Activities of Marie-Christine VERGIAT related to 2017/2083(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the EU-Africa Strategy: a boost for development
Amendments (24)
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses the increasing importance of political, security and economic relations between the EU and Africa at a time when both are experiencing profound changes, and recognises, at a time when both the EU and Africa are experiencing profound changes, of once more basing political, security and economic relations between them on the goals of peace, mutual development, independence and sovereignty of African countries and respect for human rights, emphasising especially the rights of refugees and migrants, and regrets that the contribution made by the Joint Africa- EU Strategy to building a stronger partnership over the past 10 yearsover the past 10 years has more often favoured the neo-colonial interests of certain Member States or multinational corporations at the expense of the people;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Takes the view that migration now occurs on both a world-wide and regional scale, with 80 % of south-south migration flows taking place between countries with shared borders and very little difference in income; considers that routes for migration are extremely complex, with people moving not only from one continent to another but frequently within the same continent, and that this is the case in Africa where 85 % of migration takes place within the African continent; considers that despite the worldwide economic crisis, and according to the UN, international migration flows are not rising, with almost 244 million people considered to be international migrants; takes the view therefore that the new EU- Africa Strategy needs to take these facts into account and bring about a genuine partnership on mobility incorporating safe, legal routes for migration and adhering strictly to international law, and the Geneva Convention in particular;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines the need for a stronger, more egalitarian and more political partnership between the EU and Africa, based on shared values and interestsmutual development, in order to tackle global issues such as climate change, terrorism, organised crime and migratory flows, and to promote a rule-based global order based on a strongombating poverty, peace, attainment of the UN’s development goals (SDGs) and climate change, and to promote a relationship based on the inalienable right of people to choose their own economic, political and social system without outside interference of any kind and on respect for international law and the UN;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. PRecalls that, in Africa, international migration concerns fewer than 35 million people, and that more than 85% of migration is within Africa itself; points out that migration and mobility within Africa and between Africa and the EU armay have beneficial toeffects on both continents, and that a holistic approach to migration and mobility is paramount for from both the economic and the demographic point of view, and that a holistic approach would make it possible to boosting sustainable development, promoting democracy, the rule of law, good governance and human rights;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses the importance for the future of Africa of mobility for its young people, recalls that one mobile student in ten worldwide is an African student, and that half of them come to Europe, but that this proportion is falling, with corresponding rises in the numbers going, in particular, to the Persian Gulf countries and Turkey;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Calls in particular for implementation of the Directive on the conditions of entry and residence of third- country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing for the benefit of African students;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recognises that violent conflicts, persecution, inequality, infringements of human rights, terrorism, repressive regimes, natural disasters and chronic poverty have led to increased mobility in recent years; stresses that refugees and migrants have the same universal human rights and fundamental freedoms, and calls on the EU and its Member States in this regard to sign the International Convention of 1990 on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls for an assessment to be made of how funds are allocated under the new EU-Africa partnership so that they genuinely serve the goals of peace, economic and social development and building up public infrastructure, notably for education and health; stresses that allocation of these funds shall be fully transparent and that they shall not under any circumstances be allocated to governments and countries where violation of human rights occurs on a regular basis;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls for safe and legal channels to be established, including by means of humanitarian corridors and visas, for people seeking international protection;stresses the need to create and to implement more effectively frameworks for the protection of migrants in distress at borders and in the European Union;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Reiterates the importance of addressing the root causes of largemovementsof refugees and migrantscalls that the majority of refugees and migrants find refuge in developing countries, and that populationmovementsprimarily take place within and between those countries;stresses that those countries' aid systems face major challenges, which are liable to seriously compromise the protection of a growing displaced population;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses that the pursuit of common interests and cooperation on securitydevelopment must be totally consistent with the EU’s fundamental values and with the objectives of supporting democracy and promoting human rights and the rule of law; calls for a more strategic, comprehensive and structured approach to political dialogue under the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, with the greater involvement of civil society and a stronger people-to-people dimensioninternational law, equality of both parties, the sovereignty of countries, freedom of the people and promoting human rights and the rule of law;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses that with regard to the new EU-Africa Strategy, the activities of EU companies operating in African countries shall be entirely consistent with international human rights standards; calls, therefore, on the Member States to ensure that companies which come under their national law do not disregard human rights or the social, health and environmental standards which apply to them when moving to, or doing business in, a third country; calls on the Commission and the Member States to take the requisite action against EU companies which do not comply with those standards or which do not properly compensate victims of human rights violations falling directly or indirectly under their responsibility; stresses the importance of more work being done within the context of the United Nations on devising legal instruments on multinational companies that do not respect human rights;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Draws attention to the fact that the Africa-EU Migration and Mobility Dialogue should facilitate mobility and free movement of people in Africa and between Africa and the EU on the basis of a well- managed rights-based approach including safe and legal channels for migration; calls on the EU, in this context, to sign mobility partnership agreements with third countries to facilitate family reunification and mobility for persons of all skills levels, including the least qualified;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls for effective, strengthened and systematic cooperation with countries of origin, transit and destination, including a strong and real resettlement policy and financooperation with countries of origin, transit and destination in the fight against trafficking and smuggling of human beings, with the exception of countries where human rights and particularly the rights of migrants are not respected; recalls that this cooperation must never violate the rights of people who are in need of international protection or detract from the right to leave any country, including one's own; rejects any attempts to outsource the European Union’s migration policies; expresses its concern at the many negotiations on readmission and return and the increasingly systematic attachment of conditions to the signature of any European agreement, including agreements on visa facilitation; calls for the suspension of all readmission agreements with countries that do not respect human rights; calls on States to respect the international principle of non- refoulement, in accordance with international law, and especially investigation, in cases where people risk being returned to countries where their lives would be in danger or the fy might against trafficking and smuggling of human beingsface torture or inhuman and degrading treatment; calls for the adoption of a strong and real resettlement policy by means, in particular, of permanent and compulsory resettlement programmes and the introduction of humanitarian visas for those fleeing conflict zones, including with the aim of making it possible to enter a third country to seek asylum there;
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Highlights the fact that the level of public debt and debt servicing of some African countries is clearly unsustainable and severely restricts investment, growth and the state’s capacity to properly finance its social functions such as health, education and social security; calls on the African countries to set up an audit of their debts in order to determine the illegitimate and odious parts thereof and cancel them in line with the UN recommendations and initiatives such as the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI); calls for a new framework for cooperation between the EU and Africa that is genuinely capable of promoting the sovereign development of African countries; calls on the EU Member States to initiate and support a process of debt relief in accordance with the above- mentioned UN initiatives in the most indebted countries, thereby promoting economic and social development;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses that the concepts of safe third countries and safe countries of origin must not prevent the indiviual consideration of asylum applications and that under all circumstances migrants who need international protection must be able to submit their applications and have them considered in accordance with international law;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recognises the strategic potential of the African diaspora worldwide in terms of both financial remittances and non- financial values, as regards capacity to build and promote peace, democracy, good governance and social stability; points out that aid by migrants to their countries of origin is worth EUR 600 billion, including 400 billion for developing countries, which is nearly three times the amount of Official Development Aid;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Deplores the fact that many EU Member States have not met the target of earmarking 0.7 % of GNI for development aid and that some have lowered the percentage that they spend on such aid; calls on the EU Member States to comply with the commitment to provide 0.7 % of GNI as ODA and to adopt a clear plan for how and when they will achieve this goal; stresses that this goal has to be a focal point in the new EU-Africa Strategy; stresses that development aid should be given in the form of grants, not loans, so that the debt burden is not made heavier;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
5c. Emphasises the importance of safeguarding the self-determination of the peoples of the African countries and the sovereignty of their countries; emphasises, in particular, that aid and the EU’s new Africa strategy shall not be tied to priorities chosen by the donors, apart from respect for the International Bill of Human Rights, and shall not, above all, be tied in to controlling flows of migrants and refugees; deplores, therefore, the EU’s push for ‘migration compacts’ and its attempts to outsource border control;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
5d. Reiterates that food and water sovereignty, including the right of farmers to produce food for their people, shall be a key priority under the new EU-Africa Strategy, ending land grabbing and ensuring farmers have access to land, seeds and water; reiterates as a further priority the development of health and education sectors as public services, including universal health coverage;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recalls that African leaders made a pledge to accelerate growth, development, prosperity and good governance on the African continent by 2063; calls on the Union and its Member States to support developing countries so that they can adopt long-term policies that respect the rights to freedom of movement, education, health and employment; stresses the need for the Union and its Member States particularly to support the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in their efforts to combat climate change, so as to avoid aggravating poverty in those countries;
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Recommends further efforts to implement the Valletta Action Plan formake it possible to implement humane and sustainable management of migration on both sides of the Mediterranean. and recommends a firm commitment to act on the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants adopted by the UN General Assembly on 19 September 2016;
Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Calls for an assessment of the Rabat and Khartoum processes and monitoring of the Emergency Trust Fund for Africa;calls also for an assessment of all the funds allocated under the new Africa-EU partnership so that they genuinely serve the goals of peace, economic and social development and building up public infrastructure, notably for education and health;stresses that allocation of these funds must be fully transparent and that they must not under any circumstances be allocated to countries whose governments violate human rights on a regular basis;
Amendment 84 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 9 b (new)
Paragraph 9 b (new)
9b. Calls for greater parliamentary scrutiny of working arrangements agreed with third counties and of the external cooperation activities of the relevant EU agencies;