2022/2200(INI) | [ParlTrack]

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)

— having regard to the constitutions of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska,

Amendment 10 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 b (new)

— having regard to the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence approved by the Council on 21 March 2022,

Amendment 100 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Reaffirms its support for the mandates of the Office of the High Representative and EUFOR Operation Althea in overseeing the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement; stresses the importance to secure equal opportunity for participation in Operation Althea for all EU Member States in order to jointly contribute to the creation of a stable environment and the provision of a comprehensive strategy for BiH;

Amendment 101 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Reaffirms its support for the mandates of the Office of the High Representative and EUFOR Operation Althea in overseeing the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement; calls for participation in Operation Althea to be open to all interested Member States;

Amendment 102 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Welcomes the continued presence of EUFOR's Operation Althea in the country and the unanimous renewal of its mandate in the United Nations Security Council on 2 November 2022; reminds that the missions still play an important role in safeguarding the security and stabilitiy of Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Amendment 103 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Welcomes the numerous activities of OSCE in BiH, inter alia their engagment in arms control, the security sector reform, in war crime investigations and in the fight against human trafficking; highlights their activities on gender equality, on programs to support good governance and on the media reform; welcomes their support for civil society and human rights initiatives and conflict prevention;

Amendment 104 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Recognizes BiH´s continued dialogue with the OSCE Mission on its goal to promote stability and reconciliation, advance understanding of and respect for human rights and in confidence and security building;

Amendment 105 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)

5 a. Calls on the Member States to urgently respond to the challenges to the European security posed by Russia, the increased tensions in BiH and the threats and acts of secession that undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement; demands, in this respect, significantly increased troop levels, the deployment of an EU Battle Group or similar force to the Brčko District, and the provision of a sufficient number of helicopters that can transport credible and effective military units able to fulfil EUFOR Althea’s Chapter VII executive mandate on short notice and everywhere in the country and can help to evacuate Liaison and Observation Teams’ houses in case of serious security incidents;

Amendment 106 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 b (new)

5 b. Reiterates that enforcement of the Dayton Peace Agreement includes the obligation to adhere to the constitutional architecture of Bosnia and Herzegovina with respect for the rights of the constituent peoples and all citizens;

Amendment 107 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

~~6. Welcomes BiH’s increased alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP), and urges for the effective implementation of sanctions stemming from CFSP alignment;~~deleted

Amendment 108 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Welcom~~Notes BiH’s increased attempts to align~~ment~~ with the EU Commission’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP), and ~~urges for the effective implementation of sanctions stemming from CFSP align~~regrets this development;

Amendment 109 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Welcomes BiH’s increased~~Calls on the new government of BiH’s to swiftly and fully align~~ment~~ with the EU’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP), and urges for the effective implementation of sanctions stemming from CFSP alignment;

Amendment 11 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)

— having regard to the European Commission Communication " A Union of Equality: EU Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion and participation"{COM(2020) 620 final},

Amendment 110 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. ~~Welcome~~Commends BiH’s increased alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP), ~~and urges for the effective implementation of sanctions stemming from CFSP alignment~~notably in the context of the Russian war on Ukraine, and urges for continual improvement in this regard; strongly calls on all actors to unequivocally condemn Russia’s full- scale invasion of Ukraine and ensure the effective implementation of sanctions stemming from CFSP alignment; welcomes BiH’s vote in favour of relevant UN General Assembly resolutions and Russia’s suspension from the Human Rights Council; deplores, however, the RS leadership’s pro-Russian stance and the awarding of a distinction to Vladimir Putin; condemns meetings with high-level Iranian political actors amidst serious human rights violations in Iran, and its delivery of drones to Russia in its war against Ukraine;

Amendment 111 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Welcomes BiH’s increased alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP), and urges for the effective implementation of sanctions stemming from CFSP alignment; condemns the breach of alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, namely in the case of abstention at the Third Committee of the UN during the vote on the situation of human rights in Iran by the part of Bosniak political leadership; welcomes the reaction of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina that expressed regret for such decision;

Amendment 112 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Welcomes BiH’s increased alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP), and urges for the effective implementation of targeted sanctions stemming from CFSP alignment;

Amendment 113 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Welcomes BiH’s increased alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP), and urges for the effective implementation all of sanctions stemming from CFSP alignment;

Amendment 114 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6

6. Welcomes BiH’s increased alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP), and urges for the effective implementation of sanctions stemming from CFSP alignment; in this context, urges BiH to immediately join the EU sanctions against Russia and Belarus; remains concerned about the close ties of several high-ranking politicians and officials, particularly from RS, with the Russian regime and the potential security impact of these ties;

Amendment 115 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 – point 1 (new)

(1) Expresses concerns regarding inconsistent foreign policy positions taken on several occasions, due to political appointments of the country’s representatives;

Amendment 116 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)

6 a. Regrets the abstention of BiH at the vote on the Resolution on the state of human rights in Iran by the former ambassador of BiH in the UN on 16 November 2022 calling on Iran to end the use of excessive force against peaceful protesters, including women and children; condemns the meeting of the former Ministwer of Foreign Affairs of BiH with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran on 6 December 2022 in Sarajevo, at which the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs denied any killing of an Iranian citizen by the Iranian security forces and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH downplayed the regime's violence against women in Iran and labelled this country as "friendly";

Amendment 117 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. ~~Supports~~Is surprised of BiH’s sustained aspirations towards Euro-Atlantic integration and NATO membership;

Amendment 118 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. ~~Support~~Acknowledges BiH’s sustained aspirations towards Euro-Atlantic integration and NATO membership;

Amendment 119 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Strongly supports BiH’s sustained aspirations towards Euro-Atlantic integration and NATO membership; calls on all political actors to demonstrate full support for Euro-Atlantic integration and NATO membership not only in words but with concrete political action;

Amendment 12 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)

— having regard to the Commission communication of 14 April 2021 on the EU strategy to tackle organised crime 2021-2025 (COM(2021)0170),

Amendment 120 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Supports BiH’s authorities and people sustained aspirations towards Euro- Atlantic integration and NATO membership;

Amendment 121 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7

7. Supports BiH’s sustained aspirations towards Euro-Atlantic integration and NATO membership; welcomes in this regard the BiH Defence Minister’s participation in the 2022 NATO Madrid Summit, NATO’s commitment to boost tailored support to BiH to build integrity and resilience, develop capabilities, and uphold political independence, and NATO’s approval of an aid package to BiH; further welcomes the Council’s adoption of an assistance measure under the European Peace Facility worth EUR 10 million to the benefit of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH) and the signing of a Cooperation and Training Contract for the Year 2023 between the AFBiH and EUFOR;

Amendment 122 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)

7 a. Calls on the BiH authorities, NATO and EUFOR Althea to launch a reform process of the BiH armed forces with the aim of dissolving the three infantry brigades whose soldiers are mainly grouped according to ethnic affiliation and, instead, form truly multiethnic units;

Amendment 123 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Denounces the recurring inflammatory rhetoric and ~~secession~~neo-colonialist policies by the leadership of the Republika Srpska (RS) entity, including the celebration of the so-called RS Day; underlines that such actions destabilise BiH, undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement, contradict BiH’s EU perspective and endanger access to EU fundingmembers of the EU Commission, the European Parliament and other political figures both in Europe and the USA in regard to the inner affairs of the Republika Srpska (RS); underlines that such actions destabilise BiH, undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement, contradicts the OSCE vision for the BiH and ultimately places the life and wellbeing of the peoples of both entities at risk;

Amendment 124 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Denounces the recurring inflammatory rhetoric and secessionist laws and policies by the leadership of the Republika Srpska (RS) entity~~, including~~ and other political parties including members of the ruling coalition in the Federation of BiH entity, such as the celebration of the so- called RS Day and other celebrations which cause tensions and discomfort among BiH citizens, as well as the refusal to implement rulings of the Constitutional Court of BiH; underlines that such actions destabilise BiH, undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement, contradict BiH’s EU perspective and endanger access to EU funding;

Amendment 125 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Denounces in the strongest terms the recurring inflammatory rhetoric and secessionist laws and policies by the leadership of the R~~epublika Srpska (RS)~~S entity, including the celebration of the so-called RS Day; highlights that the RS Day has been declared unconstitutional and urges the authorities to enforce the judgement of the Constitutional Court in this regard; denounces the presence of Serbian high- level government representatives at the illegal festivities; underlines that such actions destabilise BiH, undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement, contradict BiH’s EU perspective and endanger access to EU funding;

Amendment 126 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Denounces the recurring inflammatory rhetoric and secessionist policies by the leadership of the Republika Srpska (RS) entity, including the celebration of the so-called RS Day~~; underlines that such actions destabilise BiH, undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement, contradict BiH’s EU perspective and endanger access to EU funding~~, proclaimed unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court of BiH, as well as the re-adoption of the Law on Immovable Property of RS, previously rejected by the Constitutional Court and twice annulled by the High Representative; underlines that such actions destabilise BiH, undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement, contradict BiH’s EU perspective and endanger access to EU funding; deplores, in this context, the decision by the RS government of cutting diplomatic contacts with official representatives of the United Kingdom and the United States;

Amendment 127 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8

8. Denounces the recurring inflammatory rhetoric and secessionist policies by the leadership of the Republika Srpska (RS) entity, including the unconstitutional celebration of the so- called RS Day; underlines that such actions destabilise BiH, putting peace at risk, undermine the Dayton Peace Agreement, contradict BiH’s EU perspective and endanger access to EU funding; condemns the refusal to implement judgements of the Constitutional Court of BiH; condemns genocide denial and denial of war crimes;

Amendment 128 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Urges the relevant international and EU institutions to closely monitor the development of police forces in Republika Srpska (RS), with a special focus on whether equipment, armament, and training go beyond policing and into more paramilitary or military functions, which could potentially create additional tensions, threaten the safe and secure environment in the country and be incompatible with the Dayton Peace Agreement;

Amendment 129 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Calls on the political and religious leaders of BiH, within the framework of their duties and responsibilities, to constructively influence the bridging of divisions and conflicts and to achieve greater cohesion and a degree of trust among the constituent peoples and citizens of BiH; calls on the political and religious leaders of BiH to cease uttering dangerous war mongering, militaristic and inciting statements that fuel tensions and further divisions in the sensitive post- war Bosnian society;

Amendment 13 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 a (new)

— having regard to the "Mostar Agreement" signed between leaders of majority parties in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 17 June 2020 on the holding of elections in Mostar, i.e. changes to the electoral law of BiH in part of the electoral rules for the City of Mostar, as well as ensuring the legitimate representation of the constituent people in the Houses of Nations and the Presidency of BiH,

Amendment 130 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Condemns the inflammatory rhetoric and call to arms of part of religious leaders in the country, which severely hampers public dialogue and hinders the role of religious leaders in promoting reconciliation and peace in the country;

Amendment 131 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)

8 a. Stresses the importance of intra- national relations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and calls on all political actors to work towards promoting unity, inclusivity, and reconciliation;

Amendment 132 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)

8 b. Reiterates its condemnation of the conclusions adopted on 10 December 2021 by the Republika Srpska National Assembly (RSNA) on the withdrawal from state-level institutions, the passing of the Law on Immovable Property Used for the Functioning of Public Authority, adopted by the RSNA on 10 February 2022, and the National Assembly’s vote aimed at establishing a separate High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council; reiterates its concerns about allegations regarding the role of the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Várhelyi in the vote of the RSNA on the roadmap for its withdrawal from the State institutions of BiH; is deeply concerned that Commissioner Várhelyi deliberately seeks to circumvent and undermine the centrality of democratic and rule of law reforms in EU accession countries, including BiH; recalls the Commissioners’ obligations of integrity, discretion and independence, in compliance with the code of conduct for the Members of the Commission, and their obligations under the Treaties; in this context, urges the Commission to initiate an independent and impartial investigation into the conduct of Commissioner Várhelyi and to report the results of such investigation to the Parliament and Council; regrets the fact that the Commission has not yet launched such an investigation despite multiple requests by the European Parliament; condemns the insults directed by Commissioner Várhelyi against the Members of this Parliament during a plenary debate in February 2023 on the EU’s enlargement policy in the Western Balkans;

Amendment 133 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Reiterates its call for ~~targeted~~a stop to all forms of sanctions against ~~destabilising~~ actors in BiH;

Amendment 134 #

Kinga GÁL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Reiterates its call for targeted ~~sanction~~institutional measures against destabilising actors in BiH;

Amendment 135 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Reiterates its call for targeted sanctions through the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime against destabilising actors in BiH;

Amendment 136 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Reiterates its call for targeted sanctions against destabilising actors in BiH, including those threatening its sovereignty and territorial integrity, notably Milorad Dodik, as well as other high-ranking RS officials and third- country officials providing political and material support for secessionist policies; calls on all Member States to ensure that such sanctions can be adopted by the Council; recalls that the EU’s framework for restrictive measures in view of the situation in BiH is in place until 31 March 2024;

Amendment 137 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Reiterates its call for targeted sanctions against destabilising actors in BiH, including those threatening BiH's sovereignty and territorial integrity, notably Milorad Dodik, as well as other high-ranking officials of Republika Srpska and third-country officials providing political and material support for secessionist policies;

Amendment 138 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Reiterates its call for targeted sanctions against destabilising actors in BiH, notably against the President of RS, Milorad Dodik, and other high-ranking members of his party SNSD; reiterates its calls on all Member States to ensure that such sanctions will be adopted by the Council;

Amendment 139 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Reiterates its call for targeted sanctions against destabilising actors in BiH and their supporters from third countries;

Amendment 14 #

Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Katalin CSEH, Klemen GROŠELJ, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI

Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 a (new)

— having regard to the relevant European Court of Human Rights rulings in favour of the plaintiffs, including Azra Zornić, Dervo Sejdić and Jakob Finci, among others,

Amendment 140 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Reiterates its call for targeted and sustainable sanctions against all destabilising actors in BiH;

Amendment 141 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9

9. Reiterates its call for targeted sanctions against destabilising political actors in BiH;

Amendment 142 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Condemns malign foreign interference by third actors in BiH, notably United States and Russia’s destabilisation of the Western Balkans;

Amendment 143 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Condemns malign foreign interference by third actors in BiH, notably Russia and China’s destabilisation of the Western Balkans, but also neighbouring countries like Serbia, as well as EU Member States, notably Croatia and Hungary; notes with concern that pro- Russian propaganda and narratives are pushed primarily by domestic actors;

Amendment 144 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Condemns all malign foreign interference by third actors in BiH, most notably Russia’s destabilisation of the Western Balkans; expresses concern regarding the presence and the activities of the Wagner Group in the in the country;

Amendment 145 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Condemns malign foreign interference, disinformation campaigns and destabilisation efforts by third actors in BiH, notably Russia’s continuing destabilisation of the Western Balkans; remains strongly concerned about prominent ties and visits between the RS entity leadership and high-level political figures in Russia;

Amendment 146 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Condemns malign foreign interference by third actors in BiH, notably Russia’s destabilisation of the Western Balkans; condemns interferences in BiH and the use of inflammatory ethnic-based rhetoric by high-ranking officials of Croatia and Serbia;

Amendment 147 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10

10. Condemns malign foreign interference by third actors in BiH, notably Russia’s destabilisation of the Western Balkans; is alarmed by the mis- and disinformation campaings organised by third actors that aim at depicting the EU as an unrealiable, uninterested partner for the Western Balkan countries; calls on the European Commission, the EEAS, and BiH authorities to step up joint efforts in fighting such narratives;

Amendment 148 #

10. Condemns malign foreign interference by third actors in BiH, notably Russia’s destabilisation of the Western Balkans; calls on the EEAS and EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina to intensify efforts in promoting benefits of closer integration and invest in communication campaigns to fight foreign influence;

Amendment 149 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Is highly alerted that the EU accession countries in the Western Balkans are being hit particularly hard by attacks in the form of foreign interference and disinformation campaigns stemming from Russia and China; is alarmed that Hungary and Serbia are helping China and Russia with their geopolitical objectives; recommends convening dialogues with Western Balkan civil society and the private sector to coordinate anti-disinformation efforts in the region, with an emphasis on research and analysis and the inclusion of regional expertise; calls on the Commission to build up the infrastructure required to produce evidence-based responses to both short-term and long-term disinformation threats in the Western Balkans; calls on the EEAS to take a more proactive stance, focusing on building the EU’s credibility in the region, rather than defending it, in expanding StratCom monitoring to focus on cross-border disinformation threats emanating from Western Balkan countries and their neighbours;

Amendment 15 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 19 b (new)

— having regard to the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, adopted on 25 February 1991,

Amendment 150 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Reiterates its call on the Commission and EEAS for a more active, visible and effective communication strategy about the benefits of EU enlargement; welcomes, in this regard, the launch of a campaign by the EU Office in BiH to encourage progress on EU integration, entitled “Progress is within reach”;

Amendment 151 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)

10 a. Recalls that the Council acknowledged in the Strategic Compass that security and stability throughout the Western Balkans is still not a given and that there is a risk of potential spill over from the current deterioration of the European security situation; underlines the need to proactively counter malign actors’ propaganda in the region, which aims to undermine EU interests and values;

Amendment 152 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)

10 b. Calls on the EU to increase cooperation with Western Balkan partners to strengthen democratic resilience and counter hybrid threats, including cyber security, protecting critical infrastructure and food and energy security;

Amendment 153 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)

10 b. Expresses its concern and calls on Serbia to be constructively committed to the stability and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and to provide active support and contribute in a constructive manner to Bosnia and Herzegovina's progress towards EU accession;

Amendment 154 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Stresses that the rule of law, good governance, pluralism and fundamental rights need to be mainstreamed in IPA III funding, which must be based on strict conditionality; recalls that EU funding for projects in the RS entity should remain frozen until the reversal of democratic backsliding by the RS entity and until full alignment with the CFSPCalls on the Commission to enable local and regional administrations to a better absorption of funds; calls to eliminate the lack of equal distribution of IPA III funds at local and regional level in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina; calls to provide the necessary technical and financial assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to facilitate the European integration process, without limiting the support and the reserved budget of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) to the current list of beneficiaries;

Amendment 155 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Stresses that the rule of law, good governance, pluralism and fundamental rights need to be mainstreamed in IPA III funding, which must be based on strict conditionality~~; recalls that EU funding for projects in the RS entity should remain frozen until the reversal of democratic backsliding by the RS entity and until full alignment with the CFSP~~ that the Balkan-rout of illegal migration is stopped;

Amendment 156 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Stresses that the rule of law, good governance, pluralism and fundamental rights need to be mainstreamed in the EU’s Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) funding, which must be based on strict conditionality~~; recalls that EU funding for projects in the RS entity should remain frozen until the reversal of democratic backsliding by the RS entity and until full alignment with the CFSP~~, as enshrined in the IPA III Regulation; stresses that the IPA III funding must be modulated or even suspended in the case of significant regression or persistent lack of progress in the area of the “fundamentals”, notably in the field of the rule of law and fundamental rights, including the fight against corruption and organised crime, as well as media freedom; stresses that it is in the EU’s own security interests and its responsibility to guarantee that EU funds do not become counterproductive by strengthening clientelistic networks of corrupt politicians and privileged businesses;

Amendment 157 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

Amendment 158 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Stresses that the rule of law, good governance, pluralism and fundamental rights need to be mainstreamed in IPA III funding, which must be based on strict conditionality, and reiterates its call on the Commission to develop guidelines on its application; urges BiH to put in place efficient country-wide financial management, control and audit systems for EU funds; recalls that EU funding for projects in the RS entity should remain frozen until the reversal of democratic backsliding by the RS entity and until full alignment with the CFSP;

Amendment 159 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Stresses that the rule of law, good governance, pluralism and fundamental rights need to be mainstreamed in IPA III funding, which must be based on strict conditionality; emphasises once again the importance of the principle of making disbursement of funds conditional on compliance with the rule of law; recalls that EU funding for projects in the RS entity should remain frozen until the reversal of democratic backsliding by the RS entity and until full alignment with the CFSP;

Amendment 16 #

Katalin CSEH, Klemen GROŠELJ, Nathalie LOISEAU, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 a (new)

— having regard to the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Madrid 29 June 2022 and the NATO Madrid Summit Declaration;

Amendment 160 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Stresses that the rule of law, good governance, pluralism and fundamental rights need to be mainstreamed in IPA III funding, which must be based on strict conditionality and safeguarded by comprehensive and thorough oversight by the Commission; recalls that EU funding for projects in the RS entity should remain frozen until the reversal of democratic backsliding by the RS entity and until full alignment with the CFSP;

Amendment 161 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11

11. Stresses that the rule of law, support for free and independent media, fight against corruption, good governance, pluralism and fundamental rights need to be mainstreamed in IPA III funding, which must be based on strict conditionality; recalls that EU funding for projects in the RS entity should remain frozen until the reversal of democratic backsliding by the RS entity and until full alignment with the CFSP;

Amendment 162 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Calls, in this context, on the EU and the Western Balkan countries to establish a framework for effective cooperation between the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and the accession countries; encourages the Western Balkan countries to swiftly conclude bilateral working arrangements with the EPPO in order to facilitate close cooperation and the prosecution of the misuse of EU funds, including through the secondment of national liaison officers to the EPPO;

Amendment 163 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)

11 a. Calls on the European Commission to make all necessary legal and political arrangements to extend the EPPO's jurisdiction and authority with regard to the use of EU funds also to BiH as a candidate country;

Amendment 164 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 b (new)

11 b. Urges the Commission to implement the recommendations of the European Court of Auditors Special Report 01/2022, in order to ensure an effective impact of the EU's financial assistance in support of the rule of law in the Western Balkans, in particular by developing guidelines on the application of IPA III provisions on modulation and conditionality;

Amendment 165 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 c (new)

11 c. Recalls that EU funding for projects in the RS entity should remain frozen until the reversal of democratic backsliding by the RS entity and until full alignment with the CFSP; calls on the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Várhelyi to seek an opinion by the Member States and the European Parliament prior to resuming funds for the RS, in light of the political sensitiveness of such a decision;

Amendment 166 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

~~12. Urgently calls on BiH to engage in regular inter-parliamentary cooperation through the Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee;~~deleted

Amendment 167 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. ~~Urgent~~Welcomes the establishment of the working bodies of the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly; calls onfor BiH to’s renewed commitment to the EU policy dialogue, by swiftly engageing in regular inter-parliamentary cooperation through the Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee;

Amendment 168 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Urgently calls on BiH to engage in regular inter-parliamentary cooperation through the Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee; welcomes the progress achieved by the agreement on the rules of procedure for the EU - BiH SAPC;

Amendment 169 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12

12. Urgently calls on BiH to engage in regular inter-parliamentary cooperation through the Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee, which would contribute to the fulfilment of the 14 key priorities;

Amendment 17 #

David LEGA

Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 a (new)

— having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,

Amendment 170 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)

12 a. Welcomes BiH’s participation in the European Political Community, but stresses that this positive engagement should not be an alternative to EU integration;

Amendment 171 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13

13. Reiterates the central role of the rule of law and institutional integrity; recalls the need for harmonised, merit- based civil service standards across BiH administrative levels, enabling a professional, streamlined, depoliticised and accountable public administration that can deliver services to BiH citizens; calls on BiH political actors to support and establish a functioning coordination structure to steer public administration reform; welcomes progress on appointing heads of important state agencies;

Amendment 172 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. ~~Welcomes the fact~~Notes that the general elections held in October 2022 were generally well organised and competitive; ~~notes however~~regrets, however, the numerous irregularities reported before and during the elections, and that they took place against a backdrop of stagnant reforms, divisive rhetoric and political ~~obstruction; takes note of the changes introduced by the High Representative to~~and financial obstruction; regrets the cases of abuse of public resources to promote political parties, non-transparent financing of the election campaign, trading of polling stations between political parties, political pressure directed towards the Central Election Commission, the provision of special benefits to citizens before the election ~~law~~s and ~~constitution of the Federation of BiH, aimed at addressing a number of functionality issues;~~ the increase in public spending before the elections; urges the authorities to take adequate measures to prevent indirect and direct vote buying in the future and underlines the need to prevent officials from abusing public expenditure, especially during the pre-election period;

Amendment 173 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Welcomes the fact that the general elections held in October 2022 were generally well organised and competitive; notes however that they took place against a backdrop of stagnant reforms, divisive rhetoric and political obstruction; takes note of the changes introduced by the High Representative to the election law and constitution of the Federation of BiH, aimed at addressing a number of functionality issue, reported political and financial obstruction, non-transparent financing of election campaigns, trading of polling stations between political parties, numerous irregularities reported by observers and political pressure on the Central Election Commission; expresses its concerns about the large number of invalid ballots; condemns the changes introduced by the High Representative to the election law and constitution of the Federation of BiH, aimed at addressing a number of functionality issues; supports the criticism regarding the transparency, timing and lack of consultations in the processes; underlines that the timing of the changes was not appropriate and undermined the election process;

Amendment 174 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Welcomes the fact that ~~the~~ general elections were held in October 2022 ~~were generally well organised and competitive~~; notes however that they took place against a backdrop of stagnant reforms, divisive rhetoric ~~and political obstruction~~, political and financial obstruction, non-transparent financing of the election campaign, misuse of public resources, trading of polling stations between political parties and undue political pressure on the Central Election Commission; regrets the numerous irregularities reported by election observers, including instances in which some local municipalities failed to publish and/or display voter registry lists; takes note of the changes introduced by the High Representative to the election law and constitution of the Federation of BiH, aimed at addressing a number of functionality issues; underlines however the criticism regarding the transparency, timing and lack of consultations in these processes;

Amendment 175 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

14. Welcomes the fact that the general elections were held in October 2022 ~~were generally well organised and competitive~~; notes however that they took place against a backdrop of stagnant reforms, divisive rhetoric and political and budgetary obstruction; takes note of the changes introduced by the High Representative to the election law and constitution of the Federation of BiH, aimed at addressing a number of functionality issues;

Amendment 176 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

Amendment 177 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14

Amendment 178 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Strongly regrets the lack of transparency and inclusiveness, as well as the timing of the changes to the election law and the constitution of the Federation of BiH introduced by the High Representative Christian Schmidt on the election day; regrets that these changes undermined the election process, cement the ethnic divisions in the country and were obviously favouring the electoral interests of the Bosnian Croat ethno- nationalist party HDZ BiH; regrets that although these measures were aimed at addressing functionality issues, they have the opposite effect and hamper functionality, in particular in the mid- and long-term perspective of the country; repeats its calls on the High Representative to swiftly withdraw these changes; nonetheless, underlines its full support for the mandate of the OHR, including the implementation of the 5+2 agenda, given the absence of functioning accountability mechanisms at national level and the weaknesses in the rule of law; recalls that the Bonn powers attributed to the High Representative should be used with great caution and as a measure of last resort;

Amendment 179 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Considers the changes introduced by the High Representative as a step forward towards removing all the deficiencies of the electoral system of BiH, that was confirmed by the fastest political agreement and appointment of the chairwoman of the Council of Ministers in history;

Amendment 18 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 b (new)

— having regard to the meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence on 14-15 February 2023,

Amendment 180 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)

14 a. Expresses concern about the amount of public expenditure aimed at attempting to influence the electorate; regrets that governmental structures have introduced new methods of electoral influence over interest groups; calls for the introduction of strict policies to prevent officials from abusing public funds, especially during the pre-election period;

Amendment 181 #

15. Regrets the failure of political actors to bring the constitutions and the electoral framework in line with the European Convention on Human Rights and the basic principles of the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina; calls on all decision makers to reach an agreement in line with the verdicts of the Constitutional Court of BiH and international ~~and domestic~~ courts, as well as the political agreement of 12 June 2022; supports limited, transparent and inclusive reforms ~~that would enable a sustainable transformation of the Dayton Peace Agreement~~of the Constitution and the electoral framework by implementing relevant rulings of domestic and international courts to ensure equality and non- discrimination of the constituent peoples and all citizens; supports transatlantic and European facilitation efforts to this end and condemns all obstructions and inactivity of political actors in that regard;

Amendment 182 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Regrets the failure of political actors to bring the constitution and the electoral framework in line with the European Convention on Human Rights;, and as enshrined the Constitution of the country; reiterates its calls on all decision makers to reach an agreement in line with the verdicts of international and domestic courts, as well as the political agreement of 12 June 2022; supports ~~limited,~~ transparent and inclusive ~~reforms~~electoral reforms based on the principles of federalism and subsidiarity to ensure equality, democratic and legitimate representation, and non- discrimination of all citizens and constituent peoples, that would enable a sustainable transformation of the Dayton Peace Agreement;

Amendment 183 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Regrets the failure of political actors to bring the constitution and the electoral framework in line with the European Convention on Human Rights; calls on all decision makers to reach an agreement in line with the verdicts of international and domestic courts, as well as the political agreement of 12 June 2022; supports limited, transparent and inclusive reforms that would enable a sustainable transformation of the Dayton Peace Agreement and that respect the equality of the constituent peoples in BiH;

Amendment 184 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Regrets the failure of political actors to bring the constitution and the electoral framework in line with the European Convention on Human Rights and the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights (Sejdić-Finci, Zornić, Pilav and Šlaku cases); calls on all decision makers to reach an agreement in line with the verdicts of international ~~and domestic~~ courts, as well as the political agreement of 12 June 2022; supports ~~limited~~, transparent and inclusive reforms ~~that would enable a sustainable transformation of the Dayton Peace Agreement~~based on comprehensive consultations and public dialogue with citizens, civil society, independent experts and all relevant stakeholders in the country, that would enable a sustainable transformation of the Dayton Peace Agreement into a constitution, fully in line with European standards and principles, in order to overcome ethno-nationalistic division and progress on the path towards the EU; reiterates that any electoral reform must not deepen ethnic division;

Amendment 185 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Regrets the failure of political actors to bring the constitution and the electoral framework in line with the European Convention on Human Rights; calls on all decision makers to reach an agreement in line with the verdicts of international and domestic courts, as well as the political agreement of 12 June 2022; supports limited, transparent and inclusive reforms based on comprehensive consultations and public dialogue that wshould include civil society actors to enable a sustainable transformation of the Dayton Peace Agreement;

Amendment 186 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Regrets the failure of political actors to bring the constitution and the electoral framework in line with the European Convention on Human Rights; calls on all decision makers to reach an agreement in line with the verdicts of international and domestic courts, as well as the political agreement of 12 June 2022; supports limited, transparent and inclusive reforms that would enable a sustainable and gender equal transformation of the Dayton Peace Agreement;

Amendment 187 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15

15. Regrets the failure of political actors to bring the constitution and the electoral framework in line with the European Convention on Human Rights; calls on all decision makers to reach an agreement in line with the verdicts of international and domestic courts, as well as the Brussels political agreement of 12 June 2022; supports limited, transparent and inclusive reforms that would enable a sustainable transformation of the Dayton Peace Agreement;

Amendment 188 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)

15 a. Calls on Bosnia and Herzegovina to implement electoral reforms that are transparent, inclusive, and in line with international standards, and to ensure the full participation of all citizens in the electoral process;

Amendment 189 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

Amendment 19 #

David LEGA

Motion for a resolution
Citation 22 b (new)

— having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,

Amendment 190 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on BiH to harmonise party registration rules and to ensure the transparency of political party financing in line with international standards and recommendations of relevant international bodies; acknowledges the steps taken by the Central Election Commission and calls for its capacities to be strengthened; welcomes the intervention by the OHR to improve the integrity of the electoral process and strengthen the role of the Central Election Commission after the failure of the inter- agency working group on electoral reform (IAWG) and the BiH Parliament to do so;

Amendment 191 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on BiH to harmonise party registration rules and to ensure the transparency of political party financing; acknowledges the steps taken by the Central Election Commission and calls for its capacities to be strengthened; strongly denounces the threats by some political actors in BiH against the members of the Central Election Commission; reiterates its full support to the CEC and invites the EU Delegation to offer concrete support to the CEC members in case of threats;

Amendment 192 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16

16. Calls on BiH to harmonise party registration rules and to ensure the transparency of political party financing; acknowledges the steps taken by the Central Election Commission and calls for its capacities to be strengthened; deplores all forms of intimidation and threats made by political actors in BiH against members of the Central Election Commission;

Amendment 193 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Strongly encourages initiatives that improve the democratic process in the country, such as the EU pilot project for the introduction of an electronic system of voter identification and faster transmission of election results;

Amendment 194 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)

16 a. Urges Bosnia and Herzegovina to strengthen democratic institutions and the rule of law, including ensuring the independence of the judiciary and media, and promoting civil society participation in decision-making processes;

Amendment 195 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Calls for urgent measures to strengthen the judiciary’s integrity and independence to be strengthened, namely by bringing the Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council and the Law on Courts in line with EU standards, and by eliminating selective justice, the case backlog, corruption, a lack of transparency and poor oversightbased on the 14 key priorities and the Priebe report recommendations, including via additional safeguards and consistent application of objective rules and criteria on the case allocation, appointment, disciplinary responsibility, career advancement, conflict of interest, and asset verification of judges and prosecutors to restore public trust; calls for eliminating selective justice, the case backlog, corruption, a lack of transparency and poor oversight, which undermine the full enjoyment of citizens’ rights; reaffirms its call on BiH authorities to adopt amendments to the Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council and the Law on Courts in line with European standards; strongly opposes any attempt to establish a separate HJPC on entity level, which undercuts the constitutional order;

Amendment 196 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. Calls for the judiciary’s integrity and independence to be strengthened, namely by bringing the Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council and the Law on Courts in line with EU standards, and by eliminating selective justice, the case backlog, corruption, a lack of transparency and poor oversight; regrets that the strategic goal to solve all cases related to war crimes will not be met due to the high backlog; reiterates the necessity to prosecute and accelerate criminal proceedings, as 28 years have passed and reconciliation cannot be achieved without adequate judgements; expresses its concern over numerous scandals involving high ranking judiciary officials, political pressure and quality of the processes of selection of high ranking judges and prosecutors;

Amendment 197 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

17. CReiterates the urgent need for a judicial reform across BiH to improve the professionalism and integrity of the judiciary based on the 14 key priorities and the 2019 Priebe report recommendations; calls for the judiciary’s integrity and independence to be strengthened, namely by bringing the Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) and the Law on Courts in line with EU standards, and by eliminating selective justice, the case backlog, corruption, a lack of transparency and poor oversight; expresses its concerns regarding numerous scandals involving political pressure and irregularities during the selection of high-ranking judges and prosecutors;

Amendment 198 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

Amendment 199 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17

Amendment 2 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 b (new)

— having regards to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina which states that there are three official languages in the country,

Amendment 20 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 23 a (new)

— having regard the Exit Strategy of the International Crisis Group (ICG) from Bosnia and Herzegovina of 7 August 2014,

Amendment 200 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)

17 a. Strongly denounces all attempts to form parallel institutions on the entity level, which dangerously undermine the state institutions, the constitutional and legal order, judicial independence and sovereignty; calls on the RS entity to immediately withdraw and revoke the laws claiming state property; takes positive note of the decision of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to suspend the RS entity Law on Immovable Property and repeats the OHR call to align entity legislation with the rulings of the Constitutional Court;

Amendment 201 #

17 b. Highlights that the HJPC model is fundamentally flawed as it allows prosecutors and lawyers to prevail over judges and is highly politicised; calls on the authorities to guarantee full access to trials to journalists so that they can act as watchdogs and monitor the enforcement of the rule of law and human rights; calls on the courts to publish all their decisions online and to answer media questions and freedom of information requests;

Amendment 202 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Expresses its deep concern about the lack of progress on preventing widespread corruption and the increasing signs of state capture, political interference and obstruction; reiterates the need to investigate political and administrative links to organised crime; regrets the lack of final convictions for high-level corruption cases in the last years, which fosters a culture of impunity; urges the authorities to conduct criminal proceedings in a timely manner and to step up their efforts to effectively prosecute and finalise high-profile corruption cases; urges BiH to adopt conflict of interest laws and an Anti- Corruption Strategy, as well as to strengthen protection for whistleblowers; in line with the EU acquis, by ensuring the implementation of the existing laws and the independence of the responsible institutions for the implementation of such laws;

Amendment 203 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Expresses its concern about the lack of progress on preventing widespread corruption and the increasing signs of state capture, political interference and obstruction; urges BiH to adopt conflict of interest laws and ~~to strengthen protection for whistleblowers~~an Anti-Corruption Strategy in line with international standards and best practices, and to strengthen protection for whistleblowers in particular in the Federation of BiH entity, by ensuring the implementation of existing laws and ensuring the independence of institutions responsible for implementation;

Amendment 204 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Expresses its concern about the lack of progress on preventing widespread corruption and the increasing signs of state capture, political interference and obstruction, pressure and intimidation; urges BiH to adopt conflict of interest laws and ~~to strengthen~~enforce conflict of interest and lobbying rules across all administrative levels together with stronger protection for whistleblowers, in line with EU standards;

Amendment 205 #

Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Katalin CSEH, Klemen GROŠELJ, Nathalie LOISEAU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

Amendment 206 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

18. Expresses its concern about the lack of progress on preventing widespread corruption and the increasing signs of state capture, political interference and obstruction; calls for transparent use of EU financial assistance; urges BiH to adopt conflict of interest laws and to strengthen protection for whistleblowers;

Amendment 207 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18

Amendment 208 #

Katalin CSEH, Klemen GROŠELJ, Nathalie LOISEAU, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18 a. Calls on Bosnia-Herzegovina - to adopt the law on the prevention of conflict of interest at state level; - to complete the legal framework on the protection of whistle-blowers; to demonstrate progress towards establishing a track record on the repression and prevention of high level corruption; - to ensure an effective and independent judicial process in the COVID-related corruption cases; - to adopt a new state-level anticorruption strategy and action plan, and ensure the effective functioning and coordination of corruption prevention bodies at all levels of government;

Amendment 209 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18 a. Calls on the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement to strictly adhere to the Commission's own criteria throughout the entire monitoring process of the implementation of institutional reforms in BiH in order to meet the objectives of the 14 priorities put forward by the Commission in 2019 concerning democracy, functionality and the rule of law.

Amendment 21 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 23 a (new)

— having regard to the Dayton Peace Agreement that establishes the mandate of the OSCE Mission in BiH,

Amendment 210 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18 a. Urges the authorities to prosecute high-profile corruption cases and to conduct criminal proceedings in a timely manner; calls on the courts to issue a higher number of final judgements in corruption cases;

Amendment 211 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18 a. Urges authorities to prosecute high-profile corruption cases and to conduct the criminal proceedings in a timely manner;

Amendment 212 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)

18 a. Urges the BiH authorities to prosecute high-profile corruption cases in a timely manner;

Amendment 213 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Calls for increased resources for anti-corruption structures, including their active involvement in addressing GRECO recommendations; points to the added value of effective country-wide and European cooperation among law enforcement agencies ~~and with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office;~~ in the fight against corruption and organised crime; reiterates its call on BiH to cooperate with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office; welcomes the appointment of a national coordinator for the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT) and expects BiH’s fully functional cooperation with Europol and Eurojust; welcomes, in this regard, the signature of the Rulebook on the operation of the National/Joint Contact Point for cooperation with Europol; calls for safeguards against political interference into police work;

Amendment 214 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Calls for increased resources for anti-corruption structures; points to the added value of effective cooperation among law enforcement agencies and with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office; urges the European Public Prosecutor's Office to monitor the use of funds from the EU accession funds by the BiH authorities in order to secure that the resources given by the EU for the accession and reform processes are used in a transparent and legal manner;

Amendment 215 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Calls for increased resources and competences for anti-corruption structures, as well as for the adoption of integrity plans for these structures; points to the added value of effective cooperation among law enforcement agencies and with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office;

Amendment 216 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Calls for increased resources for anti-corruption str~~uctures~~ategies and structures and the adoption of integrity plans for the latter; points to the added value of effective cooperation among law enforcement agencies and with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office;

Amendment 217 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19

19. Calls for increased resources for anti-corruption structures and the adoption of integrity plans for these structures; points to the added value of effective cooperation among law enforcement agencies and with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office;

Amendment 218 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Urges Bosnia and Herzegovina to address the issue of corruption, including through the strengthening of anti- corruption institutions and the prosecution of corrupt officials;

Amendment 219 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Urges BiH to align its legislation and take action on anti-money laundering and counterterrorism finance;

Amendment 22 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 28 a (new)

— having regard to the Transparency International 2022 Corruption Perception Index ranking BiH 110 out of 180 countries,

Amendment 220 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)

19 a. Welcomes the signing on 21 March 2023 of the Rulebook on work of the national/joint contact point for cooperation with Europol as an important step towards achieving full cooperation between law enforcement agencies in BiH and Europol;

Amendment 221 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Notes the steps taken to increase the alignment of public procurement laws with the EU acquis~~; expresses it~~, as well as the adoption of a plan for integrity and fight against corruption by the Public Procurement Agency; reiterates the need for transparency, competition and equal treatment in the public procurement process, as well as to reduce the abuse of public resources; remains concerned about the sector’s vulnerabilities to corruption and irregularities and calls for stronger capacities for monitoring, management and support;

Amendment 222 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Notes the steps taken to increase the alignment of public procurement laws with the EU acquis; expresses its concern about the sector’s vulnerabilities to corruption and irregularities; calls for more robust and efficient legislation regarding the exploitation of natural resources, including measures to increase transparency and integrity especially in the area of concessions;

Amendment 223 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Notes the steps taken to increase the alignment of public procurement laws with the EU acquis; expresses its concern about the sector’s vulnerabilities to corruption and irregularities; urges Bosnia and Herzegovina to implement the necessary reforms to strengthen the efficiency and accountability of the public administration;

Amendment 224 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20

20. Notes the steps taken to increase the alignment of public procurement laws with the EU acquis; expresses its concern ~~about~~that the new proposals for a procurement law do not sufficiently address the sector’s vulnerabilities to corruption and irregularities, which needs further significant improvement;

Amendment 225 #

Motion for a resolution
Subheading 3

Reconciliation, regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations

Amendment 226 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. ~~Reaffirms the significance of reconciliation in BiH and calls on all authorities~~Notes with amusement that the neither the OSCE, the United Nations, the EU Commission has managed to launch and implement a comprehensive transitional justice process yet, despite more than 25 years of opportunity to do so, condemns this ineptness by the EU Commission, the United Nations and the OSCE; proposes to the two entities launch and implement such a process and to actively promote and ensure access to truth, justice and non-selective reparations;

Amendment 227 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Reaffirms the significance of reconciliation in BiH and calls on all authorities to actively promote and ensure access to truth, justice and non-selective reparations; notes that genuine reconciliation, cooperation and peaceful coexistence is possible only by mutual recognition and respect of the rights and needs of the constituent peoples and all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the right of legitimate representation in all levels of government; notes that the principles of federalism would suit the functioning of the state as it would establish equality in all spheres between the constituent communities and citizens;

Amendment 228 #

Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Katalin CSEH, Klemen GROŠELJ, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Reaffirms the significance of reconciliation in BiH and calls on all authorities to actively promote and ensure access to truth, justice and non-selective reparations; welcomes local level initiatives commemorating civilian war victims, the completion of the monument to civilian victims in the Brcko District, and the decision by the OHR to amend the Law on the Center for the Srebrenica- Potočari Memorial and Cemetery for the Victims of the 1995 Genocide, in order to facilitate the work of the Memorial Center;

Amendment 229 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21

21. Reaffirms the significance of genuine reconciliation in BiH and calls on all authorities to actively promote and ensure access to truth, justice and non- selective reparations;

Amendment 23 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 30

— having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs ~~(A9- 0000~~on a European Parliament recommendation to the Council and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the EU’s Foreign, Security and Defence Policy after the Russian invasion of Ukraine (A9-0164/20232),

Amendment 230 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Expresses its full solidarity with all survivors of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide and their families; ~~deplore~~strongly condemns all historical revisionism, including genocide denial, the glorification of war crimes and war criminals, and the contestation of established facts and tribunals; ~~calls for effective prosecution of such cases;~~ notes positively the decrease in cases of genocide denial and glorification of war criminals since the amendment of the Penal Code in 2021, which criminalises these practices, introduced by the previous High Representative Valentin Inzko; regrets, however, that the prosecution has failed to initiate any criminal proceedings on these matters and that no perpetrator has been brought to justice; urges the authorities, notably the State’s Prosecutor Office to effectively investigate and prosecute such cases; condemns, in particular, the ban of the RS security forces of a march commemorating the victims of the massacre in Prijedor; strongly condemns the violent attacks on 25 March 2023 against two returnees to Višegrad and urges the RS authorities to investigate these cases and hold the perpetrators accountable; calls for the adoption of a common curriculum in history textbooks based on court- established facts related to the war as a means to avoid historical revisionism and encourages the EU to support this initiative;

Amendment 231 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Expresses its solidarity with all survivors of war crimes, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing, genocide, displacement, disappearances, killings, torture, and sexual assault, and their families; deplores all historical revisionism, including genocide denial, the glorification of war crimes and war criminals, and the contestation of established facts and tribunals, notably by political leaders, as well as vandalism of memorial sites; underlines that such acts and rhetoric are fully unacceptable and contrary to the values of the European project; calls for effective prosecution of such cases;

Amendment 232 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Expresses its solidarity with all survivors of war crimes and their families; deplores all historical revisionism, including genocide denial, the glorification of war crimes and war criminals, and the contestation of established facts and tribunals; calls for effective prosecution of such cases; regrets that prosecutors have failed to initiate any criminal proceedings on these matters; condemns the prohibition of public gatherings for families commemorating the victims of Prijedor in the Republika Srpska entity;

Amendment 233 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22

22. Expresses its solidarity with all survivors of war crimes and their families; strongly condemns all war mongering rhetoric and reiterate the importance for religious leaders to contribute to the reconciliation; deplores all historical revisionism, including genocide denial, the glorification of war crimes and war criminals, and the contestation of established facts and tribunals; calls for effective prosecution of such cases;

Amendment 234 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. ~~Notes the ongoing reduction in the backlog of war crimes cases, but regrets that the pace remains slow~~Calls on the authorities to ensure the implementation of the revised National War Crimes Processing Strategy, notably by ensuring an adequate division of cases between the prosecutors’ offices so that the most complex cases are transferred to the state level; against this background, recalls that the strategy will expire at the end of 2023 and calls on the authorities to adopt a new strategy; notes the ongoing reduction in the backlog of war crimes cases, but regrets that the pace remains slow; calls on the courts to facilitate public access to the war crimes verdicts; regrets that some war criminals convicted by the BiH courts escape justice by hiding in Serbia and Croatia as they hold dual citizenships;

Amendment 235 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Notes the ongoing reduction in the backlog of war crimes cases, but regrets that the pace remains slow; notes persisting limitations in regional judicial cooperation in this regard; calls on the BiH Prosecutor’s office to strengthen efforts to process the most complex cases and improve the quality of investigations and indictments; urges authorities to provide adequate protection and support services to survivors participating in judicial proceedings;

Amendment 236 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Notes the ongoing reduction in the backlog of war crimes cases, but regrets that the pace remains slow and that the strategic goal to solve all cases related to war crimes will not be met due to the high backlog; reiterates the necessity to prosecute and accelerate criminal proceedings, as 28 years have passed and reconciliation cannot be achieved without adequate judgements;

Amendment 237 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23

23. Notes the ongoing reduction in the backlog of war crimes cases, but regrets that the pace remains slow; is concerned about the fact that some war criminals convicted in BiH courts escape justice by hiding in some EU member and candidate states due to dual citizenship;

Amendment 238 #

Andrey KOVATCHEV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)

23 a. Recalls the need to open up Yugoslav secret service (UDBA) and Yugoslav People’s Army secret service (KOS) archives in order to thoroughly research and address communist-era crimes and criminal organisations;

Amendment 239 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Calls for ~~fur~~the implementation of the law on missing persons and the establishment of a fund that supports their ~~efforts on the issue of missing persons;~~ families; calls for the harmonisation of the legislation aiming to guarantee a wide range of rights for the civilian victims of the war; in this context, takes positive note of the adoption of the Law on Civilian Victims of War in the Brčko District, which legally recognises children born of wartime rape as civilian victims of the war, but calls on the Brčko District to address its shortcomings; warmly welcomes the adoption by the Government of the Federation of BiH of the Draft Law on Protection of Civilian Victims War, which recognises children as a special category of civilian victims of war and provides them with special rights; urges the authorities in RS to adopt a legislative framework that addresses the discrimination faced by children born as a result of the war;

Amendment 24 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas enlargement is the EU’s most effective foreign policy instrument and represents a geostrategic investment in lasting peace, stability and security; whereas EU enlargement policy substantially supports the promotion of peace and the spread of the EU’s fundamental values of respect for democracy, human rights, the rule of law and freedom of expression, thus serving the EU’s interests at best;

Amendment 240 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Calls for further efforts on the issue of missing persons; calls for the harmonization of legislation aiming to guarantee a wide range of rights for civilian victims of war;

Amendment 241 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Calls for further efforts on the issue of missing persons and encourages authorities across the region to intensify cooperation and information sharing;

Amendment 242 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24

24. Calls for further efforts on the issue of missing persons, refugees, internally displaced persons and returnees;

Amendment 243 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24 a. Stresses that insufficient progress has been made in the implementation of Annex VII to the Dayton Peace Agreement on refugees and internally displaced persons; reiterates its call for additional measures and concrete programmes to be implemented with regard to the sustainable return of refugees and internally displaced persons, access to healthcare and employment, social protection and education, and for full respect of all their rights to compensation for non-returnable property;

Amendment 244 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24 a. Calls to support the sharing of experiences and practices of assisting survivors of sexual violence against women during the war in BiH with actors now working with the survivors of sexual violence in the illegal, unprovoked and unjustified Russian war of aggression in Ukraine;

Amendment 245 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)

24 a. Calls on the state authorities to adopt a law on victims of torture during the war;

Amendment 246 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)

24 b. Welcomes that the film ‘Quo Vadis, Aida?’ received the 2022 LUX Audience Award of the European Parliament and the European Film Academy; is, however, concerned that the public broadcaster of RS has denied broadcasting this film about the Srebrenica genocide; condemns the public funding by some municipalities of RS of the propaganda revisionist movie ‘Republika Srpska: Struggle for freedom’;

Amendment 247 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. ~~Welcom~~Notes BiH’s active participation in regional cooperation; welcomes the recent agreements in the context of the Berlin Process and calls for their swift ratification, especially the agreements regarding the free movement of people; calls on BiH to work towards enabling visa-free travel between BiH and Kosovo;

Amendment 248 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Welcomes BiH’s active participation in regional cooperation; welcomes the recent agreements in the context of the Berlin Process; stresses on the importance of making full use of all the regional and intergovernmental initiatives that are alsready existing, notably the Adriatic Ionian Initiative (AII), the Central-European Initiative (CEI), the EUSAIR, and the Berlin Process, creating synergies among them;

Amendment 249 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Welcomes BiH’s continued active participation in regional cooperation; ~~welcomes the recent agreements in the context of the Berlin Proces~~underlines the importance of inclusive initiatives like the Common Regional Market; welcomes the recent agreements in the context of the Berlin Process on the Freedom of Movement with Identity Cards, on the Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications, and on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications for Doctors of Medicine, Dentists and Architects;

Amendment 25 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas enlargement ishas been the EU’s most effective foreign policy instrument to incentivise and encourage fundamental reforms, including in the area of the rule of law, and represents a geostrategic investment in lasting peace, democracy, stability and security throughout the continent;

Amendment 250 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

~~25.~~ Welcomes BiH’s active ~~25.~~ participation in regional cooperation; welcomes the recent agreements in the context of the Berlin Process; stresses the importance of regional cooperation in promoting stability, prosperity, and integration, and urges Bosnia and Herzegovina to enhance its engagement with neighbouring countries;

Amendment 251 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25

25. Welcomes BiH’s active participation in regional cooperation; welcomes the recent agreements in the context of the Berlin Process and calls for the swift ratification;

Amendment 252 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Emphasises the vital role of independent media for conveying accurate, timely and transparent information; condemns attacks on and threats and intimidation against journalists and media workers, including by politicians and public figures~~; insists on appropriate judicial follow-up and the protection of journalists;~~ , notably the recent attacks on journalists Aleksandar Trifunović and Nikola Morača, as well as strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP); insists on appropriate judicial follow-up and the protection of journalists; is deeply concerned by the introduction of amendments to the Republika Srpska criminal code reintroducing criminal penalties for defamation; urges the Republika Srpska entity to withdraw the amendments and to ensure full protection of freedom of expression and of the media;

Amendment 253 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Emphasises the vital role of independent media; condemns attacks on and threats and intimidation against journalists, including by politicians ~~and~~, public figures~~; insists on appropriate judicial follow-up and the protection of journalis~~ and private companies; calls to ensure the transparency of media ownership and financial sustainability of the public broadcasting system; condems Republika Srpska’s adoption of amendments to the criminal code that recriminalise defamation, as the proposals encourage censorship and block criticism of the regime and other powerful figures; calls on the Republika Srpska’s authorities to withdraw the amendments;

Amendment 254 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Emphasises the vital role of independent media; condemns attacks on and threats and intimidation against journalists, including by politicians ~~and public figures; insists on appropriate judicial follow-up and the protection of journalists~~, public figures and private companies; expresses its concern regarding the announced criminalization of defamation in Republika Srpska; insists on appropriate judicial follow-up and the protection of journalists; underlines the importance of ensuring the transparency of media ownership and financial sustainability of the public broadcasting system;

Amendment 255 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Emphasises the vital role of independent media; condemns attacks on and threats and intimidation against journalists, including by politicians and public figures; insists on appropriate judicial follow-up and the protection of journalists; calls on the Republika Srpska to withdraw the changes to its criminal code intending to criminalize defamation and to secure full protection of the freedoms of expression and media;

Amendment 256 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26

26. Emphasises the vital role of independent media; strongly condemns attacks on and threats ~~and intimidation~~, smear campaigns, insults, intimidation and Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) against journalists, including by politicians ~~and~~, public figures and private companies; insists on an appropriate, systematic and effective judicial follow- up ~~and the~~; reiterates its calls on the authorities to assign a special layer of protection ofor journalists in the criminal codes;

Amendment 257 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)

26 a. Notes with concern that both, private and public media, are strongly influenced by political parties and are financially unstable; calls on BiH to introduce legislation to ensure transparency of media ownership, more transparent and specific criteria for the public funding of the media, as well as to secure the financial sustainability of the public broadcasting system and independent appointment procedures; highlights the importance of ensuring an adequate representation of minority and vulnerable groups, especially in the public media;

Amendment 258 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)

26 a. Calls for politicians, public figure, authorities and private companies to refrain from utilizing SLAPPs as a form of intimidation against human rights defenders and journalists;

Amendment 259 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)

26 a. Deplores the continuing failure to safeguard media freedom, pluralism and the availability of content in all official languages;

Amendment 26 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas enlargement is the EU’s most effective foreign policy instrument, one of the Union’s most successful policies and represents a geostrategic investment in lasting peace, stability and security of the whole continent;

Amendment 260 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)

26 a. Reiterates the need for equal representation of all constituent peoples in public media outlets and calls for media pluralism to be ensured in media programmes as well as content in the languages of constituent peoples; stresses the need to ensure public broadcasting outlets in official languages of all constituent peoples which would protect cultural identity and the mother language of each community;

Amendment 261 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)

26 a. Denounces the recurring anti- LGBTI+ hate speech and incitement to violence from certain politicians, in particular in Republika Srpska, which led to violence against LGBTI+ people in Banja Luka on 18 March 2023, with insufficient police action to prevent it;

Amendment 262 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)

26 b. Expresses its deep concern about the amendments to the Criminal Code of RS, which foresee the (re-)criminalisation of defamation and slander with harsh penalties, including prison sentences; considers this decision as one of the most serious attack on media freedom and freedom of expression in many years and urges the government of RS to immediately withdraw the proposed amendments;

Amendment 263 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)

26 b. Expresses serious concern about the draft amendments to the Republika Srpska Criminal Code that would enable Criminalization of defamation, thus seriously threatening media freedom and freedom of expression;

Amendment 264 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)

26 b. Welcomes the establishment of a focal point in charge of overseeing anti- LGBTI+ hate crimes in all ten Cantonal Prosecutor’s Offices; calls for all entities to amend their criminal codes so that hate crime and hate speech provisions cover the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics, and to work with LGBTI+ civil society to improve implementation of these laws;

Amendment 265 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)

26 c. Underlines the need to strengthen capacity building for prosecutors and judges when dealing with hate speech and attacks against journalists; invites the EU to increase its financial and technical support for quality journalism and media trainings, dedicated especially to investigative and independent media outlets;

Amendment 266 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Deplores discrimination, segregation, violence and hate speech against women, minorities, including ethnic minorities, LGBTI persons, people with disabilities, refugees and displaced persons and urges effective prosecution of such cases without delay; calls on BiH to safeguard and promote the countrywide rights of all minorities; recalls the need to strengthen the independence and effectiveness of the Human Rights Ombudsman; calls for the effective application of anti-discrimination and human rights policies; strongly condemns the attack on two returnees in Visegrad and calls on the authorities to effectively prosecute those responsible; condemns the incidents in Banja Luka during the marking of the International Women’s Day;

Amendment 267 #

27. ~~Deplore~~Condemns discrimination, segregation, violence and hate speech against minorities, and ~~urges effective prosecution of such cases; calls on BiH to safeguard and promote the countrywide rights of all minorities~~people on the move; urges for the implementation of effective pathways to legal remedies and prosecution; calls on BiH to safeguard and promote the countrywide rights of all minorities and people on the move in order to ensure their protection and their fundamental freedoms; calls on the BiH authorities to collect data on hate crimes categorized by motivation;

Amendment 268 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Deplores discrimination, segregation, violence and hate speech against minorities, and urges effective prosecution of such cases; calls on BiH to safeguard and promote the countrywide rights of all minorities; calls for a higher degree of protection of the Roma minority, to put an end to discriminatory practices and to promote and protect the rights of the Roma community;

Amendment 269 #

27. ~~Deplores~~Condemns all forms of discrimination, segregation, violence and hate speech ~~against minorities~~, and urges effective prosecution of such cases; calls on BiH to safeguard and promote ~~the~~ countrywide the rights of all minorities, including the Roma and other vulnerable groups such as migrants and refugees, and to collect data on hate crimes categorised by the motivation;

Amendment 27 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas enlargement is the EU’s most effective foreign policy instrument and represents a geostrategic investment in lasting peace, stability and security on the European continent;

Amendment 270 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Deplores discrimination, segregation, violence and hate speech against minorities and people on the move, and urges effective prosecution of such cases; calls on BiH to safeguard and promote the countrywide rights of all minorities and people on the move and to collect data on hate crimes categorized by motivation;

Amendment 271 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Deplores discrimination, ~~segregation,~~ violence and hate speech against minorities, and urges effective prosecution of such cases; calls on BiH to safeguard and promote the countrywide rights of all minorities, including members of constituent peoples in local communities where they form a minority;

Amendment 272 #

Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Katalin CSEH, Klemen GROŠELJ, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. ~~Deplore~~Condemns discrimination, segregation, violence and hate speech ~~against minorities~~, and urges effective prosecution of such cases; calls on BiH to safeguard and promote the countrywide rights of all minorities and people on the move and to collect data on hate crimes categorized by motivation;

Amendment 273 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27

27. Deplores discrimination, segregation, violence and hate speech against minorities, and urges effective prosecution of such cases; calls on BiH to safeguard and promote the countrywide rights of all minorities, including their right to participate in democratic elections;

Amendment 274 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Expresses concern over the fundamental rights situation, specifically, the persisting discrimination and hate speech faced by the LGBTI+ community, migrants and asylum seekers, as well as ethnic and religious minorities, and calls for more effective and comprehensive countrywide human rights and anti- discrimination strategies, as well as measures against interfaith and interethnic intolerance; stresses the need to duly prevent and prosecute the proliferation of hate speech, hate crimes and violence, and to promote social inclusion of minorities and vulnerable populations, including the Roma; raises concerns of the limitation to the freedom of movement and criminalisation of migrants and asylum-seekers in some areas;

Amendment 275 #

David LEGA

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Notes that persons with disabilities is one of the most marginalised and excluded group in society in BiH, especially children with disabilities; deplores that there has been no progress in addressing the concerns previously identified regarding the situation of persons with disabilities; reiterates the call on BiH to step up its work to protect persons with disabilities, and develop and adopt a strategy on deinstitutionalisation, ensuring people with disabilities a dignified life; condemns that the law that allows persons with disabilities to be deprived of their legal capacity, which is a clear violation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, of which the country is a signatory; underlines that it is unacceptable that the support provided is differentiated and that some types of disabilities are prioritised over others; calls on the authorities to ensure inclusive and non-discriminatory education for all children; regrets that many children with disabilities continue to be placed in institutions;

Amendment 276 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Calls on the Federation, Republika Srpska and Brcko District to draft a law on ensuring legal gender recognition based on self-determination, in accordance with ECtHR practice and the WHO’s revision of ICD-11, which came into force in January 2022, and which depathologises trans identities in all areas of life;

Amendment 277 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Notes local authorities’ efforts in the promotion of LGBTI+ friendly environment; calls for practical steps to be taken to promote the inclusion of and to prevent violence against LGBTI+ community;

Amendment 278 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Welcomes the adoption of the LGBTI Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2021-2024; denounces the banning of a public gathering in Banja Luka in solidarity to activists, journalists, and LGBTI people; strongly condemns the subsequent violent attacks and pressure on journalists and activists in Banja Luka; further condemns the RS leadership’s plans to introduce a new law banning LGBTI persons from education institutions;

Amendment 279 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Welcomes the adoption of action plans on Roma inclusion and LGBTI people’s rights;

Amendment 28 #

Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Katalin CSEH, Klemen GROŠELJ, Nathalie LOISEAU

Motion for a resolution
Recital A

A. whereas enlargement is the EU’s most effective foreign policy instrument and represents a geostrategic investment in lasting peace, democracy, prosperity, stability and security;

Amendment 280 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Expresses its deep concern at the discrimination faced by children from ethnic minorities, in particular Roma children, in accessing public services, including education and healthcare, and calls for the full protection of children's rights in BiH;

Amendment 281 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Calls for a higher degree of protection of the rights of the Roma minority and for an end to segregation and discriminatory practices;

Amendment 282 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Calls for BiH to ensure gender equality in all aspects of public and private life; regrets that BiH does not collect data on femicide and establish crisis centres for the victims of sexual violence; expresses its concerns regarding political obstructions of the freedom of assembly for LGBTQI+ activists across the country and condemns violence against LGBTQI+ people in Banja Luka and individual hate speech and hate crimes countrywide;

Amendment 283 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 a (new)

27 a. Urges the authorities to significantly improve the institutional response to sexual and gender-based violence, to collect data on femicides and to increase and improve protective measures, such as victim support, legal aid and safe accommodation; recalls that BiH also needs to accelerate the prosecution of crimes of sexual violence, provide reparation to women victims of war crimes, and secure witness protection;

Amendment 284 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)

27 b. Welcomes the progress on the elaboration of a law at Federal level that would give same-sex couples access to partnership rights; encourages the government to draft this law without delay; calls on Republika Srpska and Brcko District to also initiate processes for the drafting of legislative solutions for the recognition of same-sex partnerships, in order to provide same-sex couples with equal treatment on this issue countrywide;

Amendment 285 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)

27 b. Stresses that the situation of LGBTI persons can be significantly improved by new legal measures and modifications such as legalising same-sex partnerships, the explicit protection of sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics against hate speech and violence in the Criminal Code, quick, transparent and accessible procedures for legal gender recognition based on self- determination, and ensuring legal guarantees for the bodily integrity, autonomy, self-determination and informed consent of intersex persons, in line with its position on the matter;

Amendment 286 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)

27 b. Calls on BiH to ensure gender equality in all aspects of public and private life; regrets that BiH does not collect data on femicide and calls for the establishment of crisis centres for victims of sexual violence;

Amendment 287 #

Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Katalin CSEH, Klemen GROŠELJ, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)

27 b. Strongly condemns increasing femicide and urges institutions at all levels to enhance efforts in preventing violence against women and improve the responses to gender-based violence, including support services for victims; reiterates that BiH should accelerate the prosecution of sexual violence crimes, providing reparation to women victims of war crimes, and securing witness protection; notes the underrepresentation of women in politics, public life and high ranks of security services;

Amendment 288 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)

27 b. Notes that domestic violence, especially violence against women, remains among most serious human rights violations in BiH and calls for urgent actions in addressing gender-based violence, including for coordination among responsible institutions;

Amendment 289 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)

27 b. Calls for the legislation on gender equality to be harmonised with the Istanbul Convention across the country and to be effectively enforced; points to the fact that women are under- represented in politics and public life and gender impact assessments are not carried out as required by law; calls on the BiH authorities to increase efforts aimed at gender equality and women’s rights, including by prioritising gender mainstreaming and increased cooperation with civil society, in particular women’s organisations;

Amendment 29 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)

A a. whereas the enlargement policy’s effectiveness has considerably decreased over the last years due to a failure from the EU side to live up to its promises, as well as due to a lack of genuine political will to advance fundamental reforms by some of the political leaders of the enlargement countries;

Amendment 290 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)

27 b. Expresses concern about the stagnation in the harmonization of entities criminal legislation with the Istanbul Convention;

Amendment 291 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)

27 b. Calls for harmonization and implementation of legislation in line with the Istanbul Convention;

Amendment 292 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 c (new)

27 c. Welcomes the adoption of the new National LGBTI Action Plan 2021-2024; calls for its full and timely implementation;

Amendment 293 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 c (new)

27 c. Calls for additional steps to be taken to reinforce the protection of human and minority rights; condemns the deeply-rooted stigmatisation and social exclusion of Roma arising from anti- Gypsyism; insists that measures be taken to further improve the education, employment rates, health, housing and living conditions for Roma and other ethnic minorities, focusing on improving and fully implementing the relevant existing policy and legislative frameworks, condemning discrimination at workplace and by health institutions, and respecting the partnership principle in policy processes; urges the BIH authorities, in particular to take actions to significantly reduce the unemployment rate of marginalised Roma, which rate is one of the highest in the region;

Amendment 294 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 c (new)

27 c. Expresses concern because the key strategies for the implementation of gender equality and anti-discrimination legislation are either outdated or missing, and welcomes starting the processes of their creation with the mandatory participation of the women’s rights organisations;

Amendment 295 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 d (new)

27 d. Calls to step up the protection of the rights of the Roma minority; condemns their ongoing segregation and the discriminatory and racist practices against them; highlights the disproportionate poverty of Roma people; is particularly concerned about the discrimination of Roma children and students in the educational system;

Amendment 296 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 e (new)

27 e. Expresses concerns about the stagnation of the harmonisation of BiH entities' criminal legislation regarding the Istanbul Convention;

Amendment 297 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 f (new)

27 f. Calls on BiH authorities to ensure gender equality in all aspects of public and private life; regrets that BiH does not collect data on femicide; calls for the establishment crisis centres for the victims of sexual violence;

Amendment 298 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Regrets that rulings of the European Court of Human Rights ~~have still not been implemented~~(Sejdić-Finci judgment and Zornić judgement) have still not been implemented and that discriminatory provisions from BiH Constitution prevents all citizens from having equal political rights;

Amendment 299 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. ~~Regrets that rulings of the European Court of Human Rights have still not been implemented~~Calls on BiH to urgently implement the pending rulings of the European Court of Human Rights; deeply regrets the discriminatory provisions under the BiH Constitution that prevent citizens from enjoying equal political rights, leaving BiH with a system of constitutional systemic discrimination without equality of all citizens; reiterates that without the abolishment of all these discriminatory provisions, BiH’s electoral system remains in violation of EU standards, which need to be respected to progress in the enlargement process;

Amendment 3 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 c (new)

— having regard to the UNESCO Convention of 20 October 2005 on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions,

Amendment 30 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)

A b. whereas recent developments, in particular the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, have shown that non- enlargement has a massive strategic cost and can undermine security and stability on our continent;

Amendment 300 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Regrets that rulings of the European Court of Human Rights have still not been implemented and calls for their swift implementation; regrets that discriminatory provisions from the BiH Constitution prevent all its citizens from enjoying equal political rights;

Amendment 301 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Regrets that rulings of the European Court of Human Rights have still not been implemented and that discriminatory provisions from the BiH Constitution prevents all its citizens to enjoy equal political rights;

Amendment 302 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28

28. Regrets that rulings of the European Court of Human Rights in cases Fejdić- Finci, Zornić, Pilav and Šlaku have still not been implemented;

Amendment 303 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28 a (new)

28 a. Regrets that the rulings of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina have still not been implemented; regrets the non- implementation of the binding Constitutional Court decision in the case Ljubić, that has resulted in the denial of the right of Croats to elect their own legitimate political representatives, especially regarding the election of Croatian member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina; calls on the new government and all stakeholders to reach an agreement on the reform of Election Law to ensure the constituent peoples and all citizens have the right to elect their own legitimate political representatives;

Amendment 304 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Underscores the importance of inclusive and quality education~~; reiterates its call for an urgent end to the discriminatory practice of ‘two schools under one roof’~~, including the right of education in the mother tongue as guaranteed by the UNESCO conventions;

Amendment 305 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Underscores the importance of inclusive and quality education; reiterates its call for an urgent end to the discriminatory practice of ‘two schools under one roof’; recalls that according to Article 165 (1) TFEU the EU shall fully respect the responsibility of the Member States for the content of teaching and the organisation of the education systems and their cultural and linguistic diversity; reiterates that according to Article 165 (4) TFEU any harmonisation of the laws and regulations of the Member States is excluded from the EU incentive measures in the field of education;

Amendment 306 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Underscores the importance of inclusive and quality education, including by systematically reforming "ethnified" and divisive curricula that seriously hamper internal mobility and limit the critical thinking skills required to combat the effects of disinformation; reiterates its call for an urgent end to the discriminatory practice of ‘two schools under one roof’;

Amendment 307 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Underscores the importance of non-discriminatory, inclusive and quality education for all; reiterates its call for an urgent end to the ongoing discriminatory practice of ‘two schools under one roof’, in line with court rulings; strongly recommends embedding reconciliation into the education process;

Amendment 308 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Underscores the importance of inclusive and quality education; ~~reiterates its call for an urgent end to the discriminatory~~considers the agreement on a joint curriculum by all relevant sides that would be unbiased and fact-based as an important precondition to consider ending the practice of ‘two schools under one roof’;

Amendment 309 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29

29. Underscores the importance of inclusive and quality education~~; reiterates i~~ and urges BiH institutions to implement domestic courts’ judgements calling for an urgent end to the discriminatory practice of ‘two schools under one roof’; calls on BiH institutions to reduce administrative barriers for students who wish to continue their education in another canton or entity;

Amendment 31 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the future of the Western Balkan countries lies in the European Union; whereas the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) aspire towards Euro- Atlantic integration for sustainable peace, democracy and prosperity; whereas accession to the EU remains a strategic priority for BiH and its people; whereas structural and repeated postponements in the accession process risk to undermine the commitment of the Western Balkan countries and their citizens towards EU accession;

Amendment 310 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)

29 a. Notes that the adoption of programmes and curriculum should take into account the cultural and language diversity while respecting the constitutional architecture and competences;

Amendment 311 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)

29 a. Urges the authorities to ensure inclusive and non-discriminatory education for all children, regardless of their ethnic, cultural or personal background;

Amendment 312 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 b (new)

29 b. Urgently calls on BiH to remedy the unequal access to remote schooling;

Amendment 313 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Recognises the key role of civil society; calls on the authorities to foster a conducive environment for their work; calls for the protection and promotion of the freedom of assembly and of expression to be enhanced;deleted

Amendment 314 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Recognises the key role of civil society, particularly in reform processes, as well as in reconciliation efforts; calls on the authorities to foster a conducive environment for their work~~; calls for the protection and promotion of the freedom of assembly and of expression to be enhanced~~ and to implement effective and meaningful consultation mechanisms with civil society organisations; strongly condemns attacks, threats, intimidation and smear campaigns against human rights defenders and urges the authorities to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice; calls for the protection and promotion of the freedom of assembly and of expression to be enhanced, noting that there has been no substantial progress in the harmonisation of the fragmented legislation on freedom of assembly both at the entity and cantonal levels; calls on all authorities to align their legislation on freedom of assembly with the EU acquis and international standards following the model of the Brčko District as a good example;

Amendment 315 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Recognises the key role of civil society~~; calls on the authorities to foster a conducive environment for their work; calls for the protection and promotion of the freedom of assembly and of expression to be enhanced;~~ in reform processes; condemns attacks on, threats, intimidation, labelling against activists, including by politicians and public figures, and insists on appropriate judicial follow-up and protection of civil society activists, condemns intentions of RS authorities to introduce restrictive laws that would label CSOs receiving international funding as foreign agents; calls on the authorities to foster a conducive environment for their work; starting with anti-SLAPP measures, harmonization of legislation regulating freedom of assembly in order to avoid selective accession to this human right, transparent and merit-based distribution and monitoring of the spending of the public money transferred to civil society;

Amendment 316 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Recognises the key role of civil society in improving the resilience of democratic societies; calls on the authorities to foster a conducive environment for their work~~; calls for the protection and promotion of the freedom of assembly and of expression to be enhanced~~ and to systematically condemn and prosecute all threats, harassment and attacks against human rights defenders; calls for the protection and promotion of the freedom of assembly and of expression to be enhanced; expresses concern over the decision of the RS government to adopt a Draft Law on NGOs, limiting the space and activity of civil society, as well as the work of its organizations;

Amendment 317 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Recognises the key role of civil society in reform processes; calls on the authorities to foster a conducive environment for their work; supports the format of the citizen council in BiH and welcomes its policy recommendations from 27 February 2022; calls for the protection and promotion of the freedom of assembly and of expression to be enhanced;

Amendment 318 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30

30. Recognises the ~~key~~important role of civil society; calls on the authorities to foster a conducive environment for their work; calls for the protection and promotion of the freedom of assembly and of expression to be enhanced;

Amendment 319 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)

30 a. Condemns attacks on and threats and intimidations against civil society activists, including those by politicians; insists on appropriate judicial follow-up and protection of civil society activists, condemns intentions of RS authorities to introduce restrictive laws that would label CSOs receiving international funding as foreign agents;

Amendment 32 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B

B. whereas the ~~citizens~~people of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) aspire towards ~~Euro- Atlantic integration for~~ sustainable peace, democracy and prosperity;

Amendment 320 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)

30 a. Stresses the need to ensure the participation of citizens in the democratic life of the country through effective, meaningful and inclusive involvement of civil society organisations in the EU integration process; condemns the use of SLAPP cases that were filed against civil society organisations, notably environmental protection organisations, and regrets the involvement of EU-based companies in this practice; reiterates its calls on the authorities to ensure an enabling environment for civil society that upholds international standards and to develop and implement a strategic cooperation framework;

Amendment 321 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)

30 a. Urges politicians, public figures, authorities and private companies to refrain from using SLAPPs as a form of intimidation against human rights defenders and journalists;

Amendment 322 #

Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Katalin CSEH, Klemen GROŠELJ, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)

30 a. Calls on the authorities for an active and open dialogue with the civil society, especially when discussing the economic and other reform processes of the BiH on the European path;

Amendment 323 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)

30 a. Deplores plans to introduce a ‘foreign agents’ law in the Republika Srpska;

Amendment 324 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)

30 a. Notes that laws on freedom of assembly are generally not consistent with international standards and urges the authorities to amend the laws according to European and International standards, and refrain from interfering with the exercising the freedom of assembly;

Amendment 325 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 b (new)

30 b. Calls on politicians, public figures, authorities and private companies to refrain from utilizing SLAPPs (Strategic lawsuits against public participation) as a form of intimidation against human rights defenders and journalists;

Amendment 326 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 b (new)

30 b. Emphasises the need to withdraw the proposed amendments to the criminal code of Republika Srpska criminalising slander; calls on government representatives to cease labelling civil society as foreign agents and mercenaries;

Amendment 327 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 b (new)

30 b. Is seriously concerned by the announcements of the President of RS Milorad Dodik to introduce a foreign agents law, which would dangerously stifle CSOs and criminalise the work of civil society; urges the authorities in RS not to introduce this legislation and to cease to label civil society representatives as foreign agents and mercenaries;

Amendment 328 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 c (new)

30 c. Recognizes that laws on freedom of assembly are fragmented and restrictive; urges the authorities to amend the laws according to EU standards, and refrain from interfering with exercising the freedom of assembly;

Amendment 329 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 c (new)

30 c. Regrets that laws on freedom of assembly are fragmented and restrictive; urges the authorities to amend laws according to European standards and refrain from interfering with the right to freedom of assembly;

Amendment 33 #

B. whereas the c~~itizens~~lear majority of the population of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) aspire towards Euro- Atlantic integration for sustainable peace, democracy and prosperity;

Amendment 330 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 c (new)

30 c. Welcomes the success of the 3rd BiH Pride March in 2022 and looks forward to its 4th edition; regrets, however, the hurdles posed by the administration, the lack of cooperation of the authorities with the organisers, especially the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the obligation for the organisers to cover the costs of additional security measures; in this context, regrets that the authorities impose additional burdens to the Pride organisers and do not apply the law equally to all assemblies; denounces the counterprotests organised against BiH Pride by far-right and religious fundamentalist groups and the hate speech and bias reporting against the LGBTI+ community;

Amendment 331 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 d (new)

30 d. Reiterates its call on politicians and public figures to refrain from using hate speech in public statements and inciting violence towards journalists, LGBT persons and civil society; regrets the political obstruction of freedom of assembly for LGBT activists across the country and condemns violence and hate crimes against LGBT people in Banja Luka; regrets that the Pride March is continuously being discriminated against, and that this event is continuing to face administrative obstacles due to its nature;

Amendment 332 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 d (new)

30 d. Strongly condemns the violent homophobic attacks against journalists and activists from the organising committee of the BiH Pride March in Banja Luka on 18 March 2023; calls on the competent authorities to thoroughly investigate this hate crime and hold the perpetrators accountable; condemns the inaction of the security forces in RS who did not ensure the safety of the victims; highlights that the occurrence of these attacks happen in the context of the heightened inflammatory rhetoric of extremist political groups and organisations in RS, which fuels an anti- LGBTI+ sentiment in the entity;

Amendment 333 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 e (new)

30 e. Strongly condemns President Dodik’s announcement of a law prohibiting LGBTIQ+ organisations from entering educational institutions;

Amendment 334 #

Marisa MATIAS, Idoia VILLANUEVA RUIZ

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Reiterates the need ~~for solidarity- based migration and asylum management and a fair distribution of reception capacities; welcomes~~to completely halt all illegal migration and asylum-fraud transiting trough both entities and encamping on the door step of the EU boundary line in the hopening of negotiations on BiH’s upgraded status agreement with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency; regrets persisting shortcomings in migration and border management; calls on BiH to fully align with the EU’s visa policy of making an illegal crossing, reminds both entities that any support from the Member States, including via the administrators of the EU Commission, is fully dependant to their ability to finally shut down and block the illegal Balkan corridor for illegal migrants;

Amendment 335 #

31. Reiterates the need for solidarity- based migration and asylum management and a fair distribution of reception capacities; ~~welcomes the opening of negotiations on BiH’s upgraded status agreement with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency; regrets persisting shortcomings in migration and border management;~~ calls on BiH to fully align with the EU’s visa policy;

Amendment 336 #

Kinga GÁL

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. ~~Reiterates the need for solidarity- based migration and asylum management and a fair distribution of reception capacities; w~~Welcomes the opening of negotiations on BiH’s upgraded status agreement with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency; ~~regrets persisting shortcomings~~welcomes improvementes made in migration and border management and encourages the handling of remaining shortcomings; calls on BiH to fully align with the EU’s visa policy;

Amendment 337 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Reiterates the need for solidarity- based migration and asylum management and a fair distribution of reception capacities; welcomes the opening of negotiations on BiH’s upgraded status agreement with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency; regrets persisting shortcomings in migration and border management; calls on BiH to fully align with the EU’s visa policythe need to ensure appropriate, dignified and fair reception capacities across the country, calls on BiH to improve the speed, length and quality of asylum procedures; is concerned about the reports on insufficient reception conditions in the EU-funded centre in Lipa and about EU supported intentions to create a migrant detention centre inside Lipa; stresses the need to increase transparency and democratic scrutiny in the allocation and implementation of EU funds in the field of migration, notably the large amount of funds implemented by the International Organisation for Migration; is concerned about the increased practice of migrant returns from BiH to countries of origin without proper asylum procedures, and by the involvement of IOM in this practice; reminds that BiH is geographically surrounded by EU Member States and strongly denounces that migrants attempting to enter Croatia, including to seek international protection in the European Union, have been violently pushed back by Croatia, in a flagrant breach of EU human rights, and refugee law and exacerbating the inhuman and degrading conditions of migrants in BiH; urgently calls on the Commission to hold the Croatian government accountable and to start infringement proceedings for the continued patterns of violent pushbacks at the EU border with BiH; notes the opening of negotiations on BiH’s upgraded status agreement with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and recalls that any eventual agreement with this agency should fully respect fundamental rights and international standards;

Amendment 338 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Reiterates the need for solidarity- based migration and asylum ~~management~~approach and a fair distribution of reception capacities; ~~welcomes~~urges for the effective compliance of international law, also in detention centres; emphasises the importance to upheld the principle of non-refoulement and the prohibition of inhuman treatment in all circumstances and for all returns to the migrants’ country of origin or country of transit; calls for the effective inclusion of civil society actors in the reception response, even if the authorities take over the response, to ensure monitoring; takes note of the opening of negotiations on BiH’s upgraded status agreement with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency; regrets persisting shortcomings in migration and border management, including allegations of pushbacks; calls on BiH to fully align with the EU’s visa policy; underscores the importance of maintaining sufficient reception capacity; calls on BiH, together with the support of the EU, ensure the set-up of a crisis response capacity in case the number of migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers within the country increases again; calls on BiH to improve living conditions and safety inside Temporary Reception Centres; calls on BiH to improve the speed, length and quality of the asylum procedures;

Amendment 339 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Reiterates the need for solidarity- based migration and asylum management and a fair distribution of reception capacities across the country; recognises continued efforts to improve coordination on the local and international level; welcomes the opening of negotiations on BiH’s upgraded status agreement with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency~~; regrets persisting shortcomings in migration and border management; calls on BiH to fully align with the EU’s visa policy~~ (Frontex) and calls for their timely conclusion, in order to facilitate better protection and management of its borders; regrets persisting shortcomings in migration and border management despite significant EU financial support to BiH since 2007; calls on BiH to fully align with the EU’s visa policy, to ensure a well- managed migration and security environment;

Amendment 34 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas the new enlargement momentum sparked by the changed geopolitical reality after the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the applications for EU membership by some of the Eastern Partnership countries has prompted the EU to accelerate the long-overdue deliveries to the Western Balkans by starting accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania;

Amendment 340 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Reiterates the need for ~~solidarity- based~~effective migration and asylum management ~~and a fair distribution of reception capacities~~which upholds human rights in cooperation and coordination with affected Member States on the European external border; urges BiH to step up its efforts against cross- border crime, especially human and illicit weapons trafficking and illegal border crossing; welcomes the opening of negotiations on BiH’s upgraded status agreement with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency; regrets persisting shortcomings in migration and border management; calls on BiH to fully align with the EU’s visa policy;

Amendment 341 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31

31. Reiterates the need for solidarity- based migration and asylum management and a fair distribution of reception capacities; welcomes the opening of negotiations on BiH’s upgraded status agreement with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency; welcomes the signature of the Ruleboom on the operation of the National/Joint Contract Point for cooperation with EUROPOL; regrets persisting shortcomings in migration and border management; calls on BiH to fully align with the EU’s visa policy;

Amendment 342 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)

31 a. Welcomes the adoption of the Migration and Asylum Strategy for the period 2021-2025 and calls on BiH to swiftly adopt the related action plan; underscores the need to improve training and capacities of the Border Police and takes note of a EUR 5 million IPA III fund allocation in 2022 for this purpose by the European Commission;

Amendment 343 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Welcomes the adoption of a strategy for public financial management reform ~~strategy and calls for its thorough implementation~~by all levels of government and calls for its thorough implementation; urges authorities to establish effective internal control systems, as well as budget transparency and sustainable budgetary measures for state institutions; welcomes the improvement in BiH’s sovereign credit outlook, following the timely formation of a new state-level government and the granting of candidate status;

Amendment 344 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32

32. Welcomes the adoption of a public financial management reform strategy and of the program of economic reforms for the period 2023-2025 and calls for ~~its~~their thorough implementation;

Amendment 345 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32 a (new)

32 a. Welcomes the adoption of the Draft Law on Budget, the Framework Budget Document for the period 2023- 2025 and the adoption of the Program of Economic Reforms for 2023-2025; recognises the positive resumption of state-level decision-making;

Amendment 346 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Urges BiH to prioritise measures aimed at improving competitiveness and the business environment, boosting economic diversification and ~~tax harmonisation~~bringing legislation in the area of VAT and excise duties in line with those of the EU, promoting the digital and green transitions, addressing the large informal economy and tackling unemployment, particularly of young people, women and people in vulnerable situations; calls for putting in place an adequate institutional and regulatory framework, including supervisory institutions, for a better and de-politicised governance in the public sector;

Amendment 347 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Urges BiH to prioritise measures aimed at addressing poverty and inequality, social protection, improving competitiveness and the business environment, boosting economic diversification and tax harmonisation, promoting the digital and green transitions, addressing the informal economy and tackling unemployment; highlights persistent poverty of inhabitants of rural areas and vulnerable groups like Roma people, children and elderly people;

Amendment 348 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33

33. Urges BiH to prioritise measures aimed at improving competitiveness and the business environment, while improving economic and social cohesion, boosting economic diversification and tax harmonisation, promoting the digital and green transitions, addressing the informal economy and tackling unemployment;

Amendment 349 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)

33 a. Notes with concern the recent changes in the Labour Laws which give to employers the right to unilaterally reduce a worker’s salary, the possibility of paid leave without compensation and unpaid leave, the possibility of requiring workers to take holiday, as well as temporary interruption of work; stresses that these changes in the labour law open the door to abuses of workers’ rights during times of crisis and beyond; notes with concern that the new legislation further weakens the already week social dialogue in Bosnia-Herzegovina: insists that Bosnia- Herzegovina undertakes more efforts to adopt the social acquis of the European Union and calls on the commission to start to include a chapter on social rights in its annual reports on the accession process: calls on BiH to step up active labour market measures aimed at reducing long-term and youth unemployment, contributing to the most acute brain drain in the region;

Amendment 35 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas the Strategic Compass expressed that as a matter of security and stability it is of a particular interest to support the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Amendment 350 #

Andrey KOVATCHEV

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)

33 a. Welcomes the agreement at the Tirana Summit on reduced roaming costs; in this respect calls on the authorities, private actors and all stakeholders to facilitate reaching the agreed targets to achieve a substantial reduction of roaming charges for data on 1 October 2023 and further reductions leading to prices close to the domestic prices by 2027;

Amendment 351 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. UNotes the calls from the European Parliament and the EU Commission on urgently calls for measures to address the continued high degree of brain drain; ~~stresses the importance of developing the Youth Guarantee in the Western Balkan~~as it is one of the key reasons why enlargement process with BiH now will end; once this process has ended it will have a positive effect to counter brain-drain and any other “drain” and stabilize both entities;

Amendment 352 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34

34. Urgently calls for measures to address the continued high degree of brain drain; stresses the importance of developing the Youth Guarantee in the Western Balkans; calls on Bosnia and Herzegovina to address the issue of youth unemployment, including through the implementation of policies and programs to promote youth employment and entrepreneurship;

Amendment 353 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)

34 a. Expresses concern at the extremely negative democratic trends in the country, prompted in particular by the large number of young people leaving, and stresses the importance of the urgent adoption of additional measures to reduce youth unemployment and provide prospects so that they can stay and develop in the country; stresses that potential reforms will only be fully successful if negative demographic trends are halted and the conditions for the sustainable progress of the country and its people are met;

Amendment 354 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)

34 a. Calls on the authorities to reduce the risk of social exclusion and poverty by improving the access to social, education and healthcare services, in particular for people from the Roma and the LGBTQI+ communities, as well as other minorities and vulnerable groups;

Amendment 355 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)

34 a. Urges Bosnia and Herzegovina to promote economic growth and job creation, including through the development of a competitive business environment and the support of entrepreneurship;

Amendment 356 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)

34 a. Stresses the importance of education in promoting social inclusion and economic development, and urges Bosnia and Herzegovina to invest in education and training;

Amendment 357 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 a (new)

34 a. Welcomes BiH’s association to Horizon Europe and adoption of the Creative Europe 2021-2027 programme;

Amendment 358 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 b (new)

34 b. Welcomes the EU Support to Health Sector Reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina, worth EUR 10 million, and the European Union’s support for strengthening the health sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina via the “EU4Health” project;

Amendment 359 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 34 c (new)

34 c. Welcomes BiH’s full membership of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM); commends BiH’s authorities and citizens for their prompt support to the people of Turkey and Syria following the earthquake of 6 February 2023;

Amendment 36 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas the European Parliament recognizes the transformative capacity of Euro-Atlantic membership perspective for BiH and its potential contribution to peace, stability and prosperity;

Amendment 360 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. ~~Welcom~~Notes the Commission’s energy support package for the Western Balkans; ~~recommends strengthening BiH’s integration into the European energy market;~~

Amendment 361 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Welcomes the Commission’s energy support package ~~for the Western Balkans~~of €1 billion in EU grants for the Western Balkans to help them overcome the energy crisis, including immediate budgetary support of €70 million to BiH; underlines the utmost importance that the emergency funds must be designated to relieve the effects of the energy crisis and support BiH towards an energy efficient and renewable energy based economy; calls on the authorities to make the best use of this assistance in order to build a resilient and environmentally friendly energy system in line with the REpowerEU plan; underlines the importance of ensuring a reliable and clean energy supply, diversifying energy sources, and investing in renewables and in the improvement of energy efficiency; recommends strengthening BiH’s integration into the European energy market;

Amendment 362 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35

35. Welcomes the Commission’s energy support package of EUR 1 billion for the Western Balkans~~; recommends strengthening BiH’s integration into the European energy market~~, out of which BiH will receive EUR 70 million in immediate budgetary support, providing assistance to its most vulnerable households to mitigate the effects of rising prices and support the energy transition; recommends strengthening BiH’s integration into the European energy market, notably in light of the need to reduce energy dependency on Russia, following the launch of its full- scale invasion and war of aggression against Ukraine; welcomes the Global Gateway initiative for a Trans-Balkan Electricity corridor and calls for its swift implementation;

Amendment 363 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. ~~Urges BiH to finalise and adopt the national energy and climate plan; calls on it to~~Notes that both entities of BiH could adopt the necessary legislation on gas, electricity, renewable energy and energy efficiency, and to ensure the full harmonisation of laws for a functional energy market;

Amendment 364 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Urges BiH to finalise and adopt the national energy and climate plan~~; calls on~~ for 2021- 2030; reiterates the need for it to adopt the necessary legislation on gas, electricity, renewable energy and energy efficiency, ~~and to ensure the full harmonisation of laws for a functional energy market~~in line with the Energy Community Treaty and the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, as well as to ensure the full harmonisation of laws for a functional energy market; stresses the importance of swiftly enhancing diversification of energy sources and redirecting from heavy dependence on coal to renewables, in line with the country’s commitments to decarbonisation;

Amendment 365 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Urges BiH to finalise and adopt the ~~national~~country's energy and climate plan; calls on it to adopt the necessary legislation on gas, electricity, renewable energy and energy efficiency, and to ensure the full harmonisation of laws for a functional energy market; notes that progress in the area of environmental and climate protection as well as alignment with the EU standards has remained low; therefore it urges BiH's authorities to ensure greater alignment with the EU standards and policy objective on climate protection and energy;

Amendment 366 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Urges BiH to finalise and adopt the national energy and climate plan and to avoid energy infrastructure projects increasing the country's dependence on Russia and China; calls on it to adopt the necessary legislation on gas, electricity, renewable energy and energy efficiency, and to ensure the full harmonisation of laws for a functional energy market;

Amendment 367 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36

36. Urges BiH to finalise and adopt than ambitious, credible and cohesive national energy and climate plan; calls on it to ~~adopt the necessary legislation on gas, electricity, renewable energ~~transpose the Clean Energy Package in a timely man~~d energy efficiency,~~ner and to ensure the full harmonisation of laws at the state-level for a functional energy market;

Amendment 368 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)

36 a. Welcomes the signature of the Joint EU-Western Balkan Declaration on Roaming that is enabling the reduction of the roaming charges between the EU and the Western Balkans as of 1 October 2023;

Amendment 369 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)

36 a. Calls on the BiH authorities to reduce transboundary air pollution, especially in case of Bosanski Brod oil refinery that affects the quality of life and health of people living in Slavonski Brod in Republic of Croatia; reminds that Bosnia and Herzegovina is a signatory party of the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (Espoo, 1991) and is bound by its obligations;

Amendment 37 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)

B a. whereas the democratic transformation and rule of law are at the core of the EU accession process;

Amendment 370 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)

36 a. Welcomes the choice of Sarajevo to participate in the EU Mission for 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030, which will receive EUR 360 million of Horizon Europe funding covering the period 2022-2023, to incentivise research and innovation actions that address clean mobility, energy efficiency and green urban planning;

Amendment 371 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 a (new)

36 a. Calls for improvements to the legislation on concessions and use of natural resources to remove existing corruption risks, especially with regard to several major non-transparent projects with Chinese and Hungarian companies;

Amendment 372 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 b (new)

36 b. Underlines the need to enhance internal and regional economic harmonisation and connectivity; welcomes the European investments in road and rail infrastructure in Bosnia and Herzegovina, namely the development of Corridor Vc linking Central Europe to port of Ploče on the Adriatic coast;

Amendment 373 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 b (new)

36 b. Urges authorities to consistently prepare and align the provisions of environmental impact assessments and strategic environmental assessments in legislation at all levels and improve the public consultation processes;

Amendment 374 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 c (new)

36 c. Commends the removal of roaming charges between the Western Balkan states; welcomes the Roaming Declaration enabling the reduction of the roaming charges between the EU and the Western Balkans as of 1 October 2023;

Amendment 375 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36 c (new)

36 c. Welcomes the Joint EU-Western Balkans Declaration on Roaming and steps taken to reduce roaming prices between the Western Balkans and the EU, with a view to achieve a substantial reduction of roaming charges for data on 1 October 2023 and further reductions leading to prices close to the domestic prices by 2027;

Amendment 376 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

~~37. Calls on BiH to accelerate its implementation of projects under the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans and the Green Agenda;~~deleted

Amendment 377 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. Calls on BiH authorities to accelerate ~~its~~the implementation of projects under the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans and the Green Agenda to unlock the full potential towards the green and digital transition; underlines that the green and digital transitions and sustainable connectivity represent a driving factor for regional economic integration and integration with the EU;

Amendment 378 #

Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Katalin CSEH, Klemen GROŠELJ, Nathalie LOISEAU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. Calls on BiH to accelerate its implementation of projects under the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans ~~and~~that would allow the country to lift its dependency on fossil fuels, thereby promoting the pathway towards decarbonisation and aiding in the accomplishment of the Green Agenda objectives;

Amendment 379 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37

37. Calls on BiH to accelerate its implementation of projects under the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans and the Green Agenda; emphasises the importance of transparent and efficient use of investments;

Amendment 38 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas BiH has been granted EU candidate country status; whereas its progress towards EU accession depends on implementing the 14 key priorities identified in the Commission opinion on its application for EU membership; whereas the Council has called on the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina to urgently finalise the constitutional and electoral reforms;

Amendment 380 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)

37 a. Welcomes the announcement by the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBIH) government to reject a proposal for an alternative Chinese subcontractor for the proposed Tuzla 7 coal-fired power plant and calls on the authorities to stop the support for the controversial Tuzla 7 power plant altogether with a view to opening the path for BiH meeting its international obligations towards decarbonisation and fighting climate change; regrets the decision of the national authorities to extend the lifetime of the Tuzla 4 and Kakanj 5 coal power plants;

Amendment 381 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 a (new)

37 a. Urges BiH to establish a strict application of laws and measures for environmental protection, which would prevent and reduce the impact on the environment of mining research and mine operation; insists in the need to protect the BiH rivers; urges BiH to initiate effective air quality protection programs in BiH cities;

Amendment 382 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 b (new)

37 b. Notes that additional efforts by BiH are needed to further align with and effectively implement the EU acquis in all areas in transport; recalls the need for connectivity reform measures and alignment with the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and Trans- European Networks for Energy (TEN-E); welcomes the opening of Tunnel Ivan and the Tarčin – Ivan subsection of the Corridor 5c motorway, the largest and most significant infrastructure project in the country that will improve economic exchange and connectivity in the Western Balkans region country;

Amendment 383 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 b (new)

37 b. Encourages entity governments of BiH to increase transparency through public participation and consultation with local communities, scientific experts and civil society when planning projects;

Amendment 384 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 b (new)

37 b. Underlines the need to improve ex- ante comprehensive strategic environmental assessments (SEA) with the meaningful involvement of the concerned local communities, civil society organisations and independent experts; highlights the need to increase the transparency of relevant procedures for infrastructure projects across eco- sensitive sectors; stresses the importance to increase environmental mainstreaming in different sectoral policies; calls on BiH to boost the prosecution of environmental crimes;

Amendment 385 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 c (new)

37 c. Urges BiH to maintain the integrity of existing national parks and other protected areas;

Amendment 386 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 c (new)

37 c. Notes some positive developments with regards to environmental protection and commends the work of local environmental organisations and civil society activists; urges BiH to respect a strong environmental message coming from its citizens, who are calling for the protection of rivers and public goods in both entities, urging for the harmonisation of the environmental laws in line with the EU acquis, as well as calling for an immediate abolition of incentives for all small hydropower plants; calls on BiH to protect its rivers and prevent the construction and the development of small hydroelectric power plants on their banks;

Amendment 387 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 c (new)

37 c. Expresses concern over plastic, metal and other waste material pollution in rivers; is strongly alarmed by the pollution and floating waste dump in the Drina river; notes that waste is one of the country’s main environmental challenges and urges BiH authorities to considerably improve waste management, including by adopting a countrywide strategy with a particular attention to resource efficiency and circular economy measures; underlines the importance of developing a sustainable waste policy;

Amendment 388 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 d (new)

37 d. Expresses concern at the alarming levels of air pollution in Sarajevo and other heavily polluted cities, and calls on the authorities to urgently implement targeted measures for air quality monitoring and improvement; emphasises the need to swiftly step up efforts in aligning with the EU acquis on air quality and enhancing environmental standards; welcomes, in this context, the Council of Ministers’ adoption of an initiative aiming to reduce the emission of air pollutants and greenhouse gases in the heating sectors of residential buildings and traffic;

Amendment 389 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 d (new)

37 d. Calls on BiH to increase the number and size of protected natural areas by adopting and implementing the Directive on Birds and Habitats, as well as the Water Framework Directive; stresses the need to maintain the integrity of existing national parks and other protected areas; calls on the authorities to enforce the laws and measures for environmental protection with the aim to mitigate the impact of mining activities on the environment;

Amendment 39 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas, in the context of these geopolitical considerations, BiH has been granted EU candidate country status, too; whereas its further progress towards EU accession depends on implementing the 14 key priorities identified in the Commission opinion on its application for EU membership;

Amendment 390 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37 e (new)

37 e. Calls for urgent action to tackle soil and water contamination and management; urges the government to step up efforts on improving air quality and reducing air pollution, in particular in urban areas; calls on the local authorities to initiate effective air quality protection programs in the cities of BiH; is concerned that the country’s capital Sarajevo has been often at the top of the list of the most polluted cities in the world in terms of air quality and urges for compliance with its own emissions legislation;

Amendment 4 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 d (new)

— having regard to the UNESCO Convention of 17 October 2003 for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which covers oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of intangible cultural heritage,

Amendment 40 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C

C. whereas BiH has been granted EU candidate country status; whereas its progress towards EU accession depends on ~~implement~~fulfilling the 14 key priorities identified in the Commission opinion on its application for EU membership;

Amendment 41 #

Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Katalin CSEH, Klemen GROŠELJ, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

C a. whereas the Council expressed in the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence its strong support for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, based on the principles of equality and non- discrimination of the constituent peoples and all citizens as enshrined in the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the reform process on its European path;

Amendment 42 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)

C a. whereas on 23 March 2023 the Republika Srpska National Assembly adopted amendments to the Criminal Code of the Republika Srpska, which reintroduce criminal penalties for defamation and thereby unduly and disproportionately restricting independent media and civil society;

Amendment 43 #

Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Katalin CSEH, Klemen GROŠELJ, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI

Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)

C b. whereas in March 2023 President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik announced plans to introduce a ‘foreign agents’ law in Republika Srpska;

Amendment 44 #

Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Katalin CSEH, Klemen GROŠELJ, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI

Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)

C b. whereas each enlargement country should be judged on its own merits with a focus on fundamental reforms regarding respect for the rule of law, fundamental rights, democratic standards, independence of judiciary, minority rights and media freedoms;

Amendment 45 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital C c (new)

C c. whereas the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet reports persistent discrimination based on various grounds in BiH, primarily based on ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation, and voices concerns about access to education, social protection, and the rights of Roma and people with disabilities;

Amendment 46 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas genuine reconciliation in BiH is needed, based on ~~its~~the respect of multicultural ~~character and equal rights~~and decentralized federalist character and equal rights; whereas constituent peoples and all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina should enjoy equal individual and collective rights and obligations; whereas the country has committed to international and domestic obligations to end discrimination and ensure equal rights and representation of the constituent peoples and all of its citizens before the law;

Amendment 47 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas BiH’s advancement towards EU accession requires genuine reconciliation ~~in BiH is needed~~, based on ~~its~~the multicultural character ~~and equal rights~~of the country and its entities, and the respect for its unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, equal rights and non-discrimination;

Amendment 48 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas ~~genuine reconciliation in BiH is needed~~democratic transformation, the rule of law, adherence to EU rules, values and standards, bas~~ed on its multicultural character and equal right~~ well as socio-economic reforms, play a central role in the EU accession process;

Amendment 49 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D

D. whereas genuine reconciliation in BiH is needed, based on its ~~multicultural character~~diverse society and equal rights for all;

Amendment 5 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)

— having regard to the Sofia Summit of 10 November 2020, including the Declaration on the Common Regional Market and the Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans,

Amendment 50 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

D a. whereas more than 25 years after the war has ended, the country is still malfunctioning due to the deep ethno- nationalistic division promoted by the political elites, secessionist attempts and a high degree of corruption, which amongst others leads to thousands of citizens leaving the country each year due to a lack of prospects in their home countries;

Amendment 51 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

D a. whereas the country continues to face numerous challenges related to the rule of law, governance, accountability, fight against corruption and organised crime, freedom of expression and media freedom, and a functioning market economy;

Amendment 52 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)

D a. whereas linguistic and cultural diversity is one of the fundamental principles of the European Union, as enshrined in Article 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which reads: ‘The Union shall respect cultural, religious and linguistic diversity’;

Amendment 53 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)

D b. whereas linguistic diversity is acknowledged as a citizen’s right in Articles 21 and 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which means that trying to establish the exclusivity of a language is a restriction and a violation of the fundamental values of the Union;

Amendment 54 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)

D b. whereas the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) calls on the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to strengthen their efforts and overcome the political blockages that hold back certain reforms from taking place in order to prevent corruption amongst those with top executive functions

Amendment 55 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)

D c. whereas, as a consequence of the closure of the Western Balkan route and the Hungarian border, asylum-seekers seeking safety in the EU started to transit via BiH; whereas this creates challenges to the country in light of its difficult socio- economic situation; whereas reception capacities remain insufficient for hosting migrants and asylum seekers present in the country;

Amendment 56 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D d (new)

D d. whereas BiH has received directly or indirectly over €88 million since 2018 to assist migrants and asylum seekers; whereas despite this a number of international organisations have repeatedly denounced the inadequate conditions for migrants and asylum seekers in BiH both within and outside camps;

Amendment 57 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital D e (new)

D e. whereas Bosnian authorities have done little to address the unfolding humanitarian emergency; whereas the failure by Bosnian authorities to ensure humane treatment for migrants and asylum seekers is a persistent issue;

Amendment 58 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas the EU ~~is BiH’~~remains the main political and economic partner of the Western Balkan countries; whereas the EU continues to be Bosnia and Herzegovina’s biggest trade and investment partner and its largest provider of financial assistance, namely through ~~the~~ IPA III, EIP for Western Balkans and Macro Financial Assistance;

Amendment 59 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital E

E. whereas the EU is BiH’s biggest trade and investment partner and its largest provider of financial assistance, n~~ame~~otably through the Instrument for Pre- Accession Assistance (IPA III);

Amendment 6 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 5 a (new)

— having regard to the Zagreb Declaration of 6 May 2020, adopted at the EU - Western Balkans summit,

Amendment 60 #

Kinga GÁL

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas malign foreign interference ~~aims to destabilise~~could lead to irregularities in the functioning of the institutions of BiH;

Amendment 61 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas malign foreign interference aims to destabilise BiH; whereas any hesitancy in moving further in the enlargement process would lead to a growing relevance of third actors that do not share our interests, values, and strategic objective, and that are already active in the region; whereas mis- and disinformation campaigns organised by third parties aim at presenting the EU as an unreliable, uninvolved partner for the Western Balkans countries;

Amendment 62 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas actors of malign foreign interference aims to destabilise BiH; whereas some neighbouring countries and also EU Member States continue to meddle in the internal political affairs of BiH, preventing the country from moving forward towards the EU, from overcoming ethnic division and from engaging in a process of genuine reconciliation;

Amendment 63 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas malign foreign interference aims to destabilise BiH and the whole Western Balkans region, especially in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine;

Amendment 64 #

Motion for a resolution
Recital F

F. whereas malign foreign ~~interference aims to destabilise BiH~~direct and proxy interference and disinformation aim to sow discord, violence, inter-ethnic tensions and to destabilise Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Amendment 65 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. ~~Welcome~~Condemns the European Council's decision to grant candidate status to BiH; reiterates its clear ~~support~~no for BiH’s EU integration~~, grounded in unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity~~;

Amendment 66 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the European Council's decision to grant candidate status to BiH, on the understanding that a number of steps are taken to strengthen the country’s readiness for accession negotiations; reiterates its clear support for BiH’s EU integration, grounded in unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity;

Amendment 67 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the European Council's decision to grant candidate status to BiH; reiterates its clear support for BiH’s EU integration, grounded in unity, sovereignty ~~and~~, territorial integrity and the necessity of political representation of the three constituent peoples;

Amendment 68 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the European Council's decision to grant candidate status to BiH; reiterates its clear support for BiH’s EU integration, grounded in unity, sovereignty ~~and territorial integrity~~, constitutionality, federalism, multi- culturality and territorial integrity as ensured by the Dayton Peace Agreement;

Amendment 69 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the European Council's decision to grant candidate status to BiH in the context of the changed geopolitical reality following the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine; reiterates its clear support for BiH’s EU integration, grounded in unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity;

Amendment 7 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)

— having regard to Council Decision (EU) 2022/2353 of 1 November 2022 on an Assistance Measure under the European Peace Facility to strengthen the capacities of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

Amendment 70 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the European Council's decision to grant candidate status to BiH; reiterates its clear support for BiH’s EU integration, grounded in unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity; calls on all political actors in BiH to end and refrain from the blockades of democratic processes and work of institutions; condemns the secessionist policies and actions by the President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik and all political parties and movements promoting the dissolution of BiH;

Amendment 71 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1

1. Welcomes the European Council's decision to grant candidate status to BiH; reiterates its clear support for BiH’s EU integration, grounded in unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity; stresses that structural and repeated postponements in the accession process risk to undermine the commitment of the Western Balkan countries and their citizens towards EU accession;

Amendment 72 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 a (new)

1 a. Recognizes the importance of the Western Balkans in the EU's enlargement policy, and urges the EU to accelerate the accession process for Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Amendment 73 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. ~~Welcome~~Commends the swift implementation of results of the general elections held in October 2022, the appointment of a new state-level government, the signing of a coalition programme, and the resumption of political decision-making ~~and~~; welcomes the appointment of the President and two Vice- Presidents of the Federation of BiH; calls for the Federation of BiH’s and cantonal governments' formation to be swiftly completed;

Amendment 74 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the ~~swif~~fastest appointment of a new state-level government since the independence, the resumption of political decision-making and the appointment of the President and two Vice-Presidents of the Federation of BiH; calls for the Federation of BiH’s government formation to be swiftly completed in full accordance with constitutial and legal procedures; calls on all parties to sustain from hindering the swift formation of the Government of FBiH;

Amendment 75 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Malik AZMANI, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the swift appointment of a new state-level government, the resumption of political decision-making and the appointment of the President and two Vice-Presidents of the Federation of BiH; calls for the Federation of BiH’s government formation to be swiftly completed in line with democratic standards and principles; calls on the Office of the High Representative to show due political insight and avoid actions which may lead to additional political and ethnic tensions in the country;

Amendment 76 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the swift appointment of a new state-level government, the resumption of political decision-making and the appointment of the President and two Vice-Presidents of the Federation of BiH; regrets the political blockages disabling the formation of the government at the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina level; calls for the Federation of BiH’s government formation to be swiftly completed;

Amendment 77 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2

2. Welcomes the swift appointment of a new state-level government, the resumption of political decision-making and the appointment of the President and two Vice-Presidents of the Federation of BiH; calls for the Federation of BiH’s government formation to be swiftly completed; stresses the importance of completing the authority formation process at all levels for the successful continuation of the reform process;

Amendment 78 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Encourages all authorities to seize the momentum to meaningfully advance on the 14 key priorities and avoid slipping back into obstructive policies; underscores that BiH’s path towards EU accession needs to be anchored in functioning democratic institutions, rule of law, the fight against corruption and organised crime, respect for fundamental rights and non-discrimination for all citizens and constituent peoples as enshrined in the constitution;deleted

Amendment 79 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. ~~Encoura~~Regrets the slow pace in the implementation of the 14 key priorities since 2019 and urges all authorities to seize the momentum to meaningfully advance on the 14 key priorities, in full respect for proper democratic, transparent and inclusive procedures within the competent institutions, and avoid slipping back into obstructive policies; underscores that BiH’s path towards EU accession needs to be anchored in functioning democratic institutions, rule of law, the fight against corruption and organised crime, respect for fundamental rights and non-discrimination for all citizens ~~and constituent peoples as enshrined in the constitution~~;

Amendment 8 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)

— having regard to the Council conclusions of 24 and 25 March 2022,

Amendment 80 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Encourages ~~all author~~the government of BiH and especially the ruling coalitieson to ~~seize the momentum to meaningfully advance~~represent the aspirations of all citizens of BiH and to focus on the preparation and meaningful implementation onf the 14 key priorities ~~and avoid slipping back into obstructive policies~~, respecting the accountability of institutions and the quality and transparency of the processes; urges all political actors to avoid slipping back into obstructive policies of ethnocentrism and calls on all members of the ruling coalition to refrain from the nationalistic rhetoric shown by the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers Borjana Krišto in the exchange of views held in the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament on 21 March 2023; underscores that BiH’s path towards EU accession needs to be anchored in functioning democratic institutions, rule of law, the fight against corruption and organised crime, respect for fundamental rights and non-discrimination for all citizens ~~and constituent peoples~~ as enshrined in the constitution;

Amendment 81 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Encourages all authorities and political leaders to seize the momentum to meaningfully advance on the 14 key priorities and avoid slipping back into obstructive policies; underscores that BiH’s path towards EU accession needs to be anchored in functioning democratic institutions, rule of law, the fight against corruption and organised crime, respect for fundamental rights and non-discrimination ~~for all citizens and constituent people~~and legitimate representation for the three constituent peoples and all other citizens as enshrined in the cConstitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Amendment 82 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Encourages all authorities to seize the momentum to meaningfully advance on the 14 key priorities and avoid slipping back into obstructive policies, to show commitment, prioritise and make significant progress on necessary EU- related reforms, by advancing on the eight steps in the Commission recommendation in the context of fulfilling the 14 key priorities and the Brussels political agreement of 12 June 2022 on principles for ensuring a functional Bosnia and Herzegovina that advances on the European path; underscores that BiH’s path towards EU accession needs to be anchored in functioning democratic institutions, rule of law, good governance, the fight against corruption and organised crime, respect for fundamental rights, equality and non-discrimination for all citizens and constituent peoples as enshrined in the constitution; calls for consistent countrywide coordination, harmonisation and alignment across policy fields in line with EU standards, as well as improved planning and monitoring of reforms through political and technical coordination, including by adopting a national programme for the adoption of the EU acquis without further delay;

Amendment 83 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Encourages all authorities to seize the momentum to meaningfully advance on the 14 key priorities and avoid slipping back into obstructive policies, and to show their commitment to the program of integration that will determine which levels are in charge to adjust to the EU's legislation and standards; underscores that BiH’s path towards EU accession needs to be anchored in functioning democratic institutions, rule of law, the fight against corruption and organised crime, respect for fundamental rights and non-discrimination for all citizens and constituent peoples as enshrined in the constitution;

Amendment 84 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3

3. Encourages all authorities to seize the momentum to meaningfully advance on the 14 key priorities respecting accountability of institutions and quality and transparency of the processes, and avoid slipping back into obstructive policies; underscores that BiH’s path towards EU accession needs to be anchored in functioning democratic institutions, rule of law, the fight against corruption and organised crime, respect for fundamental rights and non-discrimination for all citizens a~~nd constituent peoples as enshrined in the co~~s enshrined in the constitution; calls on all political actors in BiH to end and refrain from the blockages of the democratic processes and work of institutions;

Amendment 85 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Calls on the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to strengthen their efforts and overcome the political blockages that hold back certain reforms from taking place in order to prevent corruption amongst those with top executive functions;

Amendment 86 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)

3 a. Welcomes the progress made by Bosnia and Herzegovina towards EU accession, but urges the government to accelerate necessary reforms and to demonstrate a sustained commitment to EU values and principle;

Amendment 87 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Commission and the European External Action Service to c~~ontinu~~ease supporting BiH’s EU integration ~~based on strict conditionality~~;

Amendment 88 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Commission and the European External Action Service to continue supporting BiH’s EU integration based on merit and strict conditionality;

Amendment 89 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Commission and the European External Action Service to continue supporting BiH’s EU integration based on strict conditionality, to promote and call for the accountability, transparency and inclusiveness of reform processes in state institutions, to publish detailed explanations of and measurement criteria for the 14 key priorities in order to raise citizens’ awareness of the benefits of EU membership and to strengthen monitoring capacities in BiH;

Amendment 9 #

Motion for a resolution
Citation 8 a (new)

— having regard to the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence of 21 March 2022,

Amendment 90 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Commission and the European External Action Service to continue supporting BiH’s EU integration based on strict conditionality; in this context, calls on the EU to publish detailed explanations and measurement criteria on the implementation of the 14 key priorities with a view to raise awareness among the citizens about the EU integration process, as well as to strengthening monitoring capacities in the country;

Amendment 91 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4

4. Calls on the Commission and the European External Action Service to continue supporting BiH’s EU integration based on strict conditionality; calls for their coordinated cooperation in BiH with the authorities and relevant partners;

Amendment 92 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Calls on the EU to intensify efforts to enable BiH authorities to work towards achieving conditions that would allow BiH to further progress on its EU integration path; urges all political actors in BiH to stop blocking the work of institutions and the democratic processes in the country;

Amendment 93 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Nathalie LOISEAU, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Calls on the EU to provide continued financial and technical support to Bosnia and Herzegovina in its reform efforts and EU accession process;

Amendment 94 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)

4 a. Expresses deep concern about media reports based on leaked Commission documents that the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement deliberately seeks to circumvent and undermine the centrality of democratic and rule of law reforms in talks with high ranking representatives of Republika Srpska; urges once again the Commission to initiate an independent and impartial investigation into whether the conduct engaged in and policies furthered by the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement constitute a breach of the Code of Conduct for the Members of the Commission and of the Commissioner’s obligations under the Treaties;

Amendment 95 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Reaffirms its ~~support for~~view that the mandates of the Office of the High Representative and EUFOR Operation Althea in overseeing the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement must cease;

Amendment 96 #

Klemen GROŠELJ, Ilhan KYUCHYUK, Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS, Nathalie LOISEAU, Frédérique RIES, Javier NART, Katalin CSEH, Ramona STRUGARIU

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. ~~Reaffirm~~Expresses its support for the mandates of the Office of the High Representative ~~and EUFOR Operation Althea in overseeing the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement~~, especially in enhancing stability and democratic processes in BiH; reaffirms its full support for EUFOR Operation Althea in overseeing the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement; calls on Member States to reinforce EUFOR and make it more fit for operational needs; calls on the OHR to act in line with its mandate and to refrain from using "Bonn Powers", which may strengthen illiberal political forces and ignite additional political and ethnic divisions in the country and in the wider region;

Amendment 97 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Reaffirms its support for the mandates of the Office of the High Representative and EUFOR Operation Althea in overseeing the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement in accordance with their mandates based in political neutrality and full respect for the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina;

Amendment 98 #

Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5

5. Reaffirms its support for the mandates of the Office of the High Representative a~~nd EUFOR Operation Althea in overseeing the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement;~~ s the civilian executive and EUFOR Operation Althea as the military executive in overseeing the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement until the country has fulfilled the ‘5+2 agenda’ and its international supervision ends; welcomes the extension of EUFOR Althea’s mandate until November 2023; recalls that this mission still plays a fundamental role for the security and stability of BiH and calls on the EU and its international partners to ensure its continued presence, strengthened capacities, and future mandate renewal; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to positively engage with and rely on the OHR and EUFOR Althea to preserve stability in BiH, thereby facilitating the EU accession efforts;

Amendment 99 #