Activities of María MUÑIZ DE URQUIZA related to 2012/2050(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the Annual Report from the Council to the European Parliament on the Common Foreign and Security Policy
Amendments (16)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Takes the view that, in order to be consistent with the Union's own values, EU foreign policy and external action must give priority to peace-building, promoting democracy and the rule law, good governance and fair societies; highlights the importance of strengthening the Instrument for Stability as the Union's strategic tool for addressing a number of global security and development challenges.
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses that the role of EU Special Representatives should be complementary to the country-specific work of EU Heads of Delegations and should represent and coordinate EU policy towards regions with specific strategies or security interests, which require a continuous EU presence and visibility; welcomes the positive response by the HR/VP to having newly appointed EUSRs and Heads of Delegation appear before Parliament for an exchange of views before taking up their posts; calls for improved reporting and access to political reports from Delegations and EUSRs in order for Parliament to receive full and timely information on developments from the ground, particularly in areas considered to be strategically important or the focus of political concern; also welcomes the appointment of an EU Special Representative for Human Rights, which will help reinforce the EU’s strategy and increase its visibility in this area;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Stresses the importance of ensuring coherence between policy planning, formulation and implementation through an appropriate mix of external financial instruments in the area of foreign affairs; calls among other things for continued complementary between the CFSP and the Instrument for Stability in the areas of mediation, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict peace- building, as well as for further work towards complementarity with the geographical instruments for long-term engagement with a country or region; welcomes the innovative introduction of a new Partnerships Instrument which brings important added value to the EU’s CFSP by providing a financial framework for cooperation with third countries, especially those that no longer receive Official Development Assistance, as well as with the EU’s Strategic Partners, and in the follow-up to important international summits;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Believes that such an approach can be aided by the establishment of clear country- or region-specific benchmarks, which should be monitored and evaluated by the European Parliament over the short, medium and long term; calls for benchmarking of the EU’s foreign policy, drawing upon existing strategic programming documents or strategic policy frameworks (such as the Horn of Africa or the Sahel), including in a more systematic and quantifiable definition of policy priorities and objectives, as well as of the resources to be used over precise timelines in the short, mid- and long term;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Considers that the assessment of progress made by partner countries must be based on mutual transparency and should be based upon clearly defined, and jointly agreed, country-specific benchmarks that set out timetables for the implementation of reforms as provided for in the action plans; these benchmarks should be the basis for regular and, where possible, joint monitoring and evaluation that include a full role for civil society, in order to ensure effective and transparent implementation of policies;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Recalls Turkey’s ambition to inspire and assist democratic transitions and socio- economic reforms in the southern neighbourhood; notes that participation of Turkish institutions and non-governmental organisations in ENP instruments would generate unique synergy effects, especially in areas such as institution-building and socio-economic and civil society development; believes that practical cooperation should be complemented with a structured dialogue between the EU and Turkey with a view to coordinating their respective neighbourhood policies; hopes that the conditions will improve forwelcomes the new impetus promoted by the EC’s Positive Agenda and the opening of eight further chapters in the membership negotiations (e.g. ratification and implementation of the Ankara Protocol)is framework that complements the membership negotiations without replacing them; recognises that the lack of cooperation in migration policy is having a negative impact, especially on Greece;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39 a (new)
Paragraph 39 a (new)
39a. Calls on the High Representative to continue the diplomatic efforts to ensure that Russia makes a positive contribution to the multilateral effort, especially in the United Nations Security Council, with a view to ending repression and violence in Syria;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 a (new)
Paragraph 42 a (new)
42a. Welcomes the renewal of E3+3 negotiations with Iran; calls on the Council to consider positive measures towards Iran in return for Iran’s commitment to cap uranium enrichment at below 5 %, to export all stocks of uranium above this level for reprocessing into fuel rods for civilian nuclear purposes and to fully open all aspects of its nuclear programme to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), so that the IAEA can verify that Iran’s nuclear programme is entirely civilian; calls on the HR/VP and the Council to reopen the diplomatic negotiations on other issues of mutual interest to the EU and Iran, such as regional security, human rights, the situation in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Persian Gulf; reiterates its call to establish a EU delegation in Tehran;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Stresses that social cohesion should remain a key principle of the development cooperation strategy towards Latin America, on account not only of its socio- economic implications, but also of its importance in terms of consolidating the democratic institutions in the region and the rule of law; also notes that further development cooperation between the EU and the middle-income countries of Latin America is necessary in order to address the major inequalities still existing in the region. Calls for triangular cooperation and South-South cooperation with South American countries to be strengthened;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Welcomes the fact thatsigning of the Association Agreement with Central America will be signed shortly andand the Trade Agreement with Colombia and Peru that will be subject in the European Parliament to the consent procedure; underlines the fact that as the first comprehensive region-to-region treaty for the EU, ithe Association Agreement with Central America upgrades the relationship and fosters a regional approach as well as Latin American regional integration; states its intention to closely monitor the implementation of these agreements, and in particular itstheir impact on the human rights and rule of law situation in Central America;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51 a (new)
Paragraph 51 a (new)
51a. Notes that the EU’s objective is the signing of an Association Agreement with all members of the Andean Community; takes the view that the Association Agreement with MERCOSUR would represent a decisive advance in strategic relations with Latin America, provided that it is based on the principles of fair trade and legal certainty of investments, the respect for international, labour and environmental standards and the trustworthy conduct of the partners;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51 b (new)
Paragraph 51 b (new)
51b. Deplores that the Commission’s proposals for a regulation on a scheme of generalised tariff preferences and the Development Cooperation Instrument ignore the strategic nature of relations with Latin America, as they exclude a significant number of vulnerable countries in this region; recalls that some countries of Latin America are among the most unequal in the world in terms of per capita earnings and that persistent inequality occurs in a context of low socio-economic mobility; considers that the message that the EU is sending to the region is very troubling, since, in practical terms, it amounts to a statement that it does not give it the importance that it deserves, in spite of the multiple political and trade commitments made and shared global interests;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 56 a (new)
Paragraph 56 a (new)
56a. Calls on the High Representative to continue with diplomatic efforts to ensure that China makes a positive contribution to the multilateral effort, especially in the United Nations Security Council,with a view to ending repression and violence in Syria;
Amendment 332 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62
Paragraph 62
62. Underlines the need to develop more effective mediation guidelines and capacities as well asthrough collaboration between the European Union and the United Nations on mediation capacities, in order to provide adequate resources for mediation in a timely and coordinated manner; considers it essential for the implementation of the EU’s human rights policy to develop the UN Human Rights Council’s capacity to address serious and urgent human rights situations, to reinforce the follow-up process on the implementation of recommendations of the Special Procedures and to strengthen the process of the Universal Periodic Review;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 62
Paragraph 62
62. Underlines the need to develop more effective mediation guidelines and capacities as well as to provide adequate resources for mediation in a timely and coordinated manner; considers it essential for the implementation of the EU’s human rights policy to develop the UN Human Rights Council’s capacity to address serious and urgent human rights situations, to reinforce the follow-up process on the implementation of recommendations of the Special Procedures and to strengthen the process of the Universal Periodic Review; stresses the need to continue the EU’s support of the International Criminal Court with the aim of contributing to the effective protection of Human Rights and the fight against impunity.
Amendment 377 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 71
Paragraph 71
71. Reiterates its call on the Member States to increase European cooperation in defence, which is the only feasible way to make sure that European military forces continue to be credible and operational in the face of diminishing defence budgets; notes the progress made under the EU’s pooling and sharing and NATO’s smart defence and considers it essential that further synergies are achieved between the two organisations; stresses the need to make further progress in pooling and sharing of assets, and the potential for synergies in research, development and industrial cooperation in defence at Union level; welcomes the initiatives for strengthened cooperation on this matter, including the Weimar Plus Initiative;