Activities of Louis MICHEL related to 2015/2044(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Financing for development (A8-0143/2015 - Pedro Silva Pereira) FR
Amendments (72)
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
- having regard to the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the consolidation of EU Africa relations - 1.5 billion people, 80 countries, two continents, one future (COM(2010) 634 final)[1], [1] http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52010DC0 634
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 a (new)
Citation 18 a (new)
- having regard to the joint declaration made at the Lisbon Summit on 9 December 2007 on 'The Africa-EU Strategic Partnership: A Joint Africa-EU Strategy' [1], [1] http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/c ms_data/docs/pressdata/en/er/97496.pdf: The Joint Africa-EU Strategy is centred on eight thematic partnerships: peace and security; democratic governance and human rights; trade, regional integration and infrastructure; the Millennium Development Goals; energy; climate change; migration, mobility and employment; and science, information society and space.
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 b (new)
Citation 18 b (new)
- having regard to Decision No 472/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on the European Year for Development (2015)[1], [1] http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32014D04 72
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 c (new)
Citation 18 c (new)
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 d (new)
Citation 18 d (new)
- having regard to Regulation (EU) No 233/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing a financing instrument for development cooperation for the period 2014-2020,
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 e (new)
Citation 18 e (new)
- having regard to Regulation (EU) No 232/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing a European Neighbourhood Instrument,
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 f (new)
Citation 18 f (new)
- having regard to Regulation (EU) No 234/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing a Partnership Instrument for cooperation with third countries,
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 g (new)
Citation 18 g (new)
- having regard to Regulation (EU) No 235/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing a financing instrument for democracy and human rights worldwide,
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 18 h (new)
Citation 18 h (new)
- having regard to Regulation (EU) No 236/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 laying down common rules and procedures for the implementation of the Union’s instruments for financing external action,
Amendment 19 #
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 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas 2015 is a crucial year for global development efforts; whereas, with the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and an agreement on global climate action, both to be valid until 2030, it is a pivotal year for responding to what are global challenges, both now and to come, and provides an historic opportunity to pave the way for a more prosperous and more just world;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas development makes sense only if it is based on local know-how; whereas every country has a distinctive economic potential which must be safeguarded and developed;
Amendment 25 #
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 #
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 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)
Recital B c (new)
Bc. whereas climate change represents an unprecedented danger to the populations of developing countries; whereas their subsistence activities are under threat; whereas the living conditions of people in small island states are very much deteriorating as a result of the increase in extreme weather events;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)
Recital B d (new)
Bd. whereas regional integration is important as an engine for economic growth and development and as an instrument for consolidating peace in developing countries;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
Amendment 39 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H d (new)
Recital H d (new)
Hd. whereas, through development assistance, the principle of ownership must be applied to a greater extent in developing countries;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H e (new)
Recital H e (new)
He. whereas culture is a genuine vehicle for economic growth, education, development and democracy; whereas it is an antidote to any retreat into narrow nationalism, to racism and to economic, financial and social exclusion; whereas it projects a universal vision of mankind by bolstering fundamental values and human rights, in particular the right to freedom of expression;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
Ia. whereas it is important to ensure legal certainty for investments in developing countries;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I b (new)
Recital I b (new)
Ib. whereas the EU has adopted a platform to fund external action, EUBEC[1], so as to experiment with blending at European level; [1] EUBEC is an atypical, hybrid structure functioning as a Council group, given its strategic scope, and as an advisory committee, from an institutional perspective, given that it is co-chaired by the Commission (jointly by DG ECFIN (Economic and Financial Affairs) and by DG DEVCO (International Cooperation and Development Coopération)) and by the European External Action Service. Its Policy Group is made up of the Member States and the European Parliament. The European Investment Bank (EIB), the International Financial Institutions (IFI) and the European Development Finance Institutions (EDFI) are invited to attend meetings, depending on the agenda. The Technical Groups are made up of the Member States, the EIB, the IFI, the EDFI, and private consortia, businesses or foundations/NGOs.
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital J a (new)
Recital J a (new)
Ia. whereas it is important to promote the use of banking services in developing countries;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K b (new)
Recital K b (new)
Kb. whereas the necessary quid pro quo for all projects funded by the EU, on the part of the country concerned, is to undertake to keep those projects going;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K c (new)
Recital K c (new)
Kc. whereas practice shows that some countries receiving assistance soon cease to meet their obligation to keep funded projects going, and whereas projects are abandoned and therefore have no local impact;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K d (new)
Recital K d (new)
Kd. whereas development assistance and corruption are totally mutually incompatible;
Amendment 90 #
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 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Encourages developing countries to engage in regional integration and to sign definitive economic partnership agreements so as to facilitate the free movement of capital, persons, goods and services, promote South-South trade, support economic growth and facilitate the integration of developing countries into global trade;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Points out that some funding sources may have catastrophic consequences for a country, its population and its real economy; underlines the fact that some agrifood sector funds encourage the practice of land grabbing, involving, in some cases, the unlawful expropriation of land, without appropriate compensation, from traditional rural, nomadic and poor communities[1]; points out that some financing arrangements, such as those under Islamic funds applying the Shariah compliance principle, may wreck sustainable development goals, such as gender equality, and that others may aid illegal activities, such as terrorism; [1] Cf. European Parliament resolution on Tanzania, notably the issue of land grabbing (2015/2604(RSP)).
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Stresses the need to lay down a legal framework for making blending (PPP) more effective and more transparent, back the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), and make sure that concessional loans in connection with blending ensure the best possible use of natural resources;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Insists that organisations, businesses or foundations involved in development financing comply with international transparency standards, ILO and WHO standards and international human rights law;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Calls for the EU and its Member States to promote an aid effectiveness agenda by reducing aid fragmentation through greater coordination between different aid mechanisms and donors; calls for the EU and its Member States to back capacity- building by providing support for training in financing techniques, banking and insurance products, the use of new technologies, and management;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Urges the Commission to support developing countries by increasing their capacities in the fields of fiscal administration, financial governance and management of public finances, and to encourage them to establish funds for the redistribution of natural resources;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Encourages developing countries to establish political and legal frameworks conducive to the development of the use of bank accounts and digital payment services; encourages them also to inform and train their people concerning the use of banking products and services and of credit insurance, and to place the emphasis on products which primarily benefit the poor, women and other vulnerable groups;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11c. Stresses the need to create guarantee funds which can be resorted to in the event of a financial crash affecting the real economies of developing countries, to regulate banking products, to create continental rating agencies and to guarantee the independence of the courts;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Calls for greater financing of research and development in science, technology and innovation in developing countries and for the establishment of systems to protect private data;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 15 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Culture and development
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Stresses the importance of protecting the cultural heritage as a resource which is non-renewable, irreplaceable and non- interchangeable; stresses the need to develop and promote cultural tourism in developing countries;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Stresses the importance of supporting culture as an important educational tool which favours the sharing of knowledge and its transmission from generation to generation;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 c (new)
Paragraph 15 c (new)
15c. Stresses the importance of recognising artists as contributors to development; stresses that artistic activities generate a significant proportion of financial resources;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 d (new)
Paragraph 15 d (new)
15d. Stresses the importance of protecting and developing creative industries, which are powerful levers for economic growth; recalls that creativity underlies innovation, which in turn is at the heart of development and economic growth;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 e (new)
Paragraph 15 e (new)
15e. Calls on the Commission to incorporate cultural diversity in all parameters of its development programmes and to advocate at international level that culture should be recognised as a full instrument of development in the post-2015 framework;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses the importance of establishing favourable conditions for private enterprise in developing countries; calls for alignment of the private sector with the sustainable development goals through appropriate partnerships, financial instruments, incentives and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR);
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Stresses the importance of adopting legislation which guarantees the right to property, the right of inheritance, the right to intellectual property, women’s rights, the rights of LGBTI persons, efforts to prevent land-grabbing, etc.;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Stresses the importance of supporting the emergence of organisations representing workers and employers and encouraging consultation between these organisations;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 c (new)
Paragraph 16 c (new)
16c. Stresses the need to promote the provision to undertakings of instruments for information, training and advice platforms essential to their development;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 d (new)
Paragraph 16 d (new)
16d. Encourages support for the emergence and development of SMEs developed by local economic operators, and recommends assigning priority to undertakings which create jobs, particularly processing undertakings;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 e (new)
Paragraph 16 e (new)
16e. Stresses that, in order to impart long- term impetus to the economy, it is essential to give young people and women access to credit to support start-ups;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 f (new)
Paragraph 16 f (new)
16f. Stresses the social cohesion role played by the collective entrepreneurship of producers’ associations in preventing ethnic and religious conflict;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls on the Commission to support increased access to finance for micro, small and medium enterprises in developing countries, placing the emphasis on projects undertaken by women and orphans who are heads of family;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls for more effective and innovative cooperation in migration policy between origin and destination countries; encourages the development of skills clusters, which will make it possible to repatriate the skills of diasporas;draws attention to the significant and growing financial flows represented by remittances from the diaspora, and supports the creation of diaspora funds; calls for further efforts to bring down transfer costs, as remittances are an important source of financing for development;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 23 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Budget support
Amendment 249 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Paragraph 26 – subparagraph 1 (new)
Reinforcing the health system
Amendment 271 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
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 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 e (new)
Paragraph 26 e (new)
26e. Peace and security
Amendment 276 #
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 #
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 278 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 h (new)
Paragraph 26 h (new)
26h. Stresses the need to support reforms in the security sector to protect people and to render investments secure in developing countries;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 i (new)
Paragraph 26 i (new)
26i. Stresses the need for the European Union to acquire its own military capability in order to keep the peace;
Amendment 280 #
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 #
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 287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Calls on the Commission to undertake exhaustive monitoring of the implementation of each of its development aid initiatives;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 c (new)
Paragraph 27 c (new)
27c. Calls on the Commission to require every recipient country to establish an effective, efficient and assessable programme to combat corruption;