2019/2201(INI) Annual implementing report on the EU association agreement with Moldova
Next event: Debate in plenary scheduled 2020/10/19
Lead committee dossier:
Next event: Debate in plenary scheduled 2020/10/19
Progress: Awaiting Parliament's vote
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | AFET |
TUDORACHE Dragoş ( Renew)
|
HALICKI Andrzej ( EPP),
OLEKAS Juozas ( S&D),
MARIANI Thierry ( ID),
VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL Viola ( Verts/ALE),
FOTYGA Anna ( ECR),
MAUREL Emmanuel ( GUE/NGL)
|
| Committee Opinion | INTA |
GREGOROVÁ Markéta ( Verts/ALE)
|
Sandra KALNIETE ( PPE),
Urmas PAET ( RE),
Helmut SCHOLZ ( GUE/NGL),
Maximilian KRAH ( ID),
Witold Jan WASZCZYKOWSKI ( ECR),
Mihai TUDOSE ( S&D)
|
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54
Legal Basis:
RoP 54Subjects
Events
2020/10/19
Debate in plenary scheduled
2020/09/28
EP - Committee report tabled for plenary, single reading
Details
The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted the own-initiative report by Dragoş TUDORACHE (Renew Europe, RO) on the implementation of the EU Association Agreement with the Republic of Moldova.
The report stressed that Moldova remains an unpredictable state. Its citizens look to the European Union, but its political class is unable to provide political stability and reliable leadership.
EU’s commitment
Since the establishment of the Eastern Partnership and until the end of 2018, Moldova has received from Brussels more than EUR 1 billion in jointly agreed projects.
Members reaffirmed the Union's commitment to support Moldova’s European path through political association, economic integration and the respective reforms. The Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (AA/DCFTA) remains of primary importance for the development Moldova, especially in current exceptional times. However, further progress must be achieved in its implementation, to deliver its full potential and benefits, particularly by focusing on the independence of State institutions, their resilience against the influence from oligarchs, fight against corruption, justice, the strengthening rule of law and on improving the living conditions of the citizens.
Fair elections
Members called on the Moldovan authorities to ensure free and fair presidential elections scheduled on 1 November 2020. The authorities should also:
- refrain from altering rules and regulations for political gain, which will always end in political unrest and instability affecting the commitment for structural reforms;
- strengthen democratic mechanisms, including a multi-party parliamentary system, and to ensure free, independent and pluralistic media;
- strengthen resilience against disinformation and information manipulation by domestic and foreign actors, online and offline;
Reforms and institutional framework
While welcoming the reforms that led to the introduction of a visa-free regime with the Union, Members are concerned about the rise of the number of Moldovan nationals found to be illegally staying in the Schengen+ area (47% rise) and about the rise in asylum applications (48% rise). They urged Moldovan authorities to further implement the commitments made in the context of the liberalised visa regime for the Schengen area in the area of effective migration management and to ensure asylum rights for third-country applicants in the Republic of Moldova.
Rule of law and good governance
Concerned by the low level of trust in the integrity and effectiveness of the judiciary and by the susceptibility of the judicial branch to political pressure which hampers its independence, Members called on the authorities of the Republic of Moldova to ensure transparency in the judicial appointment processes. They urged the Moldovan authorities to strengthen the complete independence of the Constitutional Court and to ensure that it is not subject to any form of political interference.
Human rights and fundamental freedoms
The committee acknowledged the improvement of the legislation on the protection of human rights, notably as a result of the new 2018-2022 Human Rights Action Plan. It called on the Moldovan authorities to significantly increase efforts in this area. They expressed deep concern at the situation of Moldovans stranded in EU Member States due to the COVID-19 crisis without social protection.
Institutional provisions
Lastly, the EU institutions and the Member States are, in close cooperation with the authorities of the Republic of Moldova, urged to better communicate the benefits of the AA/DCFTA and the EU assistance to the citizens of the Republic of Moldova.
Documents
2020/09/21
EP - Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
2020/09/08
EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2020/07/22
EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2020/06/16
EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2019/12/19
EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
2019/12/02
EP - GREGOROVÁ Markéta (Verts/ALE) appointed as rapporteur in INTA
2019/11/06
EP - TUDORACHE Dragoş (Renew) appointed as rapporteur in AFET
Documents
Activities
- Marcel KOLAJA
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Dragoş TUDORACHE
Plenary Speeches (0)
- Gheorghe-Vlad NISTOR
Plenary Speeches (0)
| Amendments | Dossier |
| 343 |
2019/2201(INI)
2020/07/22
AFET
323 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 — having regard to the Republic of Moldova
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 — having regard to the 2018 Transparency International corruption perception list that awards the Republic of Moldova the 117th place out of 180 countries and territories assessed (first place being the best),
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to ensure free and fair presidential elections scheduled on November 1st, 2020;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to ensure free and fair presidential elections scheduled on 1 November 2020;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Welcomes the constructive contribution of Moldova to the cooperation within the Eastern Partnership;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Urges the Moldovan authorities to strengthen democratic mechanisms, including a multi-party parliamentary system and to ensure free, independent and pluralistic media as well as to establish fair conditions for future elections for president and parliament, including access to finance and media;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Welcomes the fact that since 2014 more than 2,3 million Moldovan citizens have benefited from the visa-free regime; acknowledges the efforts undertaken by the Moldovan authorities in implementing the recommendations outlined in the annual visa suspension mechanism reports; recommends the continuation of the implementation of the benchmarks related to the visa liberalisation policy;
Amendment 105 #
4b. Urges the European Commission, the EU Member States and Moldova to increase cooperation on public health resilience, exchange best practice and work with civil society on establishing epidemic strategies focusing on the most vulnerable groups in society;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 c (new) 4c. is concerned about the rise of the number of Moldovan nationals found to be illegally staying in the Schengen+ area (47% rise) and the rise in asylum applications (48% rise); calls for Moldova to increase efforts and take action to address the increase of unfounded asylum applications;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 c (new) 4c. Calls on the Moldovan government to strengthen the healthcare system, improve sanitation standards, especially in hospitals, as well as provide its population with all relevant information about the pandemic in a transparent and inclusive manner;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Acknowledges the adoption by the Moldovan Parliament of numerous legislative acts in line with the country’s commitments enshrined in the AA, namely related to public administration, public financial management and justice system reforms; underlines the importance of a full implementation of these acts, including by adopting secondary legislation;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Acknowledges the
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 a (new) — having regard to the European Parliament’s recommendation to the Council, the Commission and the Vice- President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the Eastern Partnership, in the run-up to the June 2020 Summit,
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Acknowledges the adoption of the law on NGOs by the Moldovan parliament, as part of conditionality of EU macro financial aid; expects that the rights and freedoms of civil society and non-governmental organization will be fully respected;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Is concerned that political instability and frequent government changes are affecting the implementation of AA/DCFTA provisions and limiting the pace of reforms;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Reiterates its concern regarding the lack of a constant commitment to improvements in the public sector, which discourages competent people from pursuing a career in public administration;
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Stresses the need for the development of a professional public administration and the encouragement of young people to take up a career in the public sector, so as to achieve a more transparent administration in which nepotism and favouritism do not lead to chronic politicisation;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Welcomes the progress achieved on the reform of public administration and public financial management,
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Welcomes the progress achieved on the reform of public
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Welcomes the progress achieved on the reform of public administration and public financial management, but encourages further steps to increase transparency; calls on the Moldovan authorities to accelerate the implementation of other AA/DCFTA reforms;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Welcomes the progress achieved on the reform of public administration and public financial management, but encourages further steps to increase transparency and combat widespread corruption;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 a (new) — having regard to Freedom House’s 2020 “Freedom in the World” report, which gives Moldova a “partly free” assessment, and its 2020 “Nations in Transit” report, which assesses Moldova as a “Transitional or Hybrid Regime”,
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Welcomes the progress achieved on the reform of public
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Calls on the authorities to consider the critical structural changes as priorities to allow the emergence of real self- government since crucial reforms are still not implemented and there are cases in which local authorities are subjected to intense political pressure or harassment by the central authorities or people associated with the ruling groups;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to ensure full implementation of the public administration reform in line with the OECD/SIGMA principles of public administration;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Acknowledges the Republic of Moldova's essential steps to increase the performance of public administration and calls for action to start a more comprehensive decentralization reform as soon as possible;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 c (new) 6c. Underlines the need for more in- depth and broader cooperation between local authorities, for a reduced number of local administrations and more measures to ensure their greater independence and decrease their operating costs;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Is concerned by the high level of concentration and politici
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Is concerned by the high level of concentration and politicisation of the media and advertising sectors, leading to a low level of public confidence in the media;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Is concerned by the high level of concentration and politicisation of the media and advertising sectors, leading to a low level of public confidence in the media; calls to review the audio-visual code and liberalise the advertising market; urges the Moldovan authorities to refrain from exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to adopt measures curtailing freedom of speech and limiting the media’s ability to report facts in an independent and unbiased way; calls on the European Commission to increase support to the independent media, including in the regions;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Is concerned by the high level of concentration and politicisation of the media and advertising sectors, leading to a low level of public confidence in the media;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Is concerned by the high level of concentration and politicisation of the media and advertising sectors, leading to a low level of public confidence in the media; urges the Moldovan authorities to refrain from exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to adopt measures curtailing freedom of speech and limiting the media’s ability to report facts in an independent and unbiased way and to end the anti-EU disinformation and propaganda campaigns generally being directed at the Moldovan public;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 b (new) — having regard to the Democracy Index 2019 of The Economist Intelligence Unit, which classifies Moldova as a “Hybrid Regime”,
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Is concerned by the high level of concentration and politicisation of the media and advertising sectors, leading to a low level of public confidence in the media; regrets that journalists and media outlets often feel compelled to practice self-censorship; urges the Moldovan authorities to refrain from exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to adopt measures curtailing freedom of speech and limiting the media’s ability to report facts in an independent and unbiased way;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Is concerned by the high level of concentration and politicisation of the media and advertising sectors, leading to a low level of public confidence in the media; urges the Moldovan authorities to revise the existing media related legislation in line with European standards and to refrain from exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to adopt measures curtailing freedom of speech and limiting the media’s ability to report facts in an independent and unbiased way;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Is concerned by the high level of concentration and politicisation of the media and advertising sectors, leading to a low level of public confidence in the media; urges the
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Is concerned by the high level of concentration and politicisation of the media and advertising sectors, leading to a low level of public confidence in the media;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Urges Moldova to foster free and independent media and ensure the effectiveness of the Audio-visual Council as an independent regulator, combating the ongoing intimidation of journalists, politicization and lack of transparency of public and regulatory institutions, lack of public access to information and quality media content, including by conducting an independent audit of the Audio-visual Council;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Deplores the progressive distancing from the European path of the current government in Chisinau, to the detriment of country's democratic aspirations and urges all pro-European political parties to find solutions through dialogue, in order to ensure the continuity of the European integration process of the Republic of Moldova and to fully benefit from all the advantages offered by the AA / DCFTA;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Is of the opinion that the disbursement of the second instalment of the EU Macro Financial Assistance Program for 2017-2020 should be followed by the efforts of the Moldovan authorities in order to fulfil the relevant conditions in the areas related to strengthening the anti-money-laundering framework and should deliver tangible and lasting results;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Urges the authorities to step up support in the fight against fake news, hybrid warfare in communication, and the degradation of media programs; underlines that political involvement in mass media structurally undermines fundamental freedoms and access to information;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Welcomes the fact that due to a smooth implementation of the visa-free regime more than 2,3 million Moldovan citizens benefited since 2014; acknowledges the efforts undertaken by the authorities in implementing the recommendations outlined in the annual visa suspension mechanism reports; calls on the continuation of the implementation of the benchmarks related to the visa liberalisation policy;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 — having regard to the opinions and recommendations of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and of the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission, in particular of 15 March 2018 on electoral reform in the Republic of Moldova, of 24 June 2019 on the constitutional situation with particular reference to the possibility of dissolving parliament, and of 14 October 2019 on the draft law on the reform of the Supreme Court of Justice and the Prosecutor’s Office,
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Urges the Moldovan government to safeguard the information environment, particularly with a view to the 2020 presidential elections, and strengthen resilience against disinformation and information manipulation by domestic and foreign actors, online and offline;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Asks the authorities to sustain the development of actions to ensure full disclosure of media ownership and to support a deeper involvement of civil society in monitoring and assessing of the transparency process;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 c (new) 7c. Calls for more support from the government in the development of civil society, calls on government and authorities to refrain from any pressure on NGOs and other civic actors; regrets the distrust and hostility with which political officials approach civil society in general;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 d (new) 7d. Urges more meaningful and active involvement of civil society in the policymaking processes;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Welcomes the amendments to the electoral legislation adopted in August 2019, and the ruling of the
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Underlines that the EU is the biggest provider of aid to Moldova; observes with great concern the continuous propaganda, disinformation campaigns and denigrating messages by governing politicians against the Union, that paint a distorted and unrealistic picture on public television and in the media; regrets such public attacks on the Union’s aid and image as they undermine the implementation of the AA and EU- Moldova relation;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Calls on the Moldovan government and authorities to guarantee free, inclusive, transparent, and fair elections, in particular with a view to presidential elections in November 2020, by further implementing measures to tackle vote buying, fairness of electoral campaigns, voting abroad, intimidation of election observers, electoral bribery and other corrupt practices, as well as the misuse of state resources;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to put more efforts in order to ensure that the AA/DCFTA opportunities and EU assistance and programmes reach the local level, including in the remote parts of the country, in particular rural areas, so as to enable inhabitants to push for positive changes in their communities, in particular those more vulnerable to post- Soviet sentiments and Russian manipulation;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Acknowledges that the “brain drain phenomenon” represents a serious threat to Moldovan future, where a significant number of young people and skilled workers emigrate abroad, thus hampering the economic, social and political potential of the country;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Urges the Moldovan authorities to further improve the electoral legislation in order to ensure the effectiveness of the right to vote, including abroad, as well as the fairness of the electoral campaigns;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 17 — having regard to the recommendations and activities of the EU- Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee, Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, EU-Moldova Civil Society Platform and of other representatives of civil society in Moldova,
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Urges Moldovan authorities to further improve the electoral legislation to ensure an effective right to elect, including abroad, as well as the fairness of the electoral campaigns;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) 8b. Welcomes entrepreneurial initiatives that aim to develop the Moldovan start-up scene; recognises, however, that further public sector reforms and financial assistance is needed in order to create additional employment opportunities that will entice young people and skilled workers to return to their country of origin;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) 8b. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to promote transparency in public decision-making and to ensure proper involvement and consultation of stakeholders and civil society at all stages, which will also increase public scrutiny and the social acceptability of the reforms conducted;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) 8b. Asks for strict restraint from changing the electoral legislation to satisfy specific political needs or from altering the rules and regulations to manipulate the results, which will always end in political unrest and instability affecting the commitment for structural reforms;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) 8b. Reiterates the importance of implementing all priority reforms agreed in the Association Agenda and conditionalities agreed for the disbursement of second and third tranches of Macro-Financial Assistance;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 c (new) 8c. Urges the Moldovan authorities to fully implement the Audiovisual Media Services Code in line with European standards of media freedom and pluralism as recommended by the European Commission and the Venice Commission; stresses the need to avoid all attempts to undermine media pluralism, notably those that would further encourage the cartelisation of the media market and related advertising market; notes with concern that, currently, the media is highly monopolised and subordinate to the country’s political and business groups; calls for transparency of media ownership and the provision of dedicated assistance to independent media, especially local outlets, to in order comply with the Code’s requirements regarding obligatory local content; stresses the importance of ensuring genuine independence of the media regulatory agency;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 c (new) 8c. Is of the opinion that the EU assistance to the Republic of Moldova should continue to prioritize improving the living standards of the citizens, targeting areas such as facilitating the development of SMEs, helping the youth, as well as the general reform of the education and health sectors;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 c (new) 8c. Encourages the Moldovan authorities to improve the transparency of the legislative process and democratic oversight, in order to allow adequate public scrutiny of the government’s and the parliament’s activity;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 d (new) 8d. Points out that the COVID-19 crisis has brought to light the fact that the health system of the Republic of Moldova is underdeveloped and is struggling to cope with the recent surge in the number of cases; calls on the European Commission and the Member States to provide urgent help to Moldovan authorities, including technical assistance and, in the long-run to help them build resilience to similar epidemiological emergencies that might happen in the future;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 17 — having regard to the recommendations and activities of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly, the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum and other representatives of civil society in the Republic of Moldova,
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 2 a (new) AA’s implementation importance in the ongoing political developments and the run-up to the November 1 Presidential Elections
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 d (new) 8d. Emphasizes the need for a strong and fair political rivalry among presidential candidates, which would not be possible without healthy and transparent system of party-financing and presidential campaign financing;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 e (new) 8e. Stresses that without the genuine determination of the political class to reform the country and to truly implement the AA with the EU, none of true and lasting development could be reached; in this regard, encourages, all political actors and political forces in the country to contribute and initiate multi-party formats and collaboration in good faith on Moldova’s strategic goals thus contributing to the quality of democracy and to the improvement of life conditions of people;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 f (new) 8f. Stresses that free and open access to Moldovan elections for Moldavan citizens living in Transnistria is a positive and important need, but establishing clear and transparent rules to fight the corrupted proceedings of votes buying is an even more urgent need as those practices undermine and destroy all democratic efforts made by political actors of Moldova;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 g (new) 8g. Regrets that for the past five years the political class developments were dominated by corrupt processes that led to party switching and political opportunism; in this regard, urges the authorities to speed up the justice reform to allow for state institutions to function independently and transparently without being undermined or captured by oligarchic interests;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 h (new) 8h. Underlines in view of future elections the importance of democratic legitimacy of the government, transparency in coalition building, respect for the will of the voters and the importance that a government majority reflects the vote of the people;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Welcomes Moldovan participation in common security and defence policy (CSDP) missions and operations
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Welcomes the Republic of Moldova
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 17 a (new) — having regard to the Moldovan National Action Plan on the Implementation of the EU-Moldova- Association Agreement, the National Action Plan on Human Rights 2018-2022, the National Strategy on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence 2018-2023, which mentions explicitly the ratification of the Istanbul Convention,
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Welcomes Moldovan participation in common security and defence policy (CSDP) missions and operations, cyber security and cyber-crime investigations, as well as Moldova’s cooperation with NATO; welcomes Moldova's alignment with EU's CFSP Declarations;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9.
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Recognizes the importance of the European Union's Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) in harmonising border management and customs regime to that of the Union, but also with regards to the solution of the Transnistian issue;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Acknowledges the Republic of Moldova's unique experience and expertise and the contribution that it can provide to the Union collective security and defence policy;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 b (new) 9b. Encourages a deepened cooperation in EU-related defence policies, including participation in PESCO once the issue of involvement of third countries is determined;
Amendment 175 #
10. Reiterates the EU’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova, and for the efforts to reach a
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Reiterates the EU’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova, and for the efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the Transnistrian issue, while ensuring the protection of human rights on the territories not controlled by constitutional authorities;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Reiterates the EU’s support for the
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Reiterates the EU’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova, and for the efforts in the 5+2 negotiation process to reach a peaceful solution to the Transnistrian
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Reiterates the EU’s support for
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 18 — having regard to the
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Acknowledges the increased security interdependence between Moldova and the Transnistria region and the stability of both as the main factor for prevention and resolution of security challenges such as hybrid threats, cyberattacks, election cyber-meddling, disinformation and propaganda campaigns, and third-party interference in the political, electoral, and other democratic processes;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Encourages the extension of the mandate of the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Ukraine and Moldova (EUBAM) and strengthen support customs and border guard authorities of both States on the central level and alongside the common border;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Welcomes the Moldovan government’s efforts to extend the benefits of the DCFTA and the visa-free regime to the Transnistrian region, which enabled significant growth in mobility and trade with the region;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 b (new) 10b. Encourages the Moldovan Government to continue promoting an environment favourable to the settlement of conflicts and supporting activities that increase confidence and people-to-people contacts across conflict-divided communities;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 c (new) 10c. Welcomes all activities that enhance the economic collaboration and increase the level of goods and services exchanges between Republic of Moldova and Transnistria;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Warns that no solution to the Transnistrian issue can be achieved by sacrificing Moldova’s freedom and sovereign right to choose its own defence and foreign policy orientation;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11.
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Calls for the EU and Ukrainian and Moldovan authorities to speed up the process of blocking illegal trade and shutting down contraband channels in Transnistria as a safe haven for smugglers which has been exploited by criminals and oligarchs and served to strengthen Russian influence and has been one of the major factors protracting the conflict;
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Reiterates that the UN General Assembly adopted on 22 June 2018a resolution urging the Russian Federation to withdraw its troops and armaments unconditionally from the territory of the Republic of Moldova and reaffirming the support for the immediate implementation of that resolution;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Is concerned by the slow course of reforms on the rule of law and democratic institutions;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 18 — having regard to the conclusions of the European Parliament election
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 b (new) 11b. Is of the opinion, that, by guaranteeing tariff-free access to EU markets for Transnistrian businesses registered on the west bank of the Dniester and submitted to customs checks by Moldovan officials, the DCFTA resulted in a massive swing in the direction of trade from the Eurasian Economic Union to the EU; encourages the Moldovan authorities to further advance towards trade and engagement with EU markets in order to enhance market access, transparency, good business practices and reduce the capacity for market manipulation and monopolization by oligarchs;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 b (new) 11b. Encourages the authorities of the Republic of Moldova to look for more in- depth collaboration with the Union and its Members States in order to enhance the implementation of good practices and solutions for countering disinformation, propaganda, manipulation and hostile influencing carried out by external forces aimed at dividing, destabilizing, and undermining the integrity of the internal political processes and the relations with the Union;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 c (new) 11c. Urges the authorities of the Republic of Moldova to consider the development and implementation of the package of laws regarding the fields of conflict prevention and crisis management part of NAPIAA in 2017- 2019;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Urges the Moldovan Government to complete judicial reforms so as to ensure the independence, impartiality and effectiveness of the judiciary and
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Urges the
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Urges the Moldovan Government to complete judicial reforms so as to ensure the independence, impartiality and
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Urges the Moldovan Government to complete judicial reforms so as to ensure the independence, impartiality and effectiveness of the judiciary and specialised anti-corruption institutions and notes positively the ongoing active dialogue between Moldovan authorities and Council of Europe on this matter;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Urges the Moldovan Government to complete without delay judicial reforms so as to ensure the independence, impartiality and effectiveness of the judiciary and specialised anti-corruption institutions;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Asks for measures to provide more robust and more resilient institutions, the prevalence of the rule of law, the implementation of judicial reforms and the fight against corruption and money laundering, broader participation in the process of all the stakeholders including a permanent presence from the civil society to achieve a meaningful consultation regarding the objectives and the implementation for a significant acceptance of decisions;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Calls on the authorities to continue effective consultations in order to adopt a concept and action plan for justice reform based on a comprehensive diagnostic, ensuring wide consensus from stakeholders and in strict adherence with the Constitution and European standards;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 6 — having regard to its previous resolutions relating to the Republic of Moldova, in particular the previous resolution on the Implementation of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement of 14 November 20181 , its resolution of 5 July 2018 on the political crisis in the Republic of Moldova following the invalidation of the mayoral elections in Chișinău2 , of 15 November 2017 on the Eastern Partnership in the run-up to the November 2017 Summit3 , of 4 July 2017 on providing macro-financial assistance to the Republic of Moldova4 , and of 21 January 2016 on Association Agreements / Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine5 , _________________ 1 Texts adopted, P8_TA(2018)0458.
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 18 a (new) — having regard to the Statement and Recommendations adopted on the occasion of the 7th Meeting of the EU- Moldova Parliamentary Association Committee, held in Strasbourg on 18-19 December 2019,
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 b (new) 12b. Calls on the authorities to ensure progress with regard to the adoption of constitutional amendments related to the judiciary in line with the Venice Commission’s recommendations; regrets that the amendments regarding the appointment of Supreme Council of Magistracy members have been rushed through Parliament; underlines the need to ensure the independence of the SCM, as well as to establish merit-based procedures for the selection and the promotion of judges;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Is concerned by the very high level of disapproval of the judiciary, and therefore calls on the Moldovan authorities to ensure that the Prosecutor General, his staff, and public prosecutors in general, work independently and abide by the highest standards of professionalism and integrity; in this regard, points out that a lack of resources and a lack of knowledge about good governance, the rule of law and human rights is permeating and adversely affecting the effective functioning of the Moldovan administration;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Is concerned by the very high level of disapproval of the judiciary
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Is concerned by the
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Is concerned by the very high level of disapproval of the judiciary, and therefore calls on the
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Urges an in-depth reform of magistrates' status using international precedents and good practices to allow the Supreme Council of the Magistracy (SCM) full independence in defending judges and prosecutors against any act of interference in or in connection with their professional activity and to promote a merit-based and transparent system for the selection and promotion of judges; calls on the Moldovan authorities to advance in the transparent process of drafting and timely adoption of the amendments to the Constitution on the SCM, in line with Venice Commission recommendations, and of the new Strategy to ensure justice sector independence and integrity with the participation of and in consultation with the Council of Europe and EU experts, civil society, and other interested actors;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Urges the Moldovan authorities to ensure the complete independence of the Constitutional Court,
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Urges the Moldovan authorities to ensure the complete independence of the Constitutional Court, and that it is not subject to any form of political interference;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Urges the
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Reiterates its calls to change the law on appointing the Superior Council of Magistracy and the election of its president in accordance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission; remains deeply concerned by the Moldovan parliament’s powers to appoint judges to the supreme court of justice making it political controlled;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 19 — having regard to the Commission economic aid package adopted on 29 March 2020 to help the Republic of Moldova, among other countries, in its fight against the COVID-
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Encourages the strengthening of the Constitutional Court to enable it to resist permanent partisan temptation to use it for political purposes;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Is concerned by the very high level of perceived corruption in Moldova, and therefore urges the Government to step up the fight against it, as well as money laundering, arms smuggling and organised crime; calls on the Moldovan Government to adopt concrete measures to reinforce the independence and integrity of the National Anticorruption Centre’s Office and the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office; points out the need for sustained and consistent efforts to prevent and prosecute high-level corruption and organized crime; takes the view that this is the only way to re-establish the trust of the Moldovan citizens and ensure the enactment of lasting reforms in the Republic of Moldova;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Is concerned by the very high level of
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Is concerned by the
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Is concerned by the very high level of perceived corruption in Moldova, and therefore urges the Government to step up the fight against it, as well as money laundering, arms smuggling and organised crime; calls on the Moldovan Government to adopt concrete measures to reinforce the independence and integrity of the National Anticorruption Centre’s Office and the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office; and to work closely with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in this field;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Is concerned
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Is concerned by the very high level of perceived corruption in Moldova, and therefore urges the Government to step up the fight against it, as well as money laundering, arms smuggling and organised crime; calls on the Moldovan Government to adopt concrete measures to reinforce the independence
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Is concerned by the very high level of perceived corruption in the Republic of Moldova, and therefore urges the Government to step up the fight against it, as well as money laundering, arms smuggling and organised crime; calls on the
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Is concerned by the very high level of perceived corruption in Moldova, and therefore urges the Government to step up the fight against it, as well as money laundering, arms smuggling and organised crime such as human trafficking; calls on the Moldovan Government to adopt concrete measures to reinforce the independence and integrity of the National Anticorruption Centre’s Office and the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Is concerned by the very high level of perceived corruption in Moldova, and therefore urges the Government to step up the fight against it, as well as money laundering,
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 19 a (new) — having regard to the Decision (EU) 2020/701 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25th of May 2020 on providing macro-financial assistance to enlargement and neighbourhood partners in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic,
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15a. Expresses dismay at the recent news of the discovery of a plant on the territory of the Republic of Moldova secretly producing helicopters which were intended for illegal exports in the CSI countries ; urges the authorities to step up efforts to fight organized crime and dismantle criminal schemes;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15a. Calls on the Moldovan government to continue its efforts to depoliticize law enforcement agencies and invest in building increased trust between the citizens and law enforcement agencies;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 b (new) 15b. Welcomes the adoption of the law on Anti-Money Laundering sanctions on 21 May 2020 and calls for the swift elaboration of guidelines for the application of the new legislation, as well as for specialized training for the concerned authorities;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Reiterates its concern at the persistent failure to bring transparent prosecution of all those responsible for the bank fraud exposed in 2014, as well as the slow recovery of stolen assets; calls on Member States to offer the necessary assistance to the Republic of Moldova's authorities in the investigation of the case if there will be any requests for it;
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Reiterates its concern at the persistent failure to bring transparent prosecution of all those responsible for the bank fraud exposed in 2014, as well as the slow recovery of stolen assets; calls on the authorities to bring all those responsible to justice without further delay and to recover the misappropriated funds;
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Reiterates its concern at the persistent failure to bring transparent prosecution of all those responsible for the bank fraud exposed in 2014, as well as the slow recovery of stolen assets; calls on the Moldovan institutions to speed up the prosecution process and to bring the responsible persons to justice;
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Reiterates its concern at the persistent failure to bring transparent prosecution of all those responsible for the bank fraud exposed in 2014, as well as the slow recovery of stolen assets
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Reiterates its concern at the persistent failure to bring transparent prosecution of all those responsible for the bank fraud exposed in 2014, as well as the slow recovery of stolen assets; calls on the EU to provide assistance to the Moldovan authorities in investigating this case if needed;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Calls on all interested parties to maintain consistent efforts in combating smuggling, money laundering, dismantling criminal networks and reducing the influence of oligarchs; calls for enhanced cooperation with Europol, Interpol, and customs organizations such as WCO and OECD's Anti-corruption Networks;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Urges the Moldovan authorities to increase transparency on the funding of political parties, and to investigate all irregularities in a fair and unbiased way; stresses the need to fight corruption inside the Moldovan political class; is deeply concerned by recent allegations of buying off of Members of the Parliament in order to change political affiliation, as well as allegations of kidnapping, intimidation and pressure on elected representatives; points out that these allegations must be investigated and that such behaviour is incompatible with the values which are at the core of the AA with the Republic of Moldova; draws attention also to the responsibility of political parties to fight corruption within their own ranks;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 19 a (new) — having regard to the final statements and recommendations of the meetings of the Parliamentary Association Committees with Ukraine and Moldova of 19 December 2019,
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Urges the Moldovan authorities to increase transparency on the funding of political parties, and to investigate all irregularities in a fair and unbiased way; calls on the authorities to ensure that no funds of charitable foundations are used in the electoral campaigning; urges the authorities to forbid the use of the administrative funds in favour of the governing political class during the election campaign;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Urges the
Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Welcomes the adoption, on the 18th of June 2020, of the new law to abolish the Citizenship for Investment Programme as of 1 September 2020, at the end of the existing moratorium; takes the view that this is an essential move in order to reduce the risks of corruption, tax evasion and money laundering in the Republic of Moldova; notes that until the programme is cancelled only existing applications will continue to be processed and calls on the Commission to monitor carefully how this will be done;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Calls on European Commission to increase funding through the available budget support and technical assistance instruments, aimed at strengthening the justice and law enforcement authorities' capacity and efficiency, taking into account progress in the implementation of the reforms;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to uphold the principles of local democracy and local autonomy in accordance with the European Charter of local self-government providing proper competencies and sufficient funding for the local governments and assuring their effective functioning;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 b (new) 17b. Notes that according to the latest Commission report, the Republic of Moldova continues to meet the visa liberalisation requirements, and that visa- free movement continues to bring positive economic, social and cultural benefits both to the Union and Moldova; calls on the authorities to continue the efforts to satisfy the visa liberalisation benchmarks, in particular in the areas of anti- corruption, to strengthen the judiciary, to apply the anti-money laundering legislation and to take concrete action to address the increase of unfounded asylum applications;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 c (new) 17c. Takes the view that the authorities should provide transparent information on the external assistance that they intend to seek and that financing from the Russian Federation should be discussed openly in Parliament and with experts and civil society, including the geo- strategic conditionalities and the long term impact on the economy arising from this type of financing ; considers that, when it comes to conditionalities attached to EU financial assistance, the authorities should also provide the necessary explanations to the public; underlines that EU conditionalities are to be seen as opportunities to conduct the necessary reforms;
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18.
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Calls on the authorities to significantly increase efforts to uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular for vulnerable groups, such as women and children being misused by human traffickers;
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Calls on the authorities to significantly increase efforts to uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular for minorities and vulnerable groups;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 19 b (new) — having regard to the European Commission Report to the European Parliament and the Council, Third report under the visa suspension mechanism, and the accompanying Staff Working Document, published on 10 July 2020,
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Expresses deep concern at the situation of those Moldovans stranded in EU Member States due to the COVID-19 crisis without social protection; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure, in the context of COVID-19,the equal treatment of third-country seasonal workers with EU nationals, as stated in Directive 2014/36/EU, recalling that such workers have the same labour and social rights as EU citizens; calls on the Member States to ensure quality housing for cross- border and seasonal workers, which should be decoupled from their remuneration and ensure decent facilities, tenant privacy and written tenancy contracts enforced by labour inspectorates, and to establish standards in this regard;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Calls for further efforts to address discrimination across Moldova, and particularly the one affecting women, linguistic and sexual minorities and people with disabilities; stresses that LGBT persons are openly discriminated in society; calls upon civil society and all religious communities to help fostering a climate of tolerance;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Calls on the European Union to support and strengthen all efforts around the globe promoting freedom of religion or belief and religious tolerance;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Underlines that gender equality is a key precondition for sustainable and inclusive development; urges the Moldovan government and authorities to implement measures to further improve women’s representation and equal treatment at all levels of political and societal life; requests the European Commission to mainstream gender equality in all its policies, programmes and activities in relation to Moldova;
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Expresses its concern regarding respect for human rights in the Transnistrian region, especially against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 b (new) Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 b (new) 18b. Welcomes the new 2018-2022 Human Rights Action Plan, but urges for the full and timely implementation and approval of secondary legislation, including to counter hate speech and further protect the rights of minorities, including Roma, LGBTI people and immigrants;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 b (new) 18b. Reiterates its concern at the impunity for human rights violations; notes that while authorities investigated reports of official human rights abuses, the perpetrators are rarely successfully prosecuted and punished; selective prosecution of officials for political reasons continued;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Calls on the authorities to guarantee the right to a fair trial and the respect of human rights in detention
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Calls on the authorities to guarantee the right to a fair trial and the respect of human rights in detention facilities, including by addressing inadequate healthcare provisions, as well as to avoid selective and politically motivated justice;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 20 Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Is deeply concerned about the human trafficking of women and girls run by both Moldovan and international criminal networks that trade women for prostitution abroad; calls for increased cooperation between the judicial authorities and the enforcement agencies of Moldova and the Member States, in order to reduce cross-border crime, particularly human trafficking and trafficking in illegal drugs;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Urges the Moldovan authorities to ratify the Istanbul Convention which was signed by the Republic of Moldova on the 6th of February 2017 but whose ratification is lagging behind despite being mentioned as an explicit objective of the National Action Plan on Human Rights 2018-2022 and of the National Strategy on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence 2018-2023; recalls that violence against women and girls is prevalent in Moldova and two in five women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of a partner or non- partner since the age of 15;
Amendment 252 #
19a. Welcomes the progress in the adoption by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova of the new law on non-commercial organisations and hopes the text will soon pass through the third and final reading and will be published swiftly; points out the central role NGOs play in any democratic society and expresses hope that the new legislation will improve the transparency of public decision-making and provide a modernized framework for the functioning of civil society in the country;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Acknowledges the measures taken at national level to prevent and fight torture, but underlines that the Republic of Moldova continues to be convicted frequently at the European Court of Human Rights for torture and ill- treatment; urges therefore the establishment of a fully independent agency specifically for the investigation of allegations of torture and other human rights violations committed by police and other law enforcement officers;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Is worried that despite significant progress, major legal shortcomings remains in relation to gender-based and domestic violence; calls on Moldovan authorities to ratify the Istanbul Convention without further delay and to inform the public on the scope of violence against women and domestic violence as well as the measures envisaged by the Convention to prevent these phenomena in order to dispel misconceptions about the Convention;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Calls for more concrete measures to improve detention conditions and to eliminate the detention of people with disabilities in psychiatric hospitals against their will; calls for the complete elimination of torture and ill-treatment in prisons as a method of pressure on imprisoned or detained political opponents;
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Reiterates its call to the Moldovan authorities to ensure that any extradition requests coming from third countries are processed in a transparent manner while following judicial procedures fully in line with European principles and standards;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Urges more efforts to strengthen and establish legal and institutional guarantees for a pluralistic media landscape in the Republic of Moldova;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 b (new) 19b. Is concerned by continued the presence in the public debate of instances of hate speech, originating also from politicians as well as by religious and community leaders; underlines in this regard that women and LGBTI+ people in particular have been targeted; calls on public officials to refrain from engaging in hate speech and to public disavow hate speech whenever it occurs and on the authorities to fine-tune the legal and institutional framework to combat hate speech in order to counter the phenomenon with all available mechanisms;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 b (new) 19b. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to ensure in practice the freedom of association; welcomes the progress in the adoption by the Moldovan Parliament of the new law on non-commercial organisations in the final reading and looks forward to its smooth and timely entry into force and implementation in order to improve the environment for civil society in Moldova; calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide political, technical and financial support to civil society;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 20 a (new) — having regard to the OECD/ODIHR Report of 24 February 2019 on the conclusions from the Parliamentary Elections in Moldova Observation Mission,
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 b (new) 19b. Reminds that a draft bill establishing Magnitsky-type legislation has already been introduced in the Moldovan Parliament; encourages the legislative body to move forward with the examination of the law which would, if adopted, contribute to fighting human rights abuses, corruption and money- laundering;
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 b (new) 19b. Urges further steps in implementing the national legislation for preventing and combatting trafficking in human beings and for a substantial increase in the quality of services provided to victims;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 b (new) 19b. Calls to continue efforts to build a genuine digital market economy, including progress with open data development, broadening access to conditional access systems for digital television and virtual network services, increasing the number of electronic communication services for citizens and public registers; highlights that further work must be done to ensure that the rights and needs of Moldovan citizens using the internet are protected and to fully implement the Digital Single Market requirements;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 c (new) 19c. Calls for more protection, assistance, and support of victims of crime, especially children, during investigations and after the judicial process, and for more support during the social reintegration of the victims;
Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 c (new) 19c. Welcomes the exchange promoted by the EU-Moldova visa-free travel regime since 2014 and encourages both sides to uphold the free movement of people also during crises;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 d (new) 19d. Encourages the authorities of the Republic of Moldova to promote programs that include consistent gender equality dimension, offer more support to the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups in society, implement legislation to fight hate speech and physical violence perpetrated against the more vulnerable groups;
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 d (new) 19d. Is concerned by the large-scale emigration of Moldovan citizens, which accentuates negative demographic trends, and encourages the Moldovan government to implement further measures to prevent and counter this phenomenon, in particular by creating opportunities and improving conditions and wages for young workers;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 e (new) 19e. Welcomes the progress in the adoption by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova of the new law on NGOs and looks forward to the implementation of the law, which will represent an essential step in strengthening transparent policy dialogue and ensure a favourable climate for the functioning of the civil society in the Republic of Moldova;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 e (new) 19e. Calls on the Union and Moldova to further improve people-to-people contacts and exchanges in order to build mutually positive images of each other among the population;
Amendment 269 #
19f. Calls for an increased presence of civil society actors in all the actions regarding human rights, fundamental freedoms legislation and implementation, allowing NGOs to act more efficiently as a watchdog for reforms and hold the respective State institutions accountable;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 21 a (new) — having regard to the analyses and recommendations issued by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in particular of 8 March 2018 on Young Moldova: Problems, Values and Aspirations; and of 20 April 2018 on Youth Well-being Policy Review of Moldova,
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Welcomes the significant increase in
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Welcomes the significant increase in Moldovan imports into the EU, as well as the fact that the EU is the largest investor in Moldova;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Welcomes the diversification of the Moldovan economy and significant increase in Moldovan imports into the EU, as well as the fact that the EU is the largest investor in Moldova; welcomes the Moldovan Parliament’s adoption of the European LEADER approach as the basis for its national rural policy;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20.
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Recalls that DCFTAs must always include strong, binding and enforceable sustainable development chapters, that fully respect international commitments, in particular the Paris Agreement, and are compliant with WTO rules;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Encourages full implementation of the DCFTA in order to further increase the EU – Moldova bilateral trade and investment relationship;
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 b (new) 20b. Welcomes the Moldovan Parliament’s adoption of the European LEADER approach as the basis for its national rural policy;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Praises the regulatory approximation with the EU acquis, and encourages the Commission to provide technical and financial help for this endeavour to the Moldovan institutions and public administration; stresses that such aid should be used to increase knowledge of human rights and the rule of law;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas through the AA/DCFTA Moldova committed to incorporating the EU acquis into its own laws and practices in a large number of areas; whereas, in order to support these efforts, the EU committed to provide
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Praises the regulatory approximation with the EU acquis, and encourages the Commission to provide technical and financial help for this endeavour
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21.
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to adopt and implement policies aimed at regulating the participation of the entities from jurisdictions that do not implement international transparency standards (offshore jurisdictions) or the businesses that are directly or indirectly controlled by such companies from trading with public authorities (public procurement, privatization, concession, and public- private partnership);
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Underlines the urgent need to support the creation of job opportunities for Moldovan young people in their home country, so that they can return after studying or training abroad, including by supporting youth entrepreneurship; calls on the Commission to focus in this question in its programmes;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21a. Calls on the Moldovan government to also focus on the social dimension of trade and sustainable development by respecting and enforcing labour standards, ratifying and fully implementing all ILO conventions, and eliminating remaining deficiencies in the labour inspection system;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 b (new) 21b. Welcomes the National Strategy ‘Digital Moldova 2020’, but demands the European Commission to support and assist programmes and reforms concerning media and information literacy to reflect the current digital age, as well as to upgrade sectoral cooperation in the digital economy;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 c (new) 21c. Encourages Moldova, including through dedicated measures in the next National Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development, to make full use of preferential export opportunities into the EU through more efficient and sustainable cultivation of farmlands, as well as more democratic access and use of land, thus generating agricultural products that amplify Moldova’s relative agricultural advantages;
Amendment 287 #
22.
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Urges further steps to ensure the
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22.
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas through the AA/DCFTA the EU and Moldova committed to promote political association and achieve economic integration and Moldova committed to incorporating the EU acquis into its own laws and practices in a large number of areas; whereas, in order to support these efforts, the EU committed to provide substantial financial and budgetary assistance to Moldova;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Urges further steps to ensure the
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Urges further steps to ensure the
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22a. Stresses the importance to increase infrastructure cooperation in the region, also with a view to diversifying Moldova’s energy supplies, and to improve the connectivity of Moldova’s energy sector while ensuring environmental sustainability;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22a. Calls on the National Agency for Energy Regulations of the Republic of Moldova to approve the energy market Rules based on fair competition and ensure compliance by all market participants;
Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23.
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Commends the arrangements agreed between Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Romania in December 2019 to enable gas transfers to Ukraine and Moldova via the Trans-Balkan pipeline, and the February 2020 Action Plan to ensure the independence of the transmission system operator Moldovatransgaz;
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Stresses the importance of the diversification of Moldova’s electricity system; urges the Moldovan authorities to ensure the timely implementation of the project for interconnection of Moldova- Romania electricity systems by providing necessary support and recourses;
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Calls on the National Agency for Energy Regulations of the Republic of Moldova to approve the energy market rules based on fair competitiveness and to ensure their compliance by all market participants, including State-owned traders;
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Welcomes the steps undertaken to asynchronously interconnect the electricity system of Moldova with Romania, being a significant milestone on the way to strengthening and diversifying Moldova’s energy infrastructure;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Encourages the Moldovan authorities to continue the efforts to reinforce the energy security of the country and commends the finalisation of the Ungheni – Chișinau gas pipeline by the end of 2020;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 8 — having regard to the subsequent EU decision of July 2019 to resume budget support disbursements in light of the Republic of Moldova’s commitment to reform the justice system,
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas through the AA/DCFTA Moldova committed to incorporating the EU acquis into its own laws and practices in a large number of areas; whereas, in order to support these efforts, the EU committed to provide substantial financial and budgetary assistance to Moldova for the full benefit of the beneficiaries that ultimately constitutes the citizens of Moldova;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Invites the European Commission to include the Republic of Moldova in the stress tests conducted for the internal energy market;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Invites the European Commission to include the Republic of Moldova in the stress tests conducted for the internal energy market;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 b (new) 23b. Welcomes the steps undertaken to asynchronously interconnect the electricity system of Moldova with the EU via Romania, being a significant milestone on the way to strengthening and diversifying Moldova’s energy infrastructure. Calls on all the authorities to fulfil the objective of connecting Moldova with Romania’s power grid by 2024 with the support of the EU;
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 b (new) 23b. Welcomes the steps undertaken to asynchronously interconnect the electricity system of Moldova with Romania, being a significant milestone on the way to strengthening and diversifying Moldova’s energy infrastructure;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 b (new) 23b. Urges the Moldovan authorities to ensure the timely implementation of the project for interconnection of Moldova- Romania electricity systems by providing the necessary support and monitoring the activity;
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Welcomes the February 2019 package on climate and the environment
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Welcomes the February 2019 package on climate and the environment, and calls for increased efforts on the national commitments related to the 2015 Paris Agreement to fight climate change, as well as for implementation of climate change mainstreaming in all areas of policy-making;
Amendment 307 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24a. Recognises Moldovas’s efforts to build a genuine digital market economy, including progress with open data development, broadening access to conditional access systems for digital television and virtual network services, increasing the number of electronic communication services for citizens and public registers such as MTender; highlights that further work must be done to ensure that the rights and needs of Moldovan citizens using the internet are protected and to fully implement the Digital Single Market requirements;
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24a. Recognises Moldovas’s efforts to build a genuine digital market economy, including progress with open data development, broadening access to conditional access systems for digital television and virtual network services, increasing the number of electronic communication services for citizens and public registers such as MTender; highlights that further work must be done to ensure that the rights and needs of Moldovan citizens using the internet are protected and to fully implement the Digital Single Market requirements;
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24a. Calls on Moldova to further enhance its engagement in the fight against climate change, and on the Commission to facilitate Moldova’s participation in the European Green Deal and to ensure that the DCFTA does not contradict the environmental objectives and initiatives set out therein;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas through the AA/DCFTA the Republic of Moldova committed to incorporating the EU acquis into its own laws and practices in a large number of areas; whereas, in order to support these efforts, the EU committed to provide substantial financial and budgetary assistance to the Republic of Moldova;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24a. Calls for more determined action from Moldovan authorities in the field of environmental protection and climate change, in particular waste management, and management of water from the Nistru river;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 b (new) 24b. Acknowledge the importance of a further modernization of the education system in Moldova, as well as the growing role of Youth in all life sectors, and invite EU institutions to offer further support, especially in the area of vocational education and training (VET), in order to meet labour market needs; Stresses the need to promote opportunities in volunteering and civic engagement for young people and to invest more in young people by expanding funding for and increasing the participation of Moldovan representatives in the existing mobility programmes, such as Erasmus+, Creative Europe and Horizon 2020;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 b (new) 24b. Acknowledge the importance of a further modernization of the education system in Moldova, as well as the growing role of youth in all life sectors, and invite EU to offer further support, especially in the area of vocational education and training (VET), in order to meet labour market needs; Stresses the need to promote opportunities in volunteering and civic engagement for young people and to invest more in young people by expanding funding for and increasing the participation of Moldovan representatives in the existing mobility programmes, such as Erasmus+, Creative Europe and Horizon 2020;
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 b (new) 24b. Invites the European Commission to include Moldova in the stress tests conducted for the internal energy market;
Amendment 314 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 7 a (new) Non-governmental organizations and citizens' cooperation
Amendment 315 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 c (new) 24c. Reiterates the important role that non-governmental organization can play in bringing closer the Republic of Moldova and the European Union as well as being of benefit for the AA implementation; in this regard welcomes adoption of a new Law on Non- Commercial Organizations that cuts the time and bureaucratic procedures needed to register an NGO in Moldova as well as improves financial transparency of non- governmental entities;
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 d (new) 24d. Supports the idea of a broad participation of civil society through e.g. independent NGOs in implementation of the strategic country’s goals as well as contribution to the bottom-up democratic recovery of state; underlines in this regard that a priority should be given to the NGOs working on democracy standards and fighting the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic; stresses that the EU should establish clear rules helping to avoid provision of grants to “GONGO’s”(NGO’s established and financed by governments through informal channels);
Amendment 317 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 e (new) 24e. Encourages the European Commission to prepare, consult and create tailored programs for citizens in mode of a direct contact with beneficiaries by using the on-line platform for applying and reporting the use of the funds in the programs; calls in this regard to consider the Green Deal purposes, day-to-day needs of citizens in Moldova;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Encourages the Moldovan authorities to
Amendment 319 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Encourages the Moldovan authorities to
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the AA/DCFTA is based on the common values on which the EU is built — namely democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law — and these values lie also at the heart of political association and economic integration as envisaged in AA/DCFTA Agreement;
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Encourages the Moldovan authorities to
Amendment 321 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Encourages the Moldovan authorities to
Amendment 322 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Encourages the Moldovan authorities to
Amendment 323 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26. Calls for all EU institutions, the
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas on 13 September 2017 the Parliament and the Council adopted a decision to provide macro-financial assistance to Moldova worth EUR 100 million, drawn from member states funds, in the context of the IMF programme to support the country’s economic and financial reforms, despite having full knowledge of the deplorable state of rule of law in Moldova, despite continued breaches of human rights in Moldova and despite the bank fraud exposed in 2014 and subsequent lack of prosecution in Moldova of the guilty parties;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas on 13 September 2017 Parliament and the Council adopted a decision to provide macro-financial assistance to the Republic of Moldova worth EUR 100 million in the context of the IMF programme to support the country’s economic and financial reforms;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in the Joint letter of 15 February2020 on the MFF 2021– 2027 reiterated their strong commitment to contribute to the strategic success of the EaP, in particular through the differentiation principle and the establishment of a EU+ Three Associated Partners enhanced dialogue, and emphasized that a dedicated financial tool providing a robust assistance to support complex reform commitments in line with AAs/DCFTAs would be decisive for all actors involved in the process;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C a (new) Ca. whereas the 2018 Transparency International corruption perception list and Freedom House’s 2020 reports show slight progress in Moldova in the most recent past, while the overall trend in those indexes, as well as the Democracy Index, demonstrates a deteriorating long- term trend in the state of democracy, corruption, political rights and civil liberties in Moldova;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C b (new) Cb. whereas, despite changes in government, Moldova’s state institutions remain weak and Moldova continues to struggle with the problem of state capture, as the concentration of power and control over all important sectors and institutions at the highest level of government has not significantly decreased;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas, on March 2019, the European Commission, as a response to a Parliament’s request, declared it would continue to apply strict conditionality to its financial assistance to Moldova, and together with the EEAS, will monitor and assess Moldova's progress in implementation of DCFTA/AA with the EU in all sectoral areas, through both bilateral and Eastern Partnership regional channels;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas, following the formation in
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 10 — having regard to the European Commission and European External Action Service (EEAS) joint staff working document (SWD(2019)0325) on the Association Implementation Report on the Republic of Moldova of 11 September 2019,
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas, following the formation in June 2019 of a government committed to carrying out ambitious reforms, the Commission disbursed the first instalment
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas a new financial macro- assistance agreement for an amount of 100 million euro is being negotiated in the context of the COVID-19 crisis recovery; whereas this assistance will be conditional upon the signing of a memorandum of understanding and the implementation of reforms;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas in November 2019 the Moldovan Parliament passed a motion of no-confidence in the Government constituted in June 2019, formed a minority government, and subsequently a new coalition government, prompting representatives of the European institutions to express concern at the way in which the former government was replaced and at the future reform process being adopted by the Republic of Moldova under the AA/DCFTA;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas in November 2019 the
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas on 17 April2020, the Russian and Moldovan governments signed an agreement for a loan of EUR 200 million to be provided by the Russian Federation to the Republic of Moldova with a preferential 2% interest rate, which was negotiated by the presidents of both countries; whereas this agreement has been ratified on the 23rd of April and, on the same day, following an appeal introduced by members of the parliamentary opposition, the Constitutional Court(CC) of the Republic of Moldova suspended the ratification law of the loan agreement until it would complete the examination of its compatibility with the Constitution; whereas on the 6th of May, the President of the CC reported pressure from the Moldovan authorities on the CC, as well as attempts to discredit its judges; whereas on the 7th of May 2020, the CC declared the loan agreement unconstitutional; whereas a new loan agreement with the Russian Federation is currently under negotiations;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas in June 11, 2019 the European Court of Human Rights(in the case of Ozdil and Others v. the Republic of Moldova) found that Moldova had violated the rights to liberty, security, privacy and family life when in September 2018 its Intelligence and Security Service (SIS) detained and forcibly returned to Turkey five Turkish citizens who had been seeking asylum; whereas this disguised extradition is just one example of a systematic pattern of enforced and involuntary disappearance, illegal detention and deportation to Turkey of Turkish nationals in dozens of countries around the world;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas, despite all economic progress, the social impact of the financial assistance and the reform efforts has been rather marginal; whereas Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe facing a detrimental social situation with deserted villages and extreme poverty; whereas 2018, 38.5% of the workers in Moldova were informally employed having no access to any form of social protection;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas the COVID-19 pandemic has proved the rising need for a coordination in tackling common threats between the Union and neighbouring countries; whereas the Union has responded to that need with, among other tools, the provision of financial help to its neighbours from which Moldova is entitled to receive up to EUR 100 million;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas on 7 May 2020 the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova declared unconstitutional a loan agreement signed with Russia in April 2020;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F b (new) Fb. whereas over the last years, the situation with social dialogue has deteriorated; whereas while the dialogue with the employees acquired rather a formal character, associations established by foreign investors and local employers are increasingly gaining influence in the dialogue between the government and the business community leaders; whereas this dialogue is focused on improving the business climate in Moldova, but it almost completely ignores the social dimension;
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 11 — having regard to the outcome of the fifth Association Council meeting between the EU and the Republic of Moldova of 30 September 2019,
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F b (new) Fb. whereas on the 10th of July 2020, the European Commission approved the disbursement of a second and final instalment of 30 million euros from its Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) programme; whereas, however, the Republic of Moldova will not be able to access the rest of funds available under this programme, which expires in July 2020;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F b (new) Fb. whereas in April 2019 Moldova celebrated as an associated country 5 years of visa free regime and more than 2.1 million citizens (over 60% of the country's population) have visited the Schengen area since its inception;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F c (new) Fc. whereas since 1989, the population of Moldova has shrunk by almost a third; whereas in terms of demographics, these are the worst figures in the whole of Europe; whereas Moldovans leave for higher pay and better education and facilities; whereas this development has deep and long-lasting political, economic and social consequences; whereas Moldova is confronted with labour shortages and a lack of professionals such as nurses and doctors; whereas the elderly, a large proportion of whom rely on remittances, are Moldova’s most vulnerable and prone to poverty;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F c (new) Fc. whereas during the COVID-19 crisis solidarity with the Eastern Partnership countries is of paramount importance and the EU provided substantial support to address the impact of the outbreak in the region; whereas, in this context, the Republic of Moldova will benefit from 87 million euros in redirected bilateral funding;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F d (new) Fd. whereas the EU is also making further MFA loans of 100 euros million available to the Republic of Moldova, as part of the Decision to provide MFA to ten partner countries in the neighbourhood in order to help them limit the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic; whereas the first instalment of the exceptional MFA package will be disbursed as swiftly as possible after the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)with Moldova will be concluded; whereas in order to receive the second instalment, to be disbursed within one year from the signing of the MoU, the country will have to respect certain conditionalities; whereas an important precondition for the granting of this MFA is that the country respects effective democratic mechanisms, including a multi-party parliamentary system, the rule of law and guarantees respect for human rights;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F d (new) Fd. whereas several hundred citizens of the 3.8 million citizens work abroad and send remittance home that constitute one-fifth of the GDP of Moldova; whereas thousands of Moldovans have lost their jobs because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many of them wish to go home, but are having severe problems to do so; whereas many Moldovans found themselves stuck in the Member States in which they were formerly employed, without means of income, protection or transportation and, at times, access to healthcare; whereas actions and measures taken by Member States during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to financially compensate workers, self- employed workers and entrepreneurs are mainly based on the national labour market and often lack proper provisions for cross-border workers and cross-border self-employed workers;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F e (new) Fe. whereas the new coalition government’s majority in the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova has been constantly shrinking as deputies defected from the ruling alliance; whereas the Republic of Moldova will hold Presidential elections in the fall and is currently facing a period of acute political instability; whereas President Igor Dodon has underlined that the Parliament must be dissolved and early elections must be held as soon as possible; whereas on the 7th of July 2020, the Constitutional Court of Moldova has ruled that early elections could be held only after the Presidential elections;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F e (new) Fe. whereas many children are malnourished, illiterate, and in severe health conditions; whereas many parents were forced into economic migration, often leaving their children behind; whereas today, about 30,000 children live without their parents;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F f (new) Ff. whereas the Republic of Moldova has made international and national commitments to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women; whereas the country has adopted measures to promote the political representation of women, including through adoption of a mandatory 40% gender quota for the political parties’ electoral lists; whereas further efforts are needed in order to advance the objectives of the 2017-2021 National Gender Equality Strategy, including appropriate funding and stronger implementation mechanisms;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F f (new) Ff. whereas the solution of the problems of Moldova cannot be provided from outside the country and there is a need to enhance ownership by the Moldovan people to meet the challenges of the country; whereas it remains important to address the main challenges such as fight against corruption and oligarchic structures, the adherence to democratic standards, the need to find solutions for the multi-faced social problems, to ensure media plurality and to tackle poverty and emigration;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 12 a (new) — having regard to the European Commission’s Joint Communication on the “Eastern Partnership policy beyond 2020 - Reinforcing Resilience, an Eastern Partnership that delivers for all” of 18 March 2020,
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Notes that the AA/DCFTA remains of primary importance for the development of the Republic of Moldova, especially in current exceptional times, and commends the
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Notes th
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Notes that the AA/DCFTA remains of primary importance, especially in current exceptional times, and commends the progress achieved by Moldova to date; reaffirms the EU's commitment to support Moldova's European aspiration; recalls, however, that further progress must be achieved;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Notes that the AA/DCFTA remains of primary importance
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Notes with concern that the implementation of the commitments stemming from the association agreement in the social sphere, especially in the fields of labour inspection, anti- discrimination measures, and social dialogue, are limited; is concerned that the progress in addressing macro- financial vulnerabilities remains insufficient to significantly boost living standards and is now endangered by the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis; insists in the mandatory involvement of trade unions, as well as civil society organizations, in the implementation of the Association Agreements;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Welcomes the Republic of Moldova’s constructive contribution to the cooperation within the Eastern Partnership, especially in the framework of the associated countries, and expresses hope that the statements as regards the country’s ambitious agenda and sectoral integration in transport, energy and other fields will turn into concrete decisions and actions, both from the side of Moldovan authorities and of the Union;
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Welcomes the reforms that led to the introduction of a visa-free regime with the Union; the program has been used extensively by the citizens of the Republic of Moldova and represents a very good example of how the implementation of the AA/DCFTA touches upon the lives of citizens by fostering people-to-people contacts with other fellow Europeans;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Notes with concern the conclusions of the Commission’s and EEAS’ 2019 Association Implementation Report on Moldova according to which the establishment of instruments and bodies that aim to prevent fraud and money laundering has been slow; expects the new Government to build upon the recent steps taken by the previous government with regards to fighting corruption and unrevealing criminal and money-laundering schemes; notes the action undertaken in order to pursue the prosecution of the massive banking fraud exposed in 2014 and other money laundering cases, but reiterates its concern that no substantial recovery of assets has been made so far and stresses that further steps need to be taken in this direction;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Welcomes all intentions towards a closer political, human, and economic integration with the Union in line with the principle of differentiation and based on the performance, results, and aspirations of the Republic of Moldova's authorities and society;
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 12 a (new) — having regard to the Council Conclusions of 11 May 2020 on the Eastern Partnership policy beyond 2020,
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Underlines that the Union must hold Moldova accountable for its commitments with regards to the social dimension of the AA; calls on the Commission to provide a detailed annual progress reports on the implementation of social and labour-related issues of the Association Agreement which does not only analyses the transposition of relevant Union directives and norms, but also their actual implementation; calls on the Commission to embrace proposals of labour experts to introduce a mechanism to sanction the violations of the standards agreed upon; suggest to use the disbursement of MFA as a leverage or conditionality to force Moldova to enhance the labour conditions of their workforce;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 c (new) Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Welcomes the
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Welcomes the conclusions of the IMF’s March 2020 Article IV consultation and the IMF Board’s sixth and final review of Moldova’s economic performance under the Extended Credit Facility and Extended Fund Facility arrangements, with particular regard to the rehabilitation of the Moldovan banking system and the strengthening of financial sector
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Welcomes the conclusions of the IMF’s March 2020 Article IV consultation and the IMF Board’s sixth and final review of the Republic of Moldova’s economic performance under the Extended Credit Facility and Extended Fund Facility arrangements, with particular regard to the rehabilitation of the
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Welcomes the disbursement of the second instalment of the Union MFA; acknowledges the reform efforts pursued by Moldova in areas including the fight against corruption, the strengthening of the anti-money laundering framework, the adoption of a new law on the activities of NGOs, and notes that the Republic of Moldova has joined the OECD anti- corruption peer-review program (Istanbul Action Plan);
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Welcomes the negotiations on the Memorandum of Understanding on the new exceptional EU MFA program aimed at countering the negative economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Notes that the November 2019 Activity Program of the Moldovan Government is less ambitious than the previous government’s 2030 Global Agenda, and regrets the lack of a new NAPIAA; insists that the continuation of EU sector budget support remains conditional upon
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Notes that the November 2019 Activity Program of the Moldovan Government is less ambitious than the previous government’s 2030 Global Agenda
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 12 b (new) — having regard to the Council Conclusions of 11 May 2020 on the Eastern Partnership policy beyond 2020,
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Notes that the November 2019 Activity Program of the Moldovan Government is less ambitious than the previous government’s 2030 Global Agenda
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Notes that the November 2019 Activity Program of the Moldovan Government is less ambitious than the previous government’s 2030 Global Agenda
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Notes that the November 2019 Activity Program of the
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Notes that the November 2019
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Welcomes the conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding on new exceptional EU Macro Financial Assistance program aimed at countering the negative economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and looks forward to the implementation of the undertaken commitments;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Calls on the Moldovan Government and the EU to cooperate to overcome the negative impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the social and economic development;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the European Commission to develop a mechanism to monitor the concrete implementation of reforms, including clear benchmarks; this mechanism shall actively involve a two prong method involving both the European Commission and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) so as to draft two independent monitoring reports of the reforms attempts in Moldova; the reports with recommendations shall be submitted to the European Parliament for approval and possible future action by the European Commission;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the European Commission to develop a mechanism to monitor the concrete implementation of reforms, including clear benchmarks, with the meaningful involvement of civil society, particularly at local level; deems it essential, in this context, to step up the financial support for CSOs, which play a critical role in fostering participation in public debates and monitoring both the action of Moldovan authorities and the effectiveness of the Union’s policies towards the country;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the European Commission to develop a mechanism to monitor the concrete implementation of reforms, including clear benchmarks and, using the experience of the Support Group for Ukraine, to create a similar structure for Moldova, increasing the effectiveness and visibility of the EU’s support;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 — having regard to the 201
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the European Commission to develop a mechanism to monitor the concrete implementation of reforms, including clear benchmarks and ensuring the involvement of civil society;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the European Commission to
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the European Commission to develop a conditionality mechanism to monitor the concrete implementation of reforms, including clear benchmarks;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the European Commission to
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the European Commission to
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the European Commission to
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Underlines that the situation in Moldova should be closely monitored in the long term, including during the pre- electoral period, in accordance with the normal OSCE/ODIHR practices and standards, particularly in the current period of crisis, as the forthcoming presidential elections will be a test for democracy and the rule of law in the country;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls on Moldovan authorities to further implement the commitments made in the context of the liberalised visa regime for the Schengen area in the area of effective migration management and to ensure asylum rights for third-country applicants in the Republic of Moldova;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Encourages a rapid adoption of the new Association Agenda in order to update the priorities of AA/DCFTA implementation, with active parliamentary participation and input from civil society and other stakeholders in the EU and Moldova;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Ahead of the Presidential elections scheduled for the 1st of November 2020, urges Moldovan authorities to ensure the holding of free and fair elections;
source: 655.747
2020/08/26
INTA
20 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the positive results achieved in trade and economy with the implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) allowing for the reorientation of Moldovan trade and a marked increase in trade with the EU, accounting for 54 % of its total trade in 2019; notes that the implementation of DCFTA has been beneficial for both sides, particularly for agricultural and food sector,
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Stresses that the reforms should be carried out in the banking and financial system, aiming to tackle money laundering,
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Stresses the need for reforms to improve transparency and encourages Moldova to continue to make progress in the area of public procurement to ensure modernisation and to fight against corruption and recalls the need of the consistent support by EU and Moldova to civil society organisations monitoring fraud and money laundering activities who are the important part of the independent regulatory mechanisms;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Stresses the need for reforms that aim to improve transparency, including in trade-related policies and encourages Moldova to continue
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on Moldova to fully respect the environmental objectives and initiatives set out in the DCFTA, as well as its international commitments to sustainable trade and development, in particular the Paris Agreement; welcomes the February 2019 package on climate and the environment of the Republic of Moldova and its national response, which made it the fourth country in the world to submit its updated National Determined Contribution (NDC2), including an increased ambition to reduce GHG emissions, to the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC);
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6 a. Calls on the Commission to support investment in sectors with potential for development, growth and competiveness in the EU, notable in three sectors of strategic significance, such sustainable energy and climate, digital single market and cyber security, and transport.
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. Call on the Commission to support youth programmes favouring social entrepreneurship and focus on youth from rural areas in order to strengthen education system with labour market demands to protect the most vulnerable and prevent lack of socio-economic opportunities;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 b (new) 8 b. Calls on the EU to consider possibility of AA/DCFTA countries accession to the Single European Payment area (SEPA), that will foremost benefit the citizens and provide new opportunities to SME´s development;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 c (new) 8 c. Calls on the Commission to upgrade neglected areas of AAs in regards of important policy areas such as gender, the Green deal and prevention of health crises;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 d (new) 8 d. Call on the Commission to strengthen the European Delegation, and monitoring and project team in in Chisinau, in order to effectively communicate the European approximation, fight against disinformation and promote positive European and Moldovan picture on both sides;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 9.
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the positive results achieved in trade and economy with the implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA), allowing for the reorientation of
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 9. Welcomes the national strategy ‘Digital Moldova 2020’
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the authorities to consider regulatory approximation with the EU acquis, the appropriate implementation and enforcement of relevant legislation; and to continue progress and implement reforms, as the implementation of the DCFTA is an opportunity for the Moldovan economy and for business in Moldova, including the continuing extension of the DCFTA and its benefits for the Transnistrian region, in particular as regards the introduction of VAT and support for SMEs that are the largest sector of the Moldovan economy;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Calls on the Moldovan authorities to continue progress and implement reforms, as the implementation of the DCFTA is an important opportunity for growth for the Moldovan economy and for the development of business in Moldova, including the continuing extension of the DCFTA and its benefits for the Transnistrian region, in with a particular as re
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 a. Calls on the European Commission and the Member States to support the strategic goal of Moldova to further unlock the« real potential of free trade with the EU, remove non• tariff barriers to trade, facilitate access and move ahead on the integration into the European Single Market;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Recalls the importance of the Macro-Financial Assistance conditionalities
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Recalls the importance of the
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Welcomes the finalisation and adoption of the new Customs Code that will contribute to better investment and competitive business climate. Calls for greater and more committed efforts in good governance and approximation of rule of law standards, in particularly those aiming at strengthening an independent judiciary; and recall that the independent and depolarised media without political interferences are basis of the democratic society.
source: 655.937
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https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE655.639&secondRef=02New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE655.639 |
2020-09-27Show (3) Changes | Timetravel
| events/1 |
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| forecasts/0 |
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| procedure/Modified legal basis |
Rules of Procedure EP 159
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2020-09-10Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
| docs/2/docs/0/url |
Old
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE655.639New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE655.639&secondRef=02 |
2020-09-09Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
| docs/2/docs/0/url |
Old
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE655.639&secondRef=02New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE655.639 |
2020-09-08Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
| docs/2/date |
Old
2020-09-04T00:00:00New
2020-09-08T00:00:00 |
2020-09-04Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
| docs/2 |
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2020-07-31Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
| docs/1/docs/0/url |
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=COMPARL&mode=XML&language=EN&reference=PE655.747
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2020-07-28Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
| forecasts/1/date |
Old
2020-10-05T00:00:00New
2020-10-19T00:00:00 |
2020-07-22Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
| docs/1 |
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2020-07-09Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
| forecasts/0/date |
Old
2020-09-10T00:00:00New
2020-09-21T00:00:00 |
2020-06-24Show (2) Changes | Timetravel
| forecasts/0/date |
Old
2020-07-13T00:00:00New
2020-09-10T00:00:00 |
| forecasts/1 |
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2020-06-17Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
| docs/0/date |
Old
2020-06-10T00:00:00New
2020-06-16T00:00:00 |
2020-06-16Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
| docs |
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2020-05-26Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
| forecasts/0/date |
Old
2020-07-14T00:00:00New
2020-07-13T00:00:00 |
2020-03-20Show (1) Changes | Timetravel
| forecasts |
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2020-01-07Show (3) Changes
| events |
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| procedure/dossier_of_the_committee |
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| procedure/stage_reached |
Old
Preparatory phase in ParliamentNew
Awaiting committee decision |