29 Amendments of Helmut SCHOLZ related to 2017/2035(INI)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EPCA should constitute an important step in thlead to a perceptible deepening of political and economic ties between the two parties, while respecting and taking account of existing social differences and the specific political, economic and social circumstances of the parties, for the benefit of the people of both Kazakhstan and the EU;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. Acknowledges the value of the significant trade and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and the European Union. Also underlines the EU’s importance to Kazakhstan; the EU is the country’s first investment partner and plays a significant role in supporting the development and diversification of the Kazakh economy.
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
Recital C a (new)
Ca. whereas the EPCA sets out a broad spectrum of new areas of cooperation which are not only in the political and economic interest of the EU but are also suited to supporting Kazakhstan in the next stage of modernisation to which it aspires, while at the same time securing cooperation in meeting global challenges, particularly as regards a sustainable social and economic development for all citizens, preservation of cultural diversity, conservation of the environment and management of the consequences of climate change in accordance with the requirements of the Paris Agreement, and peacekeeping and regional cooperation;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the European Parliament is prepared, within the framework of its competences, to involve itself actively in developing and fleshing out the specific areas of cooperation with Kazakhstan, including parliamentary relations;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. Welcomes Kazakhstan’s economic and administrative modernisation, stemming from its accession to the WTO on 1 January 2016 and its chairing of the Committee for Trade and Environment.
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion
Recital D
Recital D
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses the high importance of enhancing political and economic relations ofbetween the EU withand Kazakhstan, which should be based on shared commitments to international values and guided by mutual interest;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. Welcomes Kazakhstan's participation in the voluntary Partnership Programme "Green Bridge"; believes it will provide a stable and long-term basis for green investment, transfer of new technologies and innovations, towards a carbon energy free society;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that Kazakhstan’s, in the consistenxt strategy of rapprochement with the EUof a multi-vector foreign policy, seeks the consistent development of cooperation with the EU on an equal footing, guided by the principles of mutual respect, partnership and a forward-looking approach; underlines the country’s essential contribution torole in the implementation of the EU-Central Asia strategy, which will undergo a substantial review in 2019;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Notes that, in view of the geopolitical and geo-economic changes over the last ten years and the associated shifts in political power in the world at large and in Asia in particular, and given that there has been a stabilisation in the transformation and modernisation model characteristic of Central Asian and many other Asian countries, the EU’s political scope for bringing about political and social reforms in Kazakhstan based on the European state model has been sharply reduced; welcomes that the EU, in shaping political cooperation, is therefore relying on tried and tested forms of dialogue and exchange of experiences to raise the issue of critical social developments;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion
Recital F
Recital F
F. AcceptsTakes note of the general five-year transitional period for public procurement and the eight-year transitional period for construction laid down in the EPCA, and looks forward to increased trade once these periods have drawn to a close;
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Recital G
Recital G
G. Calls on the Council and the Commission to use the EU’s full leverage to put pressure on the Kazakh authorities to implement the core ILO conventions effectively and to ensure respect for human rights, the rule of law and, the rolefreedoms of trade unions and their members and their role.
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the fact that the EPCA may establishes a solid basis for the further deepening of relations; notes that Kazakhstan is the first Central Asian partner with whom the EU has negotiated and signed an EPCA;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. Calls on the Council and the Commission to monitor closely progress by the Kazakhs authorities in the fields of Human Rights, freedom of expression, and association, as well as labour laws and environmental protection, and to link those progresses to chapters of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation agreement; stresses that any setbacks in those fields in the legal framework or in practices should be met by warnings of the European Union, and followed by suspension of parts of the agreements if they are ignored;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes Kazakhstan’s constructive cooperation role, in the context of its multi-vector foreign policy, in shaping international relations and its multi-vector foreign policy, for example in resolving the Iranian nuclear issue and by initiating the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Acknowledges that Kazakhstan, in its capacity as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, has committed itself to actively contributing to a peaceful settlement of regional conflicts and, with regard to Syria, is unwavering in its support for ending hostilities in the country and for continuing direct talks and negotiations between the armed opposition and the forces of the Damascus government as a way to achieving peace in Syria;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Expects that the EPCA will promote a strengthened rule of law and democratic participation by all citizens, and a more diverse political landscape, a better functioning, independent and impartial judiciary, increased transparency and accountability of the government, improvement in labour laws in line with ILO requirements and the sustainable development of environment;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that further steps need to be based on the applicaReiterates its conviction that any form of cooperation under the EPCA should adhere to the principles of balance of interests and mutual benefit, and that any linkage of EU-Kazakhstan relations to global rivalries, or placing of conditions of a ‘more for more’ principlen cooperation in line with the ‘more for more’ principle, would prove counter-productive in view of the geo- political and geo-economic realities;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Takes note of the ‘Kazakhstan 2050’ comprehensive modernisation programme, announced in 2015, seeking to enhance the country’s macro-economic stability and adapt its development to the changed conditions in the world economy, while securing the route of economic diversification as the basis for the country’s political stability; notes that the ‘Kazakhstan 2050’ programme still adheres to the existing axiom of modernisation: ‘economy first, then politics’;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Encourages Kazakhstan to take pro- active and concrete steps, in the light of its own experiences of increasing social polarisation in the country and of social protests, some of them violent, to take pro-active and concrete steps, when implementing the ‘Kazakhstan 2050’ programme, on political and, democratic and social reforms, including a clearer separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches, and introducing further checks and balances within the constitutional system, in line with the country’s international commitments under various UN, OSCE and Council of Europe instruments; reiterates its conviction that the transition which Kazakhstan seeks, towards a new type of growth with an intensive scientific focus, would not appear to be possible without high-quality education, access for much of the population to essential modern services, an inclusive social policy and a system of regulated social relationships, particularly in the economy;
Amendment 72 #
17. Welcomes Kazakhstan’s cooperation with the Venice Commission and calls forencourages Kazakhstan to fully implementation of its its relevant recommendations in the area of democratic reforms;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Appeals for enhanced governance and reform, with a truly independent judiciary and greater, more efficient efforts in fighting corruption, organised crime and drug trafficking; calls for improving, modernising and investing in core social sectors; further attention to the economic and social development in peripheral regions and outside the main cities will be important for the country's long-term stability;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Voices understanding for the country’s multi-vector foreign policy, including building good neighbourly relations with Russia and China and other partnerswith its aim of friendly and predictable relations, including as a priority building good neighbourly relations with Russia, China, the Central Asian states with which it shares borders and other partners, particularly the neighbouring Islamic world;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)
Paragraph 34 a (new)
34a. Regards the international reputation which Kazakhstan has achieved very recently, through chairing international organisations as diverse as the OSCE, the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, as a good starting point for joint activities seeking to stabilise the security situation in the Central Asia region and to find multilateral solutions to global challenges;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Recommends that the EU continue its support for regional cooperation in Central Asia, in particular the rule of law, confidence-building measures, water and resource management, border management, stability and security; supports, in this regard, Kazakhstan’s efforts in promoting good neighbourly relations; calls for a sustainable Central Asian settlement on water management, energy and security issues that responds to all interests;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)
Paragraph 37 a (new)
37a. Welcomes Kazakhstan's participation in the voluntary Partnership Programme "Green Bridge"; believes it will provide a stable and long-term basis for green investment, transfer of new technologies and innovations, towards an carbon energy-free society;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Recalls that the EU is the country’s first trade and investment partner, but that the disruptions in EU-Russian trade that have emerged since 2014 are clearly also, owing to the close economic ties between Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, having a negative impact on EU- Kazakhstan trade relations;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 a (new)
Paragraph 38 a (new)
38a. Notes that Kazakhstan, in implementing its economic modernisation strategies, is focusing on realising potentials for regional integration, and in particular on restoring traditional trade and production chains in the post-Soviet region, including in the framework of the Eurasian Union; notes that the dialogue between the EU and Kazakhstan on economic matters is not helped by the lack of direct talks between the European Commission and the Eurasian Economic Commission, which is increasingly responsible for Eurasian Union member states’ foreign trade issues; calls on the European Commission to bring its political decisions in this area into line with the political realities;