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- Decision by Parliament 2021/03/25
- End of procedure in Parliament 2021/03/25
- Debate in Parliament 2021/03/24
- Committee report tabled for plenary 2021/02/12
- Amendments tabled in committee 2021/01/27
- Vote in committee 2021/01/27
- Committee opinion 2020/09/29
- Committee opinion 2020/09/23
- LÓPEZ AGUILAR Juan Fernando (S&D) appointed as rapporteur in LIBE 2020/09/22
- Committee opinion 2020/09/08
- Committee opinion 2020/09/08
- Amendments tabled in committee 2020/07/24
Progress: Procedure completed
Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
---|---|---|---|
Lead | DEVE | ZACHAROPOULOU Chrysoula ( Renew) | OCHOJSKA Janina ( EPP), ZORRINHO Carlos ( S&D), HERZBERGER-FOFANA Pierrette ( Verts/ALE), ZIMNIOK Bernhard ( ID), KEMPA Beata ( ECR), URBÁN CRESPO Miguel ( GUE/NGL) |
Committee Opinion | FEMM | ||
Committee Opinion | CULT | ||
Committee Opinion | INTA | SCHUSTER Joachim ( S&D) | Sergio BERLATO ( ECR), Helmut SCHOLZ ( GUE/NGL), Saskia BRICMONT ( Verts/ALE), Samira RAFAELA ( RE), Luisa REGIMENTI ( ID), Sven SIMON ( PPE) |
Committee Opinion | AGRI | BOMPARD Manuel ( GUE/NGL) | Gilles LEBRETON ( ID), Marc TARABELLA ( S&D), Hilde VAUTMANS ( RE), Bert-Jan RUISSEN ( ECR), Marlene MORTLER ( PPE), Claude GRUFFAT ( Verts/ALE) |
Committee Opinion | LIBE | LÓPEZ AGUILAR Juan Fernando ( S&D) | Sira REGO ( GUE/NGL), Olivier CHASTEL ( RE), Assita KANKO ( ECR), Tineke STRIK ( Verts/ALE), Pietro BARTOLO ( S&D) |
Committee Opinion | AFET | FOTYGA Anna ( ECR) | Javier NART ( RE), Idoia VILLANUEVA RUIZ ( GUE/NGL), Isabel WISELER-LIMA ( PPE), Giuliano PISAPIA ( S&D) |
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54
Legal Basis:
RoP 54Events
The European Parliament adopted by 460 votes to 64, with 163 votes, a resolution on a new EU-Africa Strategy – a partnership for sustainable and inclusive development.
Towards an improved EU-Africa strategy
Parliament called for a genuine partnership between equals based on international law and international conventions, agreements and standards, and urged both sides to move beyond the donor-recipient relationship. The EU’s objective is to strengthen the resilience and independence of its African partners.
Therefore, Members called on the EU to coordinate with each country truly interested in a prosperous and positive long-term development of the African continent, on the basis of the full respect of human rights, media freedom and accountability, transparent and responsive governance and the fight against corruption, which are vital elements for ensuring a stable and inclusive political, social and economic environment in Africa.
The resolution reiterated the EU’s continued support for regional integration (in a context in which the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of the global supply chain) and regional organisations in Africa. The EU must maintain flexible country-to-country and sub-regional approaches that tailor its engagement and support to the specific needs and circumstances of each country in the five regions of Africa. Parliament called for an update of the various EU regional policies towards African sub-regions.
Funding
The success of the partnership will depend on the funding earmarked for it. Members called for a massive support effort for Africa under the future Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), while pointing out that the EU continues to be the largest donor to Africa. They deplored the fact that many Member States have failed to reach the target of devoting 0.7 % of their gross national income to ODA and that some have even decreased their contributions to development aid.
More resources should be made available for development cooperation in the EU budget, financed by new own resources, including a financial transaction tax. Members, on the other hand, called for the development of a monitoring mechanism, as well as for full transparency and accountability of EU funding.
Partners for human and economic development
According to Parliament, human development should be placed at the heart of the strategy to ensure that no one is left behind, with priority given to addressing poverty, inequalities and discrimination, and ensuring democracy, the rule of law, good governance and human rights for all, paying particular attention to the most marginalised and vulnerable populations with the best interests of the child to be made a primary consideration. Gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment should also be prioritised and mainstreamed into the partnership.
The Commission is called on to prioritise sexual and reproductive health and rights in the new EU-Africa partnership. Priority should also be given to access to basic social services such as food, water and sanitation, to quality health systems, to quality education, to social protection and to environmental preservation.
The resolution also considered it fundamental to guarantee decent working conditions, strengthen social rights, improve social and labour dialogues, eradicate child labour and forced labour, and improve health and safety conditions in the workplace.
Partners for sustainable and inclusive growth
The resolution noted that China has intensified its presence in Africa while the EU Member States have shown only a very selective interest in trade with and investment in the African states, which is why the trade volume between the EU and most African states remains relatively small. Therefore, Parliament stressed that the EU needs an entirely new foundation for its economic partnership with Africa. It called for the systematic inclusion of binding and enforceable mechanisms for the implementation of Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) chapters on human rights, labour and environmental standards in all currently negotiated and future EPAs, while stressing that the agreements need to be coherent with development policies and with the SDGs, especially with regard to their impact on deforestation, climate change and biodiversity loss.
Members are of the view that the EU-Africa strategy should also include measures to assist African countries in converting their mineral resource wealth into real development results and called for a review of the effectiveness of existing measures, also with regard to the questionable exploitation of Africa by China and Russia.
Partners for an AU-EU green deal
Recalling that in 2019, nearly 16.6 million Africans were affected by extreme weather events, 195 % more than in 2018, Members noted the request for 45 % of the budget for the future NDICI to be devoted to climate objectives. According to Members, climate change could reverse human development and undermine low-income and fragile African countries’ development prospects. They called for the swift implementation of ‘green deal diplomacy’ through the setting-up of a task force focusing on the external dimension of the European Green Deal.
Partners for mutually beneficial mobility and migration
Stressing that the migration issue has dominated the Africa-EU relationship, Parliament called for the adoption of an EU-Africa partnership on migration and mobility that puts the human dignity of refugees and migrants at its heart. It underlined the need to address through adequate funding the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacements, such as political instability, poverty, lack of security and food security, violence and the negative effects of climate change.
Lastly, the resolution called for the strengthening of efforts to trace and combat criminal networks of smugglers and seeks cooperation with African countries to combat it.
The Committee on Development adopted the report by Chrysoula ZACHAROPOULOU (Renew Europe, FR) on a new EU-Africa Strategy – a partnership for sustainable and inclusive development.
Towards an improved EU-Africa strategy
Members called for a genuine partnership between equals based on international law and international conventions, agreements and standards, and urged both sides to move beyond the donor-recipient relationship. The EU’s objective is to strengthen the resilience and independence of its African partners. Therefore, Members called on it to:
- coordinate with each country truly interested in a prosperous and positive long-term development of the African continent, on the basis of the full respect of human rights, media freedom and accountability, transparent and responsive governance and the fight against corruption, which are vital elements for ensuring a stable and inclusive political, social and economic environment in Africa;
- maintain flexible country-to-country and sub-regional approaches that tailor its engagement and support to the specific needs and circumstances of each country in the five regions of Africa.
Funding
The report also pointed out that the success of the partnership will depend on the funding earmarked for it. Members called for a massive support effort for Africa under the future Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), while pointing out that the EU continues to be the largest donor to Africa. They deplored the fact that many Member States have failed to reach the target of devoting 0.7 % of their gross national income to ODA and that some have even decreased their contributions to development aid.
More resources should be made available for development cooperation in the EU budget, financed by new own resources, including a financial transaction tax. Members, on the other hand, called for the development of a monitoring mechanism, as well as for full transparency and accountability of EU funding.
Partners for human and economic development
According to Members, human development should be placed at the heart of the strategy to ensure that no one is left behind, with priority given to addressing poverty, inequalities and discrimination, and ensuring democracy, the rule of law, good governance and human rights for all, paying particular attention to the most marginalised and vulnerable populations with the best interests of the child to be made a primary consideration. Gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment should be prioritised and mainstreamed into the partnership.
The Commission is called on to prioritise sexual and reproductive health and rights in the new EU-Africa partnership. Priority should also be given to access to basic social services such as food, water and sanitation, to quality health systems, to quality education, to social protection and to environmental preservation.
The report also considered it fundamental to guarantee decent working conditions, strengthen social rights, improve social and labour dialogues, eradicate child labour and forced labour, and improve health and safety conditions in the workplace.
Partners for sustainable and inclusive growth
Members noted that the EU needs an entirely new foundation for its economic partnership with Africa, meaning that it needs to arrive at a new reality in which the EU and Africa develop a mutually beneficial sustainable partnership, reshaping economic, commercial and trade relations towards solidarity and cooperation, as well as ensuring fair and ethical trade.
They called for the systematic inclusion of binding and enforceable mechanisms for the implementation of Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) chapters on human rights, labour and environmental standards in all currently negotiated and future EPAs, while stressing that the agreements need to be coherent with development policies and with the SDGs, especially with regard to their impact on deforestation, climate change and biodiversity loss.
The Commission is called on to proceed with an ambitious legislative proposal on mandatory human rights, social rights and environmental due diligence obligations for EU companies.
Members are of the view that the EU-Africa strategy should also include measures to assist African countries in converting their mineral resource wealth into real development results and called for a review of the effectiveness of existing measures, also with regard to the questionable exploitation of Africa by China and Russia.
Partners for an AU-EU green deal
Recalling that in 2019, nearly 16.6 million Africans were affected by extreme weather events, 195 % more than in 2018, Members noted the request for 45 % of the budget for the future NDICI to be devoted to climate objectives. According to Members, climate change could reverse human development and undermine low-income and fragile African countries’ development prospects. They called for the swift implementation of ‘green deal diplomacy’ through the setting-up of a task force focusing on the external dimension of the European Green Deal.
Partners for mutually beneficial mobility and migration
Stressing that the migration issue has dominated the Africa-EU relationship, Members called for the adoption of an EU-Africa partnership on migration and mobility that puts the human dignity of refugees and migrants at its heart. They underlined the need to address through adequate funding the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacements, such as political instability, poverty, lack of security and food security, violence and the negative effects of climate change.
Lastly, the resolution called for the strengthening of efforts to trace and combat criminal networks of smugglers and seeks cooperation with African countries to combat it.
Documents
- Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
- Decision by Parliament: T9-0108/2021
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Committee report tabled for plenary: A9-0017/2021
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE663.035
- Committee opinion: PE654.056
- Committee opinion: PE652.358
- Committee opinion: PE648.592
- Committee opinion: PE652.519
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE654.008
- Committee draft report: PE654.007
- Committee draft report: PE654.007
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE654.008
- Committee opinion: PE648.592
- Committee opinion: PE652.519
- Committee opinion: PE652.358
- Committee opinion: PE654.056
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE663.035
Activities
- Maria ARENA
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- Dominique BILDE
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- Udo BULLMANN
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- Peter van DALEN
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- João FERREIRA
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- Anna FOTYGA
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- Heidi HAUTALA
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- György HÖLVÉNYI
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- Seán KELLY
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- Ádám KÓSA
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- Urmas PAET
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- María Soraya RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS
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- Pierrette HERZBERGER-FOFANA
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- Beata KEMPA
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- Jan-Christoph OETJEN
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- Gheorghe FALCĂ
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- Margarida MARQUES
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- Chrysoula ZACHAROPOULOU
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- Giuliano PISAPIA
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- Jordan BARDELLA
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- Pierfrancesco MAJORINO
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- Bernhard ZIMNIOK
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- Janina OCHOJSKA
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- Katarina BARLEY
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- Hildegard BENTELE
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- Elżbieta KRUK
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- Barry ANDREWS
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- Vincenzo SOFO
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Amendments | Dossier |
463 |
2020/2041(INI)
2020/06/02
CULT
13 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Takes the view that partnerships with Africa
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Takes the view that
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 9. Calls for the establishment of a network of African and European
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 10. Stresses that these developments will, in the long term,
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Stresses that good governance, respect for human rights and democratic principles as well as equal access to justice foster peace and stability and act as a foundation for development, jobs and growth, and for attracting investment; stresses that boosting private sector investment is crucial in speeding up sustainable economic growth and the creation of jobs;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Underlines that Africa has the world’s biggest young population creating a great potential, which needs to be explored for the benefit of everyone;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Regrets that culture is absent from the five main areas of EU-Africa cooperation, while it
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses that education is a crucial issue in Africa
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Stresses that integration of young people into the labour market is key for economic development, youth autonomy and independence; is of the opinion that a lack of opportunities forces young people to migrate in search of jobs and employment depleting the African continent of a generation of talented youth;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3 b. Calls for enhanced cooperation between the AU and the EU through quality education and training in order to create employment opportunities in matching skills with labour market needs;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Is of the opinion, however, that
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls for the development of a cultural bridge, by publishing – in the wake of Blaise Cendrars, Claude Lévi-Strauss and André Malraux – African traditions, literature and philosophy, promoting the preservation of Africa’s 1
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 source: 652.553
2020/06/16
INTA
110 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Highlights that the EU together with the Member States are the biggest partner to Africa in terms of trade, investment, official development assistance and security;
Amendment 100 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 b (new) 10 b. Underlines that the African continent has the youngest population in the world and thus asks the Commission to firmly integrate the interests of children and young people in the implementation plan for the Africa strategy and to make sure that substantial investments are made in building the expertise of young people given their critical role in further developing strategies for an ecologically, socially and economically sustainable future of their continent;
Amendment 101 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 b (new) 10 b. Highlights that the Covid-19 pandemic and its consequences will have an impact on the Sustainable Development Goals; calls on the Commission to make the achievement of the SDGs a guiding principle in all its policies with regard to the African countries and urges the Commission to have full regard for these goals when negotiating the post-Cotonou Agreement in order to ensure balanced and free trade with the African continent;
Amendment 102 #
10 b. Expresses its concern about the raising number of ISDS cases against African states, especially by European companies; reaffirms the right of African states to regulate to defend the public’s interest without being sued by investors, especially to answer to the economic and health crisis; calls EU governments and companies to refrain to use ISDS, and stop the numerous ISDS cases against Africa;
Amendment 103 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 b (new) 10 b. Calls on the Commission to work on solutions with African governments and stakeholders and to implement recommendations of the Task Force Rural Africa, and takes the view that stable investment and (wo)manpower to develop an African food chain for regional circuits and African ownership could best contribute to increase health and well-being of African people;
Amendment 104 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 b (new) 10 b. Stresses that a strong Africa is in the geostrategic interest of the European Union and that the EU must therefore elaborate ambitious and appropriate plans for African growth and development that diversifies the economy on the continent and increases intra-African trade;
Amendment 105 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 c (new) 10 c. Highlights that around 60% of the population of the African countries is under 25 years old; calls on the Commission to assist the African youth with dedicated education programs under for example Erasmus+ and to increase educational and professional mobility by means of a dedicated strategy in cooperation with the African Union, the private sector and financial institutions (for example by making available micro- credit for start-ups) with the aim of improving economic and trading opportunities;
Amendment 106 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 c (new) 10 c. Highlights that the EU with its Member States remains the largest donor to Africa with 31% of the total aid, recalls the importance for a paradigm shift in European development policy towards market-oriented structural reforms and good governance;
Amendment 107 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 c (new) 10 c. In view of the documented growing risk of dissemination of zoonotic pathogens in Africa, calls on the Commission to promote in African countries more stringent standards in terms of SPS, animal welfare through regulatory cooperation and dialogue;
Amendment 108 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 d (new) 10 d. Stresses that there is a need in Africa to establish intra-continental value chains allowing for the domestic processing of raw materials; notes the continued existence of significant barriers to such trade due to prevalence of tariffs and other barriers, as well as poor infrastructure and high transaction costs;
Amendment 109 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 d (new) 10 d. Highlights that the future partnership between the European Union and the African Union should be one that is built upon shared values with respect for human rights and good governance;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1 b. Highlights that, while there are a number of dynamic middle income countries on the African continent, its economic development is still relatively weak in comparison to other parts of the world; stresses that many of its countries will therefore face almost insurmountable challenges caused by the COVID-19 crisis and the effects of climate change, amongst them huge demographic shifts with poverty- and conflict-driven migration as well as other problems; highlights in this context that in the short run, the EU must provide immediate aid measures such as procuring tests and laboratory equipment, followed by pandemic prevention measures through the development of an infrastructure of laboratories, financing of medical training measures, information campaigns and national pandemic response plans; underlines that the economic impact of the lockdown will be profound on the African continent, given the size of the informal sector; stresses that the long term goal of the partnership between the EU and Africa must be the resilience of African economies as well as economic independence from aid and indebtedness, to which the increasing resilience of the health sector should be a side effect;
Amendment 110 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 e (new) 10 e. Underlines that Africa and sub- Saharan Africa in particular will have the highest population growth in the coming decades; calls in this respect for the EU to follow the Task Force for Rural Africa (TFRA) conclusions on the need of investments to Africa food chains with a focus to be given to value-added commodities;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Welcomes the announcement from the G20 on a temporary moratorium on debt repayments for the weakest developing countries; yet notices that this debt relief accounts for only one third of the expected short-term fiscal loss; calls on the EU and its Member States to support further alleviation of African debt and to respect their long-standing and repeated commitment to devote 0.7 % of their GDP to Official Development Aid; expresses however its worries about the lack of concerted action against illicit financial flows worth 12 times the annual ODA, due to practices by Africans as well as by Europeans, among others: capital flight, tax avoidance schemes and national income loss due to tariff reduction;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Welcomes the announcement from the G20 on a temporary moratorium on debt repayments for the weakest
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Welcomes the announcement from the G20 on a temporary moratorium on debt repayments for the weakest developing countries as a first but necessary step in the good direction; calls the Commission, international donors and members’ states to go further and to consider an extension of the moratorium both in duration and scope for enabling African countries to combat the mid- and long-term impact of Covid-19, in view of a full debt cancellation;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Welcomes the announcement from the G20 on a temporary moratorium on debt repayments for the weakest developing countries; reiterates that debt reductions and debt cancellations are not mentioned in the current version of the Africa strategy while they are important palliatives in the COVID-19 crisis and a necessary measure beyond the pandemic since they will contribute to the policy space of African countries that is currently taken up by repaying debt;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Welcomes the announcement from the G20 on a temporary moratorium on debt repayments for the weakest developing countries; reiterates the calls on private creditors to participate in the initiative on comparable terms and for multilateral development banks, such as the IMF and World Bank, to further explore the options for the suspension of debt service payments over the suspension period;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Welcomes the announcement from the G20 on a temporary moratorium on debt repayments for the weakest developing countries; acknowledges that more needs to be done as huge sums are owed by poor countries to developed countries' private banks and investors; stresses the need to work for cancelling the debts by enforcement and not leaving it to any voluntary action;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Highlights that, while there are a number of dynamic middle income countries on the African continent, its economic development is still relatively weak in comparison to other parts of the world; stresses that many of its countries will therefore face almost insurmountable challenges caused by the COVID-19 crisis and the effects of climate change; notes that although the number of COVID-19 cases and fatalities might still appear comparatively low in Africa than in other world regions, the crisis will likely have disastrous impacts on the continent’s already strained health systems; beyond health risks, the combination of lower trade and investment from China in the immediate term, a demand slump associated with the lockdowns in the European Union and OECD countries; and a continental supply shock affecting domestic and intra-African trade, will cause severe economic pressure on Africa; therefore, the effect of the pandemic, both in the short and long term, needs to be incorporated in the EU- Africa strategy;
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Welcomes the announcement from the G20 on a temporary moratorium on debt repayments for the weakest developing countries; and encourages the G20 to go further on debt relief to ensure that the basic human needs of citizens can be provided for;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Highlights that due to the legacies of colonialism, neo-liberal trade policies and economic reforms pushed on these countries by global North governments and major multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF, the European Union still has important economic ties with African states
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Highlights that the European Union still has important economic ties with African states,
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Highlights that while the European Union
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Highlights that the European Union
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Highlights that the European Union
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Highlights that the European Union still has important economic ties with African states, and that China has intensified its economic engagement in Africa, while the EU Member States have shown only very selective interests for trade with- and investments in the African states, which is why the trade volume between the EU and most African states remains relatively small; underlines that the EU needs an entirely new foundation for its economic partnership with Africa, meaning that it needs to take the final step away from a dependency-based relationship and arrive in the new reality in which the EU and Africa need to develop a mutually beneficial sustainable partnership; underlines that the prerequisite of this partnership is the substantial further sustainable development in all African states;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Highlights that the European Union still has important economic ties with African states, and that China has intensified its economic engagement in Africa; notes, however, that the EU remains Africa’s most important partner in terms of investment, trade, development assistance and security; notes that as a continent with strong growth in many regions and a rapid-ly growing population, including an expanding middle class, Africa is set to play a larger economic role in the world, notes that Europe therefore has a strategic interest in pursuing closer ties and should seek to apply modern arrangements for coopera-tion in new fields and growth areas to ensure a productive transformation of the region, and building human, societal and economic resilience for future global crises;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Highlights that the European Union
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Highlights that the European Union
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Highlights that, while there are a number of dynamic middle income countries on the African continent, its economic development is still relatively weak in comparison to other parts of the world; stresses that many of its countries will therefore face almost insurmountable challenges caused by the COVID-19 crisis and the effects of climate change; stresses the primary sources of entrenched poverty in the region are: climate change, unsustainable, exploitative and crushing repayment conditions on aid and loans, punishing tariff regimes and the effects of having to compete on the global agricultural goods market against heavily subsidised products from global North countries, the regressive reforms pushed by the World Bank on the agriculture sectors of these countries so they are forced to grow plantation crops for export and import food domestic use food from abroad, the exploitation of natural resources by foreign mining corporations and fossil fuel companies;
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Highlights that the European Union still has important economic ties with African states, which according to the African Union must urgently be upgraded from the provision of raw materials at the beginning of value chains to the support of transformation and trade in transformed product, and that China has intensified its economic engagement in Africa;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Highlights that the European Union still has important economic ties with African states, and that China has intensified its economic engagement in
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Is of the view that Chinese presence and investments in Africa have increased considerably and that there is a need to remain vigilant as to the economic, social and environmental impact of the Chinese approach in Africa, in order to preserve the commercial interests of African states and of EU Member States;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Calls on the Commission to implement measures to further develop and modernise the logistics hubs of EU Member States on the Mediterranean, in order to facilitate trade to and from Africa;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Underlines that the role of many African states in the international division of labour
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Underlines that the role of many African states in the international division of labour does not promote
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Underlines th
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Underlines that the role of many African states in the international division of labour does not promote their sustainable development as long as it means that they export raw materials and some unprocessed agricultural commodities, while the EU exports manufactured goods, services and agricultural overcapacities; underlines that the EU must support the diversification of inner-African value chains by means of public investment in improved infrastructures and the development of a sustainable energy- supply; calls on the Commission to facilitate through the channels at its disposal the development of regional value chains as inner-regional trade on the African continent remains marginal and is a prerequisite for sustainable development and long term economic independence;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Underlines that the role of many African states in the international division of labour does not promote their sustainable development; recalls the need to better integrate African economies into global value chains, providing greater emphasis on African added value, e.g. through special and differential treatment; believes that the revised General Scheme of Preferences (GSP), with a reviewed set of binding principles and conventions and an extended monitoring mechanism, would greatly contribute to uphold human, social and environmental rights; stresses that binding due diligence in line with OECD standards is not only a tool to promote decent work, but also increase the general security situation on many Sub Saharan countries;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Underlines that the long standing role of many African states in the international division of labour does not promote their sustainable development, and that the more recent export of waste, much of it hazardous waste, causes additional damage to people and the environment; that SDGs should lie at the heart of the renewed EU-Africa Strategy, including in its trade dimension;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Highlights that, while there are a number of dynamic middle income countries on the African continent, its economic development is still relatively weak in comparison to other parts of the world; stresses that many of its countries will therefore face almost insurmountable challenges caused by the COVID-19 crisis and the effects of climate change; calls on the Commission to plan and enable strong and effective health diplomacy towards African countries in order to facilitate the export of medical devices and personal protective equipment and to support the easy exchange of doctors and health operators among the countries;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Underlines that the role of many African states in the international division of labour does not promote their sustainable development; calls on the Commission to create a strategy aimed at assisting the African nations with value chain development in order for more added value to be generated within the African continent;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Notes that African countries, albeit accounting for more than 50% of the General Scheme of Preferences (GSP) beneficiaries, only represent less than 5% of EU’s GSP imports; invites the Commission to assist beneficiaries’ actors, inter alia on adherence with rules of origin and technical barriers; regrets that the GSP has not so far contributed to the economic diversification of African beneficiary countries; reiterates its call on the Commission to consider expanding the list of products to be covered by the GSP Regulation;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Underlines that European companies have a responsibility for their supply chains; calls on the Commission to create an ambitious proposal on mandatory rules for due diligence for both human and social rights and environmental effects which includes provisions enabling victims in third countries to pursue civil remedies for breaches of these rules;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Calls the Commission to support the democratisation of the World Bank, the IMF and the WTO, and allow global South countries - who are the world’s majority - to have a fair and equal representation in these institutions so they can have a real say in the formulation of policies that affect them;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Stresses that the EU and the African Union share the common interest of a stable and rules-based multilateral trading system that is centered on the World Trade Organization (WTO);
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to reform its current version of its strategy entitled ‘Towards a comprehensive Strategy with Africa’ with a view to addressing the
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Commission to reform its current version of its strategy entitled ‘Towards a comprehensive Strategy with Africa’ with a view to addressing the needs of the African regions in the wake of this health and economic crisis in particular in the infrastructure sectors such as renewable energy, windmills and solar panels where EU has expertise and better standards than China; points out the role of digitizing food and agriculture to face the current Covid-19 pandemic in the continent and underlines the need to support investments in order to make smallholder crops and livestock more productive, improve nutrition and help empower women farmers;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Highlights that, while there are a number of dynamic middle income countries on the African continent, its economic development is still relatively weak in comparison to other parts of the world; stresses that many of its countries will therefore face almost insurmountable challenges caused by the COVID-19 crisis and the effects of climate change; highlights that due to their economic situation, not all of these countries are able to take lockdown measures similar to those taken in developed countries and therefore the containment of the COVID- 19 virus has been impeded;
Amendment 50 #
5. Calls on the Commission to reform its current version of its strategy entitled ‘Towards a comprehensive Strategy with Africa’ with a view to addressing the needs and economic rights of the African regions in the wake of this health and economic crisis, and to introduce a clear gender perspective to address the differentiated impacts of the crisis and the recovery as well as the different roles and burdens of men and women in this crisis; calls on the Commission to allow at least temporary African countries to levy export taxes on commodities to cushion the impacts of the multiple crises and to prepare the recovery;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Takes the view that the EU should direct its efforts to creating social and economic conditions that enable African citizens to have a decent future on their own continent, without being forced to emigrate; stresses that tackling the root causes of emigration depends closely and directly on the stability and economic development of the African continent;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the Commission to support Africa in its ambitions for a continental free trade area by making the necessary adjustments in order to
Amendment 54 #
6.
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the Commission to support Africa in its ambitions for a continental free trade area by making the necessary adjustments in order to implement its Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs)
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the Commission to support Africa in its ambitions for a continental free trade area by making the necessary adjustments in order to implement its Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the Commission to support Africa in its ambitions for a continental free trade area by making the necessary adjustments
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the Commission to support Africa in its ambitions for a continental free trade area by making the necessary adjustments in
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the Commission to support Africa in its ambitions for a continental free trade area by making the necessary adjustments in order to implement its Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and make them fit the project of the Continental Free Trade Area; underlines that as part of the Continental Free Trade Area, European direct investment should support better regional infrastructure development that will help industrial production and increase economic growth in primary, and in turn secondary, industries in Africa;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Highlights that, while there are a number of dynamic middle income countries on the African continent, its economic development is still relatively weak in comparison to other parts of the world; stresses that many of its countries will therefore face almost insurmountable challenges caused by the COVID-19 crisis and the effects of climate change; stresses the need for the EU to support African countries to invest in public services such as public and free health and education systems, and in access to social protection;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6 a. Calls on the Commission to stop supporting the Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) project which gives no guarantees against incentives to race to the bottom for third country partners, would accentuate the vast presence of multinational companies in Africa which are maximizing economic relations with western countries even further, to the detriment of intra-regional trade, potentially hampering continental integration by facilitating profits for multinationals already present in most African countries and encouraging them to concentrate their activities in the most competitive, will in the end help create a large African market, but with relatively few African products traded;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6 a. Calls for the systematic inclusion of binding and enforceable mechanisms for the implementation of TSD chapters on human rights, labour and environmental standards in all currently negotiated and future EPAs; reiterates the need of an in-depth analysis on the impact of EPAs and trade liberalization agreements in African countries on local economies, on biodiversity loss, deforestation and land grabbing, and the need to review these agreements to be coherent with development policies ad SDGs;
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6 b. Recalls that trade liberalization has an impact on deforestation, climate change and biodiversity loss as well as on food production and access to food; believes that the EU-Africa partnership should be based on a commercial policy that favours the defence of forests and biodiversity, the development of local agriculture and local producers and farmers, to promote a full food sovereignty and to reduce the phenomenon of land grabbing and deforestation for agricultural export use;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Underlines that so far, the fragmented implementation of
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Underlines that the
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Underlines that the
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Underlines that the fragmented implementation of EPAs has resulted in a lack of substantial progress in supporting regional integration, capacity-building on border cooperation, and improvements in investment climate
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Underlines that the fragmented implementation of EPAs has resulted in a lack of substantial progress in supporting regional integration, capacity-building on border cooperation, and improvements in investment climates and good governance; believes that the serious concerns raised by EPAs in place or under negotiation need to be overcome (including regional integration concerns, Rules of Origin complications, non tariff barriers, and little in-built protection for infant industries) and addressed in the strategy;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7.
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Underlines that the fragmented implementation of EPAs has resulted in a lack of substantial progress in supporting regional integration, capacity-building on border cooperation, and improvements in investment climates and good governance; calls on the Commission to further assist the African countries in these areas without making this assistance fully conditional on implementation of EPAs;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Highlights that, while there are a number of dynamic middle income
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Underlines that the fragmented implementation of EPAs has resulted in a lack of substantial progress in supporting regional integration, capacity-building on
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Underlines that the fragmented implementation of EPAs has resulted in a lack of substantial progress in supporting regional integration, capacity-building on border cooperation, and improvements in investment climates and good governance; therefore insists to support the integration of African economies on a regional scale in order to make them stronger on the international scale;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7 a. Recalls that the criteria of "reciprocity" for trade agreements with the ACP countries led to a reduction or even the abolition of customs duties on their imports, to no longer introducing new export taxes, thereby depriving States of tax revenue and exposing the fragile agricultural and industrial sectors to competition from subsidized European products and therefore aggravating social poverty, the EU development aid policy is therefore repairing the damage that its trade policy has helped to create;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7 a. Calls the EU to review export taxes restrictions and WTO + TRIPS+ provisions in the current and future EPAs and FTAs, to allow African and developing countries to better answer to the economic and health crisis and make full use of compulsory licensing, as well as to guarantee full and just access to medical intellectual property through granted emergency exemption from IPR protections on covid-19 medical supplies to support domestic production;
Amendment 74 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Stresses that new EPAs with African countries should include clauses concerning the real cooperation of African countries in managing and controlling migration flows, in order to prevent economic migrants from constantly coming to Europe;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 b (new) 7 b. Calls the EU to ensure - through debt cancellation and stopping illicit tax flows - that countries have the financial freedom to give subsidies to their farmers in order to allow emerging agricultural businesses to grow strong enough to supply their own people and facilitate stronger inner-African trade in agricultural goods;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Calls for a concrete proposal that establishes common initiatives on a
Amendment 77 #
8. Calls for a concrete proposal that establishes common initiatives on a renewable energy supply on the African continent; and the promotion of innovation geared towards it, including both a concrete plan to publicly finance those initiatives and a plan on how to get into closer cooperation with regard to the future common usage of the resulting renewable energy; reiterates that sustainable development without comprehensive access to energy is not possible and encourages the Commission to come up with an ambitious plan for implementing this sustainable energy partnership;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Calls for a concrete proposal that establishes common initiatives on a renewable energy supply on the African continent, in parallel to the swift phasing out of all investments in fossil fuel related projects, offering technology transfer and patent pooling for free technology; and expects a similar initiative on patent pooling and free licenses for medicines and medical equipment to solve the virulent health crisis;
Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8. Calls for a concrete proposal that establishes common initiatives on a renewable energy supply on the African continent reminding the need to ensure easy access to electricity, to focus on resilient infrastructures, clear, sustainable and secure energy access;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Stresses that the EU is Africa’s largest trading partner, the main investor on the African continent and the most important destination market for products manufactured in this part of the world, and it is estimated that by 2050 there will be 2.5 billion people living in Africa;
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 8.
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 8 a (new) Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 9. Emphasises the need for substantial sustainable investments
Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 9. Emphasises the need for substantial sustainable investments that enable leapfrogging in the African states; reminds the role played by a value-adding private sector to stimulate PP investments and economic diversification, recalls the need to help SMEs which are suffering from a lack of public and political support, transparent regulatory framework, lack of level-playing field and rising of unauthorized companies; in this regard, underlines the role of European Business organisations to work closely with their African counterparts through ad-hoc platforms and initiatives to increase trade fair and exhibition systems;
Amendment 84 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 9. Emphasises the need for substantial sustainable investments that enable
Amendment 85 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 9. Emphasises the need for substantial sustainable investments that enable leapfrogging in the African states, while strengthening public health and public education sectors, clean water infrastructure and supply, transport and energy infrastructures and carving them out from any privatization;
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 9. Emphasises the need for substantial sustainable investments
Amendment 87 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 9. Emphasises the need for substantial sustainable investments that enable leapfrogging in the African states; calls for an investigation on how leapfrogging can contribute to sustainable development;
Amendment 88 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 9 a (new) 9 a. Stresses the vital role of digital transformation and digitalisation for sustainable development and resilience of societies that has been especially visible during the current global situation triggered by the COVID-19 crisis; calls for a continued, strengthened, systematic and mutually beneficial cooperation with the African states on digitalisation, innovative technologies and solutions at all levels of society, including on e- governance, e-commerce, digital skills and cyber security, in line with the Digitalisation for Development (D4D) approach;
Amendment 89 #
9 a. Reiterates its call for an EU legal framework based on corporate mandatory due diligence on human rights violations in supply chains and provide access to justice for victims; believes that such obligations should be cross-sectorial and apply in particular to the financial sector; invites the Commission to continue and reinforce its engagement in the negotiations for the establishment of a UN Binding Treaty on Transnational Corporations and OBE with respect to Human Rights;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Highlights the importance of ecologically and socially sustainable trade relations with the African continent; calls on the Commission to proceed with its legislative proposal on mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence obligations for EU companies;
Amendment 90 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 10. Underlines that empowering civil society, and thereby including a social counterpart
Amendment 91 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 10. Underlines that empowering civil society
Amendment 92 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 10.
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 10. Underlines that empowering civil
Amendment 94 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Highlights the importance of supporting African countries capacity to increase domestic resource mobilisation, in order to increase investments in universal public basic services; calls the EU to support African countries on combatting illicit financial flows, EU companies and multinationals tax evasion, to ensure taxes are paid where profits and real economic value is created, in order to stop base erosion and profit- shifting;
Amendment 95 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Recalls that the position of women can be strengthened with strong provisions on Gender & Trade in Trade Agreements; calls in this regards on the European Commission to assist the African Union with the implementation of it Strategy for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment and implement measures that contribute to the achievement of gender equality in its trade agreements with the African countries;
Amendment 96 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Recognizes the critical role of women and girls in sustainable growth and development; emphasizes that the empowerment of women and girls must be mainstreamed throughout the implementation of the Africa strategy; underlines that the economic independence of women must be fostered by the promotion of female entrepreneurs;
Amendment 97 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Is concerned by the CAP- supported export of European milk powder to West Africa, the tripling of export since the EU lifted the milk quotas in 2015 having disastrous consequences for local herders and farmers who can’t compete; calls on the Commission to work on solutions with African governments and stakeholders;
Amendment 98 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 a (new) 10 a. Calls on the Member States and African countries to accelerate the ratification of EPAs and demands that the Commission puts forth an ambitious timetable for the implementation of such agreements;
Amendment 99 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Highlights the need to promote, support and encourage female and youth entrepreneurship;
source: 653.807
2020/06/29
AGRI
106 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Citation 1 a (new) - having regard to the report of the Task Force Rural Africa of 7 March 2019,
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 100 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5 b. Believes that the production, processing and distribution of agricultural food are seen as one of the main sources of job creation for people in rural areas, education and regional economic integration, while young people and women must receive more support as key actors of change;
Amendment 101 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5 b. Highlights the risk that some agricultural surplus, such as milk powder, generated during the Covid crises are exported to less developed countries, competing with local productions and creating collateral damages to producers, and therefore asks the European Commission to reflect on a destocking strategy in order to avoid a negative effect on local small farms in poor countries.
Amendment 102 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5 b. Underlines that new EU-Africa partnership must recognise the multiple roles and contributions of civil society organisations and therefore the need to involve them at all levels of political and policy dialogue and in the preparation, monitoring and evaluation of implementation plans;
Amendment 103 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5 b. Calls on the EU-Africa Partnership to put a strong emphasis on agricultural and rural development in order to promote economic stability and quality of life in rural areas.
Amendment 104 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 c (new) 5 c. Stresses that women who work in subsistence agriculture face additional hurdles in maintaining food sovereignty due to the strong protection of new plant varieties by the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) in trade agreements;
Amendment 105 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 c (new) 5 c. Encourages African and European professional agricultural organisations to cooperate in order to promote their roles in responding to the common challenges of agricultural sustainability and to develop exchanges of practices on the organisation of value chains and production.
Amendment 106 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 c (new) 5 c. Points out that change in Africa is best achieved when good governance and a transparent distribution of aid is rewarded and abuse punished;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Recalls the importance of food sovereignty, a principle based on the capacity of each country or region to feed its population and to do so to the largest extent possible through its own resources; emphasises that this principle is especially important for the African continent which is still the region in the world most affected by malnutrition and which is expected to see very significant demographic growth in the coming years, notably in the sub-Saharan region;
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Supports the development of trade opportunities between the continents, while including protection and safeguards for sensitive agricultural products to enable regions to enhance and extend their production potential; points out that trade agreements have the potential to boost local agriculture, but need to uphold the principle of fair trade avoiding disrupting local agriculture, and at the same time assure the availability of sustainably produced food;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Recalls the new European Consensus on Development, in which the EU and its Member States reaffirm their commitment to Policy Coherence for Development (PCD), which requires consideration of all development cooperation objectives in policy areas that are likely to have an impact on developing countries;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Points out the central importance of the agricultural and food sector in the economy and society of both Africa and the EU, considers that the development of a sustainable agricultural sector and of rural areas is at the cornerstone of job creation potential and sustainable development in Africa and should therefore be at the centre of the EU- Africa cooperation;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Highlights that the African population is expected to rise to 2.5 billion in 2050 and stresses the important role of agriculture and rural development to provide food and generate income; asks the Commission to update the title of the first partnership proposed to duly reflect the importance of access to food;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Calls for the EU-Africa partnership in agriculture to promote the transition to sustainable agricultural and food systems, which focus on the development of short supply chains, local production and distribution, for local consumption;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Calls on the EU to intensify cooperation between the two continents in a sustained manner and to demonstrate the advantages of regional economic cycles and to promote sustainable and climate-friendly investments;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1 b. Emphasises that the EU's intensive export-oriented farming model is, for its part, dependent on the importation of large volumes of protein feed; stresses that our consumption patterns tie down substantial third- country resources; underscores the fact that people in third countries can be adversely affected by European global resource consumption and underlines the responsibility that arises from this;
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Citation 2 a (new) - having regard to the decision of the United Nations General Assembly to proclaim the Decade of Family Farming for the period from 2019 to 2028,
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1 b. Requests that the European Commission, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals and commitments made in the Farm to Fork Strategy, will through its external and trade policies actively work together with African partners in the transition to sustainable agri-food systems, which benefit people, nature and economic growth;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1 b. Welcomes the setting up of the African Union-European Union agrifood platform, following the recommendations of the Task Force Rural Africa, linking the African and European agrifood private sectors to boost twinning, the exchange of best practices and sustainable and inclusive investments in African agriculture;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1 b. Stresses that shaping a climate- neutral future is important, while a circular economy with sustainable value chains must be key to a sustainable economic model so that the conditions for mutual trade are put on a fruitful basis;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1 b. Calls for the European Union and its member states to create synergies between the EU-Africa strategy and the Green Deal(in particular the external dimension of the "Farm to fork"strategy), accompanied by concrete actions to guarantee the right to healthy, resilient and sustainable food for all ;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 c (new) 1 c. Calls on the EU to develop a concrete strategic position in order further to promote the sustainable management of natural resources and improve cooperation between the EU and Africa with a view to an efficient and secure raw materials sector and ensuring access to renewable energies and sustainable value chains;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 c (new) 1 c. Welcomes the focus in the strategy on the role of digitalisation in agriculture and the management of natural resources; calls for enhanced opportunities to enable in particular young farmers to tap into the opportunities of digitalisation to use scarce resources in a most efficient way while ensuring increased food production;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 c (new) 1 c. Is deeply concerned about the high dependence of African states on food imports, especially from the European Union, particularly when these imports are made up of subsidized products whose low price represents harmful competition for small-scale agriculture in Africa;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 c (new) 1 c. Highlights the importance and potential of the agricultural and food sector in promoting youth and women employment and in providing them with decent and sustainable jobs opportunities in rural areas;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Deplores the overproduction of meat and milk in the European Union and its aggressive export model which damages the African market and local producers;
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 d (new) 1 c. Believes that the signing of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) opens up new opportunities for regional economic integration and intra- African trade; stresses that this agreement creates a secure environment for investment, increased local value creation and employment;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Citation 2 a (new) - having regard to the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 20301a, _________________ 1aEU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Bringing ature back into our lives (COM(2020) 380 final)
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 d (new) 1d. Calls on the EU to develop a geostrategic approach to agriculture in order to support a thoroughly reformed common agricultural policy committed to sustainability keeping the sustainable development of African farming in its quest for self-sufficiency intact;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 e (new) 1e. Supports agro-ecological practices as the foundation for ecological, social and economic sustainability in Africa and in Europe, and the multifunctional solutions offered by this approach already promoted by UNEP and the FAO, to make African agriculture more resilient to climate shocks, better able to protect its soils by combating erosion and desertification, more bio-diverse and thus reduce the risk to producers by making them more self-sufficient and adaptable to climate change; considers that the European Union must significantly develop cooperation with Africa on such agro-ecological practices;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 f (new) 1f. Stresses the importance of the role of seeds as regards sustainable agriculture and food production and the control of living things by farmers; points out that the exchange of seed of local varieties is indeed a way for farmers not to be dependent on the agro-industrial sector, an appropriate means of adopting a food security policy and, finally, of adapting production to pedoclimatic conditions and rapid climate change;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 g (new) 1g. Highlights the potential of agroecological approaches, inter alia permaculture and agro-forestry, conservation and sharing of seeds, organic farming to improve the diversity of the diet of rural communities, moving away from monocultures and promoting food autonomy;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 h (new) 1h. Recalls the resolution (2015/2277 (INI)) adopted on 16 April 2016 by the DEVE Committee of the European Parliament and on 7 June 2016 concerning the NAFSN and contests the support of GMOs by the EU and more generally the G8 in Africa;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 i (new) 1i. Recalls the importance of agroforestry and permaculture approaches in mixed gardens which are excellent for food safety for small farmers and communities; stresses that certain trees are also leguminous plants which capture atmospheric nitrogen, thereby eliminating the need for chemical fertilisers, which destroy soil life and increase farmers’ production costs by adding to the dependency on input products; stresses that the lack of trees in rural environments leads to desertification and extreme soil erosion; stresses that this is partly due to the need of local populations for fire wood and also due to pressure from overgrazing; notes the need for simple, fair, effective and integrated rural development solutions on the ground;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 j (new) 1j. Warns against a neo-colonialist approach and new forms of input dependency (seeds, fertilisers, pesticides), but also with regard to financing and farmers going into debt in the pursuit of digital technologies; stresses that they should not seek to promote or firmly establish existing or new dependencies, but should rather allow farmers and their communities to be autonomous;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Is particularly concerned about the fact that deforestation is gaining pace in Africa and in Europe; is equally alarmed by the role of European policies, in particular the biofuels policy (Directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and indirect land use change (ILUC)), and stresses, in particular, the effects of fuel production on global deforestation and food crops; points out that the destruction of the African rainforests leads to an irreversible loss of biodiversity and of carbon sinks and of the habitat and ways of life of indigenous communities living in the forests; calls on the Commission to submit, without delay, a proposal for a European due diligence framework in order to guarantee sustainable and deforestation- free supply chains for all products placed on the EU market;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Is particularly concerned about the fact that deforestation is gaining pace in Africa; points out that the destruction of the African rainforests leads to an irreversible loss of biodiversity and of carbon sinks; calls on the Commission to submit, without delay, a proposal for a European binding due diligence framework
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Is particularly concerned about the fact that deforestation is gaining pace in Africa; points out that the destruction of the African rainforests leads to an
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Deplores the fact that the Commission continues to promote free trade without weighing the social, environmental and economic impact in the agrifood sector and heedful of the ultimate aim of establishing a comprehensive free-trade area between the two continents; points out that free-
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Is particularly concerned about the fact that deforestation is gaining pace in Africa, underlines that during COVID-19 crisis, in March 2020 Congo basin was the 2nd highest deforested region in the world, with higher than double the deforested area in comparison to previous years1a; points out that the destruction of the African rainforests leads to an irreversible loss of biodiversity and of carbon sinks; calls on the Commission to submit, without delay, a proposal for a European due diligence framework in order to guarantee sustainable and deforestation- free supply chains for all products placed on the EU market; _________________ 1aas reported by WWF, available here: https://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/fm- wwf/Publikationen-PDF/WWF-Analyse- Waldverlust-in-Zeiten-der-Corona- Pandemie.pdf
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Is particularly concerned about the fact that deforestation is gaining pace in Africa; points out that the destruction of the African rainforests leads to an irreversible loss of biodiversity and of carbon sinks; calls on the Commission to submit, without delay, a proposal for a European due diligence framework in order to guarantee sustainable and deforestation- free supply chains for all products placed on the EU market; urges the EU to work together with governments and global actors, through partnership agreements to foster a consistent approach at the global level;
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Is particularly concerned about the fact that deforestation is gaining pace in Africa to a greater extent than in any other continent; points out that the destruction of the African rainforests leads to an irreversible loss of biodiversity and of carbon sinks; calls on the Commission to submit, without delay, a proposal for a European due diligence framework in order to guarantee sustainable and deforestation- free supply chains for all products placed on the EU market
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 – point 1 (new) (1) In addition to preventing deforestation, there is a common interest to promote reforestation, afforestation and sustainable forest management and the whole wood-based value chain for economic growth, job creation and increased food security; as forest also contribute significantly to reaching climate targets and protecting biodiversity noting that joint efforts by the EU and Africa should support the development of climate-resilient agriculture and forestry, sustainable rural development and safe food systems, which are crucial for the eradication of poverty, hunger and malnutrition;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 a. Stresses that the European Union should ensure that the same high safety and sustainability standards in food production, both for the product and the production method, should apply, particularly in the light of the higher ambition of the Farm to Fork Strategy and Biodiversity Strategy for 2030;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 a. Highlights the positive contribution of expertise of the European agricultural sector and stresses the need to prioritise partnerships in research and innovation in agriculture, including through Horizon Europe, in order to avoid to avoid food losses before and post harvest and increase farm outputs;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 a. Calls on the EU to invest more in programmes for a more climate-resilient, more sustainable and more extensive agriculture, sustainable diversification, agroecology and agroforestry, with the aim of stopping the expansion of land use at the expense of forests;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 a. Calls on the Commission to develop joint action plans to protect and improve the management of forests, waters and marine ecosystems under the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 a. Underlines that the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in intensive agriculture in Africa causes a deterioration in the health of workers who have very little access to health care, in addition to environmental damages;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Deplores that fact that land- grabbing is rife in Africa; points out that land-grabbing is a brutal practice that undermines food sovereignty and endangers rural African communities; calls on the Commission to establish an observatory for deforestation, fires and land-grabbing using satellites (remote detection) and an early warning system with the support of the local populations, while respecting policy coherence for development, in particular by using the provisions of the regulation on the financing, management and monitoring of the common agricultural policy (CAP);
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Deplores that fact that land- grabbing is rife in Africa; points out that
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Deplores that fact that land- grabbing is rife in Africa; points out that land-grabbing is a brutal practice that undermines food sovereignty and endangers rural African communities; stresses the importance of launching an inclusive process with the aim of establishing a mechanism guaranteeing the effective participation of civil society organizations in the development, implementation and monitoring of policies and actions related to land- grabbing;
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Deplores that fact that land- grabbing is rife in Africa; points out that land-grabbing is a brutal practice that undermines food sovereignty and endangers rural African communities; calls for restrictions on trade where it is revealed to be a result of land-grabbing;
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Deplores that fact that land- grabbing is rife in Africa; points out that land-grabbing is a brutal practice that undermines food sovereignty and endangers rural African communities; asks the EU to encourage African leadership to consolidate land rights and adopt principles towards improved land governance;
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Deplores th
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Deplores that fact that land- grabbing is rife in Africa; points out that land-grabbing is a brutal practice that undermines
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Deplores that fact that land- grabbing is rife in Africa; points out that land-grabbing is a brutal practice that undermines food s
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Notes that, for example, grazing rights and community pastures are traditional land use rights based on common law and not on securitised property rights; emphasises, however, the essential importance of protecting these common rights for the rural population;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Deplores the fact that the Commission continues to promote free trade with the ultimate aim of establishing a comprehensive free-trade area between the two continents; points out that free- trade agreements disrupt local agriculture, are damaging to small producers and exacerbate the African continent’s dependency on food imports and completely distort the terms of trade given the huge differences in productivity between the rich countries of the EU and Africa;
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Calls for the VGGT guidelines to be observed in all projects that promote the protection of land rights and also ensure that projects should as a matter of principle not endanger the land rights of small farmers;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Welcomes the NaturAfrica initiative which aims to protect wild flora and fauna, while at the same time providing local people with opportunities in the ‘green’ sectors.
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. whereas, with population growth and increased food production, rural areas will continue to offer firm economic prospects for young people in the future;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3 b. Notes with concern that the exploitation of raw materials in Africa further exacerbates existing conflicts or creates new ones and, in addition to the original land grabbing, leads to twofold exploitation and oppression of the local population;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 c (new) 3 b. Calls on the EU and its Member States to actively support and actively help and support partner countries, in line with the voluntary guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests and international human rights standards, to apply the principle of free, prior and informed consent to the acquisition of land on a large scale; further calls on the EU to support partner countries in improving their property laws by recognising the universal right of women to be fully entitled land owners;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Urges Member States and the EU to increase considerably the amount of public development aid allocated to African countries; calls in particular for an increase in public development aid for agroecological agriculture, food security, biodiversity and climate change adaptation policies; is gravely concerned by the impact of the climate crisis, which is amplifying the threats that already exist to food security, and in particular droughts in sub-Saharan Africa, requiring support for farmers in Africa in order to assist them in their necessary adaptation to the climate crisis ;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Urges Member States and the EU to increase considerably the amount of public
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Urges Member States and the EU to increase considerably the amount of public development aid allocated to African countries; calls in particular for an increase in public development aid for biodiversity and climate change adaptation policies; stresses the importance of the agricultural production, processing and distribution sectors, which are Africa's principal economic and social mainstays and also help to limit migratory trends;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Urges Member States and the EU to increase considerably the amount of public development aid allocated to
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Urges Member States and the EU to increase considerably the amount of public development aid allocated to African countries; calls in particular for an increase in public development aid for biodiversity and climate change adaptation policies and for agricultural ecology to be recognised as the basis for sustainable agricultural and food systems;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Urges Member States and the EU to increase considerably the
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls for increased cooperation between Africa and Europe in terms of rural development practices, in particular the exchange of appropriate, low-cost and efficient techniques and approaches, including marketing and processing of food, alternatives to pesticides, agroforestry and cooperation models and other solutions that benefit small farmers, groups of small-scale farmers and communities, without creating dependency on inputs or debts and increasing resilience and self-reliance;
Amendment 74 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Stresses the significant share of Africa’s work force that rely on agricultural food production, processing and distribution for their livelihoods, income and direct employment; underlines that it concerns in most cases smallholdings and family farms, notes the importance of promoting and enhancing measures and tools to support increasing the quality and diversification of products, modernisation of agricultural practices and measures to strengthen the resilience of farmers, particularly young farmers;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Highlights the existence of conservancy schemes which engage with farmers leasing their land for wildlife protection purposes, provide local jobs and improve coexistence with wild species; recalls the EU plan1a to launch the NaturAfrica initiative to protect wildlife and key ecosystems while offering opportunities in green sectors for local populations; _________________ 1aEU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. Bringing ature back into our lives (COM(2020) 380 final)
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4 b. Stresses the essential contributions of young girls and women to agricultural and rural economies across the African continent;however regrets that many women do not have the same rights as men, have more limited access to land and face many constraints that reduce their agricultural productivity; considers it therefore of crucial importance to support and enhance the empowerment of young girls and women in Africa;
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Stresses that the EU needs to bring its policies, notably the CAP and trade policy, into line with its development policy;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Africa-EU Partnership to focus its efforts in the area of agriculture on safeguarding African countries’ right to food security and on promoting small-scale agro-ecological farming with the emphasis on healthy food production and farmer well-being
Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Africa-EU Partnership to focus its efforts in the area of agriculture on safeguarding African countries’ right to food security and on promoting small-scale agro-ecological farming with the emphasis on healthy food production and farmer well-being; Stresses that tropical crops like palm oil, cocoa or coffee, originating in Africa, have been traditionally present in diverse agroforestry systems, deplores monocropping models transforming the traditional form of farming into monocropping which depletes soils, biodiversity, uses more land and worsens the nutrition provision in local communities.
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Africa-EU Partnership to focus its efforts in the area of agriculture on safeguarding African countries’ right to food security and on promoting small-scale agro-ecological farming which guarantees food and nutritional security for all and better resilience to crises, particularly the climate crisis, with the emphasis on healthy food production and farmer well- being
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Africa-EU Partnership to focus its efforts in the area of agriculture on safeguarding African countries’ right to food s
Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Africa-EU Partnership to focus its efforts in the area of agriculture on safeguarding African countries’ right to food security and on promoting small-scale agro-ecological farming with the emphasis on healthy food production and farmer well-being; demands that the EU's cooperation agreements shift the focus back to supporting sustainable development of agriculture and to making third-country farmers self-sufficient.
Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Africa-EU Partnership to focus its efforts in the area of agriculture on safeguarding African countries’ right to food security in order to allow their populations to live there with dignity and on promoting small-scale agro-ecological farming with the emphasis on healthy food production and farmer well-being.
Amendment 84 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Africa-EU Partnership to focus its efforts in the area of agriculture on safeguarding African countries’ right to food security and nutrition and on promoting small-scale agro-ecological
Amendment 85 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Africa-EU Partnership to focus its efforts in the area of agriculture on safeguarding African countries’ right to food security and on promoting small-scale agro-ecological and family farming with the emphasis on healthy, safe and an increased food production and farmer well-being.
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 87 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Africa-EU Partnership to focus its efforts in the area of agriculture on safeguarding African countries’ right to food security and on promoting s
Amendment 88 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Calls on the Africa-EU Partnership to focus its efforts in the area of agriculture on safeguarding African countries’ right to food
Amendment 89 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 – point 1 (new) (1) Remind that joint EU-Africa Task force rural Africa (TFRA) prepared on 2018 a list of measures to increase Africa's own food production and the list is still a relevant basic for the Africa-EU Partnership
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 90 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Calls on Member states, in the context of partnerships with the private sector, to target the local private sector as a priority, micro-, small and medium-sized businesses type, and among these social and cooperative enterprises, which contribute to sustainable development. These partnerships with private actors must be subject to precise selection criteria, public monitoring , evaluation processes and independent complaint mechanisms. Support for the private sector must be conditioned on respect for human rights and the recognition of the right to food. Tied aid promoting access to this funding by European companies must be excluded;
Amendment 91 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Points out that achieving sustainable development goals, in particular food security and zero hunger, will be a common priority; emphasises that the creation of safe and sustainable agricultural and food systems should be promoted through environmentally friendly farming practices, local production, intact rural areas, the protection of biodiversity and natural resources as well as the introduction of sanitary and phytosanitary standards;
Amendment 92 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Denounces the double standard applied by the EU regarding pesticides by allowing the export of hazardous substances banned in the EU to African countries and other third countries and asks for the modification of the current EU rules in order eliminate such a legal incoherence, based on the Rotterdam Convention, adopted 22 years ago, since it is not in line with the spirit of the Green Deal.
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Highlights the important role that farmers’ organisations and cooperatives in Africa may have in improving the bargaining power of farmers and their revenue, facilitating access to equipment and services and reducing risks associated to marketing of products; considers that the exchange of experiences among Africa and European organisations would present mutual benefits.
Amendment 94 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Calls on the Commission to carry out a comprehensive ex-ante and ex-post impact assessment of the external effects of the CAP and European trade policy using SDG indicators; calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that European agricultural exports do not further increase migration pressure;
Amendment 95 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Calls on the Commission to ensure that the Africa-EU Partnership is mutually beneficial to both continents in terms of market opportunities, knowledge exchange, fair value chains and access to and support for climate mitigation and adaptation tools and measures;
Amendment 96 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. whereas agriculture is still the most important economic activity for young people in Africa and must be safeguarded in future by guaranteeing the right of ownership and self- determination;
Amendment 97 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) Amendment 98 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5 b. Recalls that almost half1a of agricultural work in Africa is done by women, while women farmers are mostly small or subsistence farmers who do not have the necessary access to information, credit, land or networks to be able to compete successfully in a global market ; for this reason, calls for a development- oriented and gender-conscious trade policy that guarantees negotiations based on equal rights between the trading partners; emphasises that EU agricultural imports undercut traditional smallholder farms, thereby threatening the livelihood of women in particular; _________________ 1a http://www.fao.org/gender/resources/info graphics/the-female-face-of-farming/en/
Amendment 99 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5 b. Supports the proposal of the Task Force Rural Africa for the establishment of an Europe-Africa Twinning programme, extended to linking agricultural bodies of EU Member States and partner countries in Africa, such as farmer’ organisations and cooperatives, rural women’s and youth organisations among others, aiming at sharing good practices and foster relationships between strongly engaged and similar partners.
source: 653.993
2020/07/02
AFET
234 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that Europe and Africa are in close geographical proximity, have strong, historical
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Recalls that democracy is based on respect for human rights, civil and political rights, equality and non- discrimination, as well as the rights of protest and association; recalls that social and economic rights, in particular the right to work, health, education, housing, a healthy environment, access to water and food and fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of expression, are necessary for the achievement of a democratic society, and that these rights and freedoms are under threat in many EU and African countries and that numerous violations of these rights and freedoms endanger democracy by laying the foundations for authoritarian states; stresses that civil society must be inclusive, in order to represent all existing groups, such as women, LGBTI+ people, young people, people with disabilities and ethnic minorities;
Amendment 100 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Calls on the EC and the EEAS to take specific actions to protect migrants from death, disappearance, family separation and violation of their rights; calls on the EC and the EEAS to facilitate and implement safe and legal migration channels, particularly for employment but not only for those deemed "highly skilled", in the framework of a migration and mobility partnership based on shared responsibility and the respect for Human Rights and International and Refugee Law; calls on the EC and the EEAS to take into account and avoid any negative spill over of EU external migration policies on African continental and regional migration and mobility;
Amendment 101 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Notes that Africa’s potential attracts increased interest from many players on the world scene, and expresses concern that in many areas Africa has become a new arena of great power competition;
Amendment 102 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 d (new) 5d. Stresses the importance of climate change as a risk multiplier for conflict, drought, famine and migration in Africa and worldwide; underlines the ruling of the UN Human Rights Committee of 20 January 2020 on a complaint by an individual seeking asylum from the effects of climate change, whereby it stated that countries may not deport individuals who face climate change-induced conditions that violate the right to life; calls on the EU-Africa Strategy to explicitly address climate migration and urges the EU to provide additional pathways for people affected by climate change, especially when fleeing slow-onset changes of the environment, by improving the flexibility of legal channels for migrants workers and their families, including resettlement and mobility schemes and preferential access for workers coming from regions affected by climate change;
Amendment 103 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 d (new) 5d. Stresses that respect for and full realisation of the human rights of women are the foundations of a democratic society; considers, therefore, that the absence of psychological, physical and sexual violence and abuse, women's political participation and participation in all areas of society, including decision- making processes, peace-building and peace-keeping efforts, negotiations and leadership, education, labour market access and entrepreneurism, ensuring their economic and social rights, autonomy, emancipation as well as access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, which are fundamental rights and objectives to be achieved for the construction of a truly democratic society; calls on the EEAS and the Commission to include a gender approach based on these principles in all its policies in Africa;
Amendment 104 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 e (new) 5e. Recalls that climate change is having tragic consequences in the European Union and in African countries; calls on the EC and the EEAS to incorporate the fight against climate change, the ecological and digital transition as well as the Green Deal into the strategy, while ensuring that such transition is just and leaves no one behind; calls on the EU to define and legally recognise climate refugee status as a person displaced and forced to move as a direct or indirect result of climate changes, such as droughts, extreme temperatures, changes in water composition, the rise of sea levels, desertification and floods. As stated by the UN General Assembly in 2018 in the Global Compact on Refugees, climate, environmental degradation and natural disasters increasingly interact with the drivers of refugee movements, caused by the loss of livelihoods and food insecurity;
Amendment 105 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 f (new) 5f. Calls for the EU's common agricultural policy to be restructured by scaling down agricultural subsidies that are detrimental to local production in both African countries and EU Member States; stresses that the current agro- industrial model is based on social and environmental dumping and is designed solely to satisfy financial interests at the expense of the income of small and medium-sized farms and the needs of the population; reaffirms the need to take agriculture and food out of the logic of trade and free trade agreements; supports a new global agriculture and food model that meets the objectives of food sovereignty for peoples and states (which includes the right of peasants, with a particular focus on female farmers, to produce food for their people and families, by ending land grabbing and ensuring farmers' access to land, seeds and water), ecological transition, job creation and fair pay for both male and female farmers, and the right to quality food for all;
Amendment 106 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 g (new) 5g. Recalls the changes in the political and economic structures of African societies created by European intervention through colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade, that de- developed the African continent and made it completely dependent; calls for the Member States directly or indirectly responsible to put forward reparations towards the States whose resources have been plundered and societies decimated by European colonialism;
Amendment 107 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 h (new) 5h. Calls for the EU and its Member States to support in the UN and other international fora the implementation of a binding instrument to make private companies accountable for human rights violations globally, given the grave consequences this lack of accountability has for the peoples of Africa in many areas;
Amendment 108 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 i (new) 5i. Emphasises that land and natural resource grabbing by multinational companies is a major obstacle to the development of African countries; reaffirms that the activities of European companies operating in Africa must fully respect international human rights standards and ILO conventions; calls on the Member States to ensure that companies governed by their national law do not under any circumstances fail to respect human rights and the social, health and environmental standards that apply to them when they set up or carry out their activities in a third country; calls on the European Commission and the Member States to penalise European companies and their subsidiaries which fail to comply with these standards and to ensure that victims have access to justice;
Amendment 109 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 j (new) 5j. Stresses that development aid is fundamental for the diversification of the African countries' economies and for coping with the current economic and social crisis; calls on the EU and its Member States to increase financial support and humanitarian aid to meet the urgent needs of the populations; calls for EU and Member States' aid to be in the form of grants and not loans so as not to increase the debt burden; deplores the fact that many EU Member States have failed to reach the target of 0.7% of GNI and that some have even decreased their contributions to development aid; deplores the fact that these contributions are increasingly dedicated to support private sector investments (which could be more appropriately be supported by other type of funding) rather than through specialized international agencies and CSOs; deplores the decline in Member States' participation in food aid programmes; condemns the conditionality imposed on some countries to prevent migratory movements; urges that development aid should under no circumstances be used to limit or control borders or to ensure the readmission of migrants, as such approach undermines aid effectiveness principles;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Reiterates the importance to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and the principles of Article 21 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU); calls for the African Union, the European Union and their member states, for a more robust cooperation in the fields of the promotion and protection of human rights, and human rights defenders, and to deliver full political and financial support to their respective human rights mechanisms;
Amendment 110 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 k (new) 5k. Considers that massive public investment is essential to meet the needs of the people; stresses that in order to finance the new model of relationship it is necessary to incorporate additional measures to increase and boost domestic resource mobilisation, such as: to fulfil ODA commitments, facilitate remittances transactions, promote tax transparency, adopt legislation for mandatory tax transparency for multinational companies in the EU and revise tax treaties with African countries;
Amendment 111 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 l (new) 5l. Stresses that the massive flight of capital from African countries, mainly to tax havens (more than 50 billion a year for Africa), is an obstacle to the development of these countries; considers, therefore, that the holding of a world tax conference in order to develop binding mechanisms is necessary to ensure tax justice at global level;
Amendment 112 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 m (new) 5m. Stresses that the demand for the cancellation of the public debt of the African countries has never been more legitimate and necessary in order to release the funds needed for investment in public infrastructure, particularly health infrastructure; calls therefore on the international institutions and the 'creditor' countries to remove the obstacles to development in the African countries by cancelling the debt and interest on the debt which these countries continue to pay;
Amendment 113 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 n (new) 5n. Recalls that the aim of the private sector is, by definition, to make a profit; stresses that the search for corporate profit cannot guide the EU's external and humanitarian action, which must be based on respect for human rights, the strengthening of multilateralism and international cooperation, in adherence to the principles of policy coherence for development and 2030 Agenda, peacebuilding efforts and disarmament, the fight against poverty, inequality and climate change; insists that the role of donor and human development partner cannot be outsourced or privatised; regrets that the private sector is not required to meet the same conditions for action in a country as NGOs; underlines the need of holding the private sector accountable, and demonstrate that the support provided by the External Action Guarantee and the European Fund for Sustainable Development to their investments is binding to the achievement of concrete indicators of SDGs;
Amendment 114 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 Amendment 115 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 Amendment 116 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 117 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 118 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Stresses that the EU is among the first to bear the costs of all destructive policies employed against African nations, while other players, especially China and Russia, are focused only on their own benefits at the expense of African sovereignty and European security; calls the European Commission to take it into account in its EU-Africa strategy and to raise this issue at the future EU-China Summit;
Amendment 119 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Stresses that the EU is among the first to bear the costs of
Amendment 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Highlights the need to galvanise the EU’s relations with the countries of North Africa; laments the fact that 25 years on from the start of the Barcelona Process, the creation of an area of shared prosperity, stability and freedom with the southern neighbourhood countries has still not been completed;
Amendment 120 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Stresses that the EU is among the first to bear the costs of
Amendment 121 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Stresses that the EU
Amendment 122 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Stresses that the
Amendment 123 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Stresses that the EU is among the first to bear the costs of all destructive policies employed against African nations, while other players, especially China
Amendment 124 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Stresses that the EU is among the first to
Amendment 125 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Stresses that the EU is among the first to help the African continent bear the costs of all destructive policies employed against African nations, while other players
Amendment 126 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Reiterates its call on EU and AU member states to constructively participate in the UN intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations and other business enterprises with respect to human rights in order to work towards the setting-up of a mandatory and enforceable regulatory framework, based on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; calls on the EU to adopt a legislative proposal on corporate human rights and due diligence to prevent abuses in the global operations of companies, including in Africa, and to enhance access to judicial remedy for victims of corporate misconduct;
Amendment 127 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Recalls the detrimental impacts of the Covid-19 crisis, both in terms of health, but also in economic terms, and therefore reiterates its call to provide to those African States which ask for it an increased support in the health sector; strongly supports the strong EU response to the Crisis on an external dimension through the “Team Europe” approach and sees it as a true sign of global solidarity and European values, and strongly welcomes the announcement by the G20 to suspend all debt payments for the world's poorest countries until the end of 2020;
Amendment 128 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Recalls that the extractive sector plays an important role in the economies of numerous African countries and is linked to an unequal resource interdependence with Europe, which should be rectified by addressing the issue by of illicit outflows of tax revenue and royalties in the extractive sector through the EU Transparency Directive and Accounting Directive;
Amendment 129 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Calls for the firm condemnation of actions by Turkey seeking to oppose or deter military operations by Member States in the Mediterranean, compromise joint efforts to achieve peace and security in the neighbourhood or hamper the CSDP IRINI initiative;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Stresses the importance of reinforcing a new and comprehensive EU- Africa multi- sectoral partnership for ensuring stability and security in all regions based on trustful cooperation and effective coordination for creating and promotion peace, sustainable economic growth, new jobs and poverty eradication;
Amendment 130 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Stresses that the EU and its Member States need to become a source of stability and reliability in the region. Believes that the European Union needs to play a bigger geopolitical role in Africa and establish relations that account for the good of all;
Amendment 131 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Recalls that illicit financial flows (IFFs) constitute a substantial problem for developing countries and that in Africa illicit financial flows amount to at least USD 50 billion — twice the amount of official development aid; stresses that the Report of the High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa assessed commercial activities as accounting for 65 per cent of IFFs; calls on the EU to adopt a stringent regulatory framework on corruption, mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence and corporate accountability for European companies investing and operating in Africa;
Amendment 132 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Regrets that other actors not always contribute to peace, stability and prosperity of African nations, with their policies of maximizing influences and subservience by increasing financial indebtedness, use of bribes, opaque agreements, lack of environmental or ethical standards and exchanging political and military support for e voting support at international forums including the United Nations, World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, Interpol; Food and Agriculture Organization, International Telecommunication Union or International Civil Aviation Organization.
Amendment 133 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 b (new) 6b. Notes with concern that the EU’s open procurement rules are not always reciprocated, which often distorts competition at the expense of European companies operating in Africa; considers that “price only” tenders lack sufficient conditionality concerning labour and environmental standards and favour state sponsored actors;
Amendment 134 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 c (new) 6c. Regrets that China and Russia continue to threaten the financial independence of African nations, support military dictatorships, pillage natural resources and undermine national labour markets as a means to increase their power at the expense of the sovereignty of African nations; is of the opinion that Europe cannot risk to become reactive to Sino-Africa dynamics and Russian engagement in fragile states;
Amendment 135 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 d (new) 6d. Reiterates that engaging together on the global scene to strengthen the multilateral rules-based order requires shared values and respect of international law and fundamental rights;
Amendment 136 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 e (new) 6e. Calls on the Commission and Member States to advise and assist African nations in sharing best practices and European integration experiences, so to deepen cooperation and reconciliation, especially in implementation of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the African Continental Free Trade Area, the African Visa-Free Area, Single African Digital Market, the Single African Air Transport Market, and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Amendment 137 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 f (new) 6f. Notes that Africa, in a rapidly changing world, has an immense potential that is not yet fully realized. Believes that whether or not African countries achieve this potential depends greatly on their follow through with their stated strategic objectives and how they foster relationships with nations who share similar experiences, particularly those in Europe.
Amendment 138 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 g (new) 6g. Calls for closer cooperation on implementation EU-Africa strategy with the UN, NATO, OSCE, and key allies such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
Amendment 139 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 h (new) 6h. Welcomes that the EU considers peace and security in Africa as key conditions for sustainable development and that the Union is committed to “markedly step up its support to Africa in cooperation with the international community”;
Amendment 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Highlights that the relations between the EU, its Member States and African countries are unequal and that, following decolonisation, new rules have been imposed on African countries in order to maintain the economic and political domination of the former colonial powers; deplores that this neo- colonialism has resulted at political level in the dismissal of governments, the assassination of political leaders, political instability and in some cases in the financing of armed conflicts or direct military intervention by the former colonial powers; recalls, therefore, that the question of democracy in Africa is intrinsically linked to the real independence and sovereignty of those states;
Amendment 140 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Shares the opinion that the matter of the security of Africa
Amendment 141 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Shares the opinion that
Amendment 142 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Shares the opinion that the matter of the security of Africa
Amendment 143 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7.
Amendment 144 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Shares the opinion that
Amendment 145 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Shares the opinion that
Amendment 146 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Shares the opinion that the matter of the security of Africa should eventually be transferred into the hands of Africans
Amendment 147 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Shares the opinion that the matter of the security of Africa should be transferred into the hands of Africans and that the EU should assist its African partners in the successful accomplishment of this ultimate goal through peacebuilding and demilitarization projects while ensuring that international human rights are respected under all circumstances.
Amendment 148 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7.
Amendment 149 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Shares the opinion that
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Underlines that it is important to step up synergies and coherence between all the legal and political frameworks on which EU-Africa relations are based on in order to make the partnership more effective and sustainable; welcomes the proposal for a pan-African programme in the context of the new Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) aimed at addressing the challenges of the African continent as a whole;
Amendment 150 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Shares the opinion that the matter of the security of Africa should be transferred into the hands of Africans and that the EU should
Amendment 151 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Shares the opinion that the matter of the security of Africa should be transferred into the hands of Africans and that the EU should
Amendment 152 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Shares the opinion that the matter of the development and security of Africa
Amendment 153 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 7. Shares the opinion that the matter of the security of Africa
Amendment 154 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Underlines its belief that Africa, as a resource rich continent, with dynamic and developing economies that show high levels of growth, a growing middle class and a young and creative population, is a continent of opportunities which has demonstrated on numerous occasion that economic progress and development is possible; points to the cases of among others Botswana, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Tanzania in this regard; (points to technological innovations which originated in Africa, like the M-Pesa mobile payment system which is now used around the world, underlines in this regard the positive impact of social media on the democratic movements on the continent;)
Amendment 155 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Stresses the urgent need for the EU to address the escalating terrorist insurgency in Northern Mozambique, which already caused more than 1.000 deaths and forced around 200.000 people to flee their homes, and poses a serious risk of spreading across the Southern African region; urges the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to offer EU’s support to Mozambique and its citizens; stresses that the lack of reaction from the EU can lead to other international players to take the leading role that the Union aims to achieve in the continent.
Amendment 156 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Stresses that a lack of economic progress in the region, weak governance, instability, violation of human rights, corruption, lack of rule of law and impunity, inequality, unemployment or underemployment, climate change and water shortage; accompanied by conflicts and proliferation of radical Islamic terrorism and other forms of violent conflict, creates an increasingly fertile ground for uncontrolled mass migration, both within the continent and overseas, mainly to Europe;
Amendment 157 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Highlights that the socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 could have a grievous impact on African States; urges the Council, the EEAS and EU Member States to support to their multilateral partners in order to take more action on debt relief for African countries as well as to explore viable solutions to come to a humanitarian economic sanctions’ relief on a case by case basis within the context of COVID-19.
Amendment 158 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Calls on the Member States and the Union to keep the overall situation under review and hold a constructive ongoing high-level dialogue with the G5 Sahel, Horn of Africa and African Union countries, in a bid to localise the arc of instability running from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa and address the issue by pooling resources and organising joint missions and civil and military operations;
Amendment 159 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Stresses the need to strengthen the cooperation on migration, based on the respect for human rights and international law; calls on the EU to target its policies to tackle the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement, improving the return rates and to help African partners to fight against smuggling networks and human trafficking;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Stresses that the global systemic crisis will accelerate as a result of the pandemic and the World Trade Organisation (WTO) predicts an unprecedented contraction in trade flows, ranging from 13% to 32%; recalls that the NGO Oxfam predicts that some 500 million people are at risk of falling into poverty while the African Union has estimated that the continent would need at least USD 200billion to deal with the coronavirus pandemic and its economic and social consequences; recalls that in a study published at the end of March 2020, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) estimated the needs of the countries of the South at USD 2 500 billion and that, according to an International Labour Organisation (ILO) note published on 7 April 2020, 'two billion people work in the informal economy (mostly in emerging and developing economies) and are particularly at risk”;
Amendment 160 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) Amendment 161 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Calls, in the context of counter- terrorism policies, on the establishment of more transparent decision-making processes, increased general awareness about a human rights-based approach and more engagement with communities affected by these measures;
Amendment 162 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Stresses the importance of joint EU-Africa efforts in promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights, and preventing and eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls, including conflict related sexual and gender-based violence;
Amendment 163 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Welcomes the intention by the Commission to make the “Africa-Europe Alliance” the central pillar of the economic relations between the two continents, and reiterates, that sustainable long-term economic development, and the subsequent creation of decent and well- paid jobs, in particular for the youth, is the prerequisite for the development and flourishment of an African middle-class and hence ultimately the attainment of political stability, democracy as well as increased civil and human rights; points in this light to the need of structural economic reforms and the importance of advancing domestic production and manufacturing capacities, which would help to reduce the dependency on foreign imports; recalls the need for the EU to enhance support to SMEs and points to the opportunities of the EU’s Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) to promote business-to-business cooperation and joint ventures with African companies, which would furthermore not only increase the visibility of business opportunities but also foster the much- needed access to finance and access to technology through a transfer of know- how; Furthermore underlines the need to improve investments protection scheme to facilitate and encourage further investments;
Amendment 164 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Recognises the complex challenges and opportunities migration movements play both in Europe and Africa for the prosperity and the development of both continents; calls on the AU, the EU and their member states to adopt an approach to migration policies that puts human rights of refugees and migrants at their heart; calls them to ensure AU-EU migration related cooperation promotes human rights and the respect of international commitments, including by expanding and promoting legal pathways to Europe and within Africa; secure and promote the asylum space and rights- based migration in both EU and AU countries through legislative and policy reforms, including establishing greater transparency and accountability in migration related programmes and funding;
Amendment 165 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Is of the opinion that as stated in the EU global strategy migration constitutes a priority topic in the EU’s external relations, including its relations with Africa, and more political efforts should be put into the fight against human trafficking and smuggling; Is however of the opinion that both partners should also focus more on roots of migration as well as the effective use of development cooperation instruments;
Amendment 166 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Stresses the importance of regional cooperation, including the mobility of persons, goods and capital to cease and prevent self-enrichment by (European) multinationals at the cost of African resources, and for African countries to develop independent and self- sustaining regions; calls on the Commission to prioritize the inclusion of the promotion of regional cooperation in its EU-Africa strategy;
Amendment 167 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Calls, therefore, for the adoption of a strategy encompassing all foreign policy instruments to deal with numerous security threats posed by extremist violence, the challenges of migration, climate change, extreme poverty, inequality, injustice or foreign investments that fail to comply with international standards and best practices.
Amendment 168 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 c (new) 7c. Takes note that the Communication aims at deepening EU support to African peace efforts through a more structured and strategic form of cooperation focussing on regions in Africa where tensions are the highest and calls for specific strategies in conflict regions to be considered a priority; encourages the EU and its Member States to continue burden-sharing with international organizations and partners, including allies and African states that serve a reliable ally against terrorism such as Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Ghana and Ethiopia; calls to strengthen EU’s relationships with these pivotal states; calls on the EU to continue to assist African partners in building the capacity of their forces and security institutions to provide effective and sustainable security and law enforcement services to their citizens, including through the European Peace Facility and its CSDP missions, and focuses on an integrated approach to conflict and crises, acting at all stages of the conflict cycle, from conflict prevention, through response to management and resolution;
Amendment 169 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 c (new) 7c. Strongly welcomes the entry into force of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and underlines the enormous economic and political potential it has for the future of African and global trade; expresses concern in this regard about the delay of the originally foreseen 1 July 2020implementation date of the AfCFTA due to the COVID-19 crisis, encourages the European Commission and Member States to extend their maximum assistance by sharing best practices of experience made in the EU in order to contribute to a successful implementation of the AfCFTA as soon as the health situation permits; also points to the need to significantly invest in the transport infrastructure to facilitate intra-African trade;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 d (new) 1d. Deplores that imposed structural reforms, debt and debt servicing, imposed on African countries for years, have hampered economic and social development, greatly reduced the capacity of States to meet the needs of their populations and generated situations close to bankruptcy, at a time when public investment has never been more essential, particularly to deal with natural pandemics; regrets that these structural adjustment programmes imposed by the IMF and the World Bank have encouraged the lack of development and dismantling of public services and infrastructures, and other pillars of the economy of these countries; recalls that this has led to a worsening of the living conditions of the population and has favoured the monopolisation of resources and the seizure of the economy by the major, mainly Western, industrial groups, creating an increase in unemployment, the deterioration in the social situation and the impoverishment of the populations are determining factors in the instability from which the African countries suffer;
Amendment 170 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 c (new) 7c. Rejects any kind of conditionality on External Financial Instruments(EFIs) based on EU’s migration and border policies; is opposed to EFIs being used to control and manage migration flows in Africa and calls for effective mechanisms to be put in place to be able to thoroughly control the final destination of those funds and to assess the projects which received funding;
Amendment 171 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 d (new) 7d. Highlights that while a number of countries in Africa continue to struggle with corruption, lack of good governance as well as social and political freedoms, many countries have started the transition towards reforms and democracy; applauds in this light in particular the people of Sudan for their courage and bravery; recalls that transition countries are particularly vulnerable and should be able to count on the EU when they ask for support; calls thus for well-coordinated support and assistance to those countries in order to maintain and support the aspirations for positive change as expressed by their peoples; suggests that the HR/VP establish special ad-hoc contact groups to streamline and facilitate the EU wide support to individual transition countries;
Amendment 172 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 d (new) 7d. Supports increasingly proactive approach taken by cooperative regional security organizations towards the full operationalisation of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA); commends in particular initiatives such as G-5 Sahel given its increasingly pivotal role in taking decisive action to ensure peace and security by African nations in their own neighbourhood and calls on the Commission and Member States to increase political, financial, operational and logistical support to G-5 Sahel;
Amendment 173 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 e (new) 7e. Expresses its concern that Botswana, Ghana, Uganda, and Zimbabwe are included in the updated EU Blacklist of countries which have strategic deficiencies in their anti-money laundering/combating financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regimes, and calls on these countries to immediately take the necessary steps to comply with the required legislation and implementation of it (Delegated act C(2020) 2801); welcomes that Ethiopia and Tunisia, after pursuing a number of reforms, were taken off the blacklist;
Amendment 174 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 e (new) 7e. Stresses the increasing importance of regional security actors such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) and the African Union’s African Standby Force in assisting struggling countries in providing peace and prosperity for their citizens;
Amendment 175 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 f (new) 7f. Welcomes the G20 “Compact with Africa” (CwA) initiative, launched in 2017 in order to promote private investment in Africa, including in infrastructure and sees it as a good platform to advance comprehensive, coordinated, and country-specific reform agendas; welcomes that so far twelve African countries have joined the initiative: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia;
Amendment 176 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 f (new) 7f. Welcomes the decisive drop in piracy off the coasts of both Eastern and Western Africa as a result of international maritime security efforts that serve as a precedent for European, African and transatlantic security cooperation;
Amendment 177 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 g (new) 7g. Underlines that the EU at its core, in its political and economic relations with third countries, is motivated by the advance of fundamental rights, and the support to democratic institutions and democratic accountability, and whereas third actors like for example China pursue in our eyes other objectives which at times pose a concern to us; stresses that our objective is to strengthen resilience and independence of our African partners;
Amendment 178 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 g (new) 7g. Considers it important that the EU continue efforts to build more resilient states and societies through capacity building and security sector reforms, including through the European Peace Facility and its CSDP missions, and focuses on an integrated approach to conflict and crises, acting at all stages of the conflict cycle,
Amendment 179 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 h (new) 7h. Underlines the important role of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) which provides the African Union and regional level organisations with the needed tools to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts; Strongly welcomes the EU’s recent commitment of 40.5 million Euro to support the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) over the next four years and sees it as imperative to further strengthen the capacity and coordination of APSA components to adapt to emerging security challenges in Africa, while striving for increased AU ownership of its peace and security operations; welcomes in this context the work of Donald Kaberuka, the AU’s special envoy for the Peace Fund and reiterates the EU’s readiness to support the AU’s efforts in this important field;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 e (new) 1e. Recalls that in 2019, nearly 16.6 million Africans were affected by extreme weather events, 195% more than in 2018, according to the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), and that natural disasters have an adverse impact on the lives, livelihoods, homes and ecosystems, as well as on the macro economy;
Amendment 180 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 h (new) 7h. Regrets that the African continent remains home to a variety of active terrorist organizations that openly and continuously threaten African and European citizens and interests alike, including, but not limited to: ISIS, al- Qaeda, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, al-Shabaab and Boko Haram;
Amendment 181 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 i (new) 7i. Highlights the fact that the objective of the EU support on the security sector is to encourage African ownership of security and defence matters and considers that the African Union and African States are key actors with which the EU is meaningfully engaged in order to jointly achieve sustainable development and human security; strongly welcomes in this regard the plans of the African Union to send 3,000 soldiers in support of the G5 Sahel and sees it as a sign that that the AU and EU are indeed pursuing similar security objectives, built on shared objectives and shared responsibilities; welcomes in this regard the comments made by HR/VP Borrell to the UN Security Council on28 May 2020 when he spoke of “finding African solution to African problems”;
Amendment 182 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 i (new) 7i. Expresses concern that a significant rise in casualties due to terrorist activity and jihadi recruitment have made the African continent on the major theatre of warfare in the 21st century; is deeply concerned that all major radical Islamic terrorist groups operate and recruit on the African continent, causing untold suffering against innocent civilians, peacekeepers, partner forces, but also serving as a ground for establishing control and command centres engaged in plotting attacks against European citizens and various targets across the international community;
Amendment 183 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 j (new) 7j. Strongly underlines the important role of functioning state institutions, authorities and infrastructure, and believes that their absence can be a significant obstacle to development, peace, and progress; Underlines that security, stability and hence ultimately also prosperity and sustainable development will only be achieved in the concerned regions, if an all-encompassing strategy is pursued, recalls in this light that security sector reform, justice reform, good governance, democratic accountability, and the protection of civilians are a prerequisite for winning the trust of populations in their governments and security forces; further underlines the civil-military nexus and the need to better streamline both components of the CSDP missions;
Amendment 184 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 j (new) 7j. Regrets that the fight against terrorism seems to be less prominent in the Communication compared to the demands by the European Parliament, although it was identified as a priority area by the AU and the EU and calls for the EU-Africa strategy to address this serious threat in a comprehensive way.
Amendment 185 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 k (new) 7k. Points to the severe negative long- term implications of terrorism and organised crime, especially in fragile States and countries which are in transition towards democracy; underlines therefore its commitment to further intensify its efforts to combat terrorism and organised crime, including through an deepening of security and political relations with African countries, for example through the increased exchange of personnel, such as in the fields of intelligence cooperation and technical as well as military assistance, through among others the soon to be established European Peace Facility (EPF);
Amendment 186 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 k (new) 7k. Continues to support regional capability building to combat terrorism, transnational organized crime, human trafficking, illegal extortion of natural resources, wild animal trade and looting of cultural heritage which are often a primary source of income for terror and criminal organisations in the region
Amendment 187 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 l (new) 7l. Underlines the important role that the Sahel plays from a strategic and security point of view, in this light strongly welcomes the foundation of the “G5 Sahel” in 2014 as well as theG5 Joint Force (G5 Force Conjointe) which was created in 2017 to combat the security threats in the region; reiterates its support to the G5 Sahel and its Joint Force and reconfirms its readiness to provide financial and military assistance to it, among others through the soon to be established European Peace Facility;
Amendment 188 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 l (new) 7l. Calls for the EU to address the consistent and growing threats to the protection and preservation of Africa’s cultural heritage and clamp down on the smuggling of cultural artefacts, especially in conflict zones; Notes that depriving societies of their cultural heritage and historical roots makes them more vulnerable to radicalization and more susceptible to global jihadist ideologies; calls for the EU to develop a broad strategy to counteract such threats;
Amendment 189 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 m (new) 7m. Highlights the fact that the mandates of the CSDP mission are comprehensive and aim among others to foster security sector reform, advance justice reform, strengthen military and police training as well as to advance oversight; Underlines the urgent need to improve the communication policy of CDSP missions as well as the EU’s overall strategic planning in order to increase the visibility of the EU’s actions and its aim to safeguard the security and wellbeing of African people;
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Underlines that the process of development on the African continent is of key importance for the prosperity, stability and security of both the EU and Africa; underscores the importance of promoting better living conditions for Africans, and of adopting policies targeting young people that stimulate economic growth and create job opportunities;
Amendment 190 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 m (new) 7m. Highlights the special role of religious entities in Africa that regularly play a mediating role in conflicts , with whom dialogue and cooperation is needed, especially in the conflict areas as the interreligious dialogue between may contribute to peace and reconciliation;
Amendment 191 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 n (new) 7n. Recalls the threat that transnational organised crime, civil unrest and domestic crime pose to in particular fragile and post-conflict States, which struggle to provide the necessary security to their citizens; in this light underlines the importance of a well- trained national and regional police force, which however often lack both proper training and equipment, as well as most crucially do not always have the proper connection and trust of the local population; underlines hence the importance of strengthening and building professional police structures, and hence calls for intensified conceptual, logistical and administrative support, among others to the African Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL) in Algiers, which was launched in 2014, and believes that cooperation in this field will also help advance the capability of peacekeeping missions as well as foster the police component of the APSA;
Amendment 192 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 n (new) 7n. Notes that the information sphere in Africa is more and more influenced by our global adversaries; calls in this regard on the EEAS and EC to actively tackle the problem of lack of presence of European voice within the African societies and to counter false narratives and better promote the European approach and democratic values to the African people, which requires better strategic communication focused on key regions and countries, through establishing a special unit responsible for such actions in close cooperation with the EU Delegations;
Amendment 193 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 o (new) 7o. Underlines the dangers of proliferation of illicit small arms and recalls that these undocumented and mostly illegally held arms do not only threaten the safety and security of communities but are also used by dangerous transnational criminal networks engaged in various forms of trafficking, including of weapons, humans and illegal drugs;
Amendment 194 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 o (new) 7o. Stresses the need to provide more visibility of actions carried out within the framework of the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), and ensure coordination
Amendment 195 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 p (new) 7p. Urges the continuation of Annual Joint Consultative Meetings of the Political and Security Committee of the European Union and of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union with the objective to expand the scope of cooperation to include joint field visits, joint sessions, developing shared understandings and analyses on crisis situations, as well as investigating avenues for joint early action as the best means of establishing viable strategic partnership;
Amendment 196 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 p (new) 7p. Recalls that Africa is host to the highest number of Peace support operations (PSOs) in the world and the biggest contributor of troops and police; Points to the need to adapt(PSOs) across Africa to the new reality of COVID-19 in order to both adequately protect citizens as well as the staff of the PSOs; points to the need to ensure adequate financing for the missions given the fear of an imminent economic crisis and a reduction in available funding;
Amendment 197 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 q (new) 7q. Recalls the important role that the African Union and African States play in multilateral organisations, such as in particular the United Nations, where African States account for 28% of the membership, and underlines hence the importance of further deepening our political relations in order to reform the multilateral decision-making bodies to make them more just and representative, which is crucial in order to find solutions to our common global challenges;
Amendment 198 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 q (new) 7q. Calls on to ensure that CSDP missions are planned in an effective, accountable, robust way with efficient operations and stronger mandates tied to substantive political will aimed at resolving conflicts instead of freezing them,
Amendment 199 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 r (new) 7r. Reconfirms its support to the UN peacekeeping missions on the African continent and calls on key players, in particular the United States of America, Russia, China, as well as the United Kingdom, to join EU efforts to mediate and advance cooperation and sustainable peace throughout the African continent; reiterates in this regards the EU’s willingness to increase its support to UN missions and to advance coordination between the different UN and EU missions
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that Europe and Africa are in close geographical proximity, have strong historical and cultural ties and are being brought ever closer by the increase in trade and shared challenges, including but not limited to migration, fundamentalism, terrorism and violations of International Law, which call for a continental-African approach and result-
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Underlines that the process of sustainable development on the African continent is of key importance for the prosperity, stability and human security of both the EU and Africa; in this context recalls that the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the respect of human rights have to remain the main objectives of EU-African relations;
Amendment 200 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 r (new) 7r. Calls on to work closely with African partners to ensure security, resilience and deterrence against cybercrime and to prevent the exploitation of the Internet for terrorism and violent extremism.
Amendment 201 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 s (new) 7s. Points to the importance of parliamentary diplomacy and in this light recalls the many parliamentary meetings and missions the EP has conducted, notably the regular meetings between the European Parliament and the Pan- African Parliament; in this light, calls for a strengthening of the parliamentary dimension in the EU-AU relations, and calls for annual missions of key EP committees to meet and exchange on a regular basis with their African counterparts;
Amendment 202 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 s (new) 7s. Calls to ensure that EU aid does not prolong conflicts or facilitate the predatory behaviour of autocratic regimes; which lies at the root of many of Africa’s socio-economic problems and political conflicts; Stresses that the pursuit of common interests and cooperation must be consistent with international law, the EU’s fundamental values and the objectives of supporting democracy, good governance and human rights;
Amendment 203 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 t (new) 7t. Appreciates efforts to strengthen African-owned mechanisms and regulations of human rights protection such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and its protocols, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights; continue to assist African partners in adaptation of their own human rights instruments and mechanism to internationally recognized principles, laws, and standards;
Amendment 204 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 t (new) 7t. Recalls the important work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in fighting against impunity for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and therefore calls upon all African States who have not yet done so to sign and ratify the Rome Statue;
Amendment 205 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 u (new) 7u. Believes that more participation of women in politics will provide a platform to support empowering marginalized groups improve policies on issues such as access to education for girls, ending FGM and child marriage, combatting security challenges for young girls, and encouraging women entrepreneurship; Notes that the presence of increased female representation in some African nations is widely viewed as a very positive step forward; Observes however that women remain poorly represented in many other countries on the African continent.
Amendment 206 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 u (new) 7u. Recalls the importance of coordinating our Africa policy with other like-minded countries, such as the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom as well as Japan,
Amendment 207 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 v (new) 7v. Underlines, that EU-Africa cooperation must have a proper civil society element and hence cannot be a top-down approach, calls in this field for more efforts to advance people-to-people relations, especially among the youth, points in this context to the positive important long-term impact of Erasmus+;
Amendment 208 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 v (new) 7v. Calls on the EU to more actively engage with Africa in support of freedom of expression, media pluralism and safety of journalists;
Amendment 209 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 w (new) 7w. Emphasises the important role of a free and vibrant media and press sector and recalls that it is crucial in order to ensure a well-informed public which can define its own priorities and furthermore increases the resilience against fake news; encourages continued African efforts in the field of media freedom and support for journalists and underlines the important role of a free press when it comes to the fight against corruption and the supervision and accountability of public authorities;
Amendment 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Underlines that the process of development on the African continent is of key importance for the prosperity, stability and security of both the EU and Africa; notes the importance of EU support and cooperation with African countries to fight corruption in the African continent;
Amendment 210 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 w (new) 7w. Considers that the challenges posed by the refugee crisis have had a significant impact and placed considerable strains on countries in both Africa and the EU. Stresses the EU must be bold infighting against human trafficking and put forward a sustainable approach to deal with the refugee crises;
Amendment 211 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 x (new) 7x. Encourage the EEAS to increase its presence with Delegations throughout the continent, particularly at key AU Member States, in order to further advance our bilateral and regional relationships and ensure a proper exchange with relevant stakeholders; underlines that such close ties are the basis to ensure appropriate and well- structured global partnerships, as well as tailor-made responses; Calls upon the EEAS to significantly improve its media and communication strategy in order to not only foster awareness of the EU’s efforts in the respective regions, but also to increase awareness and support among EU citizens for an intensified EU-Africa cooperation;
Amendment 212 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 x (new) 7x. Recalls that the high amount of young talent in Africa can only reach its potential when Africa and its partners invest in education and innovation; Stresses that under good governance and successful development are an indispensable prerequisite to achieve this goal, and calls on to link development aid with anti-corruption measures, higher education standards and women empowerment;
Amendment 213 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 y (new) 7y. Recalls the importance of the role of the International Criminal Court in upholding the values of peace, security, equality, fairness, justice and compensation; stresses that the ICC serves as a vehicle for tackling the impunity of war criminals; calls for the European Union and African states to continue supporting the Rome Statute and the International Criminal Court;
Amendment 214 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 y (new) 7y. Underlines the crucial role of democracy and the role of free and fair elections, in this regard points to the numerous Election Observation Missions (EOM) by the EU, which are strongly supported by the European Parliament;
Amendment 215 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 z (new) 7z. Underlines the crucial role of water diplomacy given that as a result of climate change water risks becoming a more and more scarce resource, calls in this context on Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan to reach a peaceful and mutually beneficial solution regarding the completion of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), welcomes the US and World Bank mediation in this case and calls upon the AU and EU to do all it can to facilitate a constructive solution;
Amendment 216 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 z (new) 7z. encourages the EU, European NGOs, political parties and civil societies to cooperate closely with African counterparts, including public officials to generate substantive political dialogue through the development of issue-based policies, promote strong practices of democratic governance, enhance representation and inclusion of marginalized populations; and promote meaningful participation by civil society and citizens in public life at all levels.
Amendment 217 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Is of the opinion that more efforts should be made to promote multi-party political systems and democratic governance in Africa, especially in fragile states, by facilitating citizen-government working groups, utilizing technology platforms to collect citizen input on policy issues and promoting best practices through peer-to- peer exchanges to enhance government accountability and responsiveness.
Amendment 218 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Recalls that climate change is real and happening faster than we thought, with devastating impacts on the African continent leading to stronger draughts and increased water scarcity; underlines the need of a more effective Climate Diplomacy in order to promote the links between domestic, foreign and international climate policy;
Amendment 219 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Encourages increased efforts to overcome the paradox that Africa, despite being abundantly rich in sustainable energy sources, is still largely relying on traditional energy sources, which contribute to climate change and furthermore are not inclusive since a large part of African households continue to suffer under energy poverty; encourages hence African countries to unlock their energy sectors’ huge potential for growth and jobs, and call upon private investors to engage in innovative projects; Recalls that promoting gender equality is one of the most effective ways to drive inclusive growth, reduce poverty and advance peace; Encourages further support to African women’s economic empowerment through education, skills transfer, access to finance and the set-up of businesses, and access to land;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Underlines that the process of development on the African continent and its alignment with International Law on maritime affairs, trade and protection of labour rights is of key importance for the prosperity, stability and security of both the EU and Africa;
Amendment 220 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Continues support for strengthening the electoral process, both by improving the African Union (AU) capacity in conducting long-term election observation up to international standards and bilateral cooperation with respective countries and their civil societies, with the aim to deliver inclusive, transparent and credible elections in Africa.
Amendment 221 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Stresses that EU-Africa relations should transition from a development-orientated relationship to one which aims to put African nations on an equal footing, characterized by ambitious trade relations to raise African standards while EU should assist African nations move toward self-reliance; believes that enhancing economic ties with Africa is vital to safeguarding the economic independence of African states;
Amendment 222 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Expresses deep concern that the rights of LGBTIQ persons in Africa are largely not protected throughout the continent; salutes South Africa for its progressive domestic legislation;
Amendment 223 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Recalls, that contrary to a common belief intra-regional migration continues to outpace extra-regional migration on the African continent, points to the fact that while economic and employment opportunities are the key driver of intra- African migration, migration also originates from security risks, regional conflicts, and environmental changes; encourages continued cooperation with the IOM and other UN agencies to provide additional support to refugees and internally displaced people, as we do in other parts of the world,
Amendment 224 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Highlights that the digital economy in Africa provides not only opportunities for increased job creation and data for actionable insights, but also the basis for recognizing human rights, accelerating access to quality basic services, improving transparency and accountability of governments, and enhancing democracy;
Amendment 225 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Recalls that open, inclusive, accountable governance is fundamental to delivering sustainable development, tackling global challenges and reduces the risk of spreading instability. Stresses that accountable institutions help to promote more equitable, sustained economic growth which helps tackle illicit financial flows, serious organized crime, and a culture of impunity; underlines importance of safeguarding for food security, notably in small-scale farming, climate change adaptation, the creation of more and better jobs, especially for young people, the empowerment of women and the support of education;
Amendment 226 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Is of the opinion that the EU should put more efforts on good governance, strengthening rule of law; reforming judicial systems and public financial management;
Amendment 227 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Stresses the importance of increased Foreign Direct Investment from the EU and its Member States as Africa has become a market of global competition, both economic and political. Is of the opinion that economic links are the best way to strengthen meaningful political cooperation and shared approaches to address common challenges. Insists that the EU develop a competitive approach for the investment and development of Smart city projects, the mining industry, connectivity and building national infrastructure; underlines that strategic relations whether in terms of trade, security or people- to people contacts need a certain level of connectivity by ports, harbours or airport sand calls to invest in these critical infrastructures which will serve to enable the very needed avenues for closer cooperation in terms of trade, tourism, people-to-people contacts, business and academic cooperation and security, without each meaning full political strategic partnership cannot be fully reached. Is of the opinion that investment via FDI in critical infrastructure must be implemented with a local labour force to ensure adequate transfer of best practices and cross community collaboration is maintained and to clearly differentiate between the value of European investment and Chinese or Russian investment.
Amendment 228 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Considers it of utmost importance to make sure that European financial aid is used efficiently and effectively in a transparent way to ensure that EU assistance does not amplify inefficient, unsuccessful, unaccountable, misgoverned or corrupted systems
Amendment 229 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Stresses the importance of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) as a tool for African nations to fully develop their own potential which would add to their autonomy and resilience from external pressures. Acknowledges the ambitions of African nations to overcome the existing challenges to AFCFTA and calls on the EU to share its experience; Is of the opinion that a single market and a single digital market would be a net value add in both economic, political and cultural terms
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Underlines that the process of development on the African continent is of key importance for the prosperity, stability and security of both the EU and Africa
Amendment 230 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Recalls that a more holistic and integrated approach to address the specific problems of fragile states was also one of the key demands of the European Parliament in its 2017 report on the “ EU-Africa strategy: a boost for development”
Amendment 231 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Is of the idea that the EU-Africa strategy should also include assisting African countries in converting their mineral resource wealth into real development and calls for the review of effectiveness of existing measures, also with regard to questionable exploitation by China and Russia; Calls on the Commission and African partners for a smooth implementation of measures for the Conflict Minerals Regulation, and publish without delay including the list of companies outside the EU that do not fulfil requirements set out by Regulation2017/821,. Emphasizes Europe’s strengths — transparency, high quality goods and services, democratic governance — and trusts that the appeal of those fundamental values are a compelling alternative to authoritarian models;
Amendment 232 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Encourages African leaders to choose high-quality, transparent, inclusive, and sustainable foreign investment projects and supports access to financing opportunities that provide strong alternatives to external state-directed initiatives;
Amendment 233 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Is concerned at the widespread lack of medical devices in the health care sector in Africa that puts the health of health care workers and patients at risk, particularly in the case of virus outbreaks. Calls on the EU and its Member States to discover ways to assist African countries with medical supplies whenever possible
Amendment 234 #
Draft opinion Paragraph null (new) Calls for increased EU support for Africa in the area of debt reduction and debt sustainability as a clear message of solidarity in terms of Covid-19 pandemic crisis and underlines the need for international legislation and the creation of debt auditing commissions on cases of odious debt;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Underlines that the process of development on the African continent is of key importance for the prosperity, stability and security of both the EU and Africa; stresses that peace and security are key conditions for economic and social development;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Underlines that
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Is of the firm opinion that our partnership must be based on clear positions and priorities identified by our African partners and in this light believes that the upcoming 6th AU-EU Summit this fall provides a timely opportunity to listen to the African partners, to exchange on reciprocal demands and proposals and to define common objectives in order to enshrine them in the upcoming new EU Africa Strategy;
Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Stresses the need for a conditionality mechanism as part of the EU-Africa joint strategy and the Cotonou agreements designed to stem migratory flows into the EU and ensure the repatriation of migrants not entitled to asylum and already in the EU;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Considers that stable democratic institutions, free and fair elections, education and literacy improvement, promoting gender equality, and the protection of vulnerable groups are all prerequisites of development and must be at the heart of EU-Africa cooperation.
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Stresses that the development of Africa depends on education inclusion and that it is necessary to continue addressing education inequalities and to increase investment in schooling and health policies and programmes for child and youth development;
Amendment 3 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that Europe and Africa are in close geographical proximity, have strong historical and cultural ties and are being brought ever closer by a shifting geopolitical order, by the increase in trade and shared challenges
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Welcomes the cooperation between the EU and Africa in combating terrorism and armed groups;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Underlines the numerous problems caused by illegal migrants in the Member States; it is necessary to put an end to departures - which frequently result in a high death toll - by identifying and closing down the routes used by criminal networks for illicit trafficking operations; consideration must also be given to the ambiguous role of NGOs in helping to manage migration flows, ensuring greater transparency and closer monitoring of European funding earmarked for this purpose;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Highlights that Africa is disproportionately affected by the adverse impacts of climate change; notes that it is our common responsibility to introduce measures to fight climate change through promoting climate proofing of investments, adaptation, decentralised access to renewable energy, and climate mitigation in the African continent;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Underlines that gender disparity in education remains a severe problem in Africa, especially in marginalised communities, and stresses the need to provide proper access to education, skills learning programmes, and real life opportunities for girls and women;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 c (new) 2c. Takes the view that that emigration from African countries is leaving them impoverished, depriving them of their human resources, while at the same time jeopardising security in Europe, particularly in first-port countries;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 c (new) 2c. Recalls the need to support women's empowerment programmes in Africa through quality and affordable education, social justice, proper healthcare, increased self-reliance and financial independence;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 d (new) 2d. Urges the EU to focus on any form of radicalisation in Africa, especially among the jihadist movements, in order to prevent it spreading to Europe and elsewhere, and to collaborate with the Member States on drawing up anti- terrorist programmes, which remain a top EU priority;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 d (new) 2d. Stresses the importance of continuing the cooperation with African leaders for developing and promoting legislation fighting against sexual and domestic violence, sexual harassment, child marriage, marital rape, and any kind of abuse;
Amendment 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 e (new) 2e. Stresses the need to build a long- term shared strategy to fight human smuggling and illegal migration routes from African countries to the EU;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 f (new) 2f. Stresses the importance of the agricultural multi-sectoral transformation and rural development in all African countries and regions, leading to creation of jobs and decentralisation of communities from big urban areas;
Amendment 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that Europe and Africa are in close geographical proximity, have strong historical and cultural ties and are being brought ever closer by the increase in trade and shared challenges, from terrorism and migration to environment, health and climate change, which call for a continental-African approach and result- oriented use of EU resources;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the urgent need for a stronger long-term and multi-faceted partnership, which should also translate into stronger political cooperation built on equality, trust, sovereignty and shared values; in this regard, stresses the importance of human rights, democracy, gender equality, governance, peace and security, as well as the climate, environment and biodiversity as the necessary foundations for a sustainable, inclusive and mutually beneficial EU- Africa partnership;
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the urgent need for a stronger long-term and multi-faceted partnership, which should also translate into stronger political cooperation built on equality, trust and shared values
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the urgent need for a stronger long-term and multi-faceted partnership, which should also translate into stronger political cooperation built on equality, trust and shared values; this partnership should be based on promoting and enhancing good governance, democracy, rule of law and respect for fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the urgent need for a stronger long-term and multi-faceted partnership, which should also translate into stronger political cooperation built on equality, trust and shared values; highlights the importance of free and fair elections, law-based and peaceful power transitions in African countries;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 3. Stresses the urgent need for a stronger long-term and multi-faceted partnership, which should also translate into stronger political cooperation built on equality, mutual respect, trust and shared values;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Calls upon the EU institutions and the Member States to be a more coherent and unified actor in dealing with the African continent and to hence advance internal coordination in order to better define a common way ahead; along this line highlights the need to develop a coherent and all-encompassing strategy towards Africa, sometimes termed “Marshall Plan”, which must build on existing African and European efforts and is centred on creating economic opportunities and jobs, which is of key importance when recalling the demographic trends on the African continent; in this context points to the positive impact of “The External Investment Plan”, launched by then EC president Juncker in2017, and expresses its strong support to the “Africa-Europe Alliance for sustainable investments and jobs” which was launched as a result;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Stresses that a strong EU-Africa partnership needs a strong African Union, stresses that further steps regarding the EU-AU cooperation are needed to address key challenges both Europe and Africa are facing, highlights the important role of the EU in helping the African Union to exercise its mandate more effectively, in building peace and security across the continent and in driving the continental integration progress;
Amendment 47 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Recalls that Africa is our closest neighbour, home to over 1 billion people and more than half of the world’s population growth by 2050 is expected to take place in Africa, while six out of the ten fastest growing economies in the world are African.
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Notes that thirty-six of the world’s most fragile countries are located in Africa, often weakened by conflicts, while the continent hosts 390 million people living below the poverty line. Stresses that the population growth in some of the poorest and most underdeveloped countries, together with the effects of climate change and factors as radicalization and proliferation of organized crime will inevitably lead to a series of new challenges, which, if not addressed immediately, may result in uncontrolled migration waves, widespread terrorist activity and destabilization across borders, what would lead to extremely challenging scenarios for the African countries the European Union and its Member States;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that Europe and Africa are in close geographical proximity, have strong historical and cultural ties and are being brought ever closer by the increase in trade and shared challenges, which call for a continental-African approach and result- oriented use of EU resources ensuring transparency and monitoring procedures;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 b (new) 3b. Stresses that in order to ensure appropriate levels of security and development, the African countries must have adequate capacities in all essential sectors, most importantly regarding security and defence; calls on the European Union to coordinate the development and security initiatives in which it is involved on the African continent as part of an integrated strategy that should include good governance, democracy, human rights, the rule of law and gender equality, with a particular focus on regions where vulnerabilities and tensions are the highest;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 c (new) 3c. Believes that the European Union, having as guidelines the UN Sustainable Security Goals, should ensure that development plans on the African continent are multi-sectorial and provide a real, global solution to the challenges of the region, such as terrorism, food insecurity, malnutrition, epidemics and climate change, together with high levels of inefficiency, lack of transparency and corruption of the administration;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes that Africa is still undergoing the process of integration at regional, continental and international level and that as yet 54 African countries remain divided and diversified in areas of key strategic importance to the EU, such as meeting internationally recognised standards and practices in trade, human rights, sustainable development and positioning in international organisations; calls on the EU to forge a stronger partnership between the EU and the African Union to tackle global common challenges, by focusing on strategic areas such as digital transformation and climate diplomacy, under the principle of common and differentiated responsibilities; urges the EU to continue its support to the integration process in Africa through the AU, namely by supporting the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 55 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes that Africa is still undergoing the process of integration at regional, continental and international level and that as yet 54 African countries remain divided and diversified in areas of key strategic importance to the EU, such as meeting internationally recognised standards and practices in trade, human rights, sustainable development and positioning in international organisations; notes the importance of implementing the Africa Mining Vision adopted in 2009 by the African Heads of State and Governments to ensure transparent, equitable and optimal exploitation of mineral resources.
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes that Africa is still undergoing the process of integration at regional, continental and international level and that as yet 54 African countries remain divided and diversified in areas of key strategic importance to the EU, such as meeting internationally recognised standards and practices in trade, human rights, sustainable development and positioning in international organisations; notes that African states are not homogeneous and that it is therefore unrealistic to treat the African continent as one entity.
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes that Africa is
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes that while Africa is
Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes that Africa is still undergoing the process of integration at regional, continental and international level and that as yet 54 African countries
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that Europe and Africa are in close geographical proximity, have strong historical and cultural ties and are being brought ever closer by the increase in trade and shared challenges, which call for a continental-African approach and
Amendment 60 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes that Africa is still undergoing the process of integration at regional, continental and international level and that as yet 54 African countries remain divided and diversified in areas of key strategic importance to the EU, such as meeting internationally recognised standards and practices in trade, human rights (including freedom of religion and belief), sustainable development and positioning in international organisations;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes that Africa
Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Notes that Africa is still undergoing the process of integration at regional, continental and international level and that as yet 54 African countries
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Strongly welcomes the signals sent by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to make relations with Africa a centre piece of her mandate, underlined by her decision to make her first mission outside the EU to the Headquarter of the African Union in Addis Ababa on 7 December 2019, as well as the recent 10th AU-EU College-to-College meeting at the AU Headquarters on 27 February 2020, strongly welcomes the “whole of Commission” approach which involves the entirety of the Commission; reiterates that such personal encounters on the top- level are of utmost importance since next to fostering personal bounds, they also raise the public awareness of our partnership in our respective national medias; Calls therefore for a further intensification of these high-level meetings and exchanges, including business and civil society forums and meetings;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Stresses that the new EU - Africa Strategy should pave the way for fair and ethical trade; urges the EU and its Member States to acknowledge the difficulties encountered by African countries related to Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), especially in terms of regional integration, industrialisation and economic diversification and to revise EPAs accordingly; in particular, invites the EU and the African Union to have a frank dialogue on EPAs to evaluate to what extent such agreements contribute to the realisation of the economic goals of the AU’s 2063 Agenda, particularly the goal to increase intra-African trade to 50% by 2050;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls on the European Investment Bank to immediately strengthen its tax justice regime through ensuring that supported projects in Africa or companies with aggressive or harmful tax planning are forced to disclose information about their sales, assets, the number of employees, profits and tax payments in each country of operation.
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Calls for the supply and use of funding, equipment and training for Africa to be monitored by the Member States with European Parliament oversight and scrutinised by the European Court of Auditors;
Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Supports the view that the EU must maintain flexible country-to-country and sub-regional approaches that tailor its engagement and support to the specific needs and circumstances of each country within the five regions of Africa;
Amendment 68 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Underlines the importance of supporting free, fair and competitive elections and credible electoral processes; supports coordination between the EU and the African Union on election observation missions;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Considers that intercontinental cooperation between EU and Africa can significantly contribute to the fight against xenophobia and fundamentalism and for the stabilisation of the Mediterranean region;
Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that Europe and Africa are in close geographical proximity, have strong historical, social and cultural ties and are being brought ever closer by the increase in trade and numerous shared challenges, which call for a continental- African approach and result-
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Encourages African leaders to promote bold economic policies for industrialisation and for enabling an environment for market- based growth, promoting new energy resources in the process;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Stresses the importance of including legally binding human rights clauses in the EU's international agreements with the African continent; reaffirms that these clauses must also be included in all trade and sectoral agreements, with a clear and precise consultation mechanism modelled on Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement; in this respect, welcomes the inclusion of such a clause in the ‘new-generation’ free trade agreements; notes that the same approach of systematic inclusion should also be applied to the chapters on sustainable development in bilateral agreements;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Stresses that the EU and its Member States constitute Africa’s biggest partner on all accounts: investment, trade, development aid, humanitarian assistance and security; however this increasingly close cooperation is yet to result in a shared understanding or viable strategic partnership, in line with shared interests, growth potential, geographical proximity and centuries-old links between two continents;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Stresses the importance of continuing to boost Africa’s digital infrastructure in the process of digitalisation and to ensure proper connectivity and internet access across the continent, from rural to urban areas alike;
Amendment 74 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 c (new) 4c. Highlights that European interests in Africa range from trade, security, counter-terrorism, fighting organized crime, illegal migration and human trafficking, health, promotion of democracy and human rights, strengthening trade and investment relations, which demand a continental African approach that can reconcile these divergent strands into a comprehensive coherent strategy, which will be measured in its output, evaluated continuously and protect from overstretching the EU’s limited resources.
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 d (new) 4d. Is of the opinion that a stronger long-term and multi-faceted partnership between the EU and Africa is urgent and must be reliable and should also translate into stronger political co-operation. Welcomes that the very first visit of the new President of the European Commission was to Africa and calls for more frequent high level meetings and contacts; Stresses that the EU must be confident in creating a fresh and modern approach to its Africa policy, thus creating a strong relationship built on equality, honest dialogue, trust and shared values;
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Welcomes the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 9 March 2020 entitled ‘Towards a comprehensive strategy with Africa’ (JOIN(2020)0004); calls for strong and constant EU engagement in the security, stability and development of Africa; stresses the importance of assisting our partners in building more resilient states and societies, through capacity building and with a particular focus on good governance, parliamentary oversight and accountability; underlines the importance of building fairer societies and calls on the EU to cooperate and support African states in tackling the state capture phenomenon, characterised by oligarchic control and extractive practices by sections of state bureaucracies, which lies at the root of many of Africa’s socio-economic problems and political conflicts;
Amendment 77 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Welcomes the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 9 March 2020 entitled ‘Towards a comprehensive strategy with Africa’
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Welcomes the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 9 March 2020 entitled ‘Towards a comprehensive strategy with Africa’ (JOIN(2020)0004);
Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Welcomes the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 9 March 2020 entitled ‘Towards a comprehensive strategy with Africa’ (JOIN(2020)0004)
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that Europe and Africa are in close geographical proximity, have strong historical
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Welcomes the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 9 March 2020 entitled ‘Towards a comprehensive strategy with Africa’ (JOIN(2020)0004); in line with the priorities identified in the joint communication calls for strong and co
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Welcomes the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 9 March 2020 entitled ‘Towards a comprehensive strategy with Africa’ (JOIN(2020)0004); calls for strong, ambitious and constant EU engagement in the security, stability and development of Africa;
Amendment 84 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 5. Welcomes the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 9 March 2020 entitled ‘Towards a comprehensive strategy with Africa’ (JOIN(2020)0004); calls for
Amendment 85 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Considers that the new strategy with Africa must have as its main objective the eradication of poverty and inequalities, promoting human development; insists that relations with Africa must take place within a framework of mutual development and equal partners; stresses that, in order to permit mutual development and employment both within the African countries and the European Union, it is necessary to put in place a new model of multilateral cooperation that meets the needs of the people and is based on the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the guiding framework of the new relationship; calls for the European Union and its Member States to promote the participation of African representatives in international fora on equal terms;
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Welcomes the five key areas of future cooperation identified by the joint communication "Towards a comprehensive Strategy with Africa" and the specific focus on the green transition and the digital transformation as key target areas for future cooperation; underlines that a green growth model has the potential to create virtuous cycles, boosting research, innovation, education, business environment and investment climate, ultimately leading to the creation of more jobs and a more inclusive society while at the same time combating climate change; calls on the EU to closely cooperate with Africa in order to maximise the mutual benefits of the green transition and minimise threats to the environment, in full compliance with the Paris Agreement;
Amendment 87 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Stresses the importance of a true inclusion of international and local civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), parliamentary assemblies, the diaspora, trade unions, youth organisations, the private sector and local authorities in consolidating the political dialogue between the EU and Africa; calls on the AU and the EU to ensure unfettered civil society access to African and European institutions and their human rights mechanisms; further insists on the importance of creating an enabling environment for civil society and addressing an increasing crackdown on human rights defenders;
Amendment 88 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Emphasises the crucial role played by civil society and human rights defenders in enhancing democracy, peace, the rule of law and the protection of human rights across both continents; stresses the need to increase the participation of civil society in the Africa- EU partnership, promoting the reinforcement of its capacities and protection; calls on the European Union to support concrete initiatives to reinforce civil society organizations and human rights defenders as well as freedom of expression and of the media across Africa;
Amendment 89 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Regrets that the Communication lacks clear proposals for coordinated approaches between the EU and the AU to tackle common challenges which could be addressed jointly in multilateral systems (e.g. UN); stresses that HRVP and EU Missions in capitals throughout the African continent should be more active in presenting EU policy objectives. Encourages European think tanks and academia in this regard to cooperate more actively with their African counterparts;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Welcomes the Commission’s Communication “Towards a comprehensive Strategy with Africa” of 9 March and sees it as a step towards a truly geopolitical partnership; recalls that together the EU and Africa face a lot of challenges, ranging from climate change and energy issues, reforming multilateral institutions and global trade, advancing human and civil rights through the advancement of democracy, lifting communities out of poverty, providing decent living conditions through the provisions of economic opportunities and meaningful employment opportunities, advancing public health and access to health care, to the combat against armed groups, terrorism, as well as human trafficking in order to ensure stability and peace, and that only by acting together will we reach our common objectives; Emphasises that the EU’s relations with Africa are of utmost importance for the future of both our continents, touching upon all fields especially political, economic, societal, cultural, scientific, and academia, and must go beyond the traditional development and humanitarian cooperation in order to truly lift our partnership to the first rang of our relationships; strongly welcomes the five partnerships proposed by the Commission’s Communication and emphasis that these partnerships will become even more important and relevant in the context of the Covid-19pandemic; however points to the need to clearly define how the new strategy is supposed to be implemented and indicate which EU actor is in charge of doing what;
Amendment 90 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Recalls that for a strong partnership we not only need a strong EU but also a strong African Union, therefore underlines the need to further strengthen the process of integration on the African continent as well as the institutionalization of the African Union, including the Pan-African Parliament, through the sharing of best practices as well as technical and financial assistance;
Amendment 91 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Underlines that Africa's future relies in the hands of its young generation; calls the EU to support concrete initiatives for the empowerment of youth and women in its renewed EU- Africa strategy ensuring their active involvement in decision-making processes of civic and political life.
Amendment 92 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Highlights the importance of the upcoming EU-AU Summit scheduled for October 2020; trusts that this summit will adopt a new mutually-beneficial joint strategy which reflects the interests of both sides and strengthens the ties between the two continents;
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Notes that Africa and Europe have a shared interest and responsibility when it comes to migration and mobility and stresses that managing migration calls for global solutions based on solidarity, the sharing of responsibility and respect for human rights and international law;
Amendment 94 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Recalls the AU and the EU’s joint commitment to collaborate on the global human rights agenda; calls on AU and EU institutions to prioritise cooperation at multilateral human rights fora and to act robustly in defence of crucial human rights gains at multilateral level; to this end, calls them to develop concrete strategies to counter the recent pushback on existing human rights norms at multilateral fora, including the universality and indivisibility of human rights; reminds EU and AU member states that they must deliver full political and financial support to their respective human rights mechanisms and ensure these, together with a strong and independent civil society, can guarantee delivery and further progress on human rights for all in Africa and Europe;
Amendment 95 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Regrets that the Commission’s communication neglects the dimension of foreign cultural policy and the promising potential within a deepened European- African cultural collaboration; therefore, urges the Commission and EEAS to prioritize this area by promoting and funding bi-continental partnerships between institutions and individuals; recalls the tremendous volume of displaced items of Sub-Saharan Africa’s material cultural legacy; thus, urges the Commission to propose an encompassing EU-African initiative to reflect on the entangled colonial histories and to investigate cases of illicit appropriation and to explore measures of repatriation and restitution of cultural artefacts of African origin.
Amendment 96 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Stresses the vital role of digital transformation and digitalisation for sustainable development and resilience of societies that has been especially visible during the current global situation triggered by the COVID-19 crisis; calls for a continued, strengthened, systematic and mutually beneficial cooperation with the African states on digitalisation, innovative technologies and solutions at all levels of society, including on e- governance, e-commerce, digital skills and cybersecurity, in line with the Digitalisation for Development (D4D)approach;
Amendment 97 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Underlines that the participation of European, African and international civil society is an indispensable means for the strategy to have an impact and benefit the peoples of both continents; calls on the EC and the EEAS to involve civil society organisations and NGOs, especially local ones, in the implementation of the strategy at all phases of projects and programmes (planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation);
Amendment 98 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Regrets the limited consultation process and public debate during the process of drafting the EU-Africa Strategy; underlines the importance of future relations with Africa requires a broad involvement of civil societies of both continents; calls for a stronger engagement on all levels, including business, academia, think tanks, cultural and religious institutions and others;
Amendment 99 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Calls on the Commission to take into account African countries’ priorities on migration, more specifically the enhancement of legal migration and mobility, in order to forge a real “partnership of equals” and reiterates that EU funds and external policies should not be used in conditionality to migration policies; notes that African countries host a large part of the total amount of refugees and IDPs worldwide, whose precarious circumstances have been further exacerbated by the COVID- 19 crisis; calls for a more equal responsibility sharing for refugees in line with the Global Compact on Refugees through the increase of financial support and resettlement.
source: 653.741
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