21 Amendments of Marietje SCHAAKE related to 2016/2312(INI)
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas Albania has made steady and constant progress in its EU accession process; whereas further implementation of, inter alia, the judicial reform package, in particular the vetting law, electoral reform and the so-called decriminalisation law is important in strengthening citizens’ trust in their public institutions and political representatives;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
A a. whereas challenges still persist and need to be addressed swiftly and efficiently in a spirit of dialogue, cooperation and compromise between government and opposition in order to make further progress on its path to EU accession;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas the EU has highlighted the need to strengthen economic governance, the rule of law and public administration capacities in all of the Western Balkan countries;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes Albania’s continuous progress on EU-related reforms, in particular the adoption of constitutional amendments paving the way for a deep and comprehensive judicial reform; stresses that not only consistent adoption but also full and timely implementation of reforms and sustained political commitment are essential in order to further advance the EU accession process;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Fully supports Albania’s accession to the EU, and calls for the accession negotiations to be opened as soon as there is credible and sustainable progress in the implementation of judicial reform, fight against organized crime and corruption in order to keep the reform momentum; expects Albania to consolidate the progress achieved and to maintain the pace of progress on implementation of all key priorities;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Reiterates that a constructive dialogue, sustainable political cooperation and a willingness to compromise is crucial for the success of the reforms and for; underlines that lack of political cooperation and polarisation undermine the entire EU accession process;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Commends the consensual adoption of the constitutional amendments for judicial reform and the adoption of laws on the institutional reorganisation of the judiciary in close cooperation with the Venice Commission; calls for the swift adoption and implementation of all relevant accompanying laws and by-laws, in particular the law on the re-evaluation (vetting) of judges, prosecutors and legal advisors as an important instrument to fight corruption in Albania; notes that the application of the vetting law has been suspended by the Constitutional Court, and that the latter has requested the opinion of the Venice Commission on its constitutionality; reiterates that a comprehensive judicial reform is a major demand by Albania’s citizens for re- establishing trust in their political representatives and public institutions, and that the credibility and effectiveness of the overall reform process, including the fight against corruption and organised crime, depend on the success of the vetting process and judicial reform;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the new justice reform strategy 2017-2020 and its action plan, as well as the increased budgetary means for implementation; stresses that administration of justice continue to be slow and inefficient; notes the lack of progress in the filling of vacancies at the High Court and the administrative courts and the effective use of the unified case management system; calls for any shortcomings in the functioning of the judicial system to be further addressed, including lack of independence from other branches of power, selective justice, limited accountability, ineffective oversight mechanisms, corruption, the overall length of judicial proceedings and enforcements;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Ad-Hoc Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reform to finalise its review of the electoral code while addressing all previous OSCE/ODIHR recommendations; calls on the competent authorities to ensure implementation in due time before the upcoming parliamentary elections of June 2017; recalls that all political parties are responsible for in order to address the lack of impartiality and professionalism in the electoral administration; calls on all political actors that ensuring thatfair and democratic elections are conducted in compliance with international standards is an important precondition to further advance the EU accession process; calls on Albania’s political parties to respect the law, in spirit and in letter, on the exclusion of criminal offenders from public office when drawing up their candidate lists; calls on the authorities to encourage CSOs to actively participate in the overview of the whole electoral process;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6 a. Stresses the fact that around 2 million citizens of Albania living abroad are not able to cast their vote in the upcoming elections which is a basic constitutional right; calls on authorities to make further efforts that allows for the adoption and implementation of the necessary reforms in order to provide voting right for Albanians who live abroad;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes the efforts towards a more citizen-friendly public administration and steady progress in the implementation of public administration reform; calls for further progress in strengthening the application of the Civil Service Law and the Law on Administrative Procedures, in order to safeguard the independence of regulatory bodies, improve recruitment procedures based on merit and performance, and enhance institutional and human resource capacities, with a view to ensuring efficient conduct of EU accession negotiations; calls for enhancing the authority, autonomy, efficiency and resources of human rights structures, such as the office of the Ombudsman; commends the National Council for European Integration on its initiatives to enhance the capacities of public administration and civil society in monitoring the implementation of accession-related reforms;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8 a. Takes notes of the implementation of the territorial reform; stresses that substantial efforts are needed to increase the financial and administrative capacity of the newly created local government units; calls for the establishment of a consultative council between the central and local governments;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the adoption of key pieces of anti-corruption legislation, including on the protection of whistle- blowers; is concerned, however, that corruption remains prevalent in many areas and key anti-corruption institutions continue to be subject to political interference and have limited administrative capacities; notes that poor interinstitutional cooperation and exchange of information continue to hamper proactive investigation and effective prosecution of corruption; stresses the need for a more adequate legal framework for conflicts of interest, regulating lobbying and better interinstitutional cooperation, especially between police and prosecution services, with a view to improving their track record as regards investigation, prosecution and conviction, including in high level cases; in view of the upcoming parliamentary elections, calls for effective oversight of political party financing;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Welcomes the continued implementation of the strategy and action plan on the fight against organised crime and intensified international police cooperation; welcomes recent operations against drug plantations; notes, however, that police and prosecution fail to identify criminal gangs behind drug cultivation; calls also for organised crime networks to be dismantled and for the number of final convictions in organised crime cases to be increased, by enhancing cooperation between police and prosecution services and by strengthening institutional and operational capacities; underlines the need to step up efforts to prevent human trafficking, in particular as regards unaccompanied children and child victims of trafficking;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes the improving EU-related cooperation between state institutions and civil society organisations (CSOs), including their participation in meetings of the National Council on European Integration (NCEI); stressesnotes that an empowered civil society is a crucial component of any democratic system; stresses, therefore, the need for even closer coordination at all levels of government, including at local level, with CSOs; calls for the effective implementation of the right to information and public consultation and for better regulation of the fiscal framework affecting CSOs;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Urges the competent authorities to actively promote respect of human rights and continue improving the climate of inclusion and tolerance for all minorities and other vulnerable groups in the country, including by enhancing the role of the State Committee on Minorities; as regardsunderlines the need to improve the living conditions for Roma and Egyptians,; calls for continued efforts in improving their access to employment, education, health, social housing and legal aid; is concerned that, despite improvements, the inclusion of Roma children in the education system remains the lowest in the region;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12 a. Recalls that institutional mechanisms to protect the rights of the child and to tackle gender-based violence remain poor; calls for better policy implementation and better inter- institutional cooperation in order to tackle social exclusion and discrimination effectively; stresses the need for additional efforts in order to develop a track record of anti-discrimination cases;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Commends religious tolerance and good cooperation among religious communities; encourages the competent authorities and religious communities to cooperate in preserving and fostering religious harmony; notes that Albania has been affected by the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters and a number of unauthorized mosques in the country present risks of radicalisation; considers it essential to prevent Islamic radicalisation, including through disengagement and reintegration of returning foreign fighters, to counter violent extremism in cooperation with CSOs and religious communities, and to intensify regional and international cooperation in this area;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Reiterates the critical importance of professional and independent private and public service media; is concerned about political influence in the media and widespread self-censorship among journalists; notes the slow implementation of the law on audiovisual media and the delays in filling vacancies in the Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA); with a view to upcoming parliamentary elections, calls for additional efforts to fully guarantee the independence of the Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA) and of the public broadcaster; calls for measures to raise the professional and ethical standards of and prevalence of regular work contracts for journalists, to enhance the transparency of government advertising in the media and to ensure the independence of the regulatory authority and the public broadcaster;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15 a. Commends that according to the Institute of Statistic in Albania (INSTAT) the level of unemployment in Albania decreased at the lowest level during the last three years; stresses the need to rise the quality of education at all levels in order to better equip people with skills and knowledge in line with labour market needs;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19 a. Welcomes the decision by Albanian authorities to align Albanian foreign policy with Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/1671, renewing EU restrictive measures against Russia;