2017/2027(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that ~~175 million people are living in poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)~~Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is a region that has experienced significant economic development in recent years, and both poverty and inequality levels have fallen; stresses, however, that 175 million people are still living in poverty; notes that inequality is ~~the main~~a significant obstacle to the region’s development; stresses that economic growth together with inclusive social development is ~~the key to addressing it~~crucial in order to reduce these levels;

Amendment 10 #

3. Considers that since the European Union is the largest donor of aid to the LAC region, withdrawing it~~, including aid to middle-income countries,~~ would be a backward step that would impede the region’s future development; calls on the Commission and Council to make an unambiguous commitment with LAC (particularly MSME) to leave no one behind and alleviate the impact on countries that have recently achieved middle-income status or are in a process of transition towards it;

Amendment 11 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Considers that since the European Union is the largest donor of aid to the LAC region, withdrawing it, including aid to middle-income countries, would be a backward step that would impede the region’s future development; calls on the Commission and Council to make an unambiguous commitment with LAC (particularly MSME) to leave no one behind and alleviate the impact on countries that have recently achieved middle-income status or are in a process of transition towards it; rejects any reduction in official development assistance (ODA) for Latin America, unless it is accompanied by external debt forgiveness for the same amount;

Amendment 12 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Takes the view that in the current regional and global context, the EU should deepen its relations with LAC by focusing on greater cooperation in all areas with the aim of establishing a bilateral relationship at the highest level;

Amendment 13 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Commission to identify the instruments available and endow them with sufficient resources to help LAC to address the challenges facing it ~~and to prepare itself for a possible future reduction in official development assistance (ODA)~~; recalls that achieving fiscal equity is crucial to tackle inequality, to increase levels of social cohesion and to respond to growing social demand for quality public services; calls on the EU to upgrade its support on fiscal and public finance management reforms as a base for the state to provide high quality public services for social equity;

Amendment 14 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Commission to identify the instruments available and endow them with sufficient resources, t~~o help LAC to address the challenges facing it and to prepare itself for a~~ aking suitable action to align them with the principles of development effectiveness, with particular regard to appropriability, alignment with LAC countries’ development strategies, harmonisation, mutual resposnsib~~le future reduction in official development assistance (ODA)~~ility and accountability, in order to support LAC in addressing the challenges arising from social inequality;

Amendment 15 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Commission to identify the best instruments available and endow them with su~~fficient~~itable resources to help LAC sufficiently to address the challenges facing it and to prepare itself for a possible future reduction in official development assistance (ODA); notes that the mechanisms and instruments are not limited to direct financial assistance alone but may also include technocratic support and added know-how;

Amendment 16 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Commission to identify the instruments available and endow them with sufficient resources to help LAC to address the challenges facing it and to ~~prepare itself f~~gradually became as more a ~~possible future reduction in official development assistance (ODA)~~utonomous as possible, by means of the transferring of know-how and the investment on education and training;

Amendment 17 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Considers it unsustainable that Latin America loses more money every year in servicing external debt than it receives in official development assistance; supports, therefore, the initiative taken by Latin American countries to create a framework agreement for sovereign debt restructuring facilitated by the United Nations;

Amendment 18 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Deplores the cuts to~~Is alarmed at the effects on the vulnerable local population of reducing humanitarian aidssistance to the areas most in need of it (Northern Triangle of Central America, Haiti and Colombia);

Amendment 19 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. Deplores the cuts to humanitarian aid to the areas most in need of it (Northern Triangle of Central America, Haiti and Colombia) and areas particularly affected by the impact of climate change and natural disasters;

Amendment 2 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that 175 million people are living in poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC); notes that inequality is the main obstacle to the region’s development; stresses that ~~inclusive social development is~~democratisation of the economy through public control of natural resources and strategic sectors would allow inclusive social development based on ambitious policies on the redistribution of wealth and universal public services, which are the key to addressing it;

Amendment 20 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Deplore~~Condemns the cuts to humanitarian aid to the areas most in need of it (Northern Triangle of Central America, Haiti and Colombia);

Amendment 21 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Condemns the action taken by the governments of some countries which have refused to accept international humanitarian assistance, thereby making it impossible for those countries’ most basic needs to be addressed; calls on the HR/VP to urge the relevant authorities to allow the entry of such assistance and to put forward an assistance plan for each country;

Amendment 22 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses the objective need to step up efforts to combat corruption and impunity, to ensure thde facto as well as de jure separation of powers and equal access to an independent, unconstrained and impartial judicial system and generally to strengthen administration;

Amendment 23 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses the need to step up efforts to combat corruption, tax fraud and impunity, t~~o ensure the separation of powers and equal access to an impartial judicial system and to strengthen administration~~hrough which governments and multinational companies are violating human rights and international agreements on labour rights and environmental protection; stresses the importance of ensuring the separation of powers and equal access to an impartial judicial system and to strengthen administration and the public sector; rejects any type of intervention, whether direct or indirect, by the EU or its Member States in the internal affairs of LAC countries;

Amendment 24 #

Lola SÁNCHEZ CALDENTEY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses the need to step up efforts to combat corruption, tax fraud and impunity, to ensure the separation of powers and equal access to an impartial judicial system and to strengthen democratic administrations; applauds, in this connection, the work undertaken by the EUROsociAL programme and calls on the Commission to step up its action geared to strengthening good governance and the fight against inequalities, including gender inequalities;

Amendment 25 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses the urgent need to step up efforts to combat corruption and impunity, - which are among the main causes preventing development - to ensure the rule of law, separation of powers and equal access to an impartial judicial system and to strengthen administration;

Amendment 26 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses the need to step up efforts to combat corruption and impunity, to ensure the separation of powers and equal access to an impartial judicial system, to address institutional weaknesses, to enhance social cohesion and to strengthen administration;

Amendment 27 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses the need to step up efforts to combat corruption and impunity, to ensure the separation of powers, the holding of free and transparent elections and equal access to an impartial judicial system and to strengthen administration;

Amendment 28 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses the need to step up efforts to combat corruption and impunity, to ensure the separation of powers and equal access to an independent, professionalised and impartial judicial system and to strengthen administration;

Amendment 29 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Notes with concern that land grabs in LAC during the past decade are linked to the agrofood-feed-fuel complex as well as climate change mitigation strategies (i.e. placing forests under the carbon- offset programme as in the case of REDD+); notes equally that rising regional and international demands for minerals and fossil fuels have led to large scale mining concessions which can impact upon land rights of communities; calls on the LAC Member States to recognise all legitimate rights to land, including informal, indigenous and customary tenure rights, in line with the FAO Tenure Guidelines, and to abide by the free, prior and informed consent of the local people affected by land deals;

Amendment 3 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that 175 million people are living in poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC); notes that inequality is ~~the main~~one of the primary obstacles to the ~~region’s~~ development~~; stresses that inclusive~~ of the region, behind corruption and impunity; believes that social development ison the ~~key to addressing it~~widest possible basis is the fairest solution;

Amendment 30 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Stresses that LAC has the highest rate of murdered human rights defenders of any region in the world; calls for development programmes to take account of the extreme vulnerability of human rights defenders and make an ambitious contribution to their protection; calls on the EEAS to make a greater effort to supervise the management of the funds earmarked for protecting human rights defenders;

Amendment 31 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)

6b. Calls for compliance with international human rights treaties, participation by the various governments in regional bodies and cooperation with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to be taken into account in developing bilateral relations;

Amendment 32 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Believes public policies opening up opportunities for the nearly 30 million young people not in employment, education or training to be fundamental; points out that the majority of victims of the high rates of violence and homicide are young people and adolescents; stresses the need to contribute, through development programmes, to preventing violence and stopping young people from being recruited by organised crime and criminal gangs;

Amendment 33 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Believes public policies opening up opportunities for the nearly 30 million young people not in employment, education or training to be fundamental; believes that health and education and training of young people are of paramount importance in order to allow development;

Amendment 34 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. BRecalls that one of the main challenges in LAC countries is the high level of youth violence and social conflicts; believes public policies opening up opportunities for the nearly 30 million young people not in employment, education or training to be fundamental;

Amendment 35 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Believes public policies opening up opportunities for the nearly 30 million young people not in employment, education or training to be fundamental, and therefore urges the Commission to boost budget support programmes;

Amendment 36 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Believes ~~public~~ policies opening up genuine, sustainable and durable opportunities for the nearly 30 million young people not in employment, education or training to be fundamental;

Amendment 37 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 7

7. Believes public policies, private initiative and public education and training to be fundamental in order to open~~ing~~ up opportunities for the nearly 30 million young people not in employment, education or training ~~to be fundamental~~;

Amendment 38 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Highlights the ~~importance of looking into ways of increasing the involvement of the private sector,~~need to ensure that, if there is private sector involvement, this takes place within a framework ~~upholding~~of respect for human, environmental and labour rights and in which investors sign up to ~~and apply~~the binding and effective application of the United Nations principles for responsible investment, as well as ILO Convention 169 on the right to free prior and informed consent and consultation;

Amendment 39 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Highlights the importance of looking into ways of increasing the involvement of the private sector and foreign investment, within a framework upholding human, environmental and labour rights, guaranteeing the legal certainty of investments and the principle of corporate social responsibility and in which investors sign up to and apply the United Nations principles for responsible investment;

Amendment 4 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that 175 million people are living in poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC); notes that inequality is the main obstacle to the region’s development; stresses that inclusive social development is the key to addressing it; emphasises the particular situation of exclusion, violence and discrimination suffered by women and girls, who make up almost 70% of the population living under the poverty threshold;

Amendment 40 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Highlights the importance of looking into ways of increasing the involvement of the private sector~~, within a framework upholding human, environmental and labour rights and in which~~ to the extent that investors sign up to and apply the United Nations principles for responsible investment;

Amendment 41 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

8. Highlights the importance of looking into ways of increasing the involvement of the private sector, within a framework upholding human, environmental and labour rights and in which investors sign up to and apply the United Nations principles for responsible investment; welcomes, in this context, the drafting of a binding UN Treaty on Business and Human Rights; deems that such Treaty could be used as an instrument to establish binding obligations on States to reform trade and investment agreements so as to mitigate their potential negative impact on human rights and to regulate the relationship between the two regimes in case of conflict;

Amendment 42 #

Marina ALBIOL GUZMÁN, Lola SÁNCHEZ CALDENTEY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8

Amendment 43 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Having regard to the recommendations made in the European Court of Auditors Special Report on the use of blending calls the Commission to apply on its blending programs enforceable criteria on development effectiveness principles, particularly in terms of ownership, alignment with partner countries, development and financial additionally, transparency and accountability;

Amendment 44 #

Marina ALBIOL GUZMÁN, Lola SÁNCHEZ CALDENTEY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 8 b (new)

8b. Calls on the EIB and other EU Member States’ Development Financial Institutions to urgently ensure that companies that receive their support do not participate in tax evasion via offshore centres and tax havens and to effectively to track and monitor the flows, debt sustainability and the added value for their projects of sustainable development;

Amendment 45 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Stresses the importance of coordinating the various public policy areas and encourages the involvement of all actors, including companies, trade unions and other civil society organisations, both at central and local level, in achieving the SDGs; public goods, which are essential for development, should always be granted to all by the public sector and redress against human rights abuses should be grant to everybody, also when such abuses are committed by corporations;

Amendment 46 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Stresses the importance of coordinating the various public policy areas and encourages the involvement of all actors, ~~including companies, trade unions and other civil society organisations,~~ both at central and local level, in achieving the SDGs;

Amendment 47 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 9

9. Stresses the importance of coordinating the various public policy areas and encourages the involvement of all ~~actors, including companie~~political and social actors, trade unions and other civil society organisations, both at central and local level, in achieving the SDGs;

Amendment 48 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that economic growth and trade a~~lone are not sufficient to reduce poverty and inequality~~re key elements in achieving the sustainable development goals; calls for policies that contribute to ~~achiev~~reducing dipover~~sified,~~ty and inequality through sustainable and inclusive growth~~, with a strong emphasis on social issues~~;

Amendment 49 #

Raymond FINCH

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that economic growth and trade ~~alone are not sufficien~~do start to reduce poverty and i~~nequality; c~~t allows for ~~policies that~~third countr~~ibute to achieving diversified, sustainable and inclusive growth, with a strong emphasis on social issue~~y governments to depend less and less on foreign aid hand- outs;

Amendment 5 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1a. Acknowledges the historic debt owed to LAC by EU countries, stemming from colonialist policies and the impoverishment generated by the pillaging of its human and natural resources; rejects any cooperation approach based on defence and on making official development assistance (ODA) conditional on the economic interests of European companies in LAC; welcomes the different experiences of emancipatory governments in LAC and their programmes geared to taking back control of sovereignty over their natural resources;

Amendment 50 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that economic growth and trade alone without institutional guidance and not designed to underpin social policy or prevent the widening of inequalities, are not sufficient to reduce poverty and inequality; calls for policies that contribute to achieving diversified, sustainable and suitably inclusive growth, with a strong emphasis on social issues;

Amendment 51 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

Amendment 52 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that economic growth and trade alone are not sufficient to reduce poverty and inequality; accordingly, and with a view to the negotiation of trade agreements with various countries or groups of countries in the region, stresses the need to limit trade to fair, sustainable commercial practices designed to end economic asymmetries, which place human rights and human dignity ahead of mere private profit, which respect the right to regulate the economy and the right to public control of strategic sectors, and which include binding and effective clauses relating to sustainable development and human rights guarantees; calls for policies that contribute to achieving diversified, sustainable and inclusive growth, with a strong emphasis on social issues and the redistribution of wealth that will respond to the peoples’ demands and effectively combat inequality;

Amendment 53 #

Marina ALBIOL GUZMÁN, Lola SÁNCHEZ CALDENTEY

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10

10. Stresses that economic growth and trade alone are not sufficient to reduce poverty and inequality; calls for policies that contribute to achieving diversified, sustainable and inclusive growth, with a strong emphasis on social issues; recalls the necessity to respect the rights of vulnerable indigenous populations of LAC countries whose needs shall be taken into consideration when negotiating EU- LAC agreements;

Amendment 54 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Stresses that LAC still face important sovereign debt-related challenges; calls for a human needs- based approach to debt sustainability through the implementation of the UNCTAD principles of responsible sovereign debt transactions for both borrowers and lenders, debt audits and fair debt workout mechanism, which should assess the legitimacy and the sustainability of countries’ debt burdens and possible cancellation of unsustainable an unjust debt; welcomes, in this regard, UN´s work towards an international sovereign debt workout mechanism;

Amendment 55 #

Raymond FINCH

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11

11. Points out that LAC iscountries are highly vulnerable to natural disasters~~, a majority of which are attributable to climate change; calls on the Commission and the LAC countries to tackle the underlying causes and to take climate-resilience measures~~ due to their longitude and latitude; should advise LAC countries to set up well trained natural disaster short-term response teams while waiting for disaster relief aid from other nation states around the world;

Amendment 56 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11

11. Points out that LAC is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, a ~~majority of which are attributable to~~s a result of its geographical and geological situation combined with the consequences produced by climate change; calls on the Commission and the LAC countries to tackle the underlying causes and to take climate-resilience measures and to pay particular attention to the speed, mobilisation and amount of humanitarian assistance in the event of emergencies;

Amendment 57 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11

11. Points out that LAC is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, a majority of which are attributable to climate change and that countermeasures are necessary; calls on the Commission and the LAC countries to tackle the underlying causes and to take climate-resilience measures as soon as possible;

Amendment 58 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11

11. Points out that LAC is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, a majority of which are attributable to climate change; calls on the Commission and the LAC countries to tackle the underlying causes and to take climate-resilience measureRecalls that reconciling environmental sustainability with economic development is a major challenge in Latin America, where environment is being heavily affected by biodiversity loss, deforestation, land degradation, water pollution, etc. with direct consequences on the poorest; points out that LAC is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, a majority of which are attributable to climate change; calls on the Commission and the LAC countries to tackle the underlying causes and to take climate-resilience measures, including through the support of agro-ecological farming practises (such as crop diversification, maintaining local genetic diversity, soil organic management, water conservation, etc.) that will strengthen the resilience of farmers;

Amendment 59 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11

11. Points out that LAC is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, a majority of which are attributable to climate change; calls on the Commission and the LAC countries to tackle the underlying causes and to take climate-resilience measures; urges that all responsible of natural disasters should be punished if personal responsibilities can be envisaged, even when the author of these crimes are acting through the screen of a corporate veil, and redress for victims should always be granted;

Amendment 6 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 2

2. Takes the view that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) must be ~~the foremost~~one of the objectives of cooperation between LAC and the EU; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to cooperate with the LAC countries to agree efficient and fair institutional strategies with which to achieve the SDGs, while fully respecting the will of the peoples of Latin America;

Amendment 60 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 11

Amendment 61 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 12

12. Calls for development programmes in LAC to guarantee women’s fundamental freedoms; points out that, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL), on average 12 Latin American and Caribbean women die every day; points out that putting an end to femicide and gender discrimination must be a priority objective for the development of the region and the achievement of the SDGs;

Amendment 62 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 12

12. Calls for development programmes in LAC to ~~guarantee women’s fundamental freedoms~~incorporate a cross-cutting gender approach and guarantee women’s fundamental freedoms and rights, including the right to abortion and to sexual and reproductive health;

Amendment 63 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 12

12. Calls for development programmes in LAC to guarantee women’s fundamental freedoms and ensure their access to job opportunities;

Amendment 64 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 12

12. Calls for development programmes in LAC to guarantee ~~women’s~~the fundamental freedoms and rights of women and ethnic minorities;

Amendment 65 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 12

12. Calls for development programmes in LAC to guarantee ~~women’s~~ fundamental rights and freedoms;

Amendment 66 #

Maurice PONGA, Agustín DÍAZ DE MERA GARCÍA CONSUEGRA, Bogdan Brunon WENTA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Recalls the commitments agreed by the EU in the EU-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) 2013 and 2015 Action Plans regarding the eradication of violence against women, and expresses its concern about the lack of implementation of chapter 7 thereof on the promotion of gender equality; calls on the Member States and the EEAS to cooperate and allocate economic and institutional resources to assure the fulfilment of the recommendations on the promotion of gender equality agreed in the action plans, especially regarding the eradication of all forms of violence, in accordance with the Belem de Pará Convention, the Istanbul Convention and the CEDAW Convention;

Amendment 67 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 13

13. Urges for better coordination between policies and programmes supporting the LAC region, as well as the outermost regions and overseas countries and territories; calls for ~~the~~ political commitments made at ~~the~~ EU- LAC regional summits to be ~~honoured, and, to that end, for~~met and accompanied by the allocation of the necessary financial resources ~~to be provided.~~;

Amendment 68 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 13

13. Urges for better coordination between policies and programmes supporting the LAC region; calls for the political commitments made at the EU- LAC regional summits to be fully honoured, and, to that end, for the necessary financial resources to be provided.

Amendment 7 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Considers that since~~Recalls that the European Union is the largest donor of aid to the LAC region~~, withdrawing it, including aid to middle-income countries, would be a backward step~~; notes that despite improvements in some countries, the region remains the most unequal in thate would impede the region’s future development; calls on the Commission and Council to make an unambiguous commitment with LAC (particularly MSME) to leave no one behind and alleviate the impact on countries that have recently achieved middle-income status or are in a process of transition towards itrld, while reducing socio-economic disparities between the urban, rural and the more remote areas is also a key challenge to address; calls on the Commission and Council to make the fight against poverty, inequality, exclusion and discrimination –especially of women and minority ethnic groups–, as well as the promotion of social cohesion and human rights, a key priority of the EU-LA strategic association;

Amendment 8 #

Maurice PONGA, Agustín DÍAZ DE MERA GARCÍA CONSUEGRA, Bogdan Brunon WENTA

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Considers that since the European Union is the largest donor of aid to the LAC region, withdrawing it, including aid to middle-income countries, ~~would be a backward step that would impede~~might have an adverse impact and result in the financial programming of these states being restructured, thereby affecting the region’s future development; calls on the Commission and Council to make an unambiguous commitment with LAC (particularly MSME) to leave no one behind and alleviate the impact on countries that have recently achieved middle-income status or are in a process of transition towards it; recognises that these commitments require political decisions and that it is frequently difficult to justify fully ongoing payments to middle-income third countries, given the wide range of challenges arising within the Union itself;

Amendment 9 #

Draft opinion
Paragraph 3

3. Considers that since the European Union is the largest donor of aid to the LAC region, withdrawing it, including aid to middle-income countries, would be a backward step that would impede the region’s future development; calls on the Commission and Council to make an unambiguous commitment with LAC ~~(particularly MSME)~~, taking due account of the future EU / ACP partnership, to leave no one behind and alleviate the impact on countries that have recently achieved middle-income status or are in a process of transition towards it;

source: 602.781

2017/05/15 AFET 258 amendments...

Amendment 1 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 12

– having regard to its resolutions on Venezuela, in particular the resolutions of 8 June 2016 and of 27 April 2017 on the situation in Venezuela2 , _________________ 2 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0269.

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 16

– having regard to the declaration by the Co-Presidents of EuroLat of 7 February 2017 on the executive orders issued by the ~~Trump~~US Administration in the area of foreign policy and their repercussions on Latin America,

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Reiterates its support to regional integration inside the LAC region, and stresses the need for greater coordination between the different regional integration schemes existing in the region, while respecting differences in the pace of integration; stconsiders it vital to incresase~~s the need to speed up negotiations in order to reach an EU- Mercosur agreement that could establish an economic area based on similar trade and investment rules for almost all LAC and EU countri~~ dialogue and cooperation with the main LAC regional organisations, starting with the Organisation of American States (OAS), the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), Mercosur, the Pacific Alliance, the Andean Community of Nations (ACN), the Central American Integration System (SICA), and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM); stresses the importance of boosting interparliamentary cooperation between the EU and LAC, notably between the European Parliament and the various regional parliaments, with an exchange of political and institutional experience and knowledge; welcomes the dialogue recently launched between Mercosur and the Pacific Alliance with a view to gradual convergence and a gain in scale to match future regional and global challenges;

Amendment 101 #

José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA, Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Reiterates its support tofor regional integration in~~side~~ the LAC region, and stresses the need for greater coordination between the different regional integration schemes existing in the region, while respecting differences in the pace of integration; stresses the need to speed up negotiations ~~in order to reach an~~for the swift conclusion of a comprehensive, balanced and mutually beneficial EU- Mercosur a~~greement that could establish an economic area based on similar trade and investment rules for almost all LAC and EU countries~~ssociation agreement, as referred to in the European Council conclusions of 9 March 2017, so as to make it possible to complete the network of agreements in force between the EU and Latin America;

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. RWelcomes the regional dynamics of integration in the LAC region, in particular the reinforced political cooperation established by the creation of the CELAC in 2010; reiterates its support to regional integration inside the LAC region, and stresses the need for greater coordination between the different regional integration schemes existing in the region, while respecting differences in the pace of integration; stresses the need to speed up negotiations in order to reach an EU- Mercosur agreement that could establish an economic area based on similar trade and investment rules for almost all LAC and EU countries; highlights the importance of keeping high phytosanitary standards and traceability for food products;

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

Amendment 105 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Welcomes the resumption of negotiations on the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement, whose political significance transcends purely economic and trade benefits, as well as the fresh commitment to it shown by the new leaders of Brazil and Argentina; notes that this also reflects a fresh willingness on the part of these countries to intensify relations with the European Union; highlights the need to speed up the negotiations with a view to completing the EU-Mercosur agreement by the end of 2017, as planned by senior figures in both blocs;

Amendment 106 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Stresses out that political stability, economic rules and institutional strength guaranteeing respects of rule of law and transparency, are cornerstones of the environment attracting long term investments in line with legal certainty; reminds that such legal framework requires strong democratic institutions and responsible economic planning, as well as an effort to strengthen the political dialogue and economic partnerships with the region as with external partners; in this context recalls that the partnership with the European Union plays a central role;

Amendment 107 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5a. Stresses that respect to rule of law and to stable political and legal framework are cornerstone for an adequate investment environment; in this sense, recalls the importance to ensure legal certainty for EU businesses in LAC countries;

Amendment 108 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses that current global challenges, including ~~the digital transformation, mass migration, cybersecurity, organised crime and terrorism, climate change, geopolitical shifts, inequality within an~~fight against corruption and impunity, lack of good governance, socioeconomic development, social and economic inequality within and across countries, geopolitical shifts, digital transformation, migration flows, climate change, organised acr~~oss countries, and drug trafficking, offer new opportunities for~~ime and terrorism, cyber security and drug trafficking, requires a strategic EU-LAC partnership in which a common vision is shared;

Amendment 109 #

Javier NART, Renate WEBER, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses that ~~current global challenges, including~~the EU, Latin America and the Caribbean region must cooperate more than hitherto in such fields as the digital transformation, mass migration, cybersecurity, efforts to fight organised crime and terrorism, climate change, geopolitical shifts, inequality within and across countries, and ~~drug trafficking, offer new opportunities for a strategic EU-LAC partnership in which a common vision is shared~~measures against drug trafficking;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 a (new)

– having regard to the Declaration by the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on point (ii) of point (b) of Article 5(2) of Regulation No 233/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 establishing an instrument for development cooperation for the period 2014-2020,

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses that current global challenges, including the digital transformation, mass migration, cybersecurity, organised crime ~~and terrorism,~~such as drug trafficking and terrorism, sustainable development and climate change, geopolitical shifts, inequality within and across countries, and ~~drug trafficking, offer new opportunities for~~the fight against unemployment and the lack of economic growth are necessitating a strategic EU- LAC partnership ~~in whic~~with a common vision ~~is shared~~;

Amendment 111 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses that current global challenges, including the digital transformation, mass migration, gender equality, cybersecurity, organised crime and terrorism, climate change, geopolitical shifts, inequality within and across countries, informal work and jobless growth, and drug trafficking, offer new opportunities for ~~a strategic~~the EU-LAC partnership ~~in which~~to become strategic sharing a common vision ~~is shared~~;

Amendment 112 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Stresses that current global challenges, including Human Rights, peace, security, corruption, impunity, narcotraffic, the eradication of poverty, the digital transformation, mass migration, cybersecurity, organised crime and terrorism, climate change, geopolitical shifts, inequality within and across countries, and drug trafficking, offer new opportunities and cooperation channels for a strategic EU-LAC partnership ~~in which a~~based on common vision ~~is shared~~;

Amendment 113 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Points out that over the past few years both Latin America and the EU have experienced difficulties relating to the management of their sovereign debt; calls on the EU to support the Latin American initiative within the UN to establish a multilateral sovereign debt restructuring mechanism, and welcomes the resolutions by the General Assembly that address the issue from the perspective of promoting development, democracy and human rights and establish new basic principles for the implementation of the mechanism;

Amendment 114 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6a. Expresses concern about the political, economic and social consequences of the economic crisis affecting both regions and also notes that the fall in oil and commodity prices and the weaker demand from some of the major commodity-importing economies, particularly China, is seriously affecting some LAC countries. This change in the economic cycle has made the important economic and social advances achieved in the last decade vulnerable;

Amendment 115 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Recalls that the goal of eradicating poverty and reducing inequality must be addressed through social cohesion and inclusion, and highlights the necessity of widening and consolidating the middle class ~~and~~, protecting it from the effects of economic cycles and creating conditions ensuring that upward social mobility reflects a genuine structural change and is not merely the result of a temporary increase in purchasing power;

Amendment 116 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Recalls that the goal of eradicating poverty and reducing inequality must be addressed through economic reforms, work opportunities, access to education, social cohesion and inclusion, and highlights the necessity of widening the middle class and protecting itall its citizens from the effects of economic cycles in the frame of democratic values and respect for human rights;

Amendment 117 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Recalls that the goal of eradicating poverty and reducing inequality must be addressed through social cohesion and inclusion, and highlights the necessity of widening the middle class and protecting it from the effects of economic cycles, including through the establishment of social protection floors;

Amendment 118 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Recalls that the goal of eradicating poverty and reducing inequality must be addressed through economic reforms, increased work opportunities, social cohesion and inclusion, and highlights the necessity of widening the middle class and protecting it from the effects of economic cycles;

Amendment 119 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Recalls that the goal of eradicating poverty and reducing inequality must be addressed both through social and economic cohesion and through inclusion policies, and highlights the necessity of widening the middle class and protecting it from the effects of economic cycles;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 a (new)

– having regard to the ILO Convention 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples, in particular to Article 14 on the rights of ownership and possession of the peoples concerned over the lands,

Amendment 120 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7a. Expresses concern at the situation in Brazil following the institutional coup carried out against President Rousseff, and at the corruption cases affecting President Temer following the allegations made by Brazil’s Prosecutor General, which have placed him at the centre of a bribery scandal; expresses extreme concern at the proposal by the current government in Brazil to table a constitutional amendment to postpone elections until 2020; calls on the EU and on the Member States not to normalise their relations with Brazil until the constitutional situation in the country has returned to normal;

Amendment 121 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Underlines the need to integrate the LAC economies in global value chains, based on a circular economic model, and ~~to recognise~~ the importance of ~~developing~~achieving modern and progressive bilateral and multilateral ~~commercial~~trade agreements;

Amendment 122 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Underlines the need to integrate the LAC economies in global value chains, based on a circular economic model, and to create productive development programmes that will enable these economies to rise in the value chain, as well as to recognise the importance of developing latest-generation bilateral and multilateral commercial agreements; stresses the importance of creating conditions allowing LAC economies to diversify, making them less dependent on raw materials and cyclical variations in their value; highlights the importance of promoting the transfer of scientific and technological knowledge, enhancing human capital and diversifying employment, to which end it is essential to increase investment in education, training and skills;

Amendment 123 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Underlines the need to integrate the LAC economies in global value chains, based on a circular economic model, and to recognise the importance of developing bilateral and multilateral commercial agreements; reaffirms the importance of adopting specific rules on the technical and sanitary standards governing the aforementioned EU-LAC trade agreements;

Amendment 124 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Underlines the need to integrate the LAC economies in global value chains, based on a circular economic model, and to recognise the importance of developing bilateral and multilateral commercial agreements, while promoting decent work and social dialogue as drivers of sustainable development;

Amendment 125 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Underlines the need to integrate the LAC economies in global value chains, based on a circular economic model, and to recognise the importance of developing bilateral and multilateral commercial agreements as one of the most effective tools tackling common global challenges;

Amendment 126 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Welcomes the protocol of 11th November 2016 between the EU, its Member States, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru on the accession of Ecuador to the Free Trade Agreement between EU, Colombia and Peru; recalls that this agreement removes high customs tariffs and technical barriers to trade, liberalizes service markets, opens public procurement markets and includes obligations concerning fast and efficient dispute resolution mechanisms;

Amendment 127 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Emphasises that it is vital to have binding rules to govern the activities of European businesses and investors in Latin America, as well as of Latin American businesses and investors in Europe, and points out that such rules should be laid down and monitored in the framework of bilateral agreements;

Amendment 128 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8a. Remarks that the EU is the largest foreign investor in LAC and its second largest trading partner, creating a bidirectional economic relation based on the values of quality, social responsibility, job creation, technology transfer and research and innovation;

Amendment 129 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)

8b. Encourages further public and private partnerships to foster economic development, entrepreneurship, growth and foreign investment; stresses the need for combating the informal economy and the underdevelopment and low competitiveness of SME's; calls for facilitating and improving mobility between both regions, whilst ensuring the mutual consistency of labour rights and enhancing the coordination of the Social Security Systems;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 17 a (new)

– having regard to its resolution of 13 June 2013 on the role of the EU in promoting a broader Transatlantic Partnership,

Amendment 130 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Stresses the need to develop sustainable and effective tax systems in both regions, together with an appropriate tax culture, that could foster the development of welfare states providing public goods, such as public education, infrastructure and security, and reiterates that tax havens and tax avoidance are detrimental to social redistributive policies;deleted

Amendment 131 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Stresses the need to develop sustainable and effective tax systems ~~in both regions~~, together with an appropriate tax culture, that could foster economic growth and the development of welfare s~~tates providing public goods, such as~~ystems; stresses the need to provide access to public education, infrastructure and security~~, and~~ to all citizens; reiterates that tax havens and tax avoidance are detrimental to ~~social redistributive~~the proper functioning of economic and social policies;

Amendment 132 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Stresses the need to develop sustainable and effective tax systems ~~in both regions~~, together with an appropriate tax culture, that could foster the development of welfare states providing public goods, such as ~~public~~ education, infrastructure and security, and reiterates that tax havens and tax avoidance are detrimental to social redistributive policies;

Amendment 133 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Stresses the need to develop sustainable and effective tax systems in both regions, together with an appropriate tax culture, that could foster the development of welfare states providing ~~public good~~and assuring public services, such as ~~public~~access to education, infrastructure and security to all citizens, and reiterates that tax havens and tax avoidance are detrimental to economic and social development, progress and prosperity and to social redistributive policies;

Amendment 134 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Stresses the need to develop sustainable and effective tax systems in both regions, together with an appropriate tax culture, that could foster the development of welfare states providing public goods, such as public education, health, social protection, infrastructure, defence and security~~, and~~; reiterates that tax havens and tax avoidance are detrimental to social redistributive policies;

Amendment 135 #

David MCALLISTER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Stresses the need to develop sustainable and effective tax systems in both regions, together with an appropriate tax culture, including the establishment of effective general accounting offices, that could foster the development of welfare states providing public goods, such as public education, infrastructure and security, and reiterates that tax havens and tax avoidance are detrimental to social redistributive policies;

Amendment 136 #

José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)

9a. Calls for the chapters on financial services, establishment and investment in bilateral trade agreements to tighten up the rules concerned by means of binding provisions; takes the view that new provisions should be introduced, such as the automatic exchange of tax information and the lifting of bank secrecy, where fraud, tax avoidance or money laundering is suspected;

Amendment 137 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. ~~Reiterates that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable D~~Supports the Commission’s new development, along with the SDGs, should be the main tools of the EU-LAC cooperation, including all their dimensions of economic, social and sustainable development, not just poverty eradication; underlines the fact that the EU mustgenda as part of the 2030 Agenda, and maintains that the concept of sustainable development objectives must be applied in and include all the count~~inue to supply Official Development Assistance to LAC countries,~~ ries in Latin America (including middle- income countries ~~that no longer qualify for bilateral development cooperation under the differentiation principl~~), on the basis of a new approach which, in taking other criteria into account, goes beyond per capita income;

Amendment 138 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Reiterates that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along with the SDGs, should be the main tools of ~~the EU-~~ European-LAC cooperation, including all their dimensions of economic, social and sustainable development, not just poverty eradication; underlines the fact that the EU must continue to supply Official Development Assistance to LAC countries, including middle-income countries that no longer qualify for bilateral development cooperation under the differentiation principle;

Amendment 139 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

Amendment 14 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 a (new)

– having regard to the Regulation of the Financing instrument for development cooperation for the period 2014-2020 (Regulation 233/2014),

Amendment 140 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Reiterates that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a~~long with the SDGs,~~nd its objectives should be the main tools of the EU- LAC cooperation, including all their dimensions of economic, social and sustainable development, not just poverty eradication; underlines the fact that the EU must continue to supply Official Development Assistance to LAC countries, including middle-income countries that no longer qualify for bilateral development cooperation under the differentiation principle;

Amendment 141 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Reiterates that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along with the SDGs, should be the main tools of the EU- LAC cooperation, including all their dimensions of economic, social and sustainable development, not just poverty eradication; underlines the fact that the EU must continue to supply Official Development Assistance to all LAC countries, including the middle- and higher income countries that no longer qualify for bilateral development cooperation under the differentiation principle. This will ensure that the EU can deliver a coherent approach to supporting the SDGs at regional and national levels;

Amendment 142 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Reiterates that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, along with the SDGs, should be the main tools of the EU- LAC cooperation, including all their dimensions of economic, social and sustainable development, not just poverty eradication; underlines the fact that the EU must continue to supply Official Development Assistance to LAC countries, including middle-income countries that no longer qualify for bilateral development cooperation under the differentiation principle; stresses the need for modernised development cooperation which guarantees respect for the fundamental principles on which EU-LAC relations are based, combined with the development of possible specific regional programmes;

Amendment 143 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10a. Asks the European Commission to continue providing bilateral cooperation to middle and higher income countries during the complete validity of the Financing instrument for development cooperation for the period 2014-2020;

Amendment 144 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

Amendment 145 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. ~~Urges~~Calls for the effective inclusion of women in all spheres of political and social life, with a view to enhancing their political participation, ~~strenuously~~making every effort to help combat~~ting~~ femicides, guaranteeing the physical and psychological security, and employment equality, of women, and ~~ensur~~upholding their fundamental ~~rights, including sexual and reproductive~~ rights;

Amendment 146 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Urges the effective inclusion of women in all spheres of political, economic and social life, with a view to enhancing their political participation, strenuously combatting femicides, guaranteeing the physical and psychological security, and employment equality, of women, and ensuring their fundamental ~~rights, including sexual and reproductive~~ rights;

Amendment 147 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Urges the effective ~~inclusion~~empowerment of women in all spheres of political and social life, with a view to enhancing their political participation, strenuously combatting femicides, guaranteeing the physical and psychological security, ~~and employment equality, of women~~the equal access to employment and land property, and ensuring their fundamental rights, including sexual and reproductive rights;

Amendment 148 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Urges the effective inclusion of women in all spheres of political, economic and social life, with a view to enhancing their ~~political~~active participation in society, strenuously combatting femicides, guaranteeing the physical and psychological security, facilitating access to job market and employment equality, of women, and ensuring their fundamental rights, including sexual and reproductive rights;

Amendment 149 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Urges the effective inclusion of women in all spheres of political and social life, with a view to enhancing their political participation, strenuously combatting femicides, guaranteeing the physical and psychological security, and employment equality, of women, and ensuring their fundamental rights, including sexual and reproductive rights; deplores the fact that some LAC countries still have inhumane laws criminalising abortion, even in cases of spontaneous abortion, rape, incest, danger to life and serious and fatal foetal impairment, condemning innocent women to completely inappropriate prison sentences for aggravated homicide; calls for the urgent repeal of this cruel legislation;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the Latin American and Caribbean region (LAC) constitutes a key partner for the EU when it comes to jointly facing current global challenges, such as ~~the eradication of poverty, access to drinking water, peace and security, socioeconomic development, sustainability~~peace and security, fight against corruption and impunity, socioeconomic development, lack of good governance, sustainability, the eradication of poverty, access to drinking water, the fight against climate change, the digital transformation and managing migration;

Amendment 150 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Urges the ~~effective inclusion~~need to promote gender equality, effective inclusion and the empowerment of women in all spheres of political and social life, with a view to enhancing their political participation, strenuously combatting femicides, guaranteeing the physical and psychological security, and employment equality, of women, and ensuring their fundamental rights, including sexual and reproductive rights; stresses the importance to improve the lives of girls and women; highlights that access to education is therefore vital and could lead to social and economic transformation;

Amendment 151 #

11. Urges the effective inclusion of women in all spheres of political and social life, with a view to enhancing their political participation, strenuously combatting every form of violence, femicides, guaranteeing the physical and psychological security, and employment equality, of women, and ensuring their fundamental rights, including sexual and reproductive rights;

Amendment 152 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11a. Welcomes, in that regard, the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment and Eradication of Violence Against Women (‘Belém do Pará Convention’) of 1994, and calls for the secretariat of its follow-up mechanism, MESECVI, to be given a more significant role; welcomes, furthermore, the entry into force in 2016 of the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, which has the same aims; calls on countries in both regions that have not yet done so to sign up to the latter convention, and takes the view that its secretariat, alongside MESEVCI, is the right body to monitor bilateral work on combating femicide and violence against women in particular;

Amendment 153 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Reiterates the importance of the existence of work and education opportunities for young people~~, as they embody the future hopes for, and are a key factor in, the continent’s future political stability~~; encourages further cooperation in the form of bilateral university participation, knowledge exchange and international mobility between EU and LAC students; points out the need to advance full and mutual recognition of university degrees and to strengthen bi-regional cooperation in the quality and accreditation system;

Amendment 154 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Reiterates the importance of the existence of work and education opportunities for young people, as they embody the future hopes for, and are a key factor in, the continent’s future political stability; encourages further cooperation in the form of bilateral university participation, knowledge exchange and international mobility between EUuropean and LAC students; points out the need to advance full and mutual recognition of university degrees and to strengthen bi- regional cooperation in the quality and accreditation system;

Amendment 155 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Reiterates the importance of the existence of work and education opportunities for young people, as they embody the future hopes for, and are a key factor in, the continent’s future political stability; encourages further cooperation in the form of bilateral university participation, knowledge exchange and international mobility between EU and LAC students; points out the need to advance full and mutual recognition of university degrees and to strengthen bi- regional cooperation in the quality and accreditation system; notes with satisfaction that in 2015, the Erasmus+ program was successfully launched offering 6200 mobility's and 3500 scholarships mostly for CELAC students until 2020;

Amendment 156 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Reiterates the importance of the existence of work and education opportunities for young people, as they embody the future hopes for, and are a key factor in, the continent’s future political stability; encourages further cooperation in the form of bilateral university participation, knowledge exchange and international mobility between EU and LAC students, notably through boosting the Erasmus + programme as part of the higher-education partnership with CELAC, launched in 2015; points out the need to advance full and mutual recognition of university degrees and to strengthen bi- regional cooperation in the quality and accreditation system;

Amendment 157 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Reiterates the importance of the existence of quality work and education opportunities for young people, as they embody the future hopes for, and are a key factor in, the continent’s future political stability; encourages further cooperation with economic funds in the form of bilateral university participation and the extension of the Erasmus program to Latin American universities, knowledge exchange, and international mobility between EU and LAC students; points out the need to advance full and mutual recognition of university degrees and to strengthen bi- regional cooperation in the quality and accreditation system;

Amendment 158 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Reiterates the importance of the existence of work and education opportunities for young people, as they embody the future hopes for, and are a key factor in, the continent’s future political stability; encourages further cooperation in the form of bilateral university participation, scholarships, knowledge exchange and international mobility between EU and LAC students; points out the need to advance full and mutual recognition of university degrees and to strengthen bi- regional cooperation in the quality and accreditation system;

Amendment 159 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Reiterates the importance of the existence of quality work and education opportunities for young people, as they embody the future hopes for, and are a key factor in, the continent’s future political stability; encourages further cooperation in the form of bilateral university participation, knowledge exchange and international mobility between EU and LAC students; points out the need to advance full and mutual recognition of university degrees and to strengthen bi- regional cooperation in the quality and accreditation system;

Amendment 16 #

A. whereas the Latin American and Caribbean region (LAC) constitutes a key partner for the EU when it comes to jointly facing current global challenges, such as universal respect of Human Rights, peace, security, corruption, impunity, fight against terrorism, narcotraffic, organized crime, the eradication of poverty, access to drinking water, ~~peace and security,~~ socioeconomic development, sustainability, the fight against climate change, the digital transformation and managing migration;

Amendment 160 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Points out the key role of the EU- CELAC cooperation in the field of science, technology and innovation and the importance of the creation of the EU- CELAC common research area to strengthen the cooperation on mobility of researchers and professors;

Amendment 161 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12a. Underlines the indispensable nature of children's rights and the need for strict compliance, by all the EU-LAC countries, with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child;

Amendment 162 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)

12b. Encourages further cooperation in order to promote technological development and enhancing the population's access to information and communication technologies in order to adapt our societies to the digital transformation;

Amendment 163 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Highlights the advances in freedoms and social rights made in the last decade, and the great efforts made to elaborate public policies to distribute wealth and economic growth equally; notes the necessity to guarantee the rights and safety of religious minorities, indigenous groups, the LGTBI community and populations in rural areas;deleted

Amendment 164 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Highlights the advances in freedoms and social rights made in the last decade~~, and the great efforts made to elaborate public policies to distribute wealth and economic growth equally~~; notes the necessity to guarantee the rights and safety of religious minorities, indigenous groups, the LGTBI community and populations in rural areas;

Amendment 165 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Highlights the advances in freedoms and social rights made in the last decade, and the great efforts made to elaborate public policies to distribute wealth and economic growth equally; ~~notes the necessity to guarantee the right~~calls on the authorities to respect and guarantee democratic principles, fundamental rights, freedoms and safety of ~~religiou~~all citizens min~~orities,~~cluding indigenous groups~~, the~~ and LGTBI ~~community and populations in rural area~~; expresses its concerns over the lack of freedom of assembly, association and expression both online and offline that still remains in some Latin American countries;

Amendment 166 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Highlights the advances in freedoms and social rights made in the last decade (although serious concerns remain in some countries), and the great efforts made to elaborate public policies to distribute wealth and economic growth equally; notes the necessity to guarantee the rights and safety of ~~religious~~all minorities, in~~digenous groups, the LGTBI community and populations in rural areas~~ LAC region;

Amendment 167 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. ~~Highlight~~Notes the advances in freedoms and social rights made by some countries in the region in the last decade, and the ~~great efforts made~~commitments given to elaborate public policies to distribute wealth and economic growth equally; ~~notes~~stresses in this context, however, that the governments of some countries in the region must make further efforts, inter alia in the light of the numerous demonstrations of dissent by the population in recent months; notes moreover the necessity to guarantee the rights and safety of religious minorities, indigenous groups, the LGTBI community and populations in rural areas;

Amendment 168 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Highlights the advances in freedoms and social rights made in the last decade, and the great efforts made to elaborate ~~public policies to~~ ambitious programmes for the equitable redistributeion of wealth and economic growth ~~equally~~, with spending on social policies rising from 5% of 19% of the total economy, making a decisive contribution to lifting almost 60 million Latin Americans out of poverty in the past 15 years; notes the necessity to guarantee the rights and safety of religious minorities, indigenous groups, the LGTBI community and populations in rural areas;

Amendment 169 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Highlights the advances in freedoms and social rights made in the last decade, and the great efforts made to elaborate public policies to distribute wealth and economic growth equally; notes the necessity to guarantee the rights and safety of religious minorities, indigenous ~~groups~~people, the LGTBI community, forcibly displaced and stateless people, and populations in rural areas;

Amendment 17 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the Latin American and Caribbean region (LAC) constitutes a ~~key~~vital partner for the EU when it comes to jointly facing current global challenges, such as the eradication of poverty, access to drinking water, peace and security, socioeconomic development, sustainability, the fight against climate change, the digital transformation and managing migration;

Amendment 170 #

13. Highlights the advances in freedoms and social rights made in the last decade, and the great efforts made to elaborate inclusive public policies to protect vulnerable groups and to distribute wealth and economic growth equally; notes the necessity to guarantee the rights and safety of disabled citizens, religious minorities, indigenous groups, the LGTBI community and populations in rural areas;

Amendment 171 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Highlights the advances in freedoms and social rights made in the last decade, and the great efforts made to elaborate public policies to distribute wealth and economic growth equally; notes the necessity to guarantee the rights and safety of religious minorities, indigenous groups, environmental activists, the LGTBI community and populations in rural areas;

Amendment 172 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Underlines the need to guarantee the rights and safety of religious minorities and the LGTBI community; urges LAC governments to pass laws and take measures capable of protecting human rights defenders and journalists against the persecution, threats, defamation campaigns, arbitrary arrest, torture, forced disappearance and murder of which they are frequently the target; calls for the rights and interests of indigenous peoples and populations in rural areas to be safeguarded in the face of development projects with a major environmental impact and the operations of extractive industries, implementing prior consultation and consent mechanisms in such cases;

Amendment 173 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Regrets the attacks against democratically elected opposition leaders, journalists, human rights defenders, in particular those working on environmental issues and their lawyers; calls on the authorities to take all the necessary measures to guarantee their physical and psychological integrity and to ensure immediate, thorough and impartial investigations in order to bring those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;

Amendment 174 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Reiterates that the active involvement and consultation of civil society and NGOs during the negotiation and implementation process of trade or association agreements should be guaranteed;

Amendment 175 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)

13a. Highlights the need for agreements to make reference to the right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly in the LAC countries;

Amendment 176 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)

13b. Welcomes the progress made in the consolidation and stabilisation of democracies, which has made it possible to strengthen the rule of law, promote a culture of plurality and free debate on differing ideas, stimulate the growing independence of civil society and the development of social activism, boost citizens’ awareness of the need to demand greater transparency and accountability from those holding public office, and create a climate of maturity that plays a major part in maintaining and stabilising wealth-redistribution policies even when the natural alternation of government occurs and power passes to political forces inspired by a different ideology;

Amendment 177 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 b (new)

13b. Encourages EU Member States to consider adopting legislation providing for the possibility of the freezing of assets and visa restrictions targeting individuals who have been involved in serious human rights violations;

Amendment 178 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 c (new)

13c. Notes with great concern the increase in episodes of violence involving indigenous LAC communities, deplores the repeated violations of their rights, murders, attacks and sexual abuse of which they become targets when they find themselves on a collision course with interests linked to agri-business, raw- material extraction, deforestation and large-scale development projects; deplores the fact that many indigenous communities live in extreme poverty, without access to their ancestral lands, and are confined to small strips of territory sandwiched between agro- industrial farms, where they are vulnerable to reprisals by private security agents and mercenaries; calls for their human, social and cultural rights to be respected and for pending processes aimed at the demarcation of their territories to be unblocked and completed;

Amendment 179 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Reiterates that policies and practices on migration in the EU-LAC area must guarantee respect for human rights, with special attention given to women and minors~~, i.a. by re-evaluating the emphasis on the securitisation of borders and the criminalisation of migrants~~; stresses the need for a comprehensive approach aimed at recognizing the economic and social contribution of migrant workers for hosting countries, the significance of transit countries and the relevance for establishing legal paths for citizenship in the host countries taking special consideration of displaced persons in need of asylum; calls for measures to facilitate and improve mobility between the regions, while ensuring the mutual consistency of labour rights and enhancing the coordination of social security systems;

Amendment 18 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

A. whereas Latin America is a region which shares with the EU many values, interests, human and historical bonds, and increasing economic ties; and whereas the Latin American and Caribbean region (LAC) constitutes a key partner for the EU when it comes to jointly facing current global challenges, such as the eradication of poverty, access to drinking water, peace and security, socio-economic development, sustainability, the fight against climate change, the digital transformation and managing migration;

Amendment 180 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Reiterates that policies and practices on migration ~~in the EU-LAC area~~ must guarantee respect for human rights, with special attention given to ~~women and minors, i.a. by re-evaluating the emphasis on the securitisa~~vulnerable groups such as women and minors, while keeping in mind the challenges on the protection of borders and the non-criminalisation of migrants; calls for measures to facilitate and improve mobility between the regions, while ensuring the mutual consistency of labour rights and enhancing the coordination of social security systems;

Amendment 181 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

Amendment 182 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Reiterates that policies and practices on migration in the EU-LAC area must guarantee respect for human rights, with special attention given to women and minors and all vulnerable people, i.a. by re-evaluating the emphasis on the securitisation of borders and the criminalisation of migrants; calls for measures to facilitate and improve legal mobility between the ~~region~~countries, while ensuring the mutual consistency of labour rights and enhancing the coordination of social security systems;

Amendment 183 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Reiterates that policies and practices on migration in the EU-LAC area must guarantee respect for human rights, with special attention given to women and minors, the elderly, and disabled people, i.a. by re-evaluating the emphasis on the securitisation of borders and the criminalisation of migrants stresses the need for a comprehensive approach aimed at recognising the significance of transit countries and to work towards establishing legal and humanitarian routes for those displaced people in need of asylum; calls for measures to facilitate and improve mobility between the regions, while ensuring the mutual consistency of labour rights and enhancing the coordination of social security systems;

Amendment 184 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14a. Urges the LAC-countries to make sure that social, environmental and labour rights are fully respected; calls for full and effective implementation of the ILO-conventions and the respect of core labour standards, which, inter alia, include the freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining; highlights, furthermore, the need to ensure the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour;

Amendment 185 #

15. Highlights the challenges both regions face in terms of security, which include terrorism and the fight against drug trafficking and organiszed crime, and encourages continued efforts to strengthen security cooperation through police and military coordination; fosters further military cooperation for developing special emergency aid corps against natural and humanitarian disasters; and calls for further cooperation in maritime security, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control;

Amendment 186 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Highlights the challenges both regions face in terms of security, which include terrorism and the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime, and encourages continued efforts to strengthen security cooperation through police and military coordination; stresses, in this context, that, in terms of efforts to prevent consumption of drugs and to eliminate demand for them, it is desirable, within the framework of EU-LAC relations, to promote the European model based on prevention, institution-building and alternative development, in line with what is stipulated in the European Union Drugs Strategy 2013-2020;

Amendment 187 #

José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA, Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Highlights the challenges both regions face in terms of security, which include terrorism and the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime, and encourages continued efforts to strengthen security cooperation through police and military coordination and the exchange of information; points out that the fight against drug and arms trafficking, trafficking in human beings, fraud and money laundering and cybercrime are the main common challenges in the area of organised crime;

Amendment 188 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Highlights the challenges both regions face in terms of security, which include terrorism and the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime, and ~~encourages~~calls for continued efforts to strengthen security cooperation through police and military coordination, and for Latin American countries to participate in EU crisis management and peacekeeping missions, as they are already doing in Colombia and Chile;

Amendment 189 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

Amendment 19 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the Latin American and Caribbean region (LAC) constitutes a key partner for the EU since the first bi- regional summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1999 when it comes to jointly facing current global challenges, such as the eradication of poverty, access to drinking water, peace and security, socioeconomic development, sustainability, the fight against climate change, the digital transformation and managing migration;

Amendment 190 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Highlights the challenges both regions face in terms of defence and security, which include terrorism and the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime, and encourages continued efforts to strengthen defence and security cooperation through police and military coordination;

Amendment 191 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Calls on the EU to strive to support LAC countries suffering endemic violence, with unacceptable rates of homicide, extrajudicial execution and forced disappearances, since without security there can be no genuine prosperity, dignity and happiness; urges LAC countries to take steps to put an end to prison overcrowding and improve prison conditions, to guarantee that the physical and psychological integrity of detainees is safeguarded, to investigate and punish torture and ill-treatment and to promote the more human treatment of prisoners so as to prevent the mutinies that regularly occur in prisons and that result in loss of life;

Amendment 192 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15a. Highlights the need to step up cooperation among all countries in the Atlantic region in the fight against drug trafficking, also involving the countries concerned in West Africa, which are a major hub for consignments of drugs between Latin America and Europe;

Amendment 193 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)

15b. Draws attention to the challenges that both regions face in relation to refugee flows, and highlights the need to respect the right of asylum and to protect those fleeing violence, regardless of whether that violence stems from armed conflicts, persecution for ethnic and religious reasons or organised crime, and to make provision not only for their reception in decent conditions but also for their subsequent social integration; draws attention to the alarming number of internally displaced people in Latin America as a result of the violence committed by criminal organisations and groups, particularly in Central America, where the number of people affected is in the hundreds of thousands;

Amendment 194 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)

15a. Emphasises the need for the EU to continue supporting the Central America Security Strategy (CASS) and the Caribbean Security Strategy;

Amendment 195 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the EU and LAC countries to address the problem of corruption through measures ranging from prevention to law enforcement and criminal prosecution, and points out that the existence of corruption undermines not only social and economic welfare, but also the political legitimacy and ~~quality of democratic~~good govern~~ment~~ance;

Amendment 196 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the EU and LAC countries to address the problem of corruption through measures ranging from prevention to law enforcement and criminal prosecution, and points out that the existence of corruption undermines ~~not only~~ social welfare, ~~but also~~ the political legitimacy and quality of democratic government and the security of citizens, thus fostering the widespread phenomenon of organised crime;

Amendment 197 #

16. Calls on the EUuropean and LAC countries to address the problem of corruption through measures ranging from prevention to law enforcement and criminal prosecution, and points out that the existence of corruption undermines not only social welfare, but also the political legitimacy and quality of democratic government;

Amendment 198 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the EU and LAC countries to address and fight against the problem of corruption through measures ranging from prevention to law enforcement and criminal prosecution, the effective implementation of multilateral and international anti-corruption- conventions, and points out that the existence of corruption undermines not only social welfare and social equality, but also the political legitimacy and quality of democratic government;

Amendment 199 #

David MCALLISTER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the EU and LAC countries to address the problem of corruption through measures ranging from prevention to law enforcement and criminal prosecution, and points out that the existence of corruption undermines not only social welfare, but also the political legitimacy and quality of democratic government; urges that reforms to foster transparency and civic participation are necessary to strengthen the fight against corruption;

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 12

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas the Latin American and Caribbean region (LAC) constitutes a key partner for the EU when it comes to jointly facing current global challenges, such as the eradication of poverty, access to drinking water, peace and security, socioeconomic development, environmental sustainability, the fight against climate change, the digital transformation and managing migration;

Amendment 200 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on the EU and LAC countries to address the problem of corruption through measures ranging from prevention to law enforcement and criminal prosecution, and points out that the existence of corruption undermines not only social welfare, but also the political legitimacy and quality of democratic government; stresses that transparency and free media are crucial elements to combat corruption;

Amendment 201 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT

16. Calls on the EU and LAC countries to address the problem of corruption in a more demanding and thorough manner, through measures ranging from prevention to law enforcement and criminal prosecution, and points out that the existence of corruption undermines not only social welfare, but also the political legitimacy and quality of democratic government;

Amendment 202 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

Amendment 203 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16a. Stresses that the absence of an independent judiciary and public administration, fosters distrust in public institutions, undermining the rule of law and fuelling violence;

Amendment 204 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

Amendment 205 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Calls for further cooperation in environmental issues, a major mutual interest, with special emphasis on the energy transition and decarbonisation process, which will have an impact on the economies of both regions; highlights the need to support research on and the deployment of renewable energies, the protection of nature, and policies to address the causes and consequences of climate change in a region that is acutely affected by its effects, taking into account the rights of local and indigenous communities in areas where natural resources are extracted; notes that Latin America now has 28% of the potentially cultivable new land and its population is growing constantly, which is placing increased environmental pressure on these countries; points out that various government policies have encouraged more sustainable and ecosystem-friendly farming;

Amendment 206 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Calls for further cooperation in environmental issues, a major mutual interest, with special emphasis on the energy transition and decarbonisation process, which will have an impact on the economies of both regions; stresses the importance of supporting LAC countries with the means necessary to improve governance, enforcement and judicial procedures to protect forests and to expand agroecological farming practices; highlights the need to support research on and the deployment of renewable energies, the protection of nature, and policies to address the causes and consequences of climate change in a region that is acutely affected by its effects, taking into account the rights of local and indigenous communities in areas where natural resources are extracted; reminds of the responsibilities of European corporations in respecting ILO Convention 169;

Amendment 207 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

Amendment 208 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17a. Points out that LAC countries are the third destination for EU direct investment; draws attention to the need to make multinational companies legally responsible whenever their operations in LAC and EU countries result in human rights abuses; calls, in this context, on all LAC and EU countries to make a decisive contribution towards ensuring that their companies adopt the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; notes that the EU has added responsibility in relation to companies based in Europe or that are branches of or are owned by companies whose activity involves human rights abuses;

Amendment 209 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17a. Stresses the need to further support initiatives as EUROCLIMA or the RIOCC, in line with the Lima Agenda on sustainable development, environment, climate change and energy; recognises the common need to implement an energetic transition in order to successfully fulfil the Paris Agreements; and underlines the need for further investment and cooperation between EU- LAC institutions and companies to commonly address the energetic transition, de-carbonization and the improvement of the basic infrastructures;

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. whereas the EU – Latin American and Caribbean region (LAC) partnership is founded on close historical and cultural ties, extensive people to people exchanges, strong and growing trade and investment flows and shared values such as democracy, human rights and rule of law;

Amendment 210 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)

17b. Considers crucial to speed up the EU-Mercosur negotiations, that could strengthen our political and economic relations, and stresses the need to get a final agreement before the end of the current term of the European Parliament;

Amendment 211 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

Amendment 212 #

José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA, Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Highlights the importance of ~~the opening of~~prioritising, within the negotiations ~~for~~on the modernisation of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement, the ~~progress made in the negotiation~~establishment of binding rules with permanent monitoring mechanisms to combat impunity and organised crime; calls for the modernisation of the EU-Chile Association Agreement, and the ~~speeding up of the EU-Mercosur negotiations,~~EU-Mercosur Agreement to include binding mechanisms to assess and monitor the social and environmental impact of the agreements; and calls for the ratification of the EU-Central America Association Agreement by all national parliaments of the EU Members States;

Amendment 213 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Highlights the importance of the ~~opening of~~ negotiations for the modernisation of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement, ~~the progress made in the negotiations for the modernisation of the EU-Chile Association Agreement, and the speeding up of the EU-Mercosur negotiations, and~~and calls for that agreement to be concluded, and for the EU-Chile Association Agreement to be renewed, as soon as possible, preferably before the end of this year; calls ~~for~~on the ~~ratification of~~Member State parliaments that have not yet done so to ratify the EU- Central America Association Agreement ~~by all national parliaments of the EU Members States~~;

Amendment 214 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Highlights the importance of the o~~pening of~~ngoing negotiations for the modernisation of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement~~, the progress made in~~ and calls on the Commission to speed up these negotiations ~~for the modernisation of the EU-Chile Association Agreement, and the speeding up~~; calls on all national parliaments of the EU- Me~~rcosur negotiations, and call~~mber States for the ratification of the EU-Central America Association Agreement ~~by all national parliaments of the EU Members States~~;

Amendment 215 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Highlights the importance of ~~the opening of~~speeding up the negotiations for the modernisation of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement~~, the progress mad~~ and considers that should be fin ~~the negotiations for the modernisation of the EU-Chile Association Agreement, and the speeding up of the EU-Mercosur negotiations~~alized by the end of 2017, remarks the importance of finalizing the EU-Chile Association Agreement before first trimester of 2018, and calls for the ratification of the EU-Central America Association Agreement by all national parliaments of the EU Members States;

Amendment 216 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Highlights the importance of ~~the open~~concluding ofthe negotiations for the modernisation of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement, by the end of 2017, of progress being made in the negotiations for the modernisation of the EU-Chile Association Agreement, and ~~the~~of speeding up of the EU- Mercosur negotiations~~, and~~; calls for the ratification of the EU-Central America Association Agreement by all national parliaments of the EU Members States;

Amendment 217 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Highlights the importance of the o~~pening of~~ngoing negotiations for the modernisation of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement, the progress made in the negotiations for the modernisation of the EU-Chile Association Agreement, and the speeding up of the EU- Mercosur negotiations, and calls for the ratification of the EU-Central America Association Agreement by all national parliaments of the EU Members States;

Amendment 218 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Highlights the importance of the opening of negotiations for the modernisation of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement, the progress made in the negotiations for the modernisation of the EU-Chile Association Agreement, and the speeding up of the EU-Mercosur negotiations, and calls for the ratification of the EU-Central America Association Agreement by all national parliaments of the EU Members States; highlights the importance of association and free trade agreements between the EU and LAC countries in intensifying cooperation and solidarity between the two regions, provided that the conditions are in place to ensure that the prosperity and wealth created by those agreements benefits the whole of society; considers such agreements to be vital in order to incorporate rules into globalisation and counter the negative effects that it also entails, as well as to counter the hyper- protectionist practices that create imbalances and asymmetries; takes the view, therefore, that such agreements have a political significance that transcends their purely economic and trade benefits;

Amendment 219 #

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

Aa. having regard to the strong cultural, linguistic, political and historical ties established partly as a result of the intensity of decades of migration between EU Member States and LAC countries;

Amendment 220 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18a. Highlights the importance of the progress made in the negotiations for the modernisation of the EU-Chile Association Agreement; calls on the Commission to achieve the most modern, new generation trade agreement with Chile with a strong investment chapter and a particular focus on sustainable development; reiterates the importance of transparency in the negotiation process in order to provide a greater degree of openness to the civil society regarding the negotiating guidelines and progress achieved; calls on the Commission to speed up the negotiation process;

Amendment 221 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18a. Highlights the importance and fragility of the EU-Cuba agreement and the need to guarantee a legal framework to facilitate and promote the country’s transition to a democratic regime;

Amendment 222 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)

18b. Stresses the need rapidly to find solutions to the serious political and economic problem in Venezuela, based on the principles of a democratic state governed by the rule of law, guaranteeing independent courts, a free press and safeguards for the fundamental rights of citizens;

Amendment 223 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Stresses the importance of the recent adhesion of Ecuador to the Multi- Party Agreement with Colombia and Peru, and invites Bolivia to join as well~~, and welcomes the implementation of the Schengen short-stay visa waiver for Peru and Colombia, all of which contributes to enhancing the EU’s economic and cultural ties with these countries~~;

Amendment 224 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Stresses the importance of the recent a~~dhe~~ccession of Ecuador to the Multi- Party Agreement with Colombia and Peru~~, and invites Bolivia to join as well, and~~; welcomes the implementation of the Schengen short-stay visa waiver for Peru and Colombia, ~~all of~~ which contributes to enhancing the EU’s economic and cultural ties with theose countries;

Amendment 225 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Stresses the importance of the recent adhesion of Ecuador to the Multi- Party Agreement with Colombia and Peru, and ~~invites~~reminds that the doors are open for Bolivia to join ~~as well~~, and welcomes the implementation of the Schengen short-stay visa waiver for Peru and Colombia, all of which contributes to enhancing the EU’'s economic and cultural ties with these countries;

Amendment 226 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Stresses the importance of the recent adhesion of Ecuador to the ~~Multi- Party~~Trade Agreement with Colombia and Peru, and invites Bolivia to join as well, and welcomes the implementation of the Schengen short-stay visa waiver for Peru and Colombia, all of which contributes to enhancing the EU’s economic and cultural ties with these countries;

Amendment 227 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19a. Highlights how important it is that all countries in both regions monitor and support the UN Intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights;

Amendment 228 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19a. Highlights how dynamic the Pacific Alliance – comprising Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru – is, and calls for the High Representative and Vice- President of the Commission to look into the possibility of the EU participating in the Alliance as an observer, as a number of EU Member States already do;

Amendment 229 #

José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA, Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19a. Stresses the vital importance of systematically including rules on corporate responsibility and clauses safeguarding human rights and social rights in association, trade and investment agreements between the EU and LAC countries;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the ~~33 LAC countries have diverse political, economic and cultural realities that require different approaches within a coherent framework in the context of EU external action~~relationship with the 33 LAC countries forms part of a general framework of shared principles and values, but those countries have diverse political, economic and social realities;

Amendment 230 #

José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA, Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Recognises the importance of the Ibero-American summits, ~~under the leadership of~~the operating mechanisms of which have been strengthened over the past few years, and, at the same time, highlights the role that the Ibero-American General Secretariat General (SEGIB), and its added value to the overall partnership between the two regions as a forum for dialogue, coordination and cooperation, in particular in the fields of youth, education and entrepreneurship, and highlights its efforts to strengthen South-South cooperation(SEGIB) plays in supporting the rotating presidency; highlights the added value that the summits bring to the overall partnership between the two regions as a forum for dialogue, coordination and cooperation; welcomes the fact that, at the most recent summit, close attention was paid to important areas including youth, education and entrepreneurship;

Amendment 231 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Recognises the importance of the Ibero-American summits, under the leadership of the Ibero-American General Secretariat ~~General~~ (SEGIB), and ~~its~~the added value it brings to the overall partnership between the two regions as a forum for dialogue, coordination and cooperation, in particular in the fields of youth, education and entrepreneurship, and highlights its efforts to strengthen South-South cooperation; in that regard, calls for the establishment of a cooperation mechanism – that could take the form of a memorandum of understanding or a framework cooperation agreement between the Commission and/or the EEAS and SEGIB – that is able to optimise the relationship and place it on a more structured, orderly and systematic footing between the two bodies;

Amendment 232 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Reiterates that the EuroLat Assembly is, as well as the Parliamentary Delegations, are a very successful and useful tool for the parliamentary dimension of the strategic partnership, and for the political dialogue between EU and LAC, including civil society, as well as an important ~~vehicle~~tool for transferring citizens’' demands to the EU- CELAC summits; stresses the importance of ensuring the visibility and diffusion of its discussions and conclusions, both via interaction with EU-CELAC summits and via national and regional institutional channels;

Amendment 233 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Reiterates that the EuroLat Assembly is a very successful tool for the parliamentary dimension of the strategic partnership, and for the political dialogue between EU and LAC, including civil society, whose role should be reinforced, as well as an important vehicle for transferring citizens’' demands to the EU- CELAC summits; stresses the importance of ensuring the visibility and diffusion of its discussions and conclusions, both via interaction with EU-CELAC summits and via national and regional institutional channels;

Amendment 234 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Underlines the role of the EU-Latin America and Caribbean Foundation as an international organisation, and calls for its prompt ratification by all of its sixty-two members ~~and for~~that should play an important role in support of the bi-regional partnership and requests the establishment of permanent channels of cooperation between the Foundation and the EuroLat Assembly;

Amendment 235 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22a. Deplores the serious political and economic crisis facing Venezuela, the shortage of food and medicines, the climate of extreme polarisation in Venezuelan society and the violence that has now become part of everyday life for the Venezuelan people; condemns the criminalisation of diverging opinions and the arbitrary imprisonment of members of the opposition, some of whom are linked by nationality to EU countries, the constant attempts to hijack the powers of the legitimately elected National Assembly and the repeated attacks on the principle of the separation of powers; calls for the release of political prisoners and a national dialogue, for the independence of powers to be fully respected and the electoral calendar to be complied with; pledges to continue to work with the aim of contributing to dialogue and national reconciliation;

Amendment 236 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22a. Expresses deeply concern at the seriously deteriorating situation as regards democracy, human rights and the socio-economic situation in Venezuela, in a worrying growing climate of political and social unrest, recalling the appeals done to the Venezuelan Government in the Resolution about "the situation of Venezuela" approved last 27 April; deeply regrets the deaths occurred during recent peaceful demonstrations and calls on the Venezuelan Government to investigate these deaths and to guarantee the constitutional right to peaceful assembly;

Amendment 237 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)

22a. Supports for an increase of the External Lending Mandate of the European Investment Bank for Latin America in order to sustain and develop operations to respond to the needs for financing priority areas such as climate change mitigation, development of social, economic and environmental infrastructure and support for SMEs;

Amendment 238 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)

22b. Calls for a better and multilateral coordination of the EU member states in the BID and the CAF, in order to maximize their economic impact in the development programs towards LAC countries;

Amendment 239 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Reiterates its support to the peace process in Colombia and undertakes to support the Colombian Government in its implementation, ensuring involvement of the whole of Colombian society~~, notably victims and civil society organisations, and guaranteeing the safety and protection of human rights activists and community leaders~~; urges the EU and its Member States to uphold their political and financial support, including the EU Trust Fund for Colombia, and supports the role of VP/HR’s Special Envoy for Colombia;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas Latin American and Caribbean region is the one that presents the most inequalities in the world; whereas the 33 LAC countries have diverse political, economic and cultural realities that require different approaches within a coherent framework in the context of EU external action;

Amendment 240 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Reiterates its support to the peace process in Colombia and undertakes to support the Colombian Government in its implementation, ensuring involvement of the whole of Colombian society, notably victims and civil society organisations, and guaranteeing the safety and protection of human rights activists and community leaders; urges the ~~EU and its~~ Member States to uphold their political and financial support~~, including the EU Trust Fund for Colombia, and supports the role of VP/HR’s Special Envoy for Colombia~~;

Amendment 241 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Reiterates its support to the peace process in Colombia and undertakes to support the Colombian Government in its implementation~~, ensuring~~; in this regard welcomes the involvement of the whole of Colombian society, notably victims and civil society organisations, and guarantee~~ing~~ of the safety and protection of human rights activists and community leaders by the Government ; urges the EU and its Member States to uphold their political and financial support, including regulation IDC (Art 5, paragraph 2) and the EU Trust Fund for Colombia, and supports the role of VP/HR’'s Special Envoy for Colombia; express its wish that NLA will also commit to the ongoing peace process;

Amendment 242 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Reiterates its support to the peace process in Colombia, which is decisive for the future of Colombians and for stabilisation in the region of which this country is a part, and undertakes to support the Colombian Government in ~~its~~ implement~~ation~~ing the historic agreement with the FARC, ensuring involvement of the whole of Colombian society, notably victims and civil society organisations, and guaranteeing the safety and protection of human rights activists and community leaders; urges the EU and its Member States to uphold their political and financial support, including the EU Trust Fund for Colombia, and supports the role of VP/HR’s Special Envoy for Colombia; urges the government and Colombian society to endeavour to bring the negotiations on an equally ambitious peace process with the ELN – National Liberation Army – to a successful conclusion;

Amendment 243 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Reiterates its support to the peace process in Colombia and undertakes to support the Colombian Government in its implementation, ensuring involvement of the whole of Colombian society, notably victims and civil society organiszations as well as forcibly displaced people, and guaranteeing the safety and protection of human rights activists and community leaders; urges the EU and its Member States to uphold their political and financial support, including the EU Trust Fund for Colombia, and supports the role of VP/HR’s Special Envoy for Colombia;

Amendment 244 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23a. Expresses its grave concern at the seriously deteriorating situation as regards democracy, human rights and the socio-economic situation in Venezuela, in a growing climate of political and social instability; calls on the Venezuelan Government to safeguard the separation and independence of branches and to restore full constitutional authority to the National Assembly; in this sense, rejects any attempt to divert its constitutionally recognised powers to any other body; recalls the authorities to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and to present as soon as possible an electoral calendar that will allow free and transparent electoral processes to take place;

Amendment 245 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23a. Expresses grave concern at the serious deterioration in the situation as regards democracy, human rights and the socio-economic situation in Venezuela, with a growing climate of political and social instability; calls on the Venezuelan Government to ensure the separation and independence of powers, and to fully restore the constitutional authority of the National Assembly; calls for consideration to be given to the possible freezing of assets, as well as to restricting access to EU territory for all those involved in serious violations of human rights in Venezuela;

Amendment 246 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23a. Expresses its grave concern at the seriously deteriorating situation as regards democracy, human rights and the socio-economic situation in Venezuela, in a growing climate of political and social instability; calls on the Venezuelan Government to safeguard the separation and independence of powers, restore full constitutional authority to the National Assembly, ensure the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and to present as soon as possible an electoral calendar that will allow free and transparent electoral processes to take place;

Amendment 247 #

Javier NART, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23a. Calls on the EU and the Office of the High Commissioner to take action in all appropriate fora to prevent a deterioration of the civil, economic, political and social situation in Venezuela so as to guarantee freedom of expression, the rule of law, the principle of separation of powers, respect for the role of oppositions and all constitutional prerogatives;

Amendment 248 #

Philippe JUVIN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23a. Condemns the brutal crackdown by government security forces in Venezuela on peaceful demonstrations by the opposition;

Amendment 249 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)

23b. Asks the EU to support the Central American countries afflicted by organised crime that threatens their social and political structures;

Amendment 25 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the 33 LAC countries have diverse political, economic and cultural realities that require different approaches within a coherent and consistent framework in the context of EU external action while always defending EU values on democracy and human rights;

Amendment 250 #

Javier NART, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 c (new)

23c. Asks the EU to support Mexico in its differences with the United States of America;

Amendment 251 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. ~~Welcomes~~Takes note of the signing on December 2016 of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Cuba; stresses the importance of ~~speeding up~~ its implementation, which can have a positive impact on the overall EU- CELAC partnership, and insists on the need for tangible results in the human rights ~~dialogue~~situation according with the EP resolutions;

Amendment 252 #

Javier NART, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. ~~Welcom~~Notes the signing on December 2016 of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Cuba; stresses the importance of speeding up its implementation, which can have a positive impact on the overall EU- CELAC partnership,; stresses that no tangible results have been achieved on human rights in Cuba, despite the setting up of the Human Rights Dialogue and insists on the need for tangible results in the human rights ~~dialogue~~situation;

Amendment 253 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Welcomes the signing on December 2016 of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Cuba; stresses the importance of speeding up its implementation, which can have a positive impact on the overall EU- CELAC partnership,; underlines that the progress in the EU-Cuba relations should be based on further democratisation of the Cuban society, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; emphasizes that the principle of 'more for more' should be applied taking into account progress achieved in the areas of public life in Cuba, namely in exercising citizens' right to vote, elect and be elected, guaranteeing more space for civil society and private business, abolishing restrictions and control of the internet; and insists on the need for tangible results in the human rights dialogue;

Amendment 254 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

Amendment 255 #

Philippe JUVIN

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

Amendment 256 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24a. Expresses its concern at the deteriorating situation in Venezuela in regards to democracy, human rights and socio-economic conditions; reiterates that the separation of powers and no interference between equally legitimate powers is an essential principle of democratic states and the rule of law; calls the international community and in particular the VP/HR to promote a dialogue and to mediate between the two Venezuelan political and institutional representations in order to achieve an agreement as the only possible solution, which should include the release of the political representatives jailed for their political convictions and an electoral calendar for the local and gubernatorial elections as soon as possible;

Amendment 257 #

Javier NART, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24a. Expresses grave concern about the continued violation of democratic and constitutional order in Venezuela, and about the serious economic and social crisis that the country is experiencing; reiterates its call for the immediate release of all political prisoners; calls on the HR/VP to make a more active commitment to restoring normality to Venezuela’s institutions and full democracy to the country;

Amendment 258 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24a. Stresses that improvements in the economic sector are interdependent with the respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights in Cuba;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

Ba. whereas the long-lasting partnership between the EU and the LAC countries is founded on historical, cultural, human and economic ties, which must not be taken for granted and should be more horizontally oriented, common principles and values including the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, the rule of law, international peace and security, and a shared support to a multilateral system of global governance based on norms and dialogue;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)

Bb. whereas LAC countries represent the fifth largest trading partner of the EU and the EU is the leading foreign investor in LAC countries;

Amendment 28 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B c (new)

Bc. whereas the EU and LAC countries together make up a third of the population of the members of the United Nations and represent around 25% of global GDP;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B d (new)

Bd. whereas stepping up the political dialogue and cooperation on migration, climate change, energy and countering organised crime as well as investing in deeper socio-economic ties through visa facilitation, student exchanges and research cooperation are priorities for the EU external action with LAC countries;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 12

– having regard to its resolutions on Venezuela, in particular the resolutions of 8 June 2016 and 27 April 2017 on the situation in Venezuela2 , _________________ 2 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0269. Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0269.

Amendment 30 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B e (new)

Be. whereas the Strategic Association between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean that was launched in June 1999 to strengthen the relations between both regions is not yet a consolidated achievement;

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the LAC region has undergone significant changes in the past decade, such as the elevation of a large part of the population to the middle class through social policies and the overall consolidation of democracy~~, but also the end of the commodities super-cycle that made millions of people vulnerable to falling back into poverty~~;

Amendment 32 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the LAC region has undergone significant changes in the past decade, such as the elevation of a large part of the population to the middle class through active social policies and ~~the overall consolidation of democracy, but also the end of the commodities super-cycle that made millions of people vulnerable to~~greater redistribution of the wealth generated in the countries in the region, allowing for improved access to education, health and decent housing, and the overall consolidation of democracy; whereas, however, commodities exports mean that millions of people are still at risk of falling back into poverty;

Amendment 33 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the LAC region has undergone significant changes in the past decade, such as the elevation of a large part of the population to the middle class through economic reforms and social policies ands well as the overall consolidation of democracy, but also the end of the commodities super-cycle that made millions of people vulnerable to falling back into poverty;

Amendment 34 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the LAC region has undergone significant changes in the past decade, such as the eradication of illiteracy in some countries, the elevation of a large part of the population to the middle class through social policies and the overall consolidation of democracy, but also the end of the commodities super- cycle that made millions of people vulnerable to falling back into poverty;

Amendment 35 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas the LAC region has undergone significant changes in the past decade, such as the elevation of a large part of the population to the middle class through economic reforms, social policies and the overall consolidation of democracy, but also the end of the commodities super-cycle that made millions of people vulnerable to falling back into poverty;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas, after a decade of impressive economic growth, the end of the cycle of high prices for raw materials, on which the majority of LAC countries depend, combined with the slowdown in the Chinese economy, which is now their second trade partner after the US, has led to economic stagnation or even recession in various countries in the region, jeopardising much of the progress made and leaving millions of people at risk of falling back into poverty;

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas in many countries the foundations of the success enjoyed in recent decades are being challenged by new political majorities, which are putting those achievements at risk and could lead to a return to poverty and inequality, for example in Brazil and Argentina;

Amendment 38 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas in some Latin American countries there is strong public demand for greater democracy and participation and for sustainable economic policies;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

Ca. whereas the rule of law mirrored into stable legal frameworks with guarantee of legal certainty, is a crucial element to attract the investments needed to promote the economic recovery;

Amendment 4 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT

Motion for a resolution
Citation 12

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)

Cb. whereas gender inequalities are still huge on both continents, whereas levels of violence against women are still shockingly high, and whereas reproductive rights are extremely limited in some countries, which criminalise and punish women who have abortions for health reasons, owing to a danger to life, or following rape;

Amendment 41 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)

Cb. whereas high inflation levels hinder growth and must be therefore immediately tackled; whereas reliable exchange rates are vital elements of country's economic development; whereas its vital to implement an industrial policy to increase productivity diversify the economy and attract investments;

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)

Cc. whereas the Association Agreements between the European Union and LAC countries help to improve the Political and Trade Dialogue and the investment climate turning to open the service sector and public procurement markets allowing the implementation of infrastructure projects;

Amendment 43 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)

Cc. whereas the LGBTI community continues to suffer extremely high levels of violence and discrimination in some countries in both regions, in many cases suffering as a result of discriminatory legislation;

Amendment 44 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C d (new)

Cd. whereas the situation of human rights defenders is constantly deteriorating in many countries in the region, and the various human rights dialogues involving civil society established on the basis of existing bilateral agreements have not led to a reduction in those high levels of impunity; whereas there is therefore a need for the existing instruments to be reviewed;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C e (new)

Ce. whereas the scenario that is emerging in the new international context is one in which multilateralism and international law are in decline; whereas Latin America and the EU are now extremely important regions when it comes to developing a shared agenda to counteract that trend;

Amendment 46 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the EU has also experienced important shifts in the past years, namely the economic crisis, an increase in inequality, the challenges linked to Brexit, the refugee crisis, and the significant rise in citizen discontent with political institutions;deleted

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the EU has ~~also~~ experienced important shifts in the plast years, namely the economic crisis, ~~an increase in inequality,~~ the challenges linked to Brexit~~, the refugee crisis, and the significant rise in citizen discontent with political institution~~ and the refugee crisis;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the EU has also experienced important shifts in the past years, namely ~~the economic crisis, an increase in inequality, the challenges linked to Brexit, the refugee crisis, and the significant rise in citizen discontent with political institution~~security challenges and terrorism threats, the economic crisis, the challenges linked to Brexit and the heavily increased refugee and migration flows;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the EU has also experienced important shifts in the past years, namely the financial and economic crisis, an increase in inequality, the ~~challenges linked to Brexit~~overall security challenges, the Brexit and its consequences, the refugee crisis, and the significant rise in citizen discontent with political institutions;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 12 a (new)

– having regard to its resolution on Mexico of 23 October 2014 on the disappearance of 43 students,

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the EU has also experienced important shifts in the past years, namely the economic crisis, an increase in inequality, the challenges linked to Brexit, the ~~refugee~~migration crisis, and the significant rise in citizen discontent with political institutions;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas the EU has also experienced important shifts in the past years, namely the economic crisis, an increase in inequality, the challenges linked to Brexit, the rise in nationalist and populist movements and the return of xenophobic discourses, the refugee crisis, and the significant rise in citizen discontent with political institutions;

Amendment 52 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

D. whereas the EU has also experienced important shifts in the past years, namely the economic crisis, an increase in inequality within and among the countries, the challenges linked to Brexit, the refugee crisis, and the significant rise in citizen discontent with political institutions;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

Da. whereas respect to the rule of law and to a stable legal and political framework enables both regions to exercise a free enterprise and adequate investment environment that include safeguards to the principle of legal certainty;

Amendment 54 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas ~~the main geopolitical shifts currently in play in LAC countries, marked by~~, while trade between the LAC region and the EU has grown in terms of value and the EU remains the main investor, the EU has lost market shares in the region, particularly due to the increasing presence of Asian states seeking economic partnership in the region, ~~require~~which is attributable to geopolitical changes taking place in the LAC countries, changes which are creating new challenges for EU-LAC relations; considers, in this context, that the EU should stands up as a truthful ally to its partners in the LAC region in order to reinforce its trade links and strategic ties with the countries in the region;

Amendment 55 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas the main geopolitical shifts currently in play in LAC countries, ~~marked by~~including the increasing ~~presence of Asian states seeking economic partnership in the region, require that the EU~~trade and economic relations with some Asian countries, require that the EU continues more than ever standsing up as a truthful ally to its partners in the LAC region;

Amendment 56 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas the main geopolitical shifts currently in play in LAC countries, marked by the increasing presence of the Asian ~~states seeking~~countries, namely China and Russia, seeking to gain strategic influence, military presence and develop economic partnerships in the region, require that the EU stands up as a truthful ally to its partners in the LAC region;

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas the main geopolitical shifts currently in play in LAC countries, marked by the increasing presence, among others, of Asian states seeking economic partnership in the region, require that the EU ~~stands up as~~reinforces its position of a truthful ally to its partners in the LAC region;

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas the main ~~geopolitical~~ shifts currently in play in LAC countries, marked by the increasing presence of Asian states seeking economic partnership in the region, require that the EU stands up as a truthful ally to its partners in the LAC region;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas the main geopolitical shifts currently in play in LAC countries, marked by the increasing presence of Asian states seeking economic partnership in the region, require that the EU stands up as a truthful ally to its partners in the LAC region not only in terms of economic exchange, but as partner in social progress and in the defence of common values;

Amendment 6 #

Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL, José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15

~~– having regard to the declaration by the Co-Presidents of the EuroLat of 21 September 2016 on various topics relevant for bi-regional relations,~~deleted

Amendment 60 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas the EU is the main investor, one of the main trade partners and the main source of development assistance in the LAC region, a~~nd whereas European cooperation is strong as a result of~~s reflected in the Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) 2014 – 2020, and whereas common strong financial and triangular cooperation must be enhanced;

Amendment 61 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas the EU is the main source of development assistance in the LAC region, as reflected in the DCI (Development Cooperation Instrument) 2014-2020, and whereas European cooperation is strong as a result of financial and triangular cooperation;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas the EU is today the main source of development assistance in the LAC region, and whereas European cooperation is strong as a result of financial and triangular cooperation;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas the presence of the EU, not only via cooperation projects, but also through European companies, is very important for the national economies of the countries of Latin America; whereas its activities must be subject to clear rules and mandatory monitoring, to make it possible to identify and prevent situations relating to tax avoidance, environmental damage, exhaustion of resources, land- grabbing, breaches of human rights linked to the security services and payments to organised crime;

Amendment 64 #

José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA, Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas current EU-Mexico Global Agreement, EU-Chile Association Agreement and EU-Mercosur Interregional Framework Cooperation Agreement entered into force in 1997, 2003 and 1999 respectfully; whereas ongoing negotiations on the modernisation of these agreements, due to their importance to the EU and the LAC countries, need an ambitious impetus in order to achieve the most modern and progressive agreements;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas the Commission is drafting a new development agenda as part of the 2030 Agenda, and whereas the concept of sustainable development must be applied in and include all the countries in Latin America (including middle- income countries), and whereas that new approach must take account of other criteria in addition to per capita income;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas Latin America and the Caribbean have been systematically relegated to second place when defining the main priorities of the EU’s external policy, despite the obvious cultural and linguistic ties that historically link it to the LAC countries, and despite the need to find new allies in the face of its growing loss of geopolitical influence in the world;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas the Atlantic region as a whole – including the EU, North America, Central America, South America and the countries along the Atlantic coast of Africa – is very important, as is the need for cooperation between the Atlantic regions and countries, to enable them all to address the shared challenges faced by this very large area;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas the next WTO Ministerial Conference is to be held in Buenos Aires in December 2017, and whereas parliamentary delegations from the member countries will also be meeting at that conference;

Amendment 69 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ensures universal access to information and protection of freedom of expression;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15

~~– having regard to the declaration by the Co-Presidents of the EuroLat of 21 September 2016 on various topics relevant for bi-regional relations,~~deleted

Amendment 70 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas many European corporations operate in the LAC region, in particular in the extractive industry and in the energy sector;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)

Fa. whereas the 10 best countries on energetic governance and the 20% of the World oil reserves are in Latin America;

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)

Fb. whereas two Latin American countries, Mexico and Brazil, have been identified as strategic partners of the EU;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that in the wake of the economic crisis, the EU and LAC countries are facing common challenges in the areas of economic growth, digital transformation, social inclusion and gender equality, while at the same time sharing common values such as democracy, human rights, peace and solidarity, and underlines that this partnership and political dialogue, based on common principles and interests in a horizontal relationship, has become crucial to the advancement of the bi- regional and cooperation exchange;deleted

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. SUnderlines that the EU-LAC bi- regional partnership is based on common principles, values and interests in a horizontal relationship, has become crucial to the advancement of the bi- regional and cooperation exchanges; stresses that in the wake of the economic crisis, the EU and LAC countries are facing common challenges in the areas of economic growth, digital transformation, social inclusion and gender equality, while at the same time sharing common values such as democracy, human rights, ~~peace~~ and solidarity, and underlines that this partnership and political dialogue, based on common principles and interests in a horizontal relationship, has become crucial to the advancement of the bi-regional and cooperation exchange;

Amendment 75 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that in the wake of the economic crisis, the EU and LAC countries are facing ~~common~~major challenges in the areas of economic growth, digital transformation, social inclusion and gender equality, while at the same time sharing common values such as democracy, human rights, peace and solidarity,; and underlines that ~~this~~ partnership and political dialogue between the EU and the LAC countries, based on common principles and interests in a horizontal relationship, hasve become crucial to the advancement of the bi- regional and cooperation exchange;

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that in the wake of the economic crisis, the EU and LAC countries are facing common challenges in the areas of economic growth, digital transformation, social inclusion and gender equality, ~~while at the same time sharing common values~~in the context of common values that they share, such as democracy, human rights, peace and solidarity, and underlines that this partnership and political dialogue, based on common principles and interests in a horizontal relationship, has become crucial to the advancement of the bi- regional and cooperation exchange;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that in the wake of the economic crisis, the EU and LAC countries are facing common challenges in the areas of economic growth and fight against unemployment, digital transformation, social inclusion and gender equality, while at the same time sharing common values such as democracy, the rule of law and an independent judiciary, human rights, peace and solidarity, and underlines that this partnership and political dialogue, based on common principles and interests in a horizontal relationship, has become crucial to the advancement of the bi- regional and cooperation exchange;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that in the wake of the economic crisis, the EU and LAC countries are facing common challenges in the areas of economic growth, digital transformation, social inclusion and gender equality, while at the same time sharing common values such as democracy, human rights, peace and solidarity, and the commitment to them; and underlines that this partnership and political dialogue, based on common principles and interests in a horizontal relationship, has become crucial to the advancement of the bi- regional and cooperation exchange;

Amendment 79 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Stresses that in the wake of the economic crisis, the EU and LAC countries are facing common challenges in the areas of sustainable economic growth, digital transformation, social inclusion and gender equality, while at the same time sharing common values such as democracy, human rights, peace and solidarity, and underlines that this partnership and political dialogue, based on common principles and interests in a horizontal relationship, has become crucial to the advancement of the bi- regional and cooperation exchange;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 16

– having regard to the declaration by the Co-Presidents of EuroLat of 7 February 2017 on the executive orders issued by the Trump Administration in the area of foreign policy and their repercussions on Latin America,deleted

Amendment 80 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Highlights the fact that the new geopolitical scenario reinforces the LAC region as a strategic priority for the EU’s foreign policy, ~~as both regions share a common vision of the world~~ based on multilateralism, dialogue, sustainability, the rule of law and open societies;

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Highlights the fact that the new geopolitical scenario reinforces the LAC region as a strategic priority for the EU’s foreign policy, as both regions share a common vision of the world based on multilateralism, dialogue, sustainability, the rule of law ~~and open societies~~, respect for human rights and open societies; points out that Mexico and Brazil have been identified as strategic partners of the EU;

Amendment 83 #

Javier NART, Izaskun BILBAO BARANDICA, Renate WEBER, María Teresa GIMÉNEZ BARBAT, Beatriz BECERRA BASTERRECHEA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Highlights the fact that the new geopolitical scenario reinforces the LAC region as a strategic priority and opportunity for the EU’s foreign policy, as both regions share a common vision of the world based on multilateralism, dialogue, sustainability, the rule of law and open societies;

Amendment 84 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

Amendment 86 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Acknowledges the positive and rich diversity of actors in the relations between EU and LAC countries, including the European Economic and Social Committee, States, cities and local entities, Universities, Civil Society and Corporations; calls for further coordination of the Agreements, Cooperation actions and High-Level Political Contacts;

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)

2a. Calls for unequivocal respect for the principle of the territorial integrity of states;

Amendment 88 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Considers the expansion of cooperation and the building of stronger partnerships with LAC countries to be crucial, a~~s complementary actions at both bi-regional and~~t the bilateral level;

Amendment 89 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Considers the expansion of cooperation and the building of stronger partnerships with LAC countries to be crucial, as complementary actions at b~~oth bi~~i- regional, sub-regional and bilateral level; as complementary actions, and stresses the need for this cooperation to contribute effectively to the consolidation of economic growth via sustainable socio economic development policies while ensuring social inclusion, civil liberties and human rights and reduction of poverty;

Amendment 9 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 16

Amendment 90 #

José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA, Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Considers the expansion of cooperation and the building of stronger partnerships with LAC countries to be crucial, as complementary actions at both bi-regional and bilateral level; believes that the EU-LAC partnership and the trade agreements should take into account the economic differences between the regions and be mindful to not increase the asymmetries;

Amendment 91 #

David MCALLISTER

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Considers the expansion of political and economic cooperation and the building of stronger partnerships with LAC countries to be crucial, as complementary actions at both bi-regional and bilateral level;

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3a. Emphasises the important role played by the EU’s strategic partnerships with countries in the region such as Brazil and Mexico, and calls for Argentina to be granted the status it deserves as an outstanding player in the region, and as a member of Mercosur and the G20;

Amendment 93 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines the importance of the EU-CELAC summits as a strategic bi- regional partnership in a new framework for political dialogue, and calls on the EU and on CELAC to reinforce this partnership and political dialogue by working on clearly identified common interests in order to address jointly key global challenges in multilateral fora, such as the United Nations and the G-20;deleted

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines the importance of the EU-CELAC summits as a strategic bi- regional partnership in a new framework for political dialogue, and calls on the EU and on CELAC to reinforce this partnership ~~and political dialogue~~within the framework of its thematic dialogues and main initiatives, such as the Joint Initiative on Research and Innovation, the Structured Dialogue on Migration and the Coordination and Cooperation Mechanism on Drugs, by working on clearly identified common interests in order to address jointly key global challenges in multilateral fora, such as the United Nations and the G-20;

Amendment 95 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines the importance of the EU-CELAC summits as a strategic bi- regional partnership in a new framework for political dialogue~~, and~~; criticises that in the past the EU has given more importance to the commercial pillar of association agreements than to the political one, as in the case of the EU-Central America association agreement; calls on the EU and on CELAC to reinforce this partnership and political dialogue by working on clearly identified common interests in order to address jointly key global challenges in multilateral fora, such as the United Nations and the G-20;

Amendment 96 #

José Ignacio SALAFRANCA SÁNCHEZ-NEYRA, Luis de GRANDES PASCUAL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines the importance of the EU-CELAC summits as a strategic bi- regional partnership in a new framework for political dialogue, and calls on the EU and on CELAC to reinforce this partnership and political dialogue by working on clearly identified common interests in order to address jointly key global challenges in the areas of good governance, economic growth, social cohesion, culture, innovation and environment in multilateral fora, such as the United Nations ~~and~~, the G-20, and the WTO;

Amendment 97 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Underlines the importance of the EU-CELAC summits as an instrument of the strategic bi- regional partnership in a new framework for political dialogue, and calls on the EU and on CELAC to reinforce this partnership and political dialogue by working on clearly identified common interests in order to address jointly key global challenges in multilateral fora, such as the United Nations and the G- 20;

Amendment 98 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4a. Reiterates the EU and LAC’s commitment to stepping up cooperation on the global agenda and advocates a multilateral approach in the WTO as the basis for an open trading system, based on predictable, more inclusive rules that are effective in achieving the objectives of reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development, and are also transparent and democratic, with an enhanced parliamentary dimension;

Amendment 99 #