Awaiting Parliament 1st reading / single reading / budget 1st stage
2017/2028(INI) Corruption and human rights in third countries
Lead committee dossier: AFET/8/09295
Legal Basis RoP 052
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | AFET | AUŠTREVIČIUS Petras (ALDE) | ADAKTUSSON Lars (EPP), GOMES Ana (S&D), BASHIR Amjad (ECR), URBÁN CRESPO Miguel (GUE/NGL), SOLÉ Jordi (Verts/ALE), CORRAO Ignazio (EFD) |
| Opinion | DEVE | KOULOGLOU Stelios (GUE/NGL) | |
| Opinion | INTA | GRASWANDER-HAINZ Karoline (S&D) |
Legal Basis RoP 052
Subjects
Activites
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2017/09/13
Vote in plenary scheduled
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2017/09/12
Debate scheduled
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2017/06/29
Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
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A8-0246/2017
summary
The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted an own-initiative report drawn up by Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS (ALDE, LT) on corruption and human rights in third countries. The Committee on Development, exercising its prerogative as an associated committee in accordance with Article 54 of the Rules of Procedure, also gave its opinion on the report. The need for action: the report called for collective action at national and international level to prevent and combat corruption, given that corruption spreads across borders. It invited Member States to participate in international fora to reach joint decisions on best practices and policies tailored to the particular situation of each region. Members believe that the fight against corruption should be part of a partnership-based approach between the public and private sectors, while calling for further efforts to implement and enforce existing national and international anti-corruption instruments. They also pointed out that the development of an EU anti-corruption strategy is essential to combat corruption and financial crime. The report called for the establishment of effective policy and legal frameworks for the management of natural resource management. In the context of the prevention of illicit financial flows, it recommended that particular attention be paid to the flow of capital resulting from the extraction of ores and minerals from mines in conflict zones. Corruption and human rights in EU bilateral relations: Members proposed the permanent monitoring of EU-funded projects and that recipient country authorities should be held accountable if EU funds are not used appropriately. The EU is invited in particular to: conduct audits of grants, loans and assistance packages, and carry out rigorous audits by governments and beneficiary organisations; incorporate an anti-corruption clause, in addition to human rights clauses into agreements with third countries; develop principles covering both human rights and the fight against corruption, in particular principles to improve transparency, combat impunity and strengthen anti-corruption agencies; provide funds to support the implementation of programmes for civil society actors, including anti-corruption and human rights organisations, journalists, bloggers and whistle-blowers; consider legislation to establish clear criteria for blacklisting third-country nationals and members of their families who are guilty of serious human rights violations. The Commission is invited to: (i) support developing countries fighting tax evasion and avoidance; (ii) introduce anti-corruption and anti-money laundering provisions that are enforceable in all future trade agreements; and (iii) consider suspending the benefits of an agreement when the partner in question fails to comply with its anticorruption commitments. The report also recommended: paving the way for the formation of task forces between Member States’ embassies and EU Delegations in third countries, to collect information from the European Union on corruption networks and intermediaries which should be conveyed to EU institutions through diplomatic and safe channels; tackling the problems of organised crime, corruption and money laundering within its own borders by conducting self-assessments and regular reporting in accordance with the provisions of the United Nations Convention against Corruption and its review mechanism; launching discussions at the UN level on strengthening standards on the independence and mandates of anti-corruption agencies. Members supported the establishment of a UN Special Rapporteur on financial crime, corruption and human rights with a comprehensive mandate; adopting measures and improve coordination of strategies to combat trafficking in human beings; fully implementing the United Nations Guidelines on Business and Human Rights. Members recommended that the Union should support measures to introduce standards and codes for monitoring compliance and combating corruption in companies and that candidates for public procurement should be subject to a strict anti-corruption code and to principles of good tax governance; requiring companies to publish information on the acquisition of land in third countries and to upgrade their support to developing countries to ensure effective implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT) as a means to address corruption in land deals; ending serious abuses, including electoral fraud and corruption linked to electoral processes that threaten democracy, and to promote an independent, impartial and effective judiciary; ensuring that the sporting governing bodies and international anti-corruption agencies and NGOs cooperate in order to establish transparent and verifiable human rights commitments to be made by the organisers of major sporting events; applying a ‘zero tolerance’ policy to tax havens and money laundering, in particular through the implementation of country-by-country reporting standards in Europe and third countries; multinationals would be required to submit reports in order to prevent corruption and tax evasion. Lastly, Members believe that Parliament stated that it resolved to prepare a regular updating report on corruption and human rights during every legislative term.
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A8-0246/2017
summary
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2017/06/20
Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
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2017/03/16
Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
Documents
- Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading: A8-0246/2017
| Amendments | Dossier |
| 366 |
2017/2028(INI)
2017/05/04
DEVE
29 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas corruption is a global phenomenon, affecting both North and South, which dramatically hits those most in need in developing countries by undermining sustainable development, increasing inequalities and deepening the gap between the ruling elite and the majority of people; whereas corruption
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Highlights that surveys show that corruption is widespread in land administration and is increasingly tainting all phases of land deals, resulting in a wide range of adverse human rights impacts, ranging from forced displacement of communities without adequate compensation to the killing of land defenders[1]; furthermore, notes with concern that human rights violations risk to intensify in a context of rising demand for food, fuel and commodities and increasing large-scale land investments in developing countries; [1] Olivier De Schutter, « Tainted Lands. Corruption in Large-Scale Land Deals », in International Corporate Accountability Roundtable & Global Witness ( November 2016). https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaig ns/land-deals/tainted-lands-corruption- large-scale-land-deals/
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1 b. Underlines that corruption enables land grabbing in a number of ways most notably when investors pay bribes to public officials in exchange for favorable land leases or acquisitions without the consent of the people who live on it, or when investors rely on weak rule of law or corrupt remedial schemes to deny land users' access to remedies; urges once more the investing companies to seek the free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) of all affected communities, including indigenous peoples and to take human rights due diligence measures, including through the setting-up of a strong whistleblower protection mechanism, to ensure that their subsidiaries and business partners do not resort to corruption;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 c (new) 1 c. Recalls that the financial sector has a key role to play in preventing corrupt practices that facilitates land grabbing in particular; reiterates that banks and financial institutions should undertake "customer due diligence" to combat money laundering linked to corruption and ensure that investors they support undertake effectively human rights due diligence; calls on the EU and its Member States to require disclosure of details about companies' land acquisitions in third countries and to upgrade its support to developing countries to ensure effective implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT) as a means to address corruption in land deals;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Notes that trade deals, along with binding human rights clauses ensuring that both government actors and private companies respect human rights and the highest social and environmental standards, are essential to fight corruption;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Notes that trade deals
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Notes that trade deals, along with
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Notes that corruption is a complex phenomenon that is rooted in a wide variety of economic, political, administrative, social and cultural factors, and power relations, and recalls, therefore, that development policy, in order to contribute to the fight against corruption, while focusing on the reduction of poverty and inequalities, must also promote human rights, democracy, the rule of law and public social services, in order to boost good governance and build social capital, social inclusion and social cohesion, taking into account cultural and regional particularities;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Notes that corruption is a complex phenomenon that is rooted in a wide variety of economic, political, administrative, social and cultural factors, and power relations, and recalls, therefore, that development policy, in order to contribute to the fight against corruption, while focusing on the reduction of poverty and inequalities, and on better integration, must also promote human rights, democracy, the rule of law and public social services, in order to boost good governance and build social capital, social inclusion and social cohesion;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Notes that in order to fight corruption, education is fundamental; encourages the EU to develop and implement specific programmes devoted to raising awareness on corruption, its costs for society and the means to fight against it, including the existing criminal and procedural laws and grievance mechanisms; strongly believes that education and information on this topic should be increased at the internal level and strongly boosted abroad and tailored according to the audience (entrepreneurs, common citizens, etc. including school children);
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Notes with concern that the most relevant international conventions such as the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and initiatives aiming to fight corruption and illicit financial flows fail to deliver concrete results at their implementation stage; recalls that the development of an EU external anti- corruption strategy is essential to combat corruption and financial crime effectively;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas corruption is a global phenomenon, affecting both North and South, which dramatically hits those most in need in developing countries by undermining good governance and sustainable development, increasing inequalities and deepening the gap between the ruling elite and the majority of people; whereas corruption undermines human rights, democracy, democratic accountability, the rule of law, legal security, as well as social capital and trust in the institutions;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Points out that fighting corruption and illicit financial flows is a political response requiring concerted action at global level (G20, OECD, UN, World Bank, IMF) as well as transparency and binding rules;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Calls on the EU and its Member States to apply the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Calls for the UN to adopt a standard-setting instrument on illicit financial flows so as to make for greater effectiveness;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the EU to enhance the transparency and accountability of its Official Development Assistance in order to comply effectively with the standards set out in the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) and with internationally agreed development effectiveness principles; calls equally on the EU to develop a strong holistic risk management system to prevent development aid from contributing to corruption in recipient countries i.e. by linking budget support to clear anti-corruption objectives; to this end, stresses the need to set up robust mechanisms to monitor its implementation;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. In order to eradicate high level corruption, calls on the Commission, in the context of budget support, to pay attention to the transparency in operations involving privatization and deals of public assets, notably land, and to participate in OECD support programmes for developing countries in corporate governance of state owned enterprises;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls on the Commission to support developing countries fighting tax evasion and avoidance by helping them to build balanced, efficient, fair, and transparent tax systems;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Underlines the importance of tackling tax fraud and tax avoidance, which undermine domestic resources mobilisation for social policies and jeopardise growth and employment, by way of effective measures such as compulsory country-by- country reporting and disclosure of beneficial ownership of companies, trusts or holdings;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the EU to set up grievance mechanisms whereby people affected by its external actions can complain about human rights abuses and corruption cases; calls the EU to include such binding grievance mechanisms in any future trade agreement.
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Maintains that the EU, as the world's leading donor, should promote forms of linkage whereby the supply of EU external aid would be subject to fiscal reforms aimed at increasing transparency, making data more accessible, and encouraging approaches pursued jointly with other donors.
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Recital A A. whereas corruption is a global phenomenon, affecting both North and South, which dramatically hits those most in need in developing countries by undermining sustainable development, increasing inequalities
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Recital B B. whereas the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 focuses on peace, justice, the building of strong institutions and the fight against corruption; whereas in order to achieve SDG 16 universally, the EU needs to urgently and directly address diverse issues in which corruption plays a key role, ranging from human rights violations by the private sector to poverty, hunger and injustice; whereas the need to fight against corruption must always be considered a priority over the pursuit of commercial interests;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Recital B B. whereas the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 focuses on peace, justice, the building of strong institutions and the fight against corruption; whereas in order to achieve SDG 16 universally, the EU needs to address diverse issues in which corruption plays a key role, ranging from human rights violations
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas corporate social responsibility implies that companies have to bring about sustainable development by voluntarily incorporating social and environmental concerns into their business operations and dealings with stakeholders;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Calls on the EU to comply with the principle of policy coherence for development (Article 208 TFEU) and to not contribute in any case, directly or indirectly, by actions or omissions, to the reinforcement of corruption, but to tackle it and fight impunity directly and explicitly through its external policies;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Calls on the EU to comply with the principle of policy coherence for development (Article 208 TFEU)
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Calls on the EU to comply with the principle of policy coherence for development (Article 208 TFEU)
source: 604.550
2017/05/09
AFET
289 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 2 a (new) – having regard to the Charter of the United Nations,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 9 c (new) - having regard to its resolution of 8 July 2015 on tax avoidance and tax evasion as challenges for governance, social protection and development in developing countries 3a, _________________ 3a Texts adopted, P8_TA(2015)0265.
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Recital N N. whereas the absence of free media both online and offline creates favourable conditions for opaque practices to flourish; whereas media play an important role
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Recital N N. whereas the absence of free media both online and offline not only restricts the fundamental right to freedom of expression, but also creates favourable conditions for opaque practices to flourish; whereas media play an important role in increasing public awareness of corruption and human rights violations;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Recital N N. whereas the absence of free media both online and offline creates favourable conditions for
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Recital N N. whereas the absence of free media both online and offline creates favourable conditions for opaque practices to flourish; whereas media play an important role in increasing public awareness of corruption and human rights violations; whereas independent media organisations play an extremely important role in ensuring transparency and scrutiny, as they are a means of exposing corruption and making key information available to the general public;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Recital N N. whereas the absence of free media both online and offline creates favourable conditions for opaque practices to flourish; whereas media play an important role in increasing public awareness of corruption and human rights violations; whereas a diversified and plural media landscape is integral to a democratic state based on the rule of law;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Recital N N. whereas the absence of free media both online and offline creates favourable conditions for opaque practices to flourish; whereas media plays an important role in increasing public awareness of corruption and human rights violations; whereas the media, both online and offline, can reinforce corruption reporting systems, including effective monitoring and follow- up;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Recital N N. whereas the absence of free media both online and offline creates favourable conditions for opaque practices to flourish; whereas media play an important role in increasing public awareness of corruption and human rights violations; whereas defamation laws are in place in several countries;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Recital O O. whereas many civil society organisations, including anti-corruption associations and human rights associations, trade unions, investigative journalists, bloggers and whistle-blowers expose corruption, fraud, mismanagement and human rights violations despite
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Recital O O.
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Recital O O. whereas many civil society organisations, including anti-corruption associations and human rights associations, journalists, bloggers and whistle-blowers expose corruption, fraud, mismanagement and human rights violations despite serious personal risks, including retaliatory measures in the workplace; whereas lack of protection against reprisals, libel and defamation laws
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 9 c (new) - having regard to its resolution of 25 October 2016 on corporate liability for serious human rights abuses in third countries1a, _________________ 1a Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0405.
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Recital O O. whereas many civil society organisations, including anti-corruption associations and human rights associations, journalists, bloggers and whistle-blowers expose corruption, fraud, mismanagement and human rights violations despite serious personal risks; whereas lack of protection
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Recital O a (new) Oa. whereas civil society organisations, trade unions, investigative journalists, bloggers and whistle-blowers play a key role in combating corruption by scrutinising the use made of public funds and monitoring the activities of governments and big business, and whereas such organisations are increasingly being targeted by organised criminal groups, in particular in developing countries; whereas the EU has a duty to protect such organisations by offering them public support and making the best possible use of instruments such as the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) for this purpose;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P P. whereas the fight against corruption should also include measures to eradicate tax havens, tax evasion and ill
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P P. whereas the fight against corruption should also include measures to eradicate tax havens, tax evasion and illegal capital flight as well as the schemes enabling them, as they
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P P. whereas the fight against corruption should also include measures to eradicate
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P a (new) P a. whereas the United Nations Convention against Corruption is the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument, covering five main areas: preventive measures, criminalisation and law enforcement, international cooperation, asset recovery, and technical assistance and information exchange;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P a (new) P a. whereas the EU funds to third countries, including in the emergency situations, need to be properly monitored with clear checks and balances in the beneficiary countries in order to prevent opportunities for corruption that might emerge, and to expose abuses and reveal corrupt officials;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P a (new) P a. whereas EU Official development assistance (ODA) and humanitarian funds to third countries, including for emergency situations, need to be properly monitored with clear checks and balances in the beneficiary countries in order to prevent opportunities for corruption that may emerge;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P a (new) P a. whereas the EU funds to third countries, including in the emergency situations, need to be properly monitored with clear checks and balances in the beneficiary countries in order to prevent the opportunities for corruption that might emerge;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P a (new) P a. whereas some chapters of trade agreements are more exposed to corruption than others and therefore require tailored solutions; recalls that ambitious transparency provisions in trade agreements can help fighting corruption;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 14 a (new) - having regard to the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (AUCPCC)1 a, _________________ 1a http://www.ejustice.just.fgov.be/cgi_loi/ch ange_lg.pl?language=nl&la=N&cn=2003 103132&table_name=wet
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P a (new) Pa. whereas controlling corruption and illegal financial flows is a political matter, which needs to be tackled comprehensively, worldwide and across borders (G20, UN, OECD, WB, IMF);
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P b (new) P b. whereas development aid policies should be sensitive to the perceptions and aspirations to democracy and justice of the population of third countries, especially in kleptocratic and repressive regimes, where there is a greater risk that development funds become sources of "rent" captured by local kleptocratic networks, private companies and associations controlled by authorities and their associates, including via budget support;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P b (new) P b. whereas the International Forum for Sports Integrity (IFSI) held in Lausanne, Switzerland, in February 2017, promoted collaboration between governments, international sports bodies, and other organisations in order to tackle corruption in sport;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P b (new) P b. whereas the Trade Facilitation Agreement adopted in Bali in 2013 has played a major role in fighting corruption at ports of entry;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P c (new) P c. whereas addressing corruption requires concerted efforts to address both high level corruption and petty corruption in third countries and EU Member States, having regard, on a case by case basis, to the hierarchical patronage, reward systems and clientelism in the structures of power, which often link corruption crimes and impunity at the highest level to petty corruption directly affecting the lives of the population and their access to basic services;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P d (new) P d. whereas corruption cannot be tackled without strong political commitment at the highest level, regardless of prowess, skill and willingness of national oversight and law enforcement bodies;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Calls for collective action to be taken at national and international level to prevent and combat corruption,
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Calls for international collective action t
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Calls for collective action to be taken at international level to prevent and combat corruption, given that corruption
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Calls for collective action to be taken at international level to prevent and combat corruption, given that corruption spreads across borders and that cooperation between countries and between regions needs to be encouraged; calls on States to actively engage within international fora to discuss and reach joint decisions on good practices and policies suited to the specific situation in each region, with a view to tackling corruption as an interlinked complex phenomenon obstructing political, economic and social development;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 a (new) - having regard to the UN Global Compact initiative to base strategies and measures on universal principles of human rights, employment, the environment and fighting corruption1 a, _________________ 1a https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what- is-gc/mission/principles
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Calls for collective action to be taken at international level to prevent and combat corruption, given that corruption spreads across borders and that cooperation between countries and between regions needs to be encouraged; calls on the Member States to promote practices to prevent and control corruption, which, on a large scale, fuels international crime, including terrorism-related activities;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Calls
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Emphasises that trade agreements should be seen as a key mechanism for promoting anti-corruption measures and good governance; calls to include commitment to multilateral Anti- Corruption Conventions, such as the UNCAC and the OECD Anti-bribery Convention, in all future trade deals; calls on the Commission to consider developing assistance projects to help states overcome constraints complying with these international conventions;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Believes the fight against corruption must involve a partnership approach between the public and private sector and warns that the failure to do so will entrench poverty, inequality, reputational damage, and reduce external investment, as well as undermine the life opportunities of young people, and fail to break the link between corrupt practices and terrorism;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Emphasises that, where corruption is concerned, Western countries in general, and those in the EU in particular, are in absolutely no position to preach;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Points out, in that regard, that not one of the many cases of corruption- related fraud that caused the crisis in 2008, or those that occurred afterwards (Libor), resulted in a prosecution;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Advises the EU to take a more sensitive approach to this issue vis-à-vis the groups it supports in both Ukraine and Syria;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Is concerned about the implementation and enforcement of the existing international anti-corruption instruments - such as the UN Convention against Corruption, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (Ruggie Guidelines), the Council of Europe´s Criminal Law Convention on Corruption and the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention; calls on the signatory countries to apply them in full in order to better protect their citizens;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Is concerned about the implementation and enforcement of the existing international anti-corruption instruments - such as the UN Convention against Corruption, the Council of Europe´s Criminal Law Convention on Corruption and the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention; calls on the signatory countries to apply them in full in order to better protect their citizens;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Is concerned about the lack of implementation and enforcement of the existing national and international anti- corruption instruments; calls on the signatory countries to apply them in full in order to better protect their citizens;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 b (new) - having regard to the annual Corruption Perceptions Index of Transparency International,
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Is concerned about the implementation and enforcement of the existing international anti-corruption instruments and pledges to work with international partners to increase the number of states opting to strengthen democratic processes and build accountable institutions; calls on the signatory countries to apply them in full in order to better protect their citizens;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 a. Is concerned over the harassment, threats, intimidation and reprisals suffered by members of civil society organisations, including anticorruption associations and human rights movements, journalists, bloggers and whistle-blowers that expose and denounce corruption cases; 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 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 a. Regrets the lack of effective enforcement mechanisms and monitoring of anti-corruption implementation in current trade agreements of the EU; calls on the Commission to negotiate enforceable anti- corruption and anti- money-laundering provisions in all future trade agreements; and to explore possibilities on the establishment of an independent monitoring body for an effective implementation of the provisions;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 a. Urges the participants of the 2016 London Anti-Corruption Summit to fulfil the commitments made to address the causes of corruption and methods needed to promote transparency, as well as to provide support for those most affected;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Emphasi
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Emphasises that States are bound to fulfil their human rights obligations under the terms of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, and encourages those countries which have yet to do so to become party to it; underlines that States are responsible for reacting to any negative impact of corruption occurring in their territory; recalls the responsibilities of business operators
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Emphasises that States are bound to fulfil their human rights obligations; underlines that States are responsible for preventing and, ultimately, reacting to any negative impact of corruption occurring in their territory; recalls the responsibilities of political and civil society stakeholders, and of business operators, to respect human rights and tackle corruption; stresses the need to integrate a human rights perspective into anti-corruption strategies;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Emphasises that States are bound to fulfil their human rights obligations; underlines that States are responsible for reacting to any negative impact of corruption occurring in their territory; recalls the responsibilities of business operators to respect human rights and t
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Emphasises that States are bound to fulfil their human rights obligations; underlines that States are responsible for reacting to any negative impact of corruption occurring in their territory; recalls the responsibilities of business operators to respect human rights and tackle corruption; stresses the need to integrate a human rights perspective into anti-corruption strategies; in order that the implementation of preventive policies relating to matters such as transparency, laws on access to public information and external controls become an obligation;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Emphasises that States are bound to fulfil their human rights obligations; underlines that States are responsible for reacting to any negative impact of corruption occurring in their territory; calls for States to establish private rights of action in civil proceedings for damages against those who commit acts of corruption in accordance with Article 35 of the UNCAC; recalls the responsibilities of business operators to respect human rights and tackle corruption; stresses the need to integrate a human rights perspective into anti-corruption strategies;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas corruption
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Calls for whistleblower protection to be addressed in EU trade deals; stresses that signatory parties of trade agreements should take measures to promote active participation of the private sector, of the civil society organisations as well as of the domestic advisory groups in the implementation of the anti-corruption programmes and clauses in international trade and investment deals;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Supports the establishment of modern, transparent and effective policy and legal frameworks for the management of natural resources and believes such measures can serve as powerful weapons against corruption;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 b (new) 3 b. Welcomes the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) as a powerful global tool in promoting the openness and accountability of the management of revenues from natural resources;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Points out that, in all forums for dialogue with third countries, including bilateral forums, the EU should emphasise how important it is to uphold the right of access to public information; emphasises, in particular, the need to set standards ensuring both the fullest and the swiftest possible access to such information, as speed of access is of key importance in efforts to uphold human rights and combat corruption; calls for the EU to promote access to public information in both the Member States and third countries;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Underlines the need to mainstream the principle of local and democratic ownership of projects financed under
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Underlines the need to mainstream the principle of local and democratic ownership of projects financed under EU assistance programmes;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Underlines the need to mainstream the principle of local and democratic ownership of projects financed under EU assistance programmes; highlights th
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Underlines the need to mainstream the principle of local and democratic ownership of projects financed under EU assistance programmes; highlights the need to establish and operationalise conditionality and incentives of EU external financial instruments based on anti-corruption norms and commitments made by partner countries; recalls the need for permanent monitoring of EU funded projects and holding recipient country authorities accountable if EU funds are not used appropriately and stresses the need to involve local CSOs and human rights defenders in monitoring the implementation of the contracts and their appropriateness with regards to the aspirations and rights of local populations; further emphasizes the need for any contractor receiving EU funds to fully disclose its beneficial ownership and corporate structure;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Underlines the need to mainstream the principle of local and democratic ownership of projects financed under EU assistance programmes; highlights the need to establish and operationalise conditionality and incentives of EU external financial instruments based on anti-corruption norms and commitments made by partner countries; calls for the EU to ensure that such projects serve to uphold media freedoms and involve civil society organisations and, in particular, human rights defenders and whistle- blowers;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Underlines the need to mainstream the principle of local and democratic ownership of projects financed under EU assistance programmes; highlights the need to establish and operationalise conditionality and incentives of EU external financial instruments based on anti-corruption norms and commitments made by partner countries; recalls the need of permanent monitoring of the EU funded projects and holding recipient country authorities accountable if the EU funds are not used appropriately;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas corruption
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Underlines the need to mainstream the principle of local and democratic ownership of projects financed under EU assistance programmes to ensure a minimum standard of transparency; highlights the need to establish and operationalise conditionality and incentives of EU external financial instruments based on anti-corruption norms and commitments made by partner countries;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Stresses the need for lobbying to be strictly regulated in accordance with the principles of openness and transparency, with a view to ensuring that all interest groups have equal access to decision-makers and ending corruption and the risk of human rights violations; calls for the EU and the Member States to identify and condemn all forms of hidden, unethical and illegal lobbying; calls for the EU to promote transparent decision- making and legislative processes, both in the Member States and in relations with third countries;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Recommends that the EU and other international grant and loan providers conduct audits on grants, loans and assistance packages, and perform rigorous due diligence on recipient governments and organisations to avoid providing "rents" to kleptocratic authorities and organisations controlled by them and their associates; takes the view, in this context, that peer reviews should also be encouraged;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the EU to i
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the EU to in
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the EU to in
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Calls
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the EU to introduce an anti-corruption clause alongside human rights clauses in agreements with third countries that
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Insists that EU-Trade partners should lose benefits granted by trade agreements where they fail to comply with their anti-corruption commitments or international standards in the field of anti-corruption, such as the Common Reporting Standard of the OECD, the Action Plan on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting of the OECD, the central register of beneficial ownership and FATF recommendations; calls on the Commission to set clear and relevant conditions and performance indicators to better assess and demonstrate results and calls for it to respond firmly, proportionally and quickly where the beneficiary government shows insufficient commitment to comply with what has been agreed;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Calls on the EU to develop principles to combat grand corruption as a crime in national and international law, address on-going cases of impunity for grand corruption by stronger enforcement of anti-corruption laws, and implement reforms to close the systemic gaps in national legal frameworks that allow the proceeds of grand corruption to cross borders, and evade the oversight of States' financial regulators and tax authorities;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas corruption appears to be a complex phenomenon which can be defined as the abuse of entrusted power for unlawful individual or collective, direct or indirect personal gain, and which poses a serious threat to social stability and security by undermining the effectiveness and efficiency of institutions and
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Stresses the need to pay particular attention to the continuous and structured monitoring and evaluation of the effective implementation of the UNCAC
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Stresses the need to pay particular attention to the continuous and structured monitoring and evaluation of the effective implementation of the UNCAC
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6 a. Calls on the EU to promote anti- corruption measures and effective mechanisms for public participation and public accountability - including the right to access to information and implementation of open data principles - in all relevant human rights dialogues and consultations with third countries and to finance projects that aim for the establishment, implementation and enforcement of these measures;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6 a. Calls on the EU to promote effective mechanisms for public participation and public accountability, including the right to access to information and open data in all relevant human rights dialogues and consultations with third countries and to finance projects that aim the establishment, implementation and enforcement of these practices;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Calls on the Commission, the European External Action Service and the Member States, taking into account the body of EU law in the area of combating corruption, to take the lead internationally and to promote the fight against corruption among the EU’s partner countries;
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6 a. Stresses the importance of open source investigation with regards to anti- corruption research; calls on the EU to adequately fund organisations that work on open source investigation and digital collection of evidence of corruption, in order to expose corrupt officials and ensure accountability;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 b (new) 6 b. Calls on the EU to fund research into distributed ledger applications which could be used to improve the transparency of sales of government assets, track and trace donor money in EU foreign aid, and help address voter fraud;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 b (new) 6 b. Welcomes persistent efforts under the Development Cooperation Instrument and the Neighbourhood Programming Instrument to establish and consolidate independent and effective anti-corruption institutions;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Calls on the E
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Calls on the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Commission to devise joint programming on human rights and corruption, in particular initiatives on improving transparency, fighting impunity and strengthening anti-corruption agencies; considers that these efforts should include supporting the capacity of NHRIs to act in corruption cases, including through investigative capacity to establish links between corruption and human rights violations, cooperation with anti-corruption agencies and referrals to prosecution or law enforcement agencies; calls, furthermore, on the EU and the Member States to step up their judicial cooperation programmes with third countries so as to promote the exchange of best practices and effective tools in the fight against corruption;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas corruption appears to be a complex phenomenon which can be defined as the abuse of entrusted power for individual or collective, direct or indirect personal gain, and which poses a serious threat to social stability and security by undermining the institutions and values of democracy, ethics and justice, as well as risking civil protest and conflict;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8.
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to channel further funds to assist with enacting and implementing protection programmes targeting civil society organisations’ members, including anti- corruption associations and human rights movements, journalists, bloggers and whistle-blowers that expose and denounce corruption cases and human rights violations, provided that rigorous controls have previously been carried out to establish transparency regarding the correct use of these funds; insists that any future update of the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders or any guidance note on their implementation should make explicit references to the protection of these people; welcomes the Commission’s recently launched consultation process on whistle-blower protection;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to channel further funds to assist with enacting and implementing protection programmes
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to channel further funds to assist with enacting and implementing protection programmes targeting civil society organisations’ members, including anti- corruption associations and human rights movements, journalists, bloggers and whistle-blowers that expose and denounce corruption cases and human rights violations; insists that any future update of the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders or any guidance note on their implementation should make explicit references to the protection of these people; welcomes the Commission’s recently launched consultation process on whistle-blower protection; stresses that human rights focal points in EU delegations should also pay special attention to these targeted groups;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. Stresses that oversight bodies, local enforcement officers and prosecutors with a track record of independence and impartiality, as well as whistle-blowers and witnesses of specific cases shall all benefit from assistance and support from the EU through representations on the ground and by inviting them to participate in trainings in Europe; whenever appropriate, this support should be made public;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. Calls on EU delegations to make use of local demarches and public diplomacy to denounce cases of corruption and impunity, in particular when they lead to serious human rights violations;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. Encourages global cooperation to track down stolen assets and return them safely to their legitimate owners;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) 8 b. Calls on EU Delegations to make use of demarches and public diplomacy at local and international level to denounce cases of corruption and impunity, in particular when they lead to serious human rights violations; further calls on EU Delegations and Member States' embassies to include reports on corruption (be it systemic analysis or specific cases) in briefings to the EEAS and Member States;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Recommends that the EEAS and EU delegations include a specific benchmark on
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Recommends that the EEAS and EU
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas corruption appears to be a complex phenomenon which can be defined as the abuse of entrusted power for individual or collective, direct or indirect personal gain, and which poses a serious threat to social, political and economic stability and security by undermining the institutions and values of democracy, ethics and justice;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Recommends that the EEAS and EU delegations include a specific benchmark on the link between corruption and human rights in the Human Rights and Democracy Country Strategy Papers whenever appropriate and, moreover, that this matter be treated as one of the priorities for EU special representatives when carrying out their tasks;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9 a. Reiterates its call for the Council to adopt targeted sanctions against the 32 Russian state officials responsible for the torture and murder of Russian whistleblower Sergei Magnitsky as soon as possible, such as an EU-wide visa ban and a freezing of the financial assets that they hold inside the European Union;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9 a. Recommends that the European Endowment for Democracy and the EU´s comprehensive HRD´s mechanism (protectdefenders.eu) should focus specific programmes to protect anti- corruption activists who also contribute to upholding human rights;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10.
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10.
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. 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 against other individuals, provided that such involvement has been proved with irrefutable evidence;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Encourages EU Member States to consider adopting legislation providing for the possibility of the freezing of assets and visa restrictions targeting individuals who have
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Calls on the EEAS to lead on the formation of task forces between Member States' embassies and EU Delegations in third countries, through which diplomatic officials can analyse and share information on the structure and operation of local corrupt networks to the highest level of power and build enough intelligence to prevent the collusion of the EU with kleptocratic regimes; takes the view that this kind of intelligence should focus on favourite revenue streams, levers of local power captured, the vertical and hierarchical integration, crucial enablers and intermediaries, active GONGOs (government-organised non-governmental organisations), any information on opaque corporate structures and contractors benefitting from EU funds and their links with prominently corrupt actors; believes that such information should be conveyed to EU institutions through diplomatic and safe channels, in order to be mainstreamed in policy- making, namely in development aid programmes, human rights objectives and broader external policy towards the country/region; believes that building intelligence is the only way to avoid flawed cooperation, conflict prevention and development assistance by the EU and Member States vis-a-vis third countries which, in the end, does not reach those in need and is perceived by local population as abetting to corruption, injustice and impunity;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Calls on the EU to develop international standards to improve cooperation and exchange of information between national authorities, identifying the true beneficiaries of offshore plots through public registries;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 1 a (new) Development of EU intelligence on corruption networks and intermediaries
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 3 a (new) – having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas corruption appears to be a complex phenomenon which can be defined as the abuse of entrusted power for individual or collective, direct or indirect personal gain, and which poses a serious threat to social and economic stability and security by undermining the institutions and values of democracy, ethics and justice;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 b (new) 10 b. Suggests, additionally, that EU Delegations and Member States' embassies foster close contacts with the local population, namely through regular dialogue with genuine and independent civil society organisations, journalists and human rights defenders, in order to gather reliable information on local corruption, crucial enablers and officials captured;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 b (new) 10 b. Calls on the EU to monitor multiple intermediaries, or to modify the regulation of fiduciary bodies which are not obliged to declare to the real beneficiaries (those who provide funds to them, when they do so in a percentage below 25 %) as well as establishing measures for the protection of whistleblowers;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 c (new) 10 c. Takes the view that corporations should also report to EU bodies whenever they are asked for bribes and/or required to invest in third countries using local intermediaries or shell companies as partners;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 d (new) 10 d. Stresses that, in light of the information gathered, country-specific guidelines should be shared with civil and military deployments and EU donor agencies to raise awareness on the risks involved in dealing with local contractors, private security companies and service providers, whose beneficial owners might be linked with human rights violations and corrupt networks;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11.
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11.
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Is convinced that an ambitious anti- corruption policy in EU external relations is only credible if underpinned by an effective anti-corruption strategy within the EU; regrets in this context that the Commission decided not to follow up its 2014 EU anti-corruption report to provide a new analysis of corruption within the EU Member States, which would have also reinforced the EU’s credibility to promote an ambitious anti-
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Is convinced that an ambitious anti- corruption policy in EU external relations is only credible if underpinned by an effective anti-corruption strategy within the EU; regrets in this context that the Commission decided not to follow up its 2014 EU anti-corruption report, which would have also reinforced the EU’s credibility to promote an ambitious anti- corruption agenda in its external policies; stresses that the European Commission and other EU institutions should undertake regular, ambitious and rigorous reporting and self-assessment in line with the provisions of the UN Convention against Corruption;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Is convinced that an ambitious anti- corruption policy in EU external relations is only credible if underpinned by an effective anti-corruption strategy within the EU; regrets in this context that the Commission decided not to follow up its 2014 EU anti-corruption report, which would have also reinforced the EU’s credibility to promote an ambitious anti- corruption agenda in its external policies; stresses the need for each Member State to acquire, under the current institutional framework, effective tools to ensure a tough crackdown on corruption and to promote mutual trust between anti- corruption authorities in the Member States;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Is convinced that an ambitious anti- corruption policy in EU external relations is only credible if underpinned by an effective anti-corruption strategy within the EU; regrets in this context that the Commission decided not to follow up its 2014 EU anti-corruption report, which would have also reinforced the EU’s credibility to promote an ambitious anti- corruption agenda in its external policies; points out that by supporting groups in Ukraine, Libya and Syria, for example, the EU is actually encouraging corruption;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas corruption appears to be a complex phenomenon which can be defined as the abuse of entrusted power for individual or collective, direct or indirect personal gain, and which poses a serious threat to social stability, human rights, and security by undermining the institutions and values of democracy, ethics and justice;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Notes that decriminalisation of corruption in any EU Member State would diminish public policy credibility
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12 a. Reiterates its request to Member States to amend their criminal laws, where necessary, to establish jurisdiction of national prosecutors and courts to investigate and try crimes of bribery or embezzlement of public funds, regardless of where the crime occurred, as long as the proceeds of those criminal activities are found in the Member State in question or have been laundered there, or the person has a 'close connection' with the Member State, namely through citizenship, residence or beneficial ownership of a company headquartered or with subsidiaries in the Member State;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Emphasises the need to step up national and international communication and awareness-raising campaigns targeting citizens; stresses that education
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Emphasises the need to step up national and international communication and awareness-raising campaigns targeting citizens participation in order to highlight the fact that corruption has negative impact on human rights and leads among others to social inequalities, lack of social justice and increased levels of poverty; stresses that education is key in building strong individuals in our society based on respect for the rule of law;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Emphasises the need to step up national and international communication and awareness-raising campaigns targeting citizens; stresses that education and impartial, independent public information is key in building strong individuals in our society based on respect for the rule of law;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Emphasises the need to step up national and international corruption- related communication and awareness- raising campaigns targeting citizens; stresses that education is key in building strong individuals in our society based on respect for the rule of law;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Emphasises the need to step up national and international communication and awareness-raising campaigns targeting citizens in order to combat corruption at international level; stresses that education is key in building strong individuals in our society based on respect for the rule of law;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Stresses the need to strengthen links between civil society organizations, anti- corruption agencies and NHRIs based on the mandate of NHRIs to address corruption as the source of direct and indirect human rights violations;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Stresses the need to strengthen links between anti-corruption agencies and NHRIs based on the mandate of NHRIs to address corruption as
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) A a. whereas corruption can range from small scale efforts to influence individuals, public officials, or the implementation of public services, to large scale attempts to subvert political, economic, and/or legal systems, and in order to promote and fund terrorism, encourage extremism, decrease tax revenues, and support organised crime networks;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Recommends that examination of the issue of corruption as a cause of human rights violations, as well as a result of human rights abuses and a weak rule of law, be integrated into the universal periodic review;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Recommends that examination of the issue of corruption as a cause
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Recommends that examination of the issue of corruption as a cause of human rights violations, as well as a result of human rights abuses and a weak rule of law, be integrated into the universal periodic review; stresses the role that anti- corruption
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Recommends that examination of the issue of corruption as a cause of human rights violations, as well as a result of human rights abuses and a weak rule of law, be integrated into the universal periodic review; stresses the role that
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17 a. Calls on the EU to continue supporting anti-corruption institutions established in third countries with proven track of independence and impartiality with initiatives to share information, exchange best practices and enhance capacity building; urges these countries to provide the institutions with all the necessary tools, including the investigating power, in order to be effective in their work.
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17 a. Calls on the EU and its Member States to continue supporting anti- corruption institutions established in third countries as it is the case of the Guatemalan International Commission against Impunity (CICIG); urges these countries to provide the institutions with all the necessary tools, including the investigating power, in order to be effective in their work;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17 a. Encourages a deepening of international commitments to put tackling corruption at the heart of the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a mechanism for fighting global poverty;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17 a. Is concerned that trafficking of humans can be facilitated through the corruption of actors holding different levels of entrusted power such as police, customs officers, border control authorities and immigration services, who can ignore, tolerate, participate in and organize trafficking of persons;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 b (new) 17 b. Stresses, in this regard, the importance of anti-corruption actions, such as fostering transparency and accountability in administrations, by introducing a mainstream mechanism to combat corruption and ensuring better coordination in anti-trafficking strategies;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A b (new) A b. whereas corruption is caused by the failure of political, economic, and judicial systems to provide robust, independent oversight and accountability;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 c (new) 17 c. Underlines the prominent role that can be played by gender-sensitive approaches to elaborate policies for the fight against corruption within the trafficking of persons;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Encourages all EU Member States to fully implement the UN Guiding Principles on business and human rights and to include specific commitments on anti-corruption measures in their national action plan on human rights (as required under the EU´s Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy) or to enact specific anti-bribery legislation;
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Encourages all
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18 a. Strongly recommends that the EU supports additional measures to promote the adoption and implementation of compliance, anti-bribery/-corruption codes and standards in individual companies; underlines that large companies bidding for public contracts should have in place a robust anti-bribery and anticorruption code and tax good governance principles;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Welcomes the revised Accounting Directive on disclosure of non-financial and diversity information (2014/95/EU) regarding reporting requirements of large companies and groups, including on their efforts related to human rights and anti- corruption; encourages companies to disclose all relevant information in line with the forthcoming guidance note to be issued by the Commission;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19 a. Renews its call to all states including the EU to engage actively and constructively in the on-going work of the UN´s open-ended intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights with the view to reach a legally binding instrument in order to prevent, investigate, redress and have access to remedy when human rights violations, including those as a result of corruption, occur;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Recommends that, in tackling and curbing illegal financial capital flows from Africa, special attention should be devoted to those capital flows which result from the extraction of ores and minerals from mines in conflict areas;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19 a. Is of the opinion that special provisions on SMEs should be foreseen in trade agreements in order to enable them to tackle corruption, as they often do not have the means;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A c (new) A c. whereas reducing corruption is vital for economic growth, poverty reduction, wealth creation, education, welfare, healthcare, infrastructure development, and conflict resolution, as well as to build trust in institutions, business and politics;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19 a. Remains concerned about the land grabbing situation as a result of corrupt practices by corporations, foreign investors, national and international State actors, officials and authorities; underlines that corruption enables the land grabbing situation often with forced evections by, inter alia, granting to third parties the facilitated tainted control of land without the consent of people who live on that land;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 b (new) 19 b. Recommends that the EU steps up support to international instruments to increase transparency in economic sectors most prone to human rights abuses and corruption;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 c (new) 19 c. Welcomes that some EU Member States' National Action Plans make references to corruption but suggests specific measures to prevent and punish corrupt practices and bribery that may lead to human rights violations;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 d (new) 19 d. Is of the view that misuse of public funds, illicit enrichment or bribery should be punishable by specific sanctions under criminal law if they directly lead to human rights violations, caused by the act of corruption;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Emphasises that one of the objectives of the fight against corruption should be to put an end to grave abuses that distort political processes and to promote an independent, impartial and effective judiciary; calls for political parties to be strengthened in their role as channels of democratic representation and political participation by being equipped in efficient ways; in this sense the regulation of political financing including the identification of donors and other financial sources are therefore central to the preservation of democracy;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Emphasises that one of the objectives of the fight against corruption should be to put an end to grave abuses that distort democracy and political processes and to promote an independent, impartial and effective judiciary;
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Notes with concern that electoral fraud and corruption linked to electoral processes and the functioning of elected representative bodies and assemblies seriously undermine trust in democratic institutions
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Notes with concern that electoral fraud and corruption linked to electoral processes and the functioning of elected representative bodies and assemblies seriously undermine trust in democratic institutions and weaken civil and political rights by preventing equal and fair representation; notes the positive role of the election observation missions and support to electoral law reform; encourages further cooperation with specialized international bodies such as the Council of Europe or the OSCE in this field;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Notes with concern that electoral fraud and corruption linked to electoral processes and the functioning of elected representative bodies and assemblies seriously undermine trust in democratic institutions and weaken civil and political rights by preventing equal and fair representation; emphasises, in that regard, how important European and international election missions are in monitoring the proper conduct of elections in third countries;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21 a. Stresses that acts of corruption of officials in international organizations may severely undermine the credibility of these organizations as a whole, notably those active in the field of human rights or election observation, which should respect the highest degree of ethical standards; welcomes the recent decision by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to set up an independent investigation to look into recent allegations of corruption of one of its members; encourages all international and regional organizations to establish the adequate safeguards to prevent third countries from undermining their credibility through corruption and to investigate any allegations of such conduct;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A d (new) A d. whereas the greater the size of the government and state, both in absolute numbers and regulatory functions, the higher the chances of corruption may be;
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Draws attention to the fact that the poorest sections of the population in developing countries suffer most from small-scale corruption, as they are dependent to a large extent on public services; points out that this form of tacit corruption involves public officials requiring bribes in order to provide services;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 b (new) 21 b. Vigorously denounces any attempt by autocratic regimes in third countries to influence individual Members of the European Parliament through direct or indirect means; calls for a comprehensive assessment of the public diplomacy and other means of influence carried out by such regimes towards the European Parliament and its Members; calls for Parliament to adopt robust measures, including in relation to the hitherto informal and unregulated Friendship groups with third countries, in order to prevent such acts of corruption which undermine the credibility and legitimacy of the Parliament's action, including on human rights;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Underlines the specific need to uphold the highest possible ethical standards and transparency in the functioning of international organisations and regional assemblies in charge of protecting and promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law; underlines the need to promote transparent practices by elaborating codes of conduct and specific transparency measures to prevent and investigate any fraud or misconduct;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Underlines the specific need to uphold the highest possible ethical standards and transparency in the functioning of international organisations and regional assemblies in charge of protecting and promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law, by linking up institutions and professions around the world to build capacity and foster a shared culture of integrity;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Underlines the specific need to uphold the highest possible ethical
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 6 Large sporting events
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 6 Large
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Remains concerned about serious human rights violations, including labour rights and high-level corruption linked to
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Remains concerned about
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Remains concerned about serious human rights violations, including labour rights and high
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas in many countries corruption
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Is of the opinion that large international nongovernmental sports federations, too, must play their role in combating and stemming corruption, and should step up their efforts to do so, that those federations should also acknowledge that they have a human rights responsibility, and that government anti-corruption agencies should therefore be given greater powers to investigate cases of corruption, and impose penalties, in connection with large international nongovernmental sports federations;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23 a. Believes high-level corruption in sports administration, match fixing, procurement, endorsement deals, site selection, illegal betting and doping, and the involvement of organised crime, have damaged the credibility of sporting bodies;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 b (new) 23b. Insists that, in areas where large- scale competitions are held and support is provided by making publicly owned infrastructure facilities available, use of such facilities should be made subject to compliance with a comprehensive set of anti-corruption and human rights criteria;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 b (new) 23 b. Believes that integrity in sport can contribute to the global development agenda and good governance internationally;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Urges the implementation of zero- tolerance policies towards tax havens and money laundering, raising international standards of transparency, and
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Urges the implementation of zero- tolerance policies towards
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24 a. Strongly advocates for the implementation of public country by country reporting standards in Europe and in third countries, whereby multinational corporations should be required to submit reports with basic financial information for each jurisdiction in which they operate in order to prevent corruption and tax avoidance;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24 a. Urges the isolation of tax havens and sanctions against those who operate in them, investigating the large banks and accomplices intermediaries who take advantage of banking secrecy, which would eliminate, do not follow standardized due diligence practices and make tax evasion a business;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24 a. Recalls the EU's responsibility in combatting tax dodging by transnational corporations and individuals and in addressing the scourge of illicit financial flows from developing countries which greatly hamper their ability to harness sufficient resources to fulfil human rights obligations;
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24 a. Welcomes European-led initiatives to develop a global exchange of beneficial ownership information to bolster the effectiveness of Common Reporting Standards which can help expose financial wrongdoing;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas in many countries corruption not only constitutes a significant systemic obstacle to the realisation of all human rights, but may also cause many human rights violations; whereas corruption
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 b (new) 24 b. Reiterates that the EU has a duty to help third countries to repatriate ill- gotten assets stashed in our financial system and real estate and prosecute perpetrators, enablers and intermediaries; urges the EU to prioritise this issue of great relevance in third countries going through democratisation processes, namely by addressing legal barriers and the lack of willingness to cooperate from financial centres within the EU, which often maintain an unresponsive and inefficient mutual legal assistance regime; stresses, in this regard the importance of de-linking seizure of assets from conviction in the requesting state for the purposes of providing mutual legal assistance and proceeding with prosecutions, where sufficient evidence of wrongdoing exists;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 b (new) 24 b. Underlines the need to support developing countries in building their tax capacity and calls for the OECD Global Standard on Automatic Exchange of Information to include a transition period for developing countries (whereby the standard would not be reciprocal) so that those countries that still have low capacity to set up the necessary infrastructure to collect, manage and share the required information may effectively be included;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 b (new) 24 b. Urges to take the road towards an international model in which international taxation is harmonized, aspiring to a progressive tax reform favorable to the popular classes;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 c (new) 24 c. Stresses that the EU must promote the fight against tax havens, banking secrecy and money laundering, the lifting of excessive professional secrecy, the achievement of public country-by-country reporting for all multinational enterprises, and public registries of beneficial owners of companies as a priority in all relevant international fora; points out that most of the tools to fight tax avoidance and evasion are suitable to combat corruption and money laundering;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 c (new) 24 c. Urges the development and application of a uniform accounting standard that obliges multinational companies to present relevant economic information structured by their business base and real activity by country, to tax in each territory based on the presence of personnel, physical capital and profits taken in it, avoiding the abuse of transfer prices;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 c (new) 24 c. Invites the Commission and the Member States, where appropriate, to conduct spill-over analysis of national and EU tax policies, in order to assess the impact on corruption and human rights in third countries, in line with their policy coherence for development commitment;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Underlines the great importance of independent media
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas in many countries corruption not only constitutes a significant systemic obstacle to the
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Underlines the great importance of media, both o
Amendment 281 #
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Underlines the great importance of media, both offline and online, in the fight against corruption and in denouncing human rights violations; calls on the Commission to address and counter the possible negative impact of defamation laws in third countries; calls for greater prominence to be given to respect for media freedom, in view of its importance, in the EU's international agreements with third countries; underlines that digital security is an important element of the protection of activists; highly recommends that transparency of media ownership and sponsorship be ensured through legal proceedings;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Underlines the great importance of media, both offline and online, in the fight against corruption and in denouncing human rights violations; calls on the Commission to address and counter the possible negative impact of defamation laws in third countries; underlines that digital security is an important element of the protection of activists and users; highly recommends that transparency of media ownership and sponsorship be ensured through legal proceedings;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 a (new) 25a. Believes that political dialogue and cooperation conducted by the EU with third countries with a view to securing media reforms should be open, transparent and subject to scrutiny; calls for the EU publicly to condemn the introduction of laws placing restrictions on media freedoms and the activities of civil society organisations;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 a (new) 25 a. Promotes the values of an open and secure internet in raising awareness of corrupt practices by individuals, organisations and governments, and expresses concern that those seeking to restrict online freedoms do so in order to avoid accountability;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 b (new) 25 b. Insists that public contracting should be fair, accountable, open and transparent to prevent and expose the theft or misuse of taxpayers' money;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 a (new) 26 a. Highlights the crucial importance of anti-corruption agenda during the process of EU accession negotiations;
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 b (new) 26 b. Stresses the fact that one of the most effective ways to prevent corruption is to reduce the sphere of state interventions, bureaucratic intermediation and put forward simpler regulations;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas in many countries corruption not only constitutes a significant systemic obstacle to the realisation of all human rights and to the spread of democracy and political freedom, balanced and sustainable development and reduction of poverty across the world, but may also cause many human rights violations; whereas corruption is one of the most neglected human rights violations of our times as it fuels injustice, inequality and deprivation;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 7 a (new) - having regard to the report of the European Investment Bank (EIB) entitled ´Policy on preventing and deterring prohibited conduct in European Investment Bank activities' ("EIB Anti- Fraud Policy") adopted on 8 November 20131a, _________________ 1a http://www.eib.org/attachments/strategies/ anti_fraud_policy_20130917_en.pdf
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas in many countries corruption not only constitutes a significant systemic obstacle to the realisation of all human rights
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas in many countries corruption not only constitutes a significant systemic obstacle to the realisation of all human rights
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas in many countries corruption not only constitutes a significant systemic obstacle to the realisation of all human rights, but may also cause many human rights violations; whereas corruption is one of the most neglected human rights violations of our times as it fuels impunity, arbitrary action, injustice, inequality and deprivation;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) B a. whereas corruption severely weakens states, thus possibly leading to social upheaval and major political instability, and even civil war or regional conflict;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B b (new) B b. whereas some governments or State agencies are reported to carry out acts of corruption of government officials or public institutions in third countries with a view to affecting public decisions in their favour; whereas such corruption instigated by States may also target media and influential policy makers; whereas a number of autocratic regimes are reported to carry out deliberate strategies of corruption of decision-makers and public officials in third countries, including EU Member States and institutions, in order to prevent criticism in the field of human rights at bilateral or multilateral level;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas corruption
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas corruption, far from being an abstract crime, has specific negative impacts on the enjoyment of human rights affecting individuals,
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas corruption, far from being an abstract crime, has specific negative impacts on the enjoyment of human rights affecting individuals, targeted groups such as women, children, persons with disabilities, the elderly, the poor, indigenous people or people belonging to minorities, or society at large, notably as regards financial and economic resources and the realisation of democracy and the rule of law;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas corruption, far from being an abstract crime, has specific negative impacts on the enjoyment of human rights affecting individuals, targeted groups or society at large, notably as regards
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 a (new) - having regard to the Council conclusions on business and human rights of 20 June 20162a, _________________ 2a http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/ press-releases/2016/06/20-fac-business- human-rights-conclusions/
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas corruption, far from being an abstract crime, has specific negative impacts on the enjoyment
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas corruption, far from being an abstract crime, has specific negative impacts on the enjoyment of human rights affecting individuals, targeted groups or society at large, notably as regards financial and economic resources and the realisation of democracy and the rule of law, whilst at the same time harming relations and cooperation between Member States;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas corruption, far from being an abstract crime, has specific negative impacts on the enjoyment of human rights affecting individuals, targeted groups or society at large, notably as regards financial
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) C a. whereas corruption, by threatening the consolidation of democracy and enforcement of human rights, remains a systematically overlooked catalyst of conflict in developing countries, leading to widespread violations of human rights, international humanitarian law and impunity of perpetrators; whereas the status quo of corruption and illicit enrichment in positions of state power has led to power-grabbing and perpetuation of kleptocrats in power, as well as to the creation of new militias and widespread violence;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) C a. whereas corruption directly affects social programmes addressed to improve the lives of vast sectors of the population, in particular those in need of basic services such as healthcare, education, and housing;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) C a. whereas corruption diminishes public trust and weakens the ability of government to respect and protect human rights;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) C b. whereas grand corruption, which can be defined as occurring when a public official or other person, far from being an abstract crime, deprives a particular social group or substantial part of the population of a State of a fundamental right, as a result of bribery, embezzlement or other corruption offence, and results in specific negative impacts on the enjoyment of human rights affecting individuals, targeted groups such as women, children, persons with disabilities, the elderly, the poor, indigenous people or people belonging to minorities, or society at large, notable as regards to financial and economic resources and the realization of democracy and implementation of rule of law;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) C b. whereas widespread corruption and impunity have also been overlooked as catalysts for nationalist, fascist and religious extremism, as populist movements denounce the corruption of powerful elites (often linked to Western countries) and disseminate the idea that public integrity can only be achievable through archaic, rigid and iniquitous practices; whereas these phenomena trigger the rise of extremist insurgencies and anti-democratic forces; whereas anti- corruption statements have been part of the political rhetoric of the Taliban in Afghanistan, ISIS in Iraq and Syria, Boko Haram in Nigeria, "Brexiters" in the United Kingdom and Front National in France, for instance;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C c (new) C c. whereas sectarian violence may also be actively fostered by powerful elites to prevent a sense of unity in the population and unified efforts to counter the illegitimate plundering of natural resources;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C d (new) C d. whereas corruption directly affects social programmes established to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and improve the lives of vast sectors of the population, in particular those in need of basic services such as healthcare, education, and housing;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 b (new) - having regard to its resolution of 23 October 2013 on organised crime, corruption, and money laundering: recommendations on action and initiatives to be taken3a, _________________ 3a Texts adopted, P7_TA(2013)0245.
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the economic consequences of corruption are extremely negative, especially in terms of its impact on increasing poverty and inequality among the population, the quality of public services,
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the economic consequences of corruption are extremely negative, especially in terms of its impact on increasing poverty
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the economic consequences of corruption are extremely negative, especially in terms of its impact on increasing poverty and inequality among the population, the quality of public services, security, access to infrastructures, economic opportunities, particularly economic growth and job creation, and loss of investment;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the economic consequences of corruption are extremely negative, especially in terms of its impact on economic opportunities, loss of investment, increasing poverty and inequality among the population, the quality of public services, access to infrastructures, economic opportunities and loss of investment;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the economic consequences of corruption are extremely negative, especially in terms of its impact on increasing poverty and inequality among the population, the quality of public services, mistrust in public institutions, access to infrastructures, economic opportunities and loss of investment;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the economic consequences of corruption are extremely negative, especially in terms of its impact on increasing poverty and inequality among the population, employment opportunities, the quality of public services, access to infrastructures, economic opportunities and loss of investment;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the socio-economic consequences of corruption are extremely negative, especially in terms of its impact on increasing poverty and inequality among the population, the quality of public services, access to infrastructures
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas the economic consequences of corruption are extremely negative, especially in terms of its impact on increasing poverty and inequality among the population, the quality of public services, access to infrastructures, economic opportunities and loss of investment; whereas, for example, corruption costs the EU between €179 billion and €990 billion in GDP terms per year1a; _________________ 1a http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/e tudes/STUD/2016/579319/EPRS_STU%2 82016%29579319_EN.pdf
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) D a. whereas many third countries do not yet have the capacity to exchange tax information with EU countries and thus they do not receive any information from EU countries on their citizens which potentially evade tax;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) D a. whereas according to the World Bank about 1 trillion dollars is paid each year in bribes around the world and the total economic loss from corruption is estimated to be many times that number;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 9 a (new) - having regard to its resolution of 25 November 2015 on tax rulings and other measures similar in nature or effect 1a, _________________ 1a Texts adopted, P8_TA(2015)0408.
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D b (new) D b. whereas developing countries are disproportionately affected by corporate tax avoidance, which is responsible for depriving them of the essential resources to fund public services and for undermining EU development cooperation policies;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas in many countries
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas in many countries there is a vicious circle between high levels of corruption and low rates of human, social and economic development, low levels of education and other public services, limited civil and political rights and little or no political competition;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) E a. whereas organised crime, which is a serious problem in many countries and has a cross-border dimension, is often linked to corruption;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas acts of corruption and human rights violations typically involve the misuse of power, lack of accountability and the institutionalisation of various forms of discrimination, clientelism, and the distortion of market mechanisms;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas acts of corruption and human rights violations typically involve the misuse of power, lack of accountability, obstruction of justice, the use of improper influence, and the institutionalisation of various forms of discrimination;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas acts of corruption and human rights violations typically involve the misuse of power, lack of accountability and the institutionalisation of various forms of discrimination; whereas corruption shows strong correlation with deficiencies in the rule of law and good governance, and whereas corruption often undermines the effectiveness of the institutions and entities which are entrusted to ensure checks and balances and respect for democratic principles and human rights, such as parliaments, law enforcement authorities, the judiciary and civil society;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas acts of corruption and human rights violations typically involve the misuse of power, lack of accountability and the institutionalisation of various forms of discrimination; whereas corruption shows strong correlation with deficiencies in the rule of law, and whereas corruption often undermines the effectiveness of the institutions and entities which are entrusted to ensure checks and balances and respect for democratic principles and human rights, such as parliaments, law enforcement authorities, the judiciary and civil society;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 9 a (new) - having regard to its resolution of 11 June 2015 on recent revelations of high-level corruption cases in FIFA4a, _________________ 4a Texts adopted, P8_TA(2015)0233.
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas acts of corruption and human rights violations typically involve the misuse of power, lack of accountability and the institutionalisation of various forms of discrimination; whereas in countries where the rule of law is undermined by corruption, both the implementation and strengthening of legal frameworks are impeded by corrupt judges, lawyers, prosecutors, police officers, investigators and auditors2a; _________________ 2a http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Develop ment/GoodGovernance/Pages/AntiCorrup tion.aspx
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas corruption and human rights violations are a phenomenon involving a lack of integrity of conduct and failing authorities, and whereas the credibility and legitimacy of public and private organisations can only be guaranteed if their day-to-day management is based on a culture of strict integrity;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Recital ΣΤ a (new) Fa. whereas in the low and middle ranks of public services the purpose of corruption is to obtain money,
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Recital ΣΤ b (new) Fb. whereas corruption in the state sector presupposes connivance, tolerance and concealment by senior ranks,
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas practices
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas practices such as electoral fraud, illicit funding of political parties or the perceived disproportionate influence of money in politics erode confidence and
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas practices such as electoral fraud, illicit funding of political parties or the perceived disproportionate influence of money in politics erode confidence and create
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas practices such as electoral fraud, illicit funding of political parties, cronyism, or the perceived disproportionate influence of money in politics erode confidence and create social dissatisfaction
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas practices such as electoral fraud, illicit funding of political parties or the perceived disproportionate influence of money in politics erode confidence and create social dissatisfaction in elected representatives and governments, undermine democratic legitimacy and may significantly weaken civil and political rights; whereas inadequate regulation of political financing can create opportunities for organized criminals to influence and interfere in the conduct of public affairs; whereas corruption allegations can also be used as a political instrument in order to discredit the reputation of politicians;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas practices such as electoral fraud, illicit funding of political parties or the perceived disproportionate influence of money in politics erode confidence and create social dissatisfaction in elected representatives and governments, undermine democratic legitimacy and may significantly weaken civil and political rights; whereas inadequate regulation of political financing can create opportunities for organized criminals to influence and interfere in the conduct of public affairs; whereas corruption can also be used as a political instrument in order to discredit the reputation of politicians;
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 9 b (new) - having regard to its resolution of 25 October 2016 on the fight against corruption and follow up of the CRIM resolution5a, _________________ 5a Texts adopted, P8_TA(2016)0403.
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas corruption in the judicial sector breaches the principles of non- discrimination, access to justice and the right to a fair trial and to an effective remedy and makes people become disempowered, as they lose their ability to seek justice in court or hold politicians to account; whereas the absence of an independent judiciary and public administration fosters distrust in public institutions, undermining the rule of law and occasionally fuelling violence;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas corruption in the judicial sector breaches the principles of non- discrimination, access to justice and the right to a fair trial and to an effective remedy and makes people disempowered, as they lose their ability to seek justice in court or hold politicians to account; whereas the absence of an independent judiciary and public administration fosters distrust in public institutions, undermining the rule of law and occasionally fuelling violence;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas corruption in the judicial sector breaches the principles of non- discrimination, access to justice and the right to a fair trial and to an effective remedy, which are instrumental in the enforcement of all other human rights, thereby disempowering citizens; whereas the absence of an independent judiciary and public administration fosters distrust in public institutions, undermining the rule of law and fuelling violence;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas corruption in the judicial sector breaches the principles of non- discrimination, access to justice and the right to a fair trial and to an effective remedy, and allows those carrying out corrupt practices to continue to operate with inpunity;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas corruption in the judicial sector breaches the principles of non- discrimination, access to justice and the right to a fair trial and to an effective remedy, as well as discouraging entrepreneurship and investment;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas corruption in the judicial sector not only undermines respect for the rule of law, but also breaches the principles of non-
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas corruption in the judicial sector breaches the principles of equality and non-
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H a (new) H a. whereas it is difficult to measure corruption as it usually involves illegal practices that are deliberately covered up, although some mechanisms to identify, monitor, measure and combat corruption have been developed and implemented;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H a (new) H a. whereas new technologies such as distributed ledgers or open source investigation techniques and methodologies offer new opportunities to increase the transparency of governmental activities;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Recital I I. whereas strengthening the protection of human rights, and the principle of non-discrimination in particular, is a valuable instrument in combating corruption; whereas fighting corruption through criminal law and private law means taking repressive and remedial measures; whereas there is a direct link between the promotion and strengthening of human rights and corruption prevention;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 9 b (new) - having regard to its resolution of 6 July 2016 on tax rulings and other measures similar in nature or effect 2a, _________________ 2a Text adopted, P8_TA(2016)0310.
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Recital I I. whereas strengthening the protection of human rights, and the principle of non-discrimination in particular, is a valuable instrument in combating corruption; whereas
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Recital I I. whereas strengthening the protection of human rights, and the principle of non-discrimination in particular, is a valuable instrument in combating corruption; whereas there is a direct link between the promotion and strengthening of human rights, rule of law, good governance, and corruption prevention;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Recital K K. whereas international anti- corruption efforts have an evolving institutional and legal framework but a significant implementation gap exists due to lack of political will or of robust enforcement mechanisms;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Recital K K. whereas
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Recital K a (new) K a. whereas existing international obligations are good mechanisms to take appropriate and reasonable measures in order to prevent or punish corruption in public and private sectors, in particular under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and other relevant human rights instruments;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Recital L L. whereas the civil society organizations, the judiciary, ombudsmen and national human rights institutions (NHRIs) may all play a vital role in addressing corruption and their potential can be boosted by close cooperation with national and international anti-corruption agencies;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Recital L L. whereas the judiciary, ombudsmen and national human rights institutions (NHRIs)
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Recital M M. whereas action should be taken to combat corruption by improving transparency
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Recital M a (new) M a. whereas both the civil society and the private sector can play a determining role in affecting institutional reform to strengthen transparency and accountability; whereas lessons can be learned from the experience of the human rights movements in raising civil society's awareness of the adverse consequences of corruption and in building alliances with state institutions and the private sector in support of anti-corruption efforts;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Recital N N. whereas the absence of free media, both online and offline, creates favourable conditions for opaque practices to flourish; whereas the media plays an important role in investigating and exposing corruption and increasing public awareness
source: 603.091
2017/05/10
INTA
48 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Recalls that corruption is inextricably linked to harm to human rights, equality, social justice and the environment and urges the Commission to take into consideration this link in all the anti-corruption provisions in trade agreements; consequently calls for the inclusion in trade agreements of binding human rights clauses ensuring that private companies, including transnational corporations, respect human rights and the highest social and environmental standards;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Points out that trade policy contributes to the protection and promotion of the values for which the EU stands, as set out in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, including democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights, fundamental rights and freedoms, and equality; stresses that consistency between the Union’s external and internal policies is vital, particularly in relation to combating corruption, given the existing body of relevant EU law;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Underlines that in this regard European legislators have a particular role to play when facilitating trade relations, as they have to avoid that these serve as gateway for corruption practices;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Points out that corruption threatens countries’ economic development and their ability to open up to trade; emphasises that corruption impedes access to fair and equitable trade and to investment;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Emphasises that trade agreements should be seen as a key mechanism for promoting anti-corruption measures and good governance, through commitments to international standards and benchmarks, better cooperation in this regard and a strengthening of anti-corruption resources; calls for such agreements to include commitments to multilateral anti- corruption conventions in all trade deals, especially to the UN Convention against Corruption, and for them to contain complementary cross-cutting provisions making for a comprehensive approach, in keeping with the multifaceted nature of the fight against corruption;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Emphasises that trade agreements should be seen as a key mechanism for promoting anti-corruption measures and good governance; calls for such agreements to include commitments to multilateral anti-corruption conventions
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Emphasises that trade agreements should be seen as a key mechanism for promoting anti-corruption measures and good governance; calls for such agreements to include commitments to multilateral anti-corruption conventions in all trade deals; regrets that trade agreements, when increasing inequality, can consequently provoke corruption;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Emphasises that trade agreements should be seen as a key mechanism for promoting anti-corruption measures and good governance; calls for such agreements to include commitments to multilateral anti-corruption conventions in all trade deals in line with the Trade for All strategy;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Emphasises that trade agreements
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Is of the opinion that the trade chapters in trade agreements, and in particular those on financial services, investment and establishment must also be reformed in order to introduce automatic data exchange, ultimate beneficial ownership and ceilings for currency transfer, so that both ends of the corrupting act, the corrupter and the corrupted person or entity can be detected;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Recalls that corruption
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Recognises the major role of the Trade Facilitation Agreement in fighting corruption at ports of entry which was adopted in Bali in 2013 and entered into force in February 2017;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Suggests to enshrine in all future trade agreements provisions in line with the “Publish what you pay” initiatives as well as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), and these will be integrated into existing trade agreements on revision;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 c (new) 2c. In order to eradicate high level corruption, calls on the Commission, in the context of budget support, to pay attention to the transparency in operations involving privatization and deals of public assets, notably land, and to participate in OECD support programmes for developing countries in corporate governance of state owned enterprises;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Calls
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Calls for whistle-blower protection to be addressed in EU trade deals; therefore recalls that proper European legislation is needed and urges the Commission to propose legislative instruments ensuring effective measures to protect whistle-blowers acting in the public interest when disclosing confidential information of companies and public bodies; stresses that signatory parties of trade agreements should take measures to promote the active participation of the private sector, civil society organisations and domestic advisory groups in the implementation of anti-corruption programmes and clauses in international trade and investment deals;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Recognises the importance of providing clear guidance and support for businesses who wish to create effective anti-corruption compliance procedures within their operations; stresses that there is no one-size-fits-all approach for compliance as it needs to take into account particular elements of businesses such as size, volume of operations, business risk, etc.; notes, however, that certain provisions should always be in place, such as risk assessment, training and monitoring;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Recalls that corruption is inextricably linked to harm to human rights, equality, social justice, development and the environment; emphasises how corruption, with the severe disruption and obstruction it engenders, blights economies, societies and trade;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Believes that passing legislation is in itself insufficient and that implementation is the key; points out that
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Is of the opinion that special provisions on SMEs should be foreseen in trade agreements in order to enable them to tackle corruption, as they often do not have the means;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Recognises that some chapters of trade agreements are more exposed to corruption than others and therefore require tailored solutions; recalls that ambitious transparency provisions in trade agreements can help fighting corruption;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Regrets the lack of effective enforcement and monitoring of the implementation of anti-corruption provisions in current EU trade agreements; calls on the Commission to
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Regrets the lack of effective enforcement and monitoring of the implementation of anti-corruption provisions in current EU trade agreements; calls on the Commission to negotiate enforceable anti-corruption and anti- money-laundering provisions in all future trade agreements and to explore possibilities on the establishment of an independent monitoring body for an effective implementation of the provisions;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Regrets the lack of effective enforcement and monitoring of the implementation of anti-corruption provisions in current EU trade agreements; calls on the Commission to negotiate
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls for enhanced transparency obligations for companies as a way to address corruption; underlines the importance of tackling money laundering, tax fraud and tax avoidance in trade agreements, by way of effective measures such as compulsory country-by-country reporting and disclosure of beneficial ownership of companies, trusts or holdings in order to prevent tax base erosion, loss of revenue, and strengthen state building and democratic governance;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Recalls that corruption is inextricably linked to harm to human rights, equality, social justice
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Insists that EU trade partners lose benefits granted by trade agreements whe
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Insists that EU trade partners lose benefits granted by trade agreements where they fail to comply with anti-corruption commitments or with international standards in the field of anti-corruption such as the Common Reporting Standard of the OECD, the Action Plan on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting of the OECD, the central register of beneficial ownership and FATF recommendations; calls on the Commission to set clear and relevant conditions and performance indicators allowing better assessment and demonstration of results; calls, furthermore, on the Commission to respond firmly, proportionally and quickly where the beneficiary government shows insufficient commitment to comply with what has been agreed.
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Insists that EU trade partners lose benefits granted by trade agreements where they fail to comply with anti-corruption commitments or with international standards in the field of anti-corruption; calls on the Commission to set clear and relevant conditions and performance indicators allowing better assessment and demonstration of results; calls, furthermore, on the Commission to respond firmly, proportionally and quickly where the beneficiary government
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Calls on the Commission to set up consultation mechanisms in cases of system corruption with trading partners and to provide exchanges of expertise to assist countries implementing anti- corruption measures;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Calls on the European Union to continue and intensify its international cooperation with third countries, particularly within international organisations such as the United Nations, the OECD and the WTO, in combating corruption.
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Recalls that corruption is
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Recalls th
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Points out that certain EU trade policy measures, such as the inclusion in trade agreements of sustainable development chapters and the promotion of EU values, offer means of combating corruption; urges greater transparency in commercial transactions and public procurement procedures; stresses that one of the requirements of the GSP+ scheme is that international agreements on good governance, including the UN Convention against Corruption, be ratified and implemented;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Underlines that public procurement, construction and raw materials are sectors with major risk of corruption; and that companies often use corruption of civil servants at all institutional levels as means to get access to cheap or protected production sites, public contracts or unlawful employment;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Recognises that corruption also impacts trade, discouraging investment promoting unfair competition and distorting public procurement processes; notes that this might happen more frequently in countries where human rights are not fully respected;
source: 604.642
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History
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