13 Amendments of Helmut SCHOLZ related to 2009/2216(INI)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the European Union appeared in the most strife-ridden region of its periphery, the South Caucasus, in the early 1990s; whereas the region has received more attention since late 2001, whereas since the accession of Bulgaria and Romania the Caucasus forms part of the Union's immediate neighbourhood, whereas until now the incapability and reluctance of the Member States to shape a common and articulated policy towards the South Caucasus has prevented the Union from fulfilling its potential with regard to the promotion of political stability, the development of democracy and the rule of law, and the enhancement of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Highlights the geopolitical situation of Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan in relation to Russia, Iran and Turkey, and considers it therefore of the utmost importance that economic and social cooperation with the whole South Caucasus be given the highest priority, not least in matters relating to energregion be given due priority;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas as a result of the August 2008 war in Georgia, of the EU’s successful intervention to achieve a Ceasefire Agreement and of the great need for further engagement that followed from these developments, the EU became a significant security actorincreased its presence in the region, through the deployment of the EU Monitoring Mission, the launch of a major post-war assistance programme and the start of a fact-finding mission on the causes and course of the war,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas the five-day war in Georgia, described by many as "a disaster waiting to happen”, clearly demonstrates the EU’s failure to engage in conflict-resolution, because regardless of the gradual increase in European involvement in Georgia the Union failed entirely when it came to deploy conflict-prevention mechanisms in Georgia and engage in conflict-settlement,
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that trade is one of thfair and balanced trade relations are key components of the EU’s overall policy of fostering political stability, sustainable growth and prosperity in the Eastern Partnership countries in general and in the South Caucasus region in particular;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the conclusion of the feasibility studies for Georgia and Armenia in May 2008, showing that deep and comprehensive free trade agreements (DCFTAs) would bring significant economic benefits to these countries and the EU, thereby allowing the Commission to enter into a preparatory phase for future negotiations on DCFTAs; calls on Azerbaijan to accomplish its accession to the WTO as soon as possible, as WTO membership is a prerequisite before any FTA negotiations can be considered; encourages Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan to improve their progress in fulfilling their respective ENP Action Plans and the Commission’s recommendations, particularly in terms of improving their institutional capacity and implementation of regulatory reforms (especially regarding the poor levels of intellectual property protection in all three countries), which is one of the necessary preconditions for effective implementation and sustaining the effects of such ambitious FTA; encourages Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan to improve their institutional capacity and implementation of regulatory reforms;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
Ha. whereas the situation of refugees and displaced persons in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia continues to be an obstacle to the development of those countries in economic, socio-political and health terms, whereas, although the three countries have embarked on programmes for local integration of their refugees and displaced persons, there are still many obstacles impeding their success: poverty is endemic, particularly in rural areas, and malnutrition a cause for concern, unemployment remains very high, access to means of production and to property is problematic and the infrastructure is often in a deplorable condition, which is an additional obstacle to development, whereas schools are still being used to shelter refugees and displaced persons, instead of for children’s education, and whereas health services remain inadequate,
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses the responsibility of external actors to use their power and influence in ways that are fully consistent with international law, including human rights law; believes that reduction of the competition between external actors in the region should be pursued, but cannot come at the price of effectively accepting any actor’s claim to have ‘privileged interests’; is of the opinion that introducing conditions for respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the South Caucasus states is unacceptable; holds the view that the Caucasus crisis showed how dangerous the automatic eastward expansion of NATO would be;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Takes the view that freedom of assembly must be guaranteed, as it is instrumental to the development of a vibrant civil society; is worried about the difficulties, direct and indirect, which civil society faces in organising itself and disturbed by the adoption of laws and practices that might indirectly limit freedom of assembly, including through administrative harassment, such as the intensified checks by the fiscal authorities in Armenia; is concerned about the lack of any serious investigation into the events following the presidential elections of February 2008 when 10 people were killed and which led to the imposition of a state of emergency and restriction of a number of freedoms and rights; calls on the authorities in Azerbaijan, including the local authorities, to implement in a non- restrictive manner the legislation on freedom of assembly which, as amended, meets most international standards; is concerned that in Georgia the 2009 amendments to the Law on Assembly and Manifestations mayare a significant step back in the path to democracy, limit freedom of assembly and curtail the ability of the opposition to mobilise, and constitute an obstacle to the necessary effort to overcome internal crisis through a dialogue; underlines the important role of civil society for the peace and reconciliation processes in the region;
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Takes note of the current EU involvement in conflict resolution processes in the region and believes that the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty justifies a more prominent role for the EU; welcomes the work of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia and calls for increased EU action to persuade Russia and the relevant de facto authorities to stop blocking the EUMM from entering South Ossetia and Abkhaziaa concrete work plan for contributing towards conflict resolution has to be developed; welcomes the work of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia and encourages Georgia and Russia to restart a political dialogue first more informally and then at an increasingly higher and more formal level; considers that the EU now has the opportunity to play a greater role in the solution of the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict and could do so by participating in the negotiations through the establishment of an EU mandate for the French Co-chair of the Minsk Group, by standing ready to launch reconstruction aid programmes and by supporting civil- society projects that aim to promote reconciliation and contacts between individuals in the region;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Calls on the High Representative for the Union’s Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to follow closely the developments in the region and to be actively involved in the conflict resolution processes; acknowledges the work of the Special Representative for the South Caucasus and expresses the hope that the High Representative will ensure its continuity and consistency; encourages the Council to consider the possible use of tools from the CSDP to step up its participation in the peace-building and conflict-management processelaborate a strategic development plan centering on EU-Russia-USA trilateral response to regional security challenges;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Calls on the Commission to grantand the Member States to continue to provide substantial financial and technical support to deal with the situation of refugees and displaced persons in general and for measures building confidence and promoting trust between and among the populations and to participate in rehabilitation and reconstruction in the region, such as income-generating projects and projects on socio-economic integration of IDPs and returnees, on the rehabilitation of housing and aiming at dialogue and mediation; stresses the importance of tackling the problem of the numerous landmines resulting from the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict, which are still injuring and, occasionally, killing people;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Is seriously concerned about the rapidly increasing military spending in the region over the last couple of years and the build-up of military arsenals at an unprecedented rate; whereas after a virtual doubling of its defence budget Georgia had to decrease it in 2008 to alleviate that burden on its strained budget; whereas this arms race has diverted money from much needed social spending, threatening to wreck the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty; whereas, regardless of this worrying picture, international criticism is somewhat muted;