDGs financing gap and caused an overall decline in resources of USD 700 billion, and at the same time a significant increase is needed to respond to the pre- pandemic gap in developing countries; whereas 80% of the cushion has already been used and an increase of it should be considered; whereas the current political and financial leadership of and efforts by the EU are not sufficient for achieving the European Consensus on Development, SDGs, and the goals of the Paris Agreement and addressing other acute global challenges, in particular worsening climate change, the consequences of COVID-19 and violent conflicts, and therefore joint engagement at international level is required to ensure that the Instrument is able to respond to these emerging challenges;
Amendment 29 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Considers that the geopolitical challenges that emerged with the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the growing malign influence and assertiveness of the People’s Republic of China require the Instrument’s budget to be increased considerably; highlights that the challenges are spread all over the world, meaning the EU must increase its geopolitical influence while remaining committed to its values and principles; stresses that it will only be possible to respond to these challenges in a balanced way if the proportion of allocations for each area of the Instrument is kept the same; expresses concern that the EU is losing influence and visibility to alternative offers made by China and Russia; urges the EU to respond to the expectations of and deliver quickly on the political agreements made with partner countries, such as on the Post-Cotonou Agreement, to reinforce its status as a reliable ally in development cooperation and to demonstrate that the international rules-based system can meet contemporary challenges;
Amendment 31 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas project implementation under the Instrument cannot yet be evaluated fully, as it is still in its early stages; whereas the MTE expected in 2024 should assess whether the Instrument contributes to the EU’s strategic interests and effectively promotes its values in partner countries;
Amendment 33 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the European Court of Auditors concluded in 2023 that there are deficiencies in the methods for allocating funds and impact monitoring and that the wide scope of the Instrument may limit the impact, and that improvements are needed in the way development aid is allocated and monitored;
Amendment 36 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. whereas the Instrument should be used to form closer and more effective partnerships with third countries that deliver tangible results, based on mutual interest, strategic priorities, structured and effective cooperation, and clear-long term goals; whereas EU-Africa and Neighbourhood relations are of particular strategic importance; whereas efficiency, effectiveness and the development impact of the Instrument are key indicators to track;
Amendment 38 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
Dc. whereas since the adoption of the Instrument, geopolitical competition has evolved and increased; whereas this places the Instrument in a new and more urgent light; whereas the Global Gateway is a response to this challenge, aiming to provide a viable and attractive alternative for partner countries that delivers lasting benefits for local communities; whereas there is a need to better communicate and raise the visibility of EU actions in partner countries;
Amendment 57 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the consolidation of most of the EU’s external action in a single Instrument, gradually streamlining and harmonising the numerous previous instruments; is of the opinion, however, that although this simplification has enhanced flexibility and efficiency, it has not been accompanied by sufficient levels of effective accountability; emphasises that the Instrument should provide for an efficient, effective, coherent and inclusive implementation, underpinned by the ‘policy first’ principle and in line with the strategic interests and values of the EU; reiterates its call on the Commission to publish, at least biannually, an aid effectiveness progress report, covering joint planning, joint implementation and joint results frameworks; calls on the Commission to present this progress report to Parliament;
Amendment 63 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for the MTE to evaluate in depth the Instrument’s capacity to achieve the EU’s overall external policy goals, and particularly the objective of contributing to the promotion of multilateralism and of protecting, promoting and advancing democracy, the rule of law and human rights and fundamental freedoms; calls on the Commission to assess through a critical lens with an appropriate level of informative granularity in evaluating the progress in the implementation of the Instrument, across programmes, spending targets and benchmarks, abstaining from repeating shallow policy positions; stresses that ‘policy first’ should be guided by the principles and objectives set out in the European Consensus on Development, the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda;
Amendment 68 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls, in particular, for an honest assessment of the use of Article 42(4) and recital 40 of the Regulation establishing the Instrument, the latter of which states that assistance could be suspended in the event of degradation in democracy, human rights or the rule of law in third countries; underlines the necessity for the EU to take a more principled approach to partner countries that go in the opposite direction when it comes to central values and principles; upholds the suspension of budget support for Ethiopia as a good example in this regard;
Amendment 73 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Worries that the current financing of assistance for Ukraine through the mobilisation of the Instrument’s cushion, rather than through the appropriate budgetary instrument, risks to exhaust most of it, leaving the Instrument with no ability to respond to unforeseen challenges, and therefore, underlines the need to find sustainable long-term financing solutions, while preserving the ability to cope with future challenges;
Amendment 77 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Requests that the MTE provide legal and political clarity with regard to the listing of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia as beneficiaries under the neighbourhood chapter of the Instrument; notes that these countries have become candidates for accession to the EU and should therefore be listed as beneficiaries with the adequate budgetary transfer of bilateral financial envelopes to the Instrument for Pre- accession Assistance (IPA III) Regulation10 , having a distinctive legal basis and policy framework different from the Instrument and the European Neighbourhood Policy, which would reduce the pressure lying on the Instrument; welcomes the Commission’s proposal for a Ukraine facility to meet immediate needs, but stresses the importance of using a long- term instrument; _________________ 10 Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 September 2021 establishing the Instrument for Pre-Accession assistance (IPA III) (OJ L 330, 20.9.2021, p. 1).
Amendment 82 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for the MTE to assess, in particular, the extent to which funding has delivered tangible results in Africa; invites the Commission to make better use of the possibility to combine geographic envelopes for the benefit of Pan-African programmes as provided for in Article 4(2), in support of EU-AU commitments; underlines the necessity for the EU to continue to actively support the new African Continental Free Trade Area, also through this Instrument, to spur sustainable economic development, boost job creation, reduce poverty and increase shared prosperity in Africa;
Amendment 89 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Amendment 97 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Underlines that COVID-19 was a wake-up call for low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) to accelerate progress towards building universal, publicly financed health systems; requests that grants and public sector promotion are prioritised to assure development aid reaches people first in the programming of the Instrument; stresses the importance of continuing to commit enough budget for improving social outcomes and addressing systemic issues ;
Amendment 99 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Reaffirms the commitment set out in the Instrument to eradicating poverty, fighting inequalities and discrimination and promoting human development; calls in this regard for the full implementation of the EU Gender Action Plan III, as well as the operationalisation of the EU Global Health Strategy and the Youth Action Plan in EU external action; underlines the need to enhance the Union’s efforts to promote and protect human rights in its external action, in view of the mid-term review of the implementation of the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy;
Amendment 118 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Reaffirms the commitment outlined in the Instrument to addressing the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement; is of the opinion that, without prejudice to unforeseen circumstances, the commitment within the Instrument to dedicate an indicative 10 % of the Instrument’s financial envelope to actions supporting the management and governance of migration and forced displacement within the objectives of the Instrument should be respected and that this clause should not be reopened; notes, however, that 14% of the funds committed in 2021 contributed to the migration spending target; expects to receive regular substantial updates on the state of play;
Amendment 126 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Recalls that at least 85 % of new actions implemented under the Instrument should have gender equality as a principal or a significant objective and at least 5 % of these actions should have gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights and empowerment as a principal objective;
Amendment 130 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Regrets that the current use of the rapid response pillar does not visibly and effectively contribute to promoting EU interests in the world; therefore, requests to consider re-establishing programmatic support to EU’s foreign and security policy objectives during the 2024 MTE;
Amendment 135 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Worries that the Instrument was underfunded since the start of the MFF 2021-2027, in particular the thematic envelope; emphasises that the EU’s purchasing power has been reduced due to inflation, funding for key thematic programmes emptied due to COVID-19, and overall funds reduced due to the frontloading of resources in 2021 and 2022; asks that the long-term budget must be adapted to protect the EU’s positive impact, influence and credibility on the global stage; calls for funds which are urgently needed for humanitarian response, ODA, crisis response, Ukraine reconstructions and climate finance;
Amendment 140 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recognises the specific role of EU investments, which must reflect the strategic interests of both the EU and our partner countries, and underlines the important part played by the budgetary guarantees in delivering them under the ‘policy first’ principle as referred above; highlights the importance of ensuring that the guarantees counterbalance the risk involved in the highest-risk countries for investment so that relevant investment is also directed to them;
Amendment 141 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Stresses that the long-term NDICI thematic and geographic programmes dedicated to sustainable development are not cut down or reallocated; underlines that the lack of funds creates a dangerous gap between the EU’s ambition and its ability to deliver on its promises; recalls that insufficient funding will also create damaging competition between short-term needs and long term investments, and between core development sectors, ultimately hampering the effectiveness of EU aid and its contribution to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda;
Amendment 143 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes the specific role played by the EIB in the European financial architecture for development, as set out in Article 209 of the TFEU and in Article 36 of the Regulation establishing the Instrument, and acknowledges the EIB’s potential to mobilise additional funding that contributes to the Instrument’s objectives; welcomes the creation of EIB Global, which has been operational since 1 January 2022 and sets out to increase the bank’s presence and expertise in developing countries; notes that, since the setting up of the new development branch, the EIB Global has made record use of the dedicated investment window provided by the Instrument, delivering over EUR 10 billion in 2022, notably in support of Ukraine and the Global Gateway; recalls the importance of the EU budget as the sole guarantor for the EIB’s to provide loans outside the EU in support of EU policies; calls for an increase in the guarantees granted to the EIB by the EU budget in order to allow the EU bank to continue to deliver vital public and private sector operations in Ukraine and to expand its activities in the Global South; calls on the EIB to use its position to mobilise investments for sustainable development in line with the purpose and criteria established by the EFSD+; highlights the important role of the EIB in partnering with the Commission to deliver EUR 100 billion of the 300 billion commitment under the Global Gateway strategy; calls on the EIB to continue to strengthen its presence in the field by building on the current approach of co- location within EU delegations, while further exploiting possible synergies with the EBRD and other European DFIs;
Amendment 150 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Encourages the EIB to continue to actively engage in developing planning, monitoring and evaluation at country level, hand in hand with the EU delegations and through co-financing with development finance institutions; calls for stronger coordination between the Commission and the EEAS and EU delegations to facilitate discussions and cooperation with relevant actors on the ground in order to identify projects which best meet development effectiveness objectives;
Amendment 154 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes the ‘open architecture’ of the EFSD+, which was established to support private-sector investments, and calls on the Commission, the EIB, the Member States and development finance institutions (DFIs) to fully utilise the options provided by the EAG and the relevant investment windows to promote sustainable private-sector investments; underlines the need to leverage private sector financing, with a particular focus on SMEs, and calls for increased efforts to address bottlenecks and obstacles to investment;
Amendment 160 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Worries that already 80% of the funding available in the Instrument’s cushion for emerging challenges for 2021-2027 has been earmarked only €1.92 billion (21%) is left until 2027; recalls that 100% of the funding available in the margin of Heading 6 for 2021-2023 has been used for the EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey; regrets that the Flexibility Instrument, used for Heading 6 in the past years, will no longer be available for external action ;
Amendment 179 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the Global Gateway strategy as a concerted EU response to global challenges; regrets, however, the lack of transparency and of a regulatory framework for the strategy’s governance and implementation within the Instrument’s objectives and prioritiesstresses that massive investments are required in both hard and soft infrastructure in developing countries, from digital, transport and energy networks to health, education and food systems; regrets, however, the lack of transparency and of a regulatory framework for the strategy’s governance and implementation within the Instrument’s objectives and priorities; stresses the need for adequate parliamentary involvement and scrutiny as well as consultation with the business sector and CSOs through a light governance framework that would quickly deliver a boost of investment and visibility of EU in partner countries at the backdrop of a complex geopolitical context;
Amendment 184 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Calls for clarity as to how the EU financial regulation and public procurement rules apply in the funding of Global Gateway for joint projects in partner developing countries; calls to ensure that the prerogative is always given to the EU and local partner or like- minded countries companies;
Amendment 185 #
2023/2029(INI)
17b. Regrets the lack of clarity on the financing for the Global Gateway strategy and recalls that such new initiatives should be financed through fresh appropriations and the related upward revision of the Heading 6 ceiling;
Amendment 186 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Calls for joint action by the EU and Member States to increase effectiveness and maximise resources; encourages the Member States and development financing institutions as well as the EIB and EBRD to play a more active role in Team Europe with financial commitments and joint actions, steered by the European Commission;
Amendment 191 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Recalls Parliament’s functions of political control and consultation and stresses the role of the high-level geopolitical dialogue in providing general orientations for the implementation of the Instrument; reiterates that Parliament’s positions need to be fully taken into consideration; also reiterates that European Parliament resolutions constitute part of the overall policy framework for the implementation of the Instrument;
Amendment 201 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Regrets the Commission’s failure to always notify Parliament before the cushion is mobilised and deplores the practice of sending letters that arrive after mobilisation; calls on the Commission to always inform Parliament in detail before the cushion funds are mobilised and to take its observations into account, in line with Recital 71 of the Regulation;
Amendment 203 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Recalls the condition of better involvement of Parliament at all stages of governance and implementation of the Instrument laid out for accepting the merge of previous EFIs under the Instrument (2018 Schaake report and 2019 NDICI-Global Europe negotiating mandate); recalls that the Instrument offers the possibility to make legislative amendments to the Regulations, and suggests an in-depth assessment of Parliament’s role in providing strategic steer and scrutiny, or with regard to Parliament’s insufficient involvement in suspension of aid or use of the cushion, as well as regular comitology, which have unrealised potential;
Amendment 204 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Considers that the current arrangements for reporting on what the EU is doing in any given country, region or thematic area are insufficient and excessively legalistic; calls for pragmatic improvements with regard to updating useful data and for examples of best practices in implementation to be provided to Parliament flexibly and in good time, applying appropriate confidentiality rules where needed; considers the public projects database to be useless in this regard as it is not user friendly and does not help with updated information provision;
Amendment 207 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Welcomes the European Commission’s recent proposal for a new and dedicated Ukraine facility by combining all future support to Ukraine in a separate single instrument under heading 6 of the MFF ;
Amendment 210 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Requests that the MTE be used to the fullest extent possible in order to update either the Instrument or its delegated acts on priority areas and to reassess the validity of the geographic and thematic MIPs, including more prominent conditions relating to compliance with international law, alignment with the EU’s foreign policy and the application of the associated suspension mechanism, as a last resort, where the foreign policy of an Instrument beneficiary country diverges completely from EU foreign policy; stresses the importance of increasing the visibility of EU actions, notably for its development cooperation efforts; calls therefore for equipping the EEAS and EU delegations with the tools to develop their strategic communication capabilities to better explain EU actions to decision makers and the general public in third countries, and to counter disinformation;
Amendment 218 #
2023/2029(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Stresses the importance of providing funding through development financing institutions and EIB that targets access to critical raw materials and related actions on skills, infrastructure and regulatory framework;
Amendment 1 #
2023/2028(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls forWelcomes the progress made on the negotiations towards the EU’s accession to the European Convention on Human Rights to be finalised(ECHR), as required by the Treaty of Lisbon, and the recent provisional agreement of the draft revised accession instruments reached; calls for the accession to be finalised as soon as possible in order to complete and strengthen the protection of fundamental rights of EU citizens and for the EU to accede to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages;
Amendment 7 #
2023/2028(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. RecCalls for strengthening the key role of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), including by expanding its tasks and powers to promote and protect fundamental rights across the EU further; stresses the role of Member States at all levels, notably at national parliaments’, national and local administrations’ and law enforcement authorities’ levels, in ensuring the full application of the Charter of Fundamental Rights when implementing EU law;
Amendment 13 #
2023/2028(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Takes note of the Council of Europe’s report of 6 October 2022 entitled ‘Freedom of political speech: an imperative for democracy’ ; stresses that freedom of expression in the EU must not be importance of media pluralism and freedom of expression; stresses the need to ensure the limited by the interests, constitutional framework or political choices of a Member State; reiterates the need for a mechanism for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, which should be established through an interinstitutional agreementpartiality and effective independence of national regulatory authorities from governments; strongly condemns unjustified and disproportionate interference by these authorities into journalistic expression and editorial decisions in some Member States; welcomes in this regard the proposal for an European Media Freedom Act and calls for its swift approval;
Amendment 20 #
2023/2028(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that the Northern Ireland Protocol is a prerequisite for a smooth relationship between the EU and the UK; calls for continued vigilance in order to preserve the Good Friday Agreement; welcomes the Windsor Framework and believes that this political agreement can provide new impetus for the EU-UK partnership based on mutual trust and cooperation; stresses that the implementation of this framework should at all times preserve the integrity of the single market;
Amendment 23 #
2023/2028(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine places the EU in a new situation, namely that of a prospective enlargement to includeReiterates that the future enlargement of the Union, such as the accession of Ukraine, Moldova and, Georgia, with the Copenhagen criteria as a fundamental basis; calls for all refugees to be treated with humanity, solidarity and generosityand the Western Balkans will have the Copenhagen criteria as a key requirement, notably the stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities;
Amendment 26 #
2023/2028(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls for the full implementation of art 2 TEU, particularly as regards solidarity and respect for human rights, so that all refugees to be treated with humanity, fraternity and generosity; welcome the ongoing negotiations on the New Pact on Migration and Asylum that will implement these priorities for the migrants and asylum seekers;
Amendment 28 #
2023/2028(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission to take a very firm stance against persistent attacks on the rule of law in certain Member States; Welcome the adoption of the European Rule of Law Mechanism by the European Commission and consequently the annual publication of the Rule of Lay report since 2020; calls on the Commission to take a very firm stance against persistent attacks on the rule of law in certain Member States, by using all tools available; welcomes the 2023 Rule of law report carried out by the European Commission and especially the set of specific recommendations to Member States on national justice systems, anti- corruption frameworks, media freedom and pluralism and institutional issues related to check and balances; reiterates its support for the full implementation of the Rule of Law Conditionality regulation and its call for a new mechanism for democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights, through an interinstitutional agreement; stresses that art 7 (3) TEU needs to be reformed and strengthened through Treaty change to ensure its applicability and effectiveness;
Amendment 31 #
2023/2028(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on the creation of annual conferences on the rule of law following the Commission’ Rule of law report, with delegations from all Member States, involving randomly selected and diverse citizens, parliamentarians, local authorities, social partners and civil society on the basis of the proposal coming from the Conference on the future of Europe;
Amendment 33 #
2023/2028(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Deplores the recent scandals that have tarnished the EU’s image, such as Qatargate corruption scandal and State espionage using Pegasus, with MEPs among the targets; calls for all the consequences of these scandals to be drawn and the full restauration of the European Parliament reputation and credibility in order to preserve citizens’ trust in public institutions;
Amendment 35 #
2023/2028(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Welcomes, in this light, the work done to amend the internal Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament with the aim of strengthening its integrity, independence and accountability;
Amendment 36 #
2023/2028(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Welcomes the work of the committee of inquiry set up in the European Parliament (PEGA) to investigate into existing national laws regulating surveillance, and establish whether spyware was used for political purposes against, for example, journalists, politicians and lawyers; stresses that the illegitimate use of spyware by national governments undermines the European democracy and decision making process ; call for a greater transparency within the Member States regarding the laws regulating surveillance in order to prevent any new mass surveillance scandal to emerge.
Amendment 5 #
2023/2018(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Emphasises the importance of volunteering in humanitarian aid operations in, notably solidarity activities, traineeships or job opportunities to promotinge European values, along with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence; and based on the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid which provides the framework for EU responses to humanitarian crises;
Amendment 10 #
2023/2018(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the high number of young people interested in the humanitarian aid strand, with over 42 000 expressions of interests received by May 2023; strongly supports as effectively as possible the efforts to increase engagement among young people, notably those most disadvantaged in society, including those with disabilities and with fewer opportunities; calls for concrete action to ensure these young people are included in a meaningful way, such asin particular by offering training and language, insurance, administrative and post-activity support to participants as well as the validation of the knowledge, skills and competences acquired through their European Solidarity Corps experience; stresses in this regard the importance of targeted communication campaigns and the, appropriate design of compulsory training programmes and the subsequent placementswhich should also include details of feedback received from participants or participating organisations, as well as subsequent placements and the facilitation of the transition into the labour market;
Amendment 17 #
2023/2018(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the Commission to maintain the importance of adequate training, security and protection of volunteers which should be subject to regular information sharing and risk assessment especially in areas considered to be unstable;
Amendment 20 #
2023/2018(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is concerned about the lengthy volunteer selection procedure, in particular with regard to waiting times for mandatory in-person training, which could lead to candidates dropping out and losing interest; underlines that the selection procedure shall be carried out respecting the principles of non-discrimination, gender equality and equal opportunities; underlines that humanitarian operations require an adequate traininglearning and training phase in line with humanitarian aid principles and linked to projects in which volunteers will be involved;
Amendment 25 #
2023/2018(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Commission to allow organisations already holding a label certified under the EU Aid Volunteers initiative and signatories to a framework partnership agreement (FPA) between NGOs and DG ECHO at the Commission may be eligible for a simplified procedure for obtaining the label required by the new project;
Amendment 33 #
2023/2018(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that most applicants are between 19 and 23 years old; invites the Commission to remove the age limit to allow more experienced candidates to participate without significantly affecting youth engagement in humanitarian operations; insists that the initiative should be accessible for any EU citizen or long-term resident of 18 years or over with proven skills and experience in the field of humanitarian aid, including for local volunteers from third countries;
Amendment 37 #
2023/2018(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Notes that around two thirds of the selected projects for 2023 are development-centred; calls for a more balanced humanitarian-centred approach for future selections of projects addressing specific challenges for the benefit of individuals or communities in need of solidarity efforts from society; calls on the Commission to consider the possibility of revising the regulation to allow volunteering in safe zones of conflict- affected countries, subject to clear security and safety protocols and background checks or other measures with a view to ensure volunteers’ safety and the fulfilment of the duty of care for volunteers during all stages of the solidarity experience.
Amendment 1 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
Citation 3 a (new)
– having regard to Council Directive 93/109/EC of 6 December 1993 laying down detailed arrangements for the exercise of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament for citizens of the Union residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals,
Amendment 3 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
– having regard to the proposal for a for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations (recast),
Amendment 4 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 b (new)
Citation 5 b (new)
– having regard to the proposal for a Council Directive laying down detailed arrangements for the exercise of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament for Union citizens residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals
Amendment 5 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 c (new)
Citation 5 c (new)
– having regard to the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the transparency and targeting of political advertising
Amendment 6 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 d (new)
Citation 5 d (new)
– having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the European democracy action plan
Amendment 8 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the reform of the European Electoral Law would address the current fragmentation into 27 different electoral systems and it would make electoral rules more modern and uniform withinfit for purpose and consistent throughout the EU; whereas for example the deadline for registering on the electoral roll varies greatly from one Member State to another, ranging from 90 days to 3 days prior to elections;
Amendment 10 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the failure to implement the lead candidate system has led to disappointment among many voters; whereas such a disappointment must be avoided2019 elections did not culminate in the choice of a Commission President through the lead candidate system, also as a result of the failure to reform the European Electoral Law, which resulted in reduced trust in the process; whereas the election of the Commission President depends on securing the support of the majority of Members of the European Parliament; whereas only some of the EU citizens who took part in the European elections believed that their vote could make a difference when it came to the election of the President of the Commission, highlighting the need to raise awareness of the process among EU citizens; whereas the procedure should be fully complied with at the next European elections;
Amendment 12 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas several Member States still restrict voting rights and/or have not adequately addressed persisting barriers for people with disabilities, thus preventing the meaningful participation and representation of these citizens in democratic processes;
Amendment 13 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. Whereas the full exercise of the electoral rights granted by the Treaties to mobile citizens in elections to the European Parliament is still hampered by unjustified barriers to democratic participation, such as the lack of awareness regarding conditions and rules applicable to the registration into the electoral rolls of the Member of State of residence;
Amendment 14 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. Whereas the Commission has issued a legislative proposal amending Council Directive 93/109 laying down detailed arrangements for the exercise of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament for Union citizens residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals; Whereas Parliament has adopted its position on 13 December 2022; whereas this proposal should among others enable mobile citizens to register for the electoral roll as soon as they register for residence, strengthen existing information requirements, ensure the same standards for the submission of candidacies for national and mobile EU citizens and facilitate the exercise of the right to vote by vulnerable and marginalised groups;
Amendment 15 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. Whereas political campaigns for the European elections conducted in the Member States too often are insufficiently “European”, but rather are dominated by policy discussions of a purely national, regional and local nature; whereas political parties and candidates have a responsibility to adequately inform citizens on the policy challenges at EU level;
Amendment 22 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises the important role of European political parties and foundations in contributing to the debate on European public policy issues and in forming European political awareness; noteregrets, however, that owing to restrictive measures at European and national levels,ons under the current EU and national regulatory frameworks prevent European political parties cannotfrom fully participateing in European election campaigns; stresseregrets, moreover, that they are not allowed to campaign in national referendums that concern European matters; stresses that these restrictions prevent them from fully assuming their core task as set forth in Article 10.4 TFEU; encourages European political parties to reach an agreement on how to adapt the provisions in this resolution to developconduct the electoral campaign to the European elections and on how to proceed during the post-electoral process;
Amendment 26 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for the enhanced visibility of European political parties in public debates and media campaigns; insists that all national political parties should make the logos of the European political parties visible on ballotsnational political parties should consistently identify their European counterpart in their public communication and that the logos of the European political parties should be made visible on ballots; points to the ongoing negotiations on the draft proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations (recast) and encourages European political parties and foundations to comply with the foreseen new provisions before they are formally adopted and in force, in particular during the upcoming electoral campaign; calls on the European political parties to draft manifestos in good time ahead of the elections so as to be able to share their proposals; considers that European political parties’ manifestos should be known before the elections, which requires clear and transparent rules on campaigning;
Amendment 29 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Underlines that the electoral campaign for European elections should favour competition between national and European political parties on the basis on their programmes and policy planning regarding the EU; Regrets the practice of some national political parties and candidates to focus their electoral campaigns ahead of European elections on purely national-specific topics; Calls on European Political Parties to encourage their Member parties to use the European Manifestos as the basis for conducting their electoral campaigns;
Amendment 31 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Points out that the introduction of transnational lists would further empower European political parties as key actors in European politics, enabling them to participate in and help shape European representative democracy;
Amendment 32 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Recalls in this respect that Parliament, in its proposal of 3 May 2022 on the reform of the European electoral law, has proposed the establishment of a Union-wide constituency for the elections to the European Parliament, allowing citizens to directly vote for both a transnational and a national list;
Amendment 35 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets that the lead candidate system for the election of the President of the European Commission was not implemented at the last European elections; regrets further a lack of progress on this issue since 2019; acknowledges that this led to disappointment among many voters as a consequence of the failure to reform the European electoral law; believes that a clear and credible link between the choice of voters and the election of the Commission President is needed; calls on the European political parties, national political parties and national governments to work together to ensure this outcome at the next elections; points out, however, that the election of the Commission President always depends on securing the support of the majority of Members of the European Parliament so that the electoral results are fully taken into account, as envisaged in the Lisbon Treaty;
Amendment 38 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Highlights, however, that without transnational lists, the lead candidate system lacks full democratic legitimacy, since European citizens are prevented from directly voting for their preferred candidate to the Commission Presidency
Amendment 42 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Expects European political parties to nominate their candidates for theop EU position of President of the Commissions at least 12 weeks before election day;
Amendment 46 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for the establishment of an interinstitutional agreement between the Parliament and the European Council on the lead candidate system within the framework of Article 17(7) TEU, following the adoption of the European Parliament Proposal adopted on 3 May 2022 on the new European electoral law; asks the President of the European Parliament to immediately start the preparatory work leading to such an agreement after the first session of the new Parliament following the elections; believes that European political parties and their respective parliamentary groups should engage in negotiations after the next European election to agree on behalf of the European Parliament on a common candidate to preside over the Commission before the European Council makes its proposal;
Amendment 55 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Believes that establishing a single common European voting day would create a more coherent pan-European election and therefore suggests fixing 9 May as the European Election day, regardless of the day of the week on which it falls, with the possibility of that day becoming a public holiday;
Amendment 58 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls for the swift approval by the Council of the European Union of the entire European Parliament Proposal adopted on 3 May 2022 on the new European electoral law; Expects the Council to reach a balanced compromise even on the most far-reaching parts of Parliament’s proposal;
Amendment 63 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for a reform of the Treaties and in particular of Article 223 TFEU on, with a view to allow the provisions necessary for the election of the Members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage; to be adopted by the Ordinary Legislative Procedure
Amendment 64 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Recalls that Parliament has adopted a resolution3a and a Report containing proposals for the amendment of the Treaties, among others to increase the EU’s democratic legitimacy, and to grant a proper follow-up to the proposals adopted by the Conference on the Future of Europe; _________________ 3a P9_TA(2022)0244
Amendment 65 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Notes that the 2024 elections represent a unique occasion to commence a EU-wide debate on the reform of the Union on the basis of the proposals for the reform of the Treaties put forward by Parliament; Calls on the European Council to expeditiously adopt a position on the holding up of a convention after the adoption by Parliament of the abovementioned Report; calls on national and European political parties to make the persisting institutional challenges at EU level a focal point of their electoral campaigns;
Amendment 66 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11c. Recalls that the Conference on the Future of Europe served as a Union-wide bottom-up democratic exercise aiming at identifying the short, medium, and long- term objectives of the EU in a wide-array of policy areas, such as environmental policy, external action of the Union, and institutional reforms; Calls on European Political Parties to discuss with the electorate the proposals which stem from the Conference;
Amendment 67 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2
Subheading 2
Citizens’ participation and enfranchisementpolitical rights
Amendment 68 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Considers it essential to guarantee that all citizens of the Union who have the right to vote and stand as a candidate, including mobile Union citizens, citizens with disabilities and citizens in a situation of homelessness, are able to exercise that right; points out that the creation of a single European electoral certificate could help implement the rights guaranteed by the Treaties for mobile citizens;
Amendment 72 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Reiterates its call on Member States to allow all citizens of the Union living or working in a third country to be granted the right to cast their vote in elections to the European Parliament; Regrets that the lack of progress in the Council on the Commission proposal on a Council Directive laying down detailed arrangements for the exercise of the right to vote and stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament for mobile Union citizens in elections to the European Parliament will prevent the entry into force of the innovations put forward by Commission and Parliament in time for the 2024 Elections;
Amendment 80 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Acknowledges the efforts made by the EU institutions to tackle disinformation and foreign interference, such as the 2022 Code of Practice on Disinformation and the Rapid Alert System; highlights, nonetheless, the need for more robust safeguards and measures against disinformation and internal and external interference in the electoral process; commits to step up its efforts in combating foreign interference attempts within the European Parliament;
Amendment 81 #
2023/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Points to the ongoing interinstitutional negotiations on the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the transparency and targeting of political advertising; calls on the Commission and the Council to pursue interinstitutional negotiations in the spirit of sincere cooperation, with a view to allow its legal provisions to be in force ahead of the electoral campaign for the 2024 European elections;
Amendment 11 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
— Whereas the EU Institutions and the 27 EU Member States together constitute the largest donor for developing countries, responsible for approximately 46% of the total ODA provided by all OECD ODA members to developing countries; whereas the major shortfall in SDG financing and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been devastating across the developing world, demands an extraordinary sustained response from all EU actors and a system- wide review of the European Financial Architecture for Development (EFAD);
Amendment 37 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)
Citation 21 a (new)
— having regard to the new 'Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation instrument – Global Europe' (called 'Global Europe') which entered into force on the 14th of June 2021;
Amendment 41 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 b (new)
Citation 21 b (new)
— having regard to the Green Deal launched by the European Commission on the 11th of December 2019;
Amendment 42 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 c (new)
Citation 21 c (new)
— having regard to the Global Gateway, launched by the European Commission and the EU High Representative on the 1st of December 2021;
Amendment 43 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 d (new)
Citation 21 d (new)
— having regard to the European Parliament resolution of the 24th of November 2022 on the future European Financial Architecture for Development;
Amendment 45 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24 a (new)
Citation 24 a (new)
— having regard to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate of 24 September 2019,
Amendment 50 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24 b (new)
Citation 24 b (new)
— having regard to the negotiations on a new Partnership Agreement between the EU and the countries of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP), to replace the Cotonou agreement, which was to end on 29 February 2020, but has been prolonged;
Amendment 51 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24 b (new)
Citation 24 b (new)
— Having regard to the Draft agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) of 4 March 2023,
Amendment 57 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas, with less than seven years to go until the deadline for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, the new geopolitical landscape and the multiple crises in various areas have hindered the achievement of the SDGs; whereas the 2030 Agenda and the 17 SDGs are key to addressing the current challenges and reorienting the global compass towards a socially and environmentally just transition that leaves no one and no place behind;
Amendment 61 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas, with the compound shocks and permanent crises ranging from climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russian war in Ukraine to the rising prices of energy, food and fertilisers, higher inflation, mounting debt burden and tightened monetary policy, a general trend emerges of a “two-track recovery” between advanced economies and developing countries, characterised by a great financial divide, highlighting the increasing asymmetry in which the crises hit poorer countries and their limited capacity and support received to respond to them;
Amendment 71 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas, with the adoption of the €79.5 billion Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI-GE) under the EU budget for the period 2021-2027, the EU can deploy strategically and flexibly this single unified development instrument to support developing countries more effectively; whereas the establishment of the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) provides an open architecture for public development banks (PDBs) and development finance institutions (DFIs) to leverage public and private finance through EU guarantees and blended finance, to achieve more ambitious inclusive development and green impact;
Amendment 82 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
Amendment 146 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses its commitment to the 2030 Agenda, especially in light of the new geopolitical landscape and the ongoing climate, biodiversity and health crises; recalls that it is crucial to take into account the strong interdependence between such crises; warns against further polarisation in the distribution of wealth and income, which would lead to increased inequality and poverty; highlights, against this backdrop, the importance of implementing an integrated approach of the SDGs, which provide a universal compass for people’s prosperity and to protect the planet; recalls that a pledge to leave no one and no place behind lies at the heart of the 2030 Agenda and that the achievement of the SDGs should benefit all countries, people and segments of society;
Amendment 153 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Recognises that SDGs are a common concern for humanity as a whole; underlines the threats posed by further polarisation in the distribution of wealth and income, which increase inequality and poverty; highlights, against this backdrop, the importance of the SDGs, which provide a universal compass to protect the planet and provide the tools to achieve prosperity for all; recalls that a pledge to leave no one behind lies at the heart of the 2030 Agenda and that the achievement of the SDGs would benefit all countries, all territories, people and segments of society;
Amendment 155 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. 1. Stresses that the 2030 Agenda is approaching the halfway of its implementation phase, emphasises the need for EU Members and European Commission for promoting policy coherence and inclusiveness at all levels of governance;
Amendment 164 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Reaffirms that SDGs are the only collective framework that can help manage the multiplicity of initiatives and agreements such as the Green Deal, the Paris Agreements, National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs) under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF);
Amendment 175 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the implementation process for almost all the SDGs is lagging and that two consecutive years of regression have been recorded for many indicators9; reaffirms the importance of each SDG and highlights the key challenges that persist for sustainable development, particularly in relation to poverty (SDG 1), hunger (SDG 2), health (SDG 3), education (SDG 4), water and sanitation (SDG 6),climate change (SDG 13), oceans (SDG 14) and biodiversity (SDG 15); underlines the strategic role that SDG 10, on reducing inequality, can play in the global implementation of the 2030 Agenda; _________________ 9 UN Sustainable Development Report 2022, ‘From Crisis to Sustainable Development: the SDGs as Roadmap to 2030 and Beyond’: https://resources.unsdsn.org/2022- sustainable-development-report.
Amendment 176 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the implementation process for almost all the SDGs is lagging and that two consecutive years of regression have been recorded for many indicators9; reaffirms the importance of each SDG and highlights the key challenges that persist for sustainable development, particularly in relation to poverty (SDG 1), hunger (SDG 2), health (SDG 3), education (SDG 4), climate change (SDG 13), Life Below Water, includingoceans (SDG 14) and biodiversity (SDG 15); underlines the strategic role that SDG 10, on reducing inequality, can play in the global implementation of the 2030 Agenda; _________________ 9 UN Sustainable Development Report 2022, ‘From Crisis to Sustainable Development: the SDGs as Roadmap to 2030 and Beyond’: https://resources.unsdsn.org/2022- sustainable-development-report.
Amendment 181 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Calls for a stronger EU engagement and coherence across all Union financing instrument, initiatives and strategies, notably the NDICI-Global Europe instrument, Team Europe initiative and the new Global Gateway strategy, is crucial to maximise the EU’s global response towards the implementation of the SDG’s
Amendment 191 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Underlines the importance of the 2023 SDG Summit, which will gather heads of State and Government at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to follow-up and review the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as carry out a comprehensive review of the state of the SDGs, respond to the impact of multiple and interlocking crises facing the world, and provide high- level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions leading up to the target year of 2030 for achieving the SDGs;
Amendment 194 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Calls on the EU to lead a political reset of the SDGs at the upcoming SDG summit, such as pushing for binding targets, mandatory review, and a more transformational approach towards achieving the SDGs as a whole;
Amendment 204 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Stresses the need for a better communication regarding the SDGs, not all stakeholders are familiar with the framework and prioritise the SDGs at EU, national and local level in order to strengthen political commitment and raise awareness about SDGs on the ground;
Amendment 219 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. 1. Urges the future upcoming Council’s Presidency to organise a high- level debate on how to implement the SDGs on time, preferably in the General Affairs Council at ministerial level in order to send a clear signal to the European Commission on the importance of a SDGs strategy;
Amendment 245 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Amendment 290 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Deplores the fact that one EU country continues to keep ACP states and the rest of the EU hostage by refusing to ratify the negotiated post-Cotonou agreement, the principle objective of which is to contribute to the attainment of sustainable development in all ACP countries, in line with the provisions of the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals, through a strengthened and deepened political and economic partnership; insist that the European Commission and Council should address this strictly and without further delay.
Amendment 294 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Calls on the EU to learn from innovative projects implemented by certain third countries, such as the African-led "Great Green Wall" initiative, which aims to restore 100 million hectares of currently degraded land by 2030 throughout the Sahel region and to enable the development of agro- ecology and regeneration projects;
Amendment 338 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Highlights the importance of voluntary local reviews and voluntary subnational reviews, including for the private sector, as a means of further localising the SDGs and therefore advancing their implementation; calls for Member States to put in place comprehensive tools for the effective implementation of SDGs, such as mapping;
Amendment 360 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17 a. Recalls that Member States have to honour their commitment to meet the target of spending 0.7% of their GNI on official development assistance (ODA); underlines the important role of the ODA as a catalyst for change and leverage for the mobilisation of other resources; stresses the importance of the EU’s commitment to mobilising resources for climate action and the EIB’s role therein to help meet climate targets, eradicate poverty and increase healthcare; highlights that the Global Gateway strategy could contribute to the successful implementation of the SDGs;
Amendment 366 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17 b. Calls the EU and its Member States to increase the ODA by at least 0.03% annually to meet the target of 0.7% by 2030;
Amendment 377 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Reiterates that the governance of the Global Gateway, EFSD+ and EIB Global, among others, are also meant to contribute to a better articulation of the EFAD; notes in that respect that there is a serious doubt around whether the Global Gateway is sufficiently attuned to assisting partners in their green and digital transitions, while upholding human rights, meeting basic needs, and reducing inequalities; is worried that the Global Gateway lacks a clear development mandate, and that its design and planning is surrounded by a lack of transparency and public scrutiny; insists that Global Gateway cannot be the EU’s primary means of SDG promotion in third countries, due the absence of fresh funding and its reliance on private finance which is inherently risk averse, and thus, its inability to reach the furthest behind first;
Amendment 378 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Amendment 400 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Reaffirms the European Investment Bank’s specific role as spelt out in Article 209 TFEU and in Article 36 of the NDICI-Global Europe Regulation as the EU’s financial arm with global reach, delivering EU investments and partnering with the European Commission in implementing the Global Gateway and thus contributing to meet the objectives of the SDGs by 2030;
Amendment 404 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Strongly welcomes the Bridgetown Initiative in this regard and calls on the Commission and the Member States to constructively and proactively engage in the relevant discussions in international forums throughout 2023 so that ambitious reforms can be achieved swiftly; welcomes the fact that a Summit for a New Global Financial Pact is to be held in Paris in June 2023, making it possible to promote an inclusive approach by bringing together all the relevant stakeholders – in particular developed countries, developing countries, international financial institutions, development agencies and the private sector – with a view to making tangible progress in helping developing countries access the financing they need to achieve the SDGs; emphasises the crucial role that small island developing states play in forging local solutions and initiatives to build up resilience to the effects of climate change, and calls on the European Union and its Member States to back up these efforts and support the sharing of solutions;
Amendment 411 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Recognises the importance and the potential of Member States’ development banks and other European development finance institutions; stresses the pressing need to boost private sector in developing countries, in Sub-Saharan Africa in particular, and the difficulties encountered in serving this area of development cooperation;
Amendment 424 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Underlines the role of public and private investments and public-private partnerships, as well as the importance of domestic resource mobilisation in partner countries and more efficient utilisation of EU funding in closing the USD 2.5 trillion funding gap identified for meeting the SDGs by 2030, while strengthening good governance and combating corruption;
Amendment 433 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Highlights that there is still EUR 225 billion available for Member States from the RRF that could be used to help implement the SDGs; recognises the EIB’s flagship role in the European Green Deal and its substantial contribution to the EUs economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic; encourages the EU to further maximise the potential of the EIB as a tool to leverage EU strategic autonomy and to promote the Union’s external policy interests and priorities in relations with third countries;
Amendment 437 #
2023/2010(INI)
22 a. Stresses the need for crowding in private capital in order to help tackling the existing 2.5 trillion dollars gap identified for meeting the SDGs by 2030, and in order to finance investments in the most vulnerable regions and LDCs, where needs are the greatest;
Amendment 447 #
2023/2010(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 c (new)
Paragraph 22 c (new)
22 c. Recognises the role of local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, cooperatives, inclusive business models and research institutes as engines of growth, employment and local innovation, which will in turn contribute to the achievement of the SDGs
Amendment 3 #
2023/0264(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Takes note of the EUR 53,76 million in commitments and EUR 52,58 million in payment for agriculture; nonetheless calls for an increase of the budget considering the challenges that the agri-food sector has faced in 2023 and still needs to tackle in 2024; highlights that generally the size of this budget is smaller compared to 2023 in relation to the GNI of the EU and even if the budget 2024 is EUR 2.7 billion more than the one agreed for 2023, the increase does not compensate for high inflation levels;
Amendment 6 #
2023/0264(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that together with the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, human development is the key priority of the NDICI-GE instrument; calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure that EU development aid reaches people first; regrets that the NDICI-GE instrument was underfunded since the start of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021- 2027, creating a gap between the EU’s bold ambitions on the global stage and the resources available to achieve them; recalls that the review of the NDICI-GE instrument and the revision of the MFF, to which the EU budget 2024 should be re-adapted, are key opportunities to change this;
Amendment 8 #
2023/0264(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Recalls that the Union has cooperative relations with a large number of countries and that the EU external financing instruments shall contribute to achieving the international commitments and objectives that the Union has agreed to, in particular the Agenda2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement;
Amendment 10 #
2023/0264(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Regrets that, for 2021, the share of the committed amount contributing to the migration and forced displacement target was 14 %, exceeding largely the 10 % target, and that the share of the committed amounts contributing to climate objectives was 18,5 %, drastically below the 30 % target; urges the Commission to provide detailed figures on the implementation of the horizontal objectives and the programming for the remaining MFF period, in particular on climate, migration, biodiversity and gender mainstreaming;
Amendment 11 #
2023/0264(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1d. Recalls at least 85 % of new actions implemented under the NDICI- GE instrument should have gender equality as a principal or a significant objective, and at least 5 % of those actions should have gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights and empowerment as a principal objective;
Amendment 15 #
2023/0264(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights the role that agriculture plays in achieving the Union objectives of food security, sustainable growth, social inclusion, animal welfare and combating climate change;
Amendment 26 #
2023/0264(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out the negative effects of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine on food securityon international food security and food affordability, especially in those regions of the world highly dependent on staple food imports from Ukraine;
Amendment 34 #
2023/0264(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Welcomes the fact that the agriculture crisis reserve has been repeatedly used to support famers in the Member States bordering Ukraine, who are the most affected by market disturbances provoked by Russia's illegal war against Ukraine; stresses that should the Black Sea grain deal not be renewed, they might need further support;
Amendment 39 #
2023/0264(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that inflation has been much higher than the 2 % deflator foreseen in the MFF, which will not compensate for the loss of value; highlights in this regard the fact that the CAP budget in the MFF 2021-27 is already lower than in the previous planning period and that the high inflation further depreciates the funding available to farmers; highlights that the revision of the MFF should address all these shortcomings;
Amendment 46 #
2023/0264(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for additional support for Member States with the lowest direct payments in order to strengthen their capacity to withstand inflationary pressures and increased input prices;
Amendment 59 #
2023/0264(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Highlights the importance of redistributive income support mechanisms in supporting smaller and medium-sized farms, especially measures for young farmers engaged in agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and environment;
Amendment 64 #
2023/0264(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Highlights the importance of making farming a more attractive profession by improving mechanisms that support young farmers through training schemes and calls on the Council and Commission to increase support for young farmers in the General Budget 2024;
Amendment 70 #
2023/0264(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses the importance of funding research and innovation in the agri-food sector and ensuring that farmers are involved in this research; recalls the importance of ensuring that research results reach farm level;
Amendment 76 #
2023/0264(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the acceleration of the digital transformation in agriculture and rural areas; notes the continued importance of support for investments in modernisation and innovation if the agriculture sector is to contribute to meeting the targets of the European Green Deal, the Biodiversity strategy and Farm to Fork measures;
Amendment 80 #
2023/0264(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Emphasises the important role of agri-cooperatives, and calls on Member States to provide more support for the cooperative sector while making sure that unnecessary administrative burden is mitigated;
Amendment 27 #
2023/0079(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) In order to diversify the Union's supply of strategic raw materials, the Commission should, with the support of the Board, identify Strategic Projects in third countries that intend to become active in the extraction, processing or recycling of strategic raw materials. To ensure that such Strategic Projects are with reduced complexity, increased efficiency and could be effectively implemented, they should benefit from improved access to finance and de-risking mechanisms for investments. In order to ensure their added value, projects should be assessed against a set of criteria. Like projects in the Union, Strategic Projects in third countries should contribute to the strengthening of the Union's security of supply for strategic raw materials, show sufficient technical feasibility and be implemented sustainably using the framework of a sustainability certification scheme on raw materials recognised by the Commission. For projects in emerging markets and developing economies, the project should be mutually beneficial for the Union and the third country involved and add value in that country, taking into account also its consistency with the Union’s common commercial policy, considering the specific economic strengths and interests of the EU and the EU’s partners. If needed, the EU will support third countries in reinforcing their legal framework, good governance models, for building institutional, professional and technological capacity and transparency in the raw materials sector with the aim of making the raw material partnership a win-win situation. A project should add value in that country, enabling it to move upwards the value chain while taking into account also its consistency with the Union’s common commercial policy as well as the principle of Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) as laid down in Article 208 TFEU. Such value may be derived from the project’s contribution to more than onone or more stages of the raw materials value chain as well as from creating through the project wider economic growth and social benefits, including the creation of employment in compliance with international standards. Where the Commission assesses these criteria to be fulfilled, it should publish the recognition as a Strategic Project in a decision.
Amendment 39 #
2023/0079(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) In order to ensure the sustainability performance of increased raw material production, new raw materials projects should be implemented sustainably. To that end, the Strategic Projects receiving support under this Regulation should be assessed taking into account international instruments and standards covering all aspects of sustainability highlighted in the EU principles for sustainable raw materials 31, including ensuring environmental protection, socially responsible practices, including respect for human rights such as the rights of women, and children, as well astransparent business practices. Projects should also ensure engagement in good faith as well as comprehensive and meaningful consultations with local communities, including with indigenous peoples. To provide project promoters with a clear and efficient way of complying with this criterion, compliance with relevant Union legislation, international standards, guidelines and principles or participation in an environmentalcertification scheme recognised under this Regulation should alwaysbe considered sufficient. _________________ 31 European Commission, Directorate- General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, EU principles for sustainable raw materials, Publications Office, 2021, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2873/27875
Amendment 47 #
2023/0079(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 25
Recital 25
(25) Land use conflicts can create barriers to the deployment of critical raw material projects. Well-designTailored plans, including spatial plans and zoning, that take into account the potential for implementing critical raw material projects and whose potential environmental impacts are assessed, with active publicly executed risk monitoring, have the potential to help balance public goods and interests, decreasing the risk of conflict and accelerating the sustainable deployment of raw materials projects in the Union and in third countries. Responsible national, regional and local authorities should therefore consider including specific provisions for raw materials projects when developing relevant plans at multiple levels, with the aim to create significant economic opportunities, tangible benefits for local communities and fostering public acceptance.
Amendment 51 #
2023/0079(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 28
Recital 28
(28) In order to overcome the limitations of the currently often fragmented public and private investments efforts, facilitate integration and return on investment, the Commission, Member States and promotional banks should better coordinate and create synergies between the existing funding programmes at Union and national level as well as ensure better coordination and collaboration with industry and key private sector stakeholders as well as examine the need for developing new instruments to facilitate investments in the high-risk raw material sector, which could give certainty and clarity of the financial support in terms of amounts and timing. To that end, a dedicated sub-group of the Board bringing together experts from the Member States and the Commission as well as relevant public financial institutions should be set up. This sub-group should discuss the individual financing needs of Strategic Projects and their existing funding possibilities in order to provide project promoters with a suggestion on how to best access existing financing possibilities. When discussing and making recommendations for the financing of Strategic Projects in third countries, the Board should in particular take into account the Global Gateway strategy42. including emerging markets and developing countries, the Commission and the Board, together with its partners, should make raw materials projects a priority under the Global Gateway strategy42, which consolidates development finance to support the EU’s partner countries in increasing their resilience and sustainable development, as well as to help the achievement of the shared goals of the Paris Agreement, Agenda 2030, the Green Deal and sustainable blue economy. _________________ 42 Joint Communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank The Global Gateway (JOIN/2021/30 final).
Amendment 66 #
2023/0079(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 54
Recital 54
(54) The Union has concluded Strategic Partnerships covering raw materials with third countries in order to implement the 2020 Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials. In order to diversify supply, these efforts should continue and lead to the establishment of concrete (strategic) projects. To develop and ensure a coherent framework for the conclusion of future partnerships and with the aim of developing a common European raw materials diplomacy in line with the Union’s energy and climate diplomacy, the Member States and the Commission should, as part of their interaction on the Board, discuss and ensure coordination on, inter alia, whether existing partnerships achieve the intended aims, and if measures that practically address with long-term perspective local communities’ inputs, regarding specific problems of preservation of ecosystems, resources efficiency and waste reduction are identified; as well as the prioritisation of third countries for new partnerships, the content of such partnerships and their coherence and potential synergies between Member States' bilateral cooperation with relevant third countries. The Union should seek mutually beneficial partnerships with emerging market and developing economies, in coherence with its Global Gateway strategy, which contribute to the diversification of its raw materials supply chain as well as add value in the production in these countries, among which an enhanced collaboration between the EU's and partner countries' SMEs and locally based businesses, combining the expertise of different like-minded partners to create a pathway to sound entrepreneurship in the raw materials sector .
Amendment 70 #
2023/0079(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 54 a (new)
Recital 54 a (new)
(54a) An integral part of the common European raw materials policy, as well as its energy and climate diplomacy, is to explain to our partners the Union’s requirements regarding sustainability, circularity and technological innovation of products and raw materials, like for example the environmental footprint in this regulation. The common European raw materials diplomacy should be conducted in close cooperation with reliable partners, business as well as European and International Financial Institutions and make use of or create international fora for better coordination and more transparency in the global raw material markets as well as platforms for joint purchase.
Amendment 147 #
2023/0079(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 1 – point c – point ii
Article 33 – paragraph 1 – point c – point ii
(ii) whether a third country's regulatory frameworkcooperation between the Union and a third country could improve a third country’s ability to ensures the monitoring, prevention and minimisation of environmental impacts, the use of socially responsible practices including respect of human and labour rights and meaningful engagement with local communities, the use of transparent business practices and the prevention of adverse impacts on the proper functioning of public administration and the rule of law;
Amendment 151 #
2023/0079(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 1 – point c – point iii
Article 33 – paragraph 1 – point c – point iii
(iii) whether there are existing cooperation agreements between a third country and the Union and, for emerging markets and developing economies, the potential for the deployment of Global Gateway investment projects contributing to partner countries’ exploration of resources as well as to the development of own extraction, processing and recycling capacities that reflect the Union’s evolving capabilities, and supporting educational programmes and training of the labour force aimed at strengthening the pertinence of CRM-related skills and expertise by ensuring they are up-to-date with the latest digital and technical innovations.
Amendment 156 #
2023/0079(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 33 – paragraph 1 – point c – point iv
Article 33 – paragraph 1 – point c – point iv
(iv) for emerging markets and developing economies, whether and how a partnership could contribute to local value additiondevelop in- country value creation as well as local value addition, including downstream activities, and would be mutually beneficial for the partner country and the Union.
Amendment 1 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. having regard to Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which states, in part, that the Union must take account of the objectives of development cooperation in the policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries,
Amendment 3 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 a (new)
Paragraph -1 a (new)
-1a. having regard to the joint statement by the Council and the representatives of the governments of the Member States meeting within the Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission of 30 June 2017 on ‘The new European consensus on development’,
Amendment 5 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 c (new)
Paragraph -1 c (new)
-1c. having regard to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
Amendment 8 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 d (new)
Paragraph -1 d (new)
-1d. having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/947 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 June 2021 establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe,
Amendment 10 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 e (new)
Paragraph -1 e (new)
-1e. having regard to the report entitled ‘The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022’, the report entitled ‘Hunger Hotspots – FAO/WFP early warnings on acute food insecurity – October 2022 to January 2023 Outlook’ and the information note entitled ‘The importance of Ukraine and the Russian Federation for global agricultural markets and the risks associated with the current conflict’ of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP),
Amendment 11 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 b (new)
Paragraph -1 b (new)
-1b. having regard to the report of the Committee on Development (DEVE) on Policy Coherence for Development (2021/2164(INI)),
Amendment 24 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. whereas, according to the United Nations Committee on World Food Security, a person is considered ‘food secure’ when they have the physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life;
Amendment 25 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. whereas, according to FAO, there are four dimensions of food security: food access, food availability, food safety and quality, and stability of food prices over time;
Amendment 26 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Amendment 27 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1d. whereas, according to FAO, in 2021 hunger affected 425 million people in Asia, 278 million in Africa and 56.5 million in Latin America and the Caribbean, with Africa being the region where the prevalence of undernourishment is highest;
Amendment 28 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 e (new)
Paragraph 1 e (new)
1e. whereas Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is exacerbating global food insecurity, and whereas FAO simulations suggest that the consequences of the conflict could lead to a further 8 to 13 million people around the world becoming food insecure, and more if the war persists;
Amendment 29 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 f (new)
Paragraph 1 f (new)
1f. whereas, according to FAO, at the beginning of 2022, Ukraine and Russia accounted for nearly 30% of global wheat and maize exports, while Russia was the world’s top exporter of fertilisers;
Amendment 30 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 g (new)
Paragraph 1 g (new)
1g. whereas, according to FAO, more than 30 countries, mainly in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, depend on Ukraine and Russia for over 30% of their wheat import needs;
Amendment 31 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 h (new)
Paragraph 1 h (new)
Amendment 43 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 i (new)
Paragraph 1 i (new)
1i. whereas EU support for sustainable food systems is one of the priorities of the multi-annual indicative programmes adopted with around 70 partner countries under the NDICI – Global Europe instrument for the 2021- 2027 period;
Amendment 69 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 (new)
points out that climate change is a key factor in food insecurity, particularly in small island developing states in the Indian Ocean, Caribbean and Pacific, which are also being affected by the consequences of the war in Ukraine;
Amendment 72 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on Russia to stop using food security as a weapon of war, to respect the agreement on the export of Ukrainian grain, known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and to lift the naval blockades of Ukrainian ports so that global supplies of grain and other agricultural products can flow freely;
Amendment 73 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Welcomes the EU’s introduction of solidarity lanes, which have so far enabled more than 15 million tonnes of agricultural products blocked in Ukraine to be exported, and commends the Union on its commitment to mobilise over EUR 1 billion for those lanes;
Amendment 94 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4d. Deplores the financial speculation in agricultural and food products, which is exacerbating price volatility, particularly in a context of war; calls on the Commission, Member States and food business operators to intensify their efforts to strengthen transparency rules on global agricultural prices and stocks, particularly by strengthening and extending the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) introduced by the G20;
Amendment 99 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in rising prices and reduced availability of agricultural products, fertilisers and energy; notes, in particular, that fertiliser shortages are having direct effects on agricultural yields and reducing food availability;
Amendment 100 #
2022/2183(INI)
4b. Notes the Commission communication of 9 November 2022 entitled ‘Ensuring availability and affordability of fertilisers’, particularly its international dimension; stresses, however, that the Commission should develop a genuine integrated strategy with its partner countries to encourage the development of local production capacity and reduce the vulnerabilities associated with international dependencies, especially on fertilisers and grains;
Amendment 102 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Points out that developing countries, particularly low-income countries, are the most vulnerable to rising global food and agricultural prices, which threaten the affordability of food and increase the debt burden; calls on the Commission and Member States to work on the FAO proposal aimed at establishing a Food Import Financing Facility to help those low-income countries that are the most dependent on food imports to access global food markets;
Amendment 110 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls the objective of policy coherence for development, in accordance with Article 208 TFEU, and the importance of ensuring coherence among all EU policies in order to guarantee the effectiveness of the EU’s commitment to global food security;
Amendment 114 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls on the Commission to adopt a more systematic approach to defining and assessing the impact of EU policies in relation to the Policy Coherence for Development objectives; calls on the Commission, in particular, to assess the impact of EU policies by using the monitoring indicators of Sustainable Development Goal 2 to eradicate hunger by 2030;
Amendment 124 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Stresses the importance of ensuring reciprocity in international trade, and calls on the Commission to speed up the adoption of mirror clauses in trade negotiations and trade agreements signed by the EU, particularly in relation to agriculture and agricultural products; underlines the fact that reciprocity guarantees high environmental, social and health standards in developing countries and prevents double standards;
Amendment 126 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Welcomes the interinstitutional agreement reached on the proposal for a regulation aimed at prohibiting the making available on the Union market of imported products associated with deforestation, and calls for the prompt implementation of the regulation;
Amendment 131 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5d. Stresses that biofuel production should not jeopardise food security, particularly in developing countries; notes, however, that biofuel production can be useful when implementing agro- ecological and energy transitions;
Amendment 135 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the commitment by the EU and its Member States to allocate nearly EUR 7.78 billion in humanitarian aid and development aid for global food security over the period 2021-2024, including a further EUR 600 million to help the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries deal with the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; stresses, however, the need for European aid to reach the most vulnerable populations as quickly as possible and to adapt to the context of multidimensional crises; calls on the Commission to report to the European Parliament, every year until 2024, on the goals, measures and results of that commitment;
Amendment 141 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Underlines the fact that, in 2022, the Commission has already allocated over EUR 900 million to humanitarian food assistance, i.e. 60% more than in 2021 and nearly 80% more than in 2020; calls on the European Union and its Member States to increase their humanitarian support in the most vulnerable countries and regions, particularly the 19 ‘hunger hotspots’ identified by FAO and WFP which continue to suffer from a lack of humanitarian financing;
Amendment 142 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Calls on the European Union to ensure continuity between humanitarian aid and measures supported by development aid in order to tackle the deep-rooted causes of food insecurity in developing countries;
Amendment 143 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Calls on the European Commission to ensure that a significant proportion of the 30% envelope of the NDICI – Global Europe funds assigned to combatting climate change is allocated to projects which improve resilience to climate disasters and adaptation of agriculture to climate change;
Amendment 151 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 e (new)
Paragraph 6 e (new)
6e. Calls on the Commission, Member States and European development financing institutions to create synergies between the NDICI – Global Europe instrument and the new Global Gateway strategy, using the Team Europe approach, in order to coordinate investments in food security in partner countries;
Amendment 154 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 d (new)
Paragraph 6 d (new)
6d. Urges the European Commission, in the mid-term review process of the NDICI – Global Europe instrument, to closely examine the amounts and projects associated with food security in partner countries and to fully assess the effectiveness of the measures supported; points out that the mid-term review report should be published by the end of 2023;
Amendment 155 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 f (new)
Paragraph 6 f (new)
6f. Welcomes the launch of several multilateral food security initiatives, such as the Food and Agriculture Resilience Mission (FARM) launched on 24 March 2022; calls, however, on the European Commission and Member States to play a leading role in coordinating the various initiatives to ensure an effective international commitment to global food security;
Amendment 156 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 g (new)
Paragraph 6 g (new)
6g. Calls on the European Union and its Member States to support the establishment of an international food crisis preparedness and response mechanism, under the aegis of FAO and WFP, with the aim of identifying risks and vulnerabilities, particularly in critical food infrastructure and supply chains, and improving coordination of responses in the event of a crisis; calls also for the role of the Global Network Against Food Crises to be strengthened;
Amendment 170 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls on the Commission and local and regional authorities in partner countries to ensure that women are involved in defining programmes and implementing projects to combat food insecurity; points out that ensuring food security is one way of reducing inequalities between women and men; notes that food security measures in developing countries should also respect the rights of indigenous peoples;
Amendment 175 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Calls on the European Union to support small-scale agriculture and farmers in developing countries, particularly with the agro-ecological transition; stresses the need, in particular, to help them access finance for research and innovation in the transition to more sustainable agricultural practices, the adaptation of crops to local weather conditions, the reduced use of energy- intensive inputs, and the use of digital technologies for agriculture;
Amendment 176 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 d (new)
Paragraph 7 d (new)
7d. Stresses the importance of supporting local projects that encourage the transition to low-carbon agriculture, simultaneously benefitting food security, environmental protection and the fight against climate change in partner countries; calls on the European Union to use its partnerships to encourage solution-sharing between countries;
Amendment 177 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 e (new)
Paragraph 7 e (new)
7e. Calls on the Commission to increase its support for WASH services to ensure access to water and sanitation in developing countries; stresses also the need to support local agricultural projects that encourage a transition to crops and agricultural infrastructure which consume less water;
Amendment 178 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 f (new)
Paragraph 7 f (new)
7f. Calls on the European Commission to support local actors, particularly farmers, in defining and implementing measures to forestall extreme climate events and natural disasters, especially in the most vulnerable areas; calls also on the Commission to support the introduction of programmes and networks for monitoring, highlighting and sharing best practices in the adaptation of agriculture to climate change between partner countries;
Amendment 179 #
2022/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls on the European Commission and Member States to increase the involvement of local actors, particularly local and regional authorities and NGOs, by using the Team Europe approach;
Amendment 1 #
2022/2172(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas, according to Article 311 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the Union must provide itself with the means necessary to fulfil its objectives and carry out its policies; and whereas according to the same article the budget shall be financed wholly from own resources;
Amendment 5 #
2022/2172(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas currently the Budget is already financed by own resources through custom duties and value-added tax, despite that Member States regard these resources as part of their national budget and thus as national contributions to the Union;
Amendment 6 #
2022/2172(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
D b. whereas the Union has created own resources for specific aims such as the Next Generation EU;
Amendment 8 #
2022/2172(INI)
1. Notes that the introduction of new genuine own resources is behind the schedule set out in the legally binding roadmap of Annex II to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 20204 ; reiterates the need to move swiftly; urges the Council, therefore, to approve the first basket of new genuine own resources without any further delay; _________________ 4 OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 28.
Amendment 14 #
2022/2172(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines that new genuine own resources (also known as ‘fresh income’) are urgently needed in order to make the Union budget more resilient and autonomous so as to allow the Union to deliver on its policies and to ensure its standing as a credible and smart debt issuer; underlines that such new resources should also enable the Union to repay the common debt and interests under Next Generation EU
Amendment 22 #
2022/2172(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Stresses that the practice of transferring resources allocated for the Cohesion Policy to other instruments, such as the Resilience and Recovery Facility, to finance emergency policies risks undermining the balance between the long-term and short-term policy objectives of the Union;
Amendment 24 #
2022/2172(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5 c. Underlines that the decision- making procedures laid down by Article 311(3) TFEU, which binds the adoption of new own-resources to unanimity voting in the Council, and to the ratification by all 27 Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements, severely hamper the Union's capacity to swiftly adapt its macroeconomic interventions;
Amendment 26 #
2022/2172(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls in this regard for Article 311(3) TFEU to be amended to allow Parliament to co-decide when adopting new own resources;
Amendment 28 #
2022/2172(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls furthermore for the application of the ordinary legislative procedure when adopting the implementing measures of the Own Resources Decision, and to give Parliament full budgetary powers;
Amendment 30 #
2022/2172(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
Amendment 8 #
2022/2171(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles as a step forward in tackling the challenges linked to textile and clothes production; welcomes, unsustainable consumption patterns and waste; calls for further EU efforts on its commitments towards the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals; strongly encourages the international promotion of this approach and, including through strengthening cooperation with partners; developing countries with the overarching aim to limit the negative impacts of the worldwide textile industry on climate change and biodiversity;
Amendment 17 #
2022/2171(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls the principle of policy coherence for development (PCD) and especially Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which states that ‘the Union shall take account of the objectives of development cooperation in the policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries’; highlights the importance of PCD to enable an integrated approach to achieve the SDGs;
Amendment 18 #
2022/2171(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights that the production of textiles and clothing (T&C) often takes place outside the EU and most T&C traded in the EU are imported from third countries; recalls the need to promote circularity and to implement a life-cycle approach, taking into account the entire chain, from production to consumption, while ensuring traceability as well as supporting innovative textiles that are more durable, reusable, repairable, recyclable and energy-efficient; supports actions aiming at tackling greenwashing and raising awareness concerning the implications that ‘fast fashion’ and consumer behaviour have for the planet;
Amendment 33 #
2022/2171(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points out that T&C from Europe are often exported to third countries for disposal; stresses that this practice shifts environmental problems arising from the disposal of T&C to third countries; recommends that T&C to be exported for disposal must be prepared for proper recycling; urges the EU to address the huge problem of releasing tonnes of microplastics each year, which end up polluting our waters and seas, land and air and cause harm to our ecosystems, and to do so notably through improving end-of-life processing;
Amendment 48 #
2022/2171(INI)
5. Stresses that working conditions in the textile industry in third countries are often substandard and have a direct impact on workers’ living standards due to low wages, poor working conditions and inadequate safety standards; highlights that women are in particular in an even more vulnerable position; is equally concerned about persisting child and irregular migrant labour in the industry; reiterates the EU’s responsibility to design partnerships with local actors that promote human rights, democratic processes, good governance, gender equality and sustainability in the textile sector;
Amendment 63 #
2022/2171(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Strongly encourages the Commission, therefore, to supplement the Strategy with corresponding regional and country programming for developing countries in the framework of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI)-Global Europe and Team Europe initiatives, which should promote and communicate visibly around sustainable projects that help to build T&C production and distribution infrastructure which protects the environment as well as social and labour rights.
Amendment 9 #
2022/2150(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the robustness of the labour market; highlights the stabilising effect of national short-time work schemes supported by the European instrument for temporary support to mitigate unemployment risks in an emergency (SURE); welcomes the fact that the recovery and resilience facility is mitigating those consequences and contributing to the Union’s competitive sustainability; stresses that its successful implementation requires the completion of milestones and targets, in particular compliance with the rule of law and the general regime of conditionality, to be monitored transparently and thoroughly; calls the EU Institutions to learn the lessons from the RRF & SURE, in terms of policy coordination but also the positive impact they had on European economy; welcomes the Commission’s proposal to include a REPowerEU chapter in the national recovery and resilience plans; insists that the financing of REPowerEU must not divert resources away from other EU priorities;
Amendment 22 #
2022/2150(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 3 – point 1 (new)
(1) calls the EU Members States to align their national budget to the objectives set in the Paris agreement;
Amendment 26 #
2022/2150(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is concerned at the economic impact of the aforementioned crises on the Union and on national budgets; stresses that crisis response has led Member States to adopt extensive economic measures; highlights the long-term impact ofstresses that Union borrowing should not increase further as long as thesre measures on economic sustainability, but considers that it should be possible to return to a state of economic discipline in the long run; is also concerned at the Union’s increasing debt repayment obligations if not appropriately handled; stresses that Union borrowing should not increase further as long as there are no new own resources to cater for debt repaymentare no new own resources to cater for debt repayment; recalls that the design of NextGenerationEU requires debt repayment through the introduction of a basket of new own resources of the EU budget; welcomes the ratification of the Own Resources Decision by all Member States; calls on the Commission and the Council to respect in full the timeline for the introduction of new Own Resources included in the legally-binding roadmap as agreed in the Interinstitutional Agreement so that the debt can be serviced in a budgetary-neutral manner for Member States.
Amendment 29 #
2022/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas, as a legal community, the EU is dependent on the effective and uniform application and enforcement of its law; whereas such effectiveness and uniformity can only be ensured if EU law takes precedence over national law; whereas the principle of primacy therefore constitutes a cornerstone of the EU’s legal order, which is essential for the EU’s functioning; whereas, in the same spirit, the principle is a centre piece in the creation of an “ever closer union among the peoples of Europe”, as foreseen by the Treaties;
Amendment 42 #
2022/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the principle of primacy is not explicitly enshrined in the Treaties, but has developed over decades through the case- law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU); whereas, ever since its landmark Costa v E.N.E.L. judgment of 15 July 1964 in Case C-6/646 , the CJEU has on countless occassions reaffirmed that EU law takes precedence over the law of the Member States, regardless of the rank of the national legislation or the time of its adoption; whereas the principle of primacy therefore applies to any provision of domestic law, including provisions of a constitutional nature, in accordance with the well- established case-law of the CJEU; whereas, by virtue of the same jurisprudence, the principle also applies to international agreements concluded by Member States where those agreements are covered by the sphere of competence of the EU; _________________ 6 Judgment of the Court of Justice of 15 July 1964, Costa v E.N.E.L., C-6/64, ECLI:EU:C:1964:66.
Amendment 56 #
2022/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the case-law establishing the principle of primacy has been implicitis widely accepted by the Member States, which have never used a Treaty revision to lay downamended the Treaties to introduce exceptions to the precedenceimacy of EU law;
Amendment 68 #
2022/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas severalcertain national constitutional courts have nevertheless defendargued the existence of certain limits to the principle of primacy; whereas these reservations mostly concern respect for EU competences and the national constitutional identity;
Amendment 78 #
2022/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the principle of primacy does not imply a hierarchy between the legal orders of the EU and the Member States, but rather requires that, in the event of conflicting provisions of EU and national law, national courts must disapplyauthorities and courts cannot apply or enforce those national provisions, and that national authorities and courts interpret their national law in conformity with EU law; whereas the principle furthermore requires that conflicting national provisions must be repealed or amended to comply with EU law;
Amendment 99 #
2022/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas, in accordance with Article 258 TFEU, the Commission has the possibility, as guardian of the Treaties, the task of opening an infringement procedure before the CJEU against a Member State that has failed to fulfil the obligations resulting from the principle of primacy;
Amendment 108 #
2022/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Reiterates that, by their accession to the EU, the Member States have adhered to a certain number ofthe EU acquis and all the core EU values and principles that underpin it, which they share and have undertaken to respect at all times; recalls that these include the principle of primacy;
Amendment 132 #
2022/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls in this regard that, in accordance with consistent case-law and on the basis of Article 4(2) TEU, although the Member States have a certain degree of discretion in implementing the principles of EU law, their obligations as to the result to be achieved do not vary from one Member State to another and the executive force of EU law may not vary from one Member State to another; emphasises that the same logic applies within the Member States, as compliance with EU law and its principles may not vary over time as a result of national legal, political or social changes;
Amendment 163 #
2022/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points, however, to the negative consequences of any decision of a national constitutional court that challenges the principle of primacy; stresses that, if every national constitutional court could decide on the limits of the primacy of EU law, the effectiveness and uniformity of EU law would be seriously jeopardisedcease to exist, and thereby the guarantee for equal treatment of citizens and businesses across the Union; underlines that challenging CJEU judgments on the basis of national constitutional reservations concerning respect for EU competences or the national constitutional identity genuinely undermines the CJEU’s authority, as well as the legitimacy and proper functioning of the EU;
Amendment 183 #
2022/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Welcomes the changes proposed by the Court in the pending draft regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Protocol No 3 on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union; believes that a more balanced distribution of labour between the Court of Justice and the General Court should give way for a more intense judicial dialogue between EU and Member States’ courts and tribunals, enabling them to resolve persisting tensions surrounding the principle of the primacy of EU law; encourages the EU and national courts and tribunals to also intensify their judicial dialogue through informal channels;
Amendment 214 #
2022/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. EncouragesCalls on the Commission to initiate infringement procedures under Article 258 TFEU in response to judgments of national constitutional courts that challenge the principle of primacy; underlines that such procedures provide the opportunity for supreme courts to engage in a judicial dialogue; stresses also the need to make clear to other national constitutional courts that there are consequences for failing to respect the principle of primacy; reiterates that challenges to the principle of primacy of EU law are sometimes part of a systemic undermining of the Rule of Law by a Member State government, which merit further action by the EU institutions, including activating and advancing Article 7 proceedings and the EU Rule of Law budget conditionality Regulation;
Amendment 225 #
2022/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Notes that the general application and implementation of EU law is the very precondition for its primacy; calls on the Commission to step up its efforts to enforce EU law, in particular by increasing infringement actions where Member States are failing to implement EU law;
Amendment 226 #
2022/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Notes that in some cases, Member State authorities are not implementing CJEU judgments, without this being followed by further enforcement action by the Commission, meaning that individuals and businesses have a judgement by the highest EU court ignored by their national authorities without any further available remedy; calls on the Commission to produce an implementation scoreboard for each CJEU judgement and, should implementation fail, initiate infringement procedures against the Member State;
Amendment 1 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
— Having regard to the report of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs on improving the functioning of the European Union building on the potential of the Lisbon Treaty (A8-0386/2016),
Amendment 2 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
— Having regard to the report of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs on possible evolutions of and adjustments to the current institutional set-up of the European Union (A8-0390/2016)
Amendment 3 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the unanimity requirement in the Council continues to be one of the biggest impediments in reaching rapid and effective EU decision- making processes; whereas some Member States have repeatedly used their right to veto to block or delay decisions, notably in order to raise concerns on other unrelated issuer even exert undue pressure on other unrelated issues; whereas this raises, in some cases, serious concerns related to the full respect of the principle of sincere cooperation; whereas this has affected the Union’s ability to act, notably to tackle crisis situations, and pursue its objectives in several areas;
Amendment 10 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. Whereas the allocation of Union financial resources to address the Covid- 19 and the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine requires a mid-term review of the 2021-2027 MFF; Whereas the achievement of unanimity in Council on the mid-term review of the MFF might delay this process, to the detriment of citizens and businesses in need;
Amendment 11 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas passerelle clauses do not changecannot lead to an increase in nor to a modification of EU competences, but onlythey rather entail the streamlining of decision- making rulprocedures, allowing a move from unanimity to qualified majority voting (QMV) and/or from special legislative procedures to the ordinary legislative procedure (OLP) in specific cases;
Amendment 16 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas passerelle clauses were already usedhave been used only once in 2004 to move to QMV and co-decision for specific decisions on visas, asylum, migration and free movement of persons3; whereas no passerelle clause has been activated since then entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty; _________________ 3 Council decision 2004/927 providing for certain areas covered by Title IV of Part Three of the Treaty establishing the European Community to be governed by the procedure laid down in Article 251 of that Treaty (OJ L 396, 31.12.2004, p. 4).
Amendment 18 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the Treaties foresee that the activation of passerelle clauses still requires unanimity in the Council or the European Council;
Amendment 20 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Believes that the Union must be ableequipped with all necessary means to respond rapidly and effectively to the unprecedented challenges it is facing, instead of relying on emergency procedures requiring unanimity voting in Council with no formal involvement of Parliament in the negotiations ; regrets that, even though the Union has proven in specific cases to be able to act decisively, the unanimity voting requirement has often blocked EU action in different areas;
Amendment 25 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers it urgent, therefore, to go beyond unanimity and move as soon as possible to QMV and OLP in key policy fields in order to improve the EU’s capacity to act;
Amendment 27 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. WelcomesHighlights that the use of the “untapped potential” of the Lisbon Treaty has often been instrumentalised to postpone an inclusive and constructive discussion on Treaty change, and cannot be further invoked as an alternative or a preliminary step ahead of Treaty revisions; Regrets, however, that such untapped potential has not been exploited satisfactorily; Welcomes in this respect the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe;, and reiterates its commitment to following them up effectively and its cthrough its proposall for amending the Treaties to be amended urgently55;Calls again on the Council to quickly forward this proposal to the European Council, and calls as well on the Commission to take its full responsibility on this matter pursuant to Article 48(2) TEU; _________________ 5 Resolution of 9 June 2022 on the call for a Convention for the revision of the Treaties.
Amendment 33 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that, if approvedwhile urgent, Treaty changes extending QMV to areas where unanimity is currently required would require time before coming into force;
Amendment 36 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that, under the current Treaties, passerelle clauses can be activated immediately but only following a vote by unanimity in theHighlights however that the activation of passerelle clauses requires paradoxically an unanimous vote in Council or in the European Council;
Amendment 39 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Welcomes the fact that, in recent discussions in the Council, a majority of Member States have expressed their willingness to use passerelle clauses in certain fields and on a case-by-case basis; regrets that, unfortunately, no formal decision on their activation has yet been taken; Recalls that, in case of prolonged stalemate, the clause of enhanced cooperation should also be activated;
Amendment 47 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Calls on the Commission to recommend, where possible, the activation of passerelle clauses when issuing legislative proposals in policy areas where unanimity voting is required in Council, or where a special legislative procedure applies;
Amendment 48 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Notes that the activation of passerelle clauses could as well become part of yearly evaluations, whereby the Commission assesses in its work program the activation of passerelle clauses in the context of newly issued legislative proposals, or for those where a vote in Council is still pending;
Amendment 49 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – introductory part
Paragraph 8 – introductory part
8. Stresses that the Common foreign and security policy (CFSP) is one of the areas where a rapid capacity to act plays a decisive role for the effectiveness of decisions; Considers thus that passerelle clauses could be a useful tool to move towards QMV in specific fields of the CFSP, in particular for:
Amendment 64 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 8 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Highlights that the activation of the passerelle clauses would strengthen the Union’s strategic autonomy, and increase its credibility globally by allowing it to act on the basis of solid positions;
Amendment 70 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Underlines that moving from unanimity to QMV on certain tax matters, such as in largely integrated tax policies and the implementation of international agreements, would contribute to a more effective framework for collecting taxes and tackling tax evasion and avoidance andwhile addressing fraud concerns;, and would benefit the performance of the Union in reaching its economic, green, social and digital objectives
Amendment 74 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Highlights that moving to QMV and OLP for certain aspects of environmental and energy policies is particularly urgent, given the broader context of the environmental and climate emergency, notably the ones with fiscal nature, is particularly urgent for the implementation of the Green Deal, to facilitate the clean energy transition, and for offsetting the social and economic consequences of the ongoing energy crisis 6; _________________ 6 Resolution of 28 November 2019 on the climate and environment emergency (OJ C 232, 16.6.2021, p. 2).
Amendment 82 #
2022/2142(INI)
11. Underlines the neeat, in a context of evolving labour markets and fwor a dialogue between the Commission and Europeanking patterns impacted by the twin green and digital transition and demographic trends, it is becoming increasingly more important for the EU to deliver in terms of supporting and complementing Member States’ actions in tackling social issues; Stresses the need for a dialogue with the social partners on the possible use of passerelle clauses in the field of social policy; considers it important to evaluate the potential impact of using general passerelle clauses and the sector-specific clause provided forforeseen in Article 153(2) TFEU to strengthen the EU’s ability to implement measures to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation (Article 19 TFEU) and take decisions onfor the protection of workers’ rights; .
Amendment 83 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Underlines the urgency of strengthening the EU’s ability to implement measures to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation through the activation of the passerelle clause enshrined in Article 19 TFEU;
Amendment 87 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses the importance of evaluating the potential impact of moving to the OLP in areas related to the protection of fundamental rights in the Union, such as through the activation of the sector-specific passerelle clause related to family law with cross-border implications (Article 81(3)(2) TFEU);
Amendment 96 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the European Council to adopt a decision under Article 31(3) TEU establishing that restrictive measures against governments of non-EU countries, non-state entities and individuals (Article 29 TEU) are to be taken by QMV, particularly given the necessity to act rapidly in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine;
Amendment 101 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the Commission, in light of the broader context of the climate and environmental emergencyobjectives set out by the European Green Deal, to present a proposal for the activation of the special passerelle clause provided for in Article 192(2)(2) to move to OLP for taxation matters with an environmental dimension;
Amendment 102 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Stresses that the treaty provisions governing the adoption and the review of the MFF Regulation entail long and cumbersome negotiations that slow down the adoption and the allocation of the Union budget; Calls on the European Council to adopt a decision in line with the sector-specific passerelle clause foreseen in Article 312(2)(2) TFEU to allow Council to adopt the Multiannual Financial Framework by QMV in view of the 2024 mid-term review;
Amendment 128 #
2022/2142(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Reiterate its call on the European Council8to adopt a decision in line withctivatethe sector-specific passerelle clause provided forforeseenin Article 312(2)(2) TFEU in order to allow theCouncil to adopt themalso for the adoption byCouncil of the nextMultiannual fFinancial fFramework through QMV instead of unanimity; _________________ 8 Resolution of 14 November 2018 on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021- 2027 — Parliament’s position with a view to an agreement (OJ C 363, 28.10.2020, p. 179).
Amendment 14 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
- having regard to the report by Jean-Claude Juncker of 11 April 2006 entitled 'A Shared Ambition for the European Continent',
Amendment 15 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 b (new)
Citation 6 b (new)
- having regard to the report by the Council of Europe High Level Reflection Group of October 2022,
Amendment 18 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the EU and the Council of Europe are committed to achieving greater unity among European countries through the promotion of democratic stability and security;
Amendment 19 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the persisting internal and external challenges to the rules-based multilateral order, democracy and the rule of law, as well as the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the impact these have on the human rights situation in Europe provide strong arguments for further strengthening the institutional cooperation between the EU and the CoE; recalling in this respect the expulsion of the Russian Federation from the Council of Europe, 26 years after its accession;
Amendment 21 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the exclusion of Russia, a highly influential member country, means a major change for this organisation, not to say a paradigm shift for the future of the European continent;
Amendment 23 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Amendment 34 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the EU already relies to a great degree on the CoE for the monitoring and promotion of the rule of law in its present and future Member States; whereas information sources used by the Commission when establishing benchmarks to measure the situation of the rule of law and the functioning of judicial systems in the Member States include the Venice Commission’s Rule of Law Checklist, reports commissioned from the CoE agencies by the EU, such as the annual study on the functioning of judicial systems commissioned by the EU from the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice as part of the EU Justice Scoreboard and regular reports on topics linked to the rule of law drawn up by the CoE agencies, particularly on the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption;
Amendment 52 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 1 – point 1 (new)
(1) Supports the holding of the Fourth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe and calls on the Secretariat to invite representatives of the European Union to attend with observer status; calls on the European Council also to consult the Council of Europe in the preparation of European Political Community summits and to invite it to attend them with observer status;
Amendment 57 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 2 – point 1 (new)
(1) Believes that the appointment of high-level political figures to the posts of Secretary-General and Commissioner for Human Rights would not only enhance the visibility of the Council of Europe but also contribute to ensuring a balanced institutional relationship between the two organisations,
Amendment 58 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 – point 2 (new)
Paragraph 2 – point 2 (new)
(2) Points out that institutional exchanges at all levels would be beneficial to both organisations;
Amendment 66 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reaffirms its strong commitment to the EU’s accession to the ECHR; calls on the negotiating parties to invest every effort into resolving the outstanding issues and addressing all of the CJEU’s concerns expressed in its opinion 2/2013 of 18 December 2014 with a view to concluding negotiations successfully; believes that these outstanding issues are complex but not insurmountable; undertakes to review the EU Treaties to assess how the powers of the CJEU can be strengthened and made more compatible with those of the European Court of Human Rights; calls on all Member States accordingly to ensure compliance with the ECHR and all case law established by the European Court of Human Rights; calls on the European Commission to monitor more closely compliance by EU Member States with the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights;
Amendment 72 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that the EU’s accession to the ECHR would have numerous benefits, including strengthened coherence between EU law and the CoE conventions system, harmonisation in human rights legislation and case law between the EU and the CoE and the protection of EU citizens against the actions of the Union’s institutions and bodies; stresses that EU accession to the ECHR would also establish an indispensable external mechanism to ensure full compliance with the rule of law on the part of the EU and its institutions;
Amendment 85 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. ACalls on the Commission to look into what steps are needed for the European Union to accede to the European Social Charter and to propose a time-frame for achieving that objective; advocates the EU’s broadest possible alignment with the CoE convention system through the finalisation of its accession to other CoE treaties, such as the Istanbul Convention and the Convention against Torture and Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment; calls on the Commission to look into what steps are needed for the European Union to accede to the European Social Charter and to propose a timeframe for achieving that objective;
Amendment 86 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 5 – point 1 (new)
(1) Welcomes the fact that the overwhelming majority of conventions negotiated within the Council of Europe enable the EU to accede to them and stresses that many such conventions are negotiated by the Union itself;
Amendment 89 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4 b (new)
Subheading 4 b (new)
EU involvement in Council of Europe bodies and the associated agencies takes the view that the EU’s taking a more active role in CoE bodies, agencies and joint programmes could further improve partnerships and synergies between the respective organisations while avoiding overlaps in their fields of action; calls on the European Commission to assess the possibility of full EU membership of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), the Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism (MONEYVAL) the Group of Experts on Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) and the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) as a way of defending the EU's interests and propose arrangements for EU involvement in these bodies;
Amendment 90 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Considers that the existing framework for cooperation between the EU and the CoE should be reviewed in order to take stock of the changes brought by the Lisbon Treaty and the evolving relations between the two organisations; suggests, in this regard, revisiting the 2007 Memorandum of Understanding, notably by taking stock of what has worked and what has not, with a view to upgrading it into the main legal instrument coordinating EU-CoE cooperation in a comprehensive way; proposes, furthermore, complementing the Memorandum with agreements for action on specific issues;
Amendment 107 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Acknowledges the important role which the FCNMCouncil of Europe and its bodies hasve played in the European integration process; recalls that during the process of evaluating candidate countries’ progress towards accession on the basis of the Copenhagen criteria, the Commission’s systematic monitoring of minority protection in candidate countries has relied to a great extent on the standards developed by the CoE; recalls that the EU considers candidate countries’ implementation of the FCNM an important element in the accession criteria for minority protection;
Amendment 111 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 12 – point 1 (new)
(1) Calls for the EU's enlargement policy to afford a prominent role to the Council of Europe in assessing candidate countries' compliance with rule of law and human rights criteria;
Amendment 116 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 13 – point 1 (new)
(1) Recalls the remarkable work undertaken by the Council of Europe's institutions, which should serve as the foundations for the EU's projects;
Amendment 120 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 14 – point 1 (new)
(1) Calls for a common frame of reference for civic education to be set up, focusing on democracy, the rule of law and human rights;
Amendment 122 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Welcomes the success of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, which has become an essential tool for assessing language proficiency;
Amendment 134 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 16 – point 1 (new)
Amendment 137 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Acknowledges the grassroots work undertaken the Assembly, which deserves to be brought to the public's attention and has earned the respect of the European Union.
Amendment 139 #
2022/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Concludes that, in view of the rising importance of the parliamentary democracy provided for by the Lisbon Treaty, the parliamentary cooperation between the EU and the CoE could be deepened, building ony conducting an assessment of the existing ‘Agreement for strengthened cooperation between Parliament and the PACE’ before implementing it;
Amendment 19 #
2022/2081(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Regrets the continued great difficulties faced by small local NGOs in accessing Union funding because of the highly demanding procedures involved; invites the Commission to fully use existing flexibilities, as well as the new flexibilities that the ongoing revision of the Financial Regulation may open, without taking unreasonable fiduciary risks, and to propose necessary changes to rules.
Amendment 15 #
2022/2080(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Denounces the existence of a shadowy offshore financial system with offices all over the world, which is allowing enrichment of already most powerful and richest at the public’s expense;
Amendment 19 #
2022/2080(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises that the practices brought to light by the Pandora Papers revelations have an especially severe impact on the fiscal space and public expenditure of developing countries;
Amendment 28 #
2022/2080(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that tax avoidance by multinationals and the existence of tax havens offering no or extremely low effective tax rates are heavily detrimental to the fair collection of tax in countries in the Global Southwhich is detrimental to the rest of society; highlights that the ability to hide money has a direct impact on people’s life: it affects access to education, to health, to a home, among others, and especially in developing countries;
Amendment 32 #
2022/2080(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers that tax avoidance by multinationals, as well as by some of the world’s richest and most powerful people, including current and former presidents, prime ministers and heads of state, and the existence of tax havens offering no or extremely low effective tax rates are heavily detrimental to the fair collection of tax in countries in the Global South;
Amendment 41 #
2022/2080(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises the structural implications of the tax avoidance practices of both multinationals and individuals for developing countries’ fiscal capacities and mid to long-term growth prospects; highlights the increase in inequality and poverty caused by the lack of fiscal space as a result of tax avoidance;
Amendment 46 #
2022/2080(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that the upcomingWelcomes and encourages the further effort to building on the global corporate minimum tax that will define a fixed baseline for corporate taxation, thereby combating corporate tax avoidance, and calls for the resulting fiscal capacities to be used to build more resilient, sustainable and equal societies; calls for international cooperation on the corporate minimum tax to be utilised in such a way as to introduce better transparency measures for the prosecution of tax avoiders; calls on the EU MSs to live up to the ambition and give their political backing to this global project;
Amendment 23 #
2022/2062(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Awaits the review of the Climate Bank Roadmap ahead of COP28; expects full alignment with the 1.5 degree pathway, including the exclusionand expects the EIB be consistent with the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest; calls for a limited share of blue hydrogen infrastructure and road and highway financing, and the requirement to conduct a solid assessment of less carbon-intensive alternatives and ‘Scope 3’ emissions;
Amendment 29 #
2022/2062(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Takes note of the EIB’s derisking architecture for green assets and its revision with a view to commercial viability and risks associated with public finance, in particular when it concerns projects with limited bankability,
Amendment 35 #
2022/2062(INI)
5. Reiterates its call to work only with clients and financial intermediaries that havepresent credible decarbonisation plans; opposes the exemptions granted under the Paris Alignment for Counterparties (PATH) framework in support of REPowerEU; calls for a progressive halt to fossil fuel financing;
Amendment 50 #
2022/2062(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on EIB Global to devise a strategy centred on development additionality; in particular through its lending policies and in the context of a capital increase;
Amendment 61 #
2022/2062(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. recalls that EIB funds are public money and should always be subject to public scrutiny and accountability;
Amendment 65 #
2022/2062(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Calls for more accountability towards the EU institutions, especially towards Parliament, as transparency is one of the cornerstones of democracy; believes that Members of the European Parliament should be allowed to submit questions for written answer to the EIB, as already provided for the European Central Bank;
Amendment 70 #
2022/2062(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Is concerned that the transparency and harm prevention of EIB intermediated investments have fallen behind other public financial institutions, rating only fair on the 2022 Aid Transparency Index3; recalls that the EIB’s 2021 Transparency Policy runs counter to the presumption of disclosure; urges the EIB to swiftly implement the European Ombudsman’s recommendations of 21 April 20224. _________________ 3 Publish What You Fund, 2022 Aid Transparency Index, 2022. 4 Decisions of the European Ombudsman of 21 April 2022 in Cases 1065/2020/PB, 1251/2020/PB and 1252/2020/PB.
Amendment 8 #
2022/2051(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 – point 2
Paragraph 1 – point 2
2. Calls therefore for the revision of the TFEU, in particular its Title II, to ensure that the Union is able to react agilely and effectively to challenges and to achieve better democratic accountability of the Union budget, notably by reinforcinggiving to Parliament’s role in full budgetary decision- making and scrutinypowers;
Amendment 31 #
2022/2051(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 – point 4
Paragraph 2 – point 4
4. Article 311 TFEU shall be amended so that the decision laying down the provisions relating to the system of own resources of the Union and the implementing measures for that system are adopted by the Council acting by qualified majority after obtaining the consent of the European Parliament on the one hand, and the implementing measures of the Own Resources Decision being adopted in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, on the other hand;
Amendment 405 #
2022/2051(INL)
Annex to the motion for a resolution Treaty on European Union – Article 4 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. The Treaties and law adopted by the institutions of the Union in exercising competences conferred on it shall have primacy over the law of the Member States.
Amendment 6 #
2022/2050(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas close cooperation should be envisagedwith the UK remains crucial within the UK and possibOSCE and the NATO and potentially within the European Political Community, including on security and defence matters;
Amendment 9 #
2022/2050(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. Whereas the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO reinforces the Atlantic alliance asa pillar in the EU defence policy;
Amendment 10 #
2022/2050(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
D b. Whereas the European Defence Agency remains not funded by EU Budget,
Amendment 14 #
2022/2050(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Urges the Member States to make use of Article 31(2) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), which allows the Council to take certain decisions such as sanctions or related to human rights but also on opening negociations by qualified majority in common foreign and security policy (CFSP) matters; calls on the Member States to make full use of the passerelle clause contained in Article 31(3) TEU;
Amendment 20 #
2022/2050(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Considers that the Treaty Revision is an opportunity to redraft the TEU article 42.7 and make the mutual assistance clause an automatic response;
Amendment 24 #
2022/2050(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Regrets the fact that, to date, the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement has not been extended to matters falling under the common security and defence policy (CSDP); reiterates the need for an agreement on EU-UK foreign policy and security cooperation in order to better tackle common global and European security challenges;
Amendment 25 #
2022/2050(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Calls the EU to rationalize its Institutions and clarify the role of the European Council President, the HR/VP and the European Commission President
Amendment 26 #
2022/2050(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Calls the EU Members States to coordinate themselves and have a common approach within the OSCE;
Amendment 29 #
2022/2050(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Pushes to achieve a genuine military and defence union complementary to the NATO Alliance;
Amendment 2 #
2022/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Union should continue to act to promote dialogue and guarantee peace and a rules-based international order by strengthening multilateralism and further developing a strong democratic and parliamentary dimension to its external action; whereas strengthening international security, promoting international cooperation with third countries and advancing and consolidating democracy and the rule of law, and the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms remain core objectives of the Union’s external action;
Amendment 7 #
2022/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Urges the Member States to make use of Article 31(2) TEUE, which allows the Council to take certain decisions by qualified majority in CFSP matters and Article 42(7); calls on the Member States to make full use of the passerelle clause contained in Article 31(3) TEU; calls for an amendment of Article 42 TEU that would allow switching to reinforced QMV, requiring 72% of Council members representing at least 65% of population, for decisions with military implications;
Amendment 10 #
2022/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Urges the Member States and the Commission to assess howstrengthen the role of the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) could be strengthened; points out that his can be done through a Treaty change that would name the Vice- President/High Representative a foreign minister of the Union, would make him or her the main external representative of the Union in international fora and would allow him or her to be present ex-officio in negotiating formats initiated or led by the Member States; supports the call from Citizens of the Union in the Conference on the Future of Europe wishing the EU to speak with one voice;
Amendment 11 #
2022/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Calls on the European Council, the Commission, and the EEAS, to rationalize their approach on CFSP and clarify the respective roles of European Commission President, the High Representative and the European Council President in the CFSP;
Amendment 12 #
2022/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3 b. Deplores the complexity of the EU’s external representation and underlines that overlapping roles and actions undermine the credibility of the EU as a global actor; supports in this regard, the “Team Europe” approach to avoid duplication and confusion in the EU’s foreign policy;
Amendment 13 #
2022/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3 c. Calls on all EU decision-makers to ramp up efforts to fight foreign disinformation, interference attempts and hybrid threats, which undermine the Union’s ability to develop and implement effectively its internal and foreign policies; considers it necessary to broaden the scope of threats defined in the mutual defence clause stipulated in Article 42(7) TEU to include hybrid threats, disinformation campaigns and economic coercion by third countries
Amendment 14 #
2022/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 d (new)
Paragraph 3 d (new)
3 d. Underlines the need to clarify as soon as possible the respective roles of the European Council President, the European Commission President, and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR)
Amendment 15 #
2022/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 e (new)
Paragraph 3 e (new)
3 e. Proposes to create a single Presidency of the EU by merging the functions of the European Council President with those from the European Commission President
Amendment 16 #
2022/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Recalls the importance of parliamentary diplomacy as a foreign policy tool
Amendment 18 #
2022/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Reaffirms its strong commitment to the Union’s partnership with the North Atlantic Treaty organisation, which remains fundamental to EU security policy; Calls for the development of more integrated cooperation in the field of foreign and security policy with external alliances such asin the framework of a consolidated partnership within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and externEU al like-minded countriees and partners, in particular the US, the UK and Canada.
Amendment 23 #
2022/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Welcomes the European Political Community as a new informal format for dialogue and cooperation; Recalls nevertheless the importance of European organisations such as the Council of Europe and OSCE and calls on the EU Institutions to better coordinate their actions with the respective organisations;
Amendment 25 #
2022/2048(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Calls on the Council to convene a specific ad-hoc working group to reflect on possible Treaty changes, with a view to convening a convention composed of representatives of the national parliaments, the Heads of State or Government of the Member States, the European Parliament and the Commission.
Amendment 7 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Reaffirms that culture is a key element of human development and a driver of sustainable development and an integral component of its social, economic and environmental dimensions, and; recalls that culture can create jobs, stimulate growth and foster long- term societal changes; recalls that culture is instrumental in the implementation of the 2030 UN Agenda and calls for strengthening the contribution of cultural actors to sustainable development through participation in enhanced dialogue, professional networks and multi- stakeholder partnerships;
Amendment 9 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recalls that international cultural cooperation is a lever for promoting EU values, including democracy, the rule of law, freedoms, human rights and gender equality, and that it offers the EU, its Member States and partner countries the opportunity to learn from cultures, good practices and know-how, to stimulate the development of cultural and creative industries and tourism, to offer employment opportunities and to strengthen social cohesion;
Amendment 12 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Stresses the need to protect cultural diversity and promote it as a condition for fruitful dialogue between countries and cultures; recalls that the EU has committed to contribute to the implementation of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions;
Amendment 20 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the Commission to launch more calls for proposals for cultural cooperation through the NDICI – Global Europe instrument and on partner countries to strengthen their cultural policies;
Amendment 21 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Calls on the Commission to ensure full monitoring of actions involving international cultural cooperation supported by the NDICI – Global Europe instrument in the 2021-2027 programming period; stresses that the performance indicators set out in the NDICI – Global Europe Regulation for culture as a specific objective should therefore be closely evaluated;
Amendment 24 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the integration of a specific chapter on culture under Title III (Human and Social Development) of the proposed partnership agreement between the EU and the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS); recalls for the strengthening of cultural programmes to stimulate job opportunities, tourism, inclusive and sustainablthat the EU-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement includes a separate gprowth, and social cohesion, and to support the cultural sector which has been deeply impacted by the COVID- 19 pandemictocol on cultural cooperation, which contains provisions on cultural exchanges and dialogue;
Amendment 28 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses that the EU has the potential to strengthen its international cultural cooperation partnerships through the Outermost Regions (ORs) and Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), which are located at geographical, cultural and linguistic crossroads around the world and maintain strong relations with partner countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, America and the Pacific; calls on the EU to design and support international cultural cooperation projects involving the ORs and OCTs in order to foster regional integration and build new partnerships with partner countries;
Amendment 37 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises that the protection, conservation and restoration of cultural heritage is an essential factor in ensuring its transmission to future generations, in particular for young people; recalls that restoring cultural works and artefacts promotes the respect and mutual understanding of the value of different cultures, but also promotes peace, reconciliation and dialogue; encourages the EU and its Member States to facilitate dialogue and share best practices on the protection, conservation and restoration of cultural heritage in the framework of the NDICI – Global Europe Regulation.
Amendment 40 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls for enhanced cooperation between the private sector and public actors on the protection and preservation of cultural heritage in partner countries; recalls that the private sector contributes to the administration, financing and protection of cultural sites;
Amendment 43 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Amendment 45 #
2022/2047(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Calls on the EU to step up the fight against the trafficking of cultural heritage and to contribute to efforts to ensure the return and restitution of cultural goods;
Amendment 1 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Regrets that the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF) lacks a sufficiently endowed Heading 6 and, therefore, the available margins have been very limited and shrinking since the first year, including an early depletion of the cushion, while the cushion is being used even beyond responding to emerging challenges and priorities, and the need to use the single margin also to cover commitments under Heading 6; is deeply concerned that the MFF is already pushed to its limits and it is not fit to continue addressing the multiple internal and external crises in a sustainable manner; Stresses the role of the European Union as a global player, especially regarding development policy and humanitarian aid, where it is a crucial actor providing stability and collectively the biggest donor in the world; emphasises that this role can only be fulfilled with the appropriate financial means, which must be increased due to the shifted geopolitical realities to allow the EU to be a reliable development partner and prevent further influence of other geopolitical actors in many developing countries; highlights that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is having global consequences and is generating unprecedented needs for EU external action, both in neighbouring countries and worldwide, as a result of ; stresses that these consequences have exacerbated the already existing vulnerabilities of economies in developing countries and generated, among other, food, energy and economic crises, which are, intertwined with the deteriorating security situation, impact of climate change and the economic recession due to the COVID-19 pandemic are exhausting resources of partner countries and undermining progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals; worldwide;
Amendment 2 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commission to adopt, in early 2023, anconduct an in-depth review of the functioning of the current MFF and proceed with a legislative proposal for a comprehensive and ambitious MFF revision proposal that substantially increases the resources for Heading 6; urges the Member States to agree to a significant increase in ceilingsof the MFF as soon as possible, and not later than the first quarter of 2023, that substantially increases the resources for Heading 6 to address the current challenges of EU external action where a common EU response has an added value; urges the Member States to agree to a significant increase in ceilings under Heading 6 including for aid and reconstruction in Ukraine; calls on the Commission to create an effective crisis response mechanism to tackle the new challenges without jeopardizing priorities established under co-decision in the relevant programmes, in particular as regards climate and development aid;
Amendment 3 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Highlights that only seven years are left to achieve Agenda 2030 and regrets that according to the SDG Report 20221a, the global average of the SDG index decreased slightly for the second consecutive year; emphasises the urgent need to achieve the SDGs, especially SDG 1 (“No Poverty”) and SDG 10 (“Reduced Inequalities”), given their strategic importance for the implementation of the other goals; underlines that inequalities between countries and people are dramatically increasing, making the need to transform economies and infrastructures in a just and sustainable way even more imperative; notes with deep concern the estimated annual SDG financing gap of USD 3,7 trillion; reiterates that the EU should play a crucial role in the implementation of the SDGs and support partner countries in their efforts; insists that the MFF revision needs to contribute to a wider plan to finance the SDGs and include clearly defined quantifiable indicators allowing for the monitoring of SDG-related spending under the EU budget; reaffirms that the increased financial needs to reach the SDGs cannot be covered only by funding from the MFF and from EU Member States; _________________ 1a https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2022/Th e-Sustainable-Development-Goals- Report-2022.pdf
Amendment 4 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the global humanitarian funding gap continues to grow; stresses that the humanitarian aid instrument must receive significantly more funding in the revised MFF to match the EU’s ambition to be a leading humanitarian donorwas the highest it has ever been in 2022 at USD 36.9 billion, and continues to grow while the unpredictability and the impacts of climate and human-induced disasters continue to arise; underlines that the numerous top-ups of the EU’s annual humanitarian budget in recent years have proven that the initially allocated funding has never been sufficient to cover the humanitarian needs for the entire year; stresses that the humanitarian aid instrument must receive significantly more funding in the revised MFF to match the EU’s ambition to be a leading humanitarian donor, to play a more visible role and to lead by example in encouraging other donors to increase their financial contribution to humanitarian aid; recalls that providing humanitarian assistance to one crisis should not come at the expense of funding to other humanitarian operations, nor should humanitarian aid funds be diverted to other budget lines during the annual budgetary procedure unless the needs have decreased;
Amendment 5 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points out that the sudden emergence of severe European-wide crises, such as the pandemic and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and their detrimental economic spillover, have tested the multiannual financial framework (MFF) and underlined the need for the MFF to be strengthened and managed in a more flexible, yet sustainable, manner; therefore sees a need for thea structural revision of the MFF and calls on the Commission to conduct an in-depth review of the functioning of the current MFF and to proceed with a legislative proposal for comprehensive MFF revision as soon as possible, and no later than the first quarter of 2023;
Amendment 5 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Urgently calls for a more coherent application of the humanitarian- development-peace nexus approach and for investments in disaster risk reduction to address the growing number of protracted crises, prevent shocks and crises in the short, medium and long term;
Amendment 6 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Highlights the need for flexibility mechanisms to have sufficient funding to respond to crises, without hampering efforts to achieve transparency and democratic accountability; is concerned by the uneven mobilisation of the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR); notes that a disproportionate amount of SEAR resources are used for internal purposes; calls for an overall increase of the resources allocated to SEAR; calls for more predictability in meeting internal and external emergency needs by separating the SEAR into a Solidarity Reserve for needs within the EU and an Emergency Aid Reserve for external action, or by ring- fencing the share dedicated for external crises for the entire year; insists that the resources available under SEAR should be allocated when they are required, on a strict needs basis;
Amendment 7 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recalls that under the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 20201 , where a proposal for a new MFF or for a substantial revision has been presented, the institutions have committed to seeking to determine specific arrangements for cooperation and dialogue between them throughout the procedure leading to its adoption; reaffirms its commitment to this Agreement and expresses its readiness to engage with the other institutions to devise and implement ambitious and future-proof budget solutions; _________________ 1 Point 15 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources (OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 28)
Amendment 7 #
2022/2046(INI)
5. Calls for the MFF revision to provide additional funds to the humanitarian aid instrument as well as to the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe instrument, particularly to reinforce the budget lines most in demand recently and to meet the additional needs caused by the Russian war against Ukraine, including those used to counter climate related disasters impacting developing countries and to anticipate and prevent similar situations in the future, and those budget lines used to meet the additional needs caused by the Russian war against Ukraine, notably addressing current food insecurity, and financing of cross-sectoral efforts to increase capacity for diversified local and regional food production, without diverting money from other geographic regions and thematic lines;
Amendment 8 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines the vital role played by the European Parliament in the preparation, review and scrutiny of the MFF; reiterates its view that any future decisions on the budgetary architecture of the Union should safeguard the community method and ensure that the Parliament is fully involved in the decision-making process; recalls that all elements of the MFF package must be implemented in accordance with the principle of mutual sincere cooperation, as laid down in Article 13(2) of the Treaty on European Union; regrets the use of instruments to advance legislation without European Parliament’s consent or influence;
Amendment 8 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that the comprehensive and ambitious MFF revision shouldmay have to be accompanied by the necessary legislative changeadjustments to the NDICI – Global Europe Regulation. to enhance flexibility, efficiency and clarity and transparency of programming cycles, funding decisions and implementation and to reinforce engagement of civil society and local actors and reflect the changed international environment;
Amendment 9 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls for securing adequate financing for the NDICI-Global Europe geographic and thematic programmes, particularly the “Global Challenges” thematic programmes, in order to help developing countries invest in climate adaptation measures to better prevent impacts of climate change, in particular to help implement anticipatory and medium to long-term locally-led climate adaptation actions to compensate for climate change induced loss and damage; encourage their transition towards more self-sufficient food production systems, supporting sustainable agriculture, with agro-ecology and agro-forestry as well as fisheries to increase food security, particularly in terms of small scale family farming while prioritising financing for training and education for young people; as well as to support access to inclusive and quality education for all, vocational and technical training, particularly in fragile environments; highlights that access to quality education and vocational training for young people in developing countries is a necessary precondition for economic diversification and empowerment as well as for resilience building;
Amendment 10 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Invites the Commission to propose new own resources ahead of the timeline envisaged in the legally binding roadmap for the current MFF by the end of 2023; points out that these new resources should generate sufficient income to ensure that the common debt can be effectively repaid;
Amendment 12 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that the Commission’s proposed revision of the MFF should be aligned with the ‘Fit for 55’ package and with the objectives set on Paris agreement; should take into consideration the main points of the Versailles declaration, notably food security;
Amendment 14 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas, since the adoption of the current multiannual financial framework (MFF) in December 2020, the political, economic and social context has changevolved beyond recognition, startincluding with the unprecedented scale and dramatic consequences of the continued COVID-19 pandemic, which is far fromnot over yet;
Amendment 15 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that the Conference on the Future of Europe has proposed strengthening the Union budget through new own resources2 and that the European Parliament should decide on the Union budget as it is the right of parliaments at national level3 ; calls in that regard for the European Parliament to be more closely associated with the Commission and the Council in the process of adopting new own resources; stresses that the Conference provided additional momentum for a revision of the current MFF; _________________ 2 Conference on the Future of Europe proposal 16. 3 Conference on the Future of Europe proposal 39.4, third bullet.
Amendment 19 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. WelcomesTakes the view that the Recovery and Resilience Facility has been an effective and critical tool in times of crisis, supporting economic convergence between Member States and enabling the financing of strategic cross-border projects with European added value; takes note of the application by the Commission of the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation5 laying down the rules necessary for the protection of the Union budget in the case of breaches of the principles of the rule of law in the Member States which affect or seriously risk affecting the sound financial management of the Union budget or the protection of the financial interests of the Union in a sufficiently direct way; regrets the delay in the enforcement of the Rule of Law Conditionality mechanism and calls on the Commission to strengthen its oversight of the milestones and targets to be met by the Member States; underlines that funds cannot be disbursed if Member States do not uphold the rule of law and comply with all relevant ECJ rulings; _________________ 5 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget (OJ L 433 I, 22.12.2020, p. 1).
Amendment 22 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Calls the Institutions for a rise on the budget allocated in third countries for food security;
Amendment 22 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas citizens rightly expect thea bigger EU budget to respond effectively to evolving needs and to better support them in crises;
Amendment 25 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Reiterates its call for the activation of the passerelle clause provided for in Article 312(2) TFEU so as to allow the Council to adoption the MFF Regulation by qualified majority; recalls its proposals that the ordinary legislative procedure be applied for the adoption of the MFF Regulation; calls for Article 311(3) TFEU to be amended so as to allow the European Parliament to give its consent in the process of adopting new own resources.
Amendment 27 #
2022/2046(INI)
10 a. calls on the Commission to initiate a work on the third-countries financial contributions and to better coordinate these with the priorities of the multiannual financial framework;
Amendment 29 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the combined effect of multiple crises and, low MFF ceilings and cumbersome rules applying to any MFF review or revision has given rise to a ‘galaxy’ of ad hoc instruments beyond the EU budget, as well as greater use of external assigned revenue not subject to the budgetary procedure, most notably in the case of NextGenerationEU; whereas, as one arm of the budgetary authority, Parliament should play a full role in this new budgetary environment in order to ensure democratic accountability and transparency;
Amendment 42 #
2022/2046(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Notes that the MFF revision should be accompanied by the necessary legislative changesadjustments and flexibility to the NDICI – Global Europe Regulation.
Amendment 44 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines the central role that the EU budget must plays in delivering on the Union’s political priorities, including making a success of the green and digital transitions, fostering an inclusive and social recovery, promoting growth, strategic autonomy and energy independence, providing support for small and medium-sized enterprises, fostering sustainable development that leaves no one behind and ensures cohesion and upward convergence, ensuring a more robust European Health Union in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, promoting the rule of law, EU values and fundamental rights, contributing to greater opportunities for all, and ensuring a stronger Union for its people and in the world;
Amendment 58 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Asks therefore the Commission to consider putting forward a legislative proposal establishing a temporary instrument outside the MFF for the mutualisation of war-related costs ("Ukrainian crisis Adjustment Reserve"), that would be aimed to support the most affected Member States;
Amendment 72 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points out that essential new policy initiatives put forward since the adoption of the current MFF have come with proposals to shift money away from key EU policies and objectives that actually pay for the collateral damages of the recent crises; considers that recurrent redeployments are not a viable way to finance Union’s priorities;
Amendment 81 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Points to the extensive use made of the special instruments in the first two years of the MFF; notes that the Flexibility Instrument was mobilised for Heading 6 spending in 2022 and points to the proposal that it beCommission’s proposal in the Amending Letter 1/2023 that it will be significantly mobilised for spending under both Headings 62b, 5 and 76 in 2023; points out that, under the defence proposal of July 202218 , further appropriations are to be mobilised via special instruments in 2023 andalso in 2024; _________________ 18 Proposal of 19 July 2022 for a regulation on establishing the European defence industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act (COM(2022)0349).
Amendment 83 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Highlights that the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve (SEAR) was almost exhausted in 2021 and is projected to be fully exhausted in 2022 after having provided a combination of humanitarian aid and support to Member States for tackling natural and man-made disasters; points out that the extension of the scope of the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to include public health emergencies, coupled with the increased scale and frequency of natural disasters, the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and the resulting arrival of large numbers of refugees in the EU, has placed the SEAR under extreme strain; expects, further, that the dramatic consequences of the unprecedented wildfires in the summer of 2022 will require significant financial support, including from the SEAR;
Amendment 87 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Emphasises, therefore, that the 2021-2027 MFF is already being pushed to its limits less than two years after its adoption, a situation aggravated by the unforeseeable events of 2022; points out that it is simply not equipped, in terms of size, structure or rules, to respond to a multitude of crises of this scale, nor to adequately finance new shared EU policy ambitions and the swift implementation of the requisite EU-wide solutions; is very concerned, in this regard, about the ability from the European Union to respond to any future unknown crises that might happen by 2027;
Amendment 94 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recalls that the MFF is increased annually on the basis of a 2 % deflator applied to 2018 prices; underlines that spiralling energy prices and extreme energy market volatility caused mainly by Russia’s decision to cut gas supply have been feeding soaring inflation, with severe impacts on citizens, businesses and consumers; is deeply concerned that such unexpectedly high levels of inflation are placing the MFF under severe strain and reducing its purchasing power further, in a context where its overall level is already lower than previous MFFs in terms of share of the EU GDP; stresses that, in practice, this means that fewer Union projects and actions can be funded, thereby negatively impacting beneficiaries;
Amendment 99 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Observes the continuing demand for the EU budget to serve as a guarantee for additional necessary macro-financial assistance (MFA), especially for Ukraine; welcomes the EU support in this regard; notes, however, that the higher risks of default and the large amount at stake entail significant contingent liabilities;
Amendment 130 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Underlines that the unanimity requirement for adoption of the MFF Regulation impedes the necessary decisions in the revision process; calls, in that regard, on the European Council to activate the passerelle clause set out in Article 312(2) TFEU to allow for adoption of the MFF Regulation by qualified majority; recalls its proposals that the ordinary legislative procedure be applied for the adoption of the MFF Regulation;
Amendment 142 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Strongly supports the use of the Regulation on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the EU budget (the Conditionality Regulation); believes that its entry into force had a general deterrent effect on nationals authorities planning to breach the rule of law with EU funds; regrets its long- overdue application by the Commission in case of Hungary; commits to do whatever it can to ensure the respect of the provisions of the Regulation and their effective implementation; emphasises the clear link between respect for the rule of law and the efficient implementation of the EU budget; notes that any upscaling of the 2021-2027 MFF should aim to reinforce the protection of the rule of law and EU’s financial interests; underlines that the Conditionality Regulation aims first and foremost at protecting the EU budget rather than the rule of law; asks the Commission to assess how the Regulation could be improved to allow the EU to suspend EU funds whenever there are breaches of the rule of law in Member States in order to ensure the full respect of Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union;
Amendment 150 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Reaffirms its long-standing position that new political initiatives must be financed with additional fresh money and not to the detriment of well-established, pre-existing Union programmes or policies; strongly criticizes the systematic use of redeployments and the relabelling of existing programmes to finance new initiatives(“budgetwashing”);
Amendment 162 #
2022/2046(INI)
18. Highlights that many of the policy ambitions recently stated – notably in the fields of energy and strategic and industrial autonomy – and the new policy initiatives since January 2021 (Chips Act, Secure Connectivity, Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority) imply spending under Heading 1; opposes the use of agreed programme envelopes to finance new initiatives and believes that the margins are insufficient to accommodate the greater long-term needs; calls, therefore, for an increase in the ceiling of Heading 1;
Amendment 165 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Welcomes, in this regard, the announcement made by the Commission President in her State of the Union address on 14 September 2022, calling for the establishment of a European Sovereignty Fund; shares Commission’s concerns over the EU’s dependencies on non-EU countries, as it is the case for energy, critical industrial items, fertilisers, raw materials, chemicals and other key products for the European economy; commits to critically assess any proposal to make sure it responds to real needs and provides fresh means; calls in this regard for the establishment of a new dedicated Fund to secure the strategic autonomy of the Union by financing cross-border energy infrastructure, renewable energy production and energy efficiency, as well as supporting space, cybersecurity, key industrial sectors, the circular economy, food security, new partnerships, production of critical chemicals and raw materials; insists that any such new fund should be established according to the ordinary legislative procedure and function under the full oversight of the European Parliament and with direct management by the Commission; emphasises that its overall amount should be established on the basis of a clear assessment of the costs and investment gaps; asks all of it to be based on lessons learnt from NGEU and be presented with the upcoming MFF revision in 2023;
Amendment 170 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Regrets that, contrary to Parliament’s position, it was decidedcalls that the costs of EURI borrowing and the repayment of debt bare included as a budget line under Heading 2b, alongside flagship programmes such as Erasmus+, EU4Health, and Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values; stresses nevertheless that interest costs and debt repayment depend on market developments, are not discretionary spending, do not follow the logic of caps on spending and should never compete with programmes under the same ceiling; recalls that any activation of the Emergency Support Instrument also depends on the availability of an unallocated margin under the ceiling of this heading; reminds that this decision was taken for the 2021-2027 period only, without prejudice to future negotiations; insists, therefore, that the status quo presents significant risks to programme spending and that the repayment line be removed from Heading 2b and counted over and above the MFF ceilings;
Amendment 182 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Reiterates its position that the Social Climate Fund must be fully incorporated into the EU budget and within the MFF, without negatively impacting other programmes and funds under this heading, bearing in mind the importance of ensuring food security and delivering on the Green Deal; calls for the ceiling of Heading 3 to be adjusted accordingly; calls on the Council to move forward with the targeted MFF revision as soon as possible to integrate the Social Climate Fund into the MFF; reminds the other arm of the budgetary authority its obligation to respect budget unity;
Amendment 193 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Highlights that the necessary spending to enhance defence cooperation and investment cannot solely be covered within the ceiling of Heading 5; calls for the ceiling to be increased in line with needswelcomes the Commission’s upcoming proposal for a European defence investment programme (EDIP) in view of introducing joint procurement and life cycle management of military capabilities; calls for the ceiling to be increased in line with needs; considers, in this regard, that savings could be made thanks to a mutualisation of defence spending between the Member States at the EU level;
Amendment 198 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Deplores the fact that, even prior to the war against Ukraine, funds available under Heading 6 were woefully inadequate and that pressure has since increased substantially; underlines that the continued funding for the needs of refugees from Syria, Iraq and other countries was not factored into the MFF or NDICI-Global Europe negotiations and should therefore have been financed by fresh appropriations with a corresponding increase in the ceiling of Heading 6; highlights that, owing to the risk of default on MFA loans provided to Ukraine, a far higher rate of provisioning than the standard 9 % is likely to be required as further loans are rolled out, rather than redeployments; highlights that a far higher rate of provisioning than the standard 9 % is required for MFA loans provided to Ukraine as further loans are rolled out following the higher risk of default due to the war imposed by Russia; underlines that additional needs in Ukraine must not lead to money being diverted away from other geographic regions in need; insists, therefore, on an increase in the ceiling for Heading 6 to fully cover the current and projected future needs of the Union’s external action, which have dramatically increased both in neighbouring countries, especially in Ukraine, and worldwide as a result of the food, energy and economic crises;
Amendment 217 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Stresses that the MFF revision must not lead to any downwards revision of the pre-allocated national envelopes; emphasises the fact that the late agreement on the MFF for 2021-2027 and on the cohesion policy package, coupled with the COVID-19 crisis, led to a slow start to the programming process, but not because of the policy itself even though more administrative simplification is strongly needed; underlines that the delayed start does not in any way call into question the pivotal role and added value of cohesion policy as the essential Union investment policy and convergence instrument;
Amendment 222 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Recalls that payment appropriations flow directly from commitments and recalls, therefore, that any increase in the ceilings for commitments per heading will have to be accompanied by a correspondinglative increase in the ceiling for payments for the same or subsequent years;
Amendment 250 #
2022/2046(INI)
29. Stresses that, while crisis response measures are necessary and useful, cohesion policy is not a crisis response tool; is concerned that cohesion policy is increasingly being used to reinforce other policies and to make up for shortcomings in budgetary flexibility or crisis response mechanisms in the MFF; emphasises that cohesion policy is one of the priorities of the Union, has long-term investment objectives linked to the EU’s strategic agenda, in particular the European Green Deal and the Digital Agenda, and should not be used to replenish funding for other policies; calls, therefore, for cohesion funding levels to be preserved in the budget along with common agricultural policy;
Amendment 261 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Calls for annual appropriations for the Flexibility Instrument to be increased from EUR 915 million to EUR 2 billion; calls, in addition, for the SEAR to be split into two strands – the EAR and the EUSF – and for annual appropriations to be increased from EUR 1.2 billion for the SEAR overall to EUR 1 billion for each strand in 2018 prices; considers that this will provide vital additional resources to respond to current and emerging needs;
Amendment 272 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Insists that, beyond a reinforcement of the existing special instruments, it is necessary to establish a permanent fiscal capacity for the Euro Area and common crisis instrument as an additional permanent special instrument over and above the MFF ceilings so that the EU budget can better adapt and quickly react to crises and their social and economic effects;
Amendment 281 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Insists that decommitted appropriations should remain in the budge, fines not used for EU programmes top-ups in 2021-2027 and penalties should accrue to the crisis instrument so as to provide additional budgetary flexibility; underlines the need for corresponding changes to the Financial Regulation;
Amendment 286 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Underlines that many of the shortcomings and inadequacies in the current MFF are inherent in its logic and design, where predictability of spending drives decisions on structure and amounts and curbs flexibility; regrets the high tensions the MFF negotiations trigger due to its nature;
Amendment 290 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
37 a. Regrets the decrease of the EU budget in terms of percentage to the EU GDP over the last decades; considers that capping the EU budget at roughly 1% of the EU GDP as a rule impedes the EU from fulfilling its increasing tasks; calls on the Member States to take decisions based on needs instead of dogmas;
Amendment 301 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Deplores, however, the repeated use of off-budget instruments, in particular under Article 122 TFEU, which runs counter to citizens’ interests, as this frustrates oversight, accountability and the transparency of public spending; considers, in that regard, than an annual plenary debate in Parliament on all EU finances, including off-budget instruments, will be an important step towards enhancing transparency and accountability;
Amendment 304 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Stresses, in this context, that the trend towards increased use of external assigned revenue is not a satisfactory solution as it weakens the role of the budgetary authority (Parliament and the Council), thereby negatively impacting democratic scrutiny and reducing the transparency of the EU’s finances; demands legally sound solutions that allow for targeted, one-off or needs-based top- ups that display the same advantages as earmarkxternal assigned revenue (i.e. not counted against the ceilings), but that are at the same time subject to full control of the budgetary authority; reminds its strong commitment to the universality principle;
Amendment 308 #
2022/2046(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Calls on the Commission, furthermore, to begin a longer-term reflection on the EU budget post-2027 in the light of evolving spending needs and building on the work of the Conference on the Future of Europe with respect to own resources and the budget; insists that the successor to the current MFF be equipped to deal fully and flexibly with a range of policy priorities and spending needs and to ensure resilience in the event of crises; asks the Commission to review the whole architecture of the MFF, including through an assessment of the suitability of a long-term programming framework for all EU programmes and of the duration of programming periods of seven years;
Amendment 15 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)
Citation 12 a (new)
Amendment 18 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)
Citation 21 a (new)
— having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 08/12/2021 on the report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions entitled ‘New EU Forest Strategy for 2030"’,
Amendment 20 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 b (new)
Citation 21 b (new)
— having regard to the number of projects and practices to coordinate forest information in Europe (European National Forest Inventory Network (ENFIN), FUTMON project, DIABOLO project, European Atlas of Forest Tree Species Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) programme),
Amendment 30 #
2022/2016(INI)
A. whereas the EU has set the binding target of reaching climate neutrality by 20501a; whereas the EU is committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement; whereas forests and forest-based industries will play a major role in achieving these SDGs and Paris Agreement targets; _________________ 1a Regulation (EU) 1119/2021.
Amendment 50 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the TFEU makes no reference to a common EU forest policy; whereas Article 4 TFEU provides for a shared competence on environmental policy; whereas due to the specific diversity of the EU’s forests with regard to bio-geography, structure, size, biodiversity and ownership patterns, where environmental, climate and other relevant policy touches upon forests, it is necessary to duly apply the principle of subsidiarity and proportionality in the development and implementation of the new EU forest strategy (the strategy) and relevant EU legislation;
Amendment 52 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas as part of the Fit-for-55 package and the target to align climate policy with the Paris Agreement, the Renewable Energies Directive and the Regulation on the Inclusion of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry are under revision; whereas the Commission has proposed a Regulation on Deforestation-free Products; whereas in the light of the European concept of multifunctional forests, these initiatives must be coherent with the high-level political targets of the Green Deal, the Bioeconomy Action Plan, the Circular Economy Strategy, the Forest Strategy, the Biodiversity Strategy and the Long- Term Vision for Rural Areas;
Amendment 58 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas forests provide a wide array of ecosystem services, such as the provision of wood, non-wood products and food, carbon sequestration, shelter for biodiversity, clean air and water, benefits for local climate, protection against natural hazards like avalanches, flooding or rockfall, as well as recreational, cultural and historic value; whereas sustainable forest management seeks a balanced provision of the various ecosystem services and to support climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts;
Amendment 61 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
C b. whereas the INTEGRATE network is a platform of representatives of different European countries, accompanied by scientific advice, initiated by several Member State governments and supported by the Commission’s Standing Forestry Committee and has served to- date as an important driver of identifying means to integrate nature conservation in sustainable forest management; whereas the platform’s work has played an important role in the exchange of experiences and best practices;
Amendment 63 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
C c. whereas the Horizon 2020 funded ALTERFOR project considered the potential to optimise forest management methods currently in use and presented alternative forest management models with opportunities and challenges listed for each alternative;
Amendment 64 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Amendment 65 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)
Recital C e (new)
C e. whereas wood-based products contribute to climate change mitigation by storing carbon and substituting products with a large carbon footprint, including building- and packaging materials, textiles, chemicals and fuels; whereas wood-based products are renewable and to a large extend recyclable and as such have a huge potential to support a circular bioeconomy; whereas this makes the forestry sector and the forest-based industries key actors in a green economy;
Amendment 66 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C f (new)
Recital C f (new)
C f. whereas the provision of the various forest ecosystem services through the forestry sector and the forest-based industries is an important pillar of income and employment particularly in rural areas, but also in urban areas through downstream uses; whereas the implementation of the strategy should pay due attention to the development of income and employment, but also to attractiveness of employment in the sector, safety of work and the continuous development of adequate training opportunities for managers and workers;
Amendment 67 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C g (new)
Recital C g (new)
C g. whereas forest ownership across Europe is diverse in terms of size and ownership structure, including various forms of private and public ownership, leading to a great diversity of management models; whereas it is important that measures under the strategy take due account of the specific conditions and needs, as well as the protection of property rights and free enterprise in order to be effective;
Amendment 74 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas about 60 % of the EU’s forests are owned by 16 million private forest owners1a, of whom a significant share are small-holders1b; whereas involving and motivating these owners through a comprehensive policy and legislative framework, based on the recognition of their property rights, experience as managers and specific challenges, will be key to achieving the strategy’s targets, including the provision of climate and other ecosystem services; _________________ 1a Commission communication of 16 July 2021 on the “New EU Forest Strategy for 2030” (COM(2021) 572). 1b Europe: a majority of private holdings are up to 10 ha, FOREST EUROPE report on the “State of Europe’s Forests 2020” of 2020; DE: 50% of privately owned forest smaller than 20 ha, https://www.bmel.de/SharedDocs/Downlo ads/DE/Broschueren/bundeswaldinventur 3.pdf;jsessionid=972A5297B9463D98948 E787D1AA78F19.live921?__blob=public ationFile&v=3; FR: about 2/3 of private owners have less than 1 ha, https://franceboisforet.fr/wp- content/uploads/2021/04/Brochure_chiffr esClesForetPrivee_2021_PageApage_BD. pdf; FI: about 45% of owners have less than 10 ha, https://www.luke.fi/en/natural- resources/forest/forest-resources-and- forest-planning/forest-ownership/; LV: 50 % of owners have less than 5 ha, https://www.zm.gov.lv/public/ck/files/MA F_parskats_Silava_privat_meza_apsaimn _monitorings.pdf
Amendment 94 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas the EU’s Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 aims to "define, map, monitor and strictly protect all the EU’s remaining primary and old-growth forests";
Amendment 97 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
E b. whereas in order to deliver on the multiple forest functions including various benefits provided by products of the forest-based industries in an increasingly complex environment, the collection and maintenance of transparent and reliable high-quality data, the exchange of knowledge and best practices, as well as adequately funded and well-coordinated research are of central importance to meet the challenges and yield opportunities;
Amendment 103 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E c (new)
Recital E c (new)
E c. whereas criteria and indicators to define sustainable forest management commonly used in the EU are based on pan-European cooperation within the FOREST EUROPE process to which all Member States and the European Commission are signatories; whereas as part of its ongoing work programme, FOREST EUROPE has initiated a reassessment of the definition of sustainable forest management; whereas FOREST EUROPE collects and provides information on the status and trends in forests and forestry based on the criteria for sustainable forest management;
Amendment 110 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E d (new)
Recital E d (new)
E d. whereas on international level, the FAO is the main forum for the development of internationally agreed definitions on forests and forestry; whereas the FAO collects and provides data on forests and forestry; whereas the European Commission and Member States contribute to the work of the FAO;
Amendment 114 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E e (new)
Recital E e (new)
Amendment 119 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E f (new)
Recital E f (new)
E f. whereas the legitimate sanctions imposed on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine raise the question of the EU’s dependency on timber imports from Russia; whereas while the EU sources about 80 % of its demand for timber domestically, imports from Russia only account for about 2 % of total consumption; whereas Finland and Sweden are the EU’s major importers of unprocessed roundwood and will be affected by trade bans1a; _________________ 1a https://www.wur.nl/en/research- results/research-institutes/environmental- research/show-wenr/does-the-eu-depend- on-russia-for-its-wood.htm.
Amendment 133 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the new EU forest strategy and its ambition to increase the balanced contribution of multi-functional forests to the targets of the Green Deal, particularly the goals of creating green growth and green jobs, and of achieving a circular economy and climate neutrality by 2050;
Amendment 150 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recognises that the maintenance and, protection and sustainable use of healthy and resilient forests is a fundamental goal of all actors in forestry and the forest-based value chain, as well a key priority for people in the EU;
Amendment 161 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. IHighlights the continuous growing stock in European forests that differs from the global deforestation trend1a; acknowledges the efforts of all actors across the forest-based value chain that contributed to this development; is concerned by the increasing pressure on the EU’s forests and their habitats, mainly driven by climate change, and stresses the urgent need to increase forest and ecosystem resilience; , including by measures for adaptation to climate change, and to reduce pressures where feasible; notes with concern that the vulnerability of Europe’s forests to invasive pests and pathogens seems to have increased and that outbreaks are a threat to sequestered carbon1b; _________________ 1a FOREST EUROPE report on the “State of Europe’s Forests 2020” of 2020. 1b Science for Environment Policy (2021) European Forests for biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation. Future Brief 25. Brief produced for the European Commission DG Environment by the Science Communication Unit, UWE Bristol. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/ science-environment-policy.
Amendment 171 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises that the EU’s forests are characterised by diverse natural conditions, such as biogeography, size, structure and biodiversity, as well as in ownership patterns, forms of governance, challenges and opportunities, and that they have been formed by centuries of human intervention and management; stresses that in implementation all types of forests and situations require differing approaches in terms of forest management and the delivery of ecosystem services;
Amendment 189 #
2022/2016(INI)
5 a. Highlights the contribution to-date of forest owners and actors across the forest-based value chain to the efforts to achieve a sustainable and climate neutral economy by 2050 and the value of generational and historic knowledge and expertise in forestry and sustainable forest management;
Amendment 192 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines that although focussing on forests in the EU, the strategy must align with the work undertaken in international forums, such as FOREST EUROPE and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and should avoid duplicating work; further believes that, given the EU’s strong commitment to promoting the sustainable sourcing and use of resources globally, as underlined by the Commission’s proposal on a Regulation on Deforestation-free Products, the strategy should be implemented in such a way as to serve as a model of best practices and attracts imitators in other regions;
Amendment 212 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recognises the key role of forests in protecting the climate and biodiversity; underlines that the multi-functional role of forests comprises multiple socioeconomic functions, such as the provision of renewable raw materials, which leads to jobs and economic growth in rural and urban areas, the provision of clean water and air, protection against natural hazards and recreational value; stresses that the implementation of the strategy must ensure a balanced provision of all services and maintain and enhance competitiveness and innovation; underlines that the successful provision of services requires sustainable active management;
Amendment 217 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Believes that the key principle of balancing multiple forest functions and of defining goals and measures towards the achievement of all ecosystem services should be to seek maximising synergies and minimising trade-offs built on evidence-based information;
Amendment 221 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Stresses that forests contribute to climate change mitigation via carbon sequestration, carbon storage and the substitution of wood and wood products for fossil fuels and derived products and other products with high environmental and carbon footprints; notes that the strategy has a particular focus on storage in the construction sector and believes its implementation should clearly support a broader use of different options for storage and substitution, in line with the goals of the bioeconomy strategyregardless of life-span of products and based on science-based and robust life-cycle assessments, in line with the goals of the bioeconomy strategy and the industrial strategy and to unlock the full potential of forest-based products in strengthening the circular economy and in the fight against climate change;
Amendment 236 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Highlights that for short- and long- lived recyclable wood-based products to contribute optimally to climate change mitigation and a climate neutral and circular economy requires that they be used in the most efficient and sustainable way; believes that the cascading principle8 is a good guideline for efficient use, but must not use a static approach and therefore must be adjusted regularly to reflect innovative uses, such as in construction, textiles, biochemicals, medical applications and battery materials; stresses that a well-functioning, un- distorted market incentivises the efficient use of wood- based resources; _________________ 8 As outlined in the Commission’s ‘Guidance on cascading use of biomass with selected good practice examples on woody biomass’.
Amendment 253 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Underlines the importance of a reliable supply of wood, wood-based products and forest-based biomass to achieve the EU’s sustainability goals, including the green growth and jobs goal of the Green Deal, and notes that the demand is expected to continue to grow1a; believes that the EU’s forestry sector provide some of the most sustainably sourced raw materials; calls on the Commission to consider displacement effects and effects on competitiveness of the forestry sector and the forest-based industries, as well as to monitor any effects on the availability of wood following the implementation of measures under the strategy; _________________ 1a Hetemäki, L., Palahí, M. and Nasi, R. 2020. Seeing the wood in the forests. Knowledge to Action 01, European Forest Institute. ttps://doi.org/10.36333/k2a01; also see WWF Living Forests Report, Chapter 5, https://wwf.panda.org/discover/our_focus/ forests_practice/forest_publications_news _and_reports/living_forests_report/.
Amendment 262 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11 a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to assess dependencies on imports of timber from Russia in the light of legitimate sanctions following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and to develop strategies to mitigate disruptions where necessary;
Amendment 265 #
2022/2016(INI)
12. Recalls that 2.1 million people work in the forest-based sector, while the extended forest-based value chain supports 4 million jobs in the green economy1a; calls on the Commission and the Member States to monitor and assess the effects of a shift in the balance of forest functions on the overall employment situation; , in rural areas as well as in down-stream parts of the wood-processing industries, and highlights the need to maintain or improve the attractiveness of employment in the sector as well as work-place safety when considering changes in management practices; _________________ 1a Commission communication of 16 July 2021 on the “New EU Forest Strategy for 2030” (COM(2021) 572).
Amendment 296 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Highlights that pressure on forests from natural disasters and other disturbances is being increasingly intensified by climate change and that strengthening forests’ resilience and adaptation is a matter of urgency; notes the role that restoration and afforestation can play in strengthening resilience and enhancing biodiversity; notes that sustainable forest management as a dynamic concept consists of a broad array of actions and adaptive practices, many of which can play a key role in the climate mitigation potential of forests as well as offering measures, such as introducing better adapted species and provenances, strengthening forests’ contributions to the water cycle, sanitary fellings to contain pests, pathogens and invasive species, forest fire prevention and maintenance of protective functions, whilst underpinning their multifaceted nature and other roles;
Amendment 306 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Acknowledges that not all management practices contribute to carbon sequestration in forests, but stresses that practices and practitioners can adapt and modernise in order to best balance trade-offs, optimise their approach to achieving multiple objectives and creating synergies with climate change mitigation and adaptation goals and multiple other forest functions; highlights, that certain practices of management can help to restore forests and positively impact on carbon sequestration and the biodiversity and ecological situation, notably including voluntary set-aside;
Amendment 311 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Underlines that levels of protection are part of the sustainable forest management toolbox and stresses that as part of protection certain forms of intervention might be required, for instance to address natural disaster hazards or adaptation needs;
Amendment 345 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Reiterates its call for the protection of primary and old-growth forests and stresses the need to create a definitioncommon agreed understanding between Member States and all other stakeholders for what constitutes old-growth forests; welcomes the ongoing work of the Working Group on Forests and Nature and underlines the need to consider a diverse set of attributes and ensure flexibility to account for specific conditions in bio- geographic regions and forest types;
Amendment 352 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Welcomes the initiative to plant 3 billion additional trees by 2030 and particularly the principle of planting the right tree in the right place for the right purpose; underlines that attention should be given to avoiding to put additional pressure on the availability of agricultural land;
Amendment 405 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Points out that the forestry sector unlike the agricultural sector operates primarily as a market-based sector and without a distinct dependency on subsidies; stresses that putting a stronger emphasis on other ecosystem services should not lead to an increased dependency on subsidies and encourages the Commission and Member States to further pursue the development of market-based payment for ecosystem services schemes, such as carbon farming;
Amendment 408 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Welcomes the work undertaken by the Horizon 2020 funded SINCERE project in developing new business models for the provision of enhanced ecosystem services and believes lessons learned from this and similar projects will give valuable guidance on the development of payment for ecosystem services schemes; underlines the importance of applying the principle of additionality and of designing programmes in a way that rewards front- runners; further underlines that specific requirements of programmes need to take into account the wide variety of forests and their diverse challenges and opportunities; notes that the availability of reliable data on ecosystem services is a prerequisite for any payment scheme;
Amendment 415 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Acknowledges the important role and contribution of existing certification schemes to the further uptake of sustainable forest management; takes note of the Commission’s announcement on developing a ‘closer-to-nature’ certification scheme; encourages the Commission to cooperate with existing and proven certification schemes to explore how this additional voluntary certification could enhance their portfolio and believes that to create added value, the certification must offer forest owners a sufficient price premium for the provision of ecosystem services;
Amendment 424 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Highlights that to unlock the full potential of forests to contribute to climate and circular economy targets of the EU, further research and development in the field of bio-based alternatives to fossil-based products are required and should be incentivised;and innovation in the fields management practices and of bio-based alternatives to fossil-based products and other products with a large carbon footprint are required and should be incentivised; notes that development cycles in the sector may last 10 years or longer and underlines that a predictable and stable regulatory environment is a precondition to attracting investments; highlights that many innovations in the sector have high added value and provide high quality employment in rural areas as well as in the wood-processing industries and underlines the role of SME in the field;
Amendment 431 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Believes that to improve the coordinated provision of environmental and economic forest services, relevant EU framework programmes must be better aligned; programmes, including Horizon Europe, LIFE, EIP-AGRI, LEADER and EIT, must be better aligned; welcomes the Commission proposal to enhance EU cooperation by proposing a Research and Innovation partnership on forestry and calls on the Commission to develop comprehensive forest-focussed programmes including different functions and parts of the forest-sector value chain and including living-labs to test and demonstrate solutions for key challenges, building on existing and proven platforms such as the INTEGRATE network, the Forest-Technology Platform and including pan-European and international partners;
Amendment 436 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Stresses thatRecalls that 60 % of EU forests are privately owned and a significant share of forest owners are small-holders; stresses that in order to achieve the Strategy’s goals, the implementation of the strategy must focus on enabling small- holders to deliver on the multiple forest functions and calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that support programmes, payment for ecosystem services schemes and research funding are attractive and easily accessible to small-holders;
Amendment 442 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Underlines that the availability of advisory services are an important driver for the dissemination of sustainable forest management practices; encourages Member States to ensure the availability of advisory services, with particular attention to small-holders;
Amendment 443 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Underlines the importance of the forestry sector and the wood-based industries as a provider of jobs in rural communities as well as in urban areas through downstream uses and notes with concern the steady decline in employment and the high number of accidents in the sector1a; calls on the Commission and the Member States to monitor the effects of measures taken under the strategy on employment and work safety and highlights the importance of making this type of employment attractive, taking measures to increase the safety of work and adequately training workers; in the light of changing management practices, considering that discussed options often go hand in hand with higher (physical) labour intensity which also bears more risks for workers, which requires high quality vocational training as well as upskilling and reskilling opportunities; highlights the importance of making this type of employment attractive, taking measures to increase the safety of work and adequately training workers; calls on Member States to assess their advisory services in this respect and re-enforce where necessary; _________________ 1a FOREST EUROPE report on the “State of Europe’s Forests 2020” of 2020.
Amendment 450 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Stresses the importance of attracting young people and women in the sector and welcomes the Commission proposals to promote the establishment of a skills partnership under the Pact for Skills and make use of the European Social Fund Plus to work together to develop quality jobs and improve working conditions, as well as to increase the number of upskilling and reskilling opportunities in forestry;
Amendment 456 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Stresses that to attract young people as well as investments to the sector and throughout the value chain, a favourable environment in rural areas including digital, transport and community infrastructure is required and calls on Member States to use available funds to support the rural development in this regard;
Amendment 461 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the importance of accurate, integrated and up-to-date data on Europe’s forests and takes note of the initiative for a legislative proposal for a framework on forest observation, reporting and data collection; underlines that the broad availability, high quality and transparency of data are preconditions to meeting the goals of the strategy and believes that to deliver added value the framework must build on existing mechanisms and processes through a bottom-up approach to best use the expertise and experience present in the Member Statessuch as the national forest inventories, the Forest Information System for Europe (FISE), the ENFIN network, FOREST EUROPE and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) through a bottom-up approach to best use the expertise and experience present in the Member States and while avoiding the duplication of work and administrative burden and costs; calls on the Commission and Member States to ensure adequate funding and human resources for operative support for the framework;
Amendment 488 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Believes that due to the multi- functional contribution of forests to high- level EU goals and the different administrative levels and stakeholder groups involved, the cornerstones of the strategy’s implementation must be close cooperation and the exchange of best practices with national and regional experts, stakeholders, forest owners and managers, scientists, certification schemes and civil society; underlines that governance must take EU and Member State engagement in international processes into account; such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and FOREST EUROPE into account and that the implementation of the Strategy should seek to create synergies with the contribution to international commitments and cooperation, including on the continuous development of terminology and definitions;
Amendment 499 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Highlights the importance of the Standing Forestry Committee as a forum for discussingproviding comprehensive forestry expertise for discussing activities under the Strategy and other EU policies that impact the forestry sector; believes that to achieve policy alignment, the Commission should increase dialogue between the Standing Forestry Committee and other expert groups such as the Working Group on Forests and Nature, the Civil Dialogue Group on Forestry and Cork and the Expert Group on Forest-based Industries;
Amendment 503 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Underlines that the achievement of the Strategy’s goals depends on measures that are adapted to local conditions and challenges; therefore, calls on the Commission and Member States to facilitate the exchange of best practices at all levels and to strengthen stakeholder dialogue, particularly including forest managers, science and civil society groups;
Amendment 507 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. NotesAcknowledges that the implementation of the Strategy may lead to significant systemic changes for the forestry sector, through a shift from primarily timber-based revenue streams towards more complex revenue streams increasingly building on the provision of other ecosystem services, and highlights the need to monitor and understand its consequences; notes that the extensive overlap among policies and legislation thatand in some cases conflicting objectives impact forests and the forestry sector and stresses the importance of aligning them; calls on the Commission and Member States to continuously assess the cumulative effects of the different initiatives under the Strategy, combined with other relevant EU legislation and policies; calls on the Commission to report on this as part of its implementation report;
Amendment 518 #
2022/2016(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Expresses its concern about reports of illegal logging1a and ongoing infringement procedures1b and calls on the Commission and the Member States to increase their efforts to effectively implement relevant national and EU legislation; _________________ 1a European Court of Auditors Special Report 21/2021: EU funding for biodiversity and climate change in EU forests: positive but limited results. 1b Five ongoing infringement procedures against four Member States (cases 2016/2072, 2018/2208, 2018/4076, 2020/2033, 2021/4029).
Amendment 4 #
2022/0906(COD)
Draft Regulation
Recital 2 a (new)
Recital 2 a (new)
(2a) The transfer to the General Court of a part of the competence to examine requests for preliminary ruling should enable the Court of Justice to allocate more time and resources to the examination of more complex and sensitive requests for preliminary ruling. The General Court in turn has the capacity to address these requests as a priority matter, which will improve the efficiency of European justice and strengthen the implementation of the rights of European citizens. This transfer of competence should also promote the uniform application of EU law and increase legal certainty throughout the EU and its Member States.
Amendment 5 #
2022/0906(COD)
Draft Regulation
Recital 2 b (new)
Recital 2 b (new)
(2b) A new and improved distribution of labour between the Court of Justice and the General Court should also give way for a more intense dialogue between EU and Member States’ courts and tribunals. This dialogue is a centrepiece of the “ever closer union” and is critical to increase the resilience of European democracy and legal system. This dialogue could further be developed through an extended application of Article 101 of the Court’s rules of procedure, which allows the Court to request clarifications to the referring court, in addition to briefs or observations submitted by the interested parties referred to in Article 23 of the Statute.
Amendment 8 #
2022/0906(COD)
Draft Regulation
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The General Court is currently in a position to be able to deal with the increase in workload that will follow from that transfer of jurisdiction, as a result of the doubling of the number of its Judges andAs a result the measures taken in the context of the reform of the judicial framework of the Union resulting from Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2015/2422 of the European Parliament and of the Council the General Court is currently in a position to be able to deal with the increase in workload that will follow from that transfer of jurisdiction.13 Nevertheless, since the workload of the General Court is closely related to developments in the Union’s activity, care should be taken to ensure that the General Court remains capable of fully exercising its powers of review in respect of the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the Union, if necessary by means of increasing the number of its staff. _________________ 13 Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2015/2422 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2015 amending Protocol No 3 on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union (OJ L 341, 24.12.2015, p. 14).
Amendment 15 #
2022/0906(COD)
Draft Regulation
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) Having regard to the substantive criterion applicable to the distribution between the Court of Justice and the General Court of jurisdiction to give preliminary rulings, it is necessary, for reasons of legal certainty and expedition, for the referring courts not themselves to decide the question as to which of the Courts of the Union has jurisdiction to hear and determine a request for a preliminary ruling. Every request for a preliminary ruling must therefore be submitted to a single court, namely the Court of Justice, which will determine, in accordance with detailed rules to be set out in its Rules of Procedure, whether the request falls exclusively within one or several specific defined areas laid down in the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union and, accordingly, whether that request must be dealt with by the General Court. The Court of Justice will continue to have jurisdiction to adjudicate on requests for a preliminary ruling that, notwithstanding that they may be connected to those specific areas, also concern other areas, since the first subparagraph of Article 256(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union does not provide any possibility of transferring to the General Court jurisdiction to give preliminary rulings in areas other than the specific areas.
Amendment 20 #
2022/0906(COD)
Draft Regulation
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8a) The Court of Justice will continue to have jurisdiction to adjudicate on requests for a preliminary ruling that, notwithstanding that they may be connected to those specific areas, also concern other areas, since the first subparagraph of Article 256(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union does not provide any possibility of transferring to the General Court jurisdiction to give preliminary rulings in areas other than the specific areas.
Amendment 22 #
2022/0906(COD)
Draft Regulation
Recital 8 b (new)
Recital 8 b (new)
(8b) In order to ensure compliance with the principle of legality, the provisions of the Statute should clearly state that the Court of Justice will retain jurisdiction where, pursuant to Article 256, paragraph 3, first paragraph of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union, the request for a preliminary ruling, notwithstanding the fact that the main proceedings fall under one or more of the subjects referred to in Article 50b, paragraph 1, of the Statute, raises autonomous questions of interpretation of primary law, international public law, general principles of law or of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, taking into account the horizontal nature of the latter.
Amendment 23 #
2022/0906(COD)
Draft Regulation
Recital 8 c (new)
Recital 8 c (new)
(8c) In order to ensure clarity and legal predictability in the implementation of the distribution of competence to examine preliminary rulings, the Court should publish and update periodically a list of examples illustrating the application of article 50b of the Statute.
Amendment 28 #
2022/0906(COD)
Draft Regulation
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) In addition, in order to maintain in particular the consistency of preliminary rulings given by the General Court, and in the interests of the proper administration of justice, provision should be made for a formation of the court of an intermediate size between the chambers of five Judges and the Grand Chamber. As a result of the new competences of the General Court, which will become final judge in addressing certain requests for preliminary ruling, the intermediate size chamber should sit in full composition where a Member State or an institution of the European Union concerned so requests.
Amendment 32 #
2022/0906(COD)
Draft Regulation
Recital 14 a (new)
Recital 14 a (new)
(14a) This Regulation provides for a significant development of the judiciary framework of the Union, of which the implementation should be monitored closely. To this end, the Court should report no later than three years after the entry into force of this Regulation, on the transfer to the Court of preliminary jurisdiction in specific subjects and the extension of the mechanism of the prior admission to appeals to the Court to the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission. In this report, the Court should draw up an assessment of the implementation of this reform. In particular, this report should contain elements to appreciate the achievement of the objectives pursued by this reform, taking into account both the speed at which cases are processed as well as the qualitative gains observed in the examination of appeals and requests for preliminary ruling in more complex and sensitive cases.
Amendment 33 #
2022/0906(COD)
Draft Regulation
Recital 14 b (new)
Recital 14 b (new)
(14b) It is for the above reasons appropriate to amend Protocol No 3 on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union in the following way:
Amendment 35 #
2022/0906(COD)
Draft Regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Protocol No 3 on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union
Article 50
Article 50
The General Court, seized pursuant to Article 267 of the Treaty on the functioning of the European Union, shall sit in full intermediate size chamber when a Member State or an institution of the Union concerned so requests.
Amendment 37 #
2022/0906(COD)
Draft Regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Protocol No 3 on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union
Article 50b
Article 50b
– the Customs Code and the tariff classification of goods under the Combined Nomenclature;
Amendment 39 #
2022/0906(COD)
Draft Regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Protocol No 3 on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union
Article 50b
Article 50b
- the tariff classification of goods under the Combined Nomenclature;
Amendment 42 #
2022/0906(COD)
Draft Regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Article 2 – paragraph 1
Protocol No 3 on the Statute of the Court of Justice of the European Union
Article 50b
Article 50b
1a. A request for a preliminary ruling does not come exclusively within one or several of the above specific areas when it raises autonomous questions of interpretation of primary law, international public law, general principles of law or of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
Amendment 52 #
2022/0906(COD)
Draft Regulation
Article 4 a (new)
Article 4 a (new)
Amendment 2 #
2022/0337(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights the increasing number of severe and destructive natural disasters in Europe, as evidenced both by the 2021 floods and the recent record extensive wildfires in the summer of 2022; underlines that due to climate change such extreme weather events resulting in emergencies are going to further intensify and multiply; urges the Union therefore to strengthen its efforts to tackle climate change both in the Union and globally;
Amendment 6 #
2022/0337(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses the urgent need to release financial assistance through the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to ensure that support can reach the affected regions in a timely manner; regrets at the same time that the maximum amount available for that EUSF mobilisation is much lower than the potential aid amount that could be covered and comes more than a year after the events took place due to the inflexible mobilisation rules of the EUSF; urges the Commission to come forward with a model on faster and more timely mobilisation of the EUSF; believes that the available resources for EUSF should be increased and made available in a more timely manner as part of the ambitious multiannual financial framework revision;
Amendment 9 #
2022/0337(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Reiterates the importance of communicating to the public the tangible benefits brought about by the EUSF, in order to further increase citizens’ trust in Union tools and programmes; calls on the Commission and the Member States to step up communication efforts to improve the public awareness of the interventions done with financing under the EUSF;
Amendment 10 #
2022/0337(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Stresses that the awarding, management and implementation of EUSF grants should be as transparent as possible, and that the grants shall be used in line with the principles of sound financial management;
Amendment 29 #
2022/0212(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Notes that the EU provides institutional support to the Organisation of African Caribbean and Pacific States from several Global Europe budget lines; stresses that this support needs to include and ensure a more adequate support to the Joint Parliamentary Assembly in order to properly reflect Parliament’s priorities; calls therefore on the European Commission to ensure that the EU’s financial support to the Organisation of African Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) henceforth will be designed in a way that more adequately incorporates the parliamentary dimension of the EU- OACPS partnership, namely in terms of human resources being dedicated specifically to the joint parliamentary and regional assemblies set up under the Cotonou Agreement and the future Partnership Agreement with OACPS countries respectively.
Amendment 17 #
2022/0196(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
having regard to the Intergovernmental Panel Special Report of 24 September 2019 on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROCC),
Amendment 29 #
2022/0196(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) In the final report of the Conference on the Future of Europe, published on 9 May 2022, when it comes to the proposals on agriculture, food production, biodiversity and ecosystems, pollution, citizens ask the Union in particular to significantly reduce the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers, in line with the existing targets, while still ensuring food security, and support for research to develop more sustainable and natural- based alternatives. Citizens ask for more research and innovations, including in technological solutions for sustainable production, plant resistance, and precision farming, and more communication, advisory systems, and training for and from farmers as well as asking the Union to protect insects, in particular indigenous and pollinating insects. Citizens are also calling for water sources to be protected and for something to be done to combat pollution of rivers and oceans55. _________________ 55 Conference on the Future of Europe – Report on the Final Outcome, May 2022, Proposals 1 and 2, pp. 43-44.
Amendment 39 #
2022/0196(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 26 b (new)
Recital 26 b (new)
(26b) Plant protection products, frequently detected in concentrations exceeding legal or environmental standards, are a source of diffuse pollution, contaminating water and harming aquatic organisms and biodiversity. Since water quality is essential for human well-being and our marine and coastal ecosystems, professionals in developing countries require support in cutting the use of plant protection products. The European institutions have a responsibility to encourage and support partner countries at international level in moving towards the sustainable use of pesticides, with particular emphasis on ensuring the availability of alternatives as soon as possible.
Amendment 47 #
2022/0196(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 19 – paragraph 3
Article 19 – paragraph 3
3. By … [OP: please insert the date of application of this Regulation], Member States shall have in place appropriate measures to avoidlimit the extensive damage caused by diluted pesticides in aquatic ecosystems, halt the accelerating deterioration of surface and groundwater status as well as coastal and marine waters and allow achievement of good surface and groundwater status, to protect the aquatic environment and drinking water supplies from the impact of plant protection products to achieve, at least, the objectives set out in Directives 2000/60/EC, 2006/118/EC, 2008/105/EC, 2008/56/EC and (EU) 2020/2184.
Amendment 13 #
2022/0068(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The Union and the United Kingdom may conclude other bilateral agreements between them that constitute supplementing agreements to the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and such supplementing agreements are an integral part of the overall bilateral relations as governed by this Agreement and form part of the overall framework. It is recalled that in accordance with Article 774 of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement that agreement neither applies to Gibraltar nor has any effects in that territory.
Amendment 18 #
2022/0068(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Should the need arise to exercise its rights in implementing and enforcing the Withdrawal Agreement and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the Union should be in a position to make appropriate use of the instruments available to it swiftly and in a proportionate, effective and flexible manner, while fully involving Member States and the European Parliament. The Union should also be able to take appropriate measures if effective recourse to binding dispute settlement under those Agreements is not possible because the United Kingdom does not cooperate in making such recourse possible. It is therefore necessary to lay down rules and procedures governing the adoption of those measures.
Amendment 19 #
2022/0068(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
Amendment 21 #
2022/0068(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 b (new)
Recital 5 b (new)
(5 b) Without prejudice to the powers of the Commission laid down in this Regulation, the European Parliament and the Council should be able to exercise their right of scrutiny under Article 11 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011.
Amendment 25 #
2022/0068(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) Since only the Union is party to the TCA and the WA, action at the level of international law in respect of these agreements can only be taken by the Union where they concern its exclusive competences, and thus the objective of this Regulation, namely to lay down rules and procedures governing the exercise of Union's rights under the Withdrawal Agreement and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and to empower the Commission to adopt the necessary measures including, as appropriate, restrictions in trade, investment or other activities within the scope of the latter Agreement cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States but can rather, by reason of its scale and effects, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. Moreover, since only the Union is Party to the TCA and the WA, action at the level of international law in respect of these agreements can only be taken by the Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective,.
Amendment 35 #
2022/0068(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. The measures to be adopted pursuant to paragraph 1 shall be determined on the basis of the following criteria, in light of available information and of the Union's general interest:proportionality to the objectives pursued, the effectiveness of the measures in inducing compliance of the United Kingdom with the agreements referred to in Article 1(1) and any specific criteria that may be established in the agreements in connection with the measures referred to in Article 1(2).
Amendment 37 #
2022/0068(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point a
Amendment 39 #
2022/0068(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point b
Amendment 41 #
2022/0068(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point c
Amendment 42 #
2022/0068(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point d
Amendment 44 #
2022/0068(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 2 – paragraph 2 – point e
Amendment 48 #
2022/0068(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. The Commission shall fully inform the European Parliament and the Council simultaneously and in a timely manner of all difficulties that may arise, in particular possible breaches of the Agreements and other situations that may give rise to measures taken pursuant to this Regulation, as well as of its intention to adopt measures referred to in paragraph 1 and of the follow up to any measures taken in order to enable a meaningful exchange of views to take place. The European Parliament shall have the possibility to give its opinion to the Commission, which the Commission shall consider before it adopts any enforcement measures. If the Commission does not follow the position of the European Parliament, the Commission shall explain the reasons for not doing so.
Amendment 50 #
2022/0068(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 4
Article 2 – paragraph 4
4. Where there is a particular concern of one or more Member States, or the European Parliament, that or those Member States may request the Commission to adopt measures referred to in Article 1(2), or the European Parliament may request the Commission to review its concern and assess the need to adopt such measures. If the Commission does not respond positively to such a request, it shall inform the European Parliament and the Council in a timely manner of its reasons.
Amendment 54 #
2022/0068(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 5
Article 2 – paragraph 5
5. If, due to persisting significant divergences, rebalancing measures referred to in Article 1(2), point (c), of this Regulation last for more than a year, one or more Member States may request the Commission to activate the review clause provided for in Article 411 of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, or the European Parliament may express its concern and request the Commission to review its concern and assess the need to activate the review clause. The Commission shall examine this request in a timely manner and shall consider seizing as appropriate the Partnership Council of that matter, in accordance with the provisions set out in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. If the Commission does not respond positively to such a request, it shall inform the European Parliament and the Council in a timely manner of its reasons.
Amendment 72 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights the diversity of rural areas across the EU; recalls that rural areas close to urban centres, in remote areas or mountainous zones, and in outermost regions and in sparsely populated areas face different challenges requiring targeted solutions;
Amendment 78 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that policies and actions at EU level combined with national and, regional and local ones are key to securing the prosperity and well-being of rural European citizens, as well as tackling the challenges they face, namely population decline and ageing, fewer quality job opportunities, a lack of access to high- quality services of general interest such as access to water services, sanitation, road connectivity, healthcare, education, broadband internet and other basic services, climate and environmental pressures, lower connectivity and limited access to innovation;
Amendment 87 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Underlines that demographic evolution within rural areas is crippled by population decline; notes that ageing population and youth rural exodus are examples of issues which need to be addressed while carrying out actions for rural areas;
Amendment 112 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Draws attention to the growing discontent among rural populations who feel their needs are insufficiently considered in political decision-making and who feel underrepresented, which creates fertile ground for civic and political disengagement and could lead to the development of various forms of extremisms; believes that in some Member States, elections in recent years have showcased that the rural urban divide is growing larger and it should compel public officials to address this feeling of economic and social detachment;
Amendment 135 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Underlines that rural areas can be the scene of significant population variations such as seasonal ones related to tourism;
Amendment 140 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Underlines that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are essential for achieving economic growth as they are a major source for generating employment, creating wealth and alleviating poverty, particularly in rural and remote areas; a stronger support to SMEs is also a means to maintain and attract skilled workers in rural areas;
Amendment 142 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Is deeply concerned that in some rural areas, people with disabilities still tend to face more challenges than their counterparts in urban areas; calls on the Commission and on the Member States that have not already done so to dedicate special attention to the vulnerable groups, living in the rural areas, such as people with disabilities and ensure that their special needs are being addressed; calls on the Commission to further harmonise practices between Member States in terms of inclusion of people with disabilities;
Amendment 144 #
2021/2254(INI)
5e. Underlines that rural areas are affected by territorial inequalities compared to urban areas; underlines that those inequalities can take the shape of weaker access to quality housing and an efficient transport network; underlines the importance of favouring quality housing for rural area populations by rendering it more independent and resilient and thereby improving their standards of living, for instance, by means of enhanced energy efficiency; underlines the importance of supporting and developing an integrated transportation system which would improve the synchronisation between multiple modes of transportation;
Amendment 158 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Agrees on the need for a common, EU-wide, functional definition of rural areas, and urges the Commission to quickly develop and operationalise such a definition while taking into consideration their diversity; invites, in that sense, the Commission to propose common indicators for all Member States while leaving them in charge of setting relevant thresholds to identify those functional rural areas; notes that this definition could be used to compare and inform the evolutions of European rural areas, or allow a more targeted implementation of policies and measures among those territories;
Amendment 172 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Supports the development of a Rural Pact; considers that it needs concrete objectives, deliverables, governance and monitoring systems, and institutional responsibilities; this Rural Pact should serve the Commission as an opportunity to facilitate the sharing of good practices between rural areas and help them employ the tools at their disposal;
Amendment 186 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Calls on Member States to adopt national rural agendas; calls on Member States to use those national rural agendas to define the method, the calendar and the means to address the issues faced by rural areas;
Amendment 215 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines that the European Green Deal and the Digital transformation can open up new opportunities in rural areas and a new dynamic for a more resilient future, while ensuring a just and inclusive transition and numerous possibilities for sustainable jobs;
Amendment 246 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. underlines that it is important not to set the preservation of biodiversity against the management of large carnivores; invites the Commission to advance on this topic which is too often left aside and minimized, which is detrimental to the social link; calls on the Commission to ensure a common management of large carnivores while concerting all the concerned actors;
Amendment 254 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. invites the Commission to encourage a discussion on large carnivores with rural actors, to promote knowledge sharing especially in regions in which large carnivores have previously been absent for centuries and to inform stakeholders and farmers of financing possibilities for preventive measures against attacks on livestock; calls on the Commission to ensure a cross border and cross regional monitoring of large carnivores to promote coordinated approaches across Member States;
Amendment 262 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new)
Paragraph 14 c (new)
14c. Stresses that digital technologies have the potential to increase the attractiveness of the agricultural sector for young farmers, to increase its productivity, to make the sector more efficient, sustainable, and competitive; underlines, in this regard, the importance of furthering the adoption of new technologies and bridge the existing digital divide;
Amendment 318 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Highlights that the production of renewable energy can significantly contribute to the development of rural areas and improve their climate, environmental and economic perspectives;
Amendment 324 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Stresses that sustainable, profitable, clean and efficient farms and enterprises could significantly benefit from renewable energy sources and sustainably produced biofuels; calls on the Commission and on the Member States to enhance the production and use of renewable energy for enterprises located in rural areas, also by means of identifying the main practical barriers and the new and best practices and tools that are already applied; stresses that it has the potential to improve the energy independence of the enterprises and local public authorities located in rural areas, reduce their energy bills and further diversify and increase their income; brings forward the REPOWER EU communication, that focuses on increasing the share of biomethane production in EU to 35 bcm by 2030, stresses that this increase will not be possible without intense investment in the infrastructure but highlights that it can bring many opportunities to rural areas;
Amendment 351 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses that the digital transition brings about new opportunities for rural areas, which are only accessible if there is adequate, stable and accessible broadband coverage; warns of the risks of the widening of the rural digital gap as a result of the lack of Internet access including 5G coverage, and calls on Member States to mobilise all available instruments to prevent it;
Amendment 368 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Calls on the Commission, Member States and local authorities to promote interactions between urban and rural areas; underlines that urban and rural areas would benefit from an improved cooperation; underlines that it would be opportune to develop town-twinning and alliance mechanisms between urban and rural areas;
Amendment 424 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Amendment 439 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 b (new)
Paragraph 25 b (new)
25b. underlines the success of payments for areas with natural constraints provided by the CAP in terms of economic dynamics and preservation of sustainable activities in those areas; stresses the importance to maintain those payments in the future too;
Amendment 447 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Stresses the importance of short supply chains and organic agriculture for the development of rural areas and strengthening their economic and social development; encourages the Commission and Member States to promote these agricultural models alongside other sustainable models;
Amendment 450 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls for more community-based policyand less centralized policy and support measures design, involving local actors, authorities and civil society, and insists therefore that they must play an active role from decision-making to policy implementation and evaluation;
Amendment 464 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
28a. Recalls that some projects for the benefit of rural areas are not implemented because of a lack of dedicated skills or human resources in those areas; invites the Commission to support capacity building in rural areas which lack capabilities and dedicated skills to implement relevant projects; stresses that, going beyond project design for rural areas, a particular effort should be placed into their implementation;
Amendment 483 #
2021/2254(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Underlines the importance of generational renewal and the facilitation of access to land for the sustainability and prosperity of the sector; highlights the important role that young farmers play in modernizing EU agriculture and creating more opportunities in rural areas; calls on the Commission and on Member States to develop targeted policies to encourage generational renewal and remove all existing barriers for access to land and funding, as well as to remove the administrative burdens facilitating further development of the sector; stresses that, given the general decline of the number of farmers and the aging of the population, young farmers will play an even more important role in the future;
Amendment 1 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has deepened the already significant SDG financing gap and caused an overall decline in resources of USD 700 billion, and, at the same time, an increase in needs of USD 1 trillion, causing a scissor effect, so that the pre-pandemic SDG annual funding gap in developing countries of USD 2.5 trillion is expected to increase by 70 % post-COVID-19, to USD 4.2 trillion (EUR 3.7 trillion)6 a; _________________ 6a OECD report of 10 December 2020 entitled ‘Global Outlook on Financing for Sustainable Development 2021: A New Way to Invest for People and Planet’J L 209, 14.6.2021, p. 1.
Amendment 2 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas there is an annual financing gap of USD 148 billion in low- and lower-middle-income countries in relation to achieving SDG 4 between now and 2030; whereas additional costs resulting from COVID-19-related school closures risk increasing this financing gap by up to one third;
Amendment 3 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine has drastically exacerbated the situation of SDGs in Ukraine and its neighbouring countries; whereas the current Russian military aggression in Ukraine will impact the worldwide implementation of the SDGs, particularly in relation to the fight against poverty and hunger, which heighten the risks of growing civil unrest, conflicts and irregular migration; whereas the destructive consequences caused by the criminal act of Putin’s war have significantly diverted the already scarce resources of development aid; whereas the long-term consequences of this war are as yet unknown; whereas the major shortfall in SDG financing and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been devastating across the developing world, demands an extraordinary sustained response from all EU actors and a system-wide review of the European financial architecture for development (EFAD);
Amendment 4 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the current political and financial leadership of and efforts by the EU are not sufficient for achieving the SDGs and the goals of the Paris Agreement and addressing other acute global challenges requires joint engagement at international level, in particular worsening climate change, the dramatically increased debt burden of partner countries, the consequences of COVID-19 and violent conflicts, and therefore joint engagement at international level is required to ensure that EFAD is able to respond to these emerging challenges;
Amendment 5 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas in order to actually achieve the SDGs and to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, policy coherence and close cooperation between all official development finance institutions, their government shareholders, EU institutions and all existing partners is urgently needed to ensure that scarce public money is used in the most effective and efficient way; whereas the successful mobilisation of further capital, both private and public, in addition to official development assistance (ODA) and other existing forms of development finance, is critical and needs to be aligned with development policy objectives, particularly with a view to reducing inequalities and poverty as the first goal of Agenda 2030;
Amendment 6 #
2021/2252(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that despite some recent improvements, the current status quo is characterised by a lack of policy steer, coordination, fragmentation, duplication and unhelpful continued competition between the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and European development and finance institutions; underlines the need to make the current system more efficient and focused to ensure an optimal use of resources, a better return on EU taxpayers’ money and a stronger development impact;
Amendment 6 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas food insecurity is a significant barrier to achieving the SDGs, particularly in Africa, where 2 in 10 people are undernourished; whereas this challenge will only become more acute as a result of population growth; whereas EU cooperation with partner countries needs to tackle this challenge effectively, in a sustainable manner;
Amendment 7 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the establishment of the Team Europe approach as the global EU response to COVID-19 could help to establish a single strategic coordination framework for the EU’s external response to the pandemic, in support of partnerEU institutions and the 27 EU Member States together constitute the largest donor for developing countries, responsible for approximately 46 % of the total ODA provided by all OECD ODA members to developing countries;
Amendment 8 #
2021/2252(INI)
D a. whereas the creation of the Team Europe approach as the global EU response to COVID-19 could help to establish a single strategic coordination framework for the EU’s external response to the pandemic and other major challenges, such as the consequences of Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine, in support of partner countries; whereas this approach is a promising process in enabling further cooperation between the EU institutions, the Member States and European bilateral and multilateral development finance institutions, the EIB and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), continuously increasing the EU’s collective effectiveness and visibility;
Amendment 9 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has deepened the already significant SDG financing gap and caused an overall decline in resources of USD 700 billion, and, at the same time, an increase in needs of USD 1 trillion, causing a scissor effect, so that the pre-pandemic SDG annual funding gap in developing countries of USD 2.5 trillion is expected to increase by 70 % post-COVID-19, to USD 4.2 trillion (EUR 3.7 trillion)6 ; _________________ 6 OECD report of 10 December 2020 entitled ‘Global Outlook on Financing for Sustainable Development 2021: A New Way to Invest for People and Planet’.
Amendment 9 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
D b. whereas the entry into force of the NDICI – Global Europe, with an overall budget of EUR 79.5 billion, constitutes an historic change in the EU’s external and development policies, leading to the rationalisation and consolidation of EU development spending, and giving new impetus to greater cooperation between European development actors; whereas NDICI – Global Europe significantly modifies the external investment framework, bringing together blended finance and guarantees under the EFSD+ – External Action Guarantee (EAG); whereas the EFSD+ considerably expands the geographical scope and financial envelope of its predecessor, the EFSD, and will be able to guarantee operations up to EUR 53.4 billion through the EAG; whereas the ‘policy first’ principle at the core of NDICI – Global Europe represents a shift towards cooperation driven by policy objectives and ensures that the use of EU budgetary guarantees is covered by the programming process;
Amendment 10 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
D c. whereas the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+), established under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI – Global Europe) instrument, provides funding for blending and budgetary guarantee operations, which are to be implemented by eligible partners in an open and collaborative approach;
Amendment 11 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the entry into force of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) – Global Europe, with an overall budget of EUR 79,5 billion, constitutes a historic change in EU external and development policies, leading to the rationalisation and consolidation of EU development spending, and giving new impetus to greater cooperation between European development actors;
Amendment 11 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
F a. whereas EU companies and financing institutions operating in developing countries during the last decade have increasingly faced unfair competition from global players that operate outside the multilateral development finance system, which provides for an international set of rules and regulations, such as specific requirements for ODA, officially supported credits, sustainable lending and debt sustainability, prohibited export subsidies and international standards to combat bribery and corruption;
Amendment 12 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+), established under the NDICI-Global Europe instrument, provides funding for blending and budgetary guarantee operations, to be implemented by eligible partners in an open and collaborative approach and fully in line with EU policies standards, rules and procedures;
Amendment 12 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
F b. whereas properly functioning Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) and support for Domestic Resource Mobilisation (DRM) is an integral part of sound financial management and is aimed at increasing aid effectiveness through concrete initiatives, such as supporting the fight against corruption, the development of progressive tax systems and tackling tax avoidance and evasion;
Amendment 13 #
2021/2252(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission, the Member States, the EIB, the EBRD and European development and finance institutions to strengthen their cooperation within the EFSD+ open architecture by taking a Team Europe approach; stresses the need for greater specialisation and a better division of labour to ensure synergies and complementarities; underlines the need to move away from the current project-based approach towards sector-based programming involving all stakeholders from the start, including private investors, to increase leverage and impact;
Amendment 13 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
A c. whereas Russia’s war in Ukraine has drastically exacerbated the situation of SDGs in Ukraine and its neighbouring countries; whereas the current Russian aggression in Ukraine will impact the worldwide implementation of the SDGs, especially concerning the fight against poverty and hunger, which raise the risks of growing civil unrest, conflicts and irregular migration; whereas the humanitarian consequences caused by the criminal act of Putin’s war significantly deviate the already scarce resources of development aid; whereas the long term consequences of this war are yet unknown.
Amendment 13 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F c (new)
Recital F c (new)
F c. whereas Member States have called on European development banks and financial institutions to increase their collaboration and coordination, both among themselves and with other multilateral and international financial institutions, building on the strengths and expertise of each institution, thereby enhancing the efficiency, visibility and impact of EFAD, and encouraging further mobilisation of the private sector while continuing to complement and support public sector engagement;
Amendment 14 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. StresEmphasises that the EFAD should provide for an efficient, effective, coherent and inclusive architecture, underpinned by the ‘policy- first-driven European financial architecture for development (’ principle as the backbone of EFAD’s structure, and in line with the strategic interests and values of the EU; insists that all implementing partners who are part of EFAD and access EU budget funds under the EFSD+ apply the full range of EU social, human rights, procurement, transparency and environment and rule of law standards, policies and procedures; calls on the Commission to assess, monitor and report back on the adherence to these EU rules; stresses that the policy- first-driven EFAD) should be guided by the principles and objectives set out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, and should contribute to the achievement of the SDGs; reiterates that projects involving EFAD actors must be subject to climate, environmental and social sustainability- proofing with a view to minimising any possible detrimental impact and maximising the benefits in the climate, environment and social dimensions, in line with the commitments of the EU and its Member States under Article 2.1(c) of the Paris Agreement; strongly insists that operations under the new EFAD contribute to mitigation and adaptation to climate change; further insists, in this context, that operations involving EFAD actors do not finance sectors that bolster the climate crisis but contribute instead to the transition to sustainable energy production; recalls that the EU’s political engagement should be embodied in its multiannual financial framework and fully reflected in its European financial architecture for development;
Amendment 15 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas leadership and efforts from the EU alone to achieve achieving the SDGs and the goals of the Paris Agreement and addressing other acute global challenges arequires not sufficient, and hence joint engagement at international level is required;
Amendment 15 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. sStrongly insists that EFAD must strengthen the strategic partnerships between the European Union and its global development partners; reiterates that such partnerships should always be based on mutual respect and dignity, shared interests and values, in particular human rights, gender equality, environmental, social and climate responsibility, health and security, aimed at reducing inequalities and poverty; repeats that these partnerships should always be established in line with, and in an effort to, achieve the SDGs; points, in this regard, to the multidimensional influence of and support to Putin’s regime by the African continent and calls for the EU and its Member States to reach out to these African partner countries and to establish reliable partnerships; calls on the Commission to involve civil society organisations and NGOs, including local organisations, in the establishment and implementation of such partnerships; underlines that a prerequisite for the partnership projects financed through EFAD is to ensure development and financial additionality, as well as country ownership and development effectiveness; advocates EU policies and initiatives supporting coordination and cooperation between Member States in the field of development policy, and the EU’s actions complementing and supporting the initiatives of Member States; stresses that the eradication of poverty (SDG 1), fostering good health and well-being (SDG 3), ensuring access to quality education for all (SDG 4, reducing inequalities (SDG 10) and promoting climate action (SDG 13), with a particular focus on the most marginalised groups and leaving no one behind, are especially acute challenges in today’s world;
Amendment 16 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines the interconnection between development and security; humanitarian aid, development cooperation and peace; highlights the role that development plays in preventing conflicts, ensuring durable exits from conflicts and bolstering crisis management; insists on the importance of further developing a well-tailored development-security nexustriple nexus focused on a people-centred, structural, and sustainable long-term recovery, in order to address the complexities of protracted and predictable crises and violent situations; recalls that, without peace and security, development and poverty eradication are not possible, while without development and poverty eradication, sustainable peace, human or state security cannot be established; further notes that a lack of security exacerbates the already existing vulnerabilities in developing countries and increases the funding gap for achieving the SDGs; takes note of the fact that security, the rule of law and resilient institutions are essential for investments and for sustainable development; notes the activities of local stakeholders, including local government bodies, civil society organisations, social partners and faith-based organisations in conflict resolution and management, contributing to peace and security; recalls that ODA should always be used in line with internationally agreed development objectives and NDICI – Global Europe;
Amendment 17 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises the role of a collective, coherent EU approach, supported and endorsed by all EU Member States, which is politically savvy and tailored to the specificities of the partner country, and which could be effective in helping to foster the expansion of social protection systems in developing countrfostering the expansion of social protection systems that are in line with the relevant ILO conventions, and of essential public services in developing countries; points out that such an EU approach would help make social protection one of the foundations of the social contract, paving the way to enhanced resilience; considers blended finance to be an option from the development finance toolbox that could complement public investment in a constrained budgetary context; calls for blending operations to be limited to areas where they can add value to the local economy and calls, in this context, for a careful assessment, in particular when targeting least-developed countries, with a view to limiting debt burdens, safeguarding essential public services such as health, education and social protection, and not widening existing inequalities;
Amendment 18 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines that consistency across all EU financing instruments,Underlines that consistency across all EU policies, strategies, initiatives and financing instruments, notably the new NDICI – Global Europe instrument, the Team Europe initiatives and strategiesthe new Global Gateway strategy, as well as close alignment with the EU’s strategy for PCD and Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD) is crucial in order to maximise the EU’s global response tofor sustainable growth, development and peace; believes that EFAD should improve the EU’s visibility and the impact of its development finance in the world, in order to ensure that the EU’s perceived role in the world matches the magnitude of its support;
Amendment 19 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. iIs alarmed at how the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the long-standing structural drivers of health inequalities; believes that EFAD should contribute to investments in resilient public health systems, healthcare and healthcare services, and in research and development of new health technologies, as well as of vaccines, treatments and focusing on diseases that are recurrent in developing countries; calls for the possibility of creating a platform for sharing innovation, education and training, knowledge and expertise to be explored, which would support multi-stakeholder partnerships, foster public-private dialogue and explore innovative business solutions to accelerate sustainable development; underlines the role of public and private investments and public- private partnerships, as well as the importance of domestic resource mobilisation in partner countries and more efficient utilisation of EU funding in closing the USD 2.5 trillion funding gap identified for meeting the SDGs by 2030, while strengthening good governance and combating corruption;
Amendment 20 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas, for the actual achievement of the SDGs and overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, policy coherence and close cooperation between all official development finance institutions, their government shareholders and all existing partners is urgently needed to ensure that scarce public money is used in the most effective and efficient way; whereas the successful mobilisation of further capital, both private and public, in addition to official development assistance (ODA) and other existing forms of development finance, is critical;
Amendment 20 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. believUnderlines that developing and developed countries have a shared responsibility to achieve the SDGs; emphasises that the EU’s financial contribution to sustainable development in partner countries should enable partner countries to contribute to their own economic and social development and to achieve the SDGs; underlines the paramount importance of domestic ownership in this context; stresses that EFAD and the long- awaited EU SDG strategy must reflect and facilitate a coordinated and coherent set of internal and external EU policies and commitments; regrets, in that context, that the Commission has not yet developed an integrated and holistic SDG implementation strategy, including through the set of existing development policy tools; underlines that public and private financing must be aligned with the goals of the SDGs and the Paris Agreement; regrets, in that context, that the Commission has not yet developed an integrated and holistic SDG implementation strategy, which presents a significant challenge in terms of the ambition to achieve policy coherence, owing to the lack of clear, measurable and time-bound EU-wide targets for all SDGs as a reporting benchmark;
Amendment 21 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Believes that EFAD should be based on the expertise and existing networks of all its different actors (i.e. the EIB, the EBRD, the European Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and others); recognises the progress and improvements made in relation to the future EFAD since the Council’s conclusions, but notes that the current status quo is still characterised by a lack of policy steer and coordination, as well as by fragmentation, duplication and unhelpful competition between the aforementioned actors; calls for further efforts for better coordination and cooperation to make the current system more effective, collaborative and focused on ensuring an optimal use of resources that leverages key partners’ relevant geographical, sectoral and financial expertise to achieve a better return on EU taxpayers’ money and a stronger development impact;
Amendment 22 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recognises the need to enhance and improve the EU institutional set-up, and address its ‘development effectiveness deficit’, to reduce heavy bureaucratic coordination and strengthen institutional flexibility with a view to maximising EFAD’s potential and increasing its development impact;
Amendment 23 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Calls on the Commission to work on effective governance of the Global Gateway strategy, which has to be promoted under the overall steer of the President of the Commission, and to coordinate closely in this regard with the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Council and Parliament; underlines that the strategy should be consistent with EFAD and that a recourse to the NDICI – Global Europe’s emerging challenges and priorities cushion for financing is not appropriate; urges the Commission to provide additional information on its calculation of the leverage ratio for investment operations of the recently announced EU Global Gateway;
Amendment 24 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas the EU Institutions and the 27 EU Member States together constitute the largest donor for developing countries, responsible for approximately 46% of the total ODA provided by all OECD ODA members to developing countries; whereas the major shortfall in SDG financing and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been devastating across the developing world, demands an extraordinary sustained response from all EU actors and a system- wide review of the European Financial Architecture for Development (EFAD);
Amendment 24 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Insists that mechanisms fs concerned that the key features of the PCSD principle are systematically missing from regulatory initiatives of the EU; stresses that more ensuring policy coherence for sustainable development must be enshrined in EFAD andfforts are needed to fully comply with PCSD principles, in order to achieve aid effectiveness objectives; insists that mechanisms for ensuring PCSD must be enshrined in EFAD; calls for more ex ante impact assessments and the establishment of an early warning system for policy incoherencies at EU delegations; recommends that PCSD should be used more systematically and efficiently by all relevant EU institutions and all Member States, including at the highest political level, and should be mainstreamed in the design and implementation of every variety of EU policy in order to ensure that they do not negatively affect the attainment of the SDGs; recalls that PCSD mechanisms should be also implemented by the EIB, EBRD, DFIs and their intermediaries;
Amendment 25 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. DAcknowledges the Commission’s efforts in better regulation with the aim of creating long-term sustainable investments which promote health and the well-being of both people and the planet, and which protect human rights; demands that EFAD be consistent with the future EU due diligence and corporate responsibility legislation and that it adhere to the highest standards of transparency and accountability; , ensuring corporate compliance with human rights standards and regulatory developments, mandatory due diligence and adherence to the international commitments on business and human rights; underlines that EFAD must meet the highest standards of transparency and accountability; calls on EFAD members to strengthen the due diligence of their operations, ensure meaningful consultation of the local population throughout the implementation of the projects, further develop their development expertise and dedicated capacity and human resources on the ground, implement gender mainstreaming and protect human rights in all operations, be equipped with solid accountability mechanisms for impacted communities and closely monitor, and report on, the shortcomings of their involvement and the role of their intermediaries in projects which have negatively impacted local populations in developing countries;
Amendment 26 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the establishment of the Team Europe approach as the global EU response to COVID-19 could help to establish a single strategic coordination framework for the EU’s external response to the pandemic, in support of partner countries and other major disasters, such as Russia’s war in Ukraine, in support of partner countries; whereas this approach is a promising process in enabling further cooperation between the EU institutions, the Member States and European bilateral and multilateral development finance institutions, the EIB and the EBRD, continuously increasing the EU’s collective effectiveness and visibility;
Amendment 26 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Reaffirms that all implementing partners and financial intermediaries involved in projects linked to EU guarantees or financed from the EU budget must fully comply with EU social, environmental, tax, transparency, anti- fraud and anti-corruption standards, policies, rules and procedures; calls on the European Court of Auditors to fully scrutinise and regularly report on operations backed by guarantees from the EU budget, addressing any shortcomings in its working methods that are currently preventing it from doing so; underlines the importance of carrying out an independent evaluation of the EFSD+ and the Team Europe approach in due course in order to assess their effectiveness, performance and development impact;
Amendment 27 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. BNotes that the Team Europe approach emerged as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic; believes that the Team Europe approach should play a key role in further improving strategic cooperation and global coordination and the coherence and effectiveness of development efforts, especially at partner- country level, and believes that it has the potential to further identify key issues that need to be solveds well as at EU and Member State level, including at regional government level; expects stronger policy direction and focus, and stronger mechanisms for communication and visibility when it comes to the EFSD+/NDICI – Global Europe instrument ; further insists on the appropriate implementation of the European Parliament scrutiny mechanism in order to allow for the democratic legitimacy of Team Europe activities;
Amendment 28 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Commission to put forward a powerful EU policy direction and tofor development policies and to coordinate the EFAD in a way that would allow further alignment of the EU development financial institutions’ activities within the new open, collaborative, transparent and inclusive architecture; isn of the opinion that the programming process must fully cover the use of EU budgetary guaranteesrder to achieve EU development policy objectives, strengthen close partnerships with regions and contribute to their development;
Amendment 29 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Emphasizes that the Emphasises that the NDICI – Global Europe programming process provides the opportunity to enhance the use of EU budgetary guarantees, notably the EFSD +; underlines that the future financial architecture should enable all interested development finance actors to participate, including small and medium-sized actors and non-EU development banks and stakeholders; calls, in this context, for a solid level playing field in terms of the governance of the EFSD+ and access to EU resources; stresses the importance of an adequate risk management framework and of the effective management and oversight of the implementation of development finance instruments; calls on the Commission to use its existing banking expertise resources and its financial and technical capacities more effectively;
Amendment 30 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas EU companies and financing institutions operating in developing countries during the last decade have increasingly faced unfair competition from global players that operate outside the multilateral development finance system which provides for an international sets of rules and regulations, such as specific requirements for ODA, officially supported credits, sustainable lending and debt sustainability, prohibited export subsidies, or international standards to combat bribery and corruption;
Amendment 30 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Commission to ensure that EFAD pursues the goal of restoring the multilateral development finance system in order to help put an end to the unsustainable lending practices of some countries operating outside that system, which not only threaten the level playing field for the EU and other compliant countries, but also dramatically increase the already high external debt of many developing countries which were made even more vulnerable as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic; highlights against this backdrop that Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine is further worsening the debt burden in many developing countries; highlights that least developed countries are unable to implement the SDGs without financial support and therefore strongly calls for debt relief measures in line with sustainability commitments;
Amendment 31 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. cConsiders that the EU taxonomy to beshould contribute to the reorientation of capital flows towards sustainable investments and important tool for achieving the SDGntroduce sustainability among the criteria to be taken into account for risk management; calls on the Commission to further develop the EU taxonomy and encourage development finance institutions both at EU and Member State level, as well as private actors active in development, to align their activities, in particular those in developing countries, with SDG objectives and the objectives of the Paris Aagreement;
Amendment 32 #
2021/2252(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Reaffirms that all implementing partners accessing EU budget funds under the EFSD+ must fully apply EU social and environmental standards, polices, rules and procedures. Calls on the European Commission to assess, monitor and report back on these aspects.
Amendment 32 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. rReaffirms the European Investment Bank’s specific role – which iIB’s specific role within the EU and globally – as set out in Article 209 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and in Article 36 of the ‘Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe’ – as the EU’s financial arm with a global reach; ; highlights the important role of the EIB in delivering EU investments and partnering with the Commission in implementing the Global Gateway strategy;
Amendment 33 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Recognises the EIB’s flagship role in the European Green and Blue Deal and its substantial contribution to the EU’s economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic; calls for the EU to further maximise the potential of the EIB as a tool to leverage the EU’s strategic autonomy and promote its external policy interests and priorities in its relations with non-EU countries; calls on the EIB to improve its policies and practices and its transparency, in particular by implementing the recommendations formulated by the European Ombudsman to ‘take several transparency steps to enable the public to more easily see the potential environmental impact of the projects it finances’, as set out in cases 1065/2020/PB, 1251/2020/PB and 1252/2020/PB;
Amendment 34 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the setting-up of EIB Global, defined by the EIB as a dedicated development branch within the EIB Group, which has been operational since 1 January 2022; calls on the EIB to strengthen its presence in the field, while exploiting possible synergies with the EEAS, EU delegations, the EBRD and other European DIFs; points out that the lack of information on how EIB Global is funded jeopardises its mandate from the outset, also in view of the commitments of this new entity in terms of development objectives; calls, therefore, for a concrete and strong development mandate for the new EIB Global; expects this new structure and its advisory board, its goals and budgetary provisions, organisational functioning and specific goals of the branch, as well as its coordination mechanisms with other financial development institutions, to be fully transparent, including by proactively publishing documents, by ensuring meaningful representation of recipient countries and by regular exchanges with the European Parliament and open dialogue with stakeholders, in particular civil society organisations and local actors;;
Amendment 35 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Encourages the EIB to continue to actively engage in developing planning, monitoring and evaluation at country level, hand in hand with the EU delegations and through co-financing with development finance institutions; calls for stronger coordination between the Commission and the EEAS and EU delegations to facilitate discussions and cooperation with relevant actors on the ground in order to identify projects which best meet development effectiveness objectives;
Amendment 36 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Encourages the EIB and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to further reinforce their complementarity and their business models through greater mutual reliance initiatives, as the needs are greater than their joint resources; calls on the EIB and the EBRD to coordinate their work along different trajectories and clarify their division of labour in order to help each bank to focus on its respective core competencies, thereby avoiding duplication and undercutting; notes that there is a need to adapt the working methods and tools of the EIB and the EBRD to the investment needs in Africa, particularly in order to facilitate large- scale investments, while maintaining EU support for smaller scale local projects; points out that it is crucial for European investments to be accompanied by a visible presence of the EU and continuous political dialogue; notes that EFAD needs to maximise the advantages of the different structural backgrounds and working methods of the existing European development banks and financial institutions in order to increase the efficiency of the EU’s contribution to sustainable development; expects the EIB, EBRD and other European DFIs to ensure and provide evidence in the form of ex ante impact assessments that every project, and in particular blended finance projects, contribute to the EU’s development goals, including those concerning least developed countries, and meet international human rights standards; calls on the Commission, the EIB, the EBRD and European DFIs to ensure that their advisory and technical assistance teams are equipped to further gender equality and inclusive development;
Amendment 37 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1 a (new)
Subheading 1 a (new)
Emphasises that the EFAD should provide for an efficient, effective, coherent and inclusive architecture, underpinned by the policy first principle as the backbone of the EFAD structure, and in line with the strategic interests and values of the EU;
Amendment 37 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. EncouragCalls on the Commission, the Member States, the EIB, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the other European development banks and financial institutions, including smaller DFIs, to strengthen their cooperation, notably in the framework of NDICI – Global Europe and its objectives, as well as in globally achieving the goals of Agenda 2030, and to encourage them to pool resources and financing, and to enhance coordination and communication in common projects, by drawing on their respective financial expertise; calls on the Commission to play a stronger role in providing technical assistance for projects and assisting DFIs and other development actors in coordinating; calls for an inclusive approach towards the smaller DFIs of Member States in accessing funding under the European development finance architecture;
Amendment 38 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 1 b (new)
Subheading 1 b (new)
Insists that all implementing partners who are part of the EFAD and access EU budget funds under the EFSD+ apply the full range of EU social, human rights, procurement, transparency, and environment standards, policies and procedures; calls on the European Commission to assess, monitor and report back on the adherence to these EU rules;
Amendment 38 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on the EIB to work more closely with the African Development Bank to finance long-term investments that foster sustainable developmentand to assess the advantages of establishing a joint subsidiary following the implementation of the ongoing EIB- African Development Bank partnership action plan; invites the EIB to report to Parliament about the next steps taken; underlines the need to finance long-term investments that foster sustainable development and to build on cooperation to date, in order to develop further sustainable development opportunities for the African continent; encourages the creation of project and advisory hubs, jointly operated by the EIB and the African Development Bank, to create effective contact points for advice and project initiation for local actors and to better match the development needs on the ground, as well as improve local ownership for common development projects; calls, in this regard, for support to local private sector development in Africa, in particular thanks to the provision of more funds to African micro, small and medium-sized enterprises;
Amendment 39 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Notes the particular importance of EU investments in the field of sustainable agriculture, including agro-ecological practices, where private and public investments are lacking; emphasises that local farmers, smallholders and family farms need to have access to financial services, and, in particular, to micro- financing;
Amendment 40 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that the policy-first-driven European financial architecture for development (EFAD) should be guided by the principles and objectives set out in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and that it contributes to achieving the SDGs;
Amendment 40 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Recognises the importance and potential of Member State development banks within the EFAD structure; stresses the pressing need to boost private sector development in sub-Saharan Africais concerned, however, about the role of intermediaries partnering with DFIs, in particular regarding reported violations of human rights; stresses the important role that local private sector development in sub-Saharan Africa can play in empowering partner countries to set themselves on a path to sustainable development;
Amendment 41 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Commission to report annually on Team Europe initiatives (TEIs) based on quantitative and qualitative indicators within the framework of NDICI – Global Europe, while evaluating the resources mobilised, development planning and impact, harmonisation and application of EU standards, the EU integration perspective and Member States’ involvement; insists that such reporting be shared with Parliament and made public; stresses that Parliament has a key role to play in scrutinising the political objectives and expected results of TEIs, both at general and project levels, ensuring that TEIs work alongside existing mechanisms and complement rather than supplement the multiannual indicative programmes;
Amendment 42 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Reiterates that institutional control and scrutiny of EU funding fosters democratic debate and helps to boost the credibility of the EUand transparency of the EU; highlights Parliament’s important role and its scrutiny role under NDICI – Global Europe in that regard; calls for obligations ensuring appropriate visibility of the implementation of EFAD and; calls on the Commission to take action where those obligations are not metin an appropriate and timely manner where those obligations are not met; calls on the European Court of Auditors to draw up regular reports on the implementation of EFAD, which will be made public and lead to policy recommendations, including on actions to be taken for improvements; regrets the lack of information provided to the general public on the EU’s role in offering support to local communities and encourages better communication with the public;
Amendment 43 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. iInsists that the Member States honour their commitment to spend 0.7 % of their gross national income (GNI) on ODA; underlines the important role of ODA as a catalyst for change and a lever for the mobilisation of other resources; stresses the importance of the EU’s commitment to mobilise resources for climate action and the EIB’s role in making progress in this area; is alarmed that in 2020, ODA from advanced economies was on average just 0.32 % of their GNI – less than half of the 0.7 % commitment, one which has only been attained by four Member States; highlights that the impact of Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine on government spending around the globe will put further pressure on aid budgets which are already low; notes that the Member States which joined the EU after 2002 committed to striving to increase their ODA/GNI to 0.33 %; welcomes the efforts which these and other Member States have made so far to gradually scale up their ODA spending; encourages them to continue on this track; underlines the important role of ODA as a catalyst for change and a lever for the mobilisation of other resources; considers that the EU should strive to maintain its position as a world leader in ODA; recalls that at least 93 % of the expenditure under NDICI – Global Europe must fulfil the criteria for ODA;
Amendment 44 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Recalls that the EU’s political engagement should be embodied in its multiannual financial framework and fully reflected in its European Financial Architecture for Development;
Amendment 44 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27 a. Stresses the importance of the EU’s commitment to mobilise resources for climate action and the EIB’s and other EFAD members’ role in making progress in this area; notes the Council’s commitments to steer EFAD towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the SDGs and the Paris Agreement in order to limit global warming to 1.5 °C; recalls the NDICI – Global Europe 30 % global climate spending target and the target to spend 7.5 % of GDP on biodiversity by 2024 outlined in the multiannual financial framework; regrets the fact that the Commission has not made more specific commitments to climate policy goals in its roadmap and expects this to be remedied in an upcoming programming document; calls for all operations financing sectors that contribute to the climate crisis, mainly the fossil fuel industry, to be banned; recognises that EFAD should be inclusive for all regions and partner countries, while acknowledging that a considerable share of investment is being channelled to the Western Balkans and the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood;
Amendment 45 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. sStrongly insists that EFAD must strengthen the strategic partnerships between the European Union and its global development partners, notably the African Union; reiterates that such partnerships should always be based on mutual respect and dignity, shared interests and values, particularly human rights, gender equality, environmental, social and climate responsibility, health and security, in order to respond jointly to global challenges and achieve sustainable results for peace and stability in the long term; stresses in this regard the multidimensional influence of and support to Putin’s regime in and by the African continent and calls on the EU and its Member States to carefully assess these cases when building on the existing and new partnerships;
Amendment 45 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27 b. Recognises the role of local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, cooperatives, inclusive business models and research institutes as engines of growth, employment and local innovation, which will in turn contribute to the achievement of the SDGs; underlines the need to simplify access to financing, strengthen inclusiveness and support smaller actors, including by improving accessibility to relevant publicly available data; underlines that local SMEs therefore need to have easy access to financial services in the EFAD framework; notes that EU policies need to encourage the cooperation of companies and enterprises, particularly SMEs, to play an active role in initiatives contributing to sustainable development in developing countries;
Amendment 55 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines the undeniable interconnection between development and security and recalls that, without peace and security, development and poverty eradication are not possible, while without development and poverty eradication neither sustainable peace, nor human nor state security can occur; highlights the role that development plays in preventing conflicts, ensuring durable exits from conflicts and bolstering crisis management; insists on the importance of further developing a well-tailored development- security nexus to address the complexities of modern crises and violent situations;
Amendment 64 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises the role of a collective, coherent EU approach, politically savvy and tailored to the specificities of the partner country, which could be effective in helping to foster the expansion of social protection systems in developing countries and would help bridge the gap between security and development, with social protection being one of the foundations of the social contract and the way to enhance resilience;
Amendment 71 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines that consistency across all EU financing instruments, initiatives and strategies, notably the new NDICI- Global Europe instrument, Team Europe initiative and the new Global Gateway strategy, is crucial in order to maximise the EU’s global response to sustainable growth, development and peace;
Amendment 78 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Believes that the EFAD should improve the EU’s visibility and the impact of its development finance in the world, in order to ensure that the EU’s perceived role in the world matches the magnitude of its support;
Amendment 80 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Stresses that eradication of poverty (SDG1), climate action (SDG 13), good health and well-being (SDG 3), with a particular focus on the most marginalised groups and leaving no-one behind are especially acute challenges in today’s world;
Amendment 83 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. iIs alarmed at how the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the long-standing structural drivers of health inequalities; believes, therefore, that the EFAD should particularly promote investments in healthcare and healthcare services, also in research and development of new health technologies;
Amendment 86 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls for exploring the possibility of creating a platform for sharing innovation, knowledge and expertise, supporting multi-stakeholder partnerships, fostering public-private dialogue, and exploring innovative business solutions to accelerate sustainable development;
Amendment 90 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. believesUnderlines that developing and, even more so, developed countries have a shared responsibility to achieve the SDGs; points out, therefore, that EFAD and the long- awaited EU SDG strategy must reflect and facilitate a coordinated and coherent set of internal and external EU policies and commitments, including through the full set of already existing development policy tools; regrets, in that context, that the Commission has not yet developed an integrated and holistic SDG implementation strategy;
Amendment 94 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recognises the need to enhance and improve the institutional set-up, reduce heavy bureaucratic coordination and strengthen institutional flexibility, in order to maximise EFAD’s potential, thus increasing development impact;
Amendment 98 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Is concerned that key features of the Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD) principle are systematically missing in regulatory initiatives of the EU; insists that mechanisms for ensuring policy coherence for sustainable development must be enshrined in EFAD and used more systematically and efficiently by all relevant EU institutions and all Member States, including at the highest political level;
Amendment 103 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. DAcknowledges the Commission’s efforts for better regulation with the aim of creating long-term sustainable investments which promote health and the well-being of people and planet and protecting human rights; demands that EFAD be consistent with future EU due diligence and corporate responsibility legislation and that it adhere to the highest standards of transparency and accountability;
Amendment 106 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. BNotes that the Team Europe approach emerged as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic; believes that the Team Europe approach should play a key role in further improving strategic cooperation and global coordination and the coherence and effectiveness of development efforts, especially at partner- country level , and believes that it has the potential to further identify key issues that need to be solved, notably stronger policy direction and focus, and stronger mechanisms for communication and visibility;
Amendment 111 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Amendment 112 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Calls on the Commission to put forward a powerful EU policy direction and to further align the EU development financial institutions’ activities within the new open architecture in order to achieve EU development policy objectives; is of the opinion that the programming process must fully cover the use of EU budgetary guarantees, notably the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD +) ;
Amendment 118 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Commission to ensure that EFAD pursues the goal of restoring the multilateral development finance system in order to help put an end to the unsustainable lending practices of some countries operating outside that system which not only threaten the level playing field for the EU and other compliant countries, but also dramatically increase the already high external debt of many developing countries which were made even more vulnerable as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic; highlights in that light that the war in Ukraine further worsens the debt burden in many developing countries;
Amendment 124 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. cConsiders EU taxonomy to be an important tool for achieving the SDGs and the objectives of the Paris Agreement; calls on the Commission to further develop the EU taxonomy, elaborating on the six environmental objectives established in the Taxonomy Regulation and enacting further delegated acts to that effect; strongly believes that it is imperative that development finance institutions both at EU and Member State level, and private actors active in development, base their activities, in particular also in developing countries, on the new EU taxonomy regime;
Amendment 137 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. rReaffirms the European Investment Bank’s specific role – which is set out in Article 209 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and in Article 36 of the ‘Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe’ – as the EU’s financial arm with a global reach, delivering EU investments and partnering with the European Commission in implementing the Global Gateway;
Amendment 146 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Welcomes the setting-up of EIB Global, a dedicated development branch within the EIB Group, which has been operational since 1 January 2022, hopes that this new branch will enable the EIB to enhance its local presence and become more involved and be more effective in financing for development at country level ;
Amendment 154 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Encourages the EIB and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to further reinforce their complementarity and their business models through greater mutual reliance initiatives, as the needs are greater than their joint resources and they can easily divide their work along different trajectories;
Amendment 159 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Encourages the EIB, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European development banks and financial institutions to strengthen their cooperation, drawing on their respective financial expertise, added value and resources ;
Amendment 163 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on the EIB to work more closely with the African Development Bank to finance long-term investments that foster sustainable development, building on cooperation to date;
Amendment 174 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Recognises the importance and potential of Member State development banks within the EFAD structure; stresses the pressing need to boost private sector development in sub-Saharan Africa and the difficulties encountered in serving this area of development cooperation;
Amendment 178 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Calls on the Commission to report annually on Team Europe initiatives evaluating the resources mobilised, development planning and impact, harmonisation and application of EU standards, the EU integration perspective and Member States’ involvement ;
Amendment 181 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Reiterates that institutional control and scrutiny of EU funding fosters democratic debate and helps to boost the credibility of the EU; calls for obligations ensuring appropriate visibility of the implementation of EFAD and calls on the Commission to take action in an appropriate and timely manner where those obligations are not met;
Amendment 186 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. iInsists that the Member States honour their commitment to spend 0.7 % of their gross national income on ODA; is alarmed that, in 2020, official development assistance from advanced economies was on average just 0.32% of their gross national income – less than half of the 0.7% commitment 1a , whilst the impact of the war in Ukraine on government spending around the globe will put further pressure on aid budgets which are already low; underlines the important role of ODA as a catalyst for change and a lever for the mobilisation of other resources; stresses the importance of the EU’s commitment to mobilise resources for climate action and the EIB’s role in making progress in this area as well as to help meet climate targets, eradicate poverty and increase healthcare;
Amendment 194 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27 a. Stresses the need for crowding in private capital in order to help tackling the existing 2.5 trillion dollars gap identified for meeting the SDGs by 2030, and in order to finance investments in the most vulnerable regions and LDCs, where needs are the greatest;
Amendment 195 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Amendment 199 #
2021/2252(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Takes note of the two-pillar solution for addressing the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation and globalisation of the economy, as agreed by the members of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting; calls on the EU and its Member States to ensure that the agreed global minimum corporate tax rate of 15% for Multinational Enterprises is effectively applied; underlines that this minimum tax is estimated to generate around USD 150 billion in additional global tax revenues annually;
Amendment 5 #
2021/2209(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that the lack of adequate national regulations and strategies, as well as the lack of trained professionals, of funding, of the necessary infrastructure and of proper equipment and facilities,, facilities and learning materials, as well as the lack of stability and security are barriers to quality education in several developing countries;
Amendment 26 #
2021/2209(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Emphasises that the COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the existing vulnerabilities in social services in Africadeveloping countries, in particular in the field of education;
Amendment 34 #
2021/2209(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Acknowledges that education is a cross-cutting issue relevant to all dimensions of sustainable development; points out that education is also a tool to empower young people and to support sustainable economic growth in Africa,developing countries and that in the long term, it indirectly paves the way to help eradicating poverty;
Amendment 44 #
2021/2209(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines that access to quality education for all must be ensured regardless of socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, cultural background, religion and the rural- urban divide; notes the particular importance of supporting girls in accessing quality education and of addressing the issue of girls dropping out of school at an early stage;
Amendment 66 #
2021/2209(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that in the context of the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, particular efforts must be undertaken to invest in well-trained teachers and education infrastructure in order to equip children with skills which are relevant to the job market;
Amendment 4 #
2021/2208(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that a policy on ensuring food security in developing countries must mirror the founding principles of the common agricultural policy, in that its primary goal must be to provide affordable safe food for its citizens while affordguaranteeing a fair standard of living for and the social and economic well-being of its farmers;
Amendment 14 #
2021/2208(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises that agriculture and food security are the foundation blocks for broader economic development, and insists that agricultural development must supp; therefore encourages the transition of developing countries towards morte self-sufficient agricultural production systems and food sovereignty in developing countriecy; notes that this transition should follow sustainable development criteria; highlights that agricultural production area should not be increased at the expense of environment protection and conservation of biodiversity-rich habitats;
Amendment 35 #
2021/2208(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls the importance of systematically assessing the effects of new policies and strategies on developing countries and taking action in order to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals;
Amendment 46 #
2021/2208(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines that the fFarm to fFork sStrategy is the EU’s most ambitious policy frameworkstrategy to promote a more sustainable and resilient EU agrifood system and support a global transition to sustainable agrifood systems, which benefit people, nature and economic growth;
Amendment 59 #
2021/2208(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses the necessity to reinforce research and, share innovations and encourage knowledge exchange between the EU and developing countries to increase agrifood system resilience, especially in the context of climate change;
Amendment 69 #
2021/2208(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Encourages increased consistency between EUand complementarity between EU external, development and trade policies to support the global transition to sustainable agrifood systems;
Amendment 74 #
2021/2208(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Supports the development of trade opportunities between the EU and developing countries, which have the potential to boost local agriculture and enable regions to enhance and extend their production potential; underlines in this regard that trade agreements need to uphold the principle of fair trade and this for both trading partners;
Amendment 83 #
2021/2208(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that while, throughout the history of the common agricultural policy, lifting export subsidies and decoupling direct payments has significantly reduced the risk of dumping practices, some areas of concern persist and should be closely monitored, in particular agricultural sectors still tied to coupled income support in many EU Member States.;
Amendment 90 #
2021/2208(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Deplores the fact that land- grabbing is rife in many developing countries; points out that it is a brutal practice that undermines food security and endangers rural communities;
Amendment 92 #
2021/2208(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Stresses the essential contribution of young girls and women to agricultural and rural economies in developing countries; however regrets that many women do not have the same rights as men, have more limited access to land and face many constraints that reduce their agricultural productivity; considers it therefore of crucial importance to support and enhance the empowerment of young girls and women in developing countries;
Amendment 5 #
2021/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that the geopolitical impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and a quickly deteriorating security environment are posing unprecedented challenges to the Union’s common security and defence policy (CSDP); emphasises, against this background, that achieving the objectives of the CSDP to strengthen the Union’s operational capacity as provided for in the Treaty on European Union whilst strengthening the CSDP in a fundamental way is more necessary than ever;
Amendment 10 #
2021/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Reiterates its call for the establishment of a permanent Council of Defence Ministers chaired by the Vice- President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, with a view to coordinating the defence policies of the Member States and enhancing security capabilities, particularly with regard to cybersecurity and anti-terrorism; calls on the member states to respect the role of the HRVP in international negotiations; regrets in this regard that the involvement of the HRVP is often not foreseen in international negotiations; underlines that a strongly perceived role of the HRVP translates into an increased geopolitical impact of the CSDP
Amendment 16 #
2021/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes the Union’s committed relationRemains strongly committed to the Union’s partnership with NATO, which remains fundamental to EU security policy; welcomes, in this regard, the ongoing preparation of the new EU-NATO Joint Declaration, which will be presented before the end of the year; calls on the High Representative and Member States to seize the occasion to deepen the multilateral security cooperation with trusted partners and ensure the coherence with internal policies; points out meanwhile, that the EU must assume responsibility and also bolster its security policy through the relevant internal policy frameworks; Calls on all responsible EU decision- makers to significantly increase the geopolitical impact of the CSDP; underlines the need to establish a genuine European Defence Union, which must be embedded in a bold Political Union; stresses that a fundamental reform of decision-making procedures, including voting requirements in the CSDP and a stronger role for the High Representative remain indispensable for a truly effective CSDP; calls on the Commission and Member States, in the meantime, to leverage all existing legal and policy instruments to bolster the EU’s role in the world; recalls that the fight for human rights and democracy should remain at the core of the CSDP; Reiterates that a truly European political union is the condicio sine qua non of a European Defence Union;
Amendment 20 #
2021/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for increased efforts to fight foreign interference in the Union’s security and defence, which often takes the form of cyber threats or other types of hybrid warfare; supports, in this regard, the development of the European cyber defence policy, as announced by the President of the Commission in the State of the Union address; calls on all EU institutions and Member States to modernise responses against these threats, among others through a new EU hybrid toolbox which should include consistent collective countermeasures against foreign aggressors;
Amendment 27 #
2021/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Reiterates that Parliament should play a prominent role in scrutinising and supervising the implementation and evaluation of the CSDP, including monitoring the implementation of the Permanent Structured Cooperation.; underlines that such oversight is critical for the proper functioning of European democracy and public trust; stresses that such oversight should be the starting point toward a strong institutional role for the European Parliament in the CSDP;
Amendment 31 #
2021/2183(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Recalls that the Conference of the Future of Europe provides the opportunity to rethink the institutional status quo and give new impetus to European democracy; notes that a considerable amount of contributions on the Conference platform propose strengthening the EU’s role in the world; calls on the participants of the Conference to consider all possible avenues to achieve that goal, including a reform of decision-making procedures in the CFSP and the establishment of a genuine European Defence Union.
Amendment 1 #
2021/2182(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that the geopolitical impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and a quickly deteriorating security environment are posing unprecedented challenges to the Union’s common foreign and security policy; emphasises that, in the face of these challenges, the Union needs to stay resilient and improve theincrease its resilience and fundamentally evaluate and improve the effectiveness and speed of its responses to the fast-changing global environment;
Amendment 4 #
2021/2182(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes the Union’s committed relationRemains strongly committed to the Union’s partnership with NATO, which remains fundamental to EU security policy; welcomes, in this regard, the ongoing preparation of the new EU-NATO Joint Declaration, which will be presented before the end of the year; calls on the High Representative and Member States to seize the occasion to deepen the multilateral security cooperation with trusted partners and ensure the coherence with internal policies; points out meanwhile, that the EU must assume responsibility and also bolster its security policy through the relevant internal policy frameworks;
Amendment 7 #
2021/2182(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Calls on all responsible EU decision-makers to significantly increase the EU’s geopolitical footprint; underlines the need to establish a genuine European Defence Union, which must be embedded in a bold Political Union; reiterates that a truly European political union is the condicio sine qua non of a European Defence Union; stresses that a fundamental reform of decision-making procedures, including voting requirements in the CFSP and a stronger role for the High Representative remain indispensable for a truly effective common foreign and security policy; calls on the Commission and Member States, in the meantime, to leverage all existing legal and policy instruments to bolster the EU’s role in the world; recalls that the fight for human rights and democracy should remain at the core of the CFSP; calls on the member states to respect the role of the HRVP in international negotiations; regrets in this regard that the involvement of the HRVP is often not foreseen in international negotiations; underlines that a strongly perceived role of the HRVP translates into an increased geopolitical impact of the CSDP;
Amendment 8 #
2021/2182(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls for increasedon all EU decision-makers to ramp up efforts to fight foreign disinformation and information manipulation and other hybrid threats, which negatively influencundermine the Union’s ability to develop and implement effectively its internal and foreign policies; calls on all EU institutions and Member States to modernise responses against these threats, among others through a new EU hybrid toolbox which should include consistent collective countermeasures against foreign aggressors;
Amendment 13 #
2021/2182(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for theon the European Commission and Member States to enable and strengthening of parliamentary oversight of EU external action, including by continuing its regular consultations with the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the Commission; underlines that such oversight is critical for the proper functioning of European democracy and public trust; stresses that such oversight should be the starting point toward a strong institutional role for the European Parliament in the CFSP; calls for the swift conclusion of negotiations to replace the 2002 Interinstitutional Agreement on Parliament’s access to sensitive information of the Council in the field of security and defence policy;
Amendment 20 #
2021/2182(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Recalls that the Conference of the Future of Europe provides the opportunity to rethink the institutional status quo and give new impetus to European democracy; notes that a considerable amount of contributions on the Conference platform propose strengthening the EU’s role in the world; calls on the participants of the Conference to consider all possible avenues to achieve that goal, including a reform of decision-making procedures in the CFSP and the establishment of a genuine European Defence Union.
Amendment 5 #
2021/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes with concern the asymmetry ofEmphasizes that international investment agreements (IIA), which give rights to foreign investors without putting the host state under any obligations in termand the activities of foreign investors must be in line with international and European standards and commitments ofn human rights, labour rights and environmental law; regretNotes that IIAs usually includeand the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism (ISDS), which must provides protection for investors but not for, while protecting states orand citizens alike;
Amendment 12 #
2021/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Deplores the asymmetry of this private justice system,which gives foreign investors the right to bringbuse by certain foreign investors that bring disproportionate claims against governments; highlights the risks posed by the high costs of ISDS claims for the public finance of developing countries; stresses that the costs of investment lawsuits have the potential to bring the public budgets of most African countries to breaking point;
Amendment 32 #
2021/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Urges the EU to review its investment treaties in order to ensure a fair balance between rights and obligations for investors with full respect for human rights, labour rights and the environment; stresses the need to oblige thefor investors to supportapply sustainable investment in thepolicies in host states and to oblige the home state of the investor to allow victims to seek justiceensure a policy within the framework of international principles of due diligence and the upcoming European legislation on corporate due diligence in which investors and companies can be held accountable for serious violations of human rights, labour rights and environmental law;
Amendment 35 #
2021/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 40 #
2021/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Considers that new investment treaties between investors and governments must allow foreign investors to align their policy and investment strategy with the EU's values and principles on human rights, labour rights, environmental law and due diligence, while at the same time adapting, where needed, to local sensitivities on customs, values, business and investment policy;
Amendment 44 #
2021/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that the Investment Court System designed by the EU does not protectRecommends that the European Commission develop a comprehensive alternative to the ISDS to address the most egregious concerns surrounding the current ISDS investment protection system; Stresses that the Investment Court System designed by the EU must be adapted to ensure adequate protection of investors and governments’' right to regulate; Considers that local governments, by regulating investors and investing companies, must be guaranteed the necessary liberties to ensure the protection of local businesses and national labour rights, insofar as they align with international standards as set out by the ILO and uphold international obligations on human rights, environmental law and sustainability;
Amendment 51 #
2021/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Notes that investment in developing and least developed countries carries higher risks and must be met with adequate and fair protection mechanisms; Stresses that investor protection remains important in EU investment agreements with developing countries;
Amendment 55 #
2021/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Urges the EU to refrain fromwork closely with developing countries in digital development, by including a digital clauses in investment trade agreements that would restrict the digital industrialisation strategy of developing countriesare beneficial and bring reciprocal advancement in employment, growth and digital industrialisation strategies for the EU and developing countries alike by supporting the local economy through technology transfer; encourages the exchange of EU sustainable and green technologies to developing countries, as a way to promote sustainable growth;
Amendment 64 #
2021/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Emphasizes that an investment policy which is consistent, based on good practices and coherent with EU regulation on investment, can have a significant positive impact on growth, the environment, human rights, good governance and employment in developing countries; Encourages the EU and its Member States to negotiate coherent investment agreements and to minimize divergencies where possible;
Amendment 65 #
2021/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8 b. Emphasizes that EU international investment policy must ensure that cooperation with third countries, when establishing the protection of local businesses and labour rights, include the highest standards on human rights, labour and environmental laws;
Amendment 66 #
2021/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 c (new)
Paragraph 8 c (new)
8 c. Calls on the EU to continue to support local firms, SMEs and public services in developing countries through investment agreements and to improve their resilience and independence through close cooperation with regard to the exchange of best practices, skills and know how; considers that EU investor protection herein must be in line with the host states' public capacity to regulate and must meet the EU's obligation to exercise policy coherence for development;
Amendment 67 #
2021/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 d (new)
Paragraph 8 d (new)
8 d. Reiterates its concern on toxic investment strategies and undervaluing in global investment strategies by third parties to the EU and developing countries in the establishment of investment agreements with developing countries at the cost of human rights, environmental standards, sustainability and labour rights;
Amendment 68 #
2021/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 e (new)
Paragraph 8 e (new)
8 e. Insists that the future of EU foreign investment policy must take into consideration the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic by applying an integrated and coherent policy which promotes high quality investments and makes a positive contribution to worldwide economic progress and sustainable development; Recognizes the deep impact that the Covid-19 has had on the establishment of investment agreements and local businesses in the EU and developing countries alike;
Amendment 69 #
2021/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 f (new)
Paragraph 8 f (new)
8 f. Notes with concern the widening global investment gap, which risks leading to the abandonment of global sustainability, environmental and human rights goals;
Amendment 70 #
2021/2176(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 g (new)
Paragraph 8 g (new)
8 g. Welcomes the European Commission's proposal on the Global Gateway; Emphasizes that investment strategies by European Member States and private entities alike, must be values- driven, adhere to high standards on human rights and labour rights and be fully aligned with the UN's Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Paris Agreement;
Amendment 7 #
2021/2166(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Highlights the EU’s obligation to incorporate the development cooperation objectives into any policies that it implements which are likely to affect developing countries, as set out in Article 208 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union; recalls that many Union policies with a more domestic dimension contribute to the implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), and therefore achieving coherence across all Union policies is crucial to achieving the SDGs worldwide; recalls that adaptation action should be put in place to support the resilience of both terrestrial and marine ecosystems; insists on the importance for the EU strategy in developing countries to be designed in order to anticipate the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss;
Amendment 27 #
2021/2166(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to improving the analysis and reporting of the impact of proposals, in particular on developing countries and with regard to achieving the SDGs; recalls that the EU must raise its visibility in developing countries, notably with the growing presence of its geopolitical competitors in African countries, through efficient communication on its cooperation and spending programmes; such as Sustainable fisheries partnership agreements (SFPAs);
Amendment 7 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. whereas Policy Coherence for Development is recognized within the institutions and within multilateral frameworks as a tool with which to achieve sustainable development and legitimacy of external action and policy creation, through the achievement of concrete goals in all policy related sectors;
Amendment 21 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas a lack of a clear definition of PCD in policy creation undermines the creation of concrete goals, achievements and agenda-setting and its translation into reality; whereas this can lead to negative effects of PCD;
Amendment 23 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
Amendment 25 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
F a. whereas EU delegations and EU Member States' diplomatic missions play a key role in ensuring PCD in partner countries; whereas there is, however, no clear approach towards applying PCD through EU delegations and EU Member States' diplomatic missions in partner countries;
Amendment 26 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
F b. whereas individual approaches to PCD and sector specific partnership agreements can undermine the effectiveness of PCD;
Amendment 29 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas a lack of accountability reports within the EU Commission and the Council, without follow-up action on conclusions and recommendations of previous reports undermines the credibility of the actions of the EU in development cooperation; whereas there is a lack of willingness on the part of the Council to raise PCD as a priority;
Amendment 31 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
Amendment 33 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas, as co-legislator and a contributor to policy-making, Parliament bears much of the responsibility for the EU’s implementation of PCD; whereas its Committee on Development (DEVE) plays a key role in this through opinions to other committees; whereas for PCD to work properly a ‘whole-of-Parliament’ approach is needed, with active contributions from all parliamentary committees involved in different policies, which has so far rarely been the case; whereas there is a need for a strengthened coordination on PCD between the committees in the EP;
Amendment 34 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
H a. whereas the private sector plays an integral part in development cooperation, most notably through private and blended funding;
Amendment 43 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Calls on the Commission to work closely with the OECD and Member States to establish a common approach to the implementation and respect of PCD, also with regards to developing countries; Calls on the Commission to partake in the exchange of best practices with developing countries on PCD so as to establish good governance and a more coherent multilateral approach to the achievement of the SDGs;
Amendment 46 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls for a communication that clarifies the definition and role of PCD in the context of the SDGs and is accompanied by an action plan on PCD with a clear methodology and concrete quantitative and qualitative indicators to measure the implementation of PCD by the EU and Member States and ensure accountability by including this in a new framework for monitoring and coordination of development policies across the EU; calls for this communication to be published beforey the en23rd of the current Commission’s mandateJune 2023;
Amendment 54 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that PCD needs to remain a key part of the EU’s foreign policy and calls for it to be given more visibility and for the EU to play a leading role in promoting PCD globally, most notably within multilateral organisations, including at the OECD Development Assistance Committee and at the UN;
Amendment 58 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Recalls the necessity for the EU to advocate for establishing a clear multilateral framework for PCD within the UN and to establish a more substantial cooperation between the EU and the UN on PCD;
Amendment 70 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Recommends the establishment of an EU platform for PCD, to allow for better coordination between the relevant European Institutions, the UN, the OECD, the World Bank and with developing countries, to ensure alignment and cooperation on PCD, to better cooperate on the achievement of the SDGs, and to find new synergies on development cooperation between the EU and its Member States and with third countries;
Amendment 71 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Calls on the European Commission and the European Parliament to establish a clear definition and reachable goals for PCD, which can be translated into reality through effective reporting, the establishment of partnership agreements and internal coordination and evaluation by the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament;
Amendment 81 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – indent 3 a (new)
Paragraph 6 – indent 3 a (new)
- to provide for an assessment of the current state of play of PCD in EU Policy, which includes a re-evaluation of the effectiveness of PCD, by the 23rd of June 2023;
Amendment 87 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – indent 4 a (new)
Paragraph 6 – indent 4 a (new)
- to establish clear mid- and long- term goals for the effective translation in reality and achievement of PCD;
Amendment 90 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Emphasises the critical role of the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) in ensuring the implementation of PCD in the Commission; calls on DG INTPA to actively and meaningfully engage with other DGs as early as possible through all available mechanisms to ensure that PCD is implemented in all relevant Commission initiatives; welcomes DG INTPA’s complementary studies on the impact of key legislative initiatives on developing countries, but notes that these should instead be fully analysed in the relevant impact assessment; calls for the re- establishment of a dedicated PCD team within DG INTPA to coordinate and reinforce the PCD work of thematic units; calls on the European Parliament to consider the establishment of a similar coordination unit in its administration;
Amendment 95 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes thatCalls for better alignment of the Neighbourhood, development and international cooperation instrument – Global Europe could bewith PCD, to used to prevent and minimise the negative impacts of new EU legislation or policy initiativehe NDICI-Global Europe to mitigate negative impacts of EU policies, to prevent and minimise their negative impacts, whenre these cannot be avoided, and to build positive synergies in developing countries; calls also for the EU Development Education and Awareness Raising Programme to include activities focused on PCD;
Amendment 103 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – indent 1 a (new)
Paragraph 9 – indent 1 a (new)
- strengthen public and private communication on the effectiveness of PCD, on the efforts of the EU on ensuring PCD and on the positive results of development cooperation as a whole, in third countries and within the EU, so as to increase visibility of and support for the EU in partner countries;
Amendment 105 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – indent 2
Paragraph 9 – indent 2
- systematically include PCD among the topics to be discussed in policy dialogues with developing countries and in multilateral organizations;
Amendment 111 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 – indent 3
Paragraph 9 – indent 3
- regularly monitor the impact of EU policies on developing countries and contribute to detailed bi-annual reporting on PCD;
Amendment 115 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 – indent 3
Paragraph 11 – indent 3
- devote appropriate expertise and resources, and establish coordination mechanisms, in their national administrations to effectively implement PCD and report on its implementation and to establish better coordination between and among Member States and their relevant ministries on PCD, to hold regular peer-reviews on even ground and to implement the recommendations made in previous reports and evaluations on PCD;
Amendment 121 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 – indent 5 a (new)
Paragraph 11 – indent 5 a (new)
- to resume holding meaningful and regular exchanges with the Commission and the Parliament on PCD during high- level and inter-ministerial working group meetings;
Amendment 122 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 – indent 1
Paragraph 12 – indent 1
- instructs DEVEthe European Parliament and most notably the DEVE Committee to clarify the role of its Standing Rapporteur for PCD and its cooperation with other committees;
Amendment 123 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 – indent 1 a (new)
Paragraph 12 – indent 1 a (new)
- Recommends all parliamentary committees to evaluate and commit to screening all of its future own initiative reports and legislative reports, for alignment with PCD as established by the commission and as set out in this report;
Amendment 126 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 – indent 3
Paragraph 12 – indent 3
- instructs Parliament’s Research Service (EPRS) to regularly screen the Commission’s Work Programme and European Parliament Own Initiative Reports (INI) for PCD issues, systematically analyseing how PCD is dealt with in Commission impact assessments and relevant proposals, and to report when important weaknesses or omissions are found;
Amendment 128 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 – indent 4
Paragraph 12 – indent 4
- intends to strengthen its own awareness and expertise on PCD at political level by providing voluntary training and information on PCD for new and sitting MEPs, and at administrative level, in particular among the staff of bodies involved in legislation;
Amendment 130 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Calls on the Council of the European Union to rapidly conclude the signing and ratification of the draft new Partnership Agreement between the European Union and members of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) (post-Cotonou Agreement);
Amendment 131 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
Paragraph 12 b (new)
12 b. Recalls that the implementation of PCD is in part dependent on good governance in partner countries; encourages the Commission to ensure a level playing field and cooperative framework with partner countries, by establishing common goals and measures to ensure PCD in policy fields in which partner countries are directly affected; calls on the Commission to share best practices on PCD with partner countries;
Amendment 132 #
2021/2164(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12 c. Calls for the inclusion of the private sector in the future of the PCD framework;
Amendment 68 #
2021/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas corruption acts as a barrier to education, makes education financially inaccessible, distorts values of young people and causes lack of motivation to study, resulting in the waste of talents and negative effects on the economy;
Amendment 95 #
2021/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
J a. whereas corruption reporting is among main causes of journalist killings; whereas according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, five journalists investigating corruption have so far been killed in 2021;
Amendment 158 #
2021/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i
Paragraph 1 – point i
(i) design programmes under the IPA, the NDICI, and the EU trust funds to support anti-corruption capacity building; increase the efficiency of EU spending by including clear programme targets and timelines; enable EU Delegations and Member States’ embassies to assess and report on corruption in their regular briefings;
Amendment 199 #
2021/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point q a (new)
(q a) call for a thorough investigation into and justice for the violence and killings of investigative journalists, HRDs and other anti-corruption activists;
Amendment 209 #
2021/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point t a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point t a (new)
(t a) establish European funding rules for political parties, NGOs and the media, especially when funding comes from non- democratic countries, to prevent malign influence and interference into democratic processes and public affairs of the EU and partner countries, including manipulation of people’s opinions resulting into erosion of trust in governments, electoral processes and politics in general;
Amendment 222 #
2021/2066(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point w
Paragraph 1 – point w
(w) encourage a deepening of international commitments to put anti- corruption at the heart of the SDGs as an avenue for fighting global poverty, and for the fulfilment of economic, social and cultural rights, with special attention to the right to education; make fighting corruption in education and health-care sectors a priority;
Amendment 8 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Acknowledges that churchesRecalls that freedom of belief and religion are fundamental human rights, enshrined in the EU Charter of fundamental rights and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights; recognizes the importance of freedom of belief and freedom of religion for an inclusive society and for the full and entire achievement of the 2030 SDGs; acknowledges that institutions of and places of worship, faith- based organisations (FBOs) and religious associations have a major role in the social fabric of developing countries, are important partners in delivering humanitarian assistance to hard-to-reach communities and can greatly contribute to sustainable development and to achieving the SDGs, in particular SDGs 3 and 4; further notes that churchesinstitutions and places of worship and FBOs deliver in social sectors where shortcomings in state services are experienced;
Amendment 12 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 29 a (new)
Citation 29 a (new)
— having regard to its resolution of 17 December 2020 on forced labour and the situation of the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,
Amendment 13 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Recalls that combatting discrimination against all minorities regardless of their traditions, belief or religion, and promoting and protecting their rights, contribute vastly to social and political stability, poverty reduction, democratic governance, and conflict prevention;
Amendment 16 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1 b. Considers that freedom of belief and freedom of religion is only possible with the assurance of personal and human freedom, including the right to sexual and reproductive health and the right to self-determination, regardless of origin or sexual orientation;
Amendment 19 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1 c. Condemns the criminalization and other punitive treatment of minority traditions in legal systems through the instrumentalisation of religion; Condemns the use of religion and religious interpretation to the detriment of human rights, through the institutional persecution of belief- or religious minorities and for the legal and social restriction of sexual health and of gender and sexuality;
Amendment 21 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recognises that FBOs cover approximately 40 % of healthcare and a significant part of education in sub-Saharan Africa alone1 , while their role remains mostly unrecognised; emphasizes that healthcare and education provided by FBOs must be provided to all persons in need, regardless of their religious background, ethnicity, gender or orientation; condemns the severe restrictions on sexual and reproductive healthcare by religious institutions and associations, which are translated into restrictive laws and penal codes; _________________ 1 https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/1 0665/43884/9789241596626_eng.pdf
Amendment 34 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that churchesinstitutions and places of worship and FBOs are frequently the only providers of healthcare, and other social services in remote areas of sub-Saharan Africa and, in conflict- prone settings such as northern Mozambique and otherand in crisis zones;
Amendment 41 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the activities of churchesinstitutions and places of worship and religious leaders in the field of conflict management and mediation, and in fostering reconciliation, dialogue and peace; highlights that inter-religious dialogue is crucial, notably in conflict areas, to foster peace and, reconciliation and an inclusive society on all levels;
Amendment 45 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Reminds institutions and places of worship, FBOs and religious leaders of their responsibility and role in preventing hatred and violence directed towards religious or belief minorities; calls on all institutions and places of worship, FBOs and religious leaders to promote a tolerant and non-discriminatory discourse and to contribute to constructive exchanges between communities, regardless of their belief or religion, minority and majority alike;
Amendment 51 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas women face more difficulties in exercising their right to leave a religious or belief community due to lack of social or economic independence or threats of violence or loss of custody of their children;
Amendment 53 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas indigenous beliefs or religions' practices are part of a people's cultural identity and that indigenous peoples have the right to promote, develop and maintain their institutional structures and their distinctive customs, spirituality, traditions, procedures, practices according to international human rights standards;
Amendment 54 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)
Recital C c (new)
Cc. whereas discrimination on the grounds of religion and belief forces many individuals and communities to migrate or become internally displaced; whereas the instrumentalization of religion and belief constitutes an important driver of conflict worldwide;
Amendment 56 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission and the Council to makcontinue the fight against the persecution of religious minorities and to priorityize, promote and protect freedom of belief, assembly, expression and speech in the programming of activities related to EU development assistance, in line with the areas of cooperation for geographic and thematic programmes of NDICI-Global Europe;
Amendment 57 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)
Recital C d (new)
Cd. whereas the lack of knowledge and recognition on the role that religions and beliefs play for individuals and communities fuels intolerance, hate speech, stereotypes and contributes to increase discriminatory attitudes and behaviours;
Amendment 59 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)
Recital C e (new)
Ce. whereas social networks are increasingly used as a forum for incitement to hatred, intimidation and violence by religious, political and organized groups;
Amendment 59 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Recognizes that LGBTQI+ communities are a part of faith traditions; Recognizes that as all human beings, LGBTQI+ persons have a right to freedom of expression, speech, belief and religion; reiterates the importance of the role that religious authorities can play to ensure that religion and tradition are not utilized to discriminate, criminalize or exclude persons based on their sexual orientation and gender identity;
Amendment 64 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Calls on the EU and its Member States to strengthen legal and institutional protection mechanisms to ensure that human rights of members of minorities on the basis of belief and religion, as well as those of women, children and members of the LGBTQI+ community are ensured and to guarantee that others in vulnerable situations, such as migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons are fully protected on the basis of their fundamental rights and are not subjected to discrimination on the basis of their belief or religion;
Amendment 65 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
Amendment 68 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
Amendment 69 #
2021/2055(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the EU to develop the necessaryan adequate accountability, reaction and sanction mechanisms to combat effectively violations of freedom of religion or belief, including discrimination or legal restrictions based on religion or belief in its partner countries, as well as any kind of impediment to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of association and freedom of expression.
Amendment 81 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Affirms its unwavering commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of persons belonging to religious and belief minorities everywhere in the world, including their right to change or choose their religion or belief, in respect of the principles of equality and non- discrimination; condemns in the strongest terms all persecution, violence, incitement to violence and terrorism targeting any minority on the grounds of religion and belief;
Amendment 87 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Takes the view that, regardless of their religion and belief, it is essential to promote and help to ensure the inclusion of all citizens in their societies and in political and cultural life;
Amendment 89 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that freedom of religion or belief, including freedom to worship, and freedom to believe or not believe, is a human right, and that it often serobservance, practice and teaching, freedom to adopt, change or abandon one's religion or belief and freedom to believe or not believes as a last bastion of liberty and as a source of fierce dend to manifest one's religion or belief, is a human right protected under intermination in highly repressive settingsal law;
Amendment 98 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is deeply concerned about the rise over the last decade of violencecoercion, violence and repression against people belonging to minorities on the grounds of their belief or religion as a global phenomenon, which is intensifying and affecting more and more countries; notes that it affects many religious communities, namely Christians (including Copts), Jews, Muslims (including Ahmadis and Alevis), Buddhists, Hindus and smaller religious groups, such as Baha’is, Sikhs and Zoroastrians, as well as groups of people who are atheists, humanists, agnostics or do not identify with any religion;
Amendment 111 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 120 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 125 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
Amendment 135 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Recognizes the important contribution of faith-based non- governmental organizations to development; acknowledges the growing role of some of these organizations in the fight against environmental degradation and in advocacy for peace and reconciliation;
Amendment 137 #
Amendment 141 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
Amendment 146 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
Amendment 153 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
Amendment 161 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
Amendment 167 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
Amendment 171 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
Amendment 178 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Deplores the fact that atheists are still persecuted in almost all of the region and that apostasy carries the death sentence in several countries; expresses its regret that freedom of worship is severely limited in some of the countries in the Middle East, with the notable example of Saudi Arabia, where public practice of any religion other than Islam is strictly prohibited;
Amendment 183 #
Amendment 187 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
Amendment 199 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
Amendment 209 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
Amendment 218 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
Amendment 222 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
Amendment 232 #
Amendment 235 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
Amendment 243 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
Amendment 258 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Stresses the paramount importance of holding accountable perpetrators of human rights abuses against persons belonging to religious minorities; calls on the EU and Member States to urgently work towards the establishment of UN mechanisms and committees to investigate current human rights violations against religious minoritbased on religion or beliesf around the world;
Amendment 263 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Calls on the Council and EU Member States to apply sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for or involved in systematic abuses or violations of the rights of persons belonging to religious minorities, as provided for by the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regimfreedom of religion or belief, as provided for by the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime (EU Magnitsky Act); notes that the Rome Statute covers both crimes against humanity and genocide based on the persecution of groups on the basis of religion or belief and establishes a fundamental international legal framework to fight impunity; calls on the EU and its Member States to increase their political and financial support to the International Criminal Court and calls on UN member states to commit to the fight against impunity in this context through the ratification of the Rome Statute;
Amendment 269 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Is appalled by the exacerbation of persecution against religious minority groupand belief minorities during the COVID-19 pandemic; denounces the fact that persons belonging to religious and belief minorities have been scapegoated, blamed for spreading the COVID-19 virus, and have been denied or faced discrimination in access to public healthcare, food or humanitarian aid, on the basis of religious or belief criteria;
Amendment 272 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Calls on the EU and its Member States to recognize the rights, beliefs and values of indigenous peoples, and to commit to address the specific discrimination of indigenous populations based on their beliefs, in a comprehensive manner through EU's external action;
Amendment 274 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Underlines that women belonging to religious and belief minorities have been specifically and increasingly targeted with the purpose of inflicting harm on their community as a whole; condemns all types of gender-based violence against women; stresses that they are particularly exposed to violent attacks, kidnapping, rape and sexual violence, forced conversion, female genital mutilation, beatings, forced and early marriage and domestic incarceration, and that lockdown measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic have made their human rights situation even more precarious; strongly condemns the use of forced sterilization against women as an extremely violent form of persecution;
Amendment 280 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Condemns the imposition of discriminatory norms based on gender and sexuality rooted in religious orthodoxy, which are often translated into national legislation as secular restrictions; stresses that the defence of "tradition" or "public morality" cannot contradict, in any case, international human rights provisions subscribed by States; expresses deep concern about the situation of LGBTI+ and transgender people, women and girls who, in many contexts, see their conduct criminalized, are subject to gender-related violence and whose access to basic services such as health and education is restricted on the basis of narrow interpretations of religious beliefs or principles, which are often instrumentalized to justify discrimination;
Amendment 282 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Deplores the instrumentalization of religion or beliefs to restrict sexual and reproductive rights and women's access to safe and free abortion worldwide;
Amendment 286 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Condemns the use by authoritarian regimes of legislation on security, sedition and the fight against terrorism and extremism as an instrument to persecute persons belonging to religious and belief minorities, to outlaw the practise or expression of their religion and gatherings ofor believersf, and to deter the registration of religious or belief associations; calls on the Commission and European External Action Service (EEAS) to monitor carefully the implementation of such legislation, and to consistently raise this issue in bilateral dialogues with the governments concerned; urges EU Member States to reject any request by foreign authorities for judicial and police cooperation in individual judicial cases if they are based on such legislation;
Amendment 290 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Strongly condemns any practice of coercive detention, forced labour and exploitation of belief or religious' minorities as well as the extensive use of digital surveillance technologies to monitor and control population belonging to belief or religious minorities;
Amendment 293 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Deplores the restriction on access to legal documentation and registration for organizations and individuals belonging to religious and belief minorities, and recalls that legal identity is a right that must be guaranteed for all citizens on an equal manner;
Amendment 298 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Deplores the fact that more than 70 countries in the world enforce criminal laws or seek to introduce new legislation which provide for punishments for blasphemy, apostasy and conversion, including the death sentence; notes that laws already in place are used disproportionately against people belonging to religious and belief minorities, and are thus seen, with good reason, as an instrument of oppression; calls for the EU to intensify its political dialogue with all countries concerned with a view to repeal those laws;
Amendment 320 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Calls on the Council, the Commission, EEAS and EU Member States to address persecutions based on belief or religion as a priorityn important element of EU human rights foreign policy, in line with the EU action plan for human rights and democracy for 2020-2024; stresses that a multi-layered and multi-actor approach is needed to protect and promote freedom of religion or belief, encompassing human rights, conflict resolution and interfaith initiatives that involve multiple state and non-state actorsdialogue and mediation, conflict resolution and prevention in cooperation with multiple state and non-state actors such as faith-based organisations, religious leaders and actors, non- believer's groups, civil society organizations and human rights defenders; calls for enhanced cooperation with UN initiatives on this matter; reiterates its call for a public review of the EU Guidelines on freedom of religion or belief, allowing for the assessment of their implementation and of proposals for their update; also calls for progress reports on the implementation of the Guidelines to be communicated regularly to Parliament;
Amendment 329 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Urges the EEAS and EU Delegations to include objectives specifically related to the protection of religious minorities for all relevant situations, as part of the human rights and democracy country strategies (HRDCSs) for 2021-2024. and to consistently raise general issues and specific cases relating to the persecution of religious and belief minorities during human rights dialogues with partner countries including a gender- perspective; reiterates its call for Members of the European Parliament to be given access to the content of HRDCSs;
Amendment 335 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
Amendment 341 #
2021/2055(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Recommends strengthening EU multilateral engagement with like-minded states and other actors with a view to promoting and mainstreaming the respect for religious and belief minorities in human rights policies everywhere in the world; calls for the EU and EU Member States to enhance cooperation with the UN, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), to intensify its dialogues with the African Union and, the Organization of American States, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and other regional organisations, and to forge alliances with third countries in order to provide international responses to human rights issues faced by religious and belief minorities, in particular those who are most vulnerable or targeted in conflict areas; also recommends that the EU continue to be the lead sponsor of resolutions on freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief in the UN General Assembly and the UN Human Rights Council and reiterates its call to step up cooperation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief on this matter;
Amendment 66 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas violence is the most extreme form of gender inequality; whereas gender-based violence is to be understood as an extreme form of discrimination and a violation of human rights;
Amendment 73 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas violence against women and girls presents different not mutually exclusive forms, including cyberviolence; whereas Plan International estimated that of 14,000 women and girls in 31 countries more than half (58%) had been harassed and abused online;
Amendment 172 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on EU missions and delegations and on the Member States to cooperate closely in the implementation of GAP III; calls on the Commission to strengthen synergies with the United Nations, partner countries and international stakeholders, to jointly advance and reach international targets related to gender equality in the Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals, the Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action, and the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and its review conferences;
Amendment 200 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for funding for local women’s organisations to be increased; condemns all moves to clamp down on women’s rights activists, including women’s human rights defenders, and urges all governments to protect, support and cooperate with civil society;
Amendment 212 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. WNotes with appreciation that gender equality is considered in the Gender Action Plan III a cross-cutting priority of the EU external action in its policy and programming work; welcomes the fact that 85% of all new external actions will be required to incorporate gender as a significant or principal objective; stresses that the objectives set should also be quantified in terms of dedicated funding and not just a percentage of the overall programmes;
Amendment 233 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls forWelcomes that the first area of engagement of the Gender Action Plan III focuses on eliminating all forms of gender based-violence; notes that almost one in three women globally (around an estimated 736 million) have been subjected to intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence, or both at least once in their life; calls for coordinated and holistic action to combat femicide and all types of violence against women and girls to be stepped up in the EU’s development initiatives;
Amendment 257 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Points out that the victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation are mainly women and girls; calls for greater leadership and monitoring from the European Commission and Member States and increased international cooperation to end the practices resulting in such forms of enslavement;
Amendment 347 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Reiterates that the COVID-19 crisis is affecting women’s access to the labour market; stresses the need for the inclusion of a gender dimension in all COVID-19 recovery plans and Team Europe initiatives;
Amendment 354 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Calls for GAP III to promote women’s economic activity and their access to the necessary resources and social protection; calls on the Commission and Member States to support and promote gender-responsive social protection mechanisms, including cash transfers, to enhance the capacity of partner countries in responding to crises and external shocks; calls for measures to help make women more employable and provide them with business opportunities;
Amendment 365 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Amendment 379 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Points out that women are facing increasing inequalities due to the current economic and food crises, particularly in rural areas; notes with concern that women are greater affected by food insecurity than men; reiterates that the right to food for women and girls must be a priority in the EU's development action; calls on the Commission and Member States to promote specific initiatives in this regard;
Amendment 403 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Notes that women are under- represented at every level of political and public life; calls for programme funding to promote the training and participation of women, including supporting community level participatory approaches and specific educational activities for girls and young women;
Amendment 439 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. SPoints out that women are disproportionately affected by conflict related sexual violence and other human rights violations with impunity, including higher risk of trafficking; stresses the need to ensure that women and girls who have suffered sexual violence in conflict zones receive holistic care and treatment;
Amendment 460 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. ANotes that climate change is not gender neutral, as it acts as an amplifier of existing inequalities, especially in fragile environments; appreciates the EU’s determination to address gender issues in the context of the green transition, given the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls; stresses the need of including, listening and empowering women and girls in the design of effective approaches to climate mitigation and adaptation in partner countries;
Amendment 470 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Points out that women are at the forefront when it comes to expertise in the fields of agriculture, climate and biodiversity; calls for them to be given support in the form of funding, legislative framework provisions and access to resources; reiterates the role of gender responsive adaptation, including climate- smart agriculture, disaster risk reduction, circular economy and sustainable management of natural resources;
Amendment 483 #
2021/2003(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Calls for women and girls, especially those living in rural areas, to be given better access to digital tools and training in the use thereof and for measures to be taken to promote their advancement in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (the STEM professions);
Amendment 116 #
2021/0375(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 39
Recital 39
(39) In order to reach out to their members and constituencies across the Union, European political parties should have the right to use their funding for cross-border political campaigns, conducted in the context of elections to the European Parliament, including the setting up of union-wide lists and referendum campaigns. The funding and limitation of election expenses for parties and candidates in those campaigns should be governed by the rules applicable in each Member State.
Amendment 123 #
2021/0375(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 41
Recital 41
(41) European political parties should not fund, directly or indirectly, other political parties and, in particular, national parties or candidates. European political foundations should not fund, directly or indirectly, European or national political parties or candidates. The prohibition of indirect funding should however not prevent European political parties or political foundations from publicly supporting and engaging with their member parties or member organisations in the Union on issues of relevance for the Union, or tofrom supporting political activities in the common interest, or from engaging in educational activities, in order to be able to fulfil their mission under Article 10(4) TEU. The prohibition of indirect funding should not prevent the participation of both representatives and staffers of political parties, nor of potentially politically active persons in events of European political foundations. Moreover, European political parties and their affiliated European political foundations should only finance activities in the context of national referendum campaigns when they concern the implementation of the TEU and the TFEU . These principles reflect Declaration No 11 on Article 191 of the Treaty establishing the European Community annexed to the Final Act of the Treaty of Nice.
Amendment 211 #
2021/0375(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 20 – paragraph 4
Article 20 – paragraph 4
4. Financial contributions or grants from the general budget of the European Union shall not exceed 95 % of the annual reimbursable expenditure indicated in the budget of a European political party and of the eligible costs incurred by a European political foundation. European political parties may use any unused part of the Union contribution awarded to cover reimbursable expenditure within the financial year following its award. Amounts unused after that financial year shall be recovered in accordance with Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 . Financial contributions in the year of elections to the European Parliament may cover 100% of the reimbursable expenditure incurred by a European political party and foundation.
Amendment 250 #
2021/0375(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 24 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Subject to the second subparagraph, the funding of European political parties from the general budget of the European Union or from any other source may be used to finance campaigns conducted by the European political parties in the context of elections to the European Parliament in which they or their members participate as required by Article 3(1), point (f) including setting up union-wide lists.
Amendment 66 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8
Recital 8
(8) In line with International and European standards, including, the requirements of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the law of the European Convention on Human Rights, Member States should not only recognize and respect the right of Union citizens to vote and to stand as a candidate but also ensure easy access to their electoral rights by removing as manyll obstacles to participation in elections as possible.
Amendment 70 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) In order to facilitate the exercise by Union citizens of their right to vote and to stand as a candidate in their country of residence, such citizens should be allowed to request the registration on the electoral roll of the host Member State as soon as they register or notify the authorities of their residence. Non-national citizens should in any case be entered on the electoral roll in sufficient time in advance of polling day. The formalities applicable to their registration should be as simple as possible. It should be sufficient for the Union citizens concerned to produce a valid identity card and a formal declaration that includes elements evidencing their entitlement to participate in the elections. Once registered, non- national Union citizens should remain on the electoral roll under the same conditions as Union citizens who are nationals of the Member State concerned, for as long as they satisfy the conditions for exercising the right to vote. Additionally, Union citizens should provide the competent authorities with contact information, enabling those authorities to keep them informed on a regular basis.
Amendment 71 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) While Member States are competent to determine the right to vote or to stand as a candidate in elections to the European Parliament as regards nationals who reside outside their territory, the fact that non-national Union citizens have been entered on the electoral roll of their Member State of residence should not in itself constitute grounds for their removal from the electoral roll of their home Member State for other types of elections. The risk of de-registration from the electoral roll of the home Member State for other types of elections is one of the main factors discouraging non-national Union citizens from participating in elections to the European Parliament, with the result that the views of non- national Union citizens are disproportionately less well represented than those of citizens who are nationals of the Member State concerned.
Amendment 72 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 10 a (new)
Recital 10 a (new)
(10 a) The prevention of removal from the electoral roll of non-national Union citizens’ home Member States for other types of elections should require the adoption of effective and innovative tools at the European level. The creation of a European electoral certificate allows for the registration of Union citizens in the electoral rolls of multiple Member States for the elections to the European Parliament, while averting double voting.
Amendment 75 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) Union citizens who have been deprived of their right to vote and to stand as candidates, on the basis of an individual civil law or criminal law decision taken by the competent authority, should be precluded from exercising that right in the Member State of residence in elections to the European Parliament. When receiving an application for registration as a voter, Member States may in duly justified cases require from the citizen concerned a formal declaration confirming that they have not been deprived of their right to vote. When standing as candidates in their country of residence, Union citizens should be required to produce a statement confirming that they have not been deprived of the right to stand in the elections to the European Parliament.
Amendment 76 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) It should be possible for the Member State of residence to check that Union citizens who have expressed a desire to exercise their right to stand as candidates have not been deprived of that right in their home country. The adoption of a European electoral certificate should enable the exchange of information between Member States in this regard. Where a Member State receives a request to that effect from the Member State of residence, it should provide the necessary confirmation within a time-limit allowing for the admissibility of the candidacy to be effectively assessed. The personal data being exchanged may only be processed for that purpose. Given the fundamental importance of electoral rights, failure by the home Member State to provide timely information on the status of a Union citizen should not result in the deprivation of the right to stand as a candidate in the Member State of residence. In cases where the relevant information is provided at a later stage, the Member State of residence should ensure, by appropriate measures and in accordance with the procedures provided for by its national law, that Union citizens deprived of the right to stand in their home Member State who were registered as candidates or have already been elected, are prevented from being elected or from exercising their mandate.
Amendment 83 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) In order to improve the accessibility of electoral information, such information should be made available in at least one other official language of the Union than that or those of the host Member State, broadly understood by the largest possible number of Union citizens residing on its territory. Member States should be encouraged to provide information also in the native language of the non-national Union citizen. Member States may use different official languages of the Union in specific parts of their territory or their regions depending on the language understood by the largest group of Union citizens residing therein.
Amendment 86 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 21 a (new)
Recital 21 a (new)
(21 a) Non-national Union citizens should receive information about the possibility of voting or standing as a candidate when they register as residents of a Member State of which they are not nationals. Information pertaining to the registration as a voter or as a candidate should also be provided periodically, ahead of European elections, in a timely manner, to all voters and persons entitled to stand as candidates pursuant to Article 3. Moreover, non-national Union citizens should be duly informed about their distinct rights under the municipal and European electoral systems.
Amendment 95 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 26
Recital 26
(26) Data regarding the exercise of rights and the application of this Directive can be useful in theis critical in the evaluation of the relevant Union policy and identification of measures necessary to ensure the effective exercise of Union citizens’ electoral rights. In order to increase and improve the collection of dataand reporting of data by Member States for elections to the European Parliament, it is necessary to introduce regular monitoring and to harmonise the reporting of implementation by Member States. In parallel, the Commission should assess the application of this Directive, and submit a report including such an assessment to the European Parliament and to the Council, after each election to the European Parliament.
Amendment 103 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall take the necessary measures to enable a Union voter who has expressed the wish to be registered as a voter to be entered on the electoral roll sufficiently in advance of polling day. Member States shall enable registration as soon as the voter concerned registers for residence
Amendment 108 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 11 – paragraph 1
Article 11 – paragraph 1
1. The Member State of residence shall inform the persons concerned in gooda timely manner and in clear and plain language, in their native language, or in official languages of the Union other than that or those of the host Member State, broadly understood by the largest possible number of Union citizens residing on its territory of the decision taken on their application for entry on the electoral roll or of the decision concerning the admissibility of their application to stand as a candidate.
Amendment 110 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 11 – paragraph 3
Article 11 – paragraph 3
3. In case of errors in the electoral rolls or in the lists of candidates to the European Parliament, the person concerned shall be informed thereof in a timely manner and entitled to legal remedies on similar terms as the laws of the Member State of residence prescribe for voters and persons entitled to stand as candidates who are its nationals.
Amendment 121 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 12 – paragraph 4 a (new)
Article 12 – paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. The designated authority shall collaborate with other competent authorities to ensure that citizens are informed of their rights under this Directive as soon as they register for residence in the Member State concerned. A person entitled to vote and stand as a candidate pursuant to Article 3 who establishes his residence in the country concerned, shall automatically receive information about their rights under this Directive. That information shall also be provided periodically, sufficiently ahead of the elections to the European Parliament, to all voters and persons entitled to stand as candidates pursuant to Article 3.
Amendment 122 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 13 – paragraph 2
Article 13 – paragraph 2
2. The home Member State shall ensure that measures referred to in paragraph 1 do not prevent its nationals from voting or standing as candidates in other types of elections. Appropriate measures, such as the adoption of a common European Electoral Certificate, shall be taken at the Union level to support the efforts of Member States to avoid de-registration of mobile Union citizens from electoral rolls for other types of elections, while preventing double voting and securing equal treatment among national and non-national Union citizens.
Amendment 131 #
Amendment 133 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 17 – paragraph 1
Article 17 – paragraph 1
1. Within six months after each election to the European Parliament Member States shall send detailed information to the Commission on the application of this Directive in their territory. In addition to general observations, the report shall contain uniform statistical data on the participation in elections to the European Parliament of Union voters and Union citizens entitled to stand as candidates and a summarydetailed overview of the measures taken to support it.
Amendment 134 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 17 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 17 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 20 concerning a template and the form of the data to be collected for the purposes of paragraph 1 of this Article.
Amendment 136 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 18 – paragraph 1
Article 18 – paragraph 1
Within twoone years after the 2029 elections to the European Parliament, the Commission shall assess its application and produce an evaluation report on the progress towards achievement of the objectives contained herein. The evaluation shall also include a review on the functioning of Article 13.
Amendment 139 #
2021/0372(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 20 – paragraph 2
Article 20 – paragraph 2
2. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Articles 9, 10, 13 and 137 shall be conferred on the Commission for an indeterminate period of time from the entry into force of this Directive.
Amendment 89 #
2021/0240(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 65 a (new)
Recital 65 a (new)
(65a) The independence of lawyers vis- à-vis the government and state actors is a cornerstone of the rule of law. The right of bar associations to self-govern is pivotal to the well-functioning of the EU and Member State judiciary. The powers conferred to the Authority shall at all times apply without prejudice to these principles and must respect professional secrecy and legal privilege.
Amendment 91 #
2021/0240(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 4
(4) ‘non-financial supervisor’ means a supervisor in charge of obliged entities listed in Article 3 of [AMLR], other than credit andinstitutions , financial institutions and independent legal professionals that are (i) registered with a self-regulatory body and (ii) bound by professional secrecy under the rule of law, taking account of the fact that the legal profession is self-regulatory by nature.
Amendment 114 #
2021/0240(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 1
Article 16 – paragraph 1
1. The Authority may require selected obliged entities and natural or legal persons belonging to them, and third parties to whom the selected obliged entities have outsourced operational functions or activities and natural or legal persons affiliated to them, to provide all information that is necessary in order to carry out the tasks conferred on it by this Regulation. Any infringement of professional secrecy inherent in the legal profession should be avoided as breaching this basic principle would undermine judicial independence.
Amendment 125 #
2021/0240(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 1
Article 32 – paragraph 1
1. Where a supervisory authority in the non-financial sector has not applied the Union acts or the national legislation referred to in Article 1(2), or has applied them in a way which appears to be a breach ofes Union law, in particular by failing to ensure that an entity under its supervision or oversight satisfies the requirements laid down in those acts or in that legislation, the Authority shall act in accordance with the powers set out in paragraphs 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 of this Article.
Amendment 126 #
2021/0240(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 32 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The supervisory authority shall, without delay, provide the Authority with all information which the Authority considers necessaryrelevant for itsthe investigation including information on how the Union acts or in that legislation referred to in Article 1(2) are applied in accordance with Union law. The authority's right to information shall apply without prejudice to professional secrecy and legal privilege.
Amendment 127 #
2021/0240(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Article 32 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Before issuing such a recommendation, the Authority shall engage with the supervisory authority concerned, where it considers such engagement appropriate in order to resolve a breach of Union law, in an attempt to reach agreement on the actions necessary for compliance with Union law.
Amendment 128 #
2021/0240(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
Article 32 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
The supervisory authority in the non- financial sector shall, within ten working days of receiptwo months of the recommendation, inform the Authority of the steps it has taken or intends to take to ensure compliance with Union law.
Amendment 129 #
2021/0240(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 32 – paragraph 4 – introductory part
Article 32 – paragraph 4 – introductory part
4. Where thea supervisory authority in the non-financial sector other than those in charge of the obliged entities listed in article 3 (3) (b) of the [AML Regulation] has not complied with Union law within one month from receipt of the Authority’s recommendation, the Commission may, after having been informed by the Authority, or on its own initiative, issue a formal opinion requiring the supervisory authority in the non- financial sector to take the action necessary to comply with Union law. The Commission’s formal opinion shall take into account the Authority’s recommendation.
Amendment 32 #
2021/0227(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Draws attention to the calamitous consequences of the global failure to take adequate action against the climate crisis and the need to reinforce the Planet - Global Challenges line;
Amendment 33 #
2021/0227(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5 b. Insists that the room for external action expenditure given by the MFF ceiling for Heading 6 'Neighbourhood and the world' and the rules for the mobilisation of the Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve must be fully utilised; reiterates that the balance between the resources assigned to the different external action instruments through the respective regulations must be preserved; emphasises that the future funding for the needs of the Syrian refugees was not factored in the MFF or NDICI-Global Europe discussions and it should therefore not be borne by the programmed instruments; furthermore, as the expected Syrian refugees package is not responding to a new crisis or unforeseen needs, stresses that any funding from the emergency cushion of NDICI-Global Europe towards this should be limited; calls instead on Member States to make available additional "fresh funds" for this package;
Amendment 35 #
2021/0227(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5 c. Expresses deep concern about the ongoing situation in Afghanistan; calls on the Commission to prepare humanitarian assistance, address critical food insecurity, support for refugees in neighbouring countries, support for women, girls and children and human rights defenders in cooperation with the UN agencies (UNHCR, UNICEF), other international organizations and international NGOs; calls for preparation of the new financial programming and strategy to preserve hard-won development gains and continue to support people of Afghanistan and the neighbouring countries without using the Taliban government as an intermediary.
Amendment 33 #
2021/0214(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 55
Recital 55
(55) As the CBAM aims to encourage cleaner production processes, the EU stands ready to work with low and middle- income countries towards theprovide technical and financial assistance to support de- carbonisation of their manufacturing industries. Moreover, the Union should in low income countries and lower middle-income countries. The CBAM revenue will also be used for provision of financial support lessto least developed countries with the necessary technical assistance in order to facilitate their adaptation to the new obligations established by this regulation. , as well as to countries not belonging to this category, but defined by the World Bank as a lower middle-income country and facing particularly important costs related to the CBAM, including compliance costs and costs for investments to bring down relevant emissions towards levels similar to those of competing producers in the Union or in other third countries. In this light, the CBAM should not harm or hinder the socioeconomic progress of least developed coutries.
Amendment 45 #
2021/0214(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
1. This Regulation establishes a carbon border adjustment mechanism (the ‘CBAM’) for addressing greenhouse gas emissions embedded in the goods referred to in Annex I, upon their importation into the customs territory of the Union, in order to prevent the risk of carbon leakage. It contributes to Union climate action by incentivising and supporting the reduction of emissions in third countries, while not harming or hindering the socioeconomic progress of least developed countries. In this regard, the need for an effective diplomatic language, including with climate vulnerable countries, needs to be taken into account to avoid a shift in significant political energy from other aspects of international climate policy.
Amendment 50 #
2021/0214(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 24 a (new)
Article 24 a (new)
Article 24 a Usage of the revenues from the sale of the CBAM certificates The revenues generated from the sale of the CBAM certificates, or the equivalent in financial value, shall be used to cover costs of administration of the CBAM and climate action in least developed countries, as well as to lower middle- income countries facing particularly important investment needs and compliance costs related to the CBAM and an important lack of resources. The Commission shall report to the European Parliament on how revenue has been used for climate action in third countries without crowding out other development or humanitarian assistance. The support provided in third countries shall be guided by the Sustainable Development Goals and by needs and interests of vulnerable groups, in accordance with the UN’s Agenda 2030 and the poverty reduction and eradication primary objective of the Union’s development policy as well as the goals established in the Global Europe- NDICI regulation, ensuring coherence with the Global Gateway strategy and the upcoming revision of the European Financial Architecture for Development. Gender-sensitivity shall be applied and dialogue with governments and civil society representatives of relevant third countries shall be sought.
Amendment 56 #
2021/0214(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 30 – paragraph 2
Article 30 – paragraph 2
2. Before the end of the transitional period, the Commission shall present a report to the European Parliament and the Council on the application of this Regulation. The report shall contain, in particular, the assessment of the possibilities to further extend the scope of embedded emissions to indirect emissions and to other goods at risk of carbon leakage than those already covered by this Regulation, as well as an assessment of the governance system. It shall also contain the assessment of the possibility to further extend the scope to embedded emissions of transportation services as well as to goods further down the value chain and services that may be subject to the risk of carbon leakage in the future. Finally, it shall also contain an analysis of the financial, environmental and social impact of the CBAM in least developed countries.
Amendment 23 #
2020/2262(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Suggests that the introduction of a ‘red card’ instrument, enabling a legislative proposal from the Commission to be withdrawn if 55 % of national parliaments raise anan increased role for national parliaments and the power of raising objection,s should be discussed at the Conference on the Future of Europe;
Amendment 36 #
2020/2262(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Believes that the REFIT platform should be expanded to widen its focus from regulatory burdens to matters of subsidiarity and proportionality; warns against the rigid application by the Commission of a ‘one in, one out’ principle in the implementation of better law-making processes; highlights the role played by the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions in the REFIT programme, as their input capturing the views of regional and local authorities as well as organised civil society is important for a balanced policy assessment process.
Amendment 3 #
2020/2255(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Notes that the 'NWelcomes the Union's new Pact on Migration and Asylum' is a holistic attempt to; notes that this Pact addresses Europe's migration challenges; stresses however that these challenges originate outside Europe and urges that, asylum, integration and border management challenges; deeply regrets the absence of legislative proposals on improving safe and legal pathways to the Union; reiterates however the need to tackle the external challenges of migration, such as political instability, poverty and violence; urges therefore, to continue addressing the root causes and drivers of migration be effectively addressedthrough a values- based approach;
Amendment 10 #
2020/2255(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1 a. Draws attention that the 'New Pact on Migration and Asylum' should revolve around responsibility and solidarity by creating a proper solidarity system among Member States; calls for overcoming the principle of the first country of arrival in favour of a more flexible mechanism; beneficiaries of international protection should be granted freedom of movement in the Schengen area;
Amendment 18 #
2020/2255(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls Member States’ right to determine their own that the Union has a shared competence for developing a common immigration policiesy; underlines that facilitating labour migration at Union level underminescan provide a complementary addition to Member States’ unique and diverse labour market policies; considers that increasing regular migration channels will not reduce illegal migration or human trafficking and will alleviate pressure on the Union's asylum system; considers that a fragmentation of labour migration regulations across the Union discourages the use of legal pathways; calls therefore on the Union and its Member States to establish harmonised application procedures;
Amendment 32 #
2020/2255(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that external borders must be secured and that migrants who lack the right to stay or enter the Member States must be swiftly returned; supports proposals for an acceleratedmigrants who are not granted a stay in the Union or an entry to the Member States must be returned under humane conditions and that this should occur on a voluntary basis; stresses that the external borders procedure to apply to persons whose asylum applications have been rejecteds should be considered as an optional tool and not as a mandatory practice to be used in normal times;
Amendment 34 #
2020/2255(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Stresses that no detention should be allowed where detention conditions are not compatible with human dignity; health and psychological care, access to interpretation, legal information and assistance by NGOs should always be provided;
Amendment 40 #
2020/2255(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. URecalls that the right to migrate is a human right; underlines that emigration of highly qualified citizens deprives countries of origin of theircan lead to a reduction of human capital and an educated workforce (“brain drain”) and seriously hampers their economic and social development; considers circular migration, a more open visa policy, but also increasing funding of the Erasmus+ programme to be useful tools to tackle those risks; calls for the expansion of more alternatives for legal migration to the Union, by creating opportunities for academic exchanges through the Erasmus+ programme, apprenticeships and vocational training; calls for the future EU Talent Partnerships to address this issue and take on board lessons from the recent EU pilot projects on legal migration;
Amendment 46 #
2020/2255(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Calls on the Union to develop new and improve on existing safe and legal pathways to the Union, including labour migration policies as well as increased resettlement capacities and complementary pathways; welcomes the revised Union Blue Card Directive, but stresses that labour migration policies should also be developed for medium- and low-skilled workers;
Amendment 50 #
2020/2255(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 b. Calls on the Union to strive for formal agreements with partner countries on migration mobility, return- and readmission in line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees;
Amendment 52 #
2020/2255(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4 c. Welcomes the EU Talent pool proposed by the Commission as a measure to attract global talent but regrets its limited scope; considers that the Union should strive to develop a more sustainable migration policy, including through circular migration and labour mobility agreements in its partnerships with third countries;
Amendment 61 #
2020/2255(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for strengthening international law enforcement efforts, in close cooperation with relevant local governments as well as with UNHCR and IOM, to combat criminal networks of smugglers contributing to illegal migrationand human traffickers;
Amendment 69 #
2020/2255(INL)
6. Calls for the appropriate use of the NDICI-Global Europe to contribute to reducing migration flows byaddressing the root causes of migration by fighting poverty, stimulating economic growth and by enabling development in third countries; recalls that the NDICI- Global Europe covers a wide array of other Union migration-related policies which requires to be in line with the principle of policy coherence for sustainable development;
Amendment 82 #
2020/2255(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the need to involve all stakeholders in Europe and partner countries in the definition and evaluation of new and existing legal migration strategies; highlights the importance of religiousindependent civil society entities, which play a key role in partner countries, including in conflict resolution.
Amendment 194 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Considers that the introduction of a joint constituency from which forty-six members of the European Parliament shall be elected and in which lists are headed by each political family’s candidate for the post of President of the Commission could offer an opportunity to enhance the democratic and transnational dimension of the European elections; believes that the goal of establishing a joint constituency is achievable only if geographical, demographic and gender balance is ensured, by guaranteeing that smaller Member States are not put at a competitive disadvantage compared to the larger Member States; suggests in this respect by introducing bminding demographic representation in the lists for the joint constituency, such as maximum thresholds for candidates residing in the same Member State and a minimum obligatory representation of nationals of different Member Statesimum and maximum obligatory representation of nationals of different Member States; suggests in this respect introducing binding demographic representation in the lists for the joint constituency; encourages that European parties and movements to appoint candidates in the joint lists coming from all Member States;
Amendment 306 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Recital 9
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Recital 9
(9) A European Electoral Authority should be established for the management of the Union-wide constituency. Such a European Electoral Authority would be essential for coordinating information on the European elections and monitoring the implementation of the common standards of the European electoral law, by ensuring an efficient exchange of information and best practices between national bodies. In addition.
Amendment 318 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Recital 11
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Recital 11
(11) Citizens of the Union have the right to participate in its democratic life, in particular by voting or standing as candidates in elections to the European Parliament. Member States should take the measures necessary to allow those of their citizens residing or working in third countries outside the Union, those who are, travellers, homeless or who are serving a prison sentence in the EU, to exercise the right to vote in elections to the European Parliament. Access to polling stations should also be facilitated for all citizens, and in particular for persons with disabilities.
Amendment 398 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 5
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 5
Member States shall ensure that all citizens of the Union, including those living or working in a third country outside the Union, travellers and those who are homeless or who are serving a prison sentence in the EU, are entitled to and are able to exercise their right to vote in elections to the European Parliament, and, with regard to those citizens serving a prison sentence, without prejudice to national law or court decisions handed down in accordance with national law.
Amendment 404 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 6 – paragraph 1
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 6 – paragraph 1
1. No one shall vote more than once in any election of members of the European Parliament in the national constituencies, as well as not more than once in the election of members of the European Parliament in the Union-wide constituency.
Amendment 416 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 8 – paragraph 1
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 8 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall provide for postal voting in elections to the European Parliament, including for citizens living in a third countryoutside the Union, and shall adopt measures that ensure that postal voting is accessible, in particular for persons with disabilities. Member States shall adopt all necessary measures to ensure the reliability and secrecy of the vote, and the protection of personal data in accordance with applicable Union law.
Amendment 440 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 11 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 11 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Amendment 484 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 5
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 5
Amendment 486 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 6
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 6
Amendment 490 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 7
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 7
Amendment 492 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 8
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 8
Amendment 504 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 13
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 13
13. For candidates living in a third country outside the Union, the candidate’s place of residence for the purposes of the composition of the list shall be their one before leaving the European Union. For citizens of the Union born and resident in a third country outside the Union, the place of residence for the purposes of drawing up of the list shall correspond to that of the candidate’s Member State of nationality.
Amendment 506 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 14
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 14
14. The lists of candidates for the Union-wide constituency shall include a number of candidates equal to the number of mandates as provided for in paragraph 1, and at least 27 candidates residing in each of the Member States.
Amendment 508 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 15
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 15
Amendment 515 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 17
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 17
Amendment 523 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 18
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 18
Amendment 536 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 22 – point c a (new)
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 22 – point c a (new)
(ca) To ensure that the transnational seats are truly European, a correction mechanism will be introduced so that the Members chosen via the transnational lists stem from all Member States. Starting from the 46th seat upwards candidates-elect will be substituted by the next candidate-elect of the same list originating from a Member State that has not yet been included in the results. Starting with a candidate from the least populated Member State until at least one of the Members elected on the European lists originates from each of the 27 Member States.
Amendment 537 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 22 – point c b (new)
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 22 – point c b (new)
(cb) In order to prevent an overrepresentation of elected Members from the EU-wide constituency residing in a single Member State, there will be a ceiling of 6 seats for any given Member State rounded upwards. If more than 6 seats are filled with elected Members from a single Member State, the other Members-elect from the same Member State will be substituted by a candidate from the same European list who falls within the criterion of the ceiling.
Amendment 540 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 23
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 15 – paragraph 23
23. In the event of death, resignation, loss of political rights or withdrawal of the mandate of a member of Parliament elected in the Union-wide constituency, the vacancy shall be filled by the next candidate ion the list of candidates inof which the member who has died, resigned or withdrawn was originally elected.
Amendment 551 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 16 – paragraph 1
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 16 – paragraph 1
1. Each European electoral entity permitted by the European Electoral Authority to table a list of candidates for members of the European Parliament in the Union-wide constituency shall appoint a general electoral administratorn official campaign accountant responsible for drawing up a general accounting plan for the income and expenses of the electoral campaign.
Amendment 553 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 16 – paragraph 2 –subparagraph 1
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 16 – paragraph 2 –subparagraph 1
2. The general electoral administratorofficial campaign accountant shall be a citizen of the Union who has not been convicted of crimes resulting in their disqualification from election or employment in public office in their Member State of residence.
Amendment 554 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 16 –paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 16 –paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
The general electoral administratorofficial campaign accountant shall not be a candidate for elections.
Amendment 558 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 16 – paragraph 4
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 16 – paragraph 4
Amendment 620 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 19 – paragraph 2
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 19 – paragraph 2
2. Member States may not officially make public the results of their count until after the close of polling in the Member State whose electors are the last to vote until thepublish results before the close of the polling time indicated in paragraph 1.
Amendment 623 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 19 – paragraph 3
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 19 – paragraph 3
Amendment 648 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 26 – paragraph 5 a (new)
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 26 – paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. The Parliament may on the request of the member concerned, and in full agreement with the Member State concerned or the Electoral authority, propose a temporary replacement for a member linked to parental leave or a severe illness.
Amendment 676 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 27 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 27 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
3. The Authority shall be composed of one member appointed by each Member State, who shall be professors of law or political science. The members of the Authority will elect its president, vice- president, and secretary by simple majority, in a separate vote. The Authority shall take decisions by consensus or, if that is not possible, by simple majority.
Amendment 681 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 27 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 27 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
The members of the Authority shall not be members of the European Parliament, national parliament or government, hold any electoral mandate or be a current or former employee of any EU institution or of any European political party or movement, or of any European political foundation.
Amendment 694 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 27 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 5
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 27 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 5
The five-year term of the Authority shall begin 30 days after the beginning of the parliamentary term as referred to in Article 20, except for the first term of the Authority which will start a year before the elections of 2024 and will exceptionally last 6 years.
Amendment 704 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 27 – paragraph 7 – subparagraph 1
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 27 – paragraph 7 – subparagraph 1
7. The European Electoral Authority shall be financed by the general bugdget of the European Union, including the remuneration of the members of the Authority during the electoral period.
Amendment 715 #
2020/2220(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 30
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 30
Amendment 14 #
2020/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the Withdrawal Agreement allowed for the orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU, avoiding a ‘cliff edge’; recalls that its negotiation was a historic yet cumbersome and lengthy political process, during which both parties have put forward considerable political, administrative, financial and other resources; points out this was a period of deep uncertainty for the EU-27 and the UK and their respective stakeholders;
Amendment 20 #
2020/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that, as expected, Brexit has proven to be damaging for all concerned, and even more so for the UK; points out that it would have been much worse without the Withdrawal Agreementan orderly withdrawal;
Amendment 21 #
2020/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights that the Withdrawal Agreement provided the legal framework for safeguarding citizens’ rights; avoiding a ‘hard border’ on the island of Ireland and respecting the Good Friday Agreement, while protecting the integrity of the EU’s single market; ensuring a fair financial settlement; and establishing effective dispute settlement and joint institutions to monitor and enforce its implementation;
Amendment 22 #
2020/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights that the Withdrawal Agreement provided the legal framework for safeguarding citizens’ rights; avoiding a ‘hard border’ on the island of Ireland and respecting the Good Friday Agreement, while protecting the integrity of the EU’s single market; ensuring a fair financial settlement; and establishing joint institutions to monitor its implementation;
Amendment 25 #
2020/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that some important improvements are still to be made to safeguard citizens’ rights and that the first three years of the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement have been tarnished by the UK’s continuous breaches of its commitments and the threat thereof under the Protocol;
Amendment 29 #
2020/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5 a. Recalls that the Withdrawal Agreement has direct effect on the EU’s and UK’s respective legal orders; points out that its provisions can be invoked directly in national courts by the legal subjects concerned; underlines that any contradictory national implementing measure must be disregarded and cannot be enforced;
Amendment 32 #
2020/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that the Withdrawal Agreement provides that all EU citizens who were legally residing in the UK and all UK nationals who were legally residing in an EU Member State onand continue to do so after 31 December 2020 enjoy the full set of rights as established under EU law, and interpreted by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU);
Amendment 38 #
2020/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Notes that the deadline for most EU citizens to apply for settled status lapsed on 30 June 2021; calls on UK authorities to honour the spirit of the Withdrawal Agreement and be lenient when considering applications submitted after this deadline;
Amendment 50 #
2020/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Reiterates its view that greater certainty would be provided to EU citizens in the UK if they were issued with a physical document as proof of their right as residents; reiterates its position that a declaratory system would provide even more legal certainty for the citizens concerned while alleviating the administrative burden on British authorities;
Amendment 54 #
2020/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Is concerned about the difficulties faced by UK nationals in clarifying their status in some EU countries; welcomes the Commission’s initiatives to provide guidance to the Member States in this respect; calls on the Member States with a constitutive system to consider adopting a declaratory system or elements thereof
Amendment 60 #
2020/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Recalls that the Protocol was agreed as a compromise to safeguard the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts and prevent the establishment of a physicalhard border on the island of Ireland, while protecting the integrity of the EU single market; recalls, furthermore, that the final version of the Protocol was in fact proposed by the UK Government, leading to the abandonment of the previous version of the ‘backstop’;
Amendment 61 #
2020/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Strongly regrets the UK’s lack of political will and failure to act in good faith and in compliance with its commitments under the Protocol; denounces the UK’s unwillingness to comply with the applicable customs requirements, supervision requirements and risk controls on the movement of goods from Northern Ireland to Great Britain; regrets the UK’s unwillingness to transpose and implement applicable EU legislation on excise duties, including on alcohol and alcoholic beverages, as well as VAT; regrets, in particular, the lack of support given to the EU staff in charge of monitoring customs checks in the Irish Sea, the insufficient access to UK customs data and the successive unilateral grace periods that have undermined border checks, in clear breach of the Protocol;
Amendment 68 #
2020/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Expresses strong concerns about the recently proposed Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, whereby the UK Government insists on unilaterally disapplyingcease to comply with key provisions of the Protocol; recalls that a bilateral agreement cannot be changed unilaterally; calls on the UK Government to immediately withdraw this proposal, refrain from unilateral action and fully implement the agreements that it has signed; encourages EU and UK negotiators to find a joint solution and ensure the Protocol is upheld;
Amendment 77 #
2020/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Expresses its complete support for the legal initiatives launched by the Commission in order to ensure the full implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement; calls on the Commission to expedite the pending infringement proceedings against the UK; welcomes the Commission’s proposal for a regulation on the enforcement mechanisms welcomes the Commission’s proposal for a regulation on the enforcement mechanisms of the Withdrawal Agreement and the TCA; underlines that the enforcement toolbox under the TCA could also be used to strengthen the enforcement of the Protocol;
Amendment 79 #
2020/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes the fruitful cooperation in this area and the fact that the EU and the UK have reaffirmed their commitment to complying with their financial obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement; however, draws attention to the considerable disparity between estimates of the net financial settlement made by the UK’s Office for Budget Responsibility and the European Commission; calls on the European Commission to leverage all instruments at its disposal to avoid any budgetary uncertainty and ensure all financial commitments under the Withdrawal Agreement are paid out in full;
Amendment 1 #
2020/2142(DEC)
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas, under the terms of Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), the European Parliament shall give a discharge to the Commission in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union; whereas the Council’s budget is a section of the Union budget;
Amendment 3 #
2020/2142(DEC)
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas, under the terms of Article 319 (2) TFEU, the Commission must submit to the European Parliament, at the latter’s request, any necessary information concerning the execution of expenditure and the operation of financial control systems;
Amendment 7 #
2020/2142(DEC)
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas the European Court of Justice’s case-law supports the right of taxpayers and public opinion to be kept informed on the use of public revenues;
Amendment 8 #
2020/2142(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Regrets that,Stresses the need for a Memorandum of Understanding between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on the provision of the information necessary for the European Parliament to take an informed decision on discharge; regrets that negotiations with the Council to that end have still not resumed and this despite the letter sent by Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control on 25 May 2020 to the secretary- general of the Council to inform that Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control has been mandated by Parliament's Conference of Presidents to reopen negotiations with the Council on cooperation during the annual discharge procedure, those negotiations have not yet resumed;
Amendment 14 #
2020/2142(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Is of the opinion that Parliament should address its decisions on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget to the Commission alone, while continuing the practice of adopting accompanying resolutions with observations addressed to each of the Union’s institutions and bodies, so as to ensure that no section of the EU budget is implemented without proper scrutiny;
Amendment 17 #
2020/2142(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. ConsidersSuggests that, while the current situation could be improved through better cooperation between the Union institutions within the Treaty framework, a revision of the Treaties could ultimately be required, so as to offer more legal clarity with regard to the discharge procedure by giving the European Parliament the explicit competence to grant discharge to all institutions and bodies individually; believes, in that regard, that the Conference on the fFuture of Europe provides an opportunity to discuss such a proposals to enhanc and explore possible ways to increase transparency and democratic accountability with regard to the protection of the Union’s financial interests.
Amendment 31 #
2020/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the role of theall EU institutions in the withdrawal procedure was key in the interpretation and implementation of the provisions of Article 50 of the TEU, in minimising institutional disruption, safeguarding the unity of Member States and ensuring an orderly withdrawal;
Amendment 74 #
2020/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Considers that the swift and firm identification of the priorities in the context of the withdrawal of the UK from the Union, and in particular, the protection of the rights of the millions of EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU affected by the withdrawal, the special circumstances confronting the island of Ireland, the mutual access to waters for the fishing industry, and a single financial settlement were key in structuring the process and stabilising its impact in the Union;
Amendment 114 #
2020/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 – indent 1
Paragraph 11 – indent 1
- delimited requirements for the extension of the period of two -years period, set out under Article 50(3) of the TEU, which should be limited to one prolongation, except in particular circumstances,
Amendment 131 #
2020/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 – indent 4 a (new)
Paragraph 11 – indent 4 a (new)
- clarification on the obligation to take into account the framework of the future relationship;
Amendment 160 #
2020/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Reiterates that, until a withdrawal agreement enters into force or, failing that, the two-year period mentioned in Article 50(3) of the TEU has elapsed, the withdrawing State remains a Member State, and enjoys all the rights and is under all the obligations deriving from the Treaties without exception, including the principle of sincere cooperation laid down in Article 4(3) of the TEU, as well as the obligation to hold elections to the European Parliament and to fulfil its financial settlement;
Amendment 162 #
2020/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Notes that while Article 50 preserves and respects the interests of the Member State that is withdrawing, it does not however protect sufficiently the interests of the Union as a whole by providing for unilateral revocation of its provisions by the withdrawing Member State; calls therefore for a more balanced procedure to be defined in any future Treaty reform;
Amendment 171 #
2020/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Considers, in this context, that the role of the Parliament is essential in safeguarding the parliamentary and democratic dimension of a procedure with such a constitutional and institutional impact on the Union; considers that its role must be enhanced in any future Treaty reform, its role must be enhanced to consent in all aspects of the process from the negotiations to the implementation of a withdrawal agreement, including for major decisions such as extensions in accordance with Article 50(3) of the TEU;
Amendment 174 #
2020/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Notes the role of the European Parliament in the negotiations Needs to be codified, especially the way it is being informed by the Commission which was and should be in the exact same way and at the same time as the Council; furthermore, points out Parliament’s association in political decisions, for example when the EP sherpa’s took part in the Council sherpa meetings prior to the European Council meetings;
Amendment 178 #
2020/2136(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Considers that Article 50 of the TEU addresses and solves the procedural aspect of a Member State’s withdrawal, but does not solve the significant political and economic consequences and disruptive effects of the withdrawal of a Member State from the EU, furthermore, specific solutions should be prepared in case of a no-deal and of a disorderly withdrawal;
Amendment 1 #
2020/2132(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 a (new)
Citation 6 a (new)
— having regard to its resolution of 15 January 2020 on the European Parliament’s position on the Conference on the Future of Europe,
Amendment 2 #
2020/2132(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6 b (new)
Citation 6 b (new)
— having regard to its resolution of 18 June 2020 on the European Parliament’s position on the Conference on the Future of Europe,
Amendment 45 #
2020/2132(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Notes that these developments are part of a wider trend whereby aforementioned institutions increasingly usurp decision-making power in all EU policy fields; stresses that this practice erodes the institutional balance of the EU as established by the Treaties; believes that the balance should be restored in favour of democratic legitimacy through equivalent rights for Parliament;
Amendment 54 #
2020/2132(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Regrets that, until 2019, the follow- up on Parliament’s legislative initiative reports adopted pursuant to Article 225 of the TFEU showed that the Commission had only delivered legislative proposals following Parliament requests in a minority of cases8 ; further regrets that the deadlines for the Commission to respond to Parliament requests and to put forward legislative proposals were not adhered to in most casespractically never adhered to; _________________ 8 Study entitled ‘The European Parliament’s right of initiative’, p. 54 (see footnote 7 above).
Amendment 65 #
2020/2132(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Strongly believes that when the Treaties are next revised, Parliament, as the only directly elected EU institution, should be granted the right to initiate legislationa genuine and general right to initiate legislation; such right of initiative should at least apply in those policy fields in which Parliament is empowered to enact legislation as co- legislator;
Amendment 72 #
2020/2132(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Is deeply convinced that a general and direct right of initiative would further strengthen the democratic legitimacy of the Union and empower Union citizens; believes that it would reflect the evolution over time of the competences of the Union and its institutionstowards a genuine European democracy, and is of the opinion that Parliament, as the only directly elected EU institution, should be granted the right to propose legislation and policy initiatives, as national parliaments may, when the Treaties are next revised;
Amendment 75 #
2020/2132(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Welcomes in the strongest terms the support from Commission President von der Leyen for a right of initiative for the European Parliament, as expressed during her speech on the eve of her election as President of the Commission;
Amendment 92 #
2020/2132(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Considers that, where equivalent rights of initiative concur, an interinstitutional framework should be set up to enable the coordination of policy initiatives; calls on the three institutions to reflect on how concurrent rights of initiative could effectively co-exist and be implemented in practice;
Amendment 96 #
2020/2132(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Commits to continue exploring the full potential offurther strengthen Parliament’s indirect right of initiative as provided for in the Treaties and further developed in interinstitutional agreements and through the commitment of President von der Leyen; calls on the Commission and the Council to jointly evaluate the functioning of the 2010 Framework Agreement and to engage in discussions on a revision to ensure its provisions and timeframes can be effectively upheld;
Amendment 98 #
2020/2132(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Considers it appropriate to review its internal rules, procedures and requirements, also with regard to the drafting of legislative initiative reports under Article 225 of the TFEU to ensure that proposals are focused and well- substantiated; points, in this regard, to the need to address requests to the Commission alone and to ensure that the content of legislative initiative reports remains within the scope of the subject matter of the authorised report; underlines that the adoption of focused and well- substantiated reports under Article 225 of the TFEU by the Parliament requires that the necessary technical and administrative capacity therefor is ensured;
Amendment 99 #
2020/2132(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25 a. Recognises that legislative own- initiative reports (INL) find their basis in Art. 225 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union, and therefore commits to favour these instruments as the primary means to request the submission of legislative proposals by the Commission;
Amendment 102 #
2020/2132(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26 a. Calls for the extension of the 3- month timeframe for the response of the Commission established by Art. 16 of the 2010 Framework Agreement; Considers that a more realistic timeframe might improve the overall credibility of the process, as well as improve the quality of the response by the Commission;
Amendment 103 #
2020/2132(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Believes that the Commission, when assessing the subsidiarity, proportionality and better lawmaking principles as part of its follow-up on Parliament requests for legislative proposals under Article 225 of the TFEU, should take due account of the accompanying analyses concerning ‘European added value’ and the ‘cost of non-Europe’ produced by Parliament; points out that under the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making, the Commission is already obliged to respond to any issues raised by the co-legislators in relation to such analyses; believes, furthermore, that the Commission should clearly refer to Parliament’slink draft proposals adopted under Article 225 of the TFEU when such proposals are followed by a legislative initiativeto the relevant INL or INI reports, providing a clear “legislative influence footprint”;
Amendment 104 #
2020/2132(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27 a. Commits to foster a stronger coordination with the Committee of the Regions and with the Economic and Social Committee by giving due account to their opinions into legislative own- initiative reports. Believes that, given the specific nature of these requests, a revised Framework Agreement should incentivize the Commission to transpose these own- initiative reports into a legislative proposal;
Amendment 106 #
2020/2132(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Paragraph 28 a (new)
Amendment 112 #
2020/2132(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30 a. Recalls the importance of citizens’ and civil society participation for the democratic legitimacy of the EU; calls on all EU institutions to involve them in a meaningful way in decision-making at all stages of the policy cycle;
Amendment 113 #
2020/2132(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 b (new)
Paragraph 30 b (new)
30 b. Recalls that the Conference on the Future of Europe provides the opportunity to assess the EU’s institutional status quo and give new impetus to European democracy; calls on all participants to the Conference to consider a genuine right of initiative for the European Parliament;
Amendment 12 #
2020/2129(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. AcknowledgeHighlights that there is sufficient strong evidence that shows that the voluntary efforts of Union companies tocompanies domiciled or operating in the Union to identify, prevent and, mitigate and account for the negative impacts of their behaviour on developing countries have failednot been sufficient, as violations of the human rights of individuals, in particular worker’s rightsmen and children, and of local communities are still taking place at the end of the supply chainthroughout the supply chain, as are violations of environmental standards and corruption abuses; acknowledges that there is growing political, public and private sector support for Union legislation on due diligence to level the playing field, as responsible companies are currently competing with less scrupulous ones;
Amendment 24 #
2020/2129(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Believes that there is strong need for a mandatory, harmonised framework at Union level to contribute to the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, and to ensure a level playing field for business and welcomes; calls on the Commission’ to step up its ongoing work on legislation requiring that Union companies domiciled or operating in the Union conduct due diligence on respect for human rights and environmental obligations throughout their supply chains; insists on the importance of consultation with developing countries and civil society organisations in both the Union and developing countries;
Amendment 52 #
2020/2129(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that all human rights should be covered by the future legislation; considers that emphasis should be placed on workers and trade union rights, women, children or, in particular women and children, trade union rights and the rights of indigenous people; stresseinsists that full alignment with existing legal obligations and standards at European and international level should be sought; is of the opinion that the legislation should address all types of human rights abuses;
Amendment 53 #
2020/2129(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Strongly believes that future legislation should also mandate environmental due diligence, to ensure compliance with Union and internationally recognised environmental standards and rights, including on climate change and biodiversity;
Amendment 60 #
2020/2129(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Highlights that the obligation to respect and protect human rights, the environmental standards and to avoid the risk of corruption, should be embedded throughout whole global value chains, products, services and business relationships;
Amendment 82 #
2020/2129(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Is of the opinion that the future legislation should establish mandatory and effective corporate due diligence processes covering all violations linked to companies’ activities and their business relationships, including their supply and subcontracting chains, and should include a duty to report activities accordingly;
Amendment 94 #
2020/2129(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines the need to design a sound monitoring and accountability system and to provide competent authorities (at Union and at national level) with effective instruments to monitor the compliance with the legislation, in particular at local level;
Amendment 195 #
2020/2118(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Reminds the Commission that the EU’s well-established partner organisations, such as the Global Fund, provide valuable help in rapidly procuring and deploying personal protective equipment, diagnostics and therapeutics for COVID-19 while playing avital role in building up and reinforcing health systems and providing donors;
Amendment 19 #
2020/2117(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commission to mount an assertive and coordinated international trade policy response geared towards a multilateral, resilient and sustainable recovery in developing countries; calls on the Commission to deepen EU-Africa trade relations through economic partnership agreements and exchange of best practices, while making the most of the EU’s Aid for Trade Strategy;
Amendment 22 #
2020/2117(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Recalls that the EU trade policy and relations with developing countries must be based on the fundamental values of the EU and contribute first and foremost to achieving sustainable growth, job creation, promotion of human rights and the eradication of poverty;
Amendment 27 #
2020/2117(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Encourages the EU and the Member States to help developing countries and regions to keep their borders opento counter restrictions on freedom of movement and trade, and to set up ‘green corridor mechanisms’ to allow the, which allow a free and unhindered flow of essential goods, agri-food products and access for humanitarian aid across borders;
Amendment 36 #
2020/2117(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Invites the Commission to adaptuse its trade policy in order to help developing countries to boost the resilience and diversification of their value chains at a global, regional and local level, including reshoring and nearshoring and to continue towards removing trade barriers at the level of the WTO;
Amendment 45 #
2020/2117(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the commitment shown by the EU and its Member States in tackling the wider impact of COVID-19, in particular through the Coronavirus Global Response and COVAX initiatives; calls on the Commission to coordinate with the World Health Organization and the African Union in order to scale up vaccine production for developing countries and to make vaccines affordable and universally available;
Amendment 69 #
2020/2117(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to collaborate with developing partner countries in order to facilitatestrengthen digital infrastructure and facilitate the digital transition, establish policy strategies and harmonise regulatory frameworks for e- commerce.;
Amendment 32 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Commission communication of 7 June 2016 on establishing a new Partnership Framework with third countries under the European Agenda on Migration, which builds on the GAMM principles, stresses that migration issues are at the top of the EU’s external relations priorities; whereas this framework calls for intensified cooperation with third countries, through ‘partnerships’ aiming at ensuring cooperation on migration management, in effectively preventing irregular migration and readmitting irregular migrants, including with positive and negative incentives stemming from different policy elements within EU competence, including neighbourhood, development aid, trade, mobility, energy, security and digital policies, all leveraged towards the same objective; whereas all such „partnerships“ need to have a clear legalbasis
Amendment 54 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. I. whereas illegal pushbacks are repeatedly occuring at the EU external borders; whereas the Commission has so far not acted on its responsability to prevent and condemn such illegal pushbacks; whereas the Commission shifts the responsibility to the concerned MemberStates;
Amendment 69 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Regrets that the new Asylum and Migration pact focuses nearly entirely on migration management and foremost returns and readmissions, recalls the need to provide for safe and legal migration pathways;
Amendment 98 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Commission to ensure ex ante risk assessments, performed by independent agencies, on the impact of any formal, informal or financial EU cooperation with third countries on the rights of migrants and refugees; calls on the Commission to set implementation guidelines for EU agencies and Member States before entering into cooperation with third countries; calls in this respect for particular vigilance in relation to countries which are experiencing ongoing or frozen conflicts and face increased risks of human rights violations; calls on the Commission to ensure that any EU cooperation with third countries is fully formalised to ensure agreements with third countries can be effectively monitored; highlights in that regard the need for full parliamentary scrutiny and democratic accountability;
Amendment 114 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on the EU to consider means to ensure access to justice for persons affected by measures implementing cooperation between it and third countries on migration, including through accessible mechanisms for seeking information, submitting complaints and securing effective remedysetting up an independent and accessible complaints mechanism;
Amendment 119 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Notes that the implementation and funding of the EU’s external migration policy is assigned to different Commission Directorates-General and mainstreamed across the EU’s migration, asylum, development and foreign policies without a designated lead institutional actor; notes with concern that this blending of executive responsibilities has created a lack of sufficient and coherent oversight of the Commission’s activities that would enable Parliament to exert democratic control over the EU’s external migration policy and exercise budgetary authority over development funds, trust funds, facilities and other funding instruments used to meet EU policy goals related to migration; urges the Commission to designate a single lead institutional interlocutor at Commissioner level on the external dimension of migration;
Amendment 143 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Condems the human rights violations, violations of international, humanitarian and/or refugee law, such as non-refoulement, illegal pushbacks and violent attacks against migrants that are increasingly occurring at the the EU external borders; recalls that the Member States have an obligation to respect Union and international law, including human rights, humanitarian and refugee law; condemns the Commission‘s lack of action in this regard; calls on the Commission to ensure that Member States fulfill their humanitarian and human rights obligations under Union and international law; recommends that the European Commission should launch infringement procedures in cases where Member States do not respect their human rights and humanitarian obligations;
Amendment 149 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls for the extension of the mandate, competencies and budget of the Fundamental Rights Agency to allow it to exercise an advisory role inffectively monitor the external dimension of EU asylum and migration policies and its involvement in monitoring exercises; suggests to extend the mandate of the FRA to allow it to alert the Court of Justice of the European Union in case Member States do not adhere to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European union or the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom;
Amendment 168 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes with concern the increasing recourse since 2016 to enhanced conditionality between development cooperation and migration management, including return and readmission; stresses, however, that according to Article 208 TFEU the primary objective of Union development cooperation policy shall be the reduction and, in the long term, the eradication of poverty; calls, therefore, on the Commission to ensure that policies on development cooperation do not contravene the principles enshrined in Article 208 TFEU; stresses that the use of development cooperation as an incentive for migration management undermines meaningful action on the needs of people in developing countries, the rights of refugees and migrants, and their potential impact on regional migration patterns and contribution to local economies, and thus also undermines a wide range of rights stemming from the Sustainable Development Goals; stresses that there should be a clear demarcation between the EU‘s internal and external migration policies, instruments and funds;
Amendment 180 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Notes that a complete, public overview of EU funding to third countries to facilitate cooperation on migration issues remains unavailable; cCalls on the Commission to provide improvedensure full transparency, including by establishing a clear overview of the funds used to finance cooperation with third countries in the field of migration management across all its financial instruments and their implementation, including information on the amount, purpose and source of funding as well as detailed information on any other potential support measures provided by EU agencies such as the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, in order to ensure that Parliament can efficiently perform its institutional role of scrutiny of the implementation of the EU budget;
Amendment 194 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Highlights the key role that international organisations, such as UNHCR, UNICEF and IOM, play in ensuring the protection of human rights in the context of migration and forced displacement and insists that EU support for for these organisations should be duly increased;
Amendment 198 #
2020/2116(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes that the possibilities of mainstreaming migration policy in EU external policy are significantly broadened by the inclusion of migration in the thematic, geographical and rapid response component of the proposed Neighbourhood, Development, International Cooperation Iincreased via the broad inclusion of migration-related actions in the new Neighbourhood, Development, International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI); stresses that migration-related spending in the NDICI should be limited to a maximum of 10%and that migration- related activities under NDICI should concentrate on addressing the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement and on supporting strengthened engagement to facilitate safe, orderly, regular and responsible migration as well as on the implementation of planned and well- managed migration policies and governance; highlights that there should be a clear demarcation between internal and external EU migration policies, instruments and funds; recalls in that regard the NDICI should not be misused to fulfill the internal policy goals of the EU, underlines that the final agreement on migration-related activities in the NDICI should be horizontally coordinated with internal EU funds as well as IPA to avoid overlaps; insists that humanitarian and development funding can by no means be made conditional on the management of migration; recalls that the NDICI is foremost a development instrument (NDICI); notes with concern, however, that through the ‘rapid response’ component, cooperation with third countries on migration management can be funded without the need for the Commission to publish any programming documents or consult civil society actors, and without the involvement of Parliament, including in the framework of the ‘Migration Preparedness and Crisis Blueprint’, which lacks mechanisms to assess the possible adverse impact of such interventions; insists in this regard on the need to ensure that the 2021- 2027 Multiannual Financial Framework is accompanied by a robust human rights framework for the identification, implementation and monitoring of future migration cooperation programmes;
Amendment 14 #
2020/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls urgently on the Commission and the European Council to closely integrate the European Pillar of Social Rights into the economic governance of the Union;
Amendment 23 #
2020/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that the Eurogroup and the Euro Summit are informal formations of the Union; notes that this represents a significant impediment to the democratic legitimacy of the Union as a whole and calls for their integration into the treaty framework;
Amendment 26 #
2020/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Recalls that according to the protocol 14 TFEU, each Member State is destined to adopt the Euro;
Amendment 27 #
2020/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Amendment 29 #
2020/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4 c. Recalls that according to the article 121 and 126 TFEU, the European Parliament cannot scrutinize nor amend the recommendations made by the Council inside the framework of the European Semester; Considers urgent a treaty revision in order to increase democratic legitimacy by a Parliament's approval of the recommendations;
Amendment 44 #
2020/2075(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls the importance of pargender equality; regrets that only applications from male candidates have been submitted to Parliament for the latest posts to be filled in the economic bodies of the Union;
Amendment 40 #
2020/2072(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Insists that the Annual Monitoring Cycle should be governed, at all its stages, by the principles of transparency, impartiality, and equality between Member States, be based on objective evidence, protected from any malicious disinformation strategy and lead to effective and realistic measures;
Amendment 55 #
2020/2072(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 5 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Stresses that the Council of Europe plays a crucial role in monitoring the respect of fundamental rights and the rule of law in Europe. Insists therefore that consultations with the Council and foremost the Venice Commission should take place on a regular basis and that their assessment should inform the evaluations and recommendations of the new joint monitoring mechanism.
Amendment 91 #
2020/2072(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Highlights that the Conference on the Future of Europe provides a momentum for better understanding the need to protect Union values in this context; therefore, in the event of Treaty changes being made and address the crisis of the Union founding values in this context; proposes to enhance the effectiveness of the Article 7 by ensuring the future, the effectiveness of the Article 7 procedure should be enhancedpresence of the Parliament in Article 7 hearings, and in the event of Treaty changes being made in the future, by removing the requirement for unanimity and reinforcing the sanction mechanism;
Amendment 15 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 a (new)
Citation 17 a (new)
— having regard to its Report of 17 May 2021 on the 2019-2020 Commission Reports on Turkey 2019/2176(INI),
Amendment 16 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 20 a (new)
Citation 20 a (new)
— having regard to the Draft Amending Budget No. 5/20201a and the accompanying decision on Mobilisation of the Contingency Margin in2020: continuation of humanitarian support to refugees in Turkey2a, _________________ 1aBudget 2020/1157, OJ L 299 11.09.2020, p. 0001 2aDecision 2021/1268, OJ L 298 11.09.2020, p. 0021
Amendment 23 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the revision of the Financial Regulation in 2018 introduced provisions strengthening to a certain extent Parliament’s scrutiny powers when new EUTFs are established or the current ones are extended;
Amendment 34 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the establishment of both the EUTFs and the Facility for refugees in Turkey (FRT) have been justified by the need for a flexible and swift reaction not possible under the classical institutional framework; whereas the extra-budgetary instruments such as the EUTFs, as well as extraordinary tools such as the FRT, pose challenges with respect to democratic accountability, includjeopardise the principles of democratic accountability, transparency and sound financial management, undermining the role of the European Parliament and also the integrity of the EU budget;
Amendment 38 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. whereas according to the Commission estimations, substantial humanitarian refugee-related needs continue also beyond the Facility for Refugees in Turkey;
Amendment 67 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Continues to expresses concerns over the limited role of Parliament in the decision, supervision and scrutiny of the Union contributions to the EUTFs; recalls Parliament’s request to monitor the activities of the Operational Committee, and calls on the Commission to provide in good time detailed information on the decisions taken in that Committee and to ensure that Parliament is represented at its meetings and that Parliament’s position is taken into account;
Amendment 74 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. WelcomNotes the Commission’s efforts to closely monitor and evaluate interventions, and to generate knowledge about the activities of the EUTFs and of the FRT, through a dedicated set of reports; hailsasks to strengthen these efforts to achieve greater transparency by publishing relevant data on the web pages of the EUTFs and the FRT; stresses that the availability, completeness and factual consistency of such reports constitute the precondition for the support of European Parliament as budgetary authority;
Amendment 82 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Underlines that the existing EU institutional framework, NDICI-Global Europe should be used to its full potential, and where necessary improved, while the recourse to extraordinary financing tools should be limited to unforeseen emergencies, so as to guarantee efficiency, coherence and accountability of EU foreign policy instruments;
Amendment 84 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. Underlines that in its reports the Commission should illustrate the complementarity of different financial instruments dedicated to the areas covered by EUTFs and FRT, including the EU External Investment Plan, as well as generated added value;
Amendment 91 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes the conclusions by the European Court of Auditors, published in its 2017 special report, that the Bêkou Trust Fund has had positive achievements overall and has attracted aid, but few additional donors, and that most of its projects have delivered their expected outputs and provided enhanced visibility to the EU; indicates however that the report recommended a better definition of the intervention scope, improved donor coordination, project selection procedures, monitoring and performance measurement, as well as optimisation of costs and increased transparency in the selection of implementing organisations;
Amendment 134 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Welcomes the generally strong degree of local ownership, the involvement of local authorities and civil society organisations (CSOs) in projects supported by the EUTF for Africa; notes however that according to the Special report No 32/2018 of the European Court of Auditors, there was a need in an improved project selection procedure, higher implementation speed and a more systematic performance monitoring covering the full range of projects;
Amendment 165 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Considers that the EU FRT has proven its value as an innovative pooling tool and important coordinating mechanism for assisting Turkey in swiftly responding to the immediate humanitarian and development needs of refugees and their host communities; notes however that the majority of projects needed to be extended to achieve the expected outcome; stresses in particular that according to the Special report No 27/2018 of the European Court of Auditors, greater value could have been achieved in cash- assistance projects; furthermore the report indicates inconsistency in the financing of health and education activities, with a parallel use of different management structures to fund similar projects; additionally the report calls on the Commission to improve the programming for municipal infrastructure and socio-economic support, enable the operating environment for NGOs and improve the reporting on the Facility;
Amendment 167 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20 a. Recalls that in 2020 the Commission requested a mobilisation of additional EUR 481,6 million under the EU Budget Contingency Margin, which goes beyond the initially foreseen allocation for the FRT, in order to finance the activities under the Emergency Social Safety Net programme and the Conditional Cash Transfer for Education programme;
Amendment 177 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Stresses that the refusal by the Turkish authorities to grant access to beneficiary data for the two cash- assistance projects could raise questions as regards the soundness of financial management under the Facility, particularly taking into account Turkey’s rapid backsliding on the rule of law and fundamental rights; calls on the Commission to obtain the data on beneficiaries of all FRT programmes and projects; stresses that in order to achieve full accountability the Commission should make the resources available on the basis of targets achieved by implementing partners on the ground and after the implementation assessment carried out according to the Financial Regulation rules1a; _________________ 1aSpecial report No 27/2018 of the European Court of Auditors “The Facility for Refugees in Turkey: helpful support, but improvements needed to deliver more value for money”, p. 6 and p. 40
Amendment 185 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Reiterates its request that Turkey respect the principle of non-refoulement, in particular on the Syrian border, and that it not use the flows of refugees against the EU; stresses that the financial support to Turkey in the management of refugee flow must be conditional on the respect of the rule of law and fundamental rights, full budgetary transparency, as well as unrestricted involvement of civil society organisations; calls on the Commission to build upon its experience in special third- party verification system to strengthen the oversight of spending;
Amendment 199 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Calls on all involved parties of the upcoming Multilateral Conference on the Eastern Mediterranean, to address in a comprehensive way, along humanitarian and development issues, the issues of border management and migration, so as to maximise the added value of EU’s engagement in the region; reminds of the EU long-term objective of a gradual take- over of EU-funded activities by the Turkish authorities in full respect of democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights;
Amendment 228 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Stresses the need to take on board the lessons learned in the establishment, management and implementation of the Trust Funds and the FRT in order to apply them to the new generation of external financial instruments; underlines the need for a full parliamentary scrutiny of these instruments;
Amendment 241 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Reiterates Parliament’s long- standing insistence that external assistance be financed in full from the Union budget and be implemented in a coherent and value-based way, following a streamlined set of rules, based on co-legislated instruments and in full respect of Parliament’s legislative, budgetary and monitoring prerogatives, and of the principles of EU's budgetary unity, accountability, transparency, effectiveness and sound budgetary management; highlights that the adoption of extraordinary tools increases the complexity of financing governance and puts financial pressure on existing foreign policy instruments, thereby possibly affecting their efficiency;
Amendment 244 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25 a. Stresses that the full transparency and availability of data on EU added value and human rights record in its engagement with the areas covered by the Trust Funds and the FRT is the precondition of the public support for further EU’s development and humanitarian aid in those areas; calls on the Commission to guarantee a more efficient communication on the ground, highlighting the EU’s role as the biggest donor of global development aid;
Amendment 257 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Is confident that the NDICI-Global Europe will allow for more efficient and predictable allocation of resources, increased flexibility and responsiveness, allowing it to continue the activities of the existing Trust Funds and thereby safeguard the unity of the Union budget; underlines that ordinary decision-making governance framework confers more legitimacy to the EU’ external action, both within the EU and in the destination countries;
Amendment 259 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27 a. Calls on the Commission to guarantee that the implementation of the EU humanitarian and development aid in conflict-affected areas and areas with considerable refugee challenge is done in full transparency and under a close supervision of EU staff members responsible for the scrutiny, including audit and anti-corruption activities; underlines the importance of sharing the audit data with the EU financial scrutiny framework, including ECA, OLAF and EPPO;
Amendment 264 #
2020/2045(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. In the event of greater needs in the MFF 2021-2027, advocates increasing the NDICI-Global Europe envelope through a revision of the MFF and the NDICI-Global Europe regulations, or a strengthening of the relevant NDICI-Global Europe budget lines with contributions in the form of external assigned revenue; expects that the upcoming revision of the Financial Regulation will ensure appropriate involvement of the budgetary authority in the governance of external assigned revenue; stresses that, should a need for a duly justified new Trust Fund nevertheless arise, it insists that Parliament must be fully involved from the very outset and considers, therefore, that the Financial Regulation shall be revised to guarantee appropriate role of the Parliament in the establishment and scrutiny of Trust Funds;
Amendment 7 #
2020/2027(INI)
1. Recalls that the global rise in environmental criminality is a growing threat to the achievement of the UN’s 2030 Agenda; calls, Paris Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity and regrets the low prosecution rate for environmental cases; Supports the call of the UN, along with other international organisations, for the global recognition of the right to asafe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment at the UN level; calls for the Union, in this regard, to introduce the right to a safe and healthy environment in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU;
Amendment 21 #
2020/2027(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Urges the EU to make the fight against environmental crime an overriding strategic political priority in international judicial cooperation and for the EU institutions and COPs, notably by promoting compliance with MEAs through the adoption of criminal sanctions, through exchanges of best practices and by promoting the enlargement of the scope of the International Criminal Court to coverrecognise criminal acts that amount to ecocide under the Rome Statute;
Amendment 24 #
2020/2027(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to set up protection schemes for the victims of environmental damage and to ensure their full access to justice, compensation and assistance;
Amendment 26 #
2020/2027(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Welcomes the European Commission’s proposal to improve the implementation of the Aarhus Convention and to address the concerns expressed by the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee regarding the EU’s compliance with its international obligations under the Convention;
Amendment 27 #
2020/2027(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Calls on the European Commission and the Member States to promote the ratification of the Aarhus Convention with third countries (Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters) and to play an active role in the Task Force on Access to Justice for sharing of information, experiences and good practices of relevant jurisprudence with third countries;
Amendment 28 #
2020/2027(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 d (new)
Paragraph 2 d (new)
2d. Calls on the Commission and the Member States promote the principles of the Aarhus Convention in international organizations and international processes relating to the environment;
Amendment 63 #
2020/2027(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the need to improve access to justice for victims of environmental harm, i.e. through collective actions and redress mechanisms, primarilyin line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and including under a binding and enforceable UN treaty on business and human rights; calls on the Union and its Member States to push for the creation of an international independent authority in the field of environmental liability.;
Amendment 70 #
2020/2027(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Recalls that environmental liability should be properly implemented and enforced to better preserve biodiversity resources, and make sure that any unlawful habitat conversion is reversed, and restoration costs are borne by the responsible entity;
Amendment 74 #
2020/2027(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls the establishment of clear liability rules for importers, processors and retailers to ensure full legality and transparency of the supply chain of all agricultural commodities to prevent natural habitats destruction in and outside of the EU;
Amendment 76 #
2020/2027(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Supports the correct implementation of the ELD, by encouraging member states to record data on ELD incidents and publish ELD registers and gather the necessary data that can document that the application of the Directive in their country is effective and efficient;
Amendment 3 #
2019/2213(BUD)
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the European Parliament has repeatedly called on the Council to strengthen the Union's Budget, especially concerning own resources as foreseen by the article 311 TFEU;
Amendment 4 #
2019/2213(BUD)
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
Ab. whereas the focus on national issues by the Members of the European Council has led to a deadlock in the negotiations of the Union's budget; whereas , despite the calls from the European Citizens to act, this deadlock is due to a general lack of ambition, unwillingness to create genuine own-resources and a dysfunctional Institutional procedure in setting-up the EU Budget;
Amendment 5 #
2019/2213(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that communicreal and effective communication and consultation with citizens should be among the top priorities for the EU budget in order to ensure broad, active and effective involvement of citizens in the Conference on the Future of Europe;
Amendment 11 #
2019/2213(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recalls that according to the treaties Members or former Members of the European Union are bound to their budgetary obligations until the end of their commitments and that not respecting these would have durable consequences for the mutual trust in their future relations.
Amendment 13 #
2019/2213(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Supports the creation of dedicated budget lines for the organisation and roll- out of the Conference on the Future of Europe in the budgets of various EU institutions and bodies, and the provision of the resources necessary for the achievement of the Conference goals; calls on the Commission and the Council to take into account in their allocated budget lines for the Conference the high level of ambition for this event as set by the Parliament in its resolution on this issue1a; _________________ 1aEuropean Parliament resolution of 15 January 2020 on the European Parliament’s position on the Conference on the Future of Europe (2019/2990(RSP))
Amendment 16 #
2019/2213(BUD)
2a. Insists that, considering the imperious need to have a solid budget to tackle the challenges of our time, the budget negotiations are not a session of horse trading between Member States; reiterates therefore its plea to the rapid setting up of genuine own resources as foreseen in article 311 TFUE in order to constitute a Union's budget more dependent on the common European interest than on consideration of domestic political nature;
Amendment 18 #
2019/2213(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines the need for sufficient commitment to and payment appropriations for the Europe for Citizens Programme, the Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme and the European Citizens’ Initiative, as these instruments are vital for intensifying the participatory democracy processes in the EU, building citizens’ trust and enhancing their understanding of EU policies; Calls for development of effective educational and communication programs, which should focus on the European history and to explain to the citizens both the challenges facing the European Union and the added value of belonging to a strong inclusive and democratic Union.
Amendment 23 #
2019/2213(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Insists that proper levels of financing be secured to enable the activities of the EU institutions and bodies, such as the Commission Representations, to counter disinformation. Underlines that East StratCom Task Force is underfinanced; Calls for a substantial increase in its budget in order for the EU to successfully counter-attack disinformation and foreign interferences; Calls for more information campaigns to better explain EU policies in the Eastern Partnership countries; Points out the paramount importance of the protection of our European democracies and exhorts the Member States to attribute more resources to tackling this issue;
Amendment 9 #
2019/2199(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Suggests to amend the tasks of the European Agency for Fundamental Rights to allow it to alert the Court of Justice to the European Union in case Member States do not adhere to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union or the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms;
Amendment 28 #
2019/2199(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Suggests that the Conference on the Future of Europe should consider providing the Court of Justice of the European Union with jurisdiction over all aspects of EU law, in accordance with the principle of separation of powers; points out that extending the jurisdiction of the Court would also facilitate the accession of the EU to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms;
Amendment 31 #
2019/2199(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Stresses the importance of ensuring, in all Member States, effective and coherent protection of the rule of law and prevention of infringements of fundamental rights, and acknowledges that the rule of law plays a key role in preventing infringements of fundamental rights; recalls that fundamental rights are part and parcel of the EU's values and that Article 7 of the TEU contains a mechanism for responding to any serious, persistent breach or clear risk of a serious breach by a Member State of the values referred to in Article 2 of the TEU, and highlights that Article 7 should be applied uniformly to all Member States to ensure equality of treatment;
Amendment 34 #
2019/2199(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Recalls however, that the major obstacle in applying Article 7(2) of the TEU, in case of the existence of a serious and persistent breach of the fundamental values of the European Union in a Member State in accordance with Article 7(2) of the TEU, is the requirement of unanimity in Council;
Amendment 35 #
2019/2199(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5d. Proposes that the Conference of Europe reviews the sanctions mechanisms provided by Article 7(3) of the TEU in order to better guarantee the protection of rule of law and of fundamental rights; recalls that the proposal for a regulation on the protection of the Union's budget in case of generalised deficiencies as regards to the rule of law in the Member States1 would allow introducing sanctions aimed at Member States whose disregard of the rule of law endangers the sound implementation of the EU budget and the financial interests of the EU; highlights, however, the need for changes to the EU Treaty in order to reinforce the overall sanctions mechanisms provided by Article 7 (3); 1COM(2018)0324 -2018/0136(COD)
Amendment 36 #
2019/2199(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)
Paragraph 5 e (new)
5e. Insists that the respect of the rule of law should be included as binding and enforceable criteria in the treaties concluding the accession of new Member States to the EU;
Amendment 20 #
2019/2198(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls for the EU legislators to comply with the judgment of the General Court of 22 March 2018 (case T-540/15) on access to the documents of the trilogues, thereby further strengthening the culture of transparency in the EU’s legislative work; recalls nevertheless the strategic nature of these documents which are the basis of negotiating positions which do not necessarily reflect the final texts to be agreed by the co-legislators and whose publication in advance of the trilogue meeting could be subject to abuse by external parties;
Amendment 13 #
2019/2184(INI)
- having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 6 October 2015 on the role of local authorities in developing countries in development cooperation1 a, _________________ 1ahttps://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:5201 5IP0336&from=PT
Amendment 18 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 35 a (new)
Citation 35 a (new)
- having regard to the OECD Report of 24 June 2020 entitled 'The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis on development finance'24a; _________________ 24a http://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy- responses/the-impact-of-the-coronavirus- covid-19-crisis-on-development-finance- 9de00b3b/
Amendment 20 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 37 b (new)
Citation 37 b (new)
- having regard to the Paris Agreement, the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the UNFCCC and the 11th Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 11), held in Paris, France, from 30 November to 11 December 2015,
Amendment 22 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 37 c (new)
Citation 37 c (new)
- having regard to the Special Report on the Ocean, Cryosphere and Climate Change (SROCC) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of 25 September 2019,
Amendment 25 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the global environment is becoming more complex and uncertain, with a rise in conflict and geopolitical rivalry, climate change and more frequent and severe natural disasters, notably in developing countries, which affect the most vulnerable; whereas this highlights the need for strengthened multilateralism and continuous efforts to increase the effectiveness and impact of European aid;
Amendment 27 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the world is struck by the Covid-19 pandemic; whereas the impact of this pandemic on developing countries and aid assistance beneficiary countries is still unclear; whereas the impact of this pandemic presents a significant strain on aid assistance capacities of donor countries and private investors;
Amendment 28 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected all countries, regardless of their level of development, is having a health-related impact, but also an economic and social impact; whereas this pandemic has an impact on development cooperation and imposes an obligation to ensure greater efficiency;
Amendment 29 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. whereas the current pandemic has severely disrupted and could have long- lasting effects on tourism, sea transport, and other ocean-based sectors, negatively impacting the economies of many developing countries, including the most vulnerable countries, small island developing states and least developed countries;
Amendment 33 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the world’s population is growing faster than gross national income (GNI), in particular in sub-Saharan Africa, where the population is expected to double over the next 30 years; whereas in spite of strong economic growth, this will increase the number of people living in poverty and unemployment, emphasising the urgent need to support developing countries effectively in their efforts to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); whereas the gap in aid financing for the SDGs is estimated at $2.5 trillion; whereas aid effectiveness will play a critical role in the success of the 2030 Agenda; whereas the role of blended finance in bridging this gap should be further explored;
Amendment 35 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the world’s population is growing faster than gross national income (GNI), in particular in sub-Saharan Africa, where the population is expected to double over the next 30 years to 2.1 billion in 2050 and 3.8. billion at the end of the century; whereas in spite of strong economic growth, this will increase the number of people living in poverty and unemployment, emphasising the urgent need to support developing countries effectively in their efforts to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
Amendment 46 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the role of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation (GPEDC) is to to promote the principles of aid effectiveness; whereas it has three strategic priorities that will guide the Partnership’s contribution to the launch of the ‘Decade of Action’, namely: - promoting development effectiveness to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, - building better partnerships, - leveraging monitoring for action;
Amendment 48 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. Whereas the EU’s development policies and partnerships must be built on sustainable political and economic cooperation with partners on an equal footing, with respect for human rights at its core; whereas its development policies must take into account the situation of forced displaced people, of vulnerable populations and of migrants and asylum seekers;
Amendment 65 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas there is a real risk that the benefits of development assistance and, foreign direct investment and humanitarian aid may be captured by political and economic elites in partner countries; whereas this highlights the need for development cooperation that aims at bringing about transformational changes inforced displacement and migration are direct and indirect consequences of unstable political economies, notably related to governance, the distribution of power, social exclusion, and lack of access to resources, as well asnd a lack of potential to interaction with the global economy; whereas this highlights the need for tailor-made development cooperation that aims at bringing about inclusive transformational changes that tackle these core issues;
Amendment 68 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas there is a real risk that the benefits of development assistance and foreign direct investment may be captured by political and economic elites in partner countries; whereas this highlights the need for development cooperation that aims at bringing about transformational changes in political economies, notably related to governance, the distributo support and promote - through development cooperation - the principles of good governance, the rule of law, separation of powers, social exclusion and access to resourcespromotion of human rights, combating social exclusion, as well as interaction with the global economy;
Amendment 71 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the EU is present in all the oceans through its overseas territories - both the outermost regions and the overseas countries and territories - and it is crucial that it develop regional strategies incorporating locally expressed needs as closely as possible;
Amendment 73 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas local authorities have a central role in achieving the SDGs and decentralised cooperation must be at the heart of the EU’s development strategy;
Amendment 75 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
Gb. whereas development policies must take account of adaptation to the impact of climate change in terms of the displacement of vulnerable populations and the worsening of social inequalities, with a view to eradicating poverty;
Amendment 83 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that effectiveness means delivering more and better impact, achieving the SDGs and leaving no-one behind; believes that when EU support is aligned with partner countries’ own efforts, and local authorities' efforts, and delivered through their mational and subnational institutions and systems in support of priorities that have been agreed through inclusive and equitable policy processes, the impact is bigger, faster and more sustainable;
Amendment 89 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines its view that the EU, as the world’s biggest donor, should use its powerful toolbox of instruments and aid modalities in a coordinated manner and take the lead in using the principles of aid effectiveness and aid efficiency, in order to achieve real impact and reach the SDGs in its partner countries; stresses, in this regard, the impact that EU use of development aid and foreign direct investment can have on tackling the root causes of migration and forced displacement; further highlights the need to implement the policy objectives in the new European Consensus on Development in a more strategic and targeted manner in each partner country, reinforcing and complementing the EU’s foreign policy goals and values at all levels of society in ODA beneficiary countries;
Amendment 91 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines its view that the EU, as the world’s biggest donor, should use its powerful toolbox of instruments and aid modalities in a coordinated manner and take the lead in using the principles of aid effectiveness and aid efficiency, in order to achieve real impact and reach the SDGs in its partner countries; further highlights the need to implement the policy objectives in the new European Consensus on Development in a more strategic and targeted manner in each partner country, reinforcing and complementing the EU’s foreign policy goals and values; stresses that an effective aid programme must be triangulated with an analysis of debt sustainability and should consider the need for parliamentary oversight in a partner country;
Amendment 110 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission and the Council to scale up joint programming between the EU and its Member States, with the aim of securing a European voice with which to move forward towards commonly defined policy objectives, which should take into account innovative financing methods such as blending and guarantees; calls for clear, actionable commitments towards joint implementation and evaluation and for shared accountability mechanisms towards citizens; calls for the EU to work with non-traditional donors that can demonstrate adherence to aid effectiveness principles;
Amendment 117 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that in view of the future implementation of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), joint programming by the EU, its Members States and EU development financing partners should build upon the aid effectiveness principles; believes that the EU should collectively set strategic priorities and identify investment needs/gaps in the pre-programming phase and subsequently look at ways to optimise the range of modalities in the EU institutions’ toolbox, including grants, budget support and EIB loans, as well as financing from the Member States; calls on the EU institutions and Member States, accordingly, to share evidence and experience about the kinds of development interventions that tend to be successful and those that have failed, proved difficult to implement or not produced the intended impact; underlines the need to facilitate the creation of markets which are self- sustaining and to ensure good exit practices are taken into account in the pre-programming phase;
Amendment 120 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that in view of the future implementation of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), joint programming and implementation by the EU, its Members States and EU development financing partners should build upon the aid effectiveness principles; believes that the EU shouldpoints to the importance of collectively setting strategic priorities and identifying investment needs/gaps in the pre- programming phase and subsequently looking at ways to optimise the range of modalities in the EU institutions’ toolbox, including grants, budget support and EIB loans, as well as financing from the Member StatEU Member States or Member States' development agencies; calls on the EU institutions and Member States, accordingly, to share evidence and experience about the kinds of development interventions that tend to be successful and those that have failed, proved difficult to implement or not produced the intended impact;
Amendment 128 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that accountability for all public expenditure, including Official Development Assistance (ODA), is vital both in Europe and in partner countries; believes that accountability requires strong institutions and that having clear and agreed targets for European ODA is essential for ensuring continued public support for the EU’s development cooperation endeavours; emphasises, furthermore, that accountability requires transparent and robust procedures as well as concern for efficiency and the attainment of demonstrable results, thorough ex-ante and ex-post evaluation, and critical analysis of failures as well as learning about how to deliver effective and sustainable results; recalls the impact that partnerships and cooperation with civil society and NGOs can have on ensuring accountability in public expenditure of ODA;
Amendment 131 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. calls on the Commission and Member States to fully untie their ODA in line with the commitments of the European Consensus on Development and to encourage all development cooperation providers, including emerging economies, to do the same;
Amendment 135 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Believes that the use of results- based approaches is critical for the EU’s partner countries and is a fundamental element of their capacity to deliver the SDGs for their citizens; points, however, to the importance of taking into account the diversity of the specific situations in and challenges for partner countries, in particular the least developed countries (LDCs) and fragile countries; calls on the EU and its Member States to support and use partner countries’ own national results- measuring frameworks and their monitoring and statistical systems, and to involve all relevant actors: local authorities; national parliaments; civil society; and the private sector; and foundations;
Amendment 136 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Believes that the use of results- based approaches is critical for the EU’s partner countries and is a fundamental element of their capacity to deliver the SDGs for their citizens; calls on the EU and its Member States to support and use partner countries’ own national results- measuring frameworks and their monitoring and statistical systems, and to involve all relevant actors: local authorities; national parliaments; civil society; and the private sector; stresses that investment in the capacity building of local civil society organisations is an essential prerequisite for effective aid;
Amendment 141 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls for the EU and its Member States to enhance their commitment to transparent data flows through continuous investment in data visualisation, statistical reporting and the publication of open data, the application of international standards such as IATI (the International Aid Transparency Initiative Standard), and by regularly updating the EU Aid Explorer; encourages the EU to step up its efforts to ensure public access and dissemination of data and reporting on the spending of EU development aid;
Amendment 144 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Recalls that development cooperation might have different impacts on girls and boys and men and women; urges therefore the European Commission and Member States to prioritize gender equality and to make use of tools such as gender targeting, gender analysis, gender budgeting, gender mainstreaming; insists furthermore on the need to collect sex disaggregated data;
Amendment 149 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Supports a catalytic approach, building on decentralised and bottom-up needs assessments and programming, which is informed by a thorough analysis of the situation in each partner country; encourages South-South and triangular cooperation, as well as more effective involvement of the outermost regions and overseas countries and territories in the implementation of European development cooperation actions in their respective geographic areas, with a view to renewed and ambitious cooperation with Europeans in the South;
Amendment 152 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Supports a catalytic and cross- cutting approach, building on decentralised and bottom-up needs assessments and programming, which is informed by a thorough analysis of the national and territorial situation in each partner country; encourages South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation at all levels of governance;
Amendment 173 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recognises that the role of the private sector – at local, national, bilateral and international levels – is crucial for achieving the SDGs, for mobilising additional development finance and for the transition towards economic development, growth and prosperity; stresses in this regard that additional efforts must be undertaken to align the private sector’s involvement in development cooperation with the effectiveness principles and to improve the transparency and accountability of foreign direct investment and global value chains; points to the role of civil society organisations, in particular NGOs, in mobilising the funds needed to achieve the SDGs;
Amendment 180 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Acknowledges the value of predictable and flexible financing, including multi-annual humanitarian finance for protracted crises and development aid programmes that have the capacity to adapt to unforeseen humanitarian crises;
Amendment 190 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Calls on the European Commission to reassess whether the administrative obligations to access EU funding are proportionate; deplores in that context that EU grants become increasingly inadequate and unattractive for NGOs due to requirements to limit support costs as well as due to increasing administrative and audit burdens;
Amendment 199 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Reiterates its request that the Council and the Member States set out a clear timeline for reaching the target of raising the ODA budget to 0.7 % of GNI and that the Commission present a concrete action plan defining how additional resources will be leveraged towards achieving the SDGs; Stresses the need to clarify the differentiation between climate funding and development aid and assistance;
Amendment 200 #
2019/2184(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Reiterates its requestStresses that the effectiveness of aid is no substitute for the adequacy of aid, and reiterates that the Council and the Member States set out a clear timeline for reaching the target of raising the ODA budget to 0.7 % of GNI and that the Commission present a concrete action plan defining how additional resources will be leveraged towards achieving the SDGs;
Amendment 3 #
2019/2135(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights that in the current global security environment, where some nations are taking a step back from multilateralism, an integral part of the EU’s strategic autonomy should be the independent capacity to guarantee the security of its own citizens;
Amendment 6 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
– having regard to the EU Guidelines to promote and protect the enjoyment of all human rights by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) persons, adopted on 24 June 2013,
Amendment 10 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)
Citation 8 b (new)
– having regard to the EU Guidelines on Death Penalty, on Torture, on Freedom of Expression and on Human Rights Defenders,
Amendment 13 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)
Citation 8 a (new)
– having regard to the EU Guidelines on Death Penalty, adopted by the Council in 2013,
Amendment 26 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)
Citation 14 a (new)
– having regard to the UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted on 9 December 1998,
Amendment 29 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 14 a (new)
Citation 14 a (new)
– having regard to the Statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly in New York on 15 October 2019,
Amendment 41 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 20 a (new)
Citation 20 a (new)
– having regard to the Council Conclusions on Democracy, adopted on 14 October 2019,
Amendment 61 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas EU policies shall ensure the protection of human rights of most vulnerable groups, such as ethnic, linguistic and religious minorities, people with disabilities, the LGBTI community, women, children, asylum seekers and migrants;
Amendment 93 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Expresses its deep concern at the attacks on democracy and the rule of law worldwide in 2018, which reflect the rise of authoritarianism as a political project, embodying disregard for human rights, repression of dissent, politicised justice and predetermined elections, shrinking space for civil society to operate, as well as limiting freedom of assembly and freedom of expression; is of the opinion that countries falling into authoritarian regimes become more vulnerable to instability, conflict, corruption and violent extremism; welcomes the fact that, at the same time, a number of countries have launched peace and democratisation processes, implemented constitutional and judicial reforms, and engaged with civil society in open and public debates with the objective of promoting fundamental freedoms and human rights, including the abolition of the death penalty;
Amendment 117 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Denounces the pushback against multilateralism and the rule-based international order that poses a serious challenge to human rights worldwide; strongly believes in approaches and decisions taken in cooperation in a multilateral framework, particularly within the UN bodies, as the most effective means of serving the interests of humanity, finding sustainable solutions to conflicts and fostering progress in the field of human rights; is extremely concerned by the fact that seats in various UN human rights related bodies are occupied by countries with proven track record of grave human rights violations;
Amendment 120 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Is seriously concerned at the increase in the number of cases of murder, attacks, use of death penalty, persecution and intimidation against people standing up for human rights throughout the world, in particular women human rights defenders, journalists, scholars, lawyers and civil society activists, inter alia environmental and land defenders, mainly in countries with high levels of corruption and a poor record of upholding the rule of law and judicial oversight;
Amendment 125 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Is seriously concerned at the increase in the number of cases of murder, attacks and intimidation against people standing up for human rights throughout the world, in particular journalists, scholars, lawyers and civil society activists, inter alia women's rights activists, environmental and land defenders, mainly in countries with high levels of corruption and a poor record of upholding the rule of law and judicial oversight; calls for adequate protection to freely exercise their work;
Amendment 152 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Draws attention to instances of persecution and discrimination based on ethnicity, nationality, class, caste, religion, belief, language, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and age, which remain rife in many countries and societies; is seriously concerned at the increasingly intolerant and hate-filled responses targeting people who are the victims of these human rights violations;
Amendment 153 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Draws attention to instances of persecution and discrimination based on ethnicity, nationality, class, caste, religion, belief, language, sexual orientation, , gender identity, sex characteristics and age, which remain rife in many countries and societies; is seriously concerned at the increasingly intolerant and hate-filled responses targeting people who are the victims of these human rights violations;
Amendment 175 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Stresses that freedom of speech and expression, as well as media pluralism, are at the heart of resilient democratic societies; urges that the best possible safeguards against hate speech, disinformation campaigns and hostile propaganda be put in place by developing a legal framework both at EU and international level for tackling hybrid threats, including cyber and information warfare;
Amendment 189 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Calls on the Commission and EU Member States to adopt a new ambitious, comprehensive and binding Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy for the next five years; its implementation and impact should be assessed through a strong monitoring mechanism;
Amendment 204 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Stresses that the climate emergency and the mass biodiversity loss constitutes a major threat to human rights; reminds that fundamental human rights to life, health, food and safe water are at risk without a healthy environment, since biodiversity provides humans with food, medicine and livelihoods; calls on the Commission/EEAS to work towards a EU strategy to protect the right to a healthy environment, by working closely with third countries and international organisations such as UNCHR, that has recently launched a joint strategy with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP);
Amendment 211 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Supports human rights dialogues with non-EU countries as an essential tool for bilateral engagement in the promotion and protection of human rights; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to join forces to address human rights and related obligations in dialogues or negotiations in any political and economic areas, with the governments of non-EU countries, in order to reinforce the impact of human rights dialogues; calls for a more active EP involvement when setting up the agendas of the human rights dialogues;
Amendment 216 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Strongly supports the work and efforts of the EU Special Representative for Human Rights (EUSR) in protecting and promoting human rights in the world; underlines the important objective within the mandate of the EUSR to enhance the Union’s effectiveness in this area; recalls its request for this mandate to be made permanent and more accountable; calls once more for a revision of the mandate so as to grant the EUSR own-initiative powers, adequate resources and the ability to speak publicly in order to report on achievements of visits to third countries and to communicate the EU's positions on human rights topics;
Amendment 226 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Recognises the progress made in terms of the EU Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World 2018’s procedure and format, but expects the Council and the VP/HR to take even greater account of the positions of the relevant resolutions and/or recommendations of Parliament in order to ensure deeper and more effective interaction between the EU institutions on human rights issues; asks the Council to continue its efforts to finalise these annual reports earlier in the year; encourages the Council to ensure that the adoption of the next annual report is based on an adequate consultation process;
Amendment 256 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Reiterates the importance of other key mechanisms aimed at ending impunity, including the use of universal jurisdiction, and calls on Member States to adopt the necessary legislation; reiterates its call for the VP/HR to appoint an EU Special Representative on International Humanitarian Law and International Justice with a mandate to promote, mainstream and represent the EU’s commitment to the fight against impunity;
Amendment 257 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Condemns attacks on hospitals and schools, as prohibited under international law, recognising that such acts may constitute grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and war crimes under the Rome Statute of the ICC; expresses its conviction that the preservation of health and educational facilities as neutral, protected spaces during armed conflict situations must be ensured by transparent, independent and impartial investigations of the brutal attacks that have occurred and by achieving genuine accountability for the crimes committed by all parties involved;
Amendment 268 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes the initial discussions within the Council regarding the establishment of an EU human rights sanctions mechanism, the so-called ‘Magnitsky List’, allowing for targeted sanctions against individuals complicit in serious human rights violations; calls on the Council to speed up its discussions in order to set up this mechanism with adequate resources as soon as possible;
Amendment 275 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Stresses the invaluable and essential role that HRDs play at the risk of their lives; recommends strengthening cooperation between the EU institutions and the Member States, enabling them to provide continuous support to HRDand protection to HRDs, in particular women human rights defenders; values the ‘ProtectDefenders.eu’ mechanism established to protect HRDs at grave risk; calls on the Council and the Commission to establish a specific coordinated procedure for awarding visas to HRDs; calls on the Commission to make full use of the financial capacity of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) to support HRDs;
Amendment 277 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Stresses the invaluable and essential role that HRDs play at the risk of their lives; recommends strengthening cooperation between the EU institutions and the Member States, enabling them to provide continuous support to HRDs; values the ‘ProtectDefenders.eu’ mechanism established to protect HRDs at grave risk; calls on the Council and the Commission to establish a specific coordinated procedure for awarding visas to HRDs;mmission and Member States to ensure sufficient funding for the protection of HRDs in the relevant Thematic Programmes of the next NDICI, and calls on the Commission to make full use of the financial capacity of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) to support HRDsstrument in the future;
Amendment 285 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Calls on the VP/HR to use all the tools available to the EU to support independent civil society, media and HRDs on the ground, especially those at risk;
Amendment 286 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Underlines the need for strong EU coordination on engagement with third- country authorities regarding HRDs and civil society, and welcomes the individual initiatives of the EU Member States in addition to EU action; stresses the vital and central role played by HRDs and NGOs in promoting and supporting the application of the human rights enshrined in the core international human rights treaties; underlines, in this respect, the importance of the EU’s capacity to maintain adequate support, through the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) and in the upcoming 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework, for HRDs and NGOs in situations where they are most at risk; calls on EU Member States and the Commission to provide mechanisms or measures for swift assistance and protection to human rights defenders in danger in third countries, to establish a specific coordinated procedure such as, where appropriate, issuing emergency visas and facilitating temporary shelter in the EU Member States;
Amendment 291 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 c (new)
Paragraph 20 c (new)
Amendment 299 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Strongly supports the EU’s strategic engagement for gender equality and its ongoing efforts to improve the human rights situation of women and girls, in line with the 2030 SDGs; calls on Member States to endorse the Gender Action Plan III in Council conclusions; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to further contribute to gender equality and girls’ and women’s empowerment by working closely with international organisations and non-EU countries, in order to develop and implement new legal frameworks regarding gender equality, and to eradicate harmful practices targeted at women and girls, such as child marriage and female genital mutilation;
Amendment 300 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Strongly supports the EU’s strategic engagement for gender equality and its ongoing efforts to improve the human rights situation of women and girls, in line with the 2030 SDGs; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to further contribute to gender equality and girls’ and women’s empowerment by working closely with international organisations and non-EU countries, in order to develop and implement new legal frameworks regarding gender equality, and to eradicate gender-based violence and harmful practices targeted at women and girls, such as child marriage and female genital mutilationforced and early marriage, female genital mutilation and human trafficking; stresses the alarming increase of violence against women and girls and calls for further action to combat all forms of gender-based violence, such as the continuation of the EU-UN global Spotlight Initiative; calls on the EU and all EU Member States to ratify and implement the Istanbul Convention and calls on the EU Delegations to ensure data collection on violence against women, to draw up country-specific recommendations, and to promote protective mechanisms and support structures for victims;
Amendment 308 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Condemns all forms of physical, sexual and psychological violence and exploitation, rape, trafficking and the violation of women’s sexual and reproductive rights; emphasises that proper and affordable healthcare, including mental healthcare such as psychological support and universal respect for and access to sexual and reproductive rights and education should be guaranteed for all women and that they should be able to make free and responsible decisions about their health, body and sexual and reproductive rights; condemns the re-imposition of the ‘global gag’ rule;
Amendment 316 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Expresses concerns over the ongoing attacks on women’s rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), as well as over legislation in many parts of the world that restricts these rights;
Amendment 342 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Stresses the need to step up the EU’s engagement when it comes to addressing the protection of children, especially unaccompanied minors, and to devote particular attention to education and psycho-social support;
Amendment 343 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Condemns all abuses against children such as child and forced marriages; calls for the EU to cooperate with third countries in order to end early, child and forced marriages by making 18 the legal minimum age for marriage, requiring the verification of the age of both spouses and of their full and free consent, introducing compulsory marriage records, and ensuring compliance with those rules;
Amendment 345 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 c (new)
Paragraph 22 c (new)
22c. Calls for an urgent solution to the issue of stateless children within and outside the EU, in particular those born outside their parents’ country of origin, and migrant children, in accordance with international law; urges the EU and its Member States to develop an action plan to stop children being detained as a result of their migratory status, in line with the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants; recalls the right to special protection in the best interests of the child;
Amendment 359 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Strongly supports the Commission List of actions to advance LGBTI equality and the Guidelines to promote and protect the enjoyment of all human rights by LGBTI persons for external action from 2013, as important elements of the EU’s ongoing efforts to improve the human rights of LGBTI people, in line with the SDGs; calls on the Commission/EEAS to continue the work on protecting and furthering the human rights of LGBTI people, by working closely with international organisations and non-EU countries, in order to combat discrimination and human rights violations, as well as support the development of legislation and policies protecting the human rights of LGBTI people worldwide;
Amendment 376 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 10
Subheading 10
Freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief (FoRB)
Amendment 383 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Urges the Commission, the EEAS and the Member States to step up advocacy in relation to Freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief (more commonly known as FoRB), and to launch interreligious and intercultural dialogues with states and representatives of civil society and faith, faith and non-confessional groups in order to prevent acts of violence and discrimination against persons on the grounds of thought, conscience, religion or belief; calls for the EU to continue to forge alliances and to enhance cooperation with a broad range of countries and regional organisations, in order to deliver positive change in relation to FoRB; reminds the Council and Commission of the need to adequately support the institutional mandate, capacity and duties of the Special Envoy for the promotion of FoRB outside the EU in line with the EP resolution on the EU Guidelines and the mandate of the EU Special Envoy on the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU;
Amendment 406 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Regrets that torture, inhuman or degrading treatment and the death penalty continue to be applied in many countries all over the world, calls for the EU to intensify its efforts to eradicate these practices; welcomes the establishment of the EU Anti-Torture Coordination Group in 2017; welcomes in this regard updates to EU legislation with its legislative resolution of 29 November 2018 on trade in certain goods which could be used for capital punishment, torture or other inhuman treatment or punishment; highlights that Amnesty International recorded a decrease of 31% of executions worldwide compared to 2017; calls on the countries that have not already done so to establish an immediate moratorium on the death penalty as a step towards its abolition;
Amendment 410 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Considers that detention conditions, including access to care and medicines, in a number of countries are matter of grave concern; considers it essential to combat all forms of physical and psychological torture and ill treatment of detainees, and to step up efforts to ensure compliance with the relevant international law and ensure compensation for victims;
Amendment 419 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Reaffirms that the activities of all companies, whether operating domestically or across borders, must be in full compliance with international human rights standards; stresses the need to establish an instrument to regulate, in international human rights law, the activities of transnational corporations and other companies; reminds all countries to implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), and calls on those EU Member States that have not yet adopted National Action Plans on Business Rights to do so as early as possible; stresses the need to enhance access to judicial remedy for victims of corporate misconducts;
Amendment 439 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Stresses the importance of elaborating an EU strategy to put new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, at the service of the people, and to address the potential threat of new technologies to human rights, including disinformation, mass surveillance, fake news, disinformahate speech, state-sponsored restrictions and the abusive use of artificial intelligence, and to strike the right balance between human rights and other legitimate considerations, such as security or fighting crime, terrorism and extremism;
Amendment 445 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Expresses its concern over the increasing use of digital surveillance to threaten, intimidate and attack human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers among others;
Amendment 456 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Stresses the urgent need to tackle the root causes of migration flows such as wars, conflicts, persecution, networks of illegal migration, trafficking, smuggling and climate change; calls for the external dimension of the refugee crisis to be addressed, including by finding sustainable solutions to conflicts through building cooperation and partnerships with the with third countries concernedwhich comply with international human rights and refugees laws; highlights the importance of assisting third countries on improving human rights conditions in their migration management, especially countries of origin and transit; insists that the implementation of the Global Compacts on migration and refugees must therefore go hand in hand with the implementation of the UN’s 2030 Agenda as set out in the Strategic Development Goals, as well as with increased investment in developing countries;
Amendment 478 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Stresses that the EU should continue to actively support democratic and effective human rights institutions and civil society in their efforts to promote democratisation; reminds that human rights are a fundamental corner stone of democratisation processes positively notes, in this context, the European Endowment for Democracy’s consistent engagement in the eastern and southern neighbourhoods of the EU to promote democracy and respect for fundamental rights and freedoms; recalls that the experience gained and the lessons learned from transitions to democracy in the framework of the enlargement and neighbourhood policies could make a positive contribution to the identification of best practices that could be used to support and consolidate other democratisation processes worldwide;
Amendment 483 #
2019/2125(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Calls on the EU to develop an EU policy framework defining the strategy, objectives and approach of European support for democracy in order to provide greater clarity for policy-making; stresses the importance of adopting specific funding rules for EU democracy support programmes taking into consideration the nature of democratic changes; underlines the need to invest in adequate resources to better coordinate democracy support programmes and policy priorities;
Amendment 8 #
2019/2028(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reiterates its concerns as regards the use of development funds for non- development objectives and underlines that funding which does not fulfil ODA criteria must be sourced from other instruments than the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI); is concerned by recent allocations under the DCI (21 02 04 Cooperation with the Middle East) to develop a dialogue and cooperation with Iran; recalls that Iran is an upper middle income country and should therefore receive funding from the Partnership Instrument;
Amendment 17 #
2019/2028(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Draws attention to the ongoing sectorial budget support payments to Myanmar (21 02 02 Asia); recalls the UN report stating that the killing of more than 10.000 Rohingya people and the mass exodus of more than 700.000 Rohingya people from Myanmar was a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing”; considers that under such circumstances, the budget support to the government should be suspended and the money should instead be spent through other channels (such as international organisatSupports the Commission's intention to clarify the doctrine it will apply in the area of development cooperation with states that violate the principles of the European Union's and NGOs) in order to reach the poorestexternal policy;
Amendment 31 #
2018/2279(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the 2030 Agenda has the potential to be transformative and sets out universal, ambitious, comprehensive, indivisible and interlinked goals, aimed at eradicating poverty, fighting growing inequalities and discrimination and, promoting prosperity, sustainability, environmental responsibility, social inclusion and respect for human rights, and strengthening peace and security; whereas these goals require immediate action with a view to full and effective implementation;
Amendment 38 #
2018/2279(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the 2030 Agenda is based on the Union’s core values of democracy and participation, social justice, solidarity and sustainability, respect for the rule of law and human rights, both within Europe, its Member States and around the globe, and striving to achieve the SDGs therefore naturally follows the European Union’s plans to create a better, healthier and more sustainable future for Europe;
Amendment 93 #
2018/2279(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights that the aim of the 2030 Agenda is to achieve greater well-being for all, leaving no-one behind, and that the threefour essential pillars of sustainable development, (social, environmental and, economic development) as well as its governance dimension, are essentialnd governance) must be addressed in a comprehensive manner, in order to achievinge the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); underlines the fact that sustainable development is a fundamental objective of the Union, as laid down in Article 3(3) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and should play a central role in the debate on and the narrative for the future of Europe;
Amendment 127 #
2018/2279(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to identify clearly existing gaps in all relevant policies in orderestablish a real gap analysis of all relevant policies in order to identify critical areas of synergies and incoherencies, and to assess what needs to be done by 2030 in terms of EU policies, legislation, governance and implementation and to submit a full report on those gaps without further delay so as to present a comprehensive strategy before the end of 2019;
Amendment 147 #
2018/2279(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Reiterates its request for such a strategy and underlines the need to clearly set out common indicators and benchmarks, an analysis of the distance to targets and goals, and required action and means of implementation; stresses that the EU’s 2030 strategy should also outline when and how the Commission and the co-legislatorUnion will undertake sustainability impact assessments to address existing gaps, reorient existing policies and fordevelop new legislative proposals, or reviews or recasting of Union legislation, while ensuring coherence and coordination actions both at the European and Member State levels; therefore calls on the Commission and the Council, in all its formations, to pursue this work without delay;
Amendment 155 #
2018/2279(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Calls on the Member States to establish verifiable annual action plans for reaching individual ODA targets. These action plans need to outline at least the planned ODA spending for the next budgetary year and estimates for the remaining years until 2030. Given the fact that there is a mutual responsibility for the EU and the Member States to meet the 0,7% ODA target, Member States shall be accountable to both national parliaments and the European Parliament;
Amendment 156 #
2018/2279(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses the need for clear identification and differentiation of the governance level at which the targets should be implemented, while stressing that the principle of subsidiarity should be respectedfollowing the subsidiarity principle; calls for the establishment of clear and coherent sustainable development pathways at national and, if necessary, subnational or local levels for those Member States who have not done so already; stresses that the Commission should provide guidance for this process in order to ensure a coherent approach;
Amendment 165 #
2018/2279(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Underlines the need for the EUCommission to develop an integrated, effective and participatory monitoring, accountability and review framework that gathers information and relevant disaggregated data at national and subnational levels, while acknowledging that Eurostat alone cannot comprehensively capture all dimensfor the implementation and mainstreaming of the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda, and calls on the Commission, in cooperation with Eurostat, to establish a set of specific progress indicators for the internal applications of SDG progress, taking into account spill-over effects and the need for indicators which are not purely economic in naturethe SDGs in the EU, that gathers information and relevant disaggregated data at the respective governance levels;
Amendment 170 #
2018/2279(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. Highlights the importance of transparency and democratic accountability when monitoring the EU 2030 Agenda and consequently underlines the role of the co-legislators in this process; considers that the conclusion of a binding interinstitutional agreement under Article 295 of the TFEU would provide an appropriate arrangement for cooperation in this regard;
Amendment 227 #
2018/2279(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the Commission for regular analysis of the VNRs of Member States in order to assess progress and good practices; further calls for analysis of the VNRs of Least Developed Countries in order to identify needs, close gaps and enhance support and cooperation, and to cooperate closely within the OECD in developing peer review mechanisms for successful SDG implementation strategies and action in domestic and external policies, and for betterto improve exchange of best practices and monitoring of negative external spill-over effects;
Amendment 72 #
2018/2170(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Article 11 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
Article 11 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
In parliamentary debates, Members shall not resort to defamatory, racist or, xenophobic or misogynist language or behaviour, nor shall they unfurl banners.
Amendment 108 #
2018/2170(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 212 – paragraph 3
Rule 212 – paragraph 3
3. The bureaux of the delegations shall be constituted for the duration of the parliamentary term in accordance with the procedure laid down for the standing committees in Rule 204.
Amendment 3 #
2018/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas, pursuant to Article 20(2) TEU, enhanced cooperation is meant to be a measure of last resort when the objectives of a cooperation cannot be attained within a reasonable period by the Union as a whole;
Amendment 14 #
2018/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that even though enhanced cooperation, due its nature as a last resort measure, has not been used extensively since its inception in the Treaty of Amsterdam,; notes, however, that it seems to be gaining importance and delivers tangible results;
Amendment 16 #
2018/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that even though enhanced cooperation benefits from the Union institutional and legal order, its automatic integration into the acquis is not foreseen;
Amendment 19 #
2018/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Points out that the political impetus for enhanced cooperation should come from the Member States, but discussions on its contents should be based on a Commission proposal, where available;
Amendment 28 #
2018/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Finds it necessary that the decision authorising enhanced cooperation should specify the framework for relations with the non-participating Member States; considers that Member States not participating in the enhanced cooperation should nevertheless be fully involved in the deliberations on the subject of enhanced cooperation;
Amendment 29 #
2018/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Recalls that both the Commission and the Council secretariats have an important role to play in ensuring that the non-participating Member States do not feel left behind by the activation of enhanced cooperations of enhanced cooperation are not left behind in a way that makes their participation at a later stage burdensome or deterrent.;
Amendment 37 #
2018/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Finds it necessary to strengthen Parliament’s role in enhanced cooperation; believes that, to this end, standing committees should be entrusted with the task of following each case of enhanced cooperation from adoption through to the end of its period of application, and of examining possible additional areas where this tool could be useful; recommends that each standing committee be free to decide what form of internal organisation would be most suitable for this purpose; advises that, when it comes to the vote, only those MEPs elected in Member States participating in the enhanced cooperation should have the right to vote, but that this vote should ultimately be confirmed by a formal vote in plenary as a whole;
Amendment 39 #
2018/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Takes the view that operating expenditure linked to enhanced cooperation should be borne by the participating Member States, and ifunless the two co-legislators agree that thise cost is borne by the EU budget the non- participating Member States should be reimbursed;
Amendment 41 #
2018/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
Amendment 46 #
2018/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Proposes the creation of a special enhanced cooperation unit in the Commission, under the leadership of athe Commissioner responsible for Inter- institutional relations, to coordinate and streamline the institutional setting up of enhanced cooperation initiatives;
Amendment 47 #
2018/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Considers it necessary to make the role of both the Commission and Council secretariats more proactive in the context of enhanced cooperation, and therefore proposes that they actively search for areas where enhanced cooperation could be useful for the advancement of the European project or for areas adjacent to existing forms of enhanced cooperation in order to avoid overlaps or contradictions;
Amendment 50 #
2018/2112(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Believes that clear rules should be laid down in all cases of enhanced cooperationrules on the withdrawal of a Member State that no longer wishes to participate and on the expulsion of a Member State that no longer fulfils the conditions of the enhanced cooperation should be considered; advises that theeventual terms and conditions of the possible withdrawal or expulsion of a Member State should be specified in the act establishing the enhanced cooperation;
Amendment 25 #
2018/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
D a. Whereas the average participation in the elections to the European Parliament in 2014 was 42.6 %;whereas according to the most recent Eurobarometer published in May 2018, only19 % of Europeans interviewed knew the date of the next European elections;
Amendment 26 #
2018/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. Whereas free movement provide EU citizens with opportunities to travel, study, work, and live in other EU countries; whereas more than 16 million Europeans enjoy their right to reside in another EU country;
Amendment 27 #
2018/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
Recital G b (new)
G b. Whereas the right to freedom of movement is central to EU citizenship and complement the other freedoms of the EU internal market; whereas young Europeans are particularly attached to freedom of movement, which is regarded as the EU’s most positive achievement after ensuring peace in Europe;
Amendment 28 #
2018/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
I a. Whereas the European Commission has shown a commitment in the EU Citizenship Report 2017 to organise an EU-wide information and awareness raising campaign on EU citizenship in order to help citizens to better understand their rights; whereas this responsibility to better inform EU citizens of their rights and duties needs tobe shared by Member States and civil society;
Amendment 37 #
2018/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Deems it important to foster the development of a shared sense of European identity, to reflect on the causes of the EU loss of credibility, to encourage civic participation and to launch an in- depth debate on European values;
Amendment 38 #
2018/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2 b. Stresses that the Commission’s 2017 Citizenship Report makes no reference to the right of petition, the right to refer to the European Ombudsman, the right to access documents or the rights to support an ECI; expects the next Citizenship Report to address this shortcomings;
Amendment 54 #
2018/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Deplores that since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, Article 15(3) TFEU, which became the legal base for public access to documents and which extends such regime to all the Union institutions, bodies, agencies and offices, has not yet been fully implemented; considers that progress in the adoption of the new regulation has been consistently stalled by the Member States;
Amendment 60 #
2018/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Is worried that the interpretation of certain provisions and terms of Directive 2004/38/EC by national courts differs not only across Member States, but sometimes also within the same jurisdiction; notes with concern that national authorities are not always fully aware of the rights and obligations established under Directive 2004/38/EC;
Amendment 61 #
2018/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7 b. Underlines the problematic of the absence of information or the provision of incorrect or confusing information on visa requirements for family members or on residence rights; insists that Member States should ensure the removal of unnecessary barriers to the right of entry/residence, in particular for third country nationals who are family members of EU citizens;
Amendment 62 #
2018/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Is concerned about the difficulties encountered by citizens in getting their professional qualifications recognised across Europe; believes that the Professional Qualifications Directive and European Qualifications Framework have helped facilitate recognition among Member States; also believes that professional recognition is key to ensure a higher degree of mobility for both students and professionals; calls on the European Commission to continue the trend of facilitating as much as possible the professional recognition
Amendment 72 #
2018/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recommends that the Commission exercise its prerogatives under Article 258 TFEU to ask the ECJ to decide if disenfranchisement due to residence in another EU Member State should be considered to be a violation of freedom of movement and residence; calls again on Member States to implement the Venice Commission's Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters including the abolition of disenfranchisement of expatriates in elections to national parliaments;
Amendment 90 #
2018/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16 a. Underlines that a growing number of European citizens have suffered terrorist attacks in a country that is not their own, and therefore urgently calls for the establishment of protocols in Member States to help non-national Europeans in the event of a terrorist attack, in line with Directive (EU) 2017/541 on combating terrorism;
Amendment 95 #
2018/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18 a. Calls for increased effort to finalise the accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights, and for the ratification of the European Social Charter.
Amendment 97 #
2018/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18 b. Recommends the use of Article 165, 166 and 167 TFUE as legal basis for exploring the potential of education, vocational training and youth policies.
Amendment 99 #
2018/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18 c. Reiterates its numerous calls for a proposal on an anti-discrimination Directive, which would fully implement Article 18 and 19 TFEU in a horizontal approach;
Amendment 100 #
2018/2111(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 d (new)
Paragraph 18 d (new)
18 d. Insists on investing on and creating Programmes and initiatives to foster a European public space where the enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms, social welfare and the fulfilment of European values become the citizen identity model;
Amendment 77 #
2018/2096(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Encourages the Council to make significant and serious efforts towards transparency in the ongoing tripartite negotiations about a mandatory EU Transparency Register;
Amendment 1 #
2018/2070(ACI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
- having regard to its legislative resolution of 16 September 2020 on the draft Council decision on the system of own resources of the European Union1a, _________________ 1a Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0220.
Amendment 4 #
2018/2070(ACI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
C a. Whereas the implementation of the budgetary discipline and cooperation between the institutions on budgetary matters and sound financial management requires the Council to share necessary information with Parliament in the framework of the discharge procedure concerning the European Council and the Council, so as to ensure that Parliament has the necessary information on how the Council is implementing its budget, either directly or via the Commission;
Amendment 6 #
2018/2070(ACI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. Whereas the new agreement contains important new elements in particular a roadmap for the introduction of new own resources during the next seven years, that will be sufficient to cover the interests and repayment costs of the European Union Recovery Instrument (Next Generation EU (NGEU)); whereas revenue from own resources in excess of the needs for repayment will continue to fund the Union budget as general revenue in line with the principle of universality; whereas the new agreement also contains provisions on enhanced budgetary scrutiny of the spending of Next Generation EU (NGEU) fundingfunds under the European Union Recovery Instrument (NGEU) and arrangements to monitor spending on climate and biodiversity objectives and on gender equality and mainstreaming;
Amendment 13 #
2018/2070(ACI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. Whereas this agreement, furthermore, contains a commitment to seek arrangements for cooperation between the institutions for future MFF negotiationincludes for the first time provisions relating to cooperation and dialogue on the part of the institutions during the negotiations on the MFF, aimed at operationalising the treaty requirements, according to which the institutions are to take any measure necessary to facilitate the adoption of a MFF and to promote consultation and the reconciliation of their positions on budgetary matters, so as to strengthen dialogue and transparency of the whole negotiation process;
Amendment 2 #
2018/2046(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that the SDGs 2030 must be reflected in the budget for 2019, while focusing on long-term efforts to eradicate poverty, as stipulated in Article 208 TFEU; calls on the Commission and on the Member States to make the SDGs 2030 a strategic priority and to reflect it in the Union budget;
Amendment 4 #
2018/2046(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Deplores that the Commission continuously uses money from existing budget lines to finance newly created funds, which are outside the Union budget and are thus not subject to parliamentary scrutiny;
Amendment 15 #
2018/2046(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Emphasises that the Union and its Member States must honour their collective commitment, confirmed in 2015, to raise their ODA to 0,7 % of their GNI by 2030; calls on the Commission and the Member States to present binding timelines for progressive increases towards this level; calls the Member States to exclude the in donor refugee costs out of the ODA calculation;
Amendment 50 #
2018/2046(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Emphasises the importance to keep the strongest cooperation possible with the United Kingdom in the field of development cooperation after the Brexit;
Amendment 81 #
2018/2001(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Calls on the Bureau to ensure that the social and pension rights of Members and of Accredited Parliamentary Assistants are respected and that adequate financial means are made available; in this regard, reiterates its call to find a workable solution for those APAs who, having worked for two parliamentary terms in the end of the current term, will not be entitled to access to the European pension rights scheme, when they will reach the pension age, since they will be lacking some time out of the ten years' service needed, due to early elections in 2014 and the delays in the validation of the APAs new contracts because of heavy workload during the periods after the elections of 2009 and 2014;
Amendment 16 #
2018/0902R(NLE)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Draws attention that the Hungarian elections were held on 3 April 2022 without addressing recommendations of the ODIHR and GRECO related to campaign finance legislation what negatively affected the transparency and accountability of campaign finances;
Amendment 40 #
2018/0902R(NLE)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Draws attention to the consequences of the war in Ukraine and the need for immediate responses from Member States. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the need for immediate responses does not lead to unnecessary flexibility and reduced impact of the instruments for upholding the rule of law in the Union, pursuant to both Article 7 TEU and the budgetary conditionality regulation;
Amendment 837 #
2018/0243(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 13 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Multiannual programmes may provide for an amount of funds, not exceeding 5 % of the total amount, that is not allocated to a priority area or partner country or group of countries.Those funds shall be committed in accordance with Article 21.
Amendment 917 #
2018/0243(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 21 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 21 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Before adopting action plans and measures not based on programming documents pursuant to Article 19(2), except for cases referred to in Article 19 (3) and (4), the Commission shall adopt a delegated act in accordance with Article 34 supplementing this Regulation by setting out the specific objectives to be pursued, the results expected, the instruments to be used, the main activities and the indicative financial allocations of these action plans and measures.
Amendment 43 #
2018/0136(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 11 a (new)
Recital 11 a (new)
(11 a) The Commission should be able continuously to monitor the state of the rule of law in the Member States and an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights could be set up as requested by the European Parliament in its resolution of 25 October 20161. _________ 1 European Parliament resolution of 25 October 2016 with recommendations to the Commission on the establishment of an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights (2015/2254(INL)), OJ C 215,19.6.2018, p. 162–177
Amendment 46 #
2018/0136(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) The identification of a generalised deficiency requires a qualitative assessment by the Commission. That assessment cshould be based on the information from all available sources and recognized institutions, including judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union, reports of the Court of Auditors, and conclusions and recommendations of relevant international organisations and networks, such as the bodies of the Council of Europe and the European networks of supreme courts and councils for the judiciary.
Amendment 54 #
2018/0136(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15 a (new)
Recital 15 a (new)
(15 a) Final beneficiaries of the Union budget, other than where a government entity is the recipient, should not be affected by breaches of rules for which they are not responsible.
Amendment 65 #
2018/0136(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 a (new)
Article 2 a (new)
Article 2 a Monitoring The Commission shall continuously monitor and assess the correct implementation of the Union law and the respect for the rule of law.
Amendment 94 #
2018/0136(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1
Article 5 – paragraph 1
1. Where the Commission finds that it has reasonable grounds to believe that the conditions of Article 3 are fulfilled, it shall send a written notification to that Member State, setting out the grounds on which it based its finding. The Commission shall, without delay, inform the European Parliament and the Council of such notification and its contents.
Amendment 97 #
2018/0136(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 2
Article 5 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission mayshall take into account all relevant information, including, where available, decisions of the Court of Justice of the European Union, reports of the Court of Auditors, and conclusions and recommendations of relevant international organisations.
Amendment 102 #
2018/0136(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 6
Article 5 – paragraph 6
6. Where the Commission considers that the generalised deficiency as regards the rule of law is established, it shall submit a proposal for an implementing act on the appropriate measures to the Counciladopt a decision on the appropriate measures by means of an implementing act.
Amendment 104 #
2018/0136(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 6 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. By way of derogation from Article 31(4) and (6) of the Financial Regulation, the European Parliament and the Council shall deliberate upon the transfer proposal within four weeks of its receipt by both institutions. The transfer proposal shall be considered to be approved unless, within the four-week period, the European Parliament, acting by majority of the votes cast, or the Council, acting by qualified majority, amend or reject it. If the European Parliament or the Council amend the transfer proposal, Article 31(8) of the Financial Regulation shall apply.
Amendment 107 #
2018/0136(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 6 b (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 6 b (new)
6 b. The decision referred to in paragraph 6 shall enter into force if neither the European Parliament nor the Council reject the transfer proposal within the period referred to in paragraph 6b.
Amendment 110 #
2018/0136(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 7
Article 5 – paragraph 7
Amendment 116 #
2018/0136(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7
Article 7
Amendment 31 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) In certain policy areas, breaches of Union law may cause serious harm to the public interest, in the sense of creating significant risks for the welfare of society. Where weaknesses of enforcement have been identified in those areas, and whistleblowers are in a privileged position to disclose breaches, it is necessary to enhance enforcement by ensuring effective protection of whistleblowers from retaliation and introducing effective and confidential reporting channels.
Amendment 36 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) Accordingly, common minimum legal standards ensuring effective whistleblower protection should apply in those acts and policy areas where i) there is a need to strengthen enforcement; ii) under-reporting by whistleblowers is a key factor affecting enforcement, and iii) breaches of Union law cause serious harm to the public interest.
Amendment 38 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) Evidence-gathering, detecting and addressing environmental crimes and unlawful conduct against the protection of the environment remain a challenge and need to be reinforced as acknowledged in the Commission Communication "EU actions to improve environmental compliance and governance" of 18 January 201840 . Whilst whistleblower protection rules exist at present only in one sectorial instrument on environmental protection41 , the introduction of such protection appears necessary to ensure effective enforcement of the Union environmental acquis, whose breaches can cause serious harm to the public interest with possible spill-over impacts across national borders. This is also relevant in cases where unsafe products can cause environmental harm. _________________ 40 COM(2018) 10 final. 41 Directive 2013/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 12 June 2013, on safety of offshore oil and gas operations (OJ L 178, p. 66).
Amendment 40 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The protection of privacy and personal data is another area where whistleblowers are in a privileged position to disclose breaches of Union law which can seriously harm the public interest. Similar considerations apply for breaches of the Directive on the security of network and information systems45 , which introduces notification of incidents (including those that do not compromise personal data) and security requirements for entities providing essential services across many sectors (e.g. energy, health, transport, banking, etc.) and providers of key digital services (e.g. cloud computing services). Whistleblowers' reporting in this area is particularly valuable to prevent security incidents that would affect key economic and social activities and widely used digital services. It helps ensuring the continuity of services which are essential for the functioning of the internal market and the wellbeing of society. _________________ 45 Directive (EU) 2016/1148 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2016 concerning measures for a high common level of security of network and information systems across the Union.
Amendment 55 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 29
Recital 29
(29) Effective detection and prevention of serious harm to the public interest requires that the information reported which qualifies for protection covers not only unlawful activities but also abuse of law, namely acts or omissions which do not appear to be unlawful in formal terms but defeat the object or the purpose of the law.
Amendment 58 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 30 a (new)
Recital 30 a (new)
(30 a) Effective protection implies adequate training and a resource office available to inform whistleblowers on their rights, disclosure options, and limitations so they are aware of their rights and responsibilities.
Amendment 62 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 34
Recital 34
(34) It is for the Member States to identify the authorities competent to receive and give appropriate follow up to the reports on breaches falling within the scope of this Directive. These may be regulatory or supervisory bodies in the areas concerned, law enforcement agencies, anti-corruption bodies and ombudsmen. The authorities designated as competent shall have the necessary capacities and powers to assess the accuracy of the allegations made in the report and to address the breaches reported, including by launching an investigation, prosecution or action for recovery of funds, or other appropriate remedial action, in accordance with their mandate. The staff serving in those agencies shall be specialised and have proper training and formation.
Amendment 98 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. With a view to enhancing the enforcement of Union law and policies in specific areas, this Directive lays down common minimum standards for the protection of persons reporting on the following unlawful activities or abuse of law:
Amendment 116 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Member States shall have specific provisions concerning data and documents covered by secret of defence, classified information, public order, or other exceptions based on their national law, if applicable.
Amendment 190 #
2018/0106(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – point a
a) the conditions under which reporting persons and/or intermediators qualify for protection under this Directive;
Amendment 16 #
2017/2280(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Recalls the unprecedented needs for humanitarian aid, caused by natural and man-made disasters driven, inter alia, by climate change and human insecurity, conflicts and forced displacement; calls in particular for maintaining a separate instrument for humanitarian aid with its own legal basis, budget and long term funding strategy to ensure the four humanitarian principles 'humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence'; calls as well for a substantial humanitarian aid reserve;
Amendment 20 #
2017/2275(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas various international charters and laws prohibit the marriage of minors; whereas child,1a early and forced marriage has a very negative impact on the physical and mental health and personal development of the individuals concerned and on the children resulting from the marriage; _________________ 1aThe rapporteur would like to introduce a horizontal amendment throughout the whole text to include the word "child" before every mention of "early and forced marriages".
Amendment 38 #
2017/2275(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas, to date, more than 7050 million girls have married before the age of 18, of whom 250 million were married before the age of 15; whereas early and forced marriages are more frequent in poor, under-developed regions; whereas the number of early and forced marriages is increasing as the global population grows, according to a recent UNICEF report which estimates that in 2050 around 1.2 billion girls will have married before the age of 18;
Amendment 44 #
2017/2275(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas child, early and forced marriages are linked to a high risk of early and unwanted pregnancies, high rates of maternal mortality, lower use of family planning and unwanted pregnancies, and usually signal the end of a girl’s education;
Amendment 56 #
2017/2275(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas early and forced marriages very often deprive the persons concerned of the possibility to continue their studies; whereas education, particularly comprehensive sexual education is an effective way of preventing early and forced marriage, allowing girls to free themselves from any form of control adversely affecting their rights;
Amendment 68 #
2017/2275(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas child-mothers are exposed to, early and forced marriage exposes girls to early childbearing involving considerable risks and difficulties during pregnancy and childbirth, particularly owing to highly inadequate or non-existent access to medical support, frequently resulting in maternal mortality; whereas there is an increased risk of contracting viral infections such as HIV;
Amendment 74 #
2017/2275(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas child marriages are a violation of the rights of the child and a form of violence against girls, and whereas, as such, they must be condemned; whereas early and forced marriages are often associated witht the origin of domestic violence and sexual abuse; and other practices harmful to girls and women, such as female genital mutilation and so-called honour crimes;
Amendment 83 #
2017/2275(INI)
G. whereas the number of early and forced marriages increases significantly in situations of armed conflict and natural and humanitarian disaster, which leave little scope for medical and psychological care; whereas during the recent migration crises, many parents, seeking to protect their daughters from sexual aggression, chose to have them marry before the age of 18;
Amendment 84 #
2017/2275(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the number of early and forced marriages increases significantly in situations of armed conflict and humanitarian disaster, which leave little scope for medical and psychological care; whereas during the recent migration crises, many parents, seeking to protect their daughters from sexual aggression, choose to have them marry before the age of 18;
Amendment 99 #
2017/2275(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on legislators, both in the EU and in third countries, to set the minimum age for marriage at 18 years and to provide themselves with theadopt necessary administrative, legal and financial means to be able to comply with this requiresures to ensure effective implementation of this requirement and to ensure that girls have access to institutional support mechanisms including psycho-social counselling, protection mechanisms and opportunities for economic empowerment;
Amendment 134 #
2017/2275(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points out that in order to comprehensively tackle early and forced marriage, the European Union, as a major actor in global development, must play a leading role; calls upon EU Member States to contribute to initiatives such as the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative focused on eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls;
Amendment 143 #
2017/2275(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls, therefore, on all Member States to be consistent and to include a ban on early and forced marriage in their legislation and to monitor the situation using disaggregated data;
Amendment 151 #
2017/2275(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recommends that Member States align their legislation on the treatment of immigrants who married before the age of 18 and not recognise early and forced marriagesintroduce a child-centred case management system to determine the best interest of the child, based on which the decision on the legal recognition of the marriage can be taken, while extending humanitarian treatment to those who married before the age of 18;
Amendment 163 #
2017/2275(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point b
Paragraph 8 – point b
b. this prohibition is respected at all levels in practice once the law has entered into force;
Amendment 174 #
2017/2275(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point d
Paragraph 8 – point d
d. the level of public development aid allocation to government authorities is made dependent on the recipient country’s commitment to complying with the requirements in the fight against early and forced marriage;
Amendment 181 #
2017/2275(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point e
Paragraph 8 – point e
e. the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) programme is implemented in triangular cooperation involving these organisations, the European Union and the developing countries in combating early and forced marriage through the implementation of budgeted national action plans, prioritising programmes and methods likely to go beyond so-called cultural, religious or tribal practices that, in reality, constitute the worst violations of the rights of children and the dignity of girls;
Amendment 182 #
2017/2275(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 – point e
Paragraph 8 – point e
e. the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) programme is implemented in triangular cooperation involving these organisations, the European Union and the developing, civil society organisations working in this field and the partner countries in combating early and forced marriage, prioritising programmes and methods likely to go beyond so-called cultural, religious or tribal practices that, in reality, constitute the worst violations of the rights of children and their dignity of girls;
Amendment 199 #
2017/2275(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Calls on the European Commission and Member States to support the SheDecides movement and pledge additional funding to international aid for sexual and reproductive health services, including safe abortions and information about abortions, thereby countering the Global Gag Rule which was reinstated by the United States government in early 2017;
Amendment 216 #
2017/2275(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the European Union to ensure that training is provided to law enforcement agencies so that they are better able to uphold the rights of girls exposed to forced and early marriage, domestic violence, the risk of rapsexual violence and any other practice which undermines human dignity;
Amendment 1 #
2017/2273(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that effective implementation of EU law is essential in order to enhance citizens’ trust in EU policies; recalls that Article 197 of the TFEU states, in this respect, that ‘effective implementation of Union law by the Member States, which is essential for the proper functioning of the Union, shall be regarded as a matter of common interest’; maintains that the citizens of the Union will feel confident about Union law when it is implemented in the Member States in an effective manner;
Amendment 7 #
2017/2273(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes this first report on the monitoring of the application of EU law following the entry into force of the Better Regulation Agenda in 2015; recalls that the principles of better law-making encompass the requirement to demonstrate the need to legislate at EU level, in a way that is strictly proportionate to the aims of the legislative action, and to ensure that the legislation is correctly implemented at the right level; recalls that any expansion of EU law that is not built on such principles is detrimental to the proper application thereof; stresses, therstresses, therefore, the importance of upholding the principles of conferral, subsidiarity and proportionality pursuant to Article 5 TEU, as well as equality before, the importance of upholding the principles of subsidiarity and proportionalitylaw in view of better monitoring of the application of EU law;
Amendment 10 #
2017/2273(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Deplores the high number of negative trends revealed in the current report, notably the substantial increase in the opening of infringement cases, representing a 67.5 % increase over the past year and a five-year peak, together with a recorded increase in complaints and a decrease in rates of resolution; notes the Commission’s aim, in line with its communication entitled ‘EU law: Better results through better application’1 , to make use of the EU Pilot only where it provides effective added value in the infringement resolution process; welcomes the fact that the report acknowledges the role of Parliament in calling the Commission’s attention to shortcomings in the application of EU law in Member States by means of parliamentary questions and petitions; _________________ 1points out that closer scrutiny of national parliaments of their respective government when the latter are involved in the law-making process will foster a more effective application of EU law as foreseen in the Treaties; _________________ 1 C(2016)8600, OJ C 18, 19.1.2017, p. 10. C(2016)8600, OJ C 18, 19.1.2017, p. 10.
Amendment 17 #
2017/2273(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses the crucial importance of transparency in the drafting and application of EU law by the EU institutions, meaning that EU legislation has to be clear, understandable, consistent and precise, while also taking into consideration the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the European Union, which insists on the need for foreseeability and predictability in EU norms2 ; reminds that national parliaments have an essential role to play in both pre-legislative scrutiny of draft EU legal acts and post-legislative scrutiny of correct implementation of the EU law by the Member States; calls on them to pursue that role proactively; _________________ 2 Judgment of the Court of Justice of 10 September 2009, Plantanol GmbH & Co. KG v Hauptzollamt Darmstadt, C-201/08, ECLI:EU:C:2009:539, paragraph 46.
Amendment 26 #
2017/2273(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for all EU institutions engaged in the legislative process to commit to enhancing the drafting quality of legislative texts, in line with the commitment undertaken in the Better Law- Making Agenda; recalls that the 1998 Inter-institutional Agreement on common guidelines for the quality of drafting of Community legislation needs to be substantially adapted in order to deliver on that objective; reiterates the provision in the IIA on Better Law-Making that calls on Member States when transposing EU directives into national law where they choose to add elements that are in no way related to that Union legislation to make these additions identifiable either through the transposing act or through associated documents;
Amendment 31 #
2017/2273(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recalls the need for Parliament to also be able to monitor the Commission’s enforcement of regulations in the same way that it does with directives; reiterates its request to the Commission to ensure that the data on the implementation of regulations is clearly provided in its future annual reports on the monitoring of the application of EU law; calls on thereminds Member States of the obligation to submit national legislation transposing or implementing regulations to the Commission with a view to ensuring its formal and substantive compliancein accordance with the principle of good cooperation.
Amendment 1 #
2017/2131(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Strongly emphasises that all Member States share and must uphold the values enshrined in Article 2 TEU, as these values are the core of the European Union;
Amendment 6 #
2017/2131(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reminds that the Venice Conventmmission defines the essential characteristics of the Rule of Law as legality, legal certainty and prohibition of arbitrariness, access to justice, respect for human rights, non-discrimination and equality before the law; recalls that Hungary recognises the Venice Commission since its accession to the Council of Europe in 1990;
Amendment 14 #
2017/2131(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4 a. Notes that the term citizenship itself entails a clear political will of equality between individuals; underlines that the values and principles on which the Union is based are defining a sphere where every European citizen can identify himself or herself with, irrespective of the political or cultural differences linked to national identity; is concerned about the public use of nationalist considerations based on exclusive identities coming from Hungarian officials;
Amendment 19 #
2017/2131(INL)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Deeply regrets the antagonistic and misleading rhetoric sometimes used by the Hungarian institutions referring to the European Union; recalls the objectives stated in Article 3(1) and (2) TEU that Hungary accepted to attain when joining the Union in 2004; reminds that joining the European Union was a voluntary act based on the national sovereignty with a broad consensus all over the Hungarian political spectrum;
Amendment 29 #
2017/2131(INL)
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. Whereas the free participation of a fully developed civil society is a key aspect of a democratic decision-making process;
Amendment 30 #
2017/2131(INL)
Draft opinion
Recital A b (new)
Recital A b (new)
A b. Whereas Union legislation is the product of collective decision-making in which all Member States participate;
Amendment 31 #
2017/2131(INL)
Draft opinion
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
A c. Whereas, in accordance with Article 9 TEU and Article 20 TFEU, every person holding the nationality of a Member State shall be a citizen of the Union; whereas the European Citizenship shall be additional to and not replace national citizenship;
Amendment 32 #
2017/2131(INL)
Draft opinion
Recital A d (new)
Recital A d (new)
A d. Whereas AFCO Committee visited Hungary in November 2016;
Amendment 35 #
2017/2089(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 40 #
2017/2089(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission to set up a mechanism to identify the need to take action at Union level in order to uphold and fulfil the provisions of the Charter, and, at the same time, to systematically to ensure that Union law is adapted to takes account of the legal and jurisprudential developments of international human rights law; reiterates its call on the Commission to submit a proposal giving effect to Parliament’s resolution of 25 October 2016 on the establishment of an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights15 ; _________________ 15 OJ C 215, 19.6.2018, p. 162. OJ C 215, 19.6.2018, p. 162.
Amendment 54 #
2017/2089(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Regrets the almost complete absence of references to fundamental rights within the legal framework regulating EU economic and monetary policy; recalls, in this regard, that recourse to intergovernmental arrangements does not relieve the EU institutions – a process in which they are nevertheless involved – of their obligations to assess the compatibility of such instruments with EU law, including the Charter;
Amendment 58 #
2017/2089(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls on the Commission and the Council to make macroeconomic decisions conditional onwith regard to robust human rights assessments, based on the full range of civil, political and social rights guaranteed by the European and international human rights law instruments; calls, once again, on the Commission to take the steps required for EU accession to the European Social Charter;
Amendment 65 #
2017/2089(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Expresses its deep concern for the de facto crucial, but ill-defined,nformal role of the Eurogroup in the economic governance of the euro area, and for the impact that its decisions might have in influencing policy- making, without being counterbalanced by appropriate mechanisms of democratic accountability and judicial control; reminds the members of the Council of their horizontal obligations deriving from Articles 2 and 6 TEU and from the Charter;
Amendment 81 #
2017/2089(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Regrets the absence, in many EU agencies’ founding regulations, of an explicit reference to the Charter; calls on the co-legislators to urgently fill this gap, and to provide, taking account of the mandate and the specificities of each individual agency, for additional operational mechanisms such as, for instance, the establishment of internal fundamental rights officers;
Amendment 24 #
2017/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas a stable regulatory and institutional environment and a healthy economy are essential elements for ensuring competitiveness, investments, job creation, a higher standard of living and sustainable growth;
Amendment 216 #
2017/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Considers it important to support African countries in establishing effective health systems; calls for the introduction of minimum universal coverage and an increase in the global health fund, particularly concerning maternal health and the fight against infant mortality;
Amendment 222 #
2017/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Supports targeted and coordinated policies, along with investment in health, and sexual and reproductive rights; helps the younger generations to prevent and reduce maternal and infant mortality by tackling violence against women, traditional practices such as female genital mutilation and forced and/or child marriage;
Amendment 225 #
2017/2083(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Considers that greater investment in the access to healthcare for family planning is necessary; notes the inadequate access to contraception in Sub-Saharan Africa; believes that greater investment in that policy would help to mitigate the negative impact of the reinstatement of the ‘global gag rule’;
Amendment 2 #
2017/2069(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission’s continuous efforts to ensure that EU citizenship rights are upheld; reminds that, in accordance with Article 9 TEU and Article 20 TFEU, a person of the nationality of a Member State shall be a citizen of the Union; is convinced that EU citizens will only be able to exercise their rights fully if the Member States make a firm commitment to protecting them;
Amendment 14 #
2017/2069(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Emphasises that involving citizens in the political process of their country of residence helps to build European democracy, and calls for the electoral rights of citizens residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals, as set out in Article 22 TFEU, to be extended to include all remaining elections;
Amendment 112 #
2017/2054(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Points out the possibility for Member States to assign seats, from among their distributed seats, to regions having legislative powers;
Amendment 11 #
2017/2053(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Takes note ofEncourages the Member States and the European Commission to seize the opportunity presented by Brexit to reconsider the current system of rebates and corrections, which are not only contrary to the letter and spirit of the Treaties, but which have also proven to shift the focus of discussions from the European added value of the EU budget to the ‘net balance’ effect on the contributions of Member States;
Amendment 15 #
2017/2053(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses that the EU budget should be endowed with a system of genuine own resources, following the recommendations of the High Level Group on Own Resources;
Amendment 16 #
2017/2053(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Underlines that in times of scarce public resources but growing financial needs, the EU budget needs to focus on areas bringing the highest ‘European added value’, or on European public goods for which action at EU level is not only relevant, but indispensable;
Amendment 17 #
2017/2053(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Calls on the Commission to start a reflection on how funds directly generated by EU policies could become revenues for the EU budget, such as revenues from auctions under the Emissions Trading System, emissions premiums for cars as well as revenues from the future European Travel Information and Authorisation System;
Amendment 3 #
2017/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Notes that the current MFF severely limits the financial autonomy of the Union, as most of the revenue consists of national contributions by the Member States and a large part of the expenditure is already preordained by means of returns to these same Member States;
Amendment 7 #
2017/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that the EU’s commitment to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) must guide the preparation of the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) and that the EU’s support for such implementation in developing countries must increase, particularly in the least- developed countries - many of which are in Africa - which have the least chance of raising funds and the most extreme lack of means with which to attain the SDGs;
Amendment 7 #
2017/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points toroposes to make use of the possibility of switching from unanimity to qualified majority voting for the adoption of the forthcoming MFF Regulation, by using the provisions of Article 312(2) of the TFEU, which bring the MFF negotiations closer into line with the procedure for the adoption of the annual budget of the Unionintroduces real co- decision between the Council and Parliament on all budgetary matters;
Amendment 8 #
2017/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Insists that the finances of all Union agencies should become an integral part of the EU budget;
Amendment 14 #
2017/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Warns against the possibility that the upcoming Brexit negotiations might shroud the outcome of negotiations on the next MFF; recalls the difficulty of assessing the impact of Brexit on both the interinstitutional process and funding under the forthcoming MFF, and considers it unlikely that the long-term EU budgets can be increased Stresses that Brexit will severely affect the next MFF, especially on the revenue side; insists therefore that due consideration needs to be given to the introduction of genuine own resources; supports the recommendations of the High Level Group on Own Resources as regards diversifying the revenue of the EU budget, including new own resources, in order to reduce the share of GNI contributions to the EU budget with a view to abandoning this contexte 'juste retour' approach of Member States;
Amendment 18 #
2017/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Underlines that the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) must maintain the current level of quality and impact of European aid and provide the necessary guarantees for implementing and monitoring projects;
Amendment 25 #
2017/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines, in this context, the need to focus on the health,SDGs concerning health - with particular regard to infectious diseases - food, education, water and sanitation, energy, industry, innovation and infrastructureandgovernanceSDGs, the fight against climate change, good governance, democracy and the rule of law;
Amendment 26 #
2017/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines, in this context, the need to focus on the health,SDGs concerning health - in particular the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria - food, education, water and sanitation, energy, industry, innovation and infrastructure and governance SDGs;
Amendment 35 #
2017/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Amendment 40 #
2017/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Considers that an increase in investment in access to sexual and reproductive health and rights is necessary to help counter the negative impact of the reinstatement of the Global Gag Rule;
Amendment 46 #
2017/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. PStresses that the added value of a policy on development cooperation at EU level has been clearly demonstrated and points to the crucial role of official development assistance (ODA) in least developed countries and fragile states; notes its potential to facilitate the mobilisation of financing for development from other sources, private and public, domestic and international; supports the EU’s new efforts at stimulating private investment through blending grants and loans and providing guarantees, also in countries where the needs are great, but the risks are high; notes that important funding needs will arise as a result;
Amendment 57 #
2017/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Believes there are grounds for facilitating absorption of aid and stresses the importance of the principle of ownership of development aid which calls for commitments by the partner countries as they are the main parties responsible for producing development strategies; suggests therefore that EU-funded training to improve access to existing EU funding be considered;
Amendment 92 #
2017/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls for prudence in regard to any revision of the aid structure, so as not to prejudice geographical priorities, aid forecasts and the political clarity of external action by geographical circles;
Amendment 98 #
2017/2052(INI)
6. Draws attention to the ODA commitments entered into by the EU and its Member States, including that of increasing their ODA to 0.7 % of GNI by 2030 and calls on Member States that have not yet achieved this goal to produce a roadmap setting out in detail how they plan to meet this commitment; recalls that EU-managed ODA contributes towards the honouring of Member States’ commitments and can significantly increase the development effectiveness of ODA expenditure, including through reduced fragmentation and the facilitation of an incentive-based approach with partner countries.
Amendment 103 #
2017/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Draws attention to the ODA commitments entered into by the EU and its Member States, including that of increasing their ODA to 0.7 % of GNI by 2030; recalls that EU-managed ODA contributes towards the honouring of Member States’ commitments and can significantly increase the development effectiveness of ODA expenditure, including through reduced fragmentation and the facilitation of an incentive-based approach with partner countries.
Amendment 632 #
2017/2052(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 90 a (new)
Paragraph 90 a (new)
90a. Calls for a cautious approach to any revision of the aid structure, so as not to undermine geographical priorities, aid forecasts, or the political clarity of external action based on geographical circles;
Amendment 633 #
2017/2052(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 90 a (new)
Paragraph 90 a (new)
90a. Calls for the next MFF to maintain a separate instrument for humanitarian aid with its own legal basis, budget and long term funding strategy, as well as a substantial humanitarian aid reserve;
Amendment 4 #
2017/2044(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4 a. Deplores that the Commission continuously uses money from existing budget lines to finance newly created funds, which are outside the Union budget and are thus not subject to parliamentary scrutiny;
Amendment 28 #
2017/2044(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Emphasises that the EU and its Member States must honour their collective commitment, confirmed in 2015, to raise their ODA to 0.7% of their GNI by 2030; calls on the Commission and the Member States to prepare timelines for progressive increases towards this level;calls on the Commission to take due and timely account of the impact of Brexit, the United Kingdom being one of the major donors of ODA.
Amendment 1 #
2017/2024(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Citation –1 (new)
Citation –1 (new)
-1 having regard to Article 11(4) of the Treaty on European Union,
Amendment 2 #
2017/2024(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas Article 48(2)TEU provides for the Commission to come forward with proposals for the amendment of the Treaties; and whereas such a proposal should be regarded as a legal act implementing the Treaties;
Amendment 41 #
2017/2024(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part B – point 1 – point 1 – paragraph 3
Annex I – part B – point 1 – point 1 – paragraph 3
6. Member States may establish one- stop-shops owithin their territorirespective Commission representation offices to help organisers setting up a citizens’ initiative by providing exhaustive information as well as specific technical and legal advice.”.
Amendment 53 #
2017/2024(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part B – point 1 – point 2 – point b – paragraph 2
Annex I – part B – point 1 – point 2 – point b – paragraph 2
“3. The Commission may register an initiative partially and shall refuse the registration in whole or in part if the conditions laid down in paragraph 2 are not met. Furthermore, it shall confer initiatives or parts thereof that do fall outside the scope of Commission's competences to the competent authority, be it at national or regional level;
Amendment 63 #
2017/2024(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part B – point 1 – point 3 – point c – paragraph 2
Annex I – part B – point 1 – point 3 – point c – paragraph 2
“The collection of statements of support shall begin after the date of registration of the proposed initiative, on a date established by the organisers, but no later than six months following the date of registration, and within a period not exceeding 12 months.”.
Amendment 83 #
2017/2024(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part B – point 1 – point 5 – point a – paragraph 2
Annex I – part B – point 1 – point 5 – point a – paragraph 2
“within three months, set out in a communication its legal and political conclusions on the citizens’ initiative, the action it intends to take, if any, and its reasons forduly justified reasons for taking or not taking that action.”
Amendment 85 #
2017/2024(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part B – point 1 – point 5 – point b – paragraph 2
Annex I – part B – point 1 – point 5 – point b – paragraph 2
Amendment 92 #
2017/2024(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part B – point 1 – point 6 – paragraph 2
Annex I – part B – point 1 – point 6 – paragraph 2
“Where the conditions of Article 10(1)(a) and (b) are fulfilled, and within twosix months from the publication of the citizens’ initiative in accordance with Article 10(1)(a), the organisers may present the citizens’ initiative at a public hearing. The Commission and the European Parliament shall ensure that this hearing is organised at the European Parliament, if appropriate together with such other institutions and bodies of the Union as may wish to participate, and that the Commission is represented at an appropriate level.”;
Amendment 102 #
2017/2024(INL)
Motion for a resolution
Annex I – part B – point 1 – point 9 – paragraph 2
Annex I – part B – point 1 – point 9 – paragraph 2
Amendment 3 #
2017/2015(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls ishave been United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 since 2015; whereas trade and trade liberalisation have very different impacts on women and men, which can result in fundamental shifts in gender roles, relationships and inequalities;
Amendment 4 #
2017/2015(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. having regard to the shortcomings in international law regarding respect for gender equality;
Amendment 37 #
2017/2015(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Emphasises the need for mandatory periodical assessments to be made of the progress and failures in gender equality both in the European Union and in developing countries;
Amendment 51 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas country-specific and sector-specific assessments are of great importance; whereas women tend to be more concentrated in low-wage or low- status forms of formal and informal employment than men, leading to gender segregation in types of occupations and activities and gender gaps in wages and working conditionimportant differences exist both between countries and within countries in terms of production structures, female labour force participation rates and welfare regimes, in particular in the garment and textile manufacturing, agriculture and fisheries sectors; whereas country-specific and sector-specific gender assessments therefore bring important added value when designing trade agreements;
Amendment 55 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas women are often less able than men to take advantage of new opportunities due to the gender-specific constraints women face, such as limited access to and control over resources (land and other assets, credit, information, technology), limited access to markets, social responsibility for unpaid domestic work, legal discrimination and discriminatory cultural norms and values.
Amendment 177 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines the urgent need to work with transnational companies (TNCs) and other companies to adopt gender-sensitive binding human rights regulations on an international level to regulate transnational companies (TNCs) and other companies; wWelcomes the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights;
Amendment 223 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for binding measuresHighlights the importance to engage trading partners in dialogue on human rights, labour, social and environmental standards in order to combat exploitation and improve working conditions for women in the export- oriented industries, in particular the garment and textile manufacturing and agriculture sectors where trade liberalisation has contributed to precarious labour rights and gender wage gaps;; calls on the Commission and all international actors to adhere to the new OECD due diligence guidelines for responsible supply chains in the garment and footwear sector.
Amendment 240 #
2017/2015(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Underlines that the impact ofe need to assist SMEs, including women-owned business, also in the agricultural sector, in order to allow them to benefit from the growing agricultural EU exports is generally less favourable to women than to men, as emand to compete in overseas markets; Stresses that women- owned businesses would benefit from lowerging trends indicate that small farmers, many of whom are womencultural barriers, increasing market access, facilitating access to finance, mare often not in a position to compete in overseas markets;keting formation and networks, and improving capacity building and training.
Amendment 7 #
2017/2010(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Believes that an equivalent so- called yellow and red card system should be created for the European Parliament to allow it to react when Member States legislate in domains which are within the competencies of the Single Market, or alternatively if Member States do not correctly implement European directives, which fragments the Single Market and results in a lack of level playing field;
Amendment 22 #
2017/2010(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Reiterates the need to enhance the flexibility of the early warning system, and notably of the eight-week period for submitting reasoned opinions, and to continue to reflect on the introduction of a green card mechanism; believes that the idea of a 'green card' should be considered as a positive and constructive means of raising the participation and activity of national parliaments in the EU legislative process; considers that as part of the same package, the two co- legislators should be granted the right of initiative;
Amendment 8 #
2017/0810(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
Bank Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 51 thereof,
Amendment 29 #
2017/0810(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
Bank (8a) The new powers of the ECB regarding clearing systems for financial instruments under Article 22 of the Statute of the ESCB should be exercised alongside, and should not encroach on the regulatory competence of, other Union institutions, agencies and bodies on the basis of provisions relating to the establishment or functioning of the internal market provided for in Part III of the TFEU, including those contained in acts adopted by the Commission or by the Council pursuant to the powers conferred upon them. Therefore, in order to ensure that the respective powers of each entity are respected and to prevent conflicting rules and inconsistencies between the decisions taken by different Union institutions and agencies, the powers conferred under Article 22 of the Statute of the ESCB should only be exercised in a manner which fully recognises the general framework for the internal market established by the co-legislators and relevant Union institutions.
Amendment 44 #
2017/0810(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Statute of the European System of Central Banks and of the European Central Bank
Article 22
Article 22
Bank The ECB and national central banks may provide facilities, and the ECB may make regulations, to ensure efficient and sound clearing and payment systems, and clearing systems for financial instruments, within the Union and with other countries. In order to achieve the objectives of the ESCB and perform its tasks, the ECB may make regulations concerning clearing systems for financial instruments within the Union and with third countries, provided that it does so in a manner that fully recognises the legislative acts adopted by the European Parliament and the Council in this area as well as measures adopted under such acts.
Amendment 34 #
2017/0220(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 1 a (new)
Recital 1 a (new)
(1a) Since Article 48(2) TEU confers to the Commission the right to submit to the Council proposals for the amendment of the Treaties, any such proposal should be regarded as a legal act of the Union for the purpose of implementing the Treaties.
Amendment 78 #
2017/0220(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 24
Recital 24
(24) To ensure the effective participation of citizens in the democratic life of the Union, the Commission should examine a valid initiative and respond to it. The Commission should therefore set out its legal and political conclusions as well as the action it intends to take within a period of five months from the receipt of the initiative. The Commission should explain in a clear, comprehensible and detailed manner the reasons for its intended action, and should likewise give its reasons if it does not intend to take any action. A valid initiative should not affect the Commission’s right of initiative.
Amendment 82 #
2017/0220(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 25
Recital 25
(25) The support and funding for initiatives should be transparent. Therefore groups of organisers should provide updated and detailed information on the sources of support and funding for their initiatives between the date of registration and the date at which the initiative is submitted to the Commission. Those groups of organisers should report on all of their sources of funding and the Commission should make those sources clearly apparent on the register. Entities, notably organisations which under the Treaties contribute to forming European political awareness and expressing the will of citizens of the Union, should be able to promote and provide support and funding to initiatives, provided that they do so in accordance with the procedures and conditions laid down by this Regulation and with full transparency. In order to enhance the transparency of financing of ECI activities and the visibility of the ECI as a tool for the engagement of citizens, this regulation should be endowed with its own financial Programme.
Amendment 89 #
2017/0220(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 a (new)
(a) A citizens’ initiative may concern the amendment of the Treaties.
Amendment 97 #
2017/0220(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
The Commission shall make available an online collaborative platform providing citizens and groups of organisers with a discussion forum and information and advice about the European citizens’ initiative, including information about organisations that are able to provide further technical and legal support as well as about other forms of support available in the Member States.
Amendment 186 #
2017/0220(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. In the event of a successful citizens’ initiative, the Commission shall, within 12 months after the publication of the initiative, submit to the European Parliament and to the Council a proposal in response to the initiative. If the Commission considers that there are good reasons not to submit a legislative proposal, it shall clearly and thoroughly justify its decision.
Amendment 189 #
2017/0220(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 16 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Structure of the ECI Programme and supported actions In order to achieve its objectives, the Programme shall finance, inter alia, the following types of action: (a) the development and improvement of the ECI IT systems, including in particular the ECI Register, the central online collection system and the online collaborative platform; (b) the communication, administration and support of ECI activities that aim to eliminate existing hurdles to citizens using the ECI and to harmonise further the procedure and requirements for the submission of ECIs across the Union; (c) the provision of legal advice directly linked to the registration process that has been obtained before the registration of an ECI in line with the provisions of Article 6 of this Regulation; (d) the provision of translations of the registered initiatives and organisation of meetings with the initiatives’ organisers;
Amendment 42 #
2017/0035(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point b
Regulation (EU) No 182/2011
Article 10 – paragraph 5
Article 10 – paragraph 5
5. The references of all documents referred to in points (a) to (d), (f) and (g) of paragraph 1 as well as the information referred to in points (e) and (h) of that paragraphAll documents and information referred to in paragraph 1 points (a) to (h) shall be made public in the register.
Amendment 5 #
2016/2224(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas whistle-blowers play an essential role in the protection of democracy and act in the benefit of public interest,
Amendment 39 #
2016/2224(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commission to look at the best practices employed in protecting whistle-blowers around the world and, on that basis, to take a holistic approach to the task of introducing a common regulatory framework which guarantees a high level of protection across the board in both the public and private sectors; reiterates its call for proposals to be submitted by the end of 2017;
Amendment 59 #
2016/2224(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on Member States to establish transparent and clear channels for information disclosure, to set up independent national authorities to protect whistle-blowers, and towith clear and safe denounce protocols which guarantee the consfider providing those authorities with specific support funds; calls for a centralised European authority based on the model of national privacy watchdogs to be set upntiality of those who disclose the information.
Amendment 1 #
2016/2220(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas statelessness hais an element that has staggering consequences for human rights, development and international stability, as well as an important impact on human rights and civil duties, access to land and property, services and social position; whereas thistatelessness undermines the development prospects of affected populations and the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda;
Amendment 4 #
2016/2220(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas statelessness is a critical and often overlooked element of another global epidemic – child marriages; prevention and reduction of child marriage is a part of the moral and strategic imperative of gender equality which is essential to countries' economic development and political stability in the twenty first century;
Amendment 5 #
2016/2220(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
B b. whereas the complex problem of statelessness remains on the outermost boundaries of international law and policy, while it is not a marginal issue;
Amendment 9 #
2016/2220(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes the link between statelessness and forced displacement; recalls that at least 1.5 million stateless persons in the world are refugees or former refugees, among which many young women and girls;
Amendment 870 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 2 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Rule 2 – paragraph 1 a (new)
At the beginning of their mandate Members of the European Parliament shall sign a solemn declaration stating that they will serve in the general interest of the Union. Failure to comply with this declaration may lead to application of measures in accordance with Rule 166 and 167.
Amendment 890 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 11 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Rule 11 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Members’ conduct shall be characterised by mutual respect, be based on the values and principles laid down in the basic texts on which the European Union is founded, respect the dignity of Parliament and not compromise the smooth conduct of parliamentary business or disturb the peace and quiet of any of Parliament's premises. Members shall comply with Parliament's rules on the treatment of confidential information. Members must respect these values and principles for their entire mandates, irrespective of whether or not they are within the Parliament's premises.
Amendment 921 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 25 – paragraph 7
Rule 25 – paragraph 7
7. The Bureau shall draw upadopt Parliament's preliminary draft budget estimates.
Amendment 997 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 73 a (new)
Rule 73 a (new)
Rule 73a Negotiations ahead of Parliament's first reading 1. Where a committee has adopted a legislative report pursuant to Rule 49, it may decide, by a majority of its members, to enter into negotiations on the basis of that report. 2. Decisions to enter into negotiations shall be announced at the beginning of the part-session following their adoption in committee. By the end of the day following the announcement in Parliament, one political group or at least one-tenth of the Members may request in writing that a committee decision to enter into negotiations be put to the vote. Parliament shall vote on such requests during the same part-session. If no such request is received by the expiry of the deadline laid down in subparagraph 1, the President shall inform the Parliament that this is the case. If a request is made, the President may, immediately prior to the vote, give the floor to one speaker in favour and to one speaker against. Each speaker may make a statement lasting no more than two minutes. 3. If Parliament rejects the committee decision to enter into negotiations, the draft legislative act and the report of the committee responsible shall be placed on the agenda of the following part-session, and the President shall set a deadline for amendments. Rule 59(1b) shall apply. 4. Negotiations may start at any time after the deadline laid down in the first subparagraph of paragraph 2 has expired without a request for a plenary vote on the decision to enter into negotiations being made. If such a request has been made, negotiations may start at any time after the committee decision to enter into negotiations has been approved in Parliament by a majority of the votes cast.
Amendment 1013 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 96 – title
Rule 96 – title
Estimates of Parliament and establishment plan
Amendment 1014 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 96 – paragraph 1
Rule 96 – paragraph 1
1. The Bureau shall draw up, at the latest at its first meeting of February adopt the preliminary draft estimates and establishment plan on the basis of a report prepared by the Secretary-Generaland the medium and long term planning prepared by the Secretary-General. The medium- and long-term planning shall establish a clear distinction between investments and operational expenditure.
Amendment 1015 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 96 – paragraph 2
Rule 96 – paragraph 2
2. The President shall without delay forward the preliminary draft estimates as well as the Secretary General’s report and the medium- and long-term planning to the committee responsible for budgetary issues, which shall draw upadopt the draft estimates and report to Parliament.
Amendment 1016 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 96 – paragraph 4
Rule 96 – paragraph 4
4. Parliament shall adopt the estimates. Should the Parliament fail to do so, the Bureau shall propose new preliminary draft estimates to the committee responsible on budgetary issues.
Amendment 1017 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 97
Rule 97
Amendment 1038 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 117 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
Rule 117 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 2
The vote shall be taken by secret broll callot.
Amendment 1056 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 130 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Rule 130 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Questions shall be submitted in electronic format. Each Member may submit a maximum of fivetwenty questions perover a period of three months.
Amendment 1060 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 130 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
Rule 130 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
Amendment 1061 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 130 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 3
Rule 130 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 3
Amendment 1063 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 130 – paragraph 3 – interpretation
Rule 130 – paragraph 3 – interpretation
Amendment 1073 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 136
Rule 136
Amendment 1102 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 168 a (new)
Rule 168 a (new)
Amendment 1170 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 215 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 3
Rule 215 – paragraph 5 – subparagraph 3
Amendment 1171 #
2016/2114(REG)
Parliament's Rules of Procedure
Rule 215 – paragraph 7 – subparagraph 2
Rule 215 – paragraph 7 – subparagraph 2
If the committee responsible fails to reach a consensus on the admissibility of the petition, it shall be declared admissible at the request of at least one quarter majority of the members of the committee.
Amendment 67 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Defines development cooperation as follows: fighting for DIGNITY by eradicating POVERTY;
Amendment 148 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Insists on the need for accountability mechanisms regarding the monitoring and the implementation of the SDGs and the 0.7% ODA/GNI objectives; Calls on the EU and its Member States to submit a time-line on how to gradually achieve these goals and objectives, with annual reporting at the European Parliament;
Amendment 235 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Proposes that an arbitration system should be established, under the authority of the President of the Commission, to bring about PCD and that in the event of divergences between the various policies of the Union, the President of the Commission should fully shoulder his political responsibility for the overall approach and have the task of deciding between them on the basis of the Union’s PCD commitments; takes the view that, once the problems have been identified, consideration could be given to reforming the decision-making procedures within the Commission and in interdepartmental cooperation;
Amendment 293 #
2016/2094(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39a. Recalls the fundamental principles of humanitarian aid - neutrality, independence and impartiality; welcomes the European Commissions' tenacity no the merge the European Consensus on Development and the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid;
Amendment 12 #
2016/2057(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Notes that Article 25 of the UDHR recognises the right of every person to a 'standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family', and that the World Health Organisation (WHO) constitution states that the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition;
Amendment 21 #
2016/2057(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Is of the view that the accomplishment of effective medicine provision in developing countries is still an unresolved challenge; considers that lifesaving medicines aren't just another consumer good, and thus, should not be regulated as such;
Amendment 23 #
2016/2057(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Observes that the EU’s current biomedical R&D system based on IP monopolies has proved a failure to deliver accessibility for life saving medicines in the developing world, and that the EU has not received sufficient return on its public investment in biomedical R&D with regards to the property on the outcome of research;
Amendment 24 #
2016/2057(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 d (new)
Paragraph 1 d (new)
1d. Calls to restructure our biomedical R&D system in order for it to be capable of developing efficient access to medicines policies, within the framework of the EU's development policy, capable of effectively delivering lifesaving drugs to millions in the developing world which are currently excluded from access;
Amendment 25 #
2016/2057(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 e (new)
Paragraph 1 e (new)
1e. Reminds that the Least Developed Countries are the most affected by poverty-related diseases, especially HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, diseases of the reproductive organs and infectious and skin diseases;
Amendment 26 #
2016/2057(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 f (new)
Paragraph 1 f (new)
1f. Considers that the lack of access to health is the result of both a problem of access to care (owing to a shortage of facilities and health workers but also to the lack of public healthcare systems) and access to treatment;
Amendment 37 #
2016/2057(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the European Union to support developing countries which use the so-called flexibilities built into the TRIPS Agreement in order to be able to provide essential medicines at affordable prices under their domestic public health programs;
Amendment 39 #
2016/2057(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Calls on the European Commission to include the most neglected diseases among its priorities and to ensure that effective, appropriate, easy-to-use medicines are developed and placed on the market in the developing countries at an affordable price;
Amendment 78 #
2016/2057(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Points out that the European Parliament recognises the universal right to health care, and emphasises that the EU and its Member States have a responsibility to address the needs of patients suffering from rare diseases or living in areas where poverty makes access to medicines very difficult; invites Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and its Committee on Development to draw up a report on these problems.
Amendment 3 #
2016/2053(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Is convinced that the simultaneous expiry of the Cotonou Agreement and of the Union’s Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) provides an opportunity to finally decide the budgetisation of the European Development Fund (EDF), with the condition of clear guarantees of ring- fencing for ACP-EU cooperation; believes that the current set-up of the EDF is an anomaly at the root of several shortcomings; stresses that budgetisation will boost the legitimacy, efficiency and predictability of development aid while ensuring better policy coherence and visibility, provided that this EDF money is in addition to the EU budget;
Amendment 11 #
2016/2053(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recalls that fighting poverty is the Union’s overarching objective in development cooperation and a primary way to address the root causes of involuntary migration and forced displacement; warns, in the context of the EU Trust Fund for Africa, against diverting appropriations from their intended purposes and breaching the objectives of the legal bases; recalls also the positive role of the African Peace Facility as a key instrument for stabilisation, and expects a solution to be found as part of EDF budgetisation which ensures its continuation in full observance of the Treaty;
Amendment 3 #
2016/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), as provided for in the Treaty on European Union (TEU), shall include the progressive framing of a common Union defence policy that might lead to a future common defenceand a common defence, which can be set up by unanimous decision of the European Council;
Amendment 27 #
2016/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the VP/HR and the Member States to use the full potential of the TEU, especially Article 44 on the implementation of a CSDP task by a group of Member States and Articles 42(6) and 46 on permanent structured cooperation with regard to a faster and more flexible deployment of CSDP missions and operations; welcomes the activation of Article 42(7) on the mutual defence clause;
Amendment 44 #
2016/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for the establishment of the Council of Defence Ministers format and the setting up of a permanent strategic civil-military headquarters with a permanent military operational component; underlines the role of the European Defence Agency in capability development; calls on the EDA to fully exploit its Treaty mandate;
Amendment 54 #
2016/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Reiterates the need to ensure and to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the EU andhance the EU-NATO cooperation at all levels in areas such as capacity development and contingency planning for hybrid threats; urges a comprehensive EU-NATO political and military partnership in order to enable a future integration of EU Integrated Military Forces as the European pillar of NATO.
Amendment 60 #
2016/2052(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Stresses that for the Union to strengthen the defence of the EU territory, as a pillar within NATO, which remains the cornerstone of the European security architecture, and to enable the Union to act autonomously in operations abroad, mainly with a view to stabilising its neighbourhood, the Treaties should provide for the possibility of establishing a European Defence Union;
Amendment 3 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Urges the Commission and Member States to ensure that funding mechanisms and budgetary lines reflect all Agenda 2030 commitments agreed to; calls on the EU and its Member States to re-commit without delay to the 0.7% of GNI target for ODA and to submit a timeline on how to gradually increase ODA in order to reach the 0.7% target by 2030;
Amendment 14 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that the alarming gravity of the humanitarian needs triggered by the Syrian crisis and other unprecedented conflicts necessitates using the Emergency Aid Reserve (over and above the MFF ceilings) and the Flexibility Instrument to the fullest extent possible, while also using the margin under heading IV to address the humanitarian crisis; insists, furthermore, on the need to ensure proper funding for humanitarian aid budget lines;
Amendment 15 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Takes the view that action to establish special funds must provide a flexible response to emergencies plus genuine added value, supplementing existing sources of funding, and that those funds must accordingly be endowed with new money; urges the Member States to honour their pledges and pay over the amounts announced;
Amendment 16 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Stresses the need to address the security-development nexus and deliver on Goal 16 of the 2030 Development Agenda; recalls, nevertheless, that funding which is not DAC-able must stem from other instruments than the Development Cooperation Instrument or the European Development Fund;
Amendment 16 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights that the Union is currently facing a number of serious emergencies and new challenges, which could not be foreseen at the time when the MFF 2014-2020 was set-up; is convinced that the necessary financial resources need to be deployed from the Union budget, in order to meet the political challenges and allow the Union to deliver answers and effectively respond to those crises as a matter of utmost urgency and priority; considers that a strong political commitment is needed to secure fresh appropriations in 2017 and until the end of the programming period for this purpose;
Amendment 23 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Recalls that whilst Parliament has supported the Commission’s actions in the tackling of the migration and refugees crisicurrent humanitarian and migratory challenges and the sustainable development goals, it has always insisted that thisese challenges not take precedence over other important Union policies, for example in the field of jobs and growth; notes that the Heading 3 ceiling is vastly insufficient to provide for appropriate funding for the internal dimension of the migration and refugee crisicurrent humanitarian and migratory challenges as well as priority programmes, such as culture programmes;
Amendment 27 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Reiterates its position that requests for additional funding needed for addressing the migration and refugee crisicurrent humanitarian and migratory challenges should not be deployed to the detriment of the Union’s existing external action, including its development policy; repeats that the setting-up of the Facility for Refugees in Turkey (FRT), Trust Funds, and any other ad-hoc instruments cannot be financed by cuts to other existing instruments; is concerned that the establishment of financial instruments outside the Union budget could threaten its unicity and circumvent the budgetary procedure, that requires the involvement and scrutiny of the European Parliament; notes that the Heading 4 ceiling (Global Europe) is vastly insufficient to provide a sustainable and effective response to the current external challenges, including the migration and refugee crisicurrent humanitarian and migratory challenges;
Amendment 32 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Urges the Commission and Member States to support developing countries in setting up robust and resilient quality public social security and public health systems; calls on the Commission to continue promoting better access to medicines in poor countries; reiterates the need to invest in neglected diseases; calls, in this context, on the Commission for a follow-up of the Ebola virus disease;
Amendment 33 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls for the Commission to ensure that the financing of adaptation to impacts of climate change and of other climate actions in vulnerable third countries are additional to financing of actions through development cooperation instruments; this climate financing shall count towards the fulfilment of the Union's climate financing commitments, but be additional to, and not count as, financing for development;
Amendment 33 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Reiterates its conviction that the Union budget should find ways of financing new initiatives which are not to the detriment of existing Union programmes and policies and is disappointed that the Preparatory Action for defence research, which will amount to EUR 80 million in the next three years will be squeezed under the current budget of the MFF; underlines the need to improve the competitiveness and innovation in the European defence industry and to stimulate growth and job creation; is convinced that with an already underfinanced Union budget, additional efforts for operations, administrative costs, preparatory actions and pilot projects in relation to the common security and defence policy also need additional financial means by the Member States; considers that the current MFF mid-term review/revision should be used by the Member States in that respect; calls for a defence research programme with a dedicated budget within the next MFF;
Amendment 38 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Recalls that, in compliance with the goals of the Europe 2020 Strategy, and in order to respond to the challenges and investment needs related to climate action, the Commission took the commitment to mainstream climate action in the 2014-2020 MFF and aims at reaching the target of at least 20% of Union spending dedicated to climate- related actions; notes that, according to the Statement of Estimates for the financial year 2017, the draft budget is expected to allocate 19,2% of expenditure to this aim; strongly encourages the Commission to pursue on this track so to apply the 20% target for the second half of this MFF;
Amendment 42 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Announces that, for the purpose of adequately financing those pressing needs, and considering the very tight MFF margins in 2017, Parliament will finance the reinforcements above the DB by the exhaustion of all margins available and an increased recourse to the Contingency Margin, to be offset against the remaining margins of 2016 and 2017;
Amendment 45 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Restores all cuts related to the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) in the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and Horizon 2020 for a total of EUR 1 240 million in commitments via new appropriations to be obtained through the mid-term revision of the MFF; insists on the need to provide an effective response to youth unemployment accross the Union; therefore increases the Youth Employment Initiative with additional EUR 1 500 million in commitment appropriations to provide an effective response to youth unemploymentenable its continuation, which should also be financed by additional funds provided in the mid-term revision of the MFF;
Amendment 80 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Recalls that the Commission has not proposed any commitment appropriations for the Youth Employment Initiative in 2017 as a result of its frontloading in the years 2014-2015; decides, in line with the Regulation on the European Social Fund7 which foresees the possibility of such a continuation, to increase the Youth Employment Initiative with additional EUR 1 500 million in commitment appropriations and EUR 500 million in payment appropriations to provide an effective response to youth unemployment, drawing lessons from the results of the coming Commission's evaluation of the YEI implementation; notes that, in line with Parliament’s requests, these new appropriations should be financed by the use of all financial means available under the current MFF Regulation and through the MFF mid-term revision; urges the Member States to do their utmost to speed up the implementation of the Initiative on the ground, for the direct benefit of young Europeans; __________________ 7 Regulation (EU) No 1304/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the European Social Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1081/2006 (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, p. 470).
Amendment 91 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Awaitnticipates the presentation of the Amending Letter for the emergency support package in particular for the dairy sector and increases therefore the appropriations by EUR 600 million; considers that this measure will contribute significantly to improving market disposition and will be reflected in improved prices for European dairy producers, in particular after the end of the quota system, and the financial impact of the Russian ban;
Amendment 96 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Underlines that Parliament continues to put the current migration challenge at the top of its agenda; welcomes the Commission’s proposal for an additional EUR 1,8 billion to tackle the migration crisishallenge in the Union, above what had initially been programmed for 2017; notes that the big deviation of the original programming shows the need of a full revision of the current MFF; is disappointed that the Commission did not use the opportunity to adjust the ceilings accordingly, particularly of Heading 3; stresses that the Commission proposes to finance this reinforcement through the mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument (for EUR 530 million, thereby fully exhausting the funding available for this year) and the Contingency Margin (for EUR 1 160 million); given the unprecedented level of funding for migration-related expenditure (totalling EUR 5,2 billion in 2017 in headings 3 and 4 and the mobilization of the European Development Fund) and the proposals for applying flexibility on the table, does not request further reinforcements for migration-related policies; at the same time, will resist any attempts to reduce funding for Union actions in this field;
Amendment 104 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26 a. In the context of the current security and migration challenges, welcomes the increase of the funding of AMIF (EUR 1,6 billion) and ISF (EUR 0,7 billion); considers that the increase of AMIF adds to the need to ensure a fair and transparent distribution of annual funding between the different programs and objectives of the fund and a better readability on how these financial resources will be spent;
Amendment 111 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal, as part of the MFF mid-term revision, to establish a new European Union Crisis Reserve, to be financed from de-committed appropriations, as an additional instrument to react rapidly to crises, such as the current migrhumanitariant and refugee crisimigratory challenges, as well as a wider set of events with serious humanitarian or security implications;
Amendment 114 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. In the face of increased threat levels in several Member States and, the concurrent challenges of migration management and, the fight against terrorism and organised crime, requests funding for additional staff for Europol and the necessity for a coordinated European response, requests funding for additional staff for Europol, with the aim to establish a 24/7 counter-terrorism cell providing Member States' competent authorities with intelligence responses; considers that this increase is also provided to improve the fight against trafficking with human beings (with a special focus on unaccompanied minors) and to reinforce the human resources at the Italian and Greek hotspots;
Amendment 118 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Condemns the Council’s cuts to numerous programmes in the areas of culture, the media, citizenship, fundamental rights and public health by a total of EUR 24,3 million in commitment appropriations; considers it a detrimental sign by the Council to cut culture programmes in order to free funds for the refugee and migration crisicurrent humanitarian and migratory challenges; deplores that many of these cuts seem applied in an arbitrary manner and disregard excellent implementation rates; is of the opinion that even small cuts risk jeopardising the achievement of programme outcomes and the smooth implementation of Union actions; therefore restores all cuts to the level of the DB;
Amendment 123 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32 a. Welcomes the establishment of a Victims of Terrorism Response Co- ordination Centre (EUR 2 million) which should overcome barriers such as poor knowledge and weak skills development by bringing together key operational experts, victim advocates and organisation from around Europe to identify key priorities and issues for victims of terrorism and deliver a coordinated support for victims of terrorism across borders in order to have a proper victim- oriented approach in emergency response infrastructures;
Amendment 132 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Notes that, in the light of the ongoing refugee crisihumanitarian and migratory challenges, the Union’s external action is faced with ever growing funding needs which largely exceed the current size of Heading 4; therefore, underlines that the Heading 4 ceilings are vastly insufficient to provide for appropriate funding for the external dimension of the migration and refugee crisicurrent humanitarian and migratory challenges; is disappointed that the Commission did not use the opportunity to adjust the ceilings, particularly of Heading 4 accordingly; deplores, that in order to fund new initiatives such as the FRT, the Commission chose in its DB to cut other programmes such as the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) and the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP) which is against the principle that humanitarian distress must go in parallel with the development processes,; regrets also that appropriations for humanitarian aid and for the Mediterranean strand of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) are below those approved in the 2016 budget, despite their obvious relevance in tackling the large number of external challenges; disapproves, finally, the irresponsible cuts made by the Council, in particular on DCI and support expenditure lines;
Amendment 139 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Notes with concern that, despite their topical nature and significant size, EU Trust Funds as well as the FRT are virtually invisible in the Union budget; calls for them to be incorporated in a way that is more transparent and more respectful of the unity of the Union budget and of the prerogatives of the budgetary authority, and creates new budget lines to that end; also calls on the Commission to provide evidence that the use of financial instruments under the Trusts Funds does not result in diverting appropriations from the objectives under their initial legal bases; notes that the objective of leveraging national contributions on top of the Union budget has so far notoriously failed; highlights in that respect that, in future calls for an EU budget contribution to the Trust Funds, the Parliament will only agree to them once a comparable amount of Member States’ contributions has been delivered; invites, therefore, Member States to live up as soon as possible to their commitments;
Amendment 149 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 a (new)
Paragraph 42 a (new)
42 a. Welcomes the budget increase of the efficient JHA agencies, especially those involved with migration and security; stresses that these agencies must be sufficiently resourced (including for investing in new technologies) and staffed when their mandates are increased;
Amendment 150 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. In the context of the current security challenges, and, bearing in mind the necessity for a coordinated European response, decconsiders to increase, within the overall package on security, the appropriations for the European Union Agency for Network and Informhat some of these increases are not sufficient and decides to reinforce the appropriations for the European Police Office (Europol), the European Union’s Judicial Cooperation SecurUnity (ENISAurojust), the European Police Office (Europol) and the European Union’s Judicial Cooperation UnitAgency for the operational management of large- scale IT systems (EU-LISA) and the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA),;
Amendment 156 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. In view of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Europe’s southern neighbourhood, and the increased number of asylum seekers, and mainly the intention to reinforce its mandate further than the Commission's proposal, decides furthermore to increase the 2016 budget appropriations for the European Asylum Support Office;
Amendment 161 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46 a (new)
Paragraph 46 a (new)
46 a. Considers that the grades of temporary posts for the European Border and Coast Guard Agency have to be increased to meet the complex nature of the new tasks assigned to the agency by the revised regulation;
Amendment 174 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Maintains unchanged the overall level of its budget for 2017, as adopted by the plenary on 14 April 2016 at EUR 1 900 873 000; incorporates the budgetary neutral technical adjustments to reflect into the budget its recent decisions and releases the reserve on the transport of Members, persons and goods budget line; opposes the additional expense of EUR 3,7 million to internalize the chauffeur service, which is against the Parliament's will as expressed in the abovementioned paragraph 47 of its resolution of 14 April 2016 on Parliament's estimates of revenue and expenditure for 2017;
Amendment 176 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53
Paragraph 53
Amendment 182 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56
Paragraph 56
Amendment 192 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60 c (new)
Paragraph 60 c (new)
60 c. Regrets that despite numerous calls by the Committee on Budgets, mid- term and long-term strategy for Parliament buildings is not available for informed committee deliberations;
Amendment 196 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 61
Paragraph 61
Amendment 202 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69
Paragraph 69
Amendment 204 #
2016/2047(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71
Paragraph 71
Amendment 4 #
2016/2009(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that ‘human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities’ are the values on which the EU is founded, as stated in Article 2 TEU; underlines the utmost importance of ensuring, strengthening and promoting full respect for these values both at Union and Member State level; reminds that Human Rights are universal and indivisible;
Amendment 16 #
2016/2009(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Recalls that article 23 of regulation 1303/2013 (measures linking effectiveness of ESI Funds to sound economic governance) provides for the suspension of ESI Funds if a Member State fails to take action concerning the violation of the Stability and Growth Pact (Excessive Deficit Procedure); believes a fortiori that the EU should link the payment of all EU funds with the respect of European values, as laid out in the Treaties;
Amendment 19 #
2016/2009(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights the importance of ensuring full respect for the Charter of Fundamental Rights throughout the whole legislative process; welcomes in this regard the Better Regulation Agreement, and draws attention to the significant role of comprehensive impact assessments, as well as of close cooperation between the EU institutions and Member States; reminds that effective and accurate implementation of EU law is primordial to protect the values of the Union, and this protection is essential for the credibility of the EU as a whole;
Amendment 32 #
2016/2009(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes note of the activation by the Commission for the first time ever of the new Framework to strengthen the Rule of Law; recommends a thorough evaluation of its functioning and results with a view to improving its effectiveness if necessary; points out the report with recommendations to the Commission on the establishment of an EU mechanism on democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights (2015/2254(INL)) that is being discussed in the European Parliament;
Amendment 40 #
2016/2009(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Calls on the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights to be mandated to produce a biennial report on the extent to which Europe's most deprived citizens have access to all fundamental rights, as laid out in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union;
Amendment 41 #
2016/2009(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Believes that collaboration and support between Member States and EU agencies needs to be enhanced and the exchange of information has to be more consistent and effective; believes the mandate of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency should be empowered;
Amendment 106 #
2016/2008(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. RecallsHighlights the positive example of the first successful European example of online voting which took place in Estonia in its legally binding elections in 2005 as a positive example, but maintains that, calls on other Member States to be ambitious ifn the take-up of e-voting across Europe is to be successful, it will be necessary to assess the costs, benefits and implications of different or divergent technological approachescreation of secure online voting systems; believes that significant advances could be made through the sharing of best-practice and research;
Amendment 108 #
2016/2008(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Underlines that in order for the take-up of e-voting across Europe to be wide-spread, it will be necessary to assess the costs, benefits and implications of different or divergent technological approaches, to build on existing interoperable solutions, and to provide citizens with guarantees about the security of the e-voting system; underlines that e- voting is complementary to and does not replace the system of ballot boxes and ballot papers;
Amendment 133 #
2016/2008(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Member States and the EU to provide educational and technical means for improving ICT competences and digital access for all EU citizens, irrespective of their age, in order to bridge the digital divide (e-inclusion), for the ultimate benefit of democracy; encourages the Member States to integrate the acquisition of digital skills into school curricula and life-long learning programmes, supports the development of networks with universities and educational institutions to promote research on and implementation of new participation tools;
Amendment 191 #
2016/2008(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls for more cooperation at EU level and recommends the sharing of best practices for e-democracy projects as a way to move towards a form of democracy that is more participatory and deliberative and that responds to the requests and interests of the public; callsstresses that trust is key to ensure the take up of e-democracy solutions; calls therefore on the Commission to provide an assessment of possible interoperable models of online voting for consideration by the Member States by the end of 2017, in time for the next European elections in 2019based on secure and encrypted digital identity and digital signature, in accordance with the EIDAS regulation that provides an EU framework on electronic identification and trust services, in time for the next European elections in 2019, including responses to citizens' legitimate concerns about cyber security, data protection and voter anonymity;
Amendment 64 #
2016/2005(ACI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
Amendment 3 #
2015/2353(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls forInsists on the full involvement of Parliament in the interinstitutional debate on the role, structure, goals, priorities and results of the multiannual financial framework (MFF);
Amendment 13 #
2015/2353(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers it necessary to reform the system of financing of the MFF, particularly through the creation of new and genuine own resources; urges the Council to commit to reflecting on this issue, without prejudice to the final report from the High-Level Group on Own Resources; also urges the Council to reflect on the establishment of a fiscal capacity within the eurozone in order to assist Member States in the implementation of agreed structural reforms; underlines that any new instrument should be placed within the EU budget, but above the ceilings of the MFF, and financed from real own resources;
Amendment 29 #
2015/2353(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – introductory part
Paragraph 5 – introductory part
5. Considers that a review of the MFF in 2016 should take stock of a number of serious crises and new political initiatives, together with their respective budgetary consequences, which werecould not be anticipated at the time of the MFF’'s adoption; notes, inter alia, the migration and refugee crisis, external emergencies, internal security issues, the crisis in agriculture, the funding of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the persistent high level of unemployment, especially among young people, and the payment crisis in the EU budget; observes that, in order to finance the additional pressing needs, an unprecedented recourse to the MFF’'s flexibility mechanisms and special instruments was deemed necessary, as the MFF ceilings proved to be too tight in some headings; considers that, over the past two years, the MFF has essentially been pushed to its limits; in these conditions, the Budget of the European Union will be able neither to further address additional financial needs and new political priorities, nor to avoid the resurgence of a payment crisis;
Amendment 54 #
2015/2353(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Concludes that the activities planned by the Commission to cope with the migrant and refugee crmagnitude of the migrant and refugee crisis and the financial impact of the measures initiated by the Commission to address this issue could not have been foreseen at the time of the conclusion of the MFF 2014-2020; highlights the fact that owing to the lack of sufficient resources the EU has had to set up ad hoc, ‘satellite’ instruments such as EU trust funds, jointly financed by the Member States and by the EU budget, such as EU trust funds (the Madad Trust Fund and the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa) and the Refugee Facility for Turkey; stresses, however, that Member States have not yet delivered on their contribution pledges to the trust funds, thus undermining the success of those funds; calls on Member States to immediately fulfil their commitments to contribute, in order to be able to address the root causes of destabilisation, forced displacement and irregular migration by promoting economic and equal opportunities, strengthening resilience of vulnerable people, security and development; stresses, however, that the multiplication of such instruments creates a problem of accountability in the EU, which needs to be taken into account and analysed;
Amendment 207 #
2015/2353(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Expects that concerted action to effectively respond to the external dimension of the migration and refugee crisis will intensify over the coming years, and will be accompanied by increased requests for funding under Heading 4 (Global Europe); underlines that such requests for additional funding should not be deployed to the detriment of the EU’s existing external action, including its development policy; calls, therefore, for a significant reinforcement of appropriationn upward revision of the ceilings under this hHeading 4;
Amendment 209 #
2015/2353(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Urges the Commission and Member States to ensure that funding mechanisms and budgetary lines reflect all 2030 Agenda commitments agreed to; calls on the EU and its Member States to re-commit without delay to the 0.7% of GNI target for ODA and submit a timeline on how to gradually increase ODA in order to reach the 0.7% by 2030;
Amendment 224 #
2015/2353(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Is determined to settle in an unequivocal way the issue of budgeting the payments of the MFF special instruments; recalls the unresolved conflict of interpretation between the Commission and Parliament on the one hand, and the Council on the other, which has been in the forefront of the budgetary negotiations in recent years; notes that the Council's practice of considering the payments of these instruments within the ceiling, make them similar to simple budgetary transfers, which is not their function; reiterates its long-standing position that payment appropriations resulting from the mobilisation of special instruments in commitment appropriations should also be counted over and above the annual MFF payment ceilings;
Amendment 248 #
2015/2353(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 a (new)
Paragraph 42 a (new)
42a. Stresses that the rigid structure of the Union budget deprives the budgetary authority of the possibility of reacting adequately to changing circumstances; calls, therefore, for allowing the transfer of available margins between headings at qualified majority in Council, with the aim of fully exploiting the MFF ceilings;
Amendment 250 #
2015/2353(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 b (new)
Paragraph 42 b (new)
42b. Welcomes the creation of an emergency support instrument within the European Union and takes note of the solution proposed by the Commission as a matter of urgency, while repeating its strong concerns as regards its exclusion from the decision-making process as well as the foreseen termination of this instrument by the end of 2018; Considers that a more sustainable legal and budgetary framework should be envisaged in order to allow for emergency aid within the Union to be mobilised in the future, meant at responding to crisis and unforeseen situations, should by its very nature be covered by special instruments and be counted outside the MFF; calls, consequently, for this instrument to be perpetuated in the form of a new MFF flexibility mechanism;
Amendment 307 #
2015/2353(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. BInsists on the need to ensure the synchronisation with the EU institutional cycle, its democratic responsibility, accountability and popular legitimacy and believes that, also given the rapidly changing political environment and with a view to ensuring greater flexibility, some elements of the MFF should be agreed for five years while others, notably those related to programmes requiring longer- term programming and/or policies foreseeing complex procedures for the establishment of implementation systems, should be agreed for a period of 5+5 years with compulsory mid-term revisionand match with the duration of the European Parliament legislature;
Amendment 351 #
2015/2353(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 60 a (new)
Paragraph 60 a (new)
60a. Follow up of the Addis Abeba "Third International Conference on Financing for Development" Notes that the Heads of State and Government and High Representatives, gathered in Addis Ababa from 13 to 16 July 2015 affirmed their strong political commitment to address the challenge of financing and creating an enabling environment at all levels for sustainable development to end poverty and hunger; Calls on the EU and its Member States to re-commit without delay to the 0,7% of GNI target for ODA and submit a timeline on how to gradually increase ODA in order to reach the 0,7% by 2030;
Amendment 1 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Recalls that, although still a young currency and despite having experienced a serious crisis over recent years, the euro is solidly established as a global reserve currency;
Amendment 3 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Believes, however, that the crisis enhanced the need for improvement in EU economic governance and that the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) must be progressively completed; considers that public confidence will only be rebuilt through the development of a progressive and comprehensive roadmap; calls for this roadmap to be urgently established;
Amendment 11 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recalls that 26 Member States are committed to joining the euro area and that in the Treaties the euro is recognised as the currency of the economic and monetary union (article 3(4) TEU); underlines that this single currency is the reason for the current single institutional framework which means that all MEPs, Commissioners and European judges participate fully in decisions concerning the euro area;
Amendment 25 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Takes note of different proposals for this purpose, with different designs and assigning different functions; points out that some options are possible under the current Treaties, whereas others would require Treaty change; stresses the importance of examining this issue from a holistic perspective - a budgetary capacity of the euro area is a tool which can complement others, notably a greater focus on convergence, or the completion of the Single Market, in order to reinforce both the euro area and the European Union - as an isolated measure it cannot be a panacea;
Amendment 38 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 47 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points out that, pursuant to Article 311 TFEU, it is possible to raise the own resources ceilings, to establish new categories of own resources (even if only from a limited number of Member States) and to assign certain revenue to finance specific items of expenditure, as provided for in Article 21 of the Financial Rules1 ; believes that the best option would be to generate own resources specifically linked to the euro area, in order to avoiding mixing the budget of the EU 28 and the budget of the euro area, which each have different goals; __________________ 1 Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002.
Amendment 69 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recalls that the protocols on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality and on the role of national parliaments offer ample opportunities for national parliaments’ involvement in this respect; states that responsibilities must be assigned at the level where decisions are taken or implemented, with national parliaments scrutinising national governments and the European Parliament scrutinising the European executives; believes that this is the only way to ensure the required increased accountability of decision- making;
Amendment 74 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Stresses that using own resources specifically linked to the euro area would ensure the necessary clarity, transparency and democratic legitimacy concerning control and accountability, as these resources would be generated and controlled at the European level;
Amendment 79 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Believes that non-eurozone Member States should be involved, if they so desire, although in a differentiated way, and with no decision-making capacity, and depending on the design of the budgetary capacity.;
Amendment 82 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Considers it essential to differentiate between discussion concerning policies for the euro area and related decision making; modalities must be found to allow all Member State who are committed to joining the euro area to participate in discussions concerning the euro area, if they so wish, however only Member States who are members of the euro area and contribute to rescue funds and the budgetary capacity should be able to vote on these decisions;
Amendment 84 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Considers that, in parallel to the euro area decision-making body within the European Parliament, it will also be essential to foresee an equivalent decision-making structure within the Council of Ministers; suggests that the Euro Group could be the appropriate formation, with its accountability improved;
Amendment 85 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 c (new)
Paragraph 9 c (new)
9c. Believes that a clearly defined role for the European Court of Justice will be crucial in order to guarantee fairness and efficiency in the implementation of the new framework;
Amendment 86 #
2015/2344(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 d (new)
Paragraph 9 d (new)
9d. Underlines that improvements of the euro area can already be implemented under the current Treaties; considers, however, that Treaty revision or an ad- hoc euro area Treaty should not be excluded; recalls that recourse to an intergovernmental agreement was the option chosen for the UK settlement; considers that the current single institutional framework is no longer justified; considers that any evolution would need to respect the "Community" framework and its spirit, for example maintaining the existing institutions but modifying their structure to reflect the new reality rather than creating new ones, as much as possible;
Amendment 3 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5
Citation 5
— having regard to the European Council conclusions of 20 December 2013 and, 26 June 2015 and 15 December 2016,
Amendment 16 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the European Union is resolved to frame a common defence policy leading to a common defence which reinforces its European identity and, autonomy and unity in order to promote peace, security and progress in Europe, its neighbourhood and in the world;
Amendment 23 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the cost of non-Europe in security and defence is estimated to be more than EUR 100 billion per year and the EU's level of efficiency equivalent to 10% to 15% of the American one;
Amendment 43 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the development of the CSDP requires shared values and principles, common interests and priorities, and political will from the Member States, as well as the setting-up of robust institutional cooperation structures; whereas the CSDP should be a common structured policy and not a mere sum of the national policies of the Member States;
Amendment 118 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas active role of the European Parliament in framing a common Union defence policy and establishing common defence, without the European Parliament’s political and institutional support would undermin, political control and consultation, as noted in Article 14 TEU, would affirm and enhance the representative and democratic foundations of the Union;
Amendment 139 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the CSDP, as provided for in Article 42(2) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), includes the progressive framing of a common Union defence policy that will lead to a future common defence when the European Council, acting unanimously, so decides; calls on the Member States to commit as a matter of priority to the provisions of the Treaty on the CSDP, and to ensure tangible progress in the achievement of the objectives as defined in those provisions;
Amendment 147 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that the reform and innovation that the Lisbon Treaty brings to the CSDP constitute a sufficient and coherent framework and should set the path for a truly common policy, based on shared resources and capabilities as well as on coordinated planning at Union level; stresses that the progress of the CSDP within the current institutional and legal framework is dependent more on the political will of Member States than on legal considerations; highlights that Article 43 TEU covers the whole spectrum of crisis management tasks the use of which in rapid and decisive way is the EU's level of ambition;
Amendment 155 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls, therefore, on the VP/HR, the Council and the Member States to use all the possibilities provided for in the Treaty, especially the mechanisms contained in Article 42(6) TEU and, Article 46 TEU and in Protocol 10 on Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), and in Article 44 TEU on the implementation of a CSDP task by a group of Member States, in order to achieve a faster, more efficient and more flexible deployment of missions and operations;
Amendment 157 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. calls for the formation of the European Intelligence Agency with the mission and capability to implement a de facto transversal intelligence network within the Member States allowing the European Union to react in a comprehensive and coordinated way to emerging threats by adhering to Article 24(3)TEU and Article 4(3)TEU, as the comprehensive gathering of intelligence information cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States, either at central level or at regional and local level, but can rather, by reason of the scale or effects of the proposed action, be better achieved at Union level (Article 5(3)TEU);
Amendment 201 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9 a. In line with its resolution of 22 November 2012 on the EU's mutual defence and solidarity clauses: political and operational dimensions, stresses that a revision and broadening of the Athena mechanism is needed to make sure that EU missions can be funded from collective funds instead of most of the costs falling to the individual participating Member States;
Amendment 205 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. IUnderlines, in this context, the European Parliament's role as budgetary authority; is resolved to exercise effective parliamentary scrutiny and budgetary control over EDA and PESCO as provided for by the treaties;
Amendment 207 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10 a. Urges the Council to act in accordance with Article 41(3) TEU and without delay adopt a decision establishing the start-up fund for the urgent financing of the initial phases of military operations for the tasks referred to in Article 42(1) and Article 43 TEU;
Amendment 208 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10 b. In accordance with Article 42(2)TEU urges Council to take concrete steps towards the harmonisation and standardisation of the European armed forces, in order to facilitate the cooperation of armed forces personnel under the umbrella of a new European Defence Union as a step in the progressive framing of a common Union defence policy;
Amendment 209 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10 c. In accordance to with Article 43(2) TEU calls on the Council to ensure coordination of the civilian and military aspects of tasks referred to in Article 43(1) TEU and civilian and military capabilities listed in Council conclusions on implementing the EUGS in the area of Security and Defence from 14 November 2016 by setting-up an EU Operational Headquarters as a precondition for effective planning, command and control of common operations;
Amendment 231 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Emphasises that security and defence constitute an area where European added value can be easily demonstrated, in terms of economic and efficiency gains, by giving Member States increased and more cost-effective capacity, through greater coherence, coordination and interoperability in security and defence, as well as in terms of contributing to consolidating solidarity and cohesion within the Union, and resilience of the Union; highlights estimation that each euro invested in defence generates a return of 1.6, in particular through skilled employment, research and technology, and exports;
Amendment 232 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Stresses that the use of all possibilities provided for in the Treaty would improve competitiveness and functioning of the defence industry in the single market, further stimulate defence cooperation through positive incentives, and targeting projects that Member States are not able to undertake, reducing unnecessary duplication, and promoting a more efficient use of public money;
Amendment 256 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the projected increase in national defence expenditure to 2 % of EU GDP; highlights that this would mean extra expenditure of nearly EUR 100 billion on defence by the end of the coming decade; considers that this boost should be used to launch more strategic cooperative programmes within and through the Union, by better structuring the demand and supply sides and making both sides more efficient and more effective; is of opinion that the outputs of these strategic cooperative programmes have great potential to be dual-use technologies and as such bring extra added value to Member States;
Amendment 263 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Is convinced that the Union’s investment in defence should ensure that all Member States can participate in a balanced, coherent and synchronised improvement of their military capabilities; emphasises practical and financial benefits of further integrations of European defence capabilities to an integrated defence market and developing an open, competitive, innovative and inclusive European Defence Technological and Industrial Base; cautions that most of the costs of non- Europe in security and defence lay in the duplication or multiplication of operational structures, stocks and research activities and programmes; considers that this constitutes a strategic opportunity for the Union to improve its security and defence;
Amendment 314 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Regrets thatCalls on Member States have not yeto developed a common European armaments and capabilities policy (EACP) within the EDA as foreseen by Article 42(3) TEU; calls on the VP/HR to inform Parliament of the results achieved by the existing working relationship between the EDA and the Commission and of both with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR);
Amendment 333 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Encourages the Member States to establish and join PESCO within the Union framework, with a view to sustaining and improving their military capabilities through doctrine and leadership development, personnel development and training, defence material and infrastructure development, and interoperability and certification; encourages the Member States participating in PESCO to set up a permanent 'European Integrated Force' composed of divisions of their national armies and to make it available to the Union for the implementation of the common security and defence policy as foreseen by Article 42(3) TEU; calls on HR/VP to come up with options for the operationalization of PESCO in first half of 2017;
Amendment 353 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Takes the view that the EU Battlegroup system should be brought under PESCO, alongside the creation of a European-level headquarters, similar to the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability, capable of effectively plan, control and conduct military CSDP crisis management operations, with the necessary synergies needed to an all- inclusive approach of these operations; considers that other European multinational structures such as the European Air Transport Command, Eurocorps and OCCAR should also be brought under PESCO; considers that the EU’s privileges and immunities should apply to those multinational structures being part of PESCO;
Amendment 356 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Takes the view that the EU Battlegroup system should be brought under PESCO, alongside the creation of a European-level headquarters; considers that other European multinational structures such as the European Air Transport Command, Eurocorps and OCCAR, as well as all bilateral and multilateral forms of military cooperation among PESCO participating countries, should also be brought under PESCO; considers that the EU’s privileges and immunities should apply to those multinational structures being part of PESCO;
Amendment 372 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Stresses that the European Parliament should play a prominent role in the supervision of implementation and in the evaluation of the CSDP; insists that Parliament must be consulted on major decisions in the area of the CSDP, including regarding military missions and strategic defence operations, as it is noted in Article 14(1) TEU;
Amendment 374 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Stresses that the European Parliament should play a prominent role in the supervision of implementation and in the evaluation of the CSDP; insists that Parliament must be consulted on major decisions in the area of the CSDP, including regarding military and civilian missions and strategic defence operations;
Amendment 410 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Calls on NATO to ensure that the NATO European command option referred to in the ‘Berlin plus’ arrangement will continue to function, and that the operations commander will continue to be aUnderlines that the ‘Berlin plus’ arrangements should be deeply reformulated to adapt them to the current strategic context and to tackle the subsequent deficiencies, such us the enhancement of tactical and operational mechanisms in scenior officer from a EU Member State at Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) levelarios where both the EU and NATO are present, and to enable NATO to make use of the EU's instruments;
Amendment 427 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36 a. Urges the establishment of a well- defined framework for future activation and implementation of Article 42(7) TEU; recalls that when Article 42(7) was activated by France on 17 November 2015, Member States' contributions were agreed on a merely bilateral basis; considers that Member States could much better fulfil their obligation of mutual aid and assistance if they acted together coordinating their efforts by implementing binding guidelines under the coordination, supervision and guidance of the Council and the High Representative;
Amendment 444 #
2015/2343(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38 a. Calls for the immediate reform of the Athena mechanism in view of ensuring a fair sharing of the costs related to operations;
Amendment 116 #
2015/2342(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines the fact that we are witnessing in today’s world an unprecedented level of human mobility, and stresses that one of the most urgent actions the international community must undertake is the strengthening of a common response based on the principle of solidarity to address the challenges and opportunities that this phenomenon represents; stresses that this response must be guided by the full protection of the rights and dignity of everyone forced by any circumstance to flee their homes in search of a better life; underlines that, though their treatment is governed by separate legal frameworks, refugees and migrants have the same universal human rights and fundamental freedoms, which need to be safeguarded regardless of their status; recalls that the EU must abide by its values and principles in all common policies and promote them in its external relations in line with Chancellor Merkel's open-door policy towards refugees;
Amendment 399 #
2015/2342(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Expresses concerns regarding the quantitative approach in the new Partnership Framework and the related ‘migration compacts’, which see the ‘measurable increases in the number and rate of returns’ as one of the EU’s main goals, as the number of returns clearly depends on the nature of migration flows and on the situations in the countries of origin; stresses that the short-term objectives of the compacts should focus on how best to address the challenges faced by third countries, including by developing legal migration channels, as a result of which the levels of irregular migration and death tolls in the Mediterranean will decrease; calls, in particular, for concrete initiatives, like multiple entry visas for a limited period of stay
Amendment 2 #
2015/2341(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Takes the view that action to establish trust funds must provide a flexible response to emergencies plus genuine added value, supplementing existing sources of funding, and accordingly they must be endowed with new money;
Amendment 7 #
2015/2341(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Urges the Member States to honour their pledges and pay over the amounts announced;
Amendment 1 #
2015/2329(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes warmly the 2 791 applications submitted under the Europe for Citizens programme in 2015, and the quality of the projects; however, notes that only around 6% of the European Remembrance and the Civil Society projects could be financed in 2015, which indicates that the funding for these two strands should be substantially increased; suggests increasing participation in the coming years by making promotional campaigns forand adopting a consistent user- friendly communication portal both for European and domestic media setting out clear information on the priorities and accessibility of the programme; proposes allowing applicants to use e-participation tools;
Amendment 14 #
2015/2329(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Points out that the objectives of the Europe for Citizens programme are similar and complementary to those of the European Citizens’ Initiative, in particular the aspiration to get citizens involved in EU work; believes, for that reason, that efforts should be made to link up the two programmes, possibly by means of exchanges of experience and by a consistent communication strategy aimed at including under one umbrella all Commission's programmes related to European Citizenship;
Amendment 20 #
2015/2329(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 26 #
2015/2329(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Underlines that before accession of a country to the European Union takes place profound and holistic preparation is required concerning issues of remembrance, coming to terms with the past and ensuring the active participation of citizens in civic life in the country concerned.
Amendment 4 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the EU must take the lead in promoting PCD;
Amendment 8 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the current European framework for development lacks effective mechanisms to prevent and remedy incoherencies arising from the policies pursued by the Union;
Amendment 26 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Points out that an arbitration system, to be operated by the President of the Commission, must be established to bring about PCD, and that in the event of divergences among the various policies of the Union, the President of the Commission should fully shoulder his political responsibility for the overall approach and have the task of deciding among them on the basis of the EU’s commitments with regard to PCD;
Amendment 36 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Stresses the important role that Parliament must play in the process of promoting PCD by giving it priority in Parliament’s agendas, by increasing the number of meetings between committees and between parliaments relating to PCD, by promoting exchanges of views on PCD with partner countries and by fostering dialogue with civil society;
Amendment 40 #
2015/2317(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Takes the view that Parliament’s Committee on Development and its standing rapporteur on PCD are the right points of contact to gather complaints and suggestions made by members of the public or by the communities affected by EU policies;
Amendment 1 #
2015/2283(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the package of better regulation measures adopted on 19 May 2015; believes however that material criteria for establishing the existence of a violation of the subsidiarity and proportionality principles should be proposed;
Amendment 22 #
2015/2283(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. RegretObserves the decrease in the number of reasoned opinions received from national parliaments in 2014; takes note of the Commission’s view that, far from reflecting a decrease in interest on their part, this might be the result of the declining number of legislative proposals from the Commission;
Amendment 25 #
2015/2283(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Notes, however, that a majority of opinions by national parliaments are submitted by only a few national chambers; encourages the other chambers to become more involved in the European debate;
Amendment 30 #
2015/2283(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Believes, neverthelesstherefore, that it is important to raise the awareness of national parliaments on subsidiarity issues and to support them with tools permitting information exchange; stresses that, especially sinceregarding their specific role in European decision making and to promote further the use of IPEX which facilitates information exchange; recalls that the public consultations regularly organized by the Commission could be a source of information, but remain largely unused by members of national parliaments; notes that the volume of reasoned opinions received from national parliaments in 2014 remained unchanged in proportion to the number of Commission proposals, a mechanism should be developed for the participation of national parliaments in the EU legislative process;
Amendment 48 #
2015/2283(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. BelieveConsiders that if the period of eight weeks given to national parliaments to issue a reasoned opinion under Article 6 of the Protocol on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality should be extended significantly this would imply Treaty change;
Amendment 50 #
2015/2283(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Recalls that the so-called yellow and orange card procedures concerning the principle of subsidiarity exist since the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty and that the yellow card procedure has already been used multiple times; believes that an equivalent so-called yellow and red card system should be created for the European Parliament to allow it to react when Member States legislate in domains which are within the competencies of the Single Market, or alternatively if Member States do not correctly implement European directives, which fragments the Single Market and results in a lack of level playing field;
Amendment 53 #
2015/2283(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. ConsiderBelieves that the Commission should provideidea of a 'green card' should be considered ans adequate response to the request by a number of national chambers for a stronger subsidiarity control procedure; supports the request made by some national chambers to play a more crucial role, by proposing that the Commission should be bound to withdraw or amend its proposal when a yellow card is triggered; believes, at the same time, that the idea of a ‘green card’ should be considered as one means of raising the participation and activity of national parliaments in the EU legislative process. positive and constructive means of raising the participation and activity of national parliaments in the EU legislative process; considers that as part of the same package, the two co-legislators should be granted the right of initiative;
Amendment 96 #
2015/2277(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
Amendment 1 #
2015/2254(INL)
Draft opinion
Indent 1 – paragraph - 1 (new)
Indent 1 – paragraph - 1 (new)
- 1. Underlines the shared values as laid down in Article 2 TEU on which the European Union is founded;
Amendment 8 #
2015/2254(INL)
Draft opinion
Indent 1 – paragraph 1
Indent 1 – paragraph 1
1. Expresses the view that the Member States of the European Union should move towards a shared culture of the meaning ofuphold the rule of law in the 28 Member States to be applied by all concerned even- handedly;
Amendment 20 #
2015/2254(INL)
Draft opinion
Indent 1 – paragraph 2
Indent 1 – paragraph 2
2. Considers that the procedure under Article 7 TEU is virtually unusable; notremains a last resort instrument; deplores that the Union has no legally binding mechanism in place to monitor regularly the compliance of the Member States and EU institutions with the EU's fundamental values;
Amendment 24 #
2015/2254(INL)
Draft opinion
Indent 1 – paragraph 3
Indent 1 – paragraph 3
3. Takes note ofWelcomes the rule of law Framework established by the Commission in 20141 and of the creation of an annual dialogue on the rule of law in the General Affairs Council as established in December 2014; and looks to the formulation of common ground as between these different rule of law mechanismsurges however all EU institutions to work towards the establishment of a broader, integrated Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights mechanism that applies to all Member States and the EU Institutions; therefore recommends the adoption of a Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Pact between citizens, governments, and EU institutions, giving ownership to all and thus making everyone responsible for a robust democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights throughout the Union, rather than just a legal tool for top down enforcement; __________________ 1 Communication of the Commission of 11 March 2014 on "A new EU Framework to strengthen the Rule of Law" (COM(2014)0158).
Amendment 29 #
2015/2254(INL)
Draft opinion
Indent 1 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Indent 1 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls, therefore, for the adoption of an objective and evidence based mechanism that enables not only infringements to specific EU laws to be addressed, but also threats to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights; ensuring that all Member States are treated equally and no decision will be taken (or perceived to be taken) on political grounds;
Amendment 32 #
2015/2254(INL)
Draft opinion
Indent 1 – paragraph 4
Indent 1 – paragraph 4
4. Considers it important to work towards a new consensus between the EU and its Member Statesbinding mechanism with the aim of promoting and protecting democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, proceeding from the basis that unless extreme care is taken, there will always be a danger of politicising legalityto safeguard the shared values as enshrined in the Treaties and the Charter in a fully transparent and objective manner; proceeding from the basis that the EU loses credibility if enforcement of the founding principles is perceived to be uneven and unfair; Calls, therefore, for the adoption of an objective and evidence based mechanism that enables not only infringements to specific EU laws to be addressed, but also risks of systemic threats to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights; ensuring that all Member States are treated equally and no decision will be taken (or perceived to be taken) on political grounds;
Amendment 50 #
2015/2254(INL)
Draft opinion
Indent 2 – paragraph 6
Indent 2 – paragraph 6
6. Recommends the establishment on an EU mechanism for Democracy, the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights which would include all relevant stakeholders; considers that this would, however, require a Treaty change, within the limits of the current Treaties;
Amendment 64 #
2015/2254(INL)
Draft opinion
Indent 2 – paragraph 7
Indent 2 – paragraph 7
7. Calls for a coordination of thebroader, integrated mechanism on democracy, rule of law and fundamental rights incorporating the existing initiatives from the different EU institutions and is of the opinion that informan annual democracy, rule of law and fundamental trilogues should be regularlyghts policy cycle should be organiszed in order to ensure a coherent EU approach and to establish a fully consensual working definition of human rights, the rule of law and democracy;
Amendment 77 #
2015/2254(INL)
Draft opinion
Indent 2 – paragraph 10
Indent 2 – paragraph 10
10. Recommends that the pan-EU parliamentary debate is organised in such a way that it can involve setting goals to achieve and provide the means to measure changes from one year to another with the possibility to report back on the implementation of goals or recommendations.
Amendment 23 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 29 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Points out that in a globalised economy, services are playing an increasingly important role and that they are a key sector for investment, innovation, and job creation, making them an essential element of economic growth in developing countries;
Amendment 30 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Maintains that if developing countries have access to world markets in services, this will consolidate their economic integration and their adjustment to globalisation; calls on the EU to make every effort to encourage them to participate in the negotiations on the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA);
Amendment 31 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Notes that TiSA is based on the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), in which all members of the WTO are participants; calls on the EU to take advantage of TiSA to reactivate the discussions on services in the Doha Development Round while safeguarding the provisions on special and differentiated treatment under GATS Article IV;
Amendment 38 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. RecCalls TiSA’s risks ofon the EU to prevent TiSA from increasing asymmetric international trade relations between participating and non- participating countries;
Amendment 45 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Rejects TiSA and other macro-trade deals, taking the view that they are a tool for the privatisation of public services and liberalisation of public procurement, such public services and public procurement being key elementsPoints to the benefits of economic liberalisation in the development of the private sector, a key factor for sustainable development; and for ensuring respect for people’s dignity; asks the Commissionsks the Commission to ensure that TiSA does not serve to isolate developing countries or to cement instances of unfair competition adversely affecting them; maintains that TiSA must seek in particular to respect the policy space of developing countries’ governments and parliaments to take decisions in order to ensure internationally agreed standards on labour, the environment and human rights;
Amendment 50 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls on the EU to ensure that TiSA does not jeopardise labour mobility in developing countries which, though not part of TiSA, provide services in the area that it covers;
Amendment 51 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Calls on the EU to safeguard the achievements of the Cotonou Agreement as regards the partnership between the EU and the ACP countries;
Amendment 56 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls the Commission to mainstream gender equality and women’s empowerment in its trade policy and to considerforestall the negative impact that TiSA and other trade agreements may have in this respect in developing countries;
Amendment 57 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Points out that trade in services entails substantial flows of private data from developing countries; calls on the EU to ensure that privacy is respected and to protect personal data from developing countries involved in trade in services between the EU and TiSA parties;
Amendment 58 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Points to the importance of fighting cybercrime, and asks the EU to allow for the risk that cybercriminal networks might spread within developing countries if cybercriminals were to remain outside the regulatory framework to be established under TiSA; calls on the EU to help the digital world to grow on a sound and secure footing in developing countries;
Amendment 63 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recalls the primacy of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union over TiSA and any other international treaty negotiated by the EU, andMaintains that TiSA has to be in accordance with Union law and must not violate the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; calls on the Court of Justice of the European Union to effectively guarantee this juridical supremacycompliance with European law and the EU’s core values;
Amendment 64 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
Amendment 69 #
2015/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Maintains that TiSA must continue to exclude audio-visual and cultural services while enabling developing countries to preserve their cultural assets.
Amendment 24 #
2015/2220(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Recalls the many cases of infectious TB in the Central Asian region; underlines the importance of continuity in the spread of TB treatment in the emerging countries that no longer receive bilateral EU aid in view of the development of resistance to drugs of some strains of tuberculosis;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2156(DEC)
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas, under the terms of Article 319 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the European Parliament, acting on a recommendation from the Council, gives a discharge to the Commission after examining the accounts, the financial statement and the evaluation reports concerning the Union budget as a wholehas the sole responsibility to grant discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union;
Amendment 5 #
2015/2156(DEC)
Draft opinion
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas following Article 335 TFEU each of the Union institutions has administrative autonomy, and according to Article 55 of Regulation (EU, EURATOM) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and the Council1a (Financial Regulation) the institutions are individually responsible for the implementation of the sections of the budget relating to them; ___________ 1a Regulation (EU, EURATOM) No 966/2012 of the European Parliament and the Council of 25 October 2012 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union and repealing Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 (OJ L 298, 26.10.2012, p.1).
Amendment 9 #
2015/2156(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
Amendment 21 #
2015/2156(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Council and Commission to enter into negotiations with Parliament with a view to ensuring that the latter can exercise its right of access to information concerning the implementation of the Council’s budget, either directly or through the Commission;
Amendment 23 #
2015/2156(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 27 #
2015/2156(DEC)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Takes the view that a Treaty revision will ultimately be required in order to ensure that the discharge procedure is clear, democratic and transpar, because all EU institutions and bodies manage their budgets independently, the European Parliament is tasked with the explicit competence to grant discharge to all institutions and bodies of the Union individually and the latter should be obliged to fully cooperate with Parliament;.
Amendment 51 #
2015/2132(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21b. Considers that the preservation and the valorisation of cultural heritage closely linked to remembrance sites and places require appropriate Union financial support, namely via Structural Funds;
Amendment 11 #
2015/2128(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Reiterates its call for all the Member States to make public national declarations by their respective Court of Auditors to account for the spending of EU funds;
Amendment 23 #
2015/2128(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Highlights the importance of establishing a coherent and effective European system for the investigation and prosecution of offences affecting the EU's financial interests, reiterates the Parliament's support for the creation of a European Public Prosecutor's Office and the urgent need for it, in order, inter alia, to contribute to helping to restore public trust in the effective management of EU funds, calls on the Council to prioritise making progress on this crucial dossier;
Amendment 19 #
2015/2104(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. SReminds that the basic principles of both international entities are common, and emphasizes that these shared values and compromises should be targeted as the main ground to work together; stresses that a solid and stable EU-UN partnership is fundamental to the work of the UN under all three pillars – peace and security, human rights and development – and is also key to the EU's role as a global actor;
Amendment 21 #
2015/2104(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Stresses the role of the High Representative, following Article 18 TEU, to conduct the Union's common foreign and security policy; reiterates its call for the High Representative to become the main EU external representative in international fora, not least at the United Nations;
Amendment 25 #
2015/2104(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Is committed to making the UN system better suited to new global power configurations and increasing its transparency, accountability and effectiveness by avoiding duplication and using the different UN structures more rationally; suggests that the experience of transitional decision making of the EU could provide some helpful insights to the reform process of the UN, especially regarding the Security Council;
Amendment 34 #
2015/2104(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recalls that the EU and its Member States are collectively the biggest financial donor to the UN budget; reminds that the commitment of the EU is also reflected not only in the financial amount, but also in the collaboration with human capital and with technical know-how; insists, therefore, in the spirit of the ‘Delivering as One' initiative (one leader, one budget, one programme, one office), on the need to ensure a higher degree of visibility for EU funding channelled through the UN, as well as an efficient use of the funds concerned; requests that the UN and the Commission keep Parliament fully informed on the UN's implementation of EU contributions;
Amendment 6 #
2015/2074(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses that the additionality principle applies to the funding earmarked for refugee rescue operations and for setting up reception facilities to cope with the massive influx of migrants in the Mediterranean area;
Amendment 9 #
2015/2074(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the fact that the Commission Draft General Budget of the European Union for the financial year 2016 reinforces those priorities and proposes to step up EU support for investment, knowledge, jobs and growth-orientated programmes, and in particular for an emblematic mobility programme such as Erasmus+; will pay particular attention to reducing inequalities between apprenticeships and higher education in Europe, notably through ensuring equal access to mobility; is satisfied that, in addition to duly expected increases throughout Heading 3 (Security and Citizenship) and Heading 4 (Global Europe), the Commission is taking up the challenge of responding to new developments such as the crises in Ukraine, Syria and the Mediterranean by responding to the EU's and Member States' needs in the area of security and migration and by demonstrating strong political will in the field of external action and budgetary commitment towards countries of origin and transit;
Amendment 11 #
2015/2074(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Urges the Council to attach a financial statement to all proposals in order to show exactly how humanitarian aid is allocated;
Amendment 23 #
2015/2074(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes that the EU Draft Budget for 2016 amounts to EUR 153.5 billion in commitment appropriations (including EUR 4.5 billion reprogrammed from 2014) and EUR 143.5 billion in payment appropriations; points out that, disregarding the effect of the reprogramming in 2015 and 2016, this corresponds to an increase of +2.4% in commitments and +1.6% in payments as compared to the 2015 budget; stresses that these are overall moderate increases following the path set by the MFF, accounting for inflation represent almost no increase in real terms, which stresses on the importance of the efficiency and effectiveness of the spending;
Amendment 32 #
2015/2074(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the fact that the EU Draft Budget reflects the joint statement on a payment plan 2015-2016 agreed between Parliament, the Council and the Commission following the shared diagnosis and commitment entered into by the three institutions to reduce this backlog; recalls that, according to the Commission's estimations, the payment appropriations requested in the Draft Budget would bring the total backlog of unpaid bills down to a sustainable level of approximately EUR 2 billion for the cohesion programmes 2007-2013, and would also reduce the abnormal backlog in other headings; consequently undertakes to fully support the Commission proposal and expects the Council to respect its commitments in this regard;
Amendment 35 #
2015/2074(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Underlines that Parliament and, the Council and the Commission have committed to avoiding the future build-up of an unsustainable backlog of outstanding payment claims at year's end, while fully respecting and implementing the agreements reached as part of the multiannual financial framework and of the annual budgetary procedures; invites the CommissionReiterates the need, in this regard, to closely and actively monitor the development of this backlog; In this vein, recalls to the Commission its agreement, in the joint statement on a payment plan, to develop its medium- and long-term forecasting tools and to set up an early warning system by early 2016, with the aim to present these first payment forecasts in July, so that the budgetary authority can take duly informed decisions in the future;
Amendment 82 #
2015/2074(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Recalls that, with programmes expected to reach full swing, with the integration of new major initiatives in the areas of investment and migration, with the opportunity to settle issues of the past such as payments and special instruments, and with the first activation of new MFF provisions such as the global margin for commitments, the 2016 budgetary procedure will be a test case for the assessment of the current MFF, which will culminate in the process of review/revision to be launched next year; reminds the Commission of its legal obligation to present a review of the functioning of the MFF by the end of 2016 and reiterates its call on the Commission to accompany this budgetary review by a legislative proposal for the revision of regulation No 1311/2013 laying down the MFF 2014- 2020;
Amendment 12 #
2015/2060(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Emphasizes the importance of a unified European voice in international institutions and bodies and calls on the Commission to propose a European code of conduct on transparency and accountability designed to guide the action of European representatives in international organisations, drawing upon existing best practices; in time this code of conduct could be used as an example by all international institutions and bodies when they create their own codes of conduct;
Amendment 15 #
2015/2060(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Considers that this unified and inclusive European approach could be better realised through a regular and formal 'financial dialogue' organised in the European Parliament in order to establish guidelines regarding the adoption of European positions in the run-up to major international negotiations, making sure that these positions are known and ensuring follow- up; the European institutions, the Member States and, where appropriate, the heads of the international organisations concerned would be invited to attend; the nature (public or in camera) and frequency of this dialogue would depend on practical requirements;
Amendment 16 #
2015/2060(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Considers that this dialogue would serve to define the negotiating remit for areas where the European Parliament is co-legislator with the Council, unifying European positions around the legislation adopted by majority vote or avoiding inconsistencies with legislation pending adoption;
Amendment 26 #
2015/2060(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Believes that in the future, with due regard to the distribution of competences between the EU and its Member States and the progress made towards deepening economic and monetary union, consideration should be given to introducing unified external representation of the EU and the euro area within the IMF and other international economic forums should be ensured, in order to allow the EU to fully exploit its potential fully and to increase its relevance and influence within the global economic and financial architecture; considers it imperative that this unified representation begins with progress towards single representation of the euro area within the IMF, without prejudice to the creation of a single European Union constituency in the long term;
Amendment 29 #
2015/2060(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Calls for the provision of a single seat for the Council and Commission presidencies at G20 meetings, as the two current separate seats detract from Europe's external credibility;
Amendment 24 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)
Recital H b (new)
Hb. whereas the EU humanitarian aid chapter, EUR 909 million in 2015, represents less than 1% of the total EU budget; whereas an improved linkage between relief and long-term assistance constitutes one element in order to reduce the current discrepancy between the extraordinary humanitarian needs and means available;
Amendment 73 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses the need to include child protection as an integral part of humanitarian response in order to prevent and respond to abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence against children; emphasizes that children are the main derivers of change, therefore the importance of creating child-friendly spaces as part of the humanitarian response;
Amendment 74 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Highlights the central role that women play in conflict and post-conflict situations since they are the first responders in crises, holding their families and communities together; Calls on Donors and Governments to mainstream gender equality in humanitarian programming and to support the empowerment of women and girls;
Amendment 75 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Urges for a global commitment to ensure that women and girls are safe from the start of every emergency or crisis by addressing the increased risk of sexual and gender-based violence in humanitarian situations and their physical and psychological consequences, by assuring the prosecution of their perpetrators and by ensuring victim´s health rights, as an essential contribution to the peace and state-building process in conflict-affected area;
Amendment 105 #
2015/2051(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Calls on the European Commission to present an initiative to link more systematically humanitarian aid, development cooperation and resilience so as to enable the EU to be more flexible and effective in responding to growing needs, and to also promote a reflection for a better link a the WHS ; Calls on the EU to take advantage at the mid-term review of the current Multiannual Financial Framework to further enhance humanitarian/development linkages;
Amendment 19 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)
Citation 21 a (new)
- having regard to the High-Level Task Force for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) policy considerations for financing sexual and reproductive health and rights in the post-2015 era 1 a; ________________ ________________ 1a http://icpdtaskforce.org/resources/HLTFF inancingSRHRBrief.pdf
Amendment 25 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD), which will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 13 to16 July 2015, must create the necessary conditions for financing and implementing the post-2015 agenda, and whereas the success of the post-2015 agenda will be determined by the level of ambition demonstrated at that conference;
Amendment 26 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas there can be no sustainable development without peace and without security;
Amendment 39 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas it is essential to introduce tax systems in developing countries which are based on citizens' ability to pay and on a fair return for transparent exploitation of natural resources;
Amendment 50 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas many less developed countries are vulnerable, or have been made vulnerable, as a result of external events such as armed conflicts, epidemics such as Ebola, and natural disasters, and whereas they need greater support;
Amendment 51 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)
Recital H b (new)
Hb. whereas there is an urgent need to introduce a robust health system in developing countries;
Amendment 52 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H c (new)
Recital H c (new)
Hc. whereas it is essential to back the establishment of the rule of law based on impartial institutions; whereas poverty reduction, economic growth and security depend to a large extent on the ability of a state to perform its sovereign functions, to provide basic public services such as access to health care, including as regards sexual and reproductive health, to justice, to education and to administration, and to guarantee and safeguard individual rights and fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 90 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Urges that the provision of EU development aid and that of its Member States should not be subject to restrictions imposed by other partner donors;
Amendment 248 #
Amendment 249 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Recalls that budget support is the best instrument to enable each country to fully take control of its own development;
Amendment 250 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Stresses that budget support enables recipient countries to decide their own priorities, make political choices and be genuine architects pursuing the attainment of economic and social goals, that budget support imparts meaning to the political dialogue between partners with equal rights and obligations, and enables the recipient to escape from the relationship of dependence on the donor;
Amendment 260 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25 a (new)
Paragraph 25 a (new)
25a. Stresses the importance of defining cross-cutting sustainable development objectives such as security, gender equality and greater autonomy for women; stresses the need to incorporate the new objectives which have been ignored by previous managers, such as promoting and exploiting culture as an instrument of development;
Amendment 270 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 26 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Reinforcing the health system
Amendment 271 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Stresses the need for developing countries to assign priority in their budget funding to establishing sound health systems, constructing sustainable health infrastructure and providing basic services and quality care;
Amendment 272 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Recalls the importance of increasing research capacities to combat disease through global epidemiology, affording access to vaccines, improving the sexual and reproductive health of women and establishing social security systems and mutual societies concerned with health in developing countries;
Amendment 273 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26c. Supports the idea of launching a ‘Marshal Plan’ for health;
Amendment 274 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 d (new)
Paragraph 26 d (new)
26d. Urges the Commission to submit as soon as possible a programme for establishing universal health cover, which will guarantee the mutualisation of health risks;
Amendment 275 #
Amendment 276 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 f (new)
Paragraph 26 f (new)
26f. Stresses the need for sustainable financing of programmes for the consolidation of peace and the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts in developing countries;
Amendment 277 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 g (new)
Paragraph 26 g (new)
26g. Stresses the importance of supporting an effective and lasting antiterrorist policy in developing countries;
Amendment 280 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 j (new)
Paragraph 26 j (new)
26j. Urges the Commission to support the development of regional systems for managing conflicts, such as the African Rapid Response Force;
Amendment 283 #
2015/2044(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Calls for an agreement at the Addis Ababa conference on a robust monitoring and accountability framework for effective follow-up of the implementation of the SDG commitments and objectives; calls for an international initiative to improve the quality of statistics, data and information, including data and information on age, gender and income; asks all parties to ensure transparent and efficient implementation of aid and financing in line with human rights and gender equality obligations, in particular by signing and effectively implementing the provisions of the UN Convention against Corruption;
Amendment 2 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
– having regard in particular to Articles 9 and 10 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and to Article 15 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU);
Amendment 16 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas lobbying is an integral part of democracy, and is essential in providing insights in the various societal interests as well as in providing information and expertise;
Amendment 30 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
Amendment 46 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commission to expand and improve its existingommends the European Commission on its initiative as laid out in its drecent Decision of 25 November 2014 on the publication of information on meetings held between Members of the Commission and organisations or self-employed individuals; considers that the recording of meeting data should be expanded to include everyone involved in the EU’s policy-making process;
Amendment 56 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on the Commission to make all information on lobby influence easily accessible to the public through one centralised online database;
Amendment 63 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 82 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Believes that an amendment should introduce mandatory monthly updates on lobbyin the Transparency register on lobby expenditures by its registrants; in any case, there will be un update when the variation is greater than 10% of the expenditures;
Amendment 89 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Reiterates its longstanding call to back up the EU lobbtransparency register with a legal act to close all loopholes and achieve a fully mandatory register for all lobbyists; considers that the proposal for this legal act could take into account the progress achieved by changes in the inter- institutional agreement and Parliament’s Code of Conduct;
Amendment 95 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Reiterates its call to the Council to join the lobby register as soon as possible;
Amendment 105 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Considers that, when interpreting ‘inappropriate behaviour’ within the meaning of point (b) of the Code of Conduct, this expression should be taken to include besides the points as established in paragraph 10 of the European Parliament decision of 15 April 2014 on the modification of the interinstitutional agreement on the Transparency Register, also include turning down formal invitations to hearings or committees without sufficient reasjustification;
Amendment 125 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Asks the Bureau to think about the possibility to restrict access to Parliament’s premises for non-registered organisations or individuals by making all visitors to its premises sign a declaration that they are not lobbyists falling within the scope of the register or otherwise declare their registration;
Amendment 133 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Believes it to be necessary, as a matter of urgency, to introduce an efficient and proper monitoring system for submitted information in order toto the Register, with enough personnel and financial resources, in order to methodically ensure that the information that registrants provide is meaningful, accurate, up-to-date and comprehensive; therefore considers that the Joint Transparency Register Secretariat must be reinforced to investigate the complaints, to better address the verification of the viability of the Register and to control fully control the registered data;
Amendment 144 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Believes that at least 520 % of declarations should be checked each year;
Amendment 171 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Believes that the members of the Advisory Committee cshosen from amonguld not be current Members of the European Parliament should be complemented by a majority of externally chosen members who must be qualified experts in the field of ethics regulation and should be drawn from an open call and include members of civil societybut consist of externally chosen members of which at least one member who has held a high judicial office, one who is a qualified auditor and one who is a former Member;
Amendment 184 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Believes that the Code of Conduct should be amended to empower the enlarged Advisory Committee to adoptgive advice prior to the motivated final decisions instead of the President;
Amendment 210 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Believes that Article 3 of the Code of Conduct for Members should be rephrased to include a clear ban on Members holding side jobs or other paid work that could lead to a conflict of interest;
Amendment 213 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Considers that it would be most necessary to modify the Code of Conduct so it can include a clear definition of ‘conflict of interests’;
Amendment 225 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Believes that Members should havespecify the remuneration paid to them by Parliament reduced by half of whats they earn, whether as employees or self-employed persons, from any outside activity in parallel to their office as Members of the European Parliament;
Amendment 249 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Believes that the Code of Conduct should be amended to provide for a three- year ‘cooling-off period’ during which Members may not engage in lobbying work in the area of their parliamentary responsibilitiesallow the Advisory Committee to assess a potential conflict of interest in the exercise of professional activities of the Member six months after leaving office;
Amendment 262 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Believes that for Members of the Commission the ‘cooling-off period’ should be extenthe Code of Conduct of the Commission should be improved in ordedr to three years and that a two-year cooling-off period should also apply to all Commission staff involved in the drafting or implementation of EU legislation or treaties, including contract stafffully comply with the duties in article 245 TFEU and to make its observance easier for Members of the Commission;
Amendment 265 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Therefore considers that the Code of Conduct of the Commission should be reformed to promote juridical security; this reform should include the mention to conflicts of interests and reduce the vagueness of terms such as ‘honesty’, ‘discretion’ or ‘occupation’; asks to strengthen the restrictions for former Commissioners and the inclusion in these restrictions of Heads of Cabinets, Deputy Heads of Cabinet and General Directors;
Amendment 269 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22b. Encourages the Commission to continue the road towards greater transparency; proposes that the Ad Hoc Ethical Committee should be replaced by a full Ethical Committee formed by independent experts with the power to formally authorise any new professional activity of the former Commissioners that may cause conflicts of interests according to article 245 TFEU;
Amendment 271 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 c (new)
Paragraph 22 c (new)
22c. Considers that all regulation regarding ‘revolving doors’ should also be applied to the President of the Council;
Amendment 278 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Supports the Ombudsman’s call for entry in the lobby register to be made a requirement for appointment to expert groups provided that the Members concerned are not government officials and do not receive all or the vast majority of their other income from state institutions such as universitie; underlines the importance of avoiding conflicts of interests when appointing expert groups;
Amendment 316 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Considers that Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents should be updated as a matter of urgency, as required by the Treaty of Lisbon (article 15 TFEU), by widening its scope to encompass all EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies currently not covered, such as the European Council, the European Central Bank, the European Court of Justice, Europol and Eurojust;
Amendment 321 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Considers that Article 15.2 of Regulation 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents has not been yet implemented; considers that the interinstitutional Committee could be an instrument to improve the efficiency of the European institutions; asks that the examination of the evolution of the access to documents should be presented before the European Parliament in a public way;
Amendment 350 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34
Paragraph 34
34. Believes that the chairs of Parliament’s committees should proactively publish minutes and allublish the so-called 4- column documents used in trialogues;
Amendment 360 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Calls on the Presidency of the Council to include allthese 4-column trialogue documents in the documents register to allow for access in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001;
Amendment 371 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Takes the view that Members should have access to all Commission documents, where necessary and when duly justified under exceptional circumstances through a reading room;
Amendment 397 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Believes that, when the Commission engages in trade negotiations, it should publish the negotiation mandates, all negotiating positions, all requests and offers and all consolidated draftmake available to the European Parliament, in confidence when necessary and duly justified, all relevant texts without the risk of jeopardizing the negotiation textsand prior to each negotiation round, so that the European Parliament and national parliaments, as well as civil society organisations and the wider public, can make recommendations thereon before the negotiations are closed for comments and the agreement goes to ratification;
Amendment 449 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46 a (new)
Paragraph 46 a (new)
46 a. Will command a study of a mechanism to protect Accredited Parliamentary Assistants in case they become "whistle-blowers" when there is enough and solid evidence of corruption on the part of his MEP; this mechanism should bear in mind the special nature of the work of an Assistant and create a safe method of communicating with the relevant posts of the European Parliament;
Amendment 464 #
2015/2041(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Supports national parliaments inviting Commissioners in order to question them;
Amendment 1 #
2015/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)
Citation 5 a (new)
– its decision of 14 September 2011 to amendment Rules 106 and 192 of, and Annex XVII to, Parliament’s Rules of Procedure 2 a __________________ 2a P7_TA(2011)0379
Amendment 5 #
2015/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. the hearing process gives Parliament and EU citizens the opportunity to discover and evaluate the candidates’ personalities and, priorities and qualifications;
Amendment 15 #
2015/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that it would be useful to set a deadline by which all Member States have to put forward a candidate, so as to leave adequate time for the Commission President-elect to allocate the portfolios taking into account the working experience and background of the candidate, and for Parliament to conduct its hearings and evaluations, and asks its President to enter into discussion with the other institutions with a view to achieving this objective;
Amendment 23 #
2015/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recalls that it is the committees which are responsible for conducting the hearings; considers, however, that when a vice-president of the Commission has responsibilities which are primarily horizontal, the hearing could exceptionally be carried out in a different format such as a meeting of the Conference of Presidents or a meeting of the Conference of Committee Chairs, provided that such a meeting is open to all Members and that there is adequate opportunity to address all relevant issuesdoes not prevent a committee responsible to hear its Commissioner;
Amendment 27 #
2015/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 31 #
2015/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 32 #
2015/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 – introductory part
Paragraph 5 – introductory part
5. Considers that the following guidelines should apply for the coordinators’ evaluation meeting after the hearings: as laid down in Annex XVI to the Rules of Procedure give very clear instructions for the approval process of the European Commission; regrets that these guidelines have neither been properly implemented nor followed; proposes to change the title of this Annex to reflect better its binding nature; reminds that the evaluation of the Commissioners designate must be guided by the qualification of the candidates to be part of the College and not by strictly political considerations
Amendment 41 #
2015/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – indent 1
Paragraph 6 – indent 1
– there should be a specific and visible place on Parliament’s website where the evaluations are placed within 24 hours after the hearing in accordance with the current version of the Annex XVI of the Rules of Procedure;
Amendment 44 #
2015/2040(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that horizontal issues affecting the composition, structure and working methods of the Commission as a whole, which cannot be adequately addressed by an individual Commissioner- designate, are a matter for the Commission President-elect; considers that such issues should be addressed at meetings between the President-elect and the Conference of Presidents open to all Members (one before the hearing process has started and one after it has ended);
Amendment 81 #
2015/2008(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recalls that the EU budget is a tool of internal solidarity in that it supports economic, social and territorial cohesion, helps combat poverty and promotes social inclusion; stresses that it is also an instrument of external solidarity by helping the EU to meet its poverty eradication commitments, which have been reaffirmed in the European Consensus on Development, and, in addition, by helping to make the EU the biggest donor of development aid, by offering support to neighbouring countries and by assisting countries and people facing humanitarian and civilian crises;
Amendment 82 #
2015/2008(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recalls that the EU budget is a tool of internal solidarity in that it supports economic, social and territorial cohesion, helps combat poverty and promotes social inclusion; stresses that it is also an instrument of external solidarity by helping make the EU the biggest donor of development aid, by offering support to neighbouring countries and by assisting countries and people facing humanitarian and civilian crises, in line with the commitments made in the framework of poverty eradication, and also renewed in the framework of the European Consensus for development;
Amendment 91 #
2015/2008(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Stresses that common effort to handle migration flows lies at the crossroad of both internal and external solidarity; Calls on the Council to develop a culture of fair burden-sharing among its members; Recalls its support to reinforcement of EU means to ensure safe, secure external borders worthy of the EU fundamental values.
Amendment 98 #
2015/2008(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Attaches the utmost importance to the establishment and implementation of a sound payment plan with the objective of reducing the level of unpaid bills at year- end to its structural level in the course of the current MFF, as stated by the Council, the Parliament and the Commission in the joint declaration agreed in the framework of the 2015 budget procedure; recalls that this plan will be agreed by the 3 institutions in due time before the presentation of the draft budget 2016; considers that the interinstitutional meeting in March 2015 should provide the opportunity for the three institutions to agree on such a plan, in due time before the presentation of the Draft Budget 2016this plan;
Amendment 117 #
2015/2008(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Underlines that the 2016 budget will be crucial as it will not only be the first year of implementation of the new MFF provision on the global margin for commitments, but should also serve as a benchmark of the post-electoral MFF review /and post-electoral revision, to be launched before the end of 2016; stresses the need to establish political priorities and identify in good time areas of proven added value of EU spending for which further investments will be deemed necessary in the second half of the MFF 2014-2020; stresses, in this context, the importance of closely monitoring the implementation and performance of key EU programmes already during the current budgetary procedure;
Amendment 125 #
2015/2008(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Reaffirms its position in favour of an in-depth reform of the system of EU own resources, whose current shortcomings are causing severe impasses in budgetary negotiations; attaches, therefore, the highest political importance to the work of the High Level Group on Own Resources, under the chairmanship of Mario Monti; eagerly anticipates the results and proposals of the work of this High-Level Group that are due to be presented in an interinstitutional conference, with the participation of national parliaments, during 2016, and considered in the context of the MFF review /and post-electoral revision;
Amendment 19 #
2015/0270(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital -1 (new)
Recital -1 (new)
(-1) The clear legal basis for the creation of a Single Resolution Mechanism and a European Deposit Insurance Scheme means that the Union legal framework should be used, without the need to utilise intergovernmental agreements.
Amendment 35 #
2015/0270(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 33 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 33 a (new)
Regulation (EU) No 806/2014
Article 67
Article 67
"CHAPTER 2 The Single Resolution Fund Section 1 Constitution of the Fund Article 67 General provisions 1. The Single Resolution Fund ('the Fund') is hereby established. It shall be filled in accordance with the rules on transferring the funds raised at national level towards the Fund as laid down in the Agreement. 2. The Board shall use the Fund only for the purpose of ensuring the efficient application of the resolution tools and exercise of the resolution powers referred to in Part II, Title I and in accordance with the resolution objectives and the principles governing resolution referred to in Articles 14 and 15. Under no circumstances shall the Union budget or the national budgets be held liable for expenses or losses of the Fund. 3. The owner of the Fund shall be the Board. 4. Contributions referred to in Articles 69, 70 and 71 shall be raised from entities referred to in Article 2 by the national resolution authorities and transferred to the Fund in accordance with the Agreement." 5. The Agreement shall cease to exist two years after the entry into force of this Regulation. Those of its provisions that are necessary for the proper functioning of the SRM shall be incorporated into this Regulation by that date." Or. en (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/?qid=1481048502235&uri=CELEX:32014R0806)
Amendment 43 #
2015/0148(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point c
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point c
Directive 2003/87/EC
Article 10 – paragraph 3 – point k
Article 10 – paragraph 3 – point k
(k) for climate financing actions in vulnerable third countries, including adaptation to the impacts of climate change.financing of adaptation to impacts of climate change and of other climate actions in vulnerable third countries that are additional to financing of actions through development cooperation instruments; this climate financing shall count towards the fulfilment of the Union’s climate financing commitments, but be additional to and not count as financing for development;
Amendment 58 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) The EFSI should target investments that are expected to be economically and technically viable, which may entail a degree of appropriate risk, whilst still meeting the particular requirements for EFSI financing. When a national court of audit or an independent council or any anti-corruption body of a Member State has expressed some concerns on a project, a type of investment or on a body having the responsibility of investing public money and these concerns are communicated to the EFSI, it should take into account the opinions expressed.
Amendment 89 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2
Article 1 – paragraph 2
2. The EFSI Agreement shall be open to accession by Member States, under the terms laid out in the EFSI Agreement. Subject to the consent of existing contributors, the EFSI Agreement shall also be open to accession by other third parties, including national promotional banks or public agencies owned or controlled by Member States, and private sector entities. The Member States and other third parties may not take part in the EFSI governance structure.
Amendment 118 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 3 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 3 a (new)
When a national court of audit or an independent council or any anti- corruption body of a Member State has expressed some concerns on a project, a type of investment or on a body having the responsibility of investing public money and these concerns are communicated to the EFSI, the Steering Board shall take into account the opinions expressed and shall take a decision by a majority of three quarters of the votes.
Amendment 122 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 4 – subparagraph 2
The Managing Director shall report every quarter on the activities of the EFSI to the Steering Board and the European Parliament.
Amendment 175 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point f
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point f
(f) the financial statements of the EFSI accompanied by an opinion of an independent external auditor.
Amendment 185 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Upon request of the competent committees of the European Parliament, and without disclosing information on ongoing investigations, OLAF may provide information on the application of this regulation.
Amendment 186 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 2 b (new)
Article 11 – paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Minutes of the meetings of the Steering Board shall be made available to the European Parliament, including for each project the results of the votes in case the Steering Board did not take a decision by consensus.
Amendment 188 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 11 – paragraph 3
Article 11 – paragraph 3
3. At the request of the European Parliament, the Commission and/or the EIB shall report to the European Parliament on the application of this Regulation.
Amendment 198 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1
Article 14 – paragraph 1
The EU guarantee and the payments and recoveries under it that are attributable to the general budget of the Union shall be audited by the Court of Auditors. It shall audit all of the operations/instruments/entities/facilities carried out using the EU guarantee.
Amendment 201 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Article 15 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
OLAF may carry out investigations, including on-the-spot checks and inspections, in accordance with the provisions and procedures laid down in Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council(5 ), Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96(6 ) and Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 (7 ) in order to protect the financial interests of the Union, with a view to establishing whether there has been fraud, corruption, money laundering or any other illegal activity affecting the financial interests of the Union in connection with any operations supported by the EU guarantee. OLAF may transmit to the competent authorities of the Member States concerned information obtained in the course of investigations. The competent authorities shall follow up on the information transmitted, unless not compatible with the national legal framework. __________________ 5 Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 883/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 September 2013 concerning investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1073/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Regulation (Euratom) No 1074/1999 (OJ L 248, 18.9.2013, p. 1). 6 Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 of 11 November 1996 concerning on-the-spot checks and inspections carried out by the Commission in order to protect the European Communities' financial interests against fraud and other irregularities (OJ L 292, 15.11.1996, p. 2). 7 Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 of 18 December 1995 on the protection of the European Communities financial interests (OJ L 312, 23.12.1995, p. 1).
Amendment 211 #
2015/0009(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 20 – paragraph 2
Article 20 – paragraph 2
The Commission shall assess those operations and, where they comply with the substantive requirements set out in Article 5 and in the EFSI Agreementprinciples of operations' own merit, and without any geographic or sectorial allocation, decide that the EU guarantee coverage extends to them.
Amendment 3 #
2014/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the European Citizens' Initiative is an extraordinary unique and innovative tool of participatory democracyagenda setting tool in the European Union, whose potential must be exploited fully and enhanced in order to achieve the best results;
Amendment 17 #
2014/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the practicalities set out in Article 6 of the Regulation, i.e. the setting up of the online collection system and its certification by a competent authority in a Member State, leaves the organizers in most cases less than 12 months to collect the required signatures;
Amendment 18 #
2014/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. whereas the submission of a successful initiative to the Commission after the signature collection period is over is not bound to a specific time limit and is thus a source for confusion and uncertainty both for the institutions and the public;
Amendment 35 #
2014/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the Commission to provide as much guidance as possible – especially of a legal nature – to organisers of ECIs via the Europe Direct Contact Centre, so that they are aware of the possibilities open to them and will not fail by proposing an ECI that is outside the scope of Commission's powercompetences, or else to assign the task of giving advice to another independent company or body so as to avoid a possible conflict of interest within the Commission itself; notes, however, that under the Treaty of Lisbon the issues raised by ECIs may not correspond entirely to the Commission's jurisdiction; takes the view, furthermore, that the Commission should consider setting up a dedicated ECI office in each Member State;
Amendment 40 #
2014/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses furthermore that a dedicated ECI office could also contribute to raising public and media awareness about the ECI; therefore invites the Commission to promote the ECI as an official EU instrument to achieve this goal; underlines that this measure might also lead to overcome citizen's distrust of sharing the personal data required to support a ECI;
Amendment 56 #
2014/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Invites the Commission to consider the possibility of registering only part of an initiative in the event that the entire ECI does not fall within the scope of Commission's powercompetences, and to give the organisers, at the time of registration, an indication as to which part they could register; invites the Commission to explore ways to confer initiatives or those parts of initiatives that do not fall under the scope of Commission's competences to the competent authority, be it at national or regional level;
Amendment 67 #
2014/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Invites the Commission to examine whether a specific time limit for the submission of a successful initiative that has gathered the required number of signatures could serve as a guideline to both, the organizers and the Commission;
Amendment 100 #
2014/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on the Commission to revise the wording of Article 10(c) of Regulation 211/2011 to allow proper follow-up to a successful ECI, including, if necessary, a parliamentary debate in plenary followed by a vote on the ECI; urges the Commission to start preparing a legal act on successful ECIs within 12 months of their acceptance;
Amendment 103 #
2014/2257(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Takes the view that, in order to emphasise the political dimension of ECIs, a public hearing held under the terms of Article 11 of Regulation 211/2011 should be structured in such a way as to allow organisers to engage in a dialogue with Members of the European Parliament; stresses that hearings on ECIs should be organised by a neutral committee that does not have the main responsibility for their subject-matter;
Amendment 4 #
2014/2254(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Points out that it is necessary to strengthen the protection of fundamental rights in compliance with the Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and, more specifically, to ensure that the values of the European Union set out in Article 2 and oall ther relevant articles of the EU Treaty are respected and promoted by the EU, its institutions and all the Member States; stresses that the European institutions should be at the forefront of this endeavour;
Amendment 14 #
2014/2254(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Draws attention to the fact that all legislative proposals and policies should be scrutinised to ensure that they comply with the Charter of Fundamental Rights; calls on the Member States to ensure that all EU legislation, including particular the economic and financial adjustment programmes, is continuously implemented in accordance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Social Charter;
Amendment 41 #
2014/2254(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stress the need to adapt the statute of the European Agency of Fundamental Rights so as to allow it to address fundamental rights on public spaces
Amendment 1 #
2014/2253(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Whereas in line with the Joint Political Declaration of 28 September 2011 of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on explanatory documents1 a the Commission has reported to the two legislators on its implementation; ___________ 1a OJ C 369, 17.12.2011, p. 14
Amendment 10 #
2014/2253(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the introduction of the EU Pilot mechanism which, via its online platform, facilitates communication between the Commission and Member States so as to avoiprevent dysfunctions and infringement proceedings from being initiated wherever possible, but reminds the Commission that this system must not in any way undermine the rights of EU citizens under the rule of law or serve to justify direct or indirect discrimination within the meaning of Article 9 TEU, andlack of transparency in the content of the communications and exchanges of information with the Member States must not in any way undermine the rights of EU citizens under the rule of law, and therefore calls on the Commission to itself inform citizens in an appropriate and timely manner of the status of the consultations and on the follow-up given to their reports of potential non- compliance;
Amendment 15 #
2014/2253(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Welcomes the new practice whereby the Commission can ask the Member States, in justified cases, to include explanatory documents when they notify the Commission of their transposition measures; reiterates, however, its call for mandatory correlation tables on the transposition of Directives;
Amendment 16 #
2014/2253(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Insists that these explanatory documents need to be publicly available in all EU languages;
Amendment 20 #
2014/2253(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Deplores the fact that the European Parliament, which is now a fully-fledged co-legislator and an institution directly representing the citizens, does not yet receive transparent and timely information on the implementation of EU laws, when such information is essential , includingnot only to enhance the accessibility and the legal certainty of the European citizens, but also for purposes of adopting amendments aimed at improving those laws;
Amendment 24 #
2014/2253(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses that the enhanced transparency of the EU could boost the participation of the EU nationals in the new framework of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI);
Amendment 14 #
2014/2252(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Notes, however, that a majority of opinions by national parliaments are submitted by only a few national chambers, encourages the other chambers to become more involved in the European debate;
Amendment 21 #
2014/2252(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. BelieveConsiders that if the eight-week period given to national parliaments to issue a reasoned opinion under Article 6 of the Protocol on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality should be extended significantly to allow national parliaments to participate to a greater extent; encourages national parliaments to become more involved in the European debat this would imply Treaty change;
Amendment 24 #
2014/2252(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Points out that 2012 saw the first use of the so-called yellow card by national parliaments regarding the principle of subsidiarity in response to the Commission's proposal for a regulation on the exercise of the right to take collective action within the context of freedom of establishment and the freedom to provide services (Monti II); notes that although the Commission concluded that the principle of subsidiarity had not been breached it did withdraw the proposal due to lack of political support; remarks that a second so-called yellow card was triggered in 2013 on the Commission's proposal for a Council Regulation on the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO); notes that Commission concluded that the proposal complied with the principle of subsidiarity and decided to maintain it;
Amendment 25 #
2014/2252(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Believes that an equivalent so-called yellow and red card system should be created for the European Parliament to allow it to react when Member States legislate in domains which are within the competencies of the Single Market, or alternatively if Member States do not correctly implement European directives, which fragments the Single Market and results in a lack of level playing field;
Amendment 28 #
2014/2252(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets the deficit in material criteria for establishing the existence of a violation of the subsidiarity and proportionality principles; finds that this has led to a diversity of criteria applied by national parliaments in their evaluation of proposals, and calls for the adoption of guidelines to define the principles and methods for the examination of subsidiarity and proportionality issues in a better way; by drawing from the Commission's Impact Assessment Guidelines (SEC(2009)92), particularly points 5.2 and 7.2 respectively;
Amendment 31 #
2014/2252(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 12 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the new settlement for the UK within the European Union proposed by President Tusk ignores the legal and institutional framework foreseen in the Treaties to modify the existing Treaties (article 48 TEU);
Amendment 27 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the internal market, facilitating the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital is a cornerstone of the EU;
Amendment 56 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the Commission’s role as the executive should be strengthened in the field of Economic and MonetaryFiscal Policy by the creation of the position of EU Finance Minister, assisted by an EU Fiscal and Treasury administration, and by endowing it with the powers to implement and enforce any future and existing Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) instruments;
Amendment 72 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the existing economic governance system is not yet strong enough to tackle all potential future crises and shocks as it should, nor is it yet sufficiently good at generating higher competitiveness, structural convergence among its members,macro-economic imbalances procedure is not currently sufficiently used; whereas if used to its full capacity it could help to correct economic imbalances at an early stage, provide an accurate overview of the situation in each Member State and the Union as a whole, prevent crises and contribute to improving competitiveness; whereas greater structural convergence among its members is required, which will help to contribute to sustainable growth and social cohesion; whereas, therefore, progress towards the completion of the EMU should be sustainis urgently needed, as well as efforts to render its institutional structure more legitimate and democratically accountable;
Amendment 98 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital N
Recital N
N. whereas the European Semester process should be simplified, and rendered more focused and democratic, by enhancing Parliament’s scrutiny role over it and by investing it with a more substantial role in the various cycles of negotiations;
Amendment 100 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital N
Recital N
N. whereas the European Semester process should be simplified, and rendered more focused and democratic, by enhancing Parliament’s scrutiny role over it and by investing it with a more substantial role in the various cycles of negotiations; whereas national parliaments must fully engage in the role foreseen for them in the European Semester in order to ensure its effectiveness and accountability at the appropriate level;
Amendment 108 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital O a (new)
Recital O a (new)
Oa. whereas the MFF should be modified to have a duration of 5 not 7 years, in line with the mandate of the European Parliament, in order to increase democratic control of the Union budget;
Amendment 158 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital V a (new)
Recital V a (new)
Va. whereas the need for immediate action in light of the refugee crisis requires the creation of a European Rapid Refugee Emergency Force (ERREF) to manage all European external borders and to implement previous agreements, and to transform Frontex into a full- fledged European Coast and Border Guard (ECBG);
Amendment 178 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Highlights that the existing European Treaties, voluntarily ratified by all 28 Member States, include a legal and institutional framework, within European law, to enable the existing Treaties to be modified (article 48 TEU) and for a Member State to decide to withdraw from the Union (article 50 TEU); considers therefore that the new settlement for the UK within the European Union, as proposed by President Tusk, through an international agreement is not the appropriate tool as it creates legal uncertainty and does not allow all European citizens to be consulted;
Amendment 179 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Insists that any new settlement for the UK within the European Union must provide legal certainty; insists also that an international agreement cannot modify the legal order of the EU nor affect the allocation of responsibilities defined in the Treaties and, consequently, the autonomy of the EU legal system, compliance with which the Court ensures under article 19 TEU;
Amendment 180 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. Recalls that the internal market, facilitating the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital is a cornerstone of the EU; also recalls that exceptions to the internal market create distortions of competition within the Union and destroys the level playing field;
Amendment 210 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Is of the opinion that intergovernmental solutions should not exist, not even in areas where not all the Member States fulfil the conditions for participation, and that the Fiscal Compact as intended in the Treaty, and the European Stability Mechanism, as intenprovided that the appropriate scrutiny accorded byto the TreatiesEP reflects the composition of the contributors, should therefore be incorporated into Union law and no new institutions should be introduced;
Amendment 219 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recalls that the European Parliament is the parliament of the whole Union; considers that its working methods should be reformed so as to strengthen its control over the Commission in the implementation of the acquis, and to ensure proper democratic accountability even in the areas in which not all Member States participate, inter alia through finding ways to guarantee the parliamentary democratic accountability of eurozone- specific actions and decisions;
Amendment 239 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Considers it necessary for the European Parliament to reform its working methods in order to cope with the challenges ahead, by using its control over the Commission, including in relation to the implementation and application of the acquis in the Member States, by limiting first-reading agreements to exceptional cases of urgency, and by improving its own electoral procedure through the revision of the 1976 Electoral Act in line with Parliament’s proposals contained in its resolution of 11 November 2015 on the reform of the electoral law of the European Union5 or as a future step through the adoption of implementing measures in application of Article 14 of the Electoral Act; __________________ 5 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2015)0395.
Amendment 262 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Encourages meaningful political dialogue with national parliaments on the contents of legislative proposals when relevant; insists, however, on a clear delineation of the respective decision- making competences of the national parliaments and the European Parliament, where the former shouldmust exercise their European function on the basis of their national constitutions, in particular via the control of their national governments as members of the European Council and the Council, which is the level where they are best placed to directly influence the content of and exercise scrutiny over the European legislative process; is therefore against the creation of joint parliamentary decision- making bodies for reasons of transparency, accountability and ability to act;
Amendment 266 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses the importance of cooperation between the European Parliament and national parliaments in joint bodies such as the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC), and the Inter-parliamentary Conference on Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP-IPC), and in the framework of Article 13 of the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union on the basis of the principles of consensus, information sharing and consultation in order to exercise control over their respective administrations; underlines the need for stronger cooperation between the specialised committees of the European Parliament and their national equivalents by creating synergies and thus improving coherence;
Amendment 283 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Insists on curbing the interference of the European Council in the legislative process as it goes against the letter and spirit of the Treaties, as detailed in article 15 TEU;
Amendment 284 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Stresses that the existing, ratified Treaties are the basis for renegotiation of any Member State's membership of the Union, stresses that any modification of any Member State's membership of the Union must be negotiated transparently, through a convention and then ratified by all 28 Member States; deplores the Heads of State and Government's decision to propose a new settlement for the UK in the EU through an international agreement, which is undemocratic and which creates legal uncertainty;
Amendment 287 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
Amendment 303 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Proposes that the Council be transformed into a true legislative chamber by reducing the number of Council configurations by means of a European Council decision, thus creating a genuinely bi-cameral legislative system involving the Council and Parliament, with the Commission acting as the executive; suggests involving the currently active specialised Council configurations, including the Eurogroup, as preparatory bodies for the legislative Council, along the lines of the Committees in the European Parliament;
Amendment 317 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
Amendment 341 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Calls for the creation of the position of European Finance Minister to strengthen the Commission's role as the executive in the field of Economic and Fiscal Policy;
Amendment 389 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Stresses the importance of the subsidiarity principle, as laid down in Article 5 TEU, which is binding on all institutions and bodies, notably the CoR and the EESC, and of the instruments contained in Protocol (No 2) on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality; supports a flexible interpretation of the deadlines enshrined in the Protocol and calls on the Commission to improve the quality of its responses to reasoned opinions;
Amendment 398 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Considers that the practicformal possibilities for national parliaments to ensure the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality should be improved, andare sufficient, but that practical cooperation between national parliaments needs to be strengthened, to enable them, in close cooperation among themselves, to reach the necessary quorum under article 7(3) of the Protocol on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality in case of an alleged breach;
Amendment 417 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Recalls that any furtherimmediate development of the EMU shouldmust be based on, and build on, existing legislation and its implementation;
Amendment 458 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Points out the need for fewer and more targeted Country Specific Recommendations (CSR) to be prioritised through a clear hierarchy, based on the policy framework set out in the Convergence Code and the Annual Growth Survey (AGS), and on the concrete proposals presented by each Member State, in line with their respective key reform objectives, from a broad range of structural reforms, fostering competitiveness, real economic convergence and social cohesion; insists on the importance of CSRs being implemented if they are to be effective, calls for greater efforts in this area, which monitoring would facilitate;
Amendment 466 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Considers it necessary for Parliament to be invested with a more substantial role in negotiations within the framework of the European Semester by allowing it to call hearings with governments of Member States affected by Country Specific Recommendations, Economic Partnership Programmes (EPP), Corrective Action Plans (CAP) and Alert Mechanism Reports (AMRs);
Amendment 469 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Considers it necessary forRecalls that economic dialogue mechanisms already exist, notably through the creation of the "economic dialogue" within the framework of the '6- pack' and '2-pack' legislation, considers that this is an effective tool to enable the Parliament to be invested with a more substantial role in negotiations within the framework of the European Semester by allowing it to call hearings wthrough its ability to invithe governments of Member States affected by Country Specific Recommendations, Economic Partnership Programmes (EPP), Corrective Action Plans (CAP) and Alert Mechanism Reports (AMRs); to hearings in the EP; calls for this tool to also be used to enhance dialogue between Parliament, the Council, the Commission and the Eurogroup for dedicated meeting time- slots during the main steps of the European Semester cycle;
Amendment 471 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
Amendment 496 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Points out the need to switch from unanimity to QMV for the adoption of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) Regulation, by using the provisions of Article 48 (7) TEU and Article 312 (2) TFEU; highlights the importance of establishing a link between the duration of Parliament’s legislative term and the duration of the MFF, which can be reduced to five yearsand thus reducing the duration of the MFF to five years, which is possible under the provisions of Article 312 (1) TFEU;
Amendment 503 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Proposes to change the procedure for the adoption of own resources through the general ‘passerelle clause’ contained in Article 48 (7) TEU, which would facilitate the necessary transition from a system based on Gross National Income (GNI) contributions to one based on real own resources for the EU and the eurozone budget, such as a reformed Value Added Tax (VAT), a Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) orand revenue from other sources such as the Emission Trading Scheme;
Amendment 523 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Insists on the full implementation of the existing six-pack and two-pack framework and the European Semester to address, in particular, macroeconomic imbalances, and secure long-term control over deficit and still extremely high levels of debt by growth-friendly fiscal consolidation, improving spending efficiency, prioritising productive investments, providing incentive to structural reform and taking into account business cycle conditions;
Amendment 531 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Recalls that the euro is the currency of the Union and that the EU budget is designed to help less developed Member States catch up and become able to join the eurozoneintended to fulfil the objectives for the Union laid out in article 3 TEU;
Amendment 544 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. ProposesUnderlines the need for the establishment of a fiscal capacity within the eurozone in order to assist Member States in the implementation of agreed structural reforms, based on incentives and certain conditions, including the effective implementation of the National Reform Programmes agreed within the European Semester; considers that this couldannot be done through the creation of additional capacity and/or by earmarking funding from the existing EU budget for this purposein a meaningful way without changing the treaties; underlines that any new instrument should be placed within the EU budget, but outside the ceilings of the MFF, and financed from real own resources;
Amendment 555 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
Paragraph 49
49. PRecalls the creation of the European Supervisory Authorities and the Banking Union; calls for further work to be undertaken on the issue of sovereign debt; pledges to further increase the resilience of the EMU when facing economic shocks while preventing any form of permanent fiscal transfers, in line with articles 125 and 136(3) TFEU;
Amendment 564 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Reiterates its support for the suggestion to transform the position of Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs into a TreasuryEuropean Finance Minister, as made in its resolution of 12 December 2013 on constitutional problems of a multitier governance in the European Union6 ; __________________ 6 Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0598.
Amendment 570 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Considers it necessary to incorporate the European Stability Mechanism into the Union legal framework and,, providing that the appropriate scrutiny is established within the European Parliament which reflects the composition of the contributors; as a next step, tohe ESM will be transform ited into a European Monetary Fund;
Amendment 586 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53
Paragraph 53
53. Calls for due consideration to be given tothe implementation of the main findings of the Expert Group created by the Commission, with a view to constituting a Redemption Fund;
Amendment 587 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53 a (new)
Paragraph 53 a (new)
53a. Deplores any attempt to disintegrate the Single Market, recalls that it is a cornerstone of the Union, rejects any renegotiation of the Single Rule Book as it would fragment the Single Market in financial services and create unfair competition through a lack of level playing field;
Amendment 589 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 54
Paragraph 54
54. Believes that the Single Market contains growth potential that has not yet been fully exploited, particularly with reference to the Digital Single Market and financial services; calls, therefore, for better control of the correct application, and better enforcement, of the existing acquis in thisese domains;
Amendment 627 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 59
Paragraph 59
59. Considers it necessary to improve the automatic information exchange between national tax authorities in order to avoid tax planning, base erosion and profit shifting, as well as to promote coordinated actions to fight tax havens; calls for the adoption of a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base directive establishing a minimum rate, the simplification of tax systems and the spelling out of common objectives for progressive harmonisationconvergence; deems it necessary to embark on a comprehensive review of the existing VAT legislation, addressing i.a. the issue of reduced rates and the introduction of the country of origin principle, and also deems it necessary to establish a partially automatic stabilising mechanism to foster convergence and counter differences in the economic cycles of the Member States;
Amendment 666 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 69
Paragraph 69
69. Supports the creation of a European Energy Agency under Article 204 of the Euratom Treaty, as well as the establishment of a European strategic reserve and a joint negotiating centre with suppliers, with a view to completing the institutional structure of the Energy Union; notes, however, that a genuine Energy Union requires the removal of the constraint that EU policy must not affect a State's right to determine the conditions for exploiting its energy sources, its choice between different energy sources and the general structure of its energy supply (Article 194(2) TFEU);
Amendment 695 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72
Paragraph 72
72. Points out the importance of promoting the idea of a minimalum wage determined by each Member State, and suggests that, under current Treaty provisions, an ‘Employees Mobility Directive’ could be adopted to reduce still-existing barriers for employees;
Amendment 720 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75
Paragraph 75
75. Calls for the establishment of a new social pact aimed at preserving Europe’'s social market economy, respecting and reducing inequalities, ensuring that all citizens' fundamental rights are respected, including, inter alia, the right to education, to work, non-discrimination, the right to collective bargaining, the freedom of movement; points out that such a pact could enhance the coordination of the social policies of the Member States;
Amendment 757 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83
Paragraph 83
83. Calls for progressive steps to be taken towards a common defence policy (Article 42(2) TEU) and, eventually, a common defence, which can be set up by unanimous decision of the European Council;
Amendment 802 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 93
Paragraph 93
93. Considers that there is a need to enhance EU-NATO cooperation at all levels in areas such as capability development and contingency planning for hybrid threats, and to intensify efforts at removing remaining political obstaclesurges a comprehensive EU- NATO political and military partnership in order to enable a future integration of EU Integrated Military Forces as the European pillar of NATO;
Amendment 813 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 94
Paragraph 94
94. Underlines that in the light of the recent attacks and the increase of the terrorist threat, a more intense and structured exchange of information and data between national security agencies and intelligence services, and with Europol and Frontex, is absolutely essential; and must be put in place as soon as possible;
Amendment 820 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 95 a (new)
Paragraph 95 a (new)
95a. Regrets that the Temporary Protection Directive has not been activated in light of the refugee crisis, despite having been established to deal with a mass influx of third country nationals;
Amendment 838 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 97
Paragraph 97
97. Considers it necessary to immediately create a European Rapid Refugee Emergency Force (ERREF) to manage all European external borders and to implement previous agreements as well as to strengthen Frontex and transform it into a European System offull-fledged European Coast and Border Guards (ECBG), to be supported, when necessary, by military instruments such as a European Maritime Force (Euromarfor) and an upgraded European Corps (Eurocorps), together with the resources pooled through Permanent Structured Cooperation; suggests that automatic adjustment should also be envisaged of the databases of border agencies such as Eurodac, and, in future, Smart Borders, such that they incorporate the ‘'European list of dangerous persons’' and the ‘'European Database for wanted persons’';
Amendment 850 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 98
Paragraph 98
98. Stresses the importance of distinguishing between the concepts of ‘unsafe third countries’ (war zones) and ‘safe third countries of origin’ (mostly Western Balkans countries), and the corresponding distinction of procedures for processing applicants coming from these two categories of countries; calls for the signature of agreements with safe third countries of origin in order to control and reduce migration flows before migrants arrive at the EU border; insists, at the same time, on strict procedures for returning applicants with unfounded claims;
Amendment 860 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 99
Paragraph 99
99. Calls for the competences for external border controls to be strengthened by vestrengthening Frontex and transforming it into a full-fledged ECBG, rather than the requesting Member State, with the power to command when the former is in charge of an operation;
Amendment 862 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 100
Paragraph 100
100. Calls for an upgrade of the human and financial capabilities of the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) so that it can coordinate all EU asylum applications as well as be deployed to support Member States under particular migratory pressure in the processing of asylum requests, including in its mandate for the deployment of joint operations, pilot projects and rapid interventions similar to the ones added by Regulation 1168/2011 to the mandate of Frontex;
Amendment 880 #
2014/2249(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 104 a (new)
Paragraph 104 a (new)
104a. Considers that this resolution should be the basis for improving the functioning of the European Union on the short term; recalls that further fundamental reform is essential and requires a convention and a revision of the Treaties;
Amendment 11 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 6
Citation 6
– having regard to the European Council conclusions of 18-19 February 2016 concerning a new settlement for the United Kingdom within the European Union6 , which has since ceased to exist, __________________ 6 EUCO conclusions of 19 February 2016.
Amendment 24 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)
Citation 21 a (new)
– having regard to the Declaration ‘Greater European Integration: The Way Forward’ by the Presidents of the Camera dei Deputati of Italy, the Assemblée nationale of France, the Bundestag of Germany, the Chambre des Députés of Luxembourg, and the Presidency of the EU Speakers Conference signed on 14 September 2016 and currently endorsed by several national parliamentary chambers in the EU,
Amendment 26 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 b (new)
Citation 21 b (new)
– having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 31 January 2013 on the promotion of EU citizens’ electoral rights 6a, __________________ 6a OJ C 062, 2.3.2013, p. 26
Amendment 32 #
2014/2248(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 59 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas this problem, coupled with a lack of a common vision on the part of our Member States as regards the future of our continent, has given rise to unprecedented levels of ‘euroscepticism’ that risk leading to a return to nationalism and the disintegration of the Unionre is a risk of the Union disintegrating;
Amendment 86 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas, the euro is the currency of the Union (article 3 (4) TEU), however in the field of the euro and monetary policy, the United Kingdom obtained a permanent derogation from joining (Protocol No 15), Denmark has a constitutional exemption (Protocol No 16), Sweden has ceased to follow the euro convergence criteria and the possibility of Greece leaving the single currency has been openly discussed in the European Council in Spring 2015;
Amendment 113 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas, since the Treaty of Lisbon, further accelerated by the financial and migration crises, the European Council has widened its role to include day-to-day management through the adoption of intergovernmental instruments outside the framework of the EU such as the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union (TSCG or the ‘Fiscal Compact’) and the deal with Turkey on migration, despite the fact that its role is to provide the Union with the necessary impetus for its development and to define general political direction and priorities, it shall not exercise legislative functions (article 15(1) TEU);
Amendment 238 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital R a (new)
Recital R a (new)
Ra. in order to provide as much clarity as possible for business, investors and citizens (both EU citizens living in the UK and UK citizens living in the rest of the EU) it is welcome that Theresa May has declared that article 50 will be triggered before the end of March 2017, as the current uncertainty is damaging to both the UK and the EU;
Amendment 258 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital T a (new)
Recital T a (new)
Ta. whereas a clear majority of the Union’s regional and local government have consistently expressed their view, through the Committee of the Regions, in favour of a more integrated EU with an effective governance;
Amendment 321 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that a comprehensive democratic reflection on the reform of the Treaties can and must only be achieved through a Convention, which like the last one guarantees inclusiveness through its composition of representatives of national parliaments, governments of all the Member States, the Commission and the European Parliament, the EU’s consultative bodies and also provides the proper platform for such reflection and engagement with European citizens;
Amendment 434 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Underlines the fact that, until the Treaties cease to apply to the United Kingdom, it will continue to participate in all decision-making of the Union throughout its institutions, with the exception of the negotiations and the agreement concerning its own withdrawal; considers that intermediate arrangements will need to be made concerning the UK’s participation in European decision-making, as it will be politically difficult to allow a Member State in the process of leaving to influence decisions affecting the Union of which it will soon cease to be a member; recalls the principle of sincere cooperation as laid out in the Treaties (article 4(3) TEU);
Amendment 464 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Reaffirms that constitutional elements of the Union, notably the integrity of the Single Market and the fact that this cannot be separated from the four fundamental freedoms of the Union (free movement of capital, people, goods and services) are essential, indivisible pillars of the Union, as is the existence of a state of law, guaranteed by the European Court of Justice; reaffirms this constitutional unity cannot be undone during the negotiations of the exit of the United Kingdom from the Union;
Amendment 502 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Acknowledges the improvements brought by the European Semester, the six- pack and the two-pack aimed at addressing these issues, but concludes that they have not solved the problems, in part due to the fact that the rules have not been fully respected nor the tools available in them activated; believes, moreover, that they have contributed to making the system overly complex, are not binding with regard to country-specific recommendations and do not cover spill- over effects between one Member State and another, or to the euro area or the EU as a whole;
Amendment 585 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls for the integration of the Fiscal Compact into the EU legal framework as well as the incorporation of the ESM and the Single Resolution Fund into EU law, with corresponding democratic oversight by Parliament, ensuring that control and accountability is the responsibility of those contributing to them;
Amendment 594 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Believes that any future attempts to reintroduce a double-majority for euro- area/non-euro-area Member States in the field of financial legislation must be refused as it would violate article 3 TEU;
Amendment 675 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Considers it necessary to endow the European Central Bank with the status of lender of last resort for market actors directly under its supervision or oversight, enjoying the full powers of a federal reserve bank;
Amendment 795 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Stresses that for the Union to strengthen the defence of the EU territory, as a pillar within NATO, which remains the cornerstone of the European security architecture, and to enable the Union to act autonomously in operations abroad, mainly with a view to stabilising its neighbourhood, the Treaties should provide for the possibility of establishing a European defence union; draws attention to the Franco-German initiative of September 2016, which provides a useful contribution to this issue;
Amendment 882 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
37a. Advocates to insert in the Treaties a European associate citizenship for those who feel and wish to be part of the European project but are nationals of a former Member State; offers these associate citizens the rights of freedom of movement and to reside on its territory as well as being represented in the Parliament through a vote in the European elections on the European lists;
Amendment 883 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
37a. Emphasises that involving citizens in the political process of their country of residence helps to build European democracy, and therefore calls for the electoral rights of citizens residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals, as set out in Article 22 TFEU, to be extended to include all remaining elections: provincial, regional, and national;
Amendment 951 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Proposes that, when Parliament and the Council vote on legislation specific to the euro area, onlyall MEPs can take part in the vote; however, only the votes from MEPs elected in the euro area and respectively representatives of its member states, can take part in the vote are taken into account while the votes of the MEPs and representatives from non-euro area member states are considered as non-binding advisory votes in order to preserve the unique institutional set-up;
Amendment 978 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Pproposes moreover, that, in line with the common practice in a number of Member States, both chambers of the EU legislature, the Council and in particular the Parliament, ands the Councilonly institution directly elected by citizens, should be given the right of legislative initiative, without prejudice to the basic legislative prerogative of the European executive or government;
Amendment 983 #
2014/2248(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47a. Recalls that legislation provides for the suspension of ESI Funds if a Member State fails to take action concerning the violation of the Stability and Growth Pact (Excessive Deficit Procedure); believes a fortiori that the EU should link the payment of all EU funds with the respect of European values, as laid out in the Treaties;
Amendment 8 #
2014/2239(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the Resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the UN on 28 July 2010 recognises the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of life and all human rights;
Amendment 18 #
2014/2239(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas access to safe drinking water and sanitation is inextricably linked to the right to life and human dignity and to the need for an adequate standard of living;
Amendment 19 #
2014/2239(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe declared ‘that Access to water must be recognised as a fundamental human right because it is essential to life on earth and is a resource that must be shared by humankind’;
Amendment 20 #
2014/2239(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas the EU Water Framework Directive recognises that ‘water is not a commercial product like any other but, rather, a heritage which must be protected, defended and treated as such’;
Amendment 23 #
2014/2239(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the European Union and the Member States shall comply with the commitments and take account of the objectives they have approved in the context of the United Nations and other competent international organisations;
Amendment 24 #
2014/2239(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas access to water is essential for life, health, food, well-being and development and water can therefore not be considered simply as a commodity;
Amendment 47 #
2014/2239(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to adopt a policy implementing the human right to water and sanitation as recognised by the United Nations, and promoting the provision of water and sanitation as essential public services for all;
Amendment 58 #
2014/2239(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Reaffirms that access to drinking water in a sufficient quantity and of a sufficient quality is a basic human right and considers that national governments have a duty to carry out this obligation; reasonable access to water means at least 20 litres per person per day from a clean source within a radius of 1 km;
Amendment 59 #
2014/2239(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Insists on the need for local public authorities to be given support in their efforts towards establishing an innovative, participatory, democratic system of public water management that is efficient, transparent and regulated and that respects the objectives of sustainable development;
Amendment 60 #
2014/2239(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Emphasises that distribution of water should be essentially looked upon as a public service and hence organised as such to guarantee affordable access for all;
Amendment 61 #
2014/2239(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4d. Calls on the Commission and Member States not to consider water supply and management of water resources as subject to internal market rules;
Amendment 46 #
2014/2233(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Strongly supports the effective and comprehensive dissemination and implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights within and outside the EU and emphasises the need to take all necessary policy and legislative measures to address gaps in the effective implementation of the UNGPs, including on access to justice;
Amendment 3 #
2014/2228(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph A
Paragraph A
A. Stresses that EU trade and development policies are interlinked and that Article 208 of the Lisbon Treaty establishes the principle of policy coherence for development, requiring that the objectives of development cooperation be taken into account in polThe Committee on Development (a) calls on the Commission to take account of: - Article 208 of the Lisbon Treaty, which sets out the parameters of development cooperation; - the Partnership Agreement between the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other part, signed in Cotonou, on 23 June 2000; - Council Regulation (EC) No 1528/2007 of 20 December 2007 applying the arrangements for products originating in certain states which are part of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States provided for in agreements establishing, or leading to the establishment of, Economic Partnership Agreements; - the negotiations that have been in progress since 2002 on the Economic Partnership Agreements with the ACP Group of States, subdivided into six regions: the Caribbean, Central Africa, Eastern and Southern Africa, the Pacific Island States, the Southern African Development Community and West Africa; - Commission Regulation (EU) No 1063/2010 of 18 November 2010 amending Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 establishing the Community Customs Code, and in particular Articiles that are likely to affect developing countries; 66 to 97 thereof, relating to the generalised system of preferences (GSP); - Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences and the Everything But Arms initiative (EBA), - the WTO rules and the conclusions of the 2013 Bali Conference, which gave new momentum to the multilateral system to relaunch the Doha Round negotiations;
Amendment 6 #
2014/2228(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph A a (new)
Paragraph A a (new)
Aa. Stresses that EU trade and development policies are interlinked and that Article 208 of the Lisbon Treaty establishes the principle of policy coherence for development, requiring that the objectives of development cooperation be taken into account in policies that are likely to affect developing countries;
Amendment 9 #
2014/2228(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph A b (new)
Paragraph A b (new)
Ab. Urges that the TTIP should contribute to strengthening the acquis of the Cotonou Agreement, take account of the new guidelines to be defined for the post- 2020 framework and allow the parties to the Agreement to pursue their objectives, in particular the signing of the finalised Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), which are intended to establish a secure framework for flows of trade and investment between the EU and the ACP;
Amendment 11 #
2014/2228(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph A c (new)
Paragraph A c (new)
Ac. Points out that the EPAs offer the developing countries the conditions needed to experience the benefits of globalisation as soon as possible, that they make a substantial contribution to promoting regional integration in the ACP countries and that they serve both as a catalyst for growth and a mechanism for strengthening good governance and thus contribute to the sustainable development of the developing countries;
Amendment 12 #
2014/2228(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1. - Point (d) - Subpoint (i.)
Paragraph 1. - Point (d) - Subpoint (i.)
i.) to specify the role and the legal quality of the Regulatory Cooperation Council’s findings, taking into consideration that any direct application of its recommendations for the relevant EU instances would imply a breach of the law- making procedures laid down in the Treaties, and to ensure that no standards are lowered inside the European legal framework;
Amendment 18 #
2014/2228(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1.- Point (d) - Subpoint (ii.)
Paragraph 1.- Point (d) - Subpoint (ii.)
ii.) while the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) is an appropriate tool to protect investors and assure that investments are treated in a fair and non- discriminatory way, to oversee that it does not undermine the capacity of European, national and local authorities to legislate their own policies, in particular social and environmental policies, and therefore respect the constitutional framework of the Member Statesrecognising that investment protection is necessary, to explore viable, transparent alternatives to investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms (ISDS), inspired, for example, by the dispute settlement mechanism in place within the WTO;
Amendment 21 #
2014/2228(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph B a (new)
Paragraph B a (new)
Ba. Urges the Commission’s Directorate- General for Trade to establish a permanent dialogue with the Directorate- General for International Cooperation and Development, with a view to analysing the TTIP’s impact on the developing countries;
Amendment 30 #
2014/2228(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1. - Point (d) - Subpoint (ii.) d (new)
Paragraph 1. - Point (d) - Subpoint (ii.) d (new)
ii.)d to ensure the ECJ's exclusive jurisdiction over the definitive interpretation of European Union law, enforcing the general principles of the legal framework of the EU;
Amendment 34 #
2014/2228(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph C a (new)
Paragraph C a (new)
Ca. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the TTIP does not have the effect of excluding the developing countries, that it does not undermine their ability to take part in all stages of the production, processing and marketing of products and that it will on the other hand enable them to boost their efforts to diversify;
Amendment 40 #
2014/2228(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1.- Point (e) - Subpoint (iv.)
Paragraph 1.- Point (e) - Subpoint (iv.)
iv.) to implement the recommendations of the European Ombudsman from 6 January 2015 to further enhance the legitimacy and transparency of the negotiating process by fully complying with the rules on public access to documents, by making available relevant documents in all the official languages of the EU on its website more proactively and comprehensively, and by ensuring more balanced and transparent public participation;
Amendment 42 #
2014/2228(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1.- Point (e) -subpoint (iv.) - a (new)
Paragraph 1.- Point (e) -subpoint (iv.) - a (new)
iv.)a - calls, therefore, on the Commission to support and continue negotiations with the Council to unblock the amendment to Regulation (EC) Nº 1049/2001 regarding public access to documents;
Amendment 48 #
2014/2228(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph D a (new)
Paragraph D a (new)
Da. Urges the European Union to ensure that the ACP countries do not suffer preference erosion and trade diversion;
Amendment 212 #
2014/2216(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Reiterates its full support for the work of the ICC in its role to end the impunity of the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern before the international community; remains vigilant regarding any attempts to undermine its legitimacy; recalls its vital role in the dual processes of justice and reconciliation; considers the increasing number of states parties to be an important development in strengthening the universality of the Court; welcomes the ratification of the Rome Statute by Côte d’Ivoire in February 2013;
Amendment 222 #
2014/2216(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35 a (new)
Paragraph 35 a (new)
35a. Gives its full support to the draft resolution of the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly A/C.3/69/L.51/Rev.1 ‘Moratorium on the use of the death penalty’, which will be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly in December 2014;
Amendment 353 #
2014/2216(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 63 a (new)
Paragraph 63 a (new)
63a. Urges Europol to develop more strategic and operational partnerships with third countries with a view to combating corruption and organised crime more effectively;
Amendment 448 #
2014/2216(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 74 a (new)
Paragraph 74 a (new)
74a. Urges the European Asylum Support Office to build partnerships with third countries with a view to enhancing international protection for asylum seekers;
Amendment 472 #
2014/2216(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 76 a (new)
Paragraph 76 a (new)
76a. Points out that implementing development, education and health programmes contributes not only to the fight against poverty, but also to the fight against international terrorism; calls on the EU to develop further strategies along the lines of the EEAS strategy for ‘the security and development of the Sahel’;
Amendment 68 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas the European Development Finance Institutions (EDFI), a group of 15 bilateral institutions which provide long-term finance for private sector in developing and reforming economies, seeks to invest in companies with a spectrum of different development effects ranging from reliable electricity and clean water to providing SMEs finance and access to markets for small farms;
Amendment 96 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1c (new)
Paragraph 1c (new)
1c. Stresses that Article 208 of the Lisbon Treaty establishes the principle of policy coherence for development, requiring that the objectives of development cooperation are taken into account in policies that are likely to affect developing countries;
Amendment 98 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 e (new)
Paragraph 1 e (new)
1e. Recalls that the official development aid (ODA) - while pushing for shared responsibility between public and private sector - must remain the key source of financing for developing countries;
Amendment 107 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises that all partnerships and alliances with the private sector must focus on shared value priorities that align business goals with the EU's development objectives and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) - an opportunity to create value for both the business sector and developing countries -; be co- designed and co- managed to ensure that risks, responsibilities and profits are shared; be cost-effective; and have precise targets, clear accountability and transparency;
Amendment 131 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Underlines the need for increased support towards partnering with developing countries to overhaul their regulatory frameworks by creating an environment friendly for private initiatives; notes the need to facilitate establishment of reliable banking systems and tax administrations in developing countries capable of providing efficient financial governance and management of public and private funds; calls on partner governments to introduce a sunset clause whereby redundant measures can be annulled; notes that legislation should be subject to impact assessments aimed at gauging negative job creation and threats to environmental standards;
Amendment 135 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Points out the essential role of human capital in promotion sustainable development and achieving its goals; calls for increased technical assistance to the governments of the partner countries, in order to raise their capacity to claim the ownership of the PPPs;
Amendment 158 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to step up their efforts to promote the economic empowerment of women; notes that a savings-led approach to the financial inclusion of women has a proven track record; recommends a gender mainstreaming approach in all partnership programmes, combined with entrepreneurship training for women and youth; calls in this context for increased support to be given to local SMEs, especially to female entrepreneurs, so as to enable them to gain from private sector-led growth;
Amendment 238 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. CStrongly supports the effective and comprehensive dissemination and implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) within and outside the EU and emphasises the need to take all the necessary policy and legislative measures to address gaps in the effective implementation of the UNGPs, including on access to justice; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that enterprises involved in development partnerships abide by the principles of corporate social responsibility (CSR), including the UNGPs;
Amendment 278 #
2014/2205(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Emphasises that the responsibility for effective joint action lies not only with the donors and the enterprises involved, but also with the partner governments; stresses that good governance, the rule of law, a framework for business reform, anti- corruption measures, public financial management and effective public institutions are paramount to investment, innovation and private sector development;
Amendment 36 #
2014/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas many recovered patients have had to face stigmatisation both from their relatives as from society; whereas this situation specially affects children who have lost one or two parents, and many of them have been rejected by their surviving relatives for fear of infection;
Amendment 52 #
2014/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ja. taking into account the Guidance for Immunization Programmes in the African Region in the Context of Ebola, issued by WHO;
Amendment 59 #
2014/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital M a (new)
Recital M a (new)
Ma. considering Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) is the world's biggest Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in life sciences, with a budget of €3.3 Billion for the 2014-2024 period, out of which €1.638 Billion come from Horizon 2020;
Amendment 78 #
2014/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital R a (new)
Recital R a (new)
Ra. taking into account next November´s delegation to Sierra Leone from the DEVE committee;
Amendment 96 #
2014/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the authorities to take into account the lessons learnt concerning the stigmatisation phenomenon and implement them in similar humanitarian crisis which may occur;
Amendment 147 #
2014/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Calls on the Commission to explore alternative models to those based on patent monopolies when it comes to the development of drugs or vaccines product of PPPs, such as the IMI, that can guarantee patient accessibility to treatments, sustainability of health care budgets and an efficient response to crisis like the one caused by the Ebola virus or similar threats;
Amendment 153 #
2014/2204(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on its relevant committee to monitor the crisis management measures being taken, in close cooperation with the EU's Ebola coordinator and after Parliament’s mission to West Africa, before submitting a final assessment based on well-defined criteria;
Amendment 8 #
2014/2154(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas from 2003 to 2013, all the European sessions of the JPA took place in principle in the country holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union; whereas every effort must now be made by the rotating presidencies musto respect the commitments made under the Cotonou Partnership Agreement in this regard;
Amendment 19 #
2014/2154(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses the added value of holding the JPA sessions in the EU Member States holding the EU Council Presidency by rotation, and believes that this rotation should be maintained in the future, as has been the case from 2003 to 2013; expresses concern at the unfortunate circumstances that led the Irish and Greek presidencies to decide not to host the JPA sessions2; regrets in particular the decision by the Irish Presidency not to host the 25th Session, thereby setting a dangerous precedent; commends, however, the government of Denmark for agreeing to host the highly successful 23rd Session in Horsens; deplores the lack of interest shown by some EU Member States having held, or expected to hold in the future, the EU Council Presidency by rotation, in hosting the JPA sessions; calls onurges any EU Member State holding the EU Council Presidency by rotation to involve itself more deeply in the preparation, organisation and hosting of the JPA session;
Amendment 35 #
2014/2154(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Draws attention to the fact that the discussion on the post-2020 ACP-EU relations and the future of the ACP group is under way, and stresses the importance of the role that the JPA should play in this process; underlines in this regard the need for a comprehensive and strengthened joint parliamentary oversight, independently of the final outcome; stresses that any future agreement taking the place of the Cotonou Agreement should include an explicit mention of non-discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, as demanded on many occasions by Parliament;
Amendment 38 #
2014/2154(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Reiterates its deep concern over the adoption and discussion of legislation further criminalising homosexuality in some ACP countries; calls on the JPA to put this on the agenda for its debates; calls to reinforce the principle of non- negotiable human rights clauses and sanctions for failure to respect to respect such clauses, inter alia with regard to discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and towards people living with HIV/AIDS;
Amendment 46 #
2014/2154(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Commends Commissioner Piebalgs for his dedicated involvement inand the high quality of his contribution to the work of the AssemblyJPA;
Amendment 28 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, 1994, called for access to reproductive and sexual health services, including family planning; recalls, in this regard, that in 2013, an estimated 289 000 women died during pregnancy and childbirth; recalls the MDG 5 and the need for women to have access to an effective method of contraception and family planning to reduce the number of maternal death by almost one third;
Amendment 148 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Recommends that support be given to state-building by means of increased general and/or sector-specific aid conditional on good governance criteria;
Amendment 162 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Highlights the crucial economic and social importance of a strong, stable middle class; stresses the need to involve the middle class more closely in the political process, thus promoting inclusive growth;
Amendment 203 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Notes that development aid has a major role to play in conflict prevention and makes it possible to tackle the underlying causes of conflicts; calls for the European institutions to put in place more responsive procedures in post- conflict situations and adopt a strategy enabling development aid to serve security objectives as effectively as possible;
Amendment 228 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Emphasises the importance of including in the new framework capacity- building measures to effectively reduce disaster risk andand disaster risk preparation measures and of strengthening resilience;
Amendment 242 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the fact that food and nutrition security is emerging as a priority area for the new development agenda; stresses, in this connection, the importance of addressing the linkages with improving the productivity of sustainable agriculture and fisheries and the importance of better coordination between humanitarian and development aid;
Amendment 264 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses the importance of implementing the Rio+20 commitments on land degradation;Does not affect English version. Linguistic correction to French original.
Amendment 268 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Stresses the need to strengthen good governance in the land sector and to protect land from the ever growing risk of being grabbed by business consortiums;
Amendment 281 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Heading II – Subheading 6
Heading II – Subheading 6
Health and education: tackle the "left- overs" of the "2015 agenda"
Amendment 284 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Takes the view that the health sector is crucial to the economic and social development of societies; calls for the EU, therefore, to focus on promoting equitable and universal health protection in the post- 2015 agenda, and to look at what lessons can already be learnt from the Ebola crisis now raging in several West African countries;
Amendment 300 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Stresses that development goes hand in hand with education; urges that access to all levels of quality education be reflected in the new development framework;Does not affect English text. Linguistic correction to French original.
Amendment 333 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Underlines the fact that inclusive and sustainable growth, accompanied by decent jobs creation, resource efficiency, the protection, conservation and development of protected areas, responsible sourcing of mineral ores and climate change mitigation, is crucial to the success of the post-2015 agenda;
Amendment 358 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Stresses the need to promote economic transformation with a view to helping developing countries’ economies to be competitive and create jobs;
Amendment 359 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Stresses the importance of a fair and consistent tax system with an impact on the foreign undertakings present in developing countries, particularly in the natural resources extraction sector;
Amendment 378 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. RecognFirmly emphasises the crucial role which civil society organisations (CSO) play as enablers of development; stresses the importance of engaging in dialogue with organisations on the ground, and of recognising their role as development operators, as part of the process of shaping the new development framework ;
Amendment 390 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Underlines the importance of including local authorities in the new development framework; stresses that this would require a truly participatory process, conducted early on in the development phase and that, with this in mind, decentralised public aid must be recognised and reinforced;
Amendment 392 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Heading II – Subheading 8 a (new)
Heading II – Subheading 8 a (new)
Culture as an instrument of development - notes the important role played by culture in the societies of developing countries; - stresses that culture is not only a tool of global integration and a driver of democracy but also one of the pillars of economic growth and development, particularly thanks to the cultural heritage and cultural tourism and artistic creations; - asks the European Union to take into account, and encourage, cultural development as a development tool.
Amendment 393 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Heading II a (new)
Heading II a (new)
IV. Fostering regional integration in developing countries - notes that regional integration is a driver of economic growth and job creation; - notes that EPAs are part of the process of fostering regional integration, serve both as catalysts for growth and as a mechanism for strengthening good governance, and thereby contribute to sustainable development in developing countries; - stresses that EPAs offer developing countries the conditions they need to enjoy the benefits of globalisation as rapidly as possible; - notes that regional organisations are the main operators in EPAs; - asks the European Union to adopt a strategy to encourage and promote the signature of final EPAs;
Amendment 394 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Heading II b (new)
Heading II b (new)
V. Considering a new cooperation framework after Cotonou in 2020 - notes that the Cotonou Agreement which governs relations between the EU and the ACP countries expires in 2020; - notes that the period following the expiry of Cotonou offers the Union and its partners the opportunity to define a new cooperation framework which will have to adapt to the new challenges the partner countries will have to face, taking account of the regionalisation process which is under way and will profoundly alter the ACP-EU landscape; - stresses the need to take advantage of the review of the Agreement scheduled for 2015 to adjust to the present context and provide for the future of ACP-EU relations after 2020;
Amendment 406 #
2014/2143(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Stresses the importance of respecting the ownership principle in the context of development; stresses the need to step up the political dialogue between donors and partner countries;
Amendment 16 #
2014/2004(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Considers it also important to invest in other areas such as renewable energy, infrastructures, in particular broadband infrastructure, with a stronger and enhanced use of ‘innovative financial instruments’, particularly in respect of long term investments; underlines the importance of ensuring that sufficient resources are made available for EU external actions; recalls the EU’s international commitments as regards the allocation of 0.7 % of GNP to the Millennium Development Goals Instruments by 2015;
Amendment 22 #
2014/2004(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Underlines the importance of ensuring that sufficient resources are made available for EU external actions to allow the European Union to respect the principles and pursue the objectives set out in article 21 of the TEU as well as article 323 of the TFEU; recalls the EU and its Members States' international commitment to increase their Official Development Aid (ODA) spending to 0.7% of GNI and to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015;
Amendment 46 #
2014/2004(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls that the overall level of payment appropriations agreed for the 2014 budget is below the level considered necessary and proposed by the Commission in its original draft budget; is deeply concerned that the unprecedented level of outstanding bills at the end of 2013, upamounting to EUR 23.4 billion under Heading 1b alone, cannot be covered within 2014 ceilings; Underlines also the backlog of payments appropriations of EUR 160 million for humanitarian aid carried over from 2013 to 2014, which could result in delay of payments, with all the tragic consequences that this would have in a sector where immediate reaction is essential; stresses therefore that, even if all the new flexibility mechanisms are mobilised in payments in 2014, this will again lead to a large implementation deficit at the end of 2014; underlines the fact that the recurrent shortages of payment appropriations have been the main cause of the unprecedentedly high level of outstanding commitments (RALs) especially in the last years;
Amendment 59 #
2014/2004(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Given the alarming situation of payment appropriations in humanitarian aid at the very beginning of 2014, calls for the Commission to take all necessary measures and to react as quickly as possible in order to ensure the proper delivery of EU humanitarian Aid in 2014; given the particularity of this funding for which most of commitments have to be paid within the budgetary year, invites the Commission to reflect on the possibility to enter in the draft budget 2015 not only a sufficient level of appropriations but also to enter an amount of payments appropriations equal to the level of commitment appropriations for humanitarian aid and for the emergency aid reserve;
Amendment 24 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The issue concerns resource-rich regions where the challenge posed by the desire to minimiseshut off the financing of armed groups and security forces has been taken up by governments and international organisations together with business operators and civil society organisations.
Amendment 27 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) On 7 October 2010In its resolutions of 7 October 20109a, of 8 March 20119b, of 5 July 20119c and of 26 February 20149d, the European Parliament passed a Resolution callinged for the Union to legislate along the lines of the US '‘conflict minerals’ law alias Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; and the Commission announced in its Communications of 20119 and 201210 its intention to explore ways of improving transparency throughout the supply chain, including aspects of due diligence. In the latter communication and in line with the commitment it had made at the May 2011 OECD Ministerial Council, the Commission also advocated greater support for and use of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, and of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance – even outside the OECD membership. _____________ 9aEuropean Parliament resolution of 7 October 2010 on failures in protection of human rights and justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 9bEuropean Parliament resolution of 8 March 2011 on Tax and Development – Cooperating with Developing Countries on Promoting Good Governance in Tax Matters. 9cEuropean Parliament resolution of 5 July 2011 on increasing the impact of EU development policy. 9dEuropean Parliament resolution of 26 February 2014 on promoting development through responsible business practices, including the role of extractive industries in developing countries. __________________ 10 Trade, growth and development, COM(2012) 22 final.
Amendment 33 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) In the context of this Regulation, and in accordance with the OECD Guidance, supply chain due diligence is an on-going, proactive and reactive process through which business operators monitor and administer their purchases and sales with a view to ensuringupstream and downstream of the supply chain with a view to ensuring that they do not give rise to human rights abuses and that they do not contribute to conflict and adverse impacts thereof.
Amendment 40 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) Smelters and refiners are an important point in global mineral supply chains as they are typically the last stage in which due diligence can effectively be assurbetter placed byto collecting, disclosinge and verifying information on the mineral’s origin and chain of custody. After this stage of transformation it is often considered unfeasible to trace back the origins of minerals. A Union list of responsible smelters and refiners could therefore provide transparency and certainty to downstream companies as regards, which themselves must comply, depending on their position in the supply chain, with due diligence practices as defined in this Regulation and the OECD Guidance.
Amendment 45 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) The Member State competent authorities are responsible to ensure the uniform compliance of the self- certification of responsible importers by carrying out appropriate ex-post checks so as to verify whether the self-certified responsible importers of the minerals and/or metals within the scope of the Regulation comply with the supply chain due diligence obligations. Records of such checks should be kept for at least 5 years. Member States areThe Commission is responsible to lay down the rules applicable to infringements of the provisions of this Regulation and to notify those rules to the Member States.
Amendment 49 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) In order to ensure the proper implementation of this Regulation, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission. The implementing powers relating to the list of responsible smelters and refinimporters and the list of Member State competent authorities should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/201111. __________________ 11 Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13).
Amendment 52 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16
Recital 16
(16) The Commission should report regularly to the Council and the European Parliament on the effects of the scheme. No later than three years after entering into force and every six years thereafter, the Commission should review the functioning and the effectiveness of this Regulation, including as regards the promotion of responsible sourcing of the minerals within its scope from conflict-affected and high- risk areas. The reports may be accompanied, if necessary, by appropriate legislative proposals, which may include mandatory measuresust make it possible periodically to bring this Regulation into line with the situation on the ground.
Amendment 53 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16 a (new)
Recital 16 a (new)
(16a) The Commission and the Vice- President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy should submit a legislative proposal setting out effective flanking measures. That legislative proposal will supplement the joint communication to the European Parliament and the Council annexed to this Regulation.
Amendment 54 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 16 b (new)
Recital 16 b (new)
(16b) Once this Regulation has been adopted, the flanking measures should be implemented so that this Regulation can achieve its aims in conflict-affected and high-risk areas. These flanking measures should strengthen the ongoing political dialogue with the mineral-rich countries, make for closer harmonisation between national, regional and international certification systems and enhance international coordination in the area of due diligence practices.
Amendment 56 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
1. This Regulation sets up a Union system for supply chain due diligence self-mandatory certification in order to curtail opportunities for armed groups and security forces12 to trade in tin, tantalum and tungsten, their ores, and golderadicate trading in minerals and metals by armed groups and security forces12. It is designed to provide transparency and certainty as regards the supply practices of importers, in particular smelters and refiners sourcing from conflict-affected and high-risk areas. __________________ 12‘Armed groups and security forces’ as defined in Annex II of the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict- Affected and High-Risk Areas: Second Edition, OECD Publishing (OECD (2013). http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/978926418505011158- en.
Amendment 61 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2
Article 1 – paragraph 2
2. This Regulation lays down the supply chain due diligence obligations of all Union importers who choose to be self-certified as responsible importers of minerals or metals containsource minerals and metals falling within the scope of this Regulation, in accordance with the OECD Guidance. It is designed to guarantee transparency and traceability in respect of their sourcing practices in conflict- affected or high-risk areas, ing or consisting of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold, as set out in Annex Ider to minimise or prevent violent conflicts and human rights abuses by curtailing the opportunities for armed groups and security forces, as defined in Annex II to the OECD Due Diligence Guidance, to trade in these minerals and metals.
Amendment 62 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2 a (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. This Regulation shall apply to undertakings at all points in the minerals and metals supply chain which may supply or use minerals or metals from conflict-affected or high-risk areas.
Amendment 63 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2 b (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. In order to prevent unintended distortions of the market, this Regulation shall draw a distinction between the roles of undertakings situated upstream of and those situated downstream from the supply chain. The exercise of due diligence must be tailored to the activities of the undertaking in question and its position in the supply chain.
Amendment 64 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – paragraph 2 c (new)
Article 1 – paragraph 2 c (new)
2c. It shall be for the Commission, working with certification bodies and in accordance with the OECD Guidance, to lay down the obligations to be met by importers, depending on their position in the supply chain, and to ensure that the certification system involves a flexible procedure which does not jeopardise the competitiveness of importers, in particular SMUs.
Amendment 73 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – point b a (new)
Article 2 – point b a (new)
(ba) ‘minerals and metals within the scope of the Regulation’ means all minerals and metals falling within the scope of this Regulation and of the OECD Guidance.
Amendment 76 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – point c a (new)
Article 2 – point c a (new)
(ca) ‘OECD Guidance’ means the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict- Affected and High-Risk Areas, Second Edition, OECD Publishing (OECD (2013)), including all Council recommendations, annexes and supplements, which may be periodically modified or replaced.
Amendment 82 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – point e
Article 2 – point e
(e) '‘conflict-affected and high-risk areas' means areas in a state of armed conflict, fragile post-conflict as well as areas witnessing weak or non-existent governance and security, such as failed states, and widespread and systematic’ are identified by the presence of armed conflict, widespread violence or other risks of harm to people. There are several types of armed conflict: international (which may involve two or more states) or non-international, wars of liberation, insurgencies, etc.; High-risk areas are characterised by political instability or repression, institutional weakness, insecurity, collapse of civil infrastructure and widespread violence, and also widespread human rights abuses and violations of international law, including human rights abuses;or international law.
Amendment 85 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – point f a (new)
Article 2 – point f a (new)
(fa) ‘downstream undertakings’ means metal traders and exchanges, component manufacturers, product manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers and retailers.
Amendment 87 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – point g
Article 2 – point g
(g) 'importer' means any natural or legal person decplarcing on the market for the first time minerals or metals within the scope of this Regulation for release for free circulation within the meaning of Article 79 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/199213; __________________ 13Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 of 12 October 1992 establishing the Community Customs Code (OJ L 302, 19.10.1992, p. 1).
Amendment 89 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – point h
Article 2 – point h
(h) '‘responsible importer'’ means any importer who chooses to self-certify according toomplies with the rules set out in this Regulation;
Amendment 91 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – point i
Article 2 – point i
(i) 'self-‘European responsible importer certification'e’ means the act of declaring one's adherence to the obligations relating to management systems, risk management, third-party audits and disclosure adocument issued by the competent authorities to any importer who undertakes to observe the rules set out in this Regulation;
Amendment 100 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – point n a (new)
Article 2 – point n a (new)
(na) ‘upstream undertakings’ means miners (artisanal and small-scale or large-scale producers), local traders or exporters from the country of mineral origin, international concentrate traders, mineral reprocessors and smelters/refineries.
Amendment 101 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – point o
Article 2 – point o
(o) '‘supply chain due diligence'’ refers to the obligations of responsible importers of tmin, tantalum and tungsten, their ores, and golderals and metals falling within the scope of this Regulation and the OECD Guidance in relation to their management systems, risk management, third-party audits and disclosure of information with a view to identifying and addressing actual and potential risks linked to conflict- affected and high risk-areas to prevent or mitigate adverse impacts associated with their sourcing activities and ensuring that the latter do not contribute to the illegal trade in minerals and the funding of conflicts and do not give rise to human rights abuses;
Amendment 103 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 2 – point q a (new)
Article 2 – point q a (new)
(qa) ‘armed groups and security forces’ means groups as defined in Annex II to the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High Risk Areas.
Amendment 105 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – title
Article 3 – title
Amendment 106 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Amendment 111 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 3 – paragraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 2
2. The Member State competent authorities shall carry out appropriate ex-post checks in order to ensure that self-certified responsible importers of the minerals or metals within the scope of this Regulation comply with their obligations pursuant to Articles 4, 5, 6, and 7 of this Regulation.
Amendment 114 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – introductory part
Article 4 – introductory part
Amendment 116 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – point a
Article 4 – point a
(a) adopt and clearly and systematically communicate to suppliers and the public its supply chain policy for the minerals and metals potentially originating from conflict- affected and high-risk areas,
Amendment 124 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – point g – point iii
Article 4 – point g – point iii
(iii) name and address of the smelters or refiners and/or any other intermediary in the importers' supply chain,;
Amendment 125 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – point g – point iv
Article 4 – point g – point iv
(iv) record of the smelters' or refiners' third-party audit reports, and/or those carried out in any other intermediary undertaking;
Amendment 126 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 4 – point g a (new)
Article 4 – point g a (new)
(ga) Importers shall inform the authorities within one month of any changes regarding the description of the mineral and metals imported by them.
Amendment 155 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 3 – point a
Article 7 – paragraph 3 – point a
(a) name and address of each of the responsible smelters or refiners and/or any other intermediary in its supply chain,
Amendment 157 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 7 – paragraph 3 – point b
Article 7 – paragraph 3 – point b
(b) independent third-party audits regarding each of the responsible smelters or refiners and/or any other intermediary in its supply chain carried out in accordance with the scope, objective and principles set out in Article 6 of the Regulation,
Amendment 163 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – title
Article 8 – title
List of responsible smelters and refinimporters
Amendment 166 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
1. On the basis of the information provided by the Member States in their reports as referred to in Article 15, the Commission shall adopt and make publicly available a decision listing the names and addresses of responsible smelters and refinimporters of minerals within the scope of this Regulation.
Amendment 171 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 8 – paragraph 4
Article 8 – paragraph 4
4. The Commission shall update the information included in the list in a timely manner. TEvery six months, the Commission shall remove from the list the names of the smelters and refinimporters that are no longer recognised as responsible importers by Member States in accordance with Article 14(3), or the names of the smelters and refiners in the supply chain of the no longer recognised responsible importers.
Amendment 186 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 12 a (new)
Article 12 a (new)
Article 12 a Definition of 'conflict area' or 'high risk area': The Commission shall, in close cooperation with the European External Action Service, make available to the public and companies adequate information as to what is meant by 'conflict area' or 'high risk area' and how they are defined.
Amendment 195 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – title
Article 14 – title
Rules applicable to infringement and penalties
Amendment 196 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 1
Article 14 – paragraph 1
1. The Member StatesCommission shall lay down the rulpenalties applicable to infringements of the provisions of this Regulation and communicate these to the Member States. The penalties provided for must be effective, proportionate and dissuasive. The Commission shall determine the measures necessary to ensure that they are implemented.
Amendment 198 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 2
Article 14 – paragraph 2
2. In case of an infringement of the provisions of this Regulation, the competent authorities of Member States shall issue a notice ofnotify the responsible importer of the remedial action to be taken by the responsible importerhim.
Amendment 200 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 14 – paragraph 4
Article 14 – paragraph 4
Amendment 204 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3
Article 15 – paragraph 3
3. Three years after the entry into force of this Regulation and every six years thereafter, the Commission shall review the functioning and effectiveness of this Regulation, including on the promotion and cost of responsible sourcing of the minerals within its scope from conflict- affected and high-risk areas including political guidelines and taking into account the effectiveness of the accompanying measures. The Commission shall examine the possibility of extending these arrangements to other minerals and metals under the provisions of this paragraph. The Commission shall submit a review report to the European Parliament and to the Council.
Amendment 207 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. This Regulation provides for a transitional two-year period to allow importers of minerals and metals falling within its scope to comply with the obligations of due diligence.
Amendment 208 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 – paragraph 3 b (new)
Article 15 – paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Any changes to the OECD guidelines shall apply mutatis mutandis to this regulation.
Amendment 210 #
2014/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 15 a (new)
Article 15 a (new)
Amendment 143 #
2013/2020(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Notes with great concern the role of these factors in facilitating the regional surge in international organised crime and jihadi networks; emphasises the serious threats that they pose to human rights and regional stability, and the need to confront such threats for the benefit of Sahelian populations; expresses particular alarm at the ‘trafficking highways’, which, helped by the porousness of the borders, stretch across Africa from west to east, and south to north from the West African coast, transporting arms, narcotics, cigarettes, and people; notes that the Sahel risks further destabilisation from the proliferation of light weaponry originating in Libyaapplauds the efforts of the Sahel countries to fight terrorism and organised crime, not least where heavy weapons traffic is concerned; notes that the Sahel risks further destabilisation from the proliferation of light weaponry originating in Libya; urges the Sahel countries, therefore, to intensify regional coordination and cooperation, redouble their efforts to secure their shared land borders, and, to that end, seek the involvement of ECOWAS; further condemns the region'’s increased incidences of kidnapping and hostage- taking, which have proved highly lucrative for criminal and terrorist groups, and welcomes the work of the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Group on the impact of terrorist hostage-taking on human rights; draws attention to the impact of these activities on the wider region, as well as the EU, which is the destination for much of the illicit traffic;
Amendment 172 #
2013/2020(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Supports the UN Security Council resolution commitment to assisting the transitional authorities of Mali to implement the road map towards the full restoration of constitutional order, democratic governance and national unity; considers it essential to create conditions conducive to the holding of credibledemocratic elections, in keeping with international standards; stresses the need to overcome challenges related to the voting arrangements in the IDP and refugee camps, to avoid further political marginalisation; calls for immediate action on this issue by the Malian Government and its international partners; emphasises the need to ensure the safe participation of women in the electoral process;
Amendment 185 #
2013/2020(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Notes with due seriousness the extreme and pervasive poverty of Mali, Niger, Chad and Burkina Faso, and acknowledges its detrimental impact on the prospects of realising human rights; expresses grave concern over the high maternal and under- five child mortality rates in the region; stresses the UN’'s findings of lower mortality rates among better educated mothers as a rallying call for universal educationeducation accessible to all; points out that fast population growth puts additional pressure on governments’ capacity to protect even the most basic economic and social rights;
Amendment 48 #
2013/0238(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
2015 shall be designated the ‘European Year ofor Development’ (hereinafter referred to as ‘the European Year’). The motto of the European Year shall be "Dignity for all".
Amendment 60 #
2013/0238(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. The national coordinators shall, in close coordination with the Commission, consult and cooperate with a wide range of relevant stakeholders, including civil society, national parliaments, local and regional authorities, the social partners and, where appropriate, the national agencies or contact points for the relevant Union programmes.
Amendment 67 #
2013/0238(COD)
Proposal for a decision
Annex 1 – paragraph 1
Annex 1 – paragraph 1
Implementation of the European Year will centre on a broad Union-wide information and communication campaign complemented by action taken by the Member States. Both Union and national action can also involve civil society, social partners, regional and local authorities, and other stakeholders with a view to creating a sense of ownership among key actors.
Amendment 9 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7
Citation 7
– having regard to the work of the UN Secretary-General's High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda and the outcome of the Rio+20 conference,
Amendment 11 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8
Citation 8
– having regard to the Commission communication of 12 April 2005 entitled ‘Policy Coherence for Development’ (COM(2005)0134), and the Council conclusions 'Policy Coherence for Development', 3166th Foreign Affairs Council meeting of 14 May 2012,
Amendment 21 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas the European Consensus for Development, signed by the Commission, the Council and the Parliament is an acquis; recalling the importance and scope of this document, which enshrines the European Roadmap for development, as well as the acquis and the guidelines arising from it;
Amendment 28 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas global challenges remain – hunger, restricted access to medication, insufficient health care, lack of proper and safe sanitation, insufficient levels of primary education, and gender inequality;
Amendment 42 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas it is projected that in 2015 more than 600 million people will still be using unimproved water sources which pose a risk to health and that one billion people will be living on less than USD 1.25 per day; whereas declaring 2015 the European Year for Development will thus help raise public awareness in Europe of the importance of the new MDGs;
Amendment 46 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the achievement of the MDGs before the deadline will depend largely on the fulfilment of the Global Partnership for Development, and whereas the EU and its Member States should stick to their commitments and not allow the current economic and financial crisis to halt the progress that has been made;
Amendment 53 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the lack of peace, security, democracy, respect of human rights and political stability, together with corruption, prevents poor countries from fulfilling their development potential;
Amendment 57 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the situation in middle-income countries (MICs) should not be overlooked when reviewing the MDGs while taking into account the principle of differentiation as agreed in the new development agenda;
Amendment 76 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Considers that this unified approach requires due coordination between the EU and its Member States before the New York Autumn Summit presentation and high visibility during the negotiation process under the leadership of the European Commissioner for Development; calls on the EU, which is the major donor worldwide, to fully assume its role as the main actor on the post-2015 agenda;
Amendment 88 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for a renewed approach to poverty eradication which takes into consideration the importance of inclusive growth, decent work, professional training, fair redistribution of wealth, environmental sustainability, human rights and good governance;
Amendment 134 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Urges the international community to pay special attention to creating an environment enabling civil society organisations (CSOs) to– which are basic service providers – to take on their responsibility for framing policies and monitoring their implementation and thus play a proper role in the post-2015 framework;
Amendment 176 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Points out that promoting universal access to safe water and modern, reliable, affordable, climate-friendly and sustainable energy services for all is a key driver of poverty eradication and inclusive growth;
Amendment 186 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recalls the commitment made to allocate 0.7 % of gross national income (GNI) to official development assistance (ODA) by 2015; stresses that this level should at leasthas to be maintained in a future framework;
Amendment 189 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21 a. Recalls the focus on poverty reduction as the main element of development and cooperation policies; recalls the proper implementation of the differentiation principle enshrined in the new development agenda; urges the emerging countries to assume their responsibility in redistributing wealth between their citizens in order to get them out of the poverty gap;
Amendment 191 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
Paragraph 21 b (new)
21 b. Recalls that the challenge of climate change has to be phased by allocating additional financial means;
Amendment 199 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
Amendment 215 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27 a. Calls on the private sector to set up a code of conduct to ensure responsible financial standards and inhibit tax avoidance;
Amendment 221 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30 a. Calls on the EU to develop relevant baselines, indicators and targets for measuring the impact of PCD;
Amendment 241 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Calls on the EU to continue to pay particular attention to the clear linkages between PCD and, ensuring that PCD is firmly incorporated into the post-2015 MDGsframework, in particular into the following priority areas: trade and finance, climate change, agriculture, health care, food security, migration, energy, and peace and security policies;
Amendment 251 #
2012/2289(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 – point a
Paragraph 39 – point a
a. the architecture of the post-2015 development agenda should reflect new global and national realitprovide answers for a world that has fundamentally changed and in which the gap between rich and poor in every country continues to widen, particularly in developing countries;
Amendment 1 #
2012/2263(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Underlines the importance of a coherent development of the EU policies on immigration, asylum and children's rights, - concerning both minors in the EU and in third countries - taking due account of their impact on developing countries; recalls the obligation of Policy Coherence (PCD) enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty;
Amendment 4 #
2012/2263(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses that action to combat trafficking in human beings and to prevent illegal immigration by addressing its root causes is a vital prerequisite in addressing the issue of unaccompanied minors;
Amendment 7 #
2012/2263(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Points to the obvious protection gap at EU level as regards the reception of and provision of assistance to unaccompanied minors; considers that, in view of this, the EU should continue: (a) to provide increased resources to support full implementation of improvements in recent EU legislation and policies, including through strengthened implementation of the current EU Action Plan on Unaccompanied Minors; (b) to plan for renewing efforts in this field through a further action plan post 2014, and (c) to introduce a common and binding regulatory framework with clear rules to address the challenge in its entirety, in order to correct the current shortcomings and the disparities existing between Member States, such as age assessment, guardians, access to services and the identification and implementation of durable solutions;
Amendment 11 #
2012/2263(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 16 #
2012/2263(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses that preventing the rneestablishment of family ties, return and measures tod for, and reducing the risks of unsafe migration, identification, family tracing, assessing family circumstances, fostering opportunities for return and reintegration where this is in the best interests of a minor, combating trafficking in human beings and strengthening child protection systems are matters to be discussed in the EU's regular dialogues with partner countries and must form an integral part of the agenda of the European External Action Service and of the Commission delegations;
Amendment 17 #
2012/2263(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Considers it essential to introduce a coordinated EU-wide method of data collection, including both quantitative and qualitative data, by reinforcing the role of Frontex and Europol and with the involvement of the European Migration Network.
Amendment 6 #
2012/2253(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recommends low-cost, high-efficiency strategies, such asalls that the EEAS cannot be considered as a 28th diplomatic service but must aim at enabling savings to be made in all Member States and improving diplomatic high-efficiency strategies between the European Union and its Member States through the pooling and sharing of expertise and know-how with Member States' ministries and diplomatic services, a focused effort to remove any duplication in tasks, functions and resources with other European institutions, and closer cooperation with international organisations and international financial institutions;
Amendment 1 #
2012/2222(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls once again for the budgetisation of the European Development Fund (EDF), as this would contribute to the more effective promotion of Union priorities and thematic support and would enhance the visibility, as well as the consistency, of the EU's actions as the world's largest donor of development aid; invites the Commission to present a roadmap for the budgetisation of the EDF after 2020, containing details on the timeline and procedure for its inclusion in the Union budget;
Amendment 2 #
2012/2222(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Insists however that the incorporation of the EDF into the EU budget should not influence themust lead to an overall financial allocation for the other priority areas and policies of the Unioncrease of the EU budget by the amount initially foreseen to finance the EDF;
Amendment 8 #
2012/2222(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Recalls that the 2015 deadline for meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), and the collective Official Development Aid (ODA) target of 0.7% of gross national income (GNI), fall within the next MFF period; stresses, accordingly, that an appropriate overall level of development aid and funding is required for the Union and its Member States to meet its international development commitments; urges Member States to take immediate action to meet their ODA targets and fulfil their development pledges;
Amendment 17 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 a (new)
Citation 22 a (new)
- having regard to the draft UN Principles and Guidelines on effective elimination of discrimination based on Work and Descent published by the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/11/CRP.3),
Amendment 18 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 b (new)
Citation 22 b (new)
- having regard to observations and recommendations on caste discrimination by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Treaty Bodies and UN Special Procedures, noting in particular the Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance of 24 May 2011 (A/HRC/17/40),
Amendment 41 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas democracy isand the rule of law are the best safeguard of human rights and fundamental freedoms, tolerance of all groups in society and equality of opportunity for each person;
Amendment 103 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Reiterates its strong support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the fight against impunity for the most serious crimes of international concern; calls on the EU and its Member States to continue their political, diplomatic, logistical and financial backing of the ICC and other international criminal tribunals, including the ad hoc international tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, the Special Court for Sierra Leone, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon; calls on the EU Member States to continue to provide judicial support and the assistance of their police forces in serving arrest warrants approved by the ICC and other international courts;
Amendment 129 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Underlines, further to the Arab Spring, the importance of developing a coherent and nuanced EU policy on transitional justice, including the linkage toand of promoting the ICC a’s a court of last resortdditional role, to help countries in transition address the past human rights violations and to fight against impunity;
Amendment 131 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Recommends that the EU and its Member States take all the measures necessary to prevent the commission of international criminal offences established by the Rome Statute of the ICC;
Amendment 136 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Welcomes the EU’s efforts in the field of IHL and to ensure accountability by documenting any abuses of IHL and supporting accountability mechanisms, as well as its pledges to combat enforced disappearances, continue support for the ICC, work towards further participation in the principal IHL instruments, promote respect for fundamental procedural guarantees for all persons detained in armed conflict, and support international instruments seeking to address humanitarian hazards of explosive remnants of war, cluster munitions, improvised explosive devices and anti- personnel landmines; condemns, in general, the use of indiscriminate, irreversibly lethal or unnecessarily cruel weapons and continues to promote a ban on their manufacture and proliferation;
Amendment 143 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Reiterates its commitment to the principle of the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ (R2P), stressingStresses the importance of external actors, including the EU, addressing gross human rights violations in third countries when the governments of these countries are unable or unwilling to protect their own citizens; stresses the importance of engaging in R2P actions under the auspices or authorisation of the UN whenever possible;
Amendment 149 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Commends, in this context,Deplores the lactions of several Member States which took the lead ink of a concerted EU response to preventing further violence against civilians in Libya during the course of 2011, but regrets the lack of a concerted response at EU level;
Amendment 171 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)
Paragraph 32 a (new)
32a. Condemns severely the acts of violence by the Syrian Government against its own people;
Amendment 183 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Underlines that a longer-term approach covering the whole election cycle is required to appropriately follow up on the reports and recommendations of the EU Election Observation Missions; stresses the importance of drawing up realistic and achievable recommendations and of ensuring that these recommendations are monitored and become part of political dialogue and assistance by the EU delegations; considers that Parliament's standing delegations and the joint parliamentary assemblies should also play an enhanced role in following up these recommendations and analysing progress with regard to human rights and democracy;
Amendment 207 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 a (new)
Paragraph 40 a (new)
40a. Stresses that despite some steps taken by the Chinese authorities in the right direction, the human rights situation continues to deteriorate and is marked by widening social unrest and the tightening of control and repression of human rights defenders, lawyers, bloggers, and social activists, as well as by targeted policies aimed at marginalising Tibetans and their cultural identity; urges the Chinese authorities to engage seriously with the Tibetan people to assess the underlying causes of self-immolations of Tibetan monks and nuns and cease harassment and intimidation of Tibetans who exercise their rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association, end all use of unnecessary excessive force in facing protestors, investigate all instances of human rights violations, and allow independent monitors into areas of protest;
Amendment 208 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 b (new)
Paragraph 40 b (new)
40b. Reiterates its call for the need to appoint an EU Special Representative for Tibet who would be responsible for the defence of human rights and, among other topical issues, the right to freely practice one's religion and culture in China;
Amendment 234 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47
Paragraph 47
47. Notes that the EU is developing a human rights monitoring mechanism to be included as part of new partnership and cooperation agreements, and other trade agreements, with a number of countries; is concerned that these monitoring mechanisms are not ambitious enough and not clearly defined, compromising the EU's treaty commitment to the promotion of human rights and democracy in the world; is particularly concerned in this regard about the PCA with Uzbekistan and the pending PCA with Turkmenistan;
Amendment 244 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51 a (new)
Paragraph 51 a (new)
51a. Stresses that religious beliefs should be respected; however, this should not impede the freedom of expression which must be used responsibly;
Amendment 255 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53 a (new)
Paragraph 53 a (new)
53a. Welcomes Council decisions to ban the export of certain information technologies and services to Syria and Iran and urges the European Union to consider these cases as precedents for future restrictive measures against other repressive regimes; strongly supports the proposal to include human rights violations in the EU dual-use export control system as a reason for which non- listed items may be subject to export restrictions by Member States;
Amendment 296 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70
Paragraph 70
70. Strongly regrets that homosexuality remains criminalised in 78 states, including five in which it is subject to the death penalty; calls on these states to decriminalise homosexuality without delay, to free those imprisoned on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity and not to execute them; calls on the EEAS to make full use of the LGBT Toolkit to protect the rights of LGBTI people; calls on the Council to work towards binding guidelines in this area; calls on the EEAS and Member States to assist LGBTI human rights defenders in countries where they are at risk, and calls on the VP/HR to continue making clear the European Union's firm commitment to equality and non-discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in the world, including by launching and supporting initiatives at bilateral, international and UN level on these matters; repeats its call on the Commission to issue a roadmap for equality on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity;
Amendment 298 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 a (new)
Paragraph 70 a (new)
70a. Calls on Member States to grant asylum to people fleeing persecution in countries where LGBT people are criminalised, on the basis of applicants' well-founded fears of persecution, and relying on their self-identification as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex;
Amendment 299 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 b (new)
Paragraph 70 b (new)
70b. Reasserts that the principle of non- discrimination, including on grounds of sex and sexual orientation, is a fundamental element in the ACP-EU partnership;
Amendment 300 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 70 c (new)
Paragraph 70 c (new)
70c. Underlines that for the EU's foreign policy to be credible and coherent in the field of fundamental rights, equality and anti-discrimination, the Council should adopt the directive on equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation and enlarge the application of the Framework Decision on Racism and Xenophobia to cover other targeted groups, such as LGBT persons;
Amendment 301 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71
Paragraph 71
71. Condemns the continued human rights violations committed against people suffering from caste-based discrimination, including the denial of equality and access to justice, continued segregation and caste- induced barriers to the achievement of basic human rights; requests the Council, the EEAS and the Commission to take joint action on caste-based discrimination, including in EU human rights communications, frameworks and country- based strategies and dialogues, wherever appropriate; , and to promote the draft UN Principles and Guidelines for the elimination of discrimination based on work and descent as a guiding framework to eliminate caste discrimination, and work for their endorsement by the UN Human Rights Council;
Amendment 303 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71 a (new)
Paragraph 71 a (new)
71a. Requests the High Representative and the Special Representative for Human Rights to give full recognition to caste discrimination as a cross-cutting human rights and poverty predicament affecting most severely women;
Amendment 307 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 a (new)
Paragraph 72 a (new)
72a. Calls on the EU and its Member States to promote the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities established in 2006 within the framework of the UN both within and outside the European Union;
Amendment 309 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 72 a (new)
Paragraph 72 a (new)
Amendment 321 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75
Paragraph 75
75. Urges the EU to enhance its action to end the practices of female genital mutilation (FGM), early and forced marriages, and gender-selective abortion; insists that these policies should be essential elements in EU approach to development cooperation; stresses the importance of adequate access to medical means, and of information about sexual and reproductive health and rights, to the wellbeing of women in all countries;
Amendment 327 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 75 a (new)
Paragraph 75 a (new)
75a. Notes that there continues to be insufficient attention given to sexual and reproductive rights violations that undermine efforts towards the Cairo Programme of Action (ICPD) commitments; underlines that progress on reproductive health has been limited in some contexts by violations such as child, early and forced marriage and failure to enforce a legal minimum age of marriage, coercive practices such as forced sterilisation or FGM, as well as denial of autonomy to women and girls to make decisions about their sexual and reproductive health free of discrimination, coercion and violence;
Amendment 400 #
2012/2145(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 83 a (new)
Paragraph 83 a (new)
83a. Recalls that in a number of countries the prohibition, confiscation and destruction of both places of worship and religious publications, and prohibition of the training of clergy, are still common practice; urges the EU institutions, in their contacts with the relevant governments, to counter such violations;
Amendment 50 #
2012/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas China emphasises social human rights (e.g., food, clothes, economic development), while the EU stresses individual human rights (e.g., freedom of speech, religion, association)and attaches no particular importance to first-generation human rights;
Amendment 56 #
2012/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas China is a country that is passionate about the internet has experienced tremendous growthe internet, with more than 500 million user China, but is subject to extremely strict controls;
Amendment 112 #
2012/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital O
Recital O
O. whereas nowhere in the world is China’'s explosive growth more visible than in Africa, as illustrated by the impressive rise of China’s mutual trade volume by 80 % to USD 166.3 billion between 2009 and 2011, according to Chinese statisticspresence in Africa is increasingly intrusive;
Amendment 208 #
2012/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Admires the courage and the social responsibility of numerous Chinese citizens for defending precious social rights in their country, but denounces the tragic state of affairs whereby several of them are being officially persecuted and punished for their efforts to correct well-known social dangers/criminal acts such as corruption, abuse of office, environmental damage, AIDS infection, food poisoning, construction fraud concerning schools, illegal land and property expropriation, often committed by local party authorities; urges the Chinese leadership to encourage civil responsibility for observing social human rights and to rehabilitate officially persecuted and punished defenders of these rights; also expects a responsiblreminds the Chinese leadership to comply strictly with individual human rights;
Amendment 224 #
2012/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes that the Chinese Government is tightening its surveillance of the internet by way of a new law that forbids betrayal of state secrets, harming of national pride, endangering the ethnic unity of the country or making calls for ‘illegal protests’ or ‘mass meetings’; criticises the factnotes that thesre prohibitions are rather obscurely formulated and thus clear the way for unbridledis therefore no longer any real limit to censorship;
Amendment 227 #
2012/2137(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Is concerned about the entry into force of the new provisions relating to control of the internet legalizing the closure of blogs, but also providing stiff penalties for bloggers, journalists and lawyers who defend them;
Amendment 8 #
2012/2063(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
Recital A c (new)
A c. whereas the new development policy framework presented in the Agenda for Change aims for policy coherence not only within the Union but also with regards to the Union and its Member States by advocating joint-programming and emphasising the role of the EU as coordinator, convener and policy maker;
Amendment 12 #
2012/2063(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A g (new)
Recital A g (new)
A g. whereas the EU is committed to reaching the UN target of 0.7% of gross national income (GNI) in official development assistance (ODA) by 2015;
Amendment 15 #
2012/2063(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A j (new)
Recital A j (new)
A j. whereas the Agenda for Change (COM (2011) 637) in its aim to increase the impact of EU development assistance reiterates that the objectives of development, democracy, human rights, good governance and security are intertwined;
Amendment 35 #
2012/2063(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3 a. Calls on the Member States and their national parliaments to promote PCD through a specific working programme with binding timetables, in order to improve the European PCD work programme; calls for the introduction of structured annual meetings between representatives of national parliaments of EU Member States and the European Parliament to ensure consistency in the spending of development aid;
Amendment 44 #
2012/2063(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Asks the High Representative to acknowledge and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to confirm their important roles in making PCD a reality through the EEAS;
Amendment 47 #
2012/2063(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Welcomes the Commission's proposal to deepen the cooperation with the European Parliament and national parliaments on Policy Coherence for Development by engaging in more exchanges with them on the subject and by accompanying them in acquiring specific analytical capacity to contribute to promoting PCD in the EU; proposes that these exchanges between national parliaments, the European Parliament and the Commission should come in the form of structured annual meetings which include clear objectives along with task monitoring activities with the goal of strengthening PCD in the EU;
Amendment 1 #
2012/2016(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Insists that the EU and the Member States must take seriously their partnership with DCI-funded developing countries which receive funding under the DCI and that long-term predictability is an essential element of this partnership; insists that the poorest and most vulnerable populations in DCI beneficiary countries should not be made to bear the brunt of the substantial increases in funding of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument in response to the Arab Spring; draws attention to the commitment made in connection with the Agenda for Change to gradually scale back the EU programmes still in progress in middle- income countries, starting from the next multiannual financial framework (2014- 2020);
Amendment 1 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
- having regard to the Council’s conclusions on: ‘Increasing the Impact of EU Development Policy: an Agenda for Change’1, __________________ 1 3166th Foreign Affairs Council meeting, Brussels, 14 May 2012: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/c ms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/13024 3.pdf
Amendment 2 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
Citation 2 a (new)
- having regard to the Council’s conclusions on: ‘The Future Approach to EU Budget Support to Third Countries’2, __________________ 2 3166th Foreign Affairs Council meeting, Brussels, 14 May 2012: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/c ms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/13024 1.pdf
Amendment 3 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 b (new)
Citation 2 b (new)
- having regard to the Council’s conclusions on: ‘Policy Coherence for Development’3, __________________ 3 3166th Foreign Affairs Council meeting, Brussels, 14 May 2012: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/c ms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/130225 .pdf
Amendment 7 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
Amendment 9 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 c (new)
Citation 11 c (new)
- having regard to the DAC Peer Review of the Development Cooperation Policies and Programmes of the EU, published on 24 April 2012 by the Development Aid Committee (DAC) of the OECD7, __________________ 7 http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/61/46/5015 5818.pdf
Amendment 10 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the European Consensus for Development, signed by the European Commission, the Council and the Parliament is an acquis, and recalling the importance and the scope of this document, which enshrines the European Roadmap for development, as well as the acquis and the guidelines arising from it,
Amendment 11 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas 2015 is the deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals,
Amendment 13 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
Recital C b (new)
Cb. whereas globalisation, a major source of wealth, particularly in middle-income countries, has not, however, contributed sufficiently to reducing insecurity or indeed poverty,
Amendment 16 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas development cooperation consists of promoting human development and the fulfilment of human beings in all their dimensions, including their cultural dimension,
Amendment 18 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
Dc. whereas reinforcing synergies and establishing a strategic link between humanitarian aid and development aid is a necessary condition for developing resilience and initiating a process of sustainable development in fragile or transition countries whose populations are among the poorest and most vulnerable,
Amendment 19 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital D d (new)
Recital D d (new)
Dd. whereas, pursuant to Article 2(3) of the Treaty on European Union, one of the aims of the Union is to encourage a sustainable social market economy and this approach applies to both development policy and neighbourhood policy,
Amendment 23 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E b (new)
Recital E b (new)
Eb. recalling the willingness of the Commission to cease ODA to middle- income countries within the scope of the differentiation as provided for in the Agenda for Change,
Amendment 25 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E d (new)
Recital E d (new)
Ed. whereas since the objective of the Agenda for Change proposed by the Commission is to strengthen the impact of current development policy, achievement of the Europe 2020 strategy and the other interests of the European Union in the area of the Union’s external activity should be planned in accordance with the objectives of its development policy,
Amendment 26 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E e (new)
Recital E e (new)
Ee. whereas at international level, particularly within the G20, there is a democratic deficit in decision-making structures based on a form of governance that excludes the poorest developing countries,
Amendment 27 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E f (new)
Recital E f (new)
Ef. having regard to the Commission’s analysis of the current deficiencies in development policy (fragmentation of aid and duplication, since the division of labour among donors is far from ideal),
Amendment 28 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E g (new)
Recital E g (new)
Eg. whereas the new Agenda includes a limited number of priorities, making it better able to meet new challenges, including the impact of the financial crisis, climate change, energy problems and recurring food crises,
Amendment 31 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Considers that the Agenda for Change is innovative in that it focuses, inter alia, on harnessing budgetary resources, combining subsidies and loans and promoting the private sector; considers that the use of these mechanisms should contribute, principally, to lifting the inhabitants of developing countries out of extreme poverty and dependencegratulates the Council on having taken account, in its conclusions of 14 May 2010, of both basic principles underlying EU development cooperation and some of the positions expressed by the European Parliament in its recent resolutions on development cooperation;
Amendment 32 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Believes that the Agenda for Change is innovative by focusing, among other things, on the use of budget support, on combining grants and loans and on promoting the private sector; believes that using these mechanisms should essentially contribute to lifting the citizens of developing countries out of extreme poverty and dependence;
Amendment 35 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes the Commission’s intention to promote ‘inclusive and sustainable growth in the service of human development’, but regrets that the document does not contain any explicit references to the need to promote more equitable distribution of the wealth produced and emphasises that, from a development perspective, this new instrument should have no objective besides that of the economic and social advancement of the most deprived;
Amendment 42 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reaffirms its commitment, in this regard, to social inclusion, and the decision to allocate at least 20 % of EU aid in its entirety to basic social services as defined by the United Nations in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs);
Amendment 44 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
Amendment 45 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Warns that exclusive attention to economic growth and excessive confidence in the effects of automatic redistribution of development in the private sector could lead to unbalanced, non-inclusive growth;
Amendment 50 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Emphasises the responsibility of all state and non-state actors to focus their strategies on eliminating poverty; stresses, on the one hand, the responsibility of the EU to meet its target of 0.7 % by 2015 and, on the other, the essential fight against poverty in emerging economies using means relevant to their internal solidarity; in this regard, welcomes the conclusions of the Council, which encourage the Union to ‘continue its political dialogue on poverty reduction and the fight against inequalities with more advanced countries’;
Amendment 58 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Believes it essential for middle-income countries to commit an increasing proportion of their revenue to social purposes, particularly through developing taxation systems and other internal redistribution and social protection systems, thereby enabling the European Union to gradually scale back its current development programmes;
Amendment 59 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. RequestApproves of the concept of differentiation; invites the Commission, thereforehowever, to negotiate a roadmap for the gradual reduction of Official Development Assistance (ODA) with middle-income countries, to limit itself in time to granting only technical assistance to these countries and to involve them progressively in North–South–South triangular cooperations;
Amendment 70 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Amendment 74 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 e (new)
Paragraph 10 e (new)
10e. Agrees with the Council’s call for the adoption of a rights-based approach to development, through which the European Union recognises, in particular, the right to universal, non- discriminatory access to basic services, participation in democratic political processes, transparency and accountability, justice and the Rule of Law, with an emphasis on poor and vulnerable groups;
Amendment 75 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 f (new)
Paragraph 10 f (new)
10f. Regrets, however, that in the Commission communications human rights mainly appear as part of a broader good governance conditionality, which seems to have only instrumental value for development; points out that a human rights-based approach to development cannot be limited to conditionality, and that an integrated understanding of human rights is needed, whereby equal attention is paid to civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights and development is understood in the first place as human development;
Amendment 76 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 g (new)
Paragraph 10 g (new)
10g. Recalls, in this context, the importance of recognition by the EU of the right to development of these partner countries and the obligations arising from this right for donor countries;
Amendment 77 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 h (new)
Paragraph 10 h (new)
10h. In line with the Programme of Action adopted at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in 1994, calls on the Commission to continue supporting a rights based approach to the population and development agenda, notably through collaboration with CSOs and UN agencies like UNFPA;
Amendment 80 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 k (new)
Paragraph 10 k (new)
10k. Believes that the imposition of conditions for the use of certain kinds of ODA disbursement should go hand in hand with democratic monitoring of budgets by parliaments, the courts of auditors, civil society and regional and local authorities in recipient countries and with guarantees from the European Union on the continuity and predictability of aid provided by the Union, and welcomes the fact that the Council has included these recommendations in its conclusions; stresses the need to continue and expand the ‘MDG contracts’ system;
Amendment 81 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 l (new)
Paragraph 10 l (new)
10l. Believes that the official ODA publication does not sufficiently reflect the means that are truly available in this regard;
Amendment 83 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 n (new)
Paragraph 10 n (new)
10n. Emphasises the need to strengthen political dialogue, particularly among the three institutions of the EU, in order to strengthen the existing level of consensus and involvement regarding the adoption of the ‘European Consensus on Development’ in 2005; believes, therefore, that the new programme can only be an instrument that is compatible with the ‘Consensus’, leading to a more effective development policy that serves the overarching cooperation development objective of the European Union, which is to eradicate poverty – in particular, through efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals – in a context of sustainable development;
Amendment 84 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 o (new)
Paragraph 10 o (new)
10o. Wishes to preserve the consensual character of all EU institutions regarding cooperation development as defined on 20 December 2005 and, in this spirit, calls on the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to add her signature to the European Consensus on Development, since the European External Action Service over which she presides assumes significant programming responsibilities;
Amendment 86 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Regrets that the Commission has only called on the Council to approve its Agenda for Change, despite the fact that democratic control, as provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon, should be fully applied in the field of development policy implementation; stresses that in order to become operational, all changes in the geographic, thematic and sectoral development priorities of the Union must be decided through codecision by the Parliament and the Council within the framework of instruments for the financing of development cooperation which fall within the ordinary legislative procedure;
Amendment 90 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 e (new)
Paragraph 11 e (new)
11e. Calls on the Commission to develop the tools necessary to guarantee a strategic link between humanitarian aid and development in situations of fragility, crisis and post-crisis, so as to strengthen the resilience of the populations of the countries concerned;
Amendment 92 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 g (new)
Paragraph 11 g (new)
11g. Considers it essential to highlight the comparative advantages of the EU’s development cooperation policy and, in this regard, calls on the Commission, with the aid of the OECD, to define a methodology that will allow it to assess the impact of its own policy and compare it with that of the policies of other actors, particularly the so-called ‘emerging’ economies;
Amendment 93 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 h (new)
Paragraph 11 h (new)
11h. Recalls the need for a consistent approach by the 28 actors that have already been united by the Consensus and calls for a common reading of the situation and a common perception of the strategic issues; believes that, to this end, a strategic think tank at European Union level might be indispensable;
Amendment 94 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 i (new)
Paragraph 11 i (new)
11i. Calls for the creation of an independent think tank, administratively linked to the Commission, with the objective of developing analytical and advisory abilities for all European cooperation actors in order to ensure the added value of a well-coordinated, consistent policy;
Amendment 95 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 j (new)
Paragraph 11 j (new)
11j. Supports the Commission’s intention to focus activities led by the EU in each partner country on a limited number of priority sectors, but recalls that, in order to achieve the best results, it is necessary to identify these priorities in the partnership framework and to respect fully the ownership and priorities of the partner;
Amendment 96 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Regrets that the Agenda for Change tends to alter the acquis that made for cohesive development policies that sought to satisfy the common interests of the EU and its partnersSupports the Council’s recollection of ‘the Treaty obligation to take account of the objectives of development cooperation in the policies which are likely to affect developing countries, and to pursue these objectives in the overall framework of the Union’s external action’;
Amendment 99 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
Paragraph 12 c (new)
12c. Deplores the lack of political dialogue between institutional actors, which is particularly harmful to Policy Coherence for Development (PCD); deplores, in this context, the fact that the Commission’s communication does not include the three policies of the Union that have the greatest impact on developing countries, namely the trade policy, agricultural policy and fisheries policy of the Union; in this regard, agrees with the Council’s observation ‘that close cooperation between the European External Action Service and the European Commission is necessary to ensure greater consistency of EU external action and PCD’;
Amendment 102 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Recalls that an active civil society is the best guarantee – in the countries of the North and of the South – of good democratic governance, the protection of vulnerable groups of people, particularly persons with disabilities, private sector responsibility and an improved capacity to distribute the benefits of economic growth;
Amendment 109 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Expresses its hope that development cooperation will be a more prominent topic during the course of 2015, a key year in which deep reflection will be required, particularly with regard to following up on the MDGs; would like to see the Commission name 2015 the ‘European Year for Development’;
Amendment 114 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Believes that certain new challenges, particularly climate change and universal access to energy, are not sufficiently covered by the sectors of intervention selected in the Commission’s proposal;
Amendment 118 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 f (new)
Paragraph 15 f (new)
15f. Stresses the need to take account of the cross-sectional dimension of culture and the importance of including it in all foreign policies of the EU in general and in the development policy in particular;
Amendment 119 #
2012/2002(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 g (new)
Paragraph 15 g (new)
15g. Believes that the Commission must maintain the monopoly of programming in the area of development and cooperation policies;
Amendment 4 #
2011/2318(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the SFAs concluded by the EU with developing countries are based on a true spirit of partnership under which the cost of access to fishery resources is a fair reflection of their value and developing countries’ fishery resources, ecosystems and marine biodiversity are sustainably conserved;
Amendment 5 #
2011/2318(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Takes the view that European fleets’ catches in developing countries’ waters which are provided for in the SFAs should be based on the existence of a surplus which cannot be caught by local fishing fleets and that ‘local catches’ should be understood within the meaning of Article 70 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which stipulates that they also include the catches of coastal States whose geographical situation makes them dependent upon the exploitation of the living resources of the exclusive economic zones of other States in the subregion or region;
Amendment 6 #
2011/2318(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 c (new)
Paragraph 3 c (new)
3c. Highlights the importance of the joint scientific groups responsible for providing scientific opinions on the state of fishing resources on the basis of the best information available and insists that those groups should have appropriate financial, technical and human resources to carry out their tasks and to work together with Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMO);
Amendment 15 #
2011/2318(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls on the Commission to include a governance clause in future SFAs which acknowledges not only the rights of developing countries to develop their local fisheries sectors sustainably, but also the principles of good governance, transparency and the fight against corruption;
Amendment 17 #
2011/2318(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Points to the importance of the joint committees for proper implementation of SFAs and calls for those committees to be open to the fishery sector actors and parliamentarians developing countries and the EU in order to improve transparency and contribute to good governance at SFA level;
Amendment 18 #
2011/2318(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on the Commission to encourage third-country partners to gather and publish any relevant information, if not already available, on fishing activities carried out in their waters;
Amendment 17 #
2011/2286(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Deplores theExpresses its concern about the lack of rigour on the implementation of the established eligibility criteria; takes note on Commission proposal on the DCI, which withdraws access to bilateral programmes from eleven LAC MICs; recalls that thsome countries of Latin America are among the most unequal in the world in terms of per capita income and that persistent inequality occurs in a context of low socio-economic mobility; stresses that they are a group of very heterogeneous countries and differentiated cooperation should therefore be maintained, based on coordination and political dialogue;
Amendment 21 #
2011/2286(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
Amendment 28 #
2011/2286(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 – indent 1
Paragraph 10 – indent 1
– an explicit link between the objectives and the sectoral concentration of bilateral aid in order to strengthen social cohesion, especially through the co-financing of active policies and programmes to reduce inequality in terms of income and opportunities, as well as other more advanced programmes supporting competitiveness and promoting sustainable development, including the promotion of technological and scientific cooperation and innovation, as well as technical assistance, priority access to thematic programmes, moves towards reimbursable aid and scholarship programmes;
Amendment 55 #
2011/2286(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Recalls that the Association Agreements and the Multiparty Trade Agreements are a powerful incentive in regional integration; argues that the lack of coherence between policies jeopardises this process;
Amendment 61 #
2011/2286(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Recalls that civil society plays a centraln important role in the consolidation of democracy and the shaping, implementation and scrutiny of development policies in Latin America; deplores the scant importance given to civil society in current cooperation programmes and the low level of resources allocated;
Amendment 67 #
2011/2286(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Expresses its concern at the social impact of the high levels of crime and violence in the region, in particular femicide; considers it necessary to define a strategy that will tackle its economic, social and political causes;
Amendment 107 #
2011/2286(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the definition of a new cooperation policy must take account of the specific priorities and needs of each country and the EU must collaborate with the Middle Income Call Latin American countries (MICs) when leading the fight against poverty and for development at the regional and global level;
Amendment 141 #
2011/2286(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas some of the countries in Latin America isare among the most violent regions ofin the world, and criminality associated with phenomena such as drug trafficking and organised crime continues to be a serious problem in the region, posing a threat to its development;
Amendment 1 #
2011/2186(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Whereas EIB's activity outside the EU has developed primarily in middle income countries, with limited staff resources particularly for upstream work and for project monitoring, as well as limited local presence compared to the level and complexity of financing activities outside the EU;
Amendment 2 #
2011/2186(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Notes that in 2010, the EIB lent EUR 5 bn of the total 72 bn EIB lending to developing countries (1.2 bn to Asia and Latin America (ALA), EUR1 bn to ACP (973m) and South Africa (50m), EUR 2.55 bn to the Mediterranean countries and EUR 328 mn to Central Asian countries) of which only EUR 467 mn for projects directly aiming at achieving the MDGs;
Amendment 4 #
2011/2186(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. CRecalls that a narrow focus on GDP-led growth does not automatically deliver inclusive and sustainable development and reduce inequality; in this context, calls on the EIB to link its financing projects more directly to poverty reduction and the achievement of the MDGs, human rights, corporate social responsibility, decent work and environmental principles and good governance, through the implementation of Decision No° 1080/2011/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council; accordingly, takes the view that adequate concessional finance and staff resource is necessary for enabling EIB to support more effectively EU development cooperation objectives;
Amendment 5 #
2011/2186(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the EIB to actively support projects aimed at financial inclusion, i.e. facilitating equal access to financial services such as loans and savings and insurance schemes, for instance through supporting microfinance institutions;
Amendment 6 #
2011/2186(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Welcomes EIB's commitments and policy developed regarding non- cooperative jurisdictions; however, expresses its concern about the lack of transparency regarding the way "global loans" are allocated and monitored in terms of tax governance; recalls that the EIB should ensure that recipients of its loans do not avail themselves of tax havens or use other harmful tax practises such as abusive transfer pricing which may lead to tax evasion or avoidance; in this context, calls on the EIB to request that financial intermediaries make public any use of the global loans they receive, including a report of their activities in any individual country in which they operate;
Amendment 7 #
2011/2186(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Regrets that the EIB is not prioritising investment in local companies in ACP countries; Deems that monitoring of global loans or loans for SMEs should be improved, to ensure that financial intermediaries properly implement properly the EIB's requirements, and to ensure accountability, transparency and environmental sustainability in the use of funds granted to local SMEs; takes the view that the definition of SMEs used in each external region should be clarified, taking into account of the structure of the local economies;
Amendment 8 #
2011/2186(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Welcomes the initiative of concluding a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the European Parliament and the EIB; in this context, stresses upon the need to involve closely the EP in the process of discussion on the setting-up of an "EU Platform for External Cooperation and Development" and to guarantee transparency in the process;
Amendment 33 #
2011/2185(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
G a. whereas different EU Member States have unique experiences to offer in terms of overcoming authoritarian regimes in their own past, and whereas this transition experience should be better utilised in the Union's relations with partner countries in strengthening democracy and human rights;
Amendment 37 #
2011/2185(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Stresses, too, that the Union's policies must not onlyshould be consistent, but also exemplary, in order to maximise its moral authority globall and exemplary; insists that a clear indication that the recommendations made in the 2007 Fava report on the transportation and illegal detention of prisoners will be implemented, and welcomes the initiative to draw up a follow-up Parliamentary report;
Amendment 68 #
2011/2185(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7 a. Believes that the promotion and support of non-violence reflects an international value that should constitute a priority for the EU's human rights and democracy policies, particularly considering that the non-violent methodology offers an effective and appropriate means and outcomes in terms of the prevention of conflict and support for democracy, rule of law and civil society around the world;
Amendment 73 #
2011/2185(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. InvitUrges the HR/VP in her drafting of future Annual Reports to consult actively and, systematically and in a transparent fashion with Parliament, and to report on the way that Parliament's resolutions have been taken into account; asks the HR/VP to more regularly provide information on the stage of preparation of future Annual Reports whenever requested to do so by Parliament;
Amendment 90 #
2011/2185(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13 a. Further recommends that, whenever a gross breach of human rights occurs by a partner country with which an international agreement such as a PCA has been concluded, the EU takes bolder steps in carrying out the appropriate sanctions as stipulated in the human rights clauses of the agreement, including possible temporary suspension of the agreement;
Amendment 167 #
2011/2185(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Stresses that the application of the clause as it currently stands , for example with the Colombia/Peru Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) due to come before Parliament, provides an opportunity for the European Parliament itself to explore the potential for setting human rights benchmarks in advance of ratification, in order to achieve concrete and verifiable progress in respect for human rights; encourages the Commission to draft a new ‘model clause’ referring to the parties' international obligations, comprising a procedure for consultation and specifying political and legal mechanisms to be used in the event of a request for cooperation to be suspended on the grounds of repeated or systemic human rights violations in breach of international law; recommends that a clear system of sanctions short of suspension be developed; insists strongly on the need for Parliament to be a joint decision-maker with the Commission and the Council in this respect;
Amendment 230 #
2011/2185(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 57 a (new)
Paragraph 57 a (new)
57 a. Is concerned that in Egypt, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) has failed to conduct an investigation into reports of sexual assault of female protestors, including the so- called 'virginity checks' and death threats against female protesters;
Amendment 231 #
2011/2185(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 58
Paragraph 58
58. Welcomes the indefatigable championingemphasis put ofn women's empowerment by the HR/VP and calls on her to institutionalise the EU Inter- institutional Informal Task Force on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) by providing it with a full- time chair, who will also act as the gender focal point in the EEAS, as part of allocating adequate human and financial resources to its task;
Amendment 276 #
2011/2185(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 66 a (new)
Paragraph 66 a (new)
66 a. Recommends initiatives for EU legislation to ensure attention is paid in EU human rights policy and instruments of cooperation to eliminate caste discrimination, and action in caste- affected countries, including Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Yemen;
Amendment 314 #
2011/2185(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 80
Paragraph 80
80. Recognises the need for human rights concerns to be mainstreamed through the work of all parliamentary committees and delegations dealing with external relations; recommends that Members of the European Parliament systematically meet with human rights defenders during official missions to third countries, including with imprisoned activists wherever possible, to provide the latter with greater visibility; welcomes the decision to augment the resources available to the Subcommittee on Human Rights in the light of the changes arising from the Treaty of Lisbon;
Amendment 6 #
2011/2051(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1.Notes the widespread concern on the decreasing but accumulated negativ Calls on the FAO to give an opinion on the impacts of the CAP on developing countries; regrets that the Commission communication and to evaluate all onf the CAP towards 2020 does not mention such impacts; calls for the new CAP to include the principle of "do no harm" toother factors weighing on the agricultural and food situation in developing countries as a core objective;
Amendment 26 #
2011/2051(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. To alleviate the accumulated negative impacts of CAP on developing countries, c(del) Calls on the EU through its trade and development policies to contribute to promoteing sustainable farming practices and food sovereignty(del) in developing countries; safeguarding food security for LDCs and Net Food Importing Developing Countries, eliminating land grabbing, securing the property rights of smallholders, indigenous farmers, ending seed monopolies and dependency on specialised pesticides are essential(del) in accordance with the principle of partnership stipulated by the Cotonou Agreement;
Amendment 43 #
2011/2051(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes the view that, in the context of tackling international speculation in agricultural commodity prices, the new CAP should establish appropriate mechanisms and rules to govern trade(del) in agricultural commodity derivatives and enhance transparency; believes that the EU should lead by example, by establishing within its territory local auctioning agricultural markets and local distribution systems, which increase the bargaining power of smallholders in the food supply chain;
Amendment 4 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
– having regard to the Commission Green Paper of 19 October 2010 on the future of EU budget support to third countries,
Amendment 5 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 b (new)
Citation 11 b (new)
– having regard to the ongoing ‘Structured Dialogue – For an efficient partnership in development’ process,
Amendment 11 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes efforts to develop European Country Strategy documents in order to achieve better coordination between the Commission and the Member States; emphasises that the programming process must ensure that the aid effectiveness agenda is implemented, and that Parliament’s right to exercise democratic scrutiny as defined by the Lisbon Treaty in article 290 is respected;
Amendment 21 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Emphasises that in keeping with the concept of democratic ownership, parliaments, local and regional authorities, civil society and other stakeholders should be supported in their efforts to play their proper role in defining development strategies, holding governments to account and assessing development results; further insists on the fact that the territorial approach of development allows a better ownership by the beneficiaries;
Amendment 30 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Insists that needspoverty eradication must remain athe crucial criterion for the allocation of EU development aid; calls on the Commission and the Member States to review the scope of financing instruments and to focus the disbursement of Official Development Assistance (ODA) on the poorest countries, and on reaching the poorest layers of society and to programme a phasing out period of ODA- allocations for emerging countries;
Amendment 143 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Welcomes the proposal to focus development cooperation on sustainable energy; insists that water supply and access to energy for the poor and in connection with the provision of public services and local development must be prime objectives of EU-supported projects;
Amendment 154 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Supports more systematic efforts to mainstream climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction measures; and calls for improvement of regulations concerning waste transfer and illegal logging;
Amendment 169 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Reiterates its position that the EU should focus its development assistance on promoting sustainable small-scale agricultural production in order to ensure food self-sufficiency of the population as the first objective and to implement the right to food; emphasises the need to ensure, in particular, access for small farmers to the means of production (land, credit, consultancy and advisory services), to processing and marketing opportunities and to local, regional, national and cross- border markets in order to guarantee sales opportunities for their production;
Amendment 179 #
2011/2047(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Underlines that facing food insecurity means the implementation of many actions, from diverse sectors, such as the management of local natural resources, the reinforcement of production and manufacturing, training, the structuring of professional organisations, the implementation of a safety net for the most vulnerable, the education on nutrition and also the diversification of rural jobs beyond agriculture to enhance the income of rural families, which are the first victims of hunger;
Amendment 7 #
2011/2032(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 15 #
2011/2032(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Encourages aid donors to treat democracy building as a political and ethiTakes the view that only a good-quality basic education system caln process, rather than a technical exerciseave the way for the development of genuine democracy and should be a major objective of any development policy,
Amendment 21 #
2011/2032(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Emphasises that the democratisation process calls for a stronger partnership between the public sector, the private sector and civil society organisations and associations,
Amendment 6 #
2011/2023(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Amendment 4 #
2011/2019(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Points out that, world-wide, public aid to poorer countries has increased in 2011, without however matching undertakings and needs; rejects the Commission’s proposal to reduce DCI by 70 million and calls for the EU’s commitment to may be maintained in 2012 despite the difficult budgetary situation;
Amendment 6 #
2011/2019(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. PointCalls outn that funds earmarked for development cooperation must target poverty allevie Commission to concentrate development aid on the poorest countries, including fragile states, and, within these countries, on the least favoured and most vulnerable sections of their populations; calls for all cooperation with developing countries which does not meet the OECD Development Assistance Committee's criteria to be funded through instruments other than those earmarked for development cooperation;
Amendment 9 #
2011/2019(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Considers that theresponsibility for reducing poverty in emerging economies - India, China and Brazil - should no longer be reliant on official development assistance, given that poverty in those countries can be combated with own resources generated by high-growth economiesuntries lies primarily with their governments and that EU official development assistance to such countries should therefore gradually be diminished;
Amendment 13 #
2011/2019(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 16 #
2011/2019(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Regrets the 33% reduction in the budget line 'European Neighbourhood and Partnership –– Financial assistance to Palestine, the peace process and UNRWA’ proposed by the Commission in the 2012 budget; points out that this is liable to jeopardise UNRWA’s payment of salaries to more than 28 000 members of the local staff (based in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan) working inter alia in the educational, social and health sectors;
Amendment 20 #
2011/2019(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. underlines that, following the international community's consensus and the EU's renewed commitments in politically and financially prioritising support of maternal and child health at the G8 and the UN summits in 2010, health funding under the DCI must be protected against any budgetary cuts; Takes the view that, owing to the efforts of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, substantial progress has been made in combating these evils; regards the amount allocated to the Global Fund for this purpose as insufficient, however;
Amendment 22 #
2011/2019(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Stresses the importance of zinc for the treatment and prevention of diarrhoea and malnutrition in order to improve the survival, growth and brain development of young children; urges the EU and the Member States to allocate the necessary funds to provide zinc supplementation in developing countries which could save the lives of 450,000 children under the age of five every year;
Amendment 25 #
2011/2019(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
Amendment 28 #
2011/2019(BUD)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Considers that a permanent, autonomous and high-quality strategic think tank established within the Commission would be in a better position to clarify budgetary and strategic programming in development policy;
Amendment 15 #
2011/0414(CNS)
Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Recalls its resolution of 8 June 2011 on Investing in the future: a new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for a competitive, sustainable and inclusive Europe1; reiterates that, regardless of realisable savings and reallocations, sufficient additional resources are needed in the next MFF in order to enable the Union to fulfil its existing policy priorities and the new tasks provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon, as well as to respond to unforeseen events; challenges the Council, if it does not share this approach, to clearly identify which of its political priorities or projects could be dropped altogether, despite their proven European added value; _____________ Texts adopted, P7_TA(2011)0266.
Amendment 27 #
2011/0406(COD)
Draft legislative resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Recalls its resolution of 8 June 2011 on Investing in the future: a new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for a competitive, sustainable and inclusive Europe1; reiterates that regardless of realisable savings and reallocations, sufficient additional resources are needed in the next MFF in order to enable the Union to fulfil its existing policy priorities and the new tasks provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon, as well as to respond to unforeseen events; challenges the Council, if it does not share this approach, to clearly identify which of its political priorities or projects could be dropped altogether, despite their proven European added value; _______________ 1 Texts adopted, P7_TA(2011)0266.
Amendment 72 #
2011/0406(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 20 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
Article 20 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
The funding will be made available through 2 multiannual allocations only covering the first 4 years and the remaining 3 years respectively. This funding will be reflected in the multiannual indicative programming of these instruments, in line with the identified needs and priorities of the countries concerned, and it will only be allocated for purposes for which development aid may be granted. The allocations can be revised in case of major unforeseen circumstances or important political changes in line with the EU external priorities.
Amendment 246 #
2011/0406(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 12
Recital 12
(12) This Regulation should provide an enabling framework for programming, allowing enhanced consistency between Union policies by using a joint framework document as a basis for programmingallow for enhanced consistency between Union policies while respecting the overall requirement of Policy Coherence for Development. It should enable full alignment with partner countries and regions by relyusing, where appropriate, onpossible, national development plans or similar comprehensive development documents as the basis for the programming of the Union's action; and pursue a better coordination amongst donors, in particular between the Union and its Member States, through joint programming. It should enable structured annual meetings between representatives of national parliaments of Member States and the European Parliament to ensure consistency in the spending of development aid.
Amendment 50 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 13
Article 13
The list of beneficiary countries in the annex to this regulation may be updated following political decisions made by the Council-legislators on the scope of the Neighbourhood policy. A modification of the Annex shall be adopted through a delegated act in accordance with Article 14.
Amendment 51 #
2011/0405(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 16 – paragraph 1
Article 16 – paragraph 1
1. In duly justified circumstances and to ensure the coherence and effectiveness of Union financing or to foster regional or trans-regional cooperation, ithe Commission may be decided to extend the eligibility of actions to countries, territories and regions which otherwise would not be eligible for financing. The decision shall be taken by the Commission through a delegated act in accordance with Article 14. Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 8(1) of the Common Implementing Regulation, natural and legal persons from countries, territories and regions concerned may participate in the procedures implementing such actions.
Amendment 6 #
2011/0261(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 1
Recital 1
(1) The recent financial crisis has led to debates at all levels about a possible additional tax on the financial sector and in particular a financial transactions tax (FTT). This debate stems from the desire to ensure the financial sector contribute to covering the costs of the crisis and that it is taxed in a fair way vis-à-vis other sectors for the future; to dis-incentivise excessively risky activities by financial institutions; to curb speculation, in particular on commodity markets, thus limiting food price volatility and its impacts on food security; to complement regulatory measures aimed at avoiding future crises and to generate additional revenue for general budgets or specific policy purposes.
Amendment 8 #
2011/0261(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Recital 1 a (new)
Recital 1 a (new)
(1a) The revenue of the FTT must not be used to disregard the national development aid commitments of 0,7% of GNI; Copenhagen agenda and the fight against climate change in developing countries have to be financed by these additional means.
Amendment 18 #
2011/0261(CNS)
Proposal for a directive
Article 17 a (new)
Article 17 a (new)
Article 17a Use of revenue as own resource for EU budget Part of the revenue arising from the FTT in the Union should be used as own resources for the EU Budget, of which a significant percentage should be invested in financing the fight against climate change in developing countries.
Amendment 2 #
2011/0177(APP)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the 2015 deadlines for meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and the collective target of 0.7 % of gross national income to be provided as official development assistance (ODA/GNI) both fall due within the 2014-2020 MFF period; underlines that, after witnessing severe drops in ODA levels from 2010 to 2011 in 14 EU Member States and a decrease in the collective ODA/GNI level from 0.424% to 0.42%, the next MFF constitutes a critical opportunity for EU donors to get back on track with their international commitments; emphasises that the EU's development budget complements the efforts of Member States and helps them to reach these targets, with a particularly significant leverage effect on the aid budgets of smaller Member States;
Amendment 115 #
2011/0177(APP)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Reiterates its position that the new responsibilities conferred on the EU by the Treaties will require appropriate additional funding compared to MFF 2007-2013, so as to allow the Union to fulfil its role as a global actor whilst upholding the undertakings it has already given, notably the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015; stresses that the Commission proposals for "Global Europe" and the European Development Fund must be considered the bare minimum to achieve Europe's ambitions in the world; underlines the complementary nature of EU assistance to that provided by the Member States, and its catalyst effect in terms of intervening in regions where bilateral assistance is not delivered; is particularly supportive of joint programming between Member States and EU actions;
Amendment 2 #
2011/0167(NLE)
Proposal for a decision
–
–
The Committee on Development calls on the Committee on International Trade, as the committee responsible, to propose that Parliament decline to give its consent.
Amendment 326 #
2011/0023(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 3 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Once the one-stop shop provided for in Article 7 of this Directive is operational, those Member States which so wish may decide that the PNR data which air carriers must forward to their Passenger Information Units should be forwarded directly to the one-stop shop, which shall collate and keep the data in accordance with the conditions laid down in this Directive. Analysis of these data and the forwarding of the results to the competent authorities as referred to in Article 5 shall remain the responsibility of the Passenger Information Unit of the Member State concerned.
Amendment 352 #
2011/0023(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point a
Article 4 – paragraph 2 – point a
(a) carrying out an assessment of the passengers prior to their scheduled arrival or departure from the Member State in order to identify any persons who may be involved in a terrorist offence or serious transnational crime and who require further examination by the competent authorities referred to in Article 5. In carrying out such an assessment, the Passenger Information Unit may process PNR data against pre-determined criteria and may compare that data with all relevant databases, including data kept by Europol, in conformity with EU law. Member States shall ensure that any positive match resulting from such automated processing is individually reviewed by non-automated means in order to verify whether the competent authority referred to in Article 5 needs to take action;
Amendment 529 #
2011/0023(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 6
Article 7 – paragraph 6
6. EThe exchange of information under this Article mayust take place using any existing channels for international law enforcement cooperation. The language used for the request and the exch secure European system for the exchange of PNR data between Member States and between Member States and Europol. The development and operational manage of information shall be the one applicable to the channel used. Member States shall, when making their notifications in accordance with Article 3(3), also inform the Commission with details of the contacts to which requests may be sent in cases of urgency. The Commission shall communicate to the Member States the notifications receivedment of this system shall be the responsibility of the European agency for the operational management of large- scale IT systems. A one-stop shop shall be created as part of this system to register and transmit the requests for information exchanges. The European Data Protection Supervisor shall be responsible for monitoring the processing of the personal data performed through this European system for the exchange of PNR data.
Amendment 593 #
2011/0023(COD)
Proposal for a directive
Article 8 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 8 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Applications for third country transfers may be addressed directly to the one-stop shop provided for in Article 7 of this directive.
Amendment 21 #
2010/2301(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that there is great potential in mutual market access, liberalisation and deepening trade and investment cooperation between Europe and China, provided that rules guaranteeing fair competition are introduced;
Amendment 44 #
2010/2301(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to move away from traditional development cooperation and aid, through a gradual reduction in ODA (official development assistance) as from 2013, towards a more commercially oriented relationship with China in the interests of both sides;
Amendment 50 #
2010/2301(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls on the Commission, therefore, to treat China as a partner, with respect for its cultural traditions and values, whilst supporting China's transition to an open socirty based on the rule of law and respect for human rights and insisting that it comply with the ILO's basic labour standards; considers that such an approach will help to overcome current tensions, intensify further exchanges and increase mutual investment;
Amendment 55 #
2010/2301(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. WCalls for rapid conclusion of DOHA negotiations; stresses that China has to meet urgently international environment standards and its WTO obligations, in particular the respect of intellectual property rights; warns against the creation of a protectionist climate, as this would be harmful to the EU and Chinese economies in the long run and would go against EU development goals as defined in the EU 2020 strategy;
Amendment 6 #
2010/2300(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas many donors consider general and sectoral budget support as a means of fostering partner countries’ ownership of development policies and reform processes, strengthening national accountability institutions and systems, and facilitating growth, poverty reduction and the achievement of development objectives,
Amendment 16 #
2010/2300(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the European Union has hitherto referred more frequently to violations of human rights (‘first- generation rights’) in partnership agreements rather than to violations of socio- economic rights (‘second-generation rights’),
Amendment 23 #
2010/2300(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses the need to use sectoral budget support wherever appropriate in order to ensure better targeting of basic social sectors including health, education, and assistance for the most vulnerable groups, in particular persons with disabilities;
Amendment 25 #
2010/2300(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Draws attention to the EU’s innovative role in the field of budget support and stresses that the EU has a responsibility to develop a methodology and conditionality arrangements that also apply to other donorsthe added value which the Commission brings owing to its expertise in this area;
Amendment 29 #
2010/2300(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses that the Union has a responsibility to pass on its experience to other institutional stakeholders, in particular at the High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan;
Amendment 36 #
2010/2300(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses the need to strengthen both the Commission’s monitoring mechanisms and parliamentary and civil-society scrutiny in countries in receipt of budget support; stresses also that optimum procedures must be established for auditing the public finances of recipient countries as a precondition for any disbursement of funds;
Amendment 45 #
2010/2300(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Amendment 47 #
2010/2300(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Is concerned at the effects of macro- economic destabilisation and the impact on the most vulnerable sections of the population which a sudden break in budget support might cause; proposes that, on the basis of concerted action by donors and following consultation of the civil society and parliament of the partner country concerned, a mechanism be set up for the gradual reduction of budget support payments, which could attenuate such impacts, encourage political dialogue and enable concerted solutions to be found to the difficulties encountered;
Amendment 58 #
2010/2300(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Points out that, when granting budget support to banana-supplying ACP countries benefiting from accompanying measures in this sector, it is important to include in the variable tranche based on governance indicators the specific conditions contained in the new Article 17a ofthat Parliament is proposing be inserted in Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 (DCI Regulation), as set out in an amendment in the position of the European Parliament adopted at second reading on 3 February 2011 with a view to the adoption of Regulation (EU) No .../2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 establishing a financing instrument for development cooperation1; __________________ 1Texts adopted, P7_TA(2011)0030. 1 Texts adopted, P7_TC2- COD(2010)0059.
Amendment 60 #
2010/2300(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Takes the view that, in principle, MDG contracts are an example of high- quality, results-oriented budget support (long-term, predictable, targeted at social sectors, etc.); calls accordingly on the Commission to publish an assessment of MDG contracts in 2011 and to look into the feasibility of extending them to a larger number of countries;
Amendment 66 #
2010/2300(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Calls on the Member States to show greater consistency at national and Community level as regards development aid policy; calls on the Member States to make use of the European External Action Service to strengthen their coordination with the Commission as regards budget support so as to avoid duplication and inconsistency;
Amendment 8 #
2010/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 5a (new)
Citation 5a (new)
- having regard to the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, the activities of the Special Representatives of the UN Secretary General on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders as well as the EU guidelines on Human Rights Defenders,
Amendment 76 #
2010/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7a (new)
Paragraph 7a (new)
7a (new). Recognises that non- governmental organisations are essential to the development and success of democratic societies, the promotion of mutual understanding and tolerance as well as initiating and sustaining actionable policy priorities and shared solutions to the challenges to democratic development;
Amendment 107 #
2010/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15a (new)
Paragraph 15a (new)
15a (new). Underlines the fact that the definitions of human rights adopted by the international community from the end the Second World War have proven sufficiently flexible to include new developments of human progress, but stresses the need to codify new rights to respond to new threats to freedom, such as those relating to freedom of science, conscience and knowledge, gender identity or sexual orientation and all the rights relating to the digital domain, starting from universal access to the Internet;
Amendment 108 #
2010/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15b (new)
Paragraph 15b (new)
15b (new). Stresses the importance of strengthening the rationalization and if possible coordination of international bodies with jurisdiction over human rights and of their procedures, with the goal of always better granting an effective promotion and defense of the fundamental rights as contained in the related international instruments;
Amendment 144 #
2010/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20a (new)
Paragraph 20a (new)
20a (new).Regrets the weakening of the EU's policy and conduct towards the Burmese junta, underlines that the current attitude is not helpful in fighting against the tragic political, social and human situation in which the Burmese people are forced to live since the beginning of the military rule and risks to appear a sort of appeasement with the dictatorship;
Amendment 195 #
2010/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40a (new)
Paragraph 40a (new)
40a (new). calls on the Commission, the Council, the Member States to activate all political and institutional means in order to support initiatives aiming at the adoption as soon as possible of a resolution by the UNGA calling on a worldwide moratorium on female genital mutilation;
Amendment 391 #
2010/2202(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 82a (new)
Paragraph 82a (new)
82a (new). Continues to be concerned that the human rights dialogue with Iran has been interrupted since 2004 due to a lack of cooperation from Iran and considers that time has come for the international community to act in support of Iranian civil society at this crucial juncture in the history of the country’s democratic movement; calls on the Council, the Commission as well the Member States to support and strengthen – through peaceful and non-violent means – those processes that can provide support to democratic reforms, ensure their sustainability and consolidate the involvement of Iranian human rights defenders and civil society representatives within policy-making processes, reinforcing the role of civil society within the general political discourse;
Amendment 3 #
2010/2110(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the gradual reduction of export subsidies and calls for further reforms of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) including the complete elimination of these subsidies, which were reintroduced in 2009 for dairy products. Phopes that the Doha negotiations will soon be concluded; points out that export subsidies have, in the past, allowed the dumping of cheap EU products in developing countries, distorting competition with local producers and undermined their productive capacity;
Amendment 9 #
2010/2110(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
Amendment 3 #
2010/2100(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Citation 11 a (new)
Citation 11 a (new)
Amendment 46 #
2010/2100(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Calls on the EU to assess the development impact of its CAP reform proposals in order to improve coherence between CAP and EU development policy’s objectives;
Amendment 86 #
2010/2100(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Calls for the recognition of the concept of food sovereignty, definStresses that domestic production capacities in some development countries may not cover needs asnd the capacity of a country or a region to democratically implement its own agricultural and food policies, priorities and strategat achieving long term food security requires reducing of import dependencies;
Amendment 154 #
2010/2100(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls for the completprogressive phasing-out of export subsidies as well as for the removal of all other incentives in the CAP which result in trade-distorting measures;
Amendment 13 #
2010/2096(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a
Paragraph 1 a
a) acknowledges that the inclusion of civil protection and humanitarian aid within the portfolio of a single Commissioner canresponsible for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response creates better synergies within the Commission and can helps enhance the coherence of the overall EU disaster response;
Amendment 15 #
2010/2096(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 b
Paragraph 1 b
b) calls however for a clear distinction and demarcation of roles and mandates between civil protection and humanitarian aid in order to preserve their specific features and respective identities to enhance efficiency;
Amendment 20 #
2010/2096(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 point d
Paragraph 1 point d
d) asks the Council and the Commission to clarify the arrangements foragree on a perspicacious command structure and a central hub of information both on the ground, as well as in the Commission and in the Council, to promote effective cooperation and coordination between the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Commission forin the management of a large- scale disaster response outside the territory of the European Union;
Amendment 23 #
2010/2096(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 point d a (new)
Paragraph 1 point d a (new)
(da) suggests localized coordination efforts, in cooperation with the national government of the affected state, using EU and Member States' representatives on the ground to ensure targeted and competent response to affected localities;
Amendment 7 #
2010/2072(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas, however, 10 Member States have yet to make use of the EGF, the amounts mobilised remain well below the amountsmaximum annual amount of EUR 500 million available and most applications are for regions in which per capita GDP is above the EU average and where the unemployment rate is relatively low; whereas, in view of this, it may be concluded that, although the improvements made to the original regulation were substantial, they remain limited when set against the increase in the number of collective redundancies recorded over recent years,
Amendment 13 #
2010/2072(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas, according to the Commission's interim report on the functioning of the IAA34, the need for the two arms of the budgetary authority to take a specific decision to mobilise the EGF is one of the factors behind the slownesshould not prevent speeding up decisions ofn the procedure, 1 COM(2010)0185 of 27 April 2010. 2 COM(2010)0185 of 27 April 2010. 3 COM(2010)0185 of 27 April 2010. 4 COM(2010)0185 of 27 April 2010.mobilisation of the EGF,
Amendment 14 #
2010/2072(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
Ka. whereas reliable and consistent data on the implementation of the EGF since its modification after 2009 is not yet available and taking the strong view that transparency and regular reporting duties need to be established,
Amendment 19 #
2010/2072(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital L
Recital L
L. whereas, in addition to having a cyclical dimension resulting fromkeeping in mind the original core task of the EGF of addressing mass redundancies resulting from globalisation, as well as the added task of addressing effects of the economic and financial crisis, the difficulties arising oin the labour market in most Member States are also due to structural factors which European and national recovery plans can only partly address; whereas, therefore, the increase in the number of applications for EGF funding may be said to be a long-term trendcontinue to rise,
Amendment 23 #
2010/2072(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Takes the view that the EGF's added value as an EU social policy instrument lies in the fact that it provides specific and, targeted and temporary financial support for personalised programmes for the reskilling and re- integration into employment of workers affected by collective redundancies in sectors or regions undergoing severe economic and social disruption;
Amendment 25 #
2010/2072(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Amendment 27 #
2010/2072(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Takes the view that the long-term increase in the number of applications for EGF funding and the difficulties experienced in implementing the EGF mobilisation and deployment procedure call for improvements to be made to the fund's procedural and budgetary arrangements at the earliest opportunity; notes the lack of awareness of the existence of this fund among the employers in Member States (only 17 countries have applied so far) and calls on the Commission to introduce the tools that could improve the visibility of the fund; calls, accordingly, on the Commission to bring the submission of its mid-term evaluation forward to 30 June 2011 and to submit at the same time a proposal for the revision of the EGF Regulation, in order to remedy the fund's most obvious shortcomings before the end of the current multiannual financial framework;
Amendment 41 #
2010/2072(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Takes the view that the time required to mobilise the EGF could be halved and that, to this end, applications for mobilisation of the EGF should be drawn up by Member States as soon as a collective redundancy has been announced, and not after it has taken place, so as to reduce the 10-week period Member States have in which to forward their applications once the intervention criteria have been fulfilled; considers that Member States should forward their applications in their own language and one of the European institutions' working languages so that the Commission department responsible for scrutinising applications may do so without delay, and that the Commission should - respecting the principles of budgetary neutrality - assign additional staff to processing applications submitted by Member States and should scrupulously observe the time limit of 15 days between the adoption of a mobilisation decision and the payment of the financial contribution to the Member State;
Amendment 43 #
2010/2072(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 46 #
2010/2072(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that these immediate steps to simplify and give added flexibility to the EGF mobilisation procedure could, if warranted in the light of the experience gained by then, be incorporated into the regulation when it is revised; any of these steps should not in any way limit or decrease the power of the Parliament as the one of the arm of the budgetary authority while deciding on the mobilisation of the fund;
Amendment 47 #
2010/2072(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Considers that these immediate steps to simplify and give added flexibility to the EGF mobilisation procedure could, if warranted in the light of the experience gained by then, be incorporated into the regulation wheupon it is revisedion;
Amendment 55 #
2010/2072(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Takes the view that, over and above these improvements to the procedure, the period of validity of the derogation inserted in 2009 with a view to assisting workers who lose their jobs as a result of the economic and financial crisis should be extended until the end of the current multiannual financial framework and that the co-financing rate should be raised from 50% to 65%, given that the underlying causes on which their approval was based are very far from having been removed, and that ESF Convergence Objective regions should be eligible for 75% co- financing under the EGF, in order to diminish the current bias in favour of the ESF; also calls on the Commission to revise the criteria for granting EGF funds in order to take into account the size of the working- age population in the region concerned, instead of only an absolute number of redundancies;
Amendment 59 #
2010/2072(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Wishes the EGF to be made a permanent fund in the next multiannual financial framework,Upon the revision of the regulation and in the course of the discussions on the next multiannual financial framework, the question of a more permanent solution for the EGF with its own commitment and payment appropriations, instead of on which depends could be examined in light onf the non- utilisation or under-utilisation of appropriations from previous financial yearsEGF ending with the current MFF;
Amendment 64 #
2010/2072(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
10. Stresses that the conversion of the EGF into a permanent means of support for active job-seeking measures would show a political will to develop a European social pillar that would be complementary to Member States' social policies and capable of revitalising the European approach to professional training; with this in mind,upon the revision of the regulation and in the course of the discussions on the next multiannual financial framework, the question of a more permanent solution for the EGF and whether the EGF should remain separate from the ESF and the European lifelong learning programmes, given that the fund focuses on enhancing the abilities of each of the workers assisted, rather than on providing a response to the concerns of businesses or on the delivery of across-the- board services to training establishments could be examined; bearing in mind that in the spirit of good financial discipline, the doubling of structures should be avoided at all costs and that the EGF ends with the current MFF;
Amendment 17 #
2010/2071(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Stresses that present-day crises and security threats can rarelyare complex, and should be considered from a purelycivilian, military or civiliana combined civil-military viewpoint, and that effective responses to these situations and threats need to be able to draw on both civilian and military capabilities as dictated by the situation; recalls that the development of the EU'’s comprehensive approach and of its civilian crisis- management capabilities have been distinctive features of the CSDP and represent its core added value;
Amendment 40 #
2010/2071(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Fully supports the transfer of the CSDP structures, including the Crisis Management Planning Directorate, the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability, the EU Military Staff and the Situation Centre, to the EEAS, under the direct authority and responsibility of the Vice- President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; recalls the pledge made by the Vice-President/High Representative to ensure that they work in close cooperation and synergy with the relevant Commission units transferred to the EEAS which deal with the planning and programming of crisis response, conflict prevention and peace-building; assumes that Vice-President/High Representative’s full authority can be used to direct these structures in their coordinated development and concrete crisis management situations, this being done either through appointing one common director for all these structures or through appointing to Vice- President/High Representative’s cabinet deputy head of cabinet with full competence to represent and assist Vice- President/High Representative in all crisis management functions;
Amendment 45 #
2010/2071(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Draws attention to the role of the Commission's Monitoring and Information Centre in facilitating disaster-relief coordination and highlights the need for close links between the centre and the EEAS; calls for improved coordination of military assets in the context of disaster relief, based on the lessons learned in Haiti; assumes that Vice-President/High Representative in her capacity of the vice president of Commission takes care that there is an appropriate coordination structure and function between external (EEAS) and internal (Commission) crisis management in planning and in concrete crisis management situations;
Amendment 70 #
2010/2071(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. In the context of the follow-up to the Headline Goals 2010, calls on the Member States to concentrate on the concrete delivery of capabilities and to focus on the areas ofthat necessitate civilian-military synergies, especially those already identified, in order to achieve genuine progress as soon as possible;
Amendment 81 #
2010/2071(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses the need for appropriate pre- deployment training to be provided, which shcould include participation by civilian personnel in military exercises and military personnel in civilian training and/or exercises; strongly recommends that Member States maintain rosters of deployable civilians, in particular those trained for missions carried out alongside military forces; welcomes the practice employed by certain Member States of having a dedicated centralised agency responsible for the recruitment and training of all deployable civilian personnel, such as the German Centre for International Peace Operations (ZIF), Finnish Crisis Management Centre (CMC Finland), Swedish Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) and the UK Stabilisation Unit;
Amendment 90 #
2010/2071(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Emphasises, in line with the 2008 Council recommendations, the enhanced role the European Security and Defence College (ESDC) should play in the field of training for crisis management in the light of the setting-up of the EEAS; urges the Council to improve the training facilities and staffing of the ESDC, including by providing it with a permanent seat, in order to guarantee sustainable training at the strategic, operational and tactical levels for civilian and military personnel of the Member States and EU institutions;
Amendment 119 #
2010/2071(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Calls on the Member States to look further into developing interoperability of training and practice, along with dual-use capabilities for CSDP civilian missions and military operations, making better use of existing capabilities and interlinking the civilian and military capability- development processes where appropriate;
Amendment 135 #
2010/2071(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36a. Emphasises the critical importance of having assessment mechanisms to determine the impact of missions, and further underlines the need to integrate such mechanisms in all field missions;
Amendment 11 #
2010/2070(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Reminds the international community of its commitments to the Millennium Development Goals, and the EU of its undertaking to step up support for health services in sub-Saharan Africa;
Amendment 18 #
2010/2070(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Points out that every child has the right to have access to vaccination and immunisation programmes; points out, too, that 8.8 million children under the age of five (half of them in sub-Saharan Africa) are still dying every year of preventable or curable illnesses;
Amendment 19 #
2010/2070(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Points out that pneumonia and diarrhoea are the main causes of infant mortality in sub-Saharan Africa;
Amendment 31 #
2010/2070(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Is deeply concerned about the circulation on the African market of medicines that are past their sell-by date, adulterated or counterfeit, and about the inadequate response of national authorities and the international community;
Amendment 32 #
2010/2070(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Is concerned by the severe shortage of well trained medical staff and the fact that many doctors do not remain in their own countries; suggests that doctors be offered multi-entry visa arrangements to enable them to pursue training in Europe while continuing to be based in Africa;
Amendment 42 #
2010/2070(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Believes that strategic alliances need to be forged among the main parties involved at local, national and international levels and that institutional dialogue between government, service providers and mutual insurance organisations is vital in defining health policy and shaping the way it is introduced;
Amendment 43 #
2010/2070(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Shares the WHO’s view that the extension of healthcare must necessarily be associated with a system of social security based on prepayment and sharing, rather than direct payment by users, and that reforms aimed at establishing universal cover are a prerequisite for fairer health provision;
Amendment 46 #
2010/2070(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Encourages the efforts being made by certain states which, aware of local circumstances and needs, are supporting initiatives for specific sections of society (e.g. farmers, coffee growers and women’s or neighbourhood groups), ethnic groups or communities, or traditional-type schemes such as tontine funds;
Amendment 48 #
2010/2070(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Emphasises that there could be a role for members of the diaspora from sub- Saharan Africa in helping to raise awareness in their countries of origin about the benefits of mutual health insurance and the adoption of such schemes;
Amendment 50 #
2010/2070(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Calls on the Member States and on European laboratories, in accordance with the provisions of the TRIPS Agreement, to negotiate a ‘partnership approach’ respecting patent protection in developed markets and covering voluntary licensing agreements, support for health programmes, technology transfer arrangements and an increase in local production capacity with a view to reducing the price of medicines in low- income countries (through tiered or differential pricing);
Amendment 55 #
2010/2070(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 b (new)
Paragraph 33 b (new)
33b. Asks the Commission to support the introduction of health cards in the EU’s partner countries and to work with the countries concerned – at regional level if necessary – to ensure that resources are available to meet the needs in this field;
Amendment 66 #
2010/2070(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)
Paragraph 36 a (new)
36a. Calls on all the Member States and the Commission to allocate at least 20% of all development spending to basic health and education, to increase their contributions to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and their funding for other programmes designed to strengthen health systems, and to prioritise maternal health and efforts to combat infant mortality;
Amendment 1 #
2010/2048(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas, in substance, the Parliament is ready, in conciliation, to negotiate with the other branch of the budgetary authority, on the exact breakdown between redeployment and mobilisation of the flexibility instrument,
Amendment 3 #
2010/2048(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
Amendment 6 #
2010/2048(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the Commission to present a new proposal for the mobilisation of the flexibility instrument for the remaining part of EUR 56 774 124 470,
Amendment 2 #
2010/2037(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Indent 15 a (new)
Indent 15 a (new)
- having regard to the Council Conclusions on Progress on the European Programme for Action to Confront HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis through External Action (2007-2011),
Amendment 30 #
2010/2037(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Calls on the Member States to meet the obligations to which they agreed as part of the European Consensus on Development;
Amendment 32 #
2010/2037(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on all Member States to meet their 0.7%the Commission to ensure that official development assistance (ODA) is fully transparent, aind promises by 2015 at the laccordingly asks it to publish the amounts spent on ODA by the Member Statest;
Amendment 37 #
2010/2037(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the EU and the OECD not to broaden to provide it withe definition of development aid (ODA) and not totails of the impact of developing country debt cancellation or other non-ODA financial flows as aid spendingn ODA spending by Member States;
Amendment 42 #
2010/2037(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
Amendment 49 #
2010/2037(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls on all Member States to apply an interest-free debt moratoriumthe Commission to work towards alleviating the burden onf debt repayments until 2015 for developing countries and to make renewed efforts to write off debts of LDCon developing countries, in particular the least-developed countries;
Amendment 62 #
2010/2037(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Calls on all Member States to ensure that the EU continues to work through a wide array of existing financial instruments at global and country levels in addition to budget support, including the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and other relevant organizations and mechanisms, in particular civil society organizations and communities;
Amendment 63 #
2010/2037(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Calls on all Member States to continue to improve donor coordination and division of laboumply with the Paris and Accra declarations, in particular as regards the need for anid to untie all their aibe consistent and untied;
Amendment 68 #
2010/2037(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls on the EU to put an end to agricultural export subsidies and other harmful aspects of our farm policy as soon as possibdefend the principle of food security in developing countries and, during the current WTO negotiations, to urge all players to comply with this principle;
Amendment 74 #
2010/2037(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on all Member States and the Commission to allocate at least 20% of all development spending to basic health and education, to increase contributions to the global health fundimprove their contributions in order to ensure a fully funded Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria during its upcoming replenishment and to prioritisezing maternal health and combating infant mortality;
Amendment 100 #
2010/2037(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Intends, when codecidduring the upcoming revision of the European Investment Bank's external mandate, to seize the opportunity to turn the EIB into an effective, pro-poor lending institution, to seize the opportunity to gear EIB resources more closely to the needs of developing countries;
Amendment 128 #
2010/2002(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50 a new
Paragraph 50 a new
50a. Welcomes the agreement of EUR2.4 billion a year for mitigation and adaptation to climate change but insists that this 'fast start' climate finance package must be genuinely additional and does not come at the expense of existing development cooperation programmes; requests confirmation that the EU share of this package — EUR 65 million proposed for 2011 — is not redeployed from the Development Cooperation Instrument and is therefore additional; is concerned that the draft budget for 2011 foresees over EUR 1 million less for the environment and sustainable management of natural resources than in 2010;
Amendment 133 #
2010/2002(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51 a new
Paragraph 51 a new
51a. Firmly rejects any attempts to finance the programme for ACP banana- producing countries through redeployment of development appropriations within heading 4, in particular from the budget lines for development cooperation; is particularly opposed to the proposal in the draft budget to redeploy for this purpose EUR 13 million from the Development Cooperation Instrument and EUR 5 million from the Civil Protection Financial Instrument;
Amendment 134 #
2010/2002(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51 b new
Paragraph 51 b new
51b. Welcomes the proposal to amend the regulation creating an instrument for industrialised countries1 but resolutely opposes its being financed with appropriations programmed for use under the Development Cooperation Instrument; stresses that funds earmarked for development cooperation must target poverty alleviation; is extremely dissatisfied that of the EUR 70,6 million total appropriations earmarked for this new instrument in the draft budget, EUR 45 million are taken from the Development Cooperation Instrument; 1 Proposal for a Regulation amending Regulation EC N° 1934/2006 establishing a financing instrument for cooperation with industrialised countries and other high-income countries and territories
Amendment 141 #
2010/2002(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52 a new
Paragraph 52 a new
52a. Welcomes the recognition under the Treaty of Lisbon of humanitarian aid as a European policy in its own right; underlines the increasingly serious consequences of natural or man-made disasters, particularly those linked to climate change, to the changing nature of conflicts and to violations of international humanitarian law; calls therefore for an increase in humanitarian aid funding, incorporating disaster risk reduction;
Amendment 146 #
2010/2002(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53 a new
Paragraph 53 a new
53a. Is surprised at the reduction in appropriations, over 2010, proposed in the 2011 draft budget for Article 23 03 06 on civil protection in third countries when the recent disaster in Haiti clearly demonstrated the need to bolster the Community civil protection mechanism; calls in addition on the Commission to provide details of the specific measures it proposes to put in hand in setting up a preparatory action for a European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Corps;
Amendment 147 #
2010/2002(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53 b new
Paragraph 53 b new
53b. Welcomes the proposed 30% increase in the contribution to the global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria but considers that supporting basic health services is ultimately more effective than such than vertical health funds when it comes to improving health standards in developing countries;
Amendment 148 #
2010/2002(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53 c new
Paragraph 53 c new
53c. Notes the vital contribution played by improved access to financial services, such as microfinance schemes, in helping smallholder farmers, particularly women, achieve food self-sufficiency and food security; welcomes the success of financing in the 2009 and 2010 budgets to support such schemes and stresses the need for this to be continued and extended;
Amendment 149 #
2010/2002(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53 d new
Paragraph 53 d new
53d. Calls on the Commission to extend and increase funding for existing preparatory actions that target developing countries' specific needs, such as improving water management and combating the economic and financial crisis in non-ACP developing countries; asks the Commission, where necessary, to change the legal basis of these initiatives in order to give them permanent status;
Amendment 150 #
2010/2002(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53 e new
Paragraph 53 e new
53e. Points out to the Council the increasing discrepancy between the chronic underfunding of heading 4 and the Council's new political commitments, particularly where development policy is concerned; demands a revision of the heading 4 ceiling for the years 2011-13;
Amendment 151 #
2010/2002(BUD)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 53 f new
Paragraph 53 f new
53f. Insists that the Commission and Council refrain from reducing heading 4 administrative spending budget lines, as these are necessary for full and effective implementation of the multiannual programmes; sincerely regrets that the Commission's draft budget proposes significant cuts to administrative expenditure for development programmes;
Amendment 35 #
2010/0171(COD)
Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8a) Staff working for the Western European Union (WEU) should enjoy the same priority status for recruitment purposes as that granted to diplomats from the Member States until 30 June 2013. It will thus be possible for WEU staff, who have considerable experience in common security and defence policy matters and will shortly be made redundant, as the WEU is set to be disbanded following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, to be recruited to the EEAS on the same terms as these diplomats.
Amendment 19 #
2010/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) The EU supports the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States on their path to poverty reduction and to sustainable economic and social development, and recognises the importance of their commodity sectors. The EU also acknowledges that efforts are required to effectively improve the standard of living of the people concerned and to improve compliance with labour and safety standards. The EU further acknowledges the need to ensure that assistance is allocated in a way that does not distort competition on the market, but nevertheless supports farmers, who are at the beginning of the production chain and yet only receive a very small percentage of the final price paid by European consumers purchasing bananas grown in the ACP countries.
Amendment 23 #
2010/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The financial assistance measures to be adopted under this programme should aim at improving the living standards and living conditions of people in banana growing areas and banana value chains, as well as complying with labour and occupational health and safety standards by supporting the adaptation and/or restructuring of areas dependent upon banana exports through sector-specific budget support or project-specific interventions. The measures should aim to provide for social resilience policies, economic diversification or investment to improve competitiveness, where this is a viable strategy, taking into account the results of and experiences gained through the Special System of Assistance to traditional ACP suppliers of bananas7 and the Special Framework of Assistance to traditional ACP suppliers of bananas8.
Amendment 24 #
2010/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The financial assistance measures to be adopted under this programme should aim at supporting the adaptation and/or restructuring of areas dependent upon banana exports through sector-specific budget support or project-specific interventions. The measures should aim to provide for social resilience policies, economic diversification, income support for growers or investment to improve competitiveness, where this is a viable strategy, taking into account the results of and experiences gained through the Special System of Assistance to traditional ACP suppliers of bananas7 and the Special Framework of Assistance to traditional ACP suppliers of bananas8.
Amendment 26 #
2010/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) The programme should accompany the adaptation process in ACP countries which have exported significant volumes of bananas to the EC in recent years and which will be affected by liberalisation in the framework of the WTO9 and by the bilateral and regional agreements concluded, or in the process of being concluded, between the EU and Latin American countries, which are the leading exporters of bananas. The programme builds on the Special Framework of Assistance (SFA) for traditional ACP suppliers of bananas. It is in conformity with the EU’s international obligations in the framework of the WTO and has a clear, focuses on restructuring and henceboosting competitiveness, and is consequently temporary in nature, with a maximum duration of four years (2010-2013), . Depending on the situation of ACP banana exporters at the end of the current programme, another programme may be launched in 2013 to continue addressing the impact of further cuts in customs duties, Or.fr Justification
Amendment 27 #
2010/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 5 a (new)
Recital 5 a (new)
Amendment 30 #
2010/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – point -1 (new)
Article 1 – point -1 (new)
Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006
Recital 27
Recital 27
(-1) Recital 27 of Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 is replaced by the following: "(27) The Commission should be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union in respect of Geographic Strategy Papers, Multi-annual Indicative Programmes and Strategy Papers for thematic programmes and the accompanying measures, as they supplement Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 and are of general application. It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level."
Amendment 34 #
2010/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – point 2
Article 1 – point 2
Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006
Article 17a – paragraph 2
Article 17a – paragraph 2
2. Within the amount referred to in Annex IV, the Commission shall fix the maximum amount available to each eligible ACP banana-supplying country for financing the actions referred to in paragraph 1 on the basis of a set of objective indicators. The indicators shall includeaccording to the needs of each country, placing particular emphasis on ‘Most Favoured Nation’ (MFN) status within the WTO, and on the basis of the following objective, weighted indicators: firstly, trade in bananas with the EU; secondly, the importance of banana exports to the economy in the ACP country concerned;, andlong with the country’s level of development. The measurement of the allocation criteria shall be based on data from years preceding 2009representative data preceding 2010 and covering a period not longer than five years.
Amendment 36 #
2010/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – point 3
Article 1 – point 3
Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006
Article 17a – paragraph 3
Article 17a – paragraph 3
3. The Commission shall adopt multi- annual support strategies by analogy to Article 19, and in accordance with Article 21. It shall ensure that such strategies complement the geographic strategy papers of the countries concerned, and the temporary nature of these banana accompanying measures. The multi-annual support strategies may be reviewed ad hoc, if necessary, but shall not be submitted to a mid-term review. for banana accompanying measures shall include: a) an environmental profile of the country with regard to the banana industry; b) a set of specifications stating when the banana accompanying measures were first implemented and the terms of reference for their review; c) indicators to assess progress in relation to disbursement conditions, when budget support will be chosen as the form of financing; d) the expected results of the assistance; e) a time schedule of support activities and of expected disbursements for each recipient country; f) the ways in which progress will be achieved and monitored in meeting internationally-agreed ILO core labour standards and appropriate occupational safety and health conventions; g) the support strategies shall be subject to an independent ex ante review and, if necessary, an ad hoc review.’
Amendment 38 #
2010/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – point 3 a (new)
Article 1 – point 3 a (new)
Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006
Article 25 – paragraph 2
Article 25 – paragraph 2
(3a) Article 25(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 is replaced by the following: "2. Union assistance shall not in principle be used for paying taxes, duties or charges in beneficiary countries."
Amendment 39 #
2010/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – point 5 a (new)
Article 1 – point 5 a (new)
Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006
Article 35
Article 35
(5a) Article 35 of Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 is replaced by the following: "Article 35 Exercise of the delegation 1. The power to adopt the delegated acts referred to in Article 17(2), 17a and 21 shall be conferred on the Commission for the period of application of this Regulation. 2. As soon as it adopts a delegated act, the Commission shall notify it simultaneously to the European Parliament and to the Council. 3. The power to adopt delegated acts is conferred on the Commission subject to the conditions laid down in Articles 35a and 35b."
Amendment 40 #
2010/0059(COD)
Proposal for a regulation
Article 1 – point 5 b (new)
Article 1 – point 5 b (new)
Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006
Article 35 a (new)
Article 35 a (new)
(5b) The following Article is inserted: "Article 35a Revocation of the delegation 1. The delegation of power referred to in Article 17(2), 17a, and 21 may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council. 2. The institution which has commenced an internal procedure for deciding whether to revoke the delegation of power shall endeavour to inform the other institution and the Commission within a reasonable time before the final decision is taken, indicating the delegated power which could be subject to revocation and possible reasons for a revocation. 3. The decision of revocation shall put an end to the delegation of the power specified in that decision. It shall take effect immediately or at a later date specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of the delegated acts already in force. It shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union."
Amendment 13 #
2009/2218(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereasrecalling the European Union’s commitment to take measures to encourage policy incoherence may lead to ineffectiveness, inefficiency and the loss of credibility of development policiesfor development, in accordance with the conclusions of the European Council in 20051,
Amendment 54 #
2009/2218(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Is concerned that the ‘ODA-plus approach’ entails a risk that the EU will be deprived of its roadmap to reach the 0.7% ODA/GNP target for 2015 and that it undermines the definition of ODA and its focus on poverty eradication because it exaggerates the role of other financial flows for developmentRecalls its vital international commitments towards the 0.7% ODA/GNP target for 2015, which must be devoted exclusively to poverty eradication;
Amendment 68 #
2009/2218(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Considers that it is necessary to provide for a procedure for complaints both in the EU and developing countries against failures of the Union to respect its PCD commitment; notes that the European Ombudsman, who is independent of the European Commission, drafts an annual report and has investigative powers, including on his/her own initiative in respect of complaints coming from outside the EU when theseand initiatory powers in cases that fall within his/her mandate;
Amendment 98 #
2009/2218(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Welcomes the mechanisms to enhance PCD within the Commission, namely the inter-service consultation system, the Impact Assessment process, the Sustainability Impact Assessment and the Interservice Quality Support Group; asks, however, which criteria DG Development used when deciding to overturn incoherent policy initiatives and asks for greater transparency as regards the outcome of inter-service consultations; demands, furthermore, that the European Parliament, the national parliaments and developing countries should be more closely involved in these mechanisms;
Amendment 4 #
2009/2217(INI)
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Points out that any breach of the principle of impartiality which humanitarian actors invoke in their work makes the latter more vulnerable on the ground, particularly as they will continue to be present on the ground long after NATO troops have been withdrawn; takes the view, therefore, that military personnel should distribute humanitarian aid only in entirely exceptional circumstances, in recognition of the impartial nature of the work of humanitarian actors;
Amendment 9 #
2009/2215(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas, in a multipolar world, only large regional blocintegrations will be in abetter positioned to play a leading role and to cope with social, cultural, economic, environmental and political changes,
Amendment 35 #
2009/2215(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas, for the last 15 years or so, Mediterranean countries have been developing new trading and economic partners (relations (e.g. with Russia, China, India, Brazil and the Gulf monarchistates) and their societies have been undergoing radicsubstantial changes (in terms of consumption patterns, mobility, demographic transitions and so on) with implications for internal territorial balances,
Amendment 44 #
2009/2215(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. having regard to the significant disparities between European Union Member States and Mediterranean third countries and the worrying structural problems of a socio-economic and institutional nature, which call for strong responses in the shared interest of all the states participating in the UfM; noting the need for an improved South-South regional integration,
Amendment 46 #
2009/2215(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the regional context in which the UfM is taking shape continues to be characterised by conflicts and political tensions, which have slowed down its establishment since the Paris Summit of July 2008; whereas the Middle East Peace Process has come to a standstill,
Amendment 64 #
2009/2215(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas the implementation of projects announced by the UfM have suffered from general underfunding since the Paris Summits progressed only slowly since the Paris Summit, also due to general underfunding,
Amendment 89 #
2009/2215(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Calls on the governments of the UfM member countries to establish an ongoing and open political dialogue characterised by mutual respect and understanding, and reaffirms its desire to see the promotion of democracy and respect for human rights and individual and collective freedoms made the central focus of that dialogue; it believes that respect of women's rights, gender equality and sexual orientation require particular attention;
Amendment 92 #
2009/2215(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Recalls the 2008 Year of Intercultural dialogue and calls on all UfM member countries to renew their efforts to increase religious and cultural dialogue among their populations, notably through educational exchange programmes and their continued commitment to the UN Alliance of Civilizations;
Amendment 101 #
2009/2215(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Is of the opinion that political tensions and regional conflicts in the Mediterranean basin must not hinder tangible progress towards multilateral cooperation in specific sectors, and that it is through the implementation of major integration projects that the UfM will help to develop a climate of trust conducive to pursuing common security goals in a spirit of solidarity and peace; at the same time notes that a climate of trust is essential to the success of the UfM and its projects; a strong determination of UfM member countries is needed for the continuation of the Middle East Peace Process; calls for a stronger EU engagement on the solution of the matter;
Amendment 140 #
2009/2215(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 - point 2
Paragraph 6 - point 2
- emphasises that, in the period leading up to the end of the 2007-2013 financial perspectives, any financial contributions made by the Union should not affect existing or planned Euro-Mediterranean regional projects; underlines the need to increase substantially the funds allocated to the UfM in the EU’s forthcoming financial perspectives for 2014-2020;
Amendment 170 #
2009/2215(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Believes that increased South-South bilateral and multilateral economic cooperation would result in tangible benefits for the citizens, as well as improve the political climate in the region;
Amendment 194 #
2009/2215(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Is keen to see new projects in the cultural field put on the UfM’s agenda in the very near future; suggests that the dimension of higher education and research of UfM should be strengthened, where priority should be given to setting up aupgrading the Euro- Mediterranean juniorcomponent of the Erasmus Mundus programme called ‘Averroës’, as a way of stepping up exchanges between secondary school pupils in UfM member countries, as well as ensuring enhanced cooperation of partner Institutions within the Euro-Mediterranean University (EMUNI), so that it becomes a centre of excellence and intercultural dialogue;
Amendment 206 #
2009/2215(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Amendment 213 #
2009/2215(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Welcomes the recent establishment of the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) and calls for efforts to ensure proper coordination between the ARLEM’s activities and those of the EMPA, in particular through joint meetings or reciprocal invitations for members of their respective bureaux to attend working meetings;
Amendment 3 #
2009/2213(INI)
Draft opinion
Article 1
Article 1
1. AsksCalls on the European Union and the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries to redirect their cooperation towards human rights protection as a solution to the crisis, including the three categories of fundamental rights: political, environmental and cultural rightimprove their partnership and cooperation mechanisms, taking into account the protection of human rights, including the cultural rights of indigenous minorities;
Amendment 8 #
2009/2213(INI)
Draft opinion
Article 3
Article 3
3. Calls for an acknowledgement of the Union’s ecological debt to the LAC countries, and for the EU to support the development of projects such as the Yasuni-ITT Initiative launched by the Ecuadorian President, Rafael Correa, provided that it does not damage the surrounding environment orUrges the European Union and the LAC countries to strengthen their partnership in order to face ecological challenges, and calls on the EU to support the development of projects such as the Yasuni-ITT Initiative provided that it does not infringe the rights of those living there;
Amendment 16 #
2009/2213(INI)
Draft opinion
Article 5
Article 5
5. Calls for the recognition of food sovereignty and an end to policies involving the exploitation of natural resources for export; calls, therefore, for an enStresses the importance of food security for the LAC countries and of adequate food sto major hydraulic engineering, mining and forestry projects, biopiracy and the appropriation of land (especiallyrage capacities to face for the purpose of producing biofuels, which are not a sustainable solution to climate change)coming challenges in food supply;
Amendment 24 #
2009/2213(INI)
Draft opinion
Article 7
Article 7
7. Calls for an end toStresses that bilateral agreements and multilateral trade agreements that focus solely on free trade, to the detriment of human rights, or have the effect of fragmenting regional blocs such as the Andean Communitymust take the human rights situation into account and must be considered in the light of their impact on social and regional cohesion;
Amendment 106 #
2009/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25a (new)
Paragraph 25a (new)
25a. Urges the 27 Member States to follow the same line with regard to the issuing of visas for human rights defenders;
Amendment 110 #
2009/2199(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Emphasises the need to accompany these emergency visas with possibilities of temporary protection and shelter in Europe for human rights defenders; welcomes the Shelter Cities initiative promoted by the Czech Presidency, and requestscalls for it to be further advanced while not, however, taking responsibility away from other cities; calls for further support to other existing initiatives in this regard;
Amendment 10 #
2009/2165(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Encourages the enhancement of the role of national parliaments in the ongoing process of revision and further reviews in order to improve democratic legitimacy and ownership;
Amendment 42 #
2009/2150(INI)
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Recalls the international commitments given with regard to the attainment of the MDGs and stresses the priority character of the objective of earmarking 0.7% of GDP, which it is essential to achieve;
Amendment 2 #
2009/2133(INI)
Draft opinion
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
Dc. whereas the Lisbon Treaty singles out development cooperation as an autonomous policy area with specific objectives and on an equal footing with other external policies, in no way subordinated to foreign, security or defence policies, acknowledging the importance both of policy coherence for development and of consistency between different EU external actions, which also requires the revival of a proper Council of development and cooperation ministers,
Amendment 9 #
2009/0060A(COD)
Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 a (new)
Article 1 a (new)
Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006
Article 33 - paragraph 1
Article 33 - paragraph 1
1a. Article 33(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 shall be amended as follows: "1. The Commission shall regularly monitor and review its programmes, and evaluate the results of the implementation of geographical and thematic policies and programmes, and of sectoral policies and the effectiveness of programming, where appropriate by means of independent external evaluations, in order to ascertain whether the objectives have been met and enable it to formulate recommendations with a view to improving future operations. Proposals by the European Parliament, the national parliaments or the Council for independent external evaluations will be taken into due account. Particular attention shall be given to social sectors and to progress made towards achieving the MDGs."
Amendment 10 #
2009/0060A(COD)
Proposal for a regulation – amending act
Article 1 b (new)
Article 1 b (new)
Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006
Article 34 - paragraph 1
Article 34 - paragraph 1
1b. Article 34(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1905/2006 shall be amended as follows: 1. The Commission shall examine the progress made in implementing the measures taken under this Regulation and shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council an annual report on the implementation and the results and, as far as possible, on the main outcomes and impacts of the assistance. This report shall also be submitted to the national parliaments, to the European Economic and Social Committee and to the Committee of the Regions.