Activities of Paulo RANGEL related to 2019/2171(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
2019-2020 Reports on Bosnia and Herzegovina (debate)
Reports (1)
REPORT on the 2019-2020 Commission Reports on Bosnia and Herzegovina
Amendments (66)
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
- having regard to the regional cooperation initiatives in Southeast Europe and pan-European initiatives, such as the South-East Europe Cooperation Process, Brdo-Brijuni Process, the Central European Initiative, the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, the Energy Community Treaty, Erasmus+, the EU Strategies for the Danube Region and for the Adriatic-Ionian Region, the Migration, Asylum, Refugees Regional Initiative (MARRI), RECOM, the Regional Network for Accession (RENA), the Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA), the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), the Transport Community Treaty, the Western Balkans Fund and the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA),
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the Stabilisation and Association Process and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU membership application represent the country’s strategic choice towards European integration, which must translate into tangible results on the ground;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Reiterates its strong support for the European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina and calls on the European Council to continue supporting its European perspective;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 a (new)
Paragraph -1 a (new)
-1a. Highlights the strong support for European integration among population in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 b (new)
Paragraph -1 b (new)
-1b. Welcomes the steps taken by Bosnia and Herzegovina in addressing some key aspects of the Commission's Opinion and its continued implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, including progress made concerning the joint parliamentary committee as well as the political agreement allowing for the local elections in Mostar to take place in December 2020;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the path towards the EU depends on sustainable peace and genuine reconciliation warranting the democratic and multicultural character of BiH; urges the country to expedite effective prosecution of war crimes under the revised National War Crimes Processing Strategy, and calls for impartial and effective investigations into these crimes; condemns any kind of historical revisionism, secessionist rhetoric and related acts, denial or glorification of war crimes committed during the 1990’s war; urges long overdue action to tackle the issue of the tens of thousands of women who have been raped or otherwise sexually assaulted during the wars of the nineties;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Welcomes the efforts of local and international organisations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), to account for over 30,000 persons who went missing during the 1990s conflicts on the territory of the former Yugoslavia and more than 8,000 Srebrenica genocide victims;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Welcomes efforts aiming at promoting religious diversity, mutual respect and interfaith dialogue, including through the Inter-Religious Council of BiH; urges competent authorities to promptly investigate and prosecute all crimes committed on religious grounds;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Calls on all regional political leaders to set up the Regional Commission tasked with establishing the facts about all victims of war crimes and other human rights violations committed on the territory of the former Yugoslavia (RECOM), building upon the significant work carried out by the Coalition for RECOM from 1 January 1991 until 31 December 2001;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Urges the authorities to ensure inclusive and non-discriminatory education for all children; rejects the ongoing practice of segregation in education, as exemplified by the still numerous ‘two schools under one roof’ which perpetuate stereotypes and prejudices, prevent contact between students from different constituent peoples and are thus completely at odds with the very notion of reconciliation; stresses that differences in history teaching and textbooks pose a considerable threat to the possibility of a shared sense of citizenship and future social cohesion in BiH;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls on the Commission to develop a program to support sustainable reform in BiH’s education system;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Commends the adoption of the amendments to the BiH Election Law that allowed Mostar citizens to vote in the 2020 local elections for the first time since 2008; intends to closely monitor developments after the 20 December elections and calls for a swift formation of the new local government; welcomes the Parliamentary Assembly’s vote of 22 July 2020 on the Rules of Procedure governing the meetings of Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC), paving the way for their formal adoption by the 2nd EU-BiH SAPC as soon as possible;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines the urgent need to address shortcomings in the constitutional framework and to make progress on reforms that would transform BiH into a fully functional and inclusive state; stresses that institutional reforms depend on the will and commitment of political leaders and institutions in the country and insists that leaders seize the unique window of opportunity between the recent municipal elections and the general elections in 2022 to make genuine and long overdue progress on constitutional change, which is part of the 14 key priorities; urges the international community to facilitate the conditions for constitutional dialogue under the leadership of the EU, in particular Parliament, and in consultation with civil society; insists that such dialogue must run in parallel with the implementation of other reforms;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Urges the Commission to put more emphasis on the mentioned constitutional reform in its next annual report;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Regrets the lack of progress on reforms in the judiciary; reiterates the urgent need to strengthen the professionalism and accountability of the judiciary and to ensure its independence from undue influence; stresses that these reforms are essential for the country to obtain candidate status and that they depend solely on the necessary political will;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Urges to swiftly adopt the reform of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) in line with the Commission’s recommendations and the Opinion of the Venice Commission, strengthening independence of the BiH judiciary through appointment, appraisal, integrity and disciplinary measures, including through verification of annual asset declarations;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Underlines the need to enable a unified interpretation of the law across the 13 legal jurisdictions and urges BiH to establish a legal body ensuring consistent and harmonised interpretation of the law and recalls the need to ensure independent judicial review by setting up an appellate second-instance court;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 c (new)
Paragraph 10 c (new)
10c. Welcomes the Memorandum of Understanding on setting up of a Joint Coordination Body of associations of judges and prosecutors as a tool to enhance independence, transparency and accountability of judiciary and calls upon all the relevant associations to join;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 d (new)
Paragraph 10 d (new)
10d. Urges BiH to sign a cooperation agreement with Eurojust allowing for an efficient exchange of judicial information and sharing of evidence, and to set up a fully-functional Joint Contact Point, enhancing the exchange of criminal intelligence;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 e (new)
Paragraph 10 e (new)
10e. Welcomes BiH authorities’ efforts to prevent radicalisation, terrorism finance and its citizens’ involvement on to foreign battlefields;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for immediate steps to tackle corruption and impunity in the public sphere in order to rebuild citizens’ trust in the institutions; Notes in this regard the importance of putting in place effective and consistent dissuasion, prevention, detection, pro-active investigation and sanction mechanisms, in line with international standards and GRECO recommendations;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Urges to ensure adequate funding for anti-corruption strategies, strengthen and ensure durability and independence of corruption prevention bodies, and enable unhindered investigations in order to safeguard accountability;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)
Paragraph 11 b (new)
11b. Urges to step up investigation against illicit enrichment of public officials and to consider establishing a vetting procedure for the members of judiciary;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)
Paragraph 11 c (new)
11c. Reiterates the need to eradicate political and administrative links to organised crime through clear anti- corruption safeguards and increased transparency, with a particular focus on addressing economic, financial and public procurement crime along with the checks and transparency of political party and campaign financing;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Underlines the need to ensure consistent country-wide professional civil service standards, and calls for the implementation of merit-based standards in public appointments and promotions as a priority, advancing the culture of integrity; welcomes the adoption of the Public Administration Reform Strategic Framework, enabling mobilisation of related EU funds;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Expresses concern over the fundamental rights situation, and calls for more effective and comprehensive countrywide human rights and anti- discrimination strategies, as well as measures against interfaith and interethnic intolerance; stresses the need to duly prevent and prosecute the proliferation of hate speech, hate crimes and violence, and to promote social inclusion of minorities and vulnerable populations, including the Roma as well as people with disabilities; commends the first-ever Sarajevo Pride, held on 9 September 2019;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Insists that genuine reconciliation is impossible with recurring segregation and discrimination, including in access to education, employment and social rights, and calls for measures to alleviate large- scale discrimination against specific groups; urges to ensure inclusive and non-discriminatory education for all children;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)
Paragraph 13 b (new)
13b. Notes progress in the field of child protection, including implementation of Laws on Protection and Treatment of Children and Juveniles in Criminal Proceedings and establishing a system of foster care; Recalls the need for further measures to ensure children’s’ right to health, education, protection, justice and equitable opportunities through inclusive multi-lingual education and prevention of violence against children;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)
Paragraph 13 c (new)
13c. Welcomes the signature by BiH of the Council of Europe’s Convention 108+ and urges authorities to take legal steps ensuring EU-compliant personal data protection standards;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Commends the decision of the Constitutional Court of 4 October 2019 to repeal Article 11 of the Constitution of the Republika Srpska entity, thus abolishing capital punishment across BiH; regrets, however, that this decision, which meets part of one of the key priorities, had to be imposed by a Court instead of being the result of a political process;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Regrets BiH’s continued inability to comply with anti-discrimination rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) which is a prerequisite for opening accession negotiations; notes the continuing shortcomings in the election process, and reiterates the need to address discriminatory ethnicity and residency- based restrictions on the right to stand for election through the required constitutional changes;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Calls for effective measures ensuring transparency of editorial and media ownership structure, along with the rules on subsidies and publicity;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17d. Recalls that high quality multilingual content in all official languages of BiH is an essential component of a genuine media pluralism;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Urges to put in place a mechanism for gathering and exchanging information on violations of freedom of expression and media across the country, under the relevant Memorandum of Understanding signed with the OSCE;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
Paragraph 17 b (new)
17b. Urges to ensure sustainable funding of the public broadcasting system; Recalls the need to ensure independence, objectivity and financial transparency of the state-wide public broadcasting service (BHRT), entity-level public broadcasters and the Communications Regulatory Agency;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recalls the importance of fact- checking and media literacy for tackling propaganda, disinformation and fake news; Insists that the EU must enhance its communication strategy in order to effectively counter disinformation campaigns aimed at diminishing the EU’s credibility in the region;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes the increased migratory pressure on the country; calls for effective inter-institutional coordination of migration and border management in the face of a mounting humanitarian crisis; calls for equitable burden-sharing and adequate support for local communities hosting temporary reception centres; underlines the need to ensure appropriate reception conditions and to boost capacity for processing incoming migrants and asylum- seekers; urges BiH to conclude an agreement with the European Asylum Support Office (EASO); calls on the EU to step up its support to BiH’s authorities, namely with regard to operational, technical, logistical and further financial assistance;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Urges BiH to step up its efforts against cross-border crime, especially human trafficking, and to ensure swift conclusion of the status agreement with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) reached on the 5th of February 2019 and still pending signature and ratification, that would facilitate better protection of borders in full respect for fundamental rights, while helping fight cross-border crime and illegal migration;
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls for a co-ordinated, strategic countrywide response to the ongoing health emergency and post-pandemic recovery measures; recalls COVID-related EU support to address the acute situation in the country, including new loan guarantees of €12 million to support SMEs; encourages BiH to make full use of the Union’s mechanisms, including adherence to the Joint Procurement Agreement for medical equipment; calls for urgent and specific measures to address the plight of women in all spheres of life, including domestic violence, which has further deteriorated during the pandemic; calls on the European Commission and the Member States to allocate a sufficient number of COVID-19 vaccines to the Western Balkan countries;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls for a co-ordinated, strategic countrywide response to the ongoing health emergency and post-pandemic recovery measures in full respect of the principle of non discrimination; recalls COVID-related EU support to address the acute situation in the country; calls on the European Commission and the Member States to allocate a sufficient number of COVID-19 vaccines to the Western Balkan countries;
Amendment 326 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Considers that short-term measures addressing the pandemic- related slowdown in trade, services, transport, manufacturing and tourism should not undermine implementation of long-term reforms;
Amendment 327 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
Paragraph 22 a (new)
22a. Recalls that predictable pre- accession funding is conditional upon effective coordination methods and implementation of the countrywide strategies and reforms;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Calls on BiH to step up active labour market measures aimed at reducing long-term and youth unemployment, contributing to the most acute brain drain in the region, notably in the health and IT sector; calls for BiH to step up socio- economic measures to address the demographic decline and brain drain;
Amendment 346 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Underlines the urgency of creating a single economic space, including by simplifying, centralising and harmonizing procedures for business registration, licensing, permit issuing and insolvency;
Amendment 347 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Recalls the necessity to fully implement measures foreseen in the 2020- 2022 BiH Economic Reform Programme and the Policy Guidance based on the Economic and Financial Dialogue;
Amendment 348 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 c (new)
Paragraph 24 c (new)
24c. Urges BiH to actively advance regional economic integration in the Western Balkans;
Amendment 350 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 e (new)
Paragraph 24 e (new)
24e. Urges the country to put into effect the law on customs policy, implement the trade aspects of the Regional Economic Area (REA) and complete steps required to conclude its accession to the WTO;
Amendment 351 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 f (new)
Paragraph 24 f (new)
24f. Renews its calls for the adoption of a country-wide strategy on public finance management and for increased budget transparency in BiH, enabling the EU- funded budget support;
Amendment 352 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 g (new)
Paragraph 24 g (new)
24g. Recalls the need to advance sustainability of the public debt and budget-consolidation efforts; regrets the inter-entity disputes impeding functioning of the single indirect tax system;
Amendment 353 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 h (new)
Paragraph 24 h (new)
24h. Calls on BiH to without further delay safeguard property rights by putting in place a comprehensive legislative framework governing restitution;
Amendment 354 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 i (new)
Paragraph 24 i (new)
24i. Recalls the need for a coherent restructuring, depolitisation and transparent privatisation of public companies across the country, leading to an improved governance and transparency; underlines the need to establish a publicly available register of state-owned enterprises;
Amendment 355 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 j (new)
Paragraph 24 j (new)
24j. Calls to ensure effective functioning and enforcement of decisions by the Competition Council and the State Aid Council and implementation of the strategy on enforcing intellectual property rights;
Amendment 356 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 k (new)
Paragraph 24 k (new)
24k. Recalls the need to ensure timely, comprehensive, high-quality country-wide statistics;
Amendment 357 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 l (new)
Paragraph 24 l (new)
24l. Underlines that independence of the Central Bank and its reserves is key for macroeconomic stability;
Amendment 360 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Recommends focusing on growth- enhancing public investment and infrastructure projects increasing transport multimodality and road safety, making full use of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans; recalls that such projects must be in line with the rules on state aid, public procurement and the environmental impact; urges to improve Bosnia and Herzegovina’s absorption capacity of EU funds;
Amendment 367 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Urges BiH’s authorities to ensure alignment with EU standards and policy objectives on climate protection and energy, facilitating the green and digital transition, and calls for the prioritisation of measures reducing ecological degradation and environmental risks to health; and to increase sustainability of the energy generation sector by boosting energy efficiency and diversification through sustainable usage of renewables and to contribute to the regional connectivity, namely by working towards completing the Regional Energy Market; furthermore notes that air pollution needs to be addressed in a harmonised and consistent country-wide manner, also mitigating the risk for cross-border pollution;
Amendment 374 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Urges the country to adopt a state- wide Law on Electricity and Natural Gas Regulator, Transmission and Electricity Market and implement national measures of energy efficiency and renewable energy generation, ensuring compliance with the obligations of the Third Energy Package and the Treaty Establishing the Energy Community;
Amendment 376 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Recalls that overreliance of coal delays an overdue transition to renewable energy; urges authorities to take steps to phase out unproductive and polluting coal-supplied power plants and recalls the need to ensure existence of a “just transition“ mechanism;
Amendment 378 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26c. Underlines that planning and construction of eco-sensitive projects, such as hydropower development must comply with international and EU norms on impact assessments and environmental protection;
Amendment 380 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 d (new)
Paragraph 26 d (new)
26d. Calls on BiH to enhance efforts on biodiversity conservation, as it is one of the countries in Europe with the greatest diversity in plant and animal species;
Amendment 382 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 e (new)
Paragraph 26 e (new)
26e. Recalls the need to advance preparedness for climate change phenomena, in particular flooding and drought; recalls that BiH is yet to establish an integrated civil emergency response information system;
Amendment 384 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 f (new)
Paragraph 26 f (new)
26f. Calls for steps enabling sustainable waste management process under a waste management information system, putting in place adequate recycling facilities and preventing the case of illegal waste dumping;
Amendment 388 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Urges BiH to continue progressively improving Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) alignment, as it constitutes an essential component of EU membership; Firmly believes that better communication of the EU commitment towards the region is paramount to tackle malign foreign influences; calls for the strengthening of good neighbourly relations and increased efforts to resolve all outstanding bilateral issues, such as border demarcation with Croatia and Serbia and normalisation of relations with Kosovo;
Amendment 392 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)
Paragraph 27 a (new)
27a. Welcomes BiH’s participation in the NATO’s Membership Action Plan (MAP) and the country’s contribution to the NATO's Resolute Support Mission (RSM) in Afghanistan;
Amendment 397 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Welcomes the continued presence of EUFOR’s Operation Althea in the country and the extension of EUFOR’s mandate until November 2021; Commends the operation for remaining fully operational and continuing to support the country in spite of the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic; looks forward to the forthcoming strategic review of the operation and stresses that the latter should retain its intelligence assets and readily available reserves;
Amendment 400 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Welcomes ongoing and continued efforts on the disposal of weapons, ammunition, explosives and demining; Recalls the importance of properly funding demining efforts in the country; calls on further support of the EU and of international organizations to ensure that de-mining could be stepped up allowing BiH to be freed from the remnants of its war-torn years;