20 Amendments of Helmut SCHOLZ related to 2015/2001(INI)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
– having regard to the international legal standards laid down in the United Nations Charter and to the principles, jointly agreed in the Helsinki Final Act drawn up under the auspices of the CSCE, of sovereign equality, respect for the rights inherent in sovereignty, refraining from the threat or use of force, the inviolability of frontiers, the territorial integrity of states, the peaceful settlement of disputes, non-intervention in internal affairs, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, equal rights and self-determination of peoples, cooperation among states and fulfilment in good faith of obligations under international law, which guide relations between the participating states,
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU has for decades striven to build a mutually beneficial strategic partnership with Russia based on shared values and principles and on common inteand has achieved initial, if only modest, results; whereas the EU remains open to such a relationship and to dialogue leading to it, and wishes to return to a cooperative relation with Russia, but whereas today EU-Russia relations are primarily characterised by deep mistrust;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas, in reaction to and despite Russia’s aggression against Georgia and violation of its territorial integrity in 2008, the EU opt although the EU has launched for an increased cooperation model as a way to appease Russia; whereas, in line with this, rather than taking restrictive measures, a series of generousdeepened many initiatives for deeper cooperation – such as the common spaces, the Partnership for Modernisation, the negotiations on a New EU-Russia Agreement, and the Human Rights dialogue – have been launched or deepenedneither side has felt able to offer, in the interests of both parties, the compromises needed to overcome the differences in thinking which stand in the way of the partnership being sought;;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas Russia has – by illegally annexing Crimea and waging an undeclrelations between the EU, its Member States and Russia are currently marked war against Ukraine, with the direct participation of Russian military uniby severe tensions whose roots can be found, for example, in conflicting developments, and by deliberately destabiliscompeting interests ing this neighbouring sovereign and independent country – profoundly and for a leir common neighbourhood and the opposing stances the two sides have taken ong time damaged its relationship with the EU by jeopardising the basic principles of Europe’s security order and by breaking its international commitments, notably under the United Nations Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and the Budapest Memorandumhose developments, and whereas today there is a danger that these tensions will cause serious long-term damage to EU- Russia relations, which were in any case anything but harmonious in the past;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas Russia is the instigator of and, directly or indirectly, party to a number of ‘frozen conflicts’ in its neighbourhood – in Transnistria, South Ossetia, Abkhasia, and Nagorno Karabakh – that constitute serious impediments to the development and stability of the neighbouring countries concerned;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas in reaction to Russia’s covert military invasion of Ukraine, the EU has adopted a sthe escalating conflict in and about Ukraine, the EU has introduced a tiered programme of sanctions which is unprecedented in its intended scope and its targe-by-stage series of restrictive measures; whereas similar sanctions have been adopted by a number of other countries in reaction to Russia’s aggressionts; whereas although other states have introduced similar restrictive measures, the EU Member States are currently discussing the impact of these measures and how the EU's joint policies towards Russia could be used to de-escalate the situation; whereas these discussions are taking place against the background of a failure on the part of the EU and its Member States to develop an overall approach to addressing the causes of the current conflict with Russia and widely differing ideas regarding the aims of the sanctions, which in some cases go as far as creating the socioeconomic conditions for the overthrow of the current, legitimately elected Russian regime;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas these re, in combination with the collapse in the price of oil and Russia's striuctive targeted measures are not directed againstural economic problems, the targeted sanctions have seriously damaged not only the interests of the Russian people, but aim at stimulating a change in Russian policy towards, and actions in, the common neighbourhood; whereas the sanctions could be lifted, partially or fully, as soon as Russia commits itselflso the economic interests of the EU itself, triggered ‘reciprocal’ Russian measures and broadened the scope of the conflict and at the same time reduced the scope for compromise and dialogue; whereas continuing with his approach based on escalation may lead to open war between the two implementing, fully and honestly, the provisions ofsides; whereas there can be no military solution in the Donbass, and whereas the Minsk aAgreements and the return of Crimea to Ukraine; whereas the sanctions wiconstitute the starting point for a settlement of the conflict and a new approach to EU-Russia relations, so that it is essential that all bthe strengthened should Russia chose to do otherwise and refrain from taking any positive step to change its policy; ates involved should implement them unconditionally, fully and honestly; whereas the EU should urge all the parties to the conflict without distinction to do this;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the EU has firmly supported Russia’s accession and participation in different international organisations and fora, such as the G8, the G20 and the WTO; whereas this strategy of including Russia in international decision-making bodies has not hae current stand-off between the EU and Russia is also affecting trade, and twhe results expected but instead created tensions owing toas in that connection Russia’s habit of breaching rules, e.g. its non-compliance with WTO standards and obligations (by introducing a number of discriminatory measures against individual EU Member States and other countries in its neighbourhood), itss taken a series of discriminatory measures against individual EU Member States and other countries in its neighbouhood and measures which have led the Commission to refer disputes to the WTO for settlement; whereas Russia has thus far failured to implement more than a thousand judgements of the European Court of Human Rights, etc.;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas Russia has developed policies and instruments for, and became an active user of, a new type of hybrid warfare, deliberately blurring the lines between military/paramilitary activity and political activism, empthe EU, its Member States, NATO and Russia all have legitimate mutual security interests, but whereas in Europe, many years after the end of the Cold War, there is still a military imbalance between NATO and the EU, on one side, and Russia, on the other; whereas, despite progress in bringing about the agreed reductions in nuclear weapons potential, the few disarmament agreements which have been concluded, in particular in the area of conventional weapons, have ultimately not been implemented by either side, and whereas, folloywing a mix of weaponised information (information deliberately altered and aired to inflict damage to societal, political and institutional structures), using professional instigators of insurgency in foreign countries, targeting local minority-language grothe refusal on the part of the NATO states over many years to ratify it, Russia recently revoked the CFE Treaty; whereas although Russia is involved in formal dialogue arrangements, for example under the auspices of NATO, and despite many reassuring statements, the two sides’ security interests have not been defined together, but increasingly separately and in some cases in opposition to one another; whereas against the background of the failure to take proper account of its security interests, Russia has also started building ups abroad for destabilisation, controllingnd modernising its military capabilities, a process which clearly includes the infcormporation space and combining cyber warfare with military meanof elements of a policy geared to hybrid warfare and the relevent instruments;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas the intrusions of Russian jet fighters into the airspace of EU and NATO members states jeopardise, against the background of the escalating conflict, including in the military sphere, with Russia, the significant increase in Russian air force operations near the airspace of EU and NATO members states is being perceived by the latter as a military threat, and whereas such activities may also pose a threat to the safety of civilian flights;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J
Recital J
J. whereas the World Media Freedom Index 2014 ranks the Russian Federation at 148th place out of 180; whereas the financing of state-controlled media outlets has been significantly widened and increasedRussian leadership sees the increasing tensions affecting EU-Russia relations as a direct threat to the country’s social and political order which they intend to counter by displaying ‘strength’ on the domestic front; whereas against this background universally recognised human rights which Russia has made an international commitment to uphold and the already low public involvement in political and social decision-making processes are being severely curtailed and the social climate in general is becoming much more hostile;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Reiterates thatNotes, in the light of Russia’s direct and indirect involvement inthe complex crises affecting relations between the EU, its Member States and Russia and the deep mutual distrust which has now developed, that none of the wpar in Ukraine, amounting to a deliberate violationties regards a return to the status quo ante or to ‘business as usual’ as possible or desirable; calls, against this background, ofn the core of the democratic principles and values sustained by the EU and widely shared internatioEU and the High Representative to carry out a comprehensive and critical analysis of EU-Russia relations; emphasises the need for that anally, the EU cannot envisage a return to ‘busis to be based not only on the obvious differences between the two sindess as usual’; calls for a critical re-assessment by the EU of its relations with Russia, and for the d as regards values, but also on the differences in their supposed common interests and to consider the issue of why the EU was unable for long periods to make progress in the negotiations on a new agreement with Russia, in cooperafting, as promptly as possible, of a soft-power contingency plan to counteron in agreed areas or in resolving obvious contradictions and disputes affecting relations with Russia; calls for a programme setting out specific cooperation proposals, focusing on what is feasible in those aggressive and divisive policies conducted by Russia against the EU and its partnersreas where both sides regard cooperation as equally important, to be drawn up as quickly as possible;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Underlines that overcoming the serious tensions in EU-Russia relations mustwill henceforth be based on the rule of law and on preconditioned dialogue, whereby the EU would be ready to relaunch cooperation with the authorities in Moscow on the condition that Russia unambiguously and without pretence takes its share of responsibility and fully implements the Minsk Agreements; stresses that in order to ensure that such a dialogue – if renewed (for which the return of Crimea to Ukraine would be a prerequisite) – is not conducted at the expense of European values, standards and international commitments, it would be necessary to specify very clearly the EU’s expectations of Russia, along with the retaliatory measures it would take should Russia not keep to its commitmentsdependent to a great extent on finding a political solution to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine on the basis of the Minsk Agreements; stresses that all sides must comprehensively implement both the spirit and the letter of these agreements and, in devising concrete implementation proposals, must abstain from any provocation towards the other side; stresses in this connection the need to strengthen the Normandy Format and welcomes the agreement between the parties at Minsk to establish a standing monitoring body at Foreign Ministry level, which could enable existing shortcomings in managing the acute crisis to be overcome by means of direct contacts and could reduce the risks of relying solely on telephone diplomacy; stresses that the OSCE , in spite of many restrictions on exercising its mandate in Ukraine, has shown itself to be a structure capable of making a neutral contribution to crisis resolution; confirms its firm support for the principles of cooperation underlying the structures and action of the OSCE, but at the same time calls on the High Representative to devise concrete proposals for how these principles in their entirety can be effectively put into practice in future while also enhancing the necessary formal independence of the OSCE structures in the framework of a clear mandate; regards this as a possible way of creating the conditions for a stable solution to the overall Ukraine conflict, including the issue of Crimea;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Commends the solidarity and the unity demonstrated byIs aware of the positive international impact of a successful EU foreign policy committed to peace and to cooperation on an equal footing; calls on the Member States, in the context of Russia’s undeclared war against Ukraine, allowing the adoption and further extension of responsive measures; calls on the Member States to consider as an absolute priority the preservation of this unity; reiterates that unityview of the fact that Russia’s leadership is clearly gearing up for a prolonged conflict with the EU, to cooperate jointly and transparently to work out the causes and ways of ending this situation and to accord this task the highest priority; does not regard the unity which the Member States have repeatedly demonstrated, particularly in the context of the Ukraine crisis, as a political end in itself unless upheld by convergent analyses and spolidarity amongst the Member States, as well as between the EU and the Eastern Partnership countries, is essential for ensuring the effectiveness of the EU’s policietical conclusions; stresses the need, instead of issuing formal calls for a united front, to face up to the new challenges in relations with Russia in an open process of discussion and decision-making; takes the view in this context that continuing to isolate Russia and deliberately excluding it as and its ability to withstand external challenges and pressuremportant partner in the resolution of international conflicts should be seen as running counter to the EU's own interests;
Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines, in this regard, that the strengthening of internal policies, notably through closer integration, is the keystone of an efficient and successful EU external policy; calls, therefore, on the Member States to carry on with, and intensify their efforts towards, the effective elimination of decision-making bottlenecks and the consolidation of common policies, with the aim of minimising the vulnerabilities of these policies and maximising their resilience, in particular in the areas of trade, financial services and transactions, migration, energy, external borders management, informatNotes with concern that the present competition between the two integration models of the EU and the Eurasian Union has in recent years principally been expressed in intensified bloc formation and confrontation, which also has an adverse impact on the countries in the shared neighbourhood; warmly welcomes the prospect of a large common economic area, an idea which was confirmed in general terms in the Minsk 2 negotiations; therefore considers it necessary to jointly devise concrete proposals for creating convergence between the two integration processes; regards the trilateral discussions which have been initiated between the EU, Ukraine and Russia on the compatibility of rules of the Association Agreement with those of the 'Customs Union' and cyber securitys a first step in this direction;
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Firmly supportsNotes the Commission’s efforts aimed at promoting the swift creation of a robust European Energy Union, specifically the interconnection of national energy networks in order to reduce considerably the dependence of individual Member States on external energy suppliers; is of the firm conviction that the challenges to and vulnerability of European solidarity, and the exposure of individual Member States, to the illegitimate use of energy as a political and diplomatic bargain chip can only be combatted efficiently through the full implementation of the Third Energy package and the completion of a transparent, integrated, synchronised and resilient European internal energy marketuse of energy as a means of applying political and diplomatic pressure in shaping relations with Russia is counter-productive in view of the mutual dependencies in this area; welcomes the constructive and balanced role played by the Commission so far in the gradual resolution of the energy conflict between Ukraine and Russia; stresses the need, in developing the cooperation with Russia that is taking place in many areas and on many levels, to make more effort to ensure that conflicts in one area of relations do not deliberately or unintentionally spill over into other areas of cooperation and that artificial links of dependency are not created between them;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Stresses the relevance of the suspension of any form of international armaments cooperation with third countries and specifically of cooperation with Russia in the defence sector, and calls on the Member States to refrain from taking any decisions that could jeopardise this united position; is therefore of the view that, notwithstanding their undisputable bilateral nature, agreements in the field of defence cooperation between some Member States and Russia should be assessed carefully at EU level, wiopposes all efforts to exploit the present conflict in relations with Russia in order to transfer national powers, particularly in the a view to defining an appropriate and consistent approach; calls for the EU’s cooperation with NATO to be consolidated furtherrea of defence, directly or indirectly to EU level;
Amendment 363 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Renews its call for the development of EU reconnaissance capabilities of weaponIs deeply concerned at the sharp rised information and the preparation of information contingency plans, including the strengthening of analytical and monitoring capabilities, especially in the Russian language, in order to be able to identify, and respond swiftly and appropriately to, purposefully biased information; calls on the Commission to earmark without delay adequate funding for concrete projects aimed at countering Russian propaganda within the EU and abroad; calls on the Commission and the Member States to devise as well a mechanism for the collection, monitoring and reporting of financial, political or technical assistance provided by Russia to political parties and other organ aggressive rhetoric on both sides in politics, society, the media and social networks, and at attempts by each side to demonise the other; notes that these trends are increasingly taking on the nature of campaigns or reflect a fundamentally changed understanding of their role by journalists, who instead of describing politics are making it themselves; stresses that, as a result, a growing proportion of society is losing confidence in public service media and quality journalism and that differing evaluations of events arising from political convictions are increasingly being discredited; reiterates its support as a matter of principle for the independence of the media and for diversity of opinion, and opposes any efforts to escalate still further the exisations within the EU, with a view to assessing its involvng conflict with Russia by devising and implement in,g and influence over, political life and public debate in the EU policy of 'active counter-propaganda' and providing EU funding for a Russian- language broadcaster;