Activities of Cristian Dan PREDA related to 2016/2313(INI)
Plenary speeches (2)
2016 Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina (debate) FR
2016 Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina (debate) FR
Reports (1)
REPORT on the 2016 Commission Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina PDF (378 KB) DOC (66 KB)
Amendments (21)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2
Citation 2
— having regard to the Protocol on the Adaptation of the SAA between the European Communities and its Member States, on the one part, and BiH, on the other part, to take into account the accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union, which was initialled on 18 Julysigned on 15 December 2016,
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas on 9 December 2016, in Sarajevo, the EU Commissioner for neighbourhood policy and enlargement negotiations has delivered to the BiH authorities the questionnaire;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas education is essential in creating and promoting a tolerant and inclusive society as well as in fostering cultural, religious and ethnic understanding in the country;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the consideration of BiH’'s EU membership application by the Council, the handing in of the questionnaire and looks forward to the Commission’'s opinion on the merits of the application for membership; calls on competent BiH authorities at all levels to cooperate and coordinate in participating in the Commission’'s Opinion process by providing a single set of replies to the Commission’'s inquiries;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Welcomes the progress on the implementation of the 2015-2018 Reform Agenda, as well as the country’s determination to pursue further institutional and socio-economic reforms; stresses that harmonised implementation of the Reform Agenda is needed to achieve real change across the country and to improve the lives of all BiH citizens; calls for the reform momentum to be maintained in order to transform BiH into a fully effective, inclusive and functional state guaranteeing equality and democratic representation of all citizens; regrets that common reform efforts often continue to be hampered by ethnic and political divisions; considers it essential to maintain consensus on EU integration and to advance in a concerted manner on the rule of law, including the fight against corruption and organised crime, the reform of the judiciary and public administration;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2 a. Underscores that, while broader political and institutional reforms continue to be needed, effective focus on social and economic reforms should remain the top priority;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes agreement on setting up a coordination mechanism for EU matters aiming to improve functionality and efficiency in the accession process, including as regards EU financial assistance, and enabling better interaction with the EU; calls on both the state and entities to ensure effective cooperation and communication between all levels of government and with the EU, in order to facilitate the alignment and implementation of the acquis, and to provide satisfactory replies to the Commission’'s inquiries throughout the Opinion process; calls for the role and capacities of the Directorate for European Integration to be further enhanced with a view to it assuming fully its coordinating functions within the implementation of the SAA and, overall, in the accession process;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Regrets that the Rules of Procedure of the SAPC have still not been adopted and it therefore could not be properly constituted; urges the presiding bodies of the BiH Parliament to find a solution in order to meet the requirements of the institutional and legal framework of the EU and to provide a meaningful parliamentary oversight of the accession process;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Reiterates its concern about the continued fragmentation into four different legal systems; stresses the need to strengthen judicial independence, including from political pressure, and to fight corruption in the judiciary; urges the rapid adoption of the action plan for the implementation of the 2014-2018 justice sector reform; welcomes the adoption of the law on free legal aid at state level and the introduction by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of guidelines on prevention of conflict of interest, the drafting of integrity plans and disciplinary measures; calls for enhancing the overall efficiency of the judiciary, increasing the transparency and objectivity in the process of selection of new judges and prosecutors, as well for strengthening accountability and integrity mechanisms in the judiciary; underlines the need to reinforce mechanisms for prevention of conflict of interests and for establishing mechanisms for transparency of financial reports and asset declarations in the judiciary; notes the important role of the Structured Dialogue on Justice in addressing the shortcomings in the BiH judiciary;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Regrets that a high number of constitutional court decisions are not being implemented, including in particular the decision on the RS day, which was contested in the referendum held on 25 September 2016; emphasises that respect for the rule of law and the country’s constitutional framework is of paramount importance for advancing on the EU path and in order to preserve peace and stability in BiH;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes some progress with regard to refugees and internally displaced persons in terms of repossession of property and occupancy rights as well as the reconstruction of houses; calls on the competent authorities to facilitate their access to healthcare, employment, social protection and education and to dedicate further attention to damage compensation for property which cannot be returned;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Reiterates the need to address more forcefully the issue of the unresolved fate of missing persons as a result of the war; stresses that solving this issue is of paramount importance for reconciliation and stability in the region;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Notes some progress in fighting organised crime; is concerned, however, about the absence of a consistent approach in tackling organised crime owing to the numerous action plans by the various law enforcement agencies at different levels; highlights the need to strengthen the framework for inter-agency cooperation; welcomes joint investigations but calls for more coordinated operations and better exchange of information; calls for enhancing capacities of law enforcement bodies including on counter-terrorism; welcomes the signing of the operational and strategic cooperation agreement with Europol aimed at combating cross-border criminality by inter alia exchanging information and jointly planning operational activities;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14 a. Notes with concern the large stockpiles of weapons and ammunition and urges the total eradication of weapons held illegally by citizens;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Underlines the need for a substantial improvement in the strategic, legal, institutional and policy frameworks on the observance of human rights; calls for the adoption of a countrywide strategy on human rights and non-discrimination; is concerned about continued discrimination against persons with disabilities in the fields of employment, education and access to health care; calls for developing a comprehensive and integrated approach to the social inclusion of Roma; welcomes the fact that some governments and parliaments have begun discussing LGBTI rights and drawing up specific measures for their protection; welcomes changes to the BiH anti-discrimination law extending the listed grounds for discrimination to age, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity; urges again for the repeal of the provision on the death penalty in the RS entity Constitution;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for efforts to increase the participation of women in political life and employment, to improve their socio- economic situation and to strengthen women’'s rights on the whole; highlights the importance of the effective implementation of the legislation on the prevention of and protection from gender- based violence;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Is concerned about cases of political pressure and intimidation against journalists, including physical and verbal attacks, and including by high-level officials or former officials, as well as by the lack of transparency in the media ownership; is also concerned by the use of civil defamation lawsuits against critical media outlets and journalists; emphasiszes the need to investigate attacks against journalists and ensure proper judicial follow-up; calls on authorities to unequivocally condemn all attacks against journalists and media outlets; calls on BiH authorities to undertake urgent measures to save public service media from collapse; calls on the competent authorities to ensure the independence and financial stability of the three public service broadcasters as well as the political, operational and financial independence of the Communications Regulatory Authority; calls forurges to finalise the digital switchover to be finalised and forand to set up a broadband strategy to be drawn up;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Welcomes measures to modernise labour legislation, to improve the business environment and to address weaknesses in the financial sector within the framework of the Reform Agenda; notes positively also the increase in registered employment and the steps taken to strengthen economic policy coordination; welcomes the 3- year Extended Fund Facility programme agreed with the IMF, which is expected to further improve the business climate, to reduce the size of government and to safeguard the financial sector; continues to regret the absence of a unified single economic area, which hampers the business environment and foreign direct investments; calls, as a matter of urgency, for the competent authorities to outline coordinated measures with a view to strengthening the rule of law, simplifying contract enforcement procedures and combating corruption in the economy;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22 a. Notes that some progress has been achieved in further aligning policies and legislation in the area of environmental protection; calls for significant efforts regarding proper and systematic implementation and enforcement of existing legislation; stresses the need to adopt a country-wide strategy for the approximation of environmental acquis, enhance the legal framework and strengthen administrative and monitoring capacities; points out that the legislation regulating access to environmental information and public participation in decision-making processes must be brought in line with the acquis;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
Paragraph 22 b (new)
22 b. Underlines the need to adopt a country-wide energy strategy and to adopt a legal framework for gas in compliance with the Third Energy Package, so that European Energy Community Sanctions can be lifted;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23 a. Welcomes the prolongation of EUFOR's mandate in November 2016 for another year by the UN Security Council;