2022/2203(INI) 2022 Commission Report on North Macedonia
Lead committee dossier:
Progress: Awaiting committee decision
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | AFET |
KYUCHYUK Ilhan ( Renew)
|
SAGARTZ Christian ( EPP),
NEMEC Matjaž ( S&D),
STRIK Tineke ( Verts/ALE),
BONFRISCO Anna ( ID),
DZHAMBAZKI Angel ( ECR),
KOULOGLOU Stelios ( GUE/NGL)
|
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54
Legal Basis:
RoP 54Subjects
Events
Documents
| Amendments | Dossier |
| 320 |
2022/2203(INI)
2023/04/03
AFET
320 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 9 — having regard to the Council conclusions of 18 June 2019, 25 March 2020, 14 December 2021, 18 July 2022 and 13 December 2022 on enlargement and the stabilisation and association process,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas enlargement is
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Expresses concern about the
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Expresses concern about the
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Reminds Member States that the enlargement policy must be driven by objective criteria and not be impeded by unilateral interests, as it has happened in the case of North Macedonia; strongly condemns the misuse of veto powers by some Member States in the Council, which have unfairly delayed the start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia, as well as with Albania; notes with concern that the support for EU membership has dropped significantly in the last years because of the EU’s, notably the Council’s, inability to deliver on its promises;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. calls the EU to seriously consider the possible security implications in the Western Balkans in view of the developments in Ukraine and the possible influence of Russia and China in the countries of the region; security challenges have increased and fast steps on the EU accession negotiations are more than necessary;
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Repeats, against this background, its calls to enhance the EU’s capacity to act by reforming decision-making, including through the introduction of qualified majority voting in areas relevant to the accession process, and ensuring the effective functioning of an enlarged union as a whole; calls for abolishing, in particular, the requirement for unanimity when deciding on the start of the negotiation process, as well as the opening and closing of individual negotiating clusters and chapters;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Encourages the Commission to speed up cross-cutting integration with enlargement countries in the fields of economy and single market, energy and transport, social policy, education, digitalisation, research and innovation, agriculture and rural development, justice and home affairs, civil protection, foreign affairs, security and defence, including cybersecurity;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Generally opposes any further enlargement of the European Union, as its stability, economical and political issues as they result from previous enlargement as well as from the disavowing 2016 "Brexit" referendum do not allow for it;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph -5 (new) -5. Recalls that the rule of law and institutional integrity are the backbone of a democratic transformation, societal resilience and socio-economic cohesion;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Compliments North Macedonia for the tangible results in consolidating democracy; urges the country to intensify efforts to improve governance and access to justice through the implementation of roadmaps on the rule of law and public administration;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. 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; whereas enlargement is the most effective EU foreign policy instrument and is a geostrategic investment in long-term peace
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Compliments North Macedonia for the tangible results in consolidating democracy; urges the country to commit and intensify efforts to improve governance and access to justice;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls on the North Macedonian government to strengthen its efforts to ensure the rule of law, independence of the judiciary, and fight against corruption and organized crime, in line with EU standards and requirements.
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Invites policymakers to constructively engage in the continued adoption and implementation of structural reforms, while strengthening decision- making transparency, inclusive consultations and the oversight abilities of the Assembly of North Macedonia
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Invites policymakers to constructively engage in the continued adoption and implementation of structural
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Invites policymakers to constructively engage in the continued adoption and implementation of structural reforms, while strengthening decision- making transparency, inclusive consultations and the oversight abilities of the Assembly of North Macedonia (Sobranie), including under the auspices of the Jean Monnet Dialogue; urges all political parties to dedicate more efforts to reduce polarisation and to play a more constructive role;
Amendment 115 #
6.
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Reaffirms the need to maintain constructive engagement with and abroad cross-party consensus, especially between government and opposition, on EU- related reforms, by strengthening the capacities of the Assembly of North Macedonia (Sobranie); recalls the important role of the Jean Monnet Dialogue (JMD) in strengthening the ability of political leaders to develop true inter-party dialogue and to build the consensus necessary for generating a democratic parliamentary culture and trust; welcomes the strong cross-party commitment to the process; urges lawmakers to swiftly implement the commitments made under the Jean Monnet Dialogue process;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Regrets the proposal of the President of North Macedonia to ban democratically elected Members of the European Parliament from entering the territory of North Macedonia; notes, however that the ban never occurred;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Calls on the authorities to comprehensively address the outstanding electoral recommendations well ahead of the 2024 elections in order to ensure a fair, open, and transparent electoral process; stresses in particular the importance of removing all restrictions and barriers to provide de facto equal opportunities for people with disability to fully participate in elections according to the OSCE recommendations in its Assessment of the Electoral Participation of People with Disabilities and the Election Administration in North Macedonia;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Calls on the authorities to comprehensively address the outstanding electoral recommendations well ahead of the 2024 elections; reiterates its call to promptly review the electoral legislation in a transparent, timely and inclusive manner in line with the outstanding OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Venice Commission recommendations; stresses, in particular, the importance of removing all restrictions on the electoral rights of people with disabilities;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas enlargement is the most effective EU foreign policy instrument and is a geostrategic investment in long-term peace; whereas the European integration represents the aspirations of citizens of North Macedonia and serves as a stimulus for reforms and contributes to economic growth and regional cooperation;
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Encourages the country to increase institutional integrity and intensify its judicial reform; invites the government to swiftly adopt the new strategy and action plan for the judiciary sector as both expired in 2022; encourages, in particular, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Good Governance Policies to take more diligent steps towards the detection of corruption cases, as well as to increase the communication and outreach with the public about the results obtained; welcomes prosecutions related to the abuse of office and looks forward to systematic action to prevent, prosecute and follow-up on corruption cases; insists on adequate funding for and the effective functioning of independent bodies and agencies and on the consistent implementation of their decisions and recommendations; applauds anti-corruption contribution of independent civil society and the media;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Encourages the country to increase institutional integrity and intensify its judicial reform; welcomes prosecutions related to the abuse of office and looks forward to systematic action to prevent, prosecute and follow-up on corruption cases; insists on adequate funding for and the effective functioning of independent bodies and agencies and on the consistent implementation of their decisions and recommendations such as the Commission for Prevention of Corruption (SCPC), the Public Prosecution Office; applauds anti- corruption contribution of independent civil society and the media; supports enhanced judicial cooperation in criminal matters under the working arrangement with the EPPO in order to ensure effective investigation and prosecution of crimes against the European Union’s budget;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Encourages the country to increase institutional integrity and intensify its judicial reform to guarantee the independence, professionalism, transparency and impartiality of the judicial system; welcomes prosecutions related to the abuse of office and looks forward to systematic action to prevent, prosecute and follow-up on corruption cases; insists on adequate funding for and the effective functioning of independent bodies and agencies and on the consistent implementation of their decisions and recommendations; applauds anti-corruption contribution of independent civil society and the media;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Encourages the country to increase institutional integrity and intensify its judicial reform; welcomes prosecutions related to the abuse of office and looks forward to systematic action to prevent, prosecute and follow-up on corruption cases; insists on adequate funding for and the effective functioning of independent bodies and agencies and on the consistent implementation of their decisions and recommendations; applauds anti-corruption contribution of
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Calls 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 125 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Urges the authorities to effectively fight corruption and organised crime through coordinated investigations and prosecutions leading to final convictions and asset confiscations in cases involving high-level corruption, organised crime and money laundering;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Urges the authorities to effectively fight corruption and organised crime through coordinated investigations and prosecutions leading to final convictions and asset confiscations in cases involving high-level corruption, organised crime and money laundering, making a full use of the National Coordination Centre for the Fight against Organised and Serious Crime;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Urges the authorities to effectively fight corruption and organised crime through coordinated investigations and prosecutions leading to final convictions and asset confiscations in cases involving trafficking of illegal third country nationals, high-level corruption, organised crime and money laundering;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Urges the authorities to effectively fight corruption and organised crime in a more consistent and productive way, through coordinated investigations and prosecutions leading to final convictions and asset confiscations in cases involving high-level corruption, organised crime and money laundering;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Urges the authorities to effectively fight corruption and organised crime through coordinated investigations and prosecutions leading to final convictions and asset confiscations in cases
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas enlargement
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Underlines the importance of continuing to deliver justice in major lawsuits related to the abuse of office, corruption and terror, including the April 2017 attacks against the Sobranie, illegal wiretapping and extortion; repeats, in this context, its call on Hungary to work with the Macedonian authorities to follow-up on the extradition request for their criminal former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, who fled a jail sentence in North Macedonia and was granted asylum in Hungary;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9a. Commends the North Macedonian judicial system’s crackdown on upper- level corruption through the conviction in absentia of former Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski for a 5th prison sentence while he is currently living in exile in Hungary after attaining asylum;
Amendment 132 #
9a. Calls for improving the functioning of the financial inspection, guaranteeing the independence of the State Audit Office, and improving the efficiency of parliamentary oversight of public funds management;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 b (new) 9b. Expresses concern over the election of high-ranking officials in the judicial system such as the Public Prosecutor for Organised Crime and Corruption, as well as members of the Judicial Council and members of the Board of the Academy for Judges and Public Prosecutors, as the process lacked transparency and guarantees for independence;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Deplores the
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Deplores the malign foreign interference and hybrid attacks, such as disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks and false bomb threats, directed against North Macedonia’s institutions and citizens; invites the authorities to considerably strengthen North Macedonia’s resilience against such threats, acting in cooperation with the EU, its Member States, and relevant NATO structures; stresses the risks related to mis- and disinformation campaigns organised by third parties aiming at presenting the EU as an unreliable, uninvolved partner for the Western Balkans countries; calls on the European Commission, the EEAS, and North Macedonian authorities to step up joint efforts in fighting such narratives;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Deplores the malign foreign interference and hybrid attacks, such as disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks and false bomb threats, directed against North Macedonia’s institutions and citizens; invites the authorities to considerably strengthen North Macedonia’s resilience against such threats; calls on the EEAS and EU Delegation to North Macedonia to intensify efforts in promoting benefits of closer integration and invest in communication campaigns to fight foreign influence;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Deplores the malign foreign interference and hybrid attacks, such as disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks and false bomb threats, directed against North Macedonia’s institutions and citizens; invites the EU to support the authorities to considerably strengthen North Macedonia’s resilience against such threats; calls for a stronger involvement of all stakeholders, including the Parliament of North Macedonia, in tackling foreign interference and disinformation
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Deplores the malign foreign interference and hybrid attacks, such as disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks and false bomb threats, directed against North Macedonia’s institutions and citizens; invites the authorities to considerably strengthen North Macedonia’s resilience against such threats by enhancing cybersecurity coordination, counter-radicalisation and data protection capabilities and calls for an enhanced EU support in this regard;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Deplores the malign foreign interference and hybrid attacks, such as disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks and false bomb threats, directed against North Macedonia’s institutions and citizens; invites the authorities to develop different tools, including educational ones, to combat online disinformation and manipulative speech, in order to considerably strengthen North Macedonia’s resilience against such threats;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas the rules and values based enlargement is the most effective EU foreign policy instrument and is a geostrategic investment in long-term peace, democracy, stability and security throughout the continent;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Deplores the malign foreign interference and hybrid attacks, such as disinformation campaigns, cyberattacks and false bomb threats, directed against North Macedonia’s institutions and citizens; invites the authorities to considerably strengthen North Macedonia’s resilience against such threats; urges the Commission and the EEAS to further support the country in these efforts;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Commends North Macedonia’s participation in the Global Coalition To Defeat Daesh and the Joint Action Plan on Counter-Terrorism in the Western Balkans; recognizes the efforts made by North Macedonia to combat the financing of terrorism as laid out in the 2021-2023 National Strategy for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Recognises the call by North Macedonia’s National Centre for Computer Incident Response for government institutions to increase cyber security measures after multiple attacks over the last few years including attacks on the website of the Education Ministry in 2022, site for public services in 2022, and State Electoral Commission website in 2020;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 a (new) 10a. Calls for the further implementation of the Joint Action Plan on Counterterrorism in order to prevent extremism;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 b (new) Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 c (new) 10c. Urges caution in regard to Turkish influence and funding through use of its Directorate of Religious Affairs offices set up within North Macedonia known as the Diyanet;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 d (new) 10d. Urges caution regarding Iranian activity in the Western Balkans. Recognises that recent cyber attacks and the foiled plans to attack members of an exiled Iranian opposition group known as the People’s Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) in Albania by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force has strongly negative implications for North Macedonia;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 e (new) 10e. Urges caution in regard to the large funding of Wahhabist institutions throughout the region whose practices are discreet and may be able to influence and/or radicalise younger and/or rural Islamic communities in the region;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Welcomes the successful international actions taken against the trafficking of people, narcotics and firearms, and the uncovering of online fraud, which were aimed at dismantling organised crime groups, including those involved in people smuggling, the evasion of justice, money laundering and cybercrime; acknowledges that the country has complied with its commitments on tax cooperation and tax good governance standards, following its ratification of the OECD multilateral convention on mutual administrative assistance;
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Welcomes the successful
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the future of the Western Balkan countries lies in the European Union; whereas accession to the EU remains a strategic priority for North Macedonia 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 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Welcomes the investigations taken against prolific smuggling rings; stresses that there is a considerable need for further action by local officials and intelligence sharing with EU law enforcement agencies;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11a. Notes the importance of cooperating with the EU in the fight against trafficking in human beings and migrant smuggling through the ‘Balkan route’
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 b (new) 11b. Encourages North Macedonia to strengthen operations against the trafficking of cultural property which allows organised crime and terrorist groups to attain funding through this highly unregulated global market; Stresses the necessity of ensuring the authenticity of the provenance of art/cultural pieces and the need to work multilaterally across borders to make the international trafficking of these objects more difficult at the source-country level in places such as museums in developing countries where cultural property is usually not itemized into databases and points of transfer at customs checkpoints at the transfer-countries level;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12.
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12a. Notes the growing risk of increasing influence of China throughout the region; expresses concern that North Macedonia could become increasingly vulnerable to investment from China, risking a backslide in development in the rule of law.
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Invites North Macedonia to fully align with EU visa policy and to limit security risks related to its citizenship-by- investment scheme, refraining from systematic granting of citizenship for special economic interest; urges the authorities to take further action against criminal trafficking networks and to step up cooperation with the EU’s justice and home affairs agencies, including through an enhanced partnership under the newly-ratified Frontex status agreement, the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats’ (EMPACT) and the regional Anti-Smuggling Operational Partnership, in full compliance with fundamental rights; welcomes successful international investigations and police operations against trafficking of people, narcotics and firearms and uncovering of the online fraud cases across Southeast Europe, including the dismantling of a criminal groups related to money laundering and cryptocurrency fraud and urges authorities to strengthen domestic operational and asset recovery capacities;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Invites North Macedonia to fully align with EU visa policy and to limit security risks related to its citizenship-by- investment scheme; calls on the authorities to refrain from enabling systematic acquisition of citizenship based on economic interest; urges the authorities to take further action against criminal trafficking networks and to step up cooperation with the EU’s justice and home affairs agencies;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13.
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Invites North Macedonia to fully align with EU visa policy and to
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the effectiveness of the enlargement policy has considerably decreased over the last years due to a failure from the EU side to live up to its promises, notably the unfair and unjustified delay in starting accession negotiations with North Macedonia, 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 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Commends the agreements made between the Council and North Macedonia on 24 February 2023 that will allow for Frontex joint operations and the deployment of border management teams to North Macedonia; Acknowledges the importance of these efforts in managing migratory flow, countering illegal immigration, and addressing cross-border crime; highlights the importance of joint- operations between Frontex and North Macedonia in aligning the immigration policy of North Macedonia and the European Union; Acknowledges that the second most used path to Europe followed by migrants was the Western Balkan route consists of travel from Greece and Bulgaria into the Western Balkans (including North Macedonia) and then on into Serbia and the need of North Macedonia to have the appropriate amount of detention centres;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Commends the ongoing bilateral and international co-operation on dismantling transnational crime networks, including with international and the EU justice and home affairs agencies, including Eurojust, Europol and Frontex, covering the intensified action against the trafficking of humans, drugs and illegal weapons and danger of radicalisation;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Welcomes the conclusion of the Status Agreement between the EU and North Macedonia on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) in North Macedonia and looks forward to its entry into force;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13a. Calls for the adoption of the draft law on the compensation for victims of crime including victims of trafficking in human beings;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Calls for further progress on the reforms in the public administration
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Calls for further progress on public administration, free from political and economic interference and encourages the authorities to complete local governance reform;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14.
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Reiterates its calls to the Commission to implement the recommendations of the European Court of Auditors Special Report 01/2022 to ensure the effective rule-of-law impact of financial assistance in the Western Balkans, including in North Macedonia;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14a. Calls for the Law on the protection of whistle blowers to be further aligned with the EU acquis;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 b (new) 14b. Reiterates its deep concerns about reports that the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Várhelyi deliberately seeks to circumvent and undermine the centrality of democratic and rule of law reforms in EU accession countries; urges the Commission to initiate an independent and impartial investigation into whether the conduct engaged in and the 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; urges the Commission to report the results of such investigation to the Parliament and the Council; 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 17 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas the role of the European Union in the region largely depends on consistency in fulfilling obligations towards partner states and meeting jointly set goals;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Notes that North Macedonia’s
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Notes North Macedonia’s commitment to upholding civil liberties and fundamental rights; welcomes
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Notes North Macedonia’s commitment to upholding civil liberties and fundamental rights; welcomes its progress towards eliminating all types of discrimination and ensuring equality, including under the strategies on Gender Equality and on Equality and Anti- discrimination;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Notes North Macedonia’s commitment to upholding civil liberties and fundamental rights;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Notes North Macedonia’s
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Notes North Macedonia’s commitment to upholding civil liberties and fundamental rights; welcomes its
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Urges the authorities to step up protection of women, Roma, the LGBTI+ community and other vulnerable groups and the prosecution of domestic and online abuse and to improve services for the victims of violence; welcomes changes to the Criminal Code of North Macedonia,
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Urges the authorities to step up protection of vulnerable groups and the prosecution of domestic and online abuse and to improve services for the victims of violence; welcomes changes to the Criminal Code of North Macedonia, covering crimes related to violence against women and the safety of journalists
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Urges the authorities to step up protection of vulnerable groups and the prosecution of domestic and online abuse and to improve services for the victims of violence; stresses that the Ombudsman concluded that courts' sentences against convicted offenders of rape and domestic violence were overly lenient and did not contribute to a reduction and elimination of severe forms of domestic violence nor provide sufficient protection to survivors; welcomes changes to the Criminal Code of North Macedonia, covering crimes related to violence against women and the safety of journalists and insists on the need to strengthen North Macedonia’s anti- discrimination commission and Ombudsman’s office;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Urges the authorities to step up protection of vulnerable groups and the prosecution of domestic and online abuse
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas enlargement in the Balkans is contrary to the interests of Member states; whereas the study carried out in 2019 by the European Council on Foreign Relations (C.E.F.R.)1a, confirms that the majority of citizens of the Member States do not desire a Balkan integration into the EU; _________________ 1a https://eupinions.eu/de/blog/eu-citizens- remain-against-further-enlargement
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Urges the authorities to step up the protection of minorities and other vulnerable groups and the pr
Amendment 181 #
16. Urges the North Macedonian authorities to step up protection of vulnerable groups and the prosecution of the increasingly frequent crimes committed against certain communities and engendered by hate speech and acts of hatred, and of domestic and online abuse, and to improve services for the victims of violence; welcomes changes to the Criminal Code of North Macedonia, covering crimes related to violence against women and the safety of journalists and insists on the need to strengthen North Macedonia’s anti-discrimination commission and Ombudsman’s office;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Urges the authorities to step up protection of vulnerable groups and the prosecution of hate crimes, domestic and online abuse and to improve services for the victims of violence; welcomes changes to the Criminal Code of North Macedonia, covering crimes related to violence against women and the safety of journalists and insists on the need to strengthen North Macedonia’s anti-discrimination commission and Ombudsman’s office;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Commends the willingness of the government of North Macedonia to engage in prison reform discussions through their meeting on 16 May 2022 with the President of the European Committee for Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), Alan Mitchell, and the Vice-Governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), Tomáš Boček; Urges North Macedonia to commit to these reforms in order to assure fair and humane treatment of prisoners in accordance to treaty law and to prevent the conditions often found in prison that group together organized crime members and extremists and allows for malicious connections to be made;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Welcomes the draft law on gender equality and the progress achieved in establishing effective gender equality mechanisms; calls for the adoption of this law and for the allocation of sufficient resources for its implementation, while underlining the need to further strengthen gender mainstreaming mechanisms and fight gender-based discrimination in the country;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Strongly condemns the vicious violent attack against Hristijan Pendikov, the secretary of the Bulgarian Cultural Club in Ohrid, who suffered life- threatening injuries; notes that the attack was motivated by hate; regrets the decision of the judiciary to postpone the litigation has been postponed; regrets that one of the assailants is still at large;
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Regrets the continuous lack of progress in implementing the previous European Parliament recommendations regarding discrimination, hate speech, threats and intimidation against citizens openly expressing their Bulgarian identity and/or ethnic background;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Calls on the North Macedonian government to fully respect and protect human rights, including the rights of minorities, and to ensure that all allegations of human rights abuses are promptly and thoroughly investigated
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Calls for further improvements in the enforcement of minority rights and for further measures in preventing discriminations and crimes based on origin;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16a. Regrets the small punishment for hate crimes, such as the burning of the Bulgarian Club in Bitola by Lambe Alabakovski;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Aa. whereas EU membership remains one of North Macedonia's strategic priorities; whereas the EU has reiterated its full and unequivocal commitment to the European perspective of North Macedonia and that the future of the country and its citizens lies within the European Union;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 b (new) 16b. Urges the relevant bodies to proactively prevent and systematically prosecute all instances of hate speech, hate crimes, threats and intimidation, to thoroughly investigate related attacks and to ensure the safety and security of their targets, such as journalists, people belonging to ethnic communities and other vulnerable groups; strongly urges the media outlets and the authorities of the Republic of North Macedonia to deter from utilizing and publicizing hate speech against EU Member States and its closest neighbours; calls for the government and the judiciary to improve institutional capacity in this area and ensure the increasing hate speech is addressed in accordance with international standards;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 b (new) 16b. Deplores the continuing physical attacks, intimidation, hate speech and political slurs against Bulgarian cultural institutions and members of the Bulgarian community, including by MPs and government officials; calls on the authorities to investigate all cases of such attacks, to punish the perpetrators appropriately and to improve the safety of cultural institutions; expresses concern about continuous discrediting and targeting of people from the Bulgarian community by media outlets calls on North Macedonia to strengthen human rights institutions, guarantee their independence of the judiciary and follow- up on convictions for hate-crimes.
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 b (new) 16b. Urges the authorities to effectively fight hate motivated crimes through coordinated investigations and prosecutions leading to final convictions;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17.
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Underlines the importance of removing barriers to the socioeconomic inclusion of persons with disabilities; welcomes the progress made in the de- institutionalisation process, including in the resettlement of persons with disabilities to community-based care;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Underlines the importance of removing barriers to the socioeconomic inclusion of persons with disabilities and their equal access to education, health services, public buildings and transport ;
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17a. Notes that North Macedonia’s government has adopted an action plan to implement the deinstitutionalisation strategy for 2022-2024; deplores the limited progress when it comes to improving the rights to persons with disabilities in general; urges the authorities to finalise the de- institutionalisation promptly;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18.
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18.
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Commends North Macedonia’s well-established inter-community harmony and urges the country to sustain its long- standing commitment to multiculturalism and inclusion; encourages ongoing steps to building further trust among communities and the functioning of a multi-ethnic society while recalling the importance of upholding the rights of all communities; encourages the Government to protect and promote cultural heritage, languages and traditions of all communities through an equal, inclusive and non-discriminatory access to education, public service and the media;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 9 — having regard to the Council conclusions of 18 June 2019, 25 March 2020, 14 December 2021, 18 July 2022 and 13 December 2022 on enlargement and the stabilisation and association process,
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Commends North Macedonia’s
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Commends North Macedonia’s well-established inter-community harmony and urges the country to sustain its long- standing commitment to multiculturalism and inclusion and to continue ensuring that rights of all citizens are protected equally regardless of their ethnicity;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Commends North Macedonia’s well-established inter-community harmony and urges the country to sustain its long- standing commitment to multiculturalism and inclusion, including through implementing the Strategy “One Society for All”;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 18. Commends North Macedonia’s well-established inter-community harmony and encourages the country to sustain its long-
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Calls on the North Macedonian government to promote inter-ethnic dialogue and cooperation, and to ensure that all communities have equal access to political participation, education, and public service
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Calls on the authorities to take further steps to ensure the equality of LGBTI+ persons and stresses the need to continue and accelerate the process of amending the Law on Civil Registry to enable a simplified, transparent and accessible procedure for legal gender recognition based on self- determination, and prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Calls on the Republic of North Macedonia to fully guarantee equal rights for all ethnic communities in the country, including through appropriate constitutional and legislative amendments and in all relevant legislation, and ensure that no disadvantage shall result for citizens from the exercise of their right to identify themselves as belonging to any ethnic group;
Amendment 207 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Welcomes the adoption of the Strategy for Roma Inclusion for 2022- 2030 and calls for its effective implementation; urges the authorities to ensure the inclusion of Roma children in the national education system line with the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, and to immediately end discriminatory practices such as segregated classrooms;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Stresses the need to ensure that all minorities that live in North Macedonia are provided adequate support and live free from intimidation or any kind of discrimination;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18a. Underlines the commitment of North Macedonia to include the Bulgarians in the preamble of its Constitution;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas North Macedonia has established itself as a reliable partner and has delivered sustained reforms; whereas the North Macedonia has fully aligned with EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy and sanction's regime towards Russian Federation;
Amendment 210 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 b (new) 18b. Welcomes the success of the 3rd Skopje Pride in 2022 and looks forward to its 4th edition; calls on the authorities to take further steps to ensure the equality of LGBTI+ persons, to swiftly adopt a national action plan on LGBTI+ rights and to ensure the allocation of sufficient resources for its implementation; urges all political actors to continue and accelerate the process of amending the Law on Civil Registry, which would ensure swift and unimpeded legal gender recognition on the basis of self-determination;
Amendment 211 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 b (new) 18b. Reiterates that guaranteeing the right of the citizens of North Macedonia who identify as Bulgarians, and their inclusion in the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia and all relevant legislation, is a pre-condition for the start of the negotiation process for RNM’s EU membership;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 c (new) 18c. Deplores the increasing discrimination against citizens of North Macedonia who identify as Bulgarian, which includes, among others, the arson of the independent Bulgarian cultural club “Ivan Mihaylov” in Bitola in June 2022, the shooting against the independent Bulgarian cultural club “Tsar Boris III” in Ohrid in November 2022, the attack against the Bulgarian State Cultural and Information Center in Skopje, which was broken into in March 2023, and most of all, the severe beating of Christian Pendikov in January 2023 who was attacked because of his Bulgarian self-identification as noted by the Prosecutor’s Office in Ohrid, North Macedonia;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 c (new) 18c. Is greatly concerned with the stark increase of an anti-gender movement in the country, as well as the spread of misinformation and discriminatory and hateful speech against the LGBTI+ community, particularly against transgender persons in the media and political discourse;
Amendment 214 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 d (new) 18d. Condemns the consistent practice of pushbacks of migrants in North Macedonia, as reported by investigative media and human rights organisations; regrets the adoption of an Agreement between the EU and North Macedonia on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) in North Macedonia, despite the fact that the Commission quoted in its fundamental rights impact assessment multiple reports about systematic pushbacks, sometimes accompanied by physical violence; reiterates its calls for the country to improve access to asylum and reception conditions and to put in place a proper migration management and registration system in full respect for fundamental rights and international standards; calls on both the EU and North Macedonia to guarantee the rights of asylum seekers and refugees; calls upon Frontex to monitor and act in compliance of fundamental rights when deployed in North Macedonia;
Amendment 215 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Notes the Government of North Macedonia’s
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19.
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Notes the Government of North Macedonia’s improving engagement with civil society,
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Notes the Government of North Macedonia’s improving engagement with
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas North Macedonia has established itself as a reliable partner, including in the area of foreign policy, and has delivered sustained reforms;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19а. Expresses concern at the fast-track adoption, with no consultation of local stakeholders or inter-parliamentary bodies, of new legislation on the registration of non-governmental organisations, which requires that associations and foundations wishing to use the name, surname, pseudonym, abbreviation or initials of historical figures in their name, to obtain prior authorisation, including retrospectively, from a commission operating without any formally-established criteria;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Condemns the discriminatory changes in legislation adopted by the Parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia in October 2022, which restricts the naming of NGOs, which has been implemented retroactively for existing organisations, and which has been used specifically against two independent Bulgarian cultural centres in the country, out of over 17,000 NGOs in RNM;
Amendment 222 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19a. Expresses its concerns about the attacks against Bulgarian cultural clubs and organizations; regrets the adoption of the law on associations and foundations, which aims to limit the creation of new associations of citizens with a Bulgarian identity;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Acknowledges North Macedonia’s enabling environment for media freedom and urges the authorities to ensure transparency of media ownership, financing and political advertising, as well as the public broadcaster’s and the media
Amendment 224 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Acknowledges North Macedonia’s enabling environment for media freedom
Amendment 225 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Acknowledges North Macedonia’s enabling environment for media freedom and urges the authorities to ensure transparency of media ownership, financing and political advertising, as well as the public broadcaster’s and the media regulator’s ability to operate independently; recalls the need to counter political interference and foreign and home-grown disinformation and manipulative narratives; deplores threats and attacks against journalists; calls for an immediate halt in the media that is focused on promoting anti-Bulgarian views.
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Acknowledges North Macedonia’s enabling environment for media freedom and urges the authorities to ensure transparency of media ownership, financing and political advertising, as well as the public broadcaster’s and the media regulator’s ability to operate independently; recalls the need to counter political interference and foreign and home-grown disinformation and manipulative narratives; deplores threats and attacks against journalists, which affect particularly women journalists and LGBTI+ journalists;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Acknowledges North Macedonia’s enabling environment for media freedom and urges the authorities to ensure transparency of media ownership, financing and political advertising, as well as the public broadcaster’s and the media regulator’s ability to operate independently; recalls the need to counter political interference and foreign and home-grown disinformation and manipulative narratives; deplores threats and attacks against journalists, including the use of SLAPPs;
Amendment 228 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Calls on the authorities to adopt a legal framework that protects journalists, human rights defenders and other stakeholders from Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs);
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Highlights the unacceptable use in media circles of ‘hate speech’ regarding other countries and peoples, which is incompatible with European values and is hindering the development of good neighbourly relations in the region;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B a (new) Ba. whereas North Macedonia has maintained a steady and determined pace in advancing EU reforms, with a focus on the fundamentals, and the country should continue keeping up the reform momentum;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Urges the North Macedonian government to promote and protect freedom of the press, media pluralism, and independence of media regulatory bodies, and to ensure that journalists can carry out their work without fear of intimidation or harassment
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) Amendment 232 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Stresses the importance of the public broadcaster’s and the media regulator’s ability to operate independently, impartially and professionally and calls upon the government to allocate sufficient resources to this end; calls for the withdrawal of the amendments to the Law on Audio and Audiovisual Media Services, which aim at removing the active ban on the government’s advertising in private media; recalls the need to counter political interference and foreign and home-grown disinformation and manipulative narratives; recalls the need to strengthen investigative journalism, fact-checking and media literacy as means to tackle hate speech, disinformation and foreign interference campaigns; in this context, calls on the Commission to step up its efforts of supporting media plurality in North Macedonia, notably by identifying ways to financially support free and independent media;
Amendment 233 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 a (new) 20a. Is concerned about the lack of trust in journalism in North Macedonia, in particular due to the extreme political polarisation and pressure from businessmen on the media sector; deplores the high number of violations of professional and ethical standards by media in North Macedonia with portals being accused of spreading fake news and inciting speech, as highlighted by the Council for Media Ethics of North Macedonia; calls on the Association of Journalists of North Macedonia and its members to fully abide by the industry standards set up in the Journalism Trust Initiative developed by Reporters Without Borders, as the appropriate tool to increase professional journalists credibility and rebuilt society's trust
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 b (new) 20b. Is highly alerted that North Macedonia and the rest of 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, such as Russia’s interference campaigns during the ratification process of the Prespa Agreement; is alarmed that Hungary and Serbia are helping China and Russia with their geopolitical objectives; condemns, in this context, the attempts of media outlets and persons close to the Hungarian government to interfere and meddle with the media and media landscape in North Macedonia with the goal of discrediting the Macedonian government; urges the European Commission to open a dialogue with the Hungarian authorities with regard to this interference and to consider taking necessary steps; calls on the EU to enhance its dialogue with civil society and other relevant stakeholders 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, as well as in expanding StratCom monitoring to focus on cross-border disinformation threats emanating from Western Balkan countries and their neighbours;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 d (new) 20d. Strongly condemns threats and attacks against human rights defenders and journalists, in particular against women journalists and journalists belonging to the LGBTI+ community; in this context, urges all political actors to stop and condemn hate speech, smear campaigns and harassment of independent civil society organisations and calls upon the competent authorities to enforce a zero-tolerance approach regarding intimidation, threats and acts of violence against human rights defenders and journalists and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 4 Re
Amendment 237 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 4 Re
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Notes North Macedonia’s commitment to positive diplomacy and good neighbourly relations; reiterates its full support for a consistent mutual implementation of the Treaty of Friendship with Bulgaria and the Prespa Agreement with Greece; deplores the persistent disinformation campaigns creating distorted and polarised narratives that have marred the period leading to the 2018 referendum on the Prespa Agreement to reduce turnout, such as alleged threats to the Macedonian language, despite clear support for the agreement
Amendment 239 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Notes North Macedonia’s
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas democratic transformation, the rule of law and reconciliation play a central role in EU accession process and each accession country should demonstrate robust irreversible results in democratic resilience and socio-economic transformation;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21.
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Notes North Macedonia’s commitment to positive diplomacy and good neighbourly relations; reiterates its full support for a consistent
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Commends the country’s constructive engagement as part of inclusive regional cooperation initiatives and welcomes the tangible progress reached under the Berlin Process
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Commends
Amendment 244 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Commends the country’s constructive engagement as part of inclusive regional cooperation initiatives and welcomes the tangible progress reached under the Berlin Process and the EU-Western Balkans summit in Tirana; stresses on the importance of making full use of all the regional and intergovernmental initiatives that are already existing, notably the Adriatic Ionian Initiative (AII), the Central- European Initiative (CEI), the EUSAIR, and the Berlin Process, creating synergies among them;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Commends the country’s constructive engagement as part of inclusive regional cooperation initiatives and welcomes the tangible progress
Amendment 246 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Commends the co
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22a. 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 248 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22a. Calls on the North Macedonian government to continue to play an active and constructive role in regional cooperation initiatives, including the Berlin Process and the Regional Cooperation Council, and to work towards resolving outstanding issues with neighbouring countries in a peaceful and constructive manner
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22a. Commends North Macedonia for hosting the meeting of the Belgrade- Pristina dialogue in Ohrid on 18 March 2023, which additionally proves the credibility and reliability of the country vis-à-vis its neighbours, which is key for the stability and prosperity of the Western Balkan region;
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas democratic transformation, the rule of law and
Amendment 250 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22a. Welcomes the reduction of roaming fees between Western Balkans and EU starting in October 2023; in that respect urges the European Commission together with the government of North Macedonia to create a fast-track road map to eliminate roaming charges with all Member States;
Amendment 251 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22a. Commends North Macedonia for hosting the meeting of the Belgrade- Pristina Dialogue on 18 March 2023 in Ohrid, confirming that the country nurtures good bilateral relations with its neighbours important for the stability and prosperity of the entire region;
Amendment 252 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22a. Acknowledges and commends North Macedonia for acting as a neutral host for negotiations between states in the Balkans, helping facilitate peace-building in the region and reconciliation which further strengthens Europe and the European Union
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Warns against attempts to undermine peaceful inter-community and bilateral relations and deplores all internal and external actions that endanger stability and jeopardise regional reconciliation, such as the promotion of extremism, hatred and historical revisionism; strongly condemns all provocations, including instances of hate speech, along with acts of vandalism and violence, aimed at inciting intolerance, tensions, destabilising the country, derailing the EU-related reforms and slowing down the EU integration process;
Amendment 254 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Warns against attempts to undermine peaceful inter-community and bilateral relations and deplores all internal and external actions that endanger stability and jeopardise regional reconciliation; deplores recent attacks on minority groups and call on the North Macedonia's authorities to prevent such situations in the future;
Amendment 255 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Warns against attempts by ultranationalists and extremists, as well as by third countries, to undermine peaceful inter-community and bilateral relations and
Amendment 256 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 23. Warns against attempts by third countries to undermine peaceful inter- community and bilateral relations and deplores all internal and external actions that endanger stability and jeopardise regional
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) 23a. Condemns the hate speech, smear campaigns and threats directed by some extremist Bulgarian politicians and officials against Macedonian citizens, including the death threat against the President Stevo Pendarovski by a Member of this Parliament; strongly condemns the irredentist idea of a “Greater Bulgaria” supported by the Bulgarian far-right, including by Members of this Parliament, which hampers good neighbourly relations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia and contravenes EU values; stresses that the Macedonian history, language and identity should be fully respected by all EU Member States; in this context, invites Bulgaria and North Macedonia to find a compromise on issues related to history and language, while reiterating that this dispute must be settled separately from the accession process of North Macedonia;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 23 a (new) Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas democratic transformation, the rule of law, a
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24.
Amendment 261 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 24. Calls for calm, dignity and maturity in bilateral relations, urges regional partners to restore trust and cooperate by resolving bilateral differences in good faith, with mutual respect and in the spirit of good neighbourliness by swiftly de- escalating rhetoric, calming down tensions and preventing further provocations;
Amendment 262 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 24 a (new) 24a. Commends the encouraging progress, albeit on a limited scale and set of issues, within the Joint Multidisciplinary Commission of Experts on Historical and Educational Issues between Bulgaria and North Macedonia on key historical figures for both countries; underlines the importance of consistent commitment from experts from both sides, regardless of political dynamics and rhetoric, and ensuring steady progress in finding common ground and adopting recommendations on outstanding historical issues;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 Amendment 264 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Invites the policymakers
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Invites policymakers and the societies of Bulgaria and North Macedonia to assume joint responsibility and to restore the positive agenda between the two countries in the spirit the of the Treaty of Friendship; expresses support for continued diplomatic and societal dialogue to resolve ongoing bilateral
Amendment 266 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25. Invites policymakers and the societies of Bulgaria and North Macedonia to assume joint responsibility and use their shared experiences to restore the positive agenda between the two countries, enabling a common peaceful and prosperous future in the EU in the spirit the of the Treaty of Friendship; expresses support for continued diplomatic and societal dialogue to resolve bilateral grievances in good faith and in the spirit of compromise;
Amendment 267 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25.
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 25.
Amendment 269 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 a (new) 25a. Regrets the fact that apart from a few sporadic instances the two countries have failed to jointly commemorate and/or celebrate shared historical figures/dates in the past years in a consistent manner; the relations between RNM and Bulgaria should be based on deep, mutual respect and appreciation for each other, including consideration and preservation of the common historical heritage;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine highlights the critical importance of EU enlargement; 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;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 a (new) 25a. Calls for the opening and the publication of all wartime archives; reiterates its call, therefore, for the former Yugoslav archives to be opened and, in particular, for access to be granted to the files of the former Yugoslav Secret Service (UDBA) and the Yugoslav People’s Army Secret Service (KOS), and for the files to be returned to the respective governments;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 b (new) 25b. Condemns any attempt to replace historical monuments and/or artefacts, including the destruction of authentic cultural heritage and highlights the importance of a fact-based reading of history; such incidents raise serious concerns, including in the context of the lack of implementation of the 2017 Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation;
Amendment 272 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 c (new) 25c. Recalls the need to open up Yugoslav secret service archives, kept both in Skopje and in Belgrade, in order to vigorously address communist-era crimes across the region; takes the view that transparent handling of the totalitarian past is a step towards further democratization, accountability and institutional strength in both the country and the Western Balkan region as a whole;
Amendment 273 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 d (new) 25d. Condemns the closure of the border on 4 February, 2023 by authorities of North Macedonia, which prevented the participation of Bulgarians at the commemoration of a common national hero of Bulgaria and North Macedonia, which constitutes a breach of the 2017 Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation;
Amendment 274 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 25 e (new) 25e. Strongly encourages the authorities and civil society to take appropriate measures for historical reconciliation in order to overcome the divide between and within different ethnic and national groups, including by listing citizens of Bulgarian identity among the others in the Constitution;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26.
Amendment 278 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26. Supports efforts to reach an agreement on constitutional changes, in line with the country’s commitments that would include additional communities in the preamble of the North Macedonia’s constitution; calls on the opposition parties to play a constructive role in this regard;
Amendment 279 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26. Supports efforts to reach an agreement on constitutional changes that would include Bulgarian, Croatian and Montenegrin additional communities in the preamble of the North Macedonia’s
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine highlights the critical importance of EU enlargement and exposes the need to increase resilience to malign foreign interference into democratic processes, aiming to destabilise the region by sowing discord and provoking tensions and violence;
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26. Supports efforts to reach an agreement on constitutional and legislative changes that would include additional communities in
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 26.
Amendment 282 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 a (new) 26a. Strongly urges the Joint Multidisciplinary Expert Commission on Historical and Educational Issues of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia, established as a result of the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation, to resume its work; furthermore urges all texts, already agreed by the Joint Multidisciplinary Expert Commission, to be published in the respective languages of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia, and in English;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 a (new) 26a. Welcomes the active cooperation with international organisations; applauds that the agreements on this exchange and mutual protection of classified information were signed with Greece and the US in 2021 and are being negotiated with Belgium, Portugal and Norway;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 a (new) 26a. Regrets that in the current parliamentary term, the National Assembly failed to adopt the necessary changes in the constitution as per the French Proposal on EU membership for North Macedonia; calls on the National Assembly to do so without any undue delays;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 b (new) 26b. Reiterates the need for the work on school history textbooks in Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia to resume as per the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation; the texts should reflect the interpretation of historical facts and figures from the common history of both peoples based on authentic historical documents/sources; this is the foundation on which the two countries should build their relations; the relationship between the future generations of RNM and Bulgaria will be a reflection of the education processes in the two countries;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 b (new) 26b. Urges the EU to support and fund exchange programs for students and pupils between member states and North Macedonia in order to step up further EU integration;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 26 c (new) 26c. Calls on the Republic of North Macedonia to amend its Constitution to include the ethnic communities with Bulgarian, Croatian and Montenegrin identity;
Amendment 288 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 27. Urges the authorities to continue to progress on structural reforms that will enable a sustainable recovery and inclusive growth through improved governance, education, digitalisation, social inclusion, formalisation of the economy and upskilling
Amendment 289 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 27. Urges the authorities to continue to progress on structural reforms that will enable a sustainable recovery and inclusive growth through improved governance, education, digitalisation, social inclusion, formalisation of the economy and upskilling; calls on North Macedonia to mitigate negative economic consequences of the Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has considerable potential to further destabilise many EU and non- EU countries, especially those in the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership and highlights the critical importance of EU enlargement;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 a (new) 27a. Calls on the authorities to improve access to social, education and healthcare services, in particular for women from rural areas, survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as people from the Roma and LGBTQI+ communities and other minorities and vulnerable groups;
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 27 b (new) 27b. Welcomes the draft changes on labour rights and calls for the full alignment of the law on working relations with the EU acquis to effectively guarantee the right for equal pay for equal work, to ensure pay transparency and to enhance the protection from discrimination based on pregnancy and maternity; underlines the need to strengthen the competences and allocate more resources to the State Labour Inspectorate to ensure the effective protection of workers’ rights and fight labour discrimination;
Amendment 292 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 28 28. Underlines the transformative nature of the substantial EU assistance provided under the IPA and the Western Balkans investment framework, including the energy support package; stresses that funding should be suspended in cases of backtracking or unjustified delays on reforms, especially in the fields of democracy and the rule of law;
Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 29 29. Invites policymakers to consolidate fiscal governance, extend the tax base and strengthen macro-
Amendment 295 #
Motion for a resolution Subheading 6 Energy, the environment, biodiversity, sustainable development and connectivity
Amendment 296 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 30. Invites decision-makers to prioritise energy efficiency measures and welcomes steps to accelerate the energy transition and energy diversification;
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 30. Invites decision-makers to prioritise energy efficiency measures and
Amendment 298 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 30. Invites decision-makers to prioritise energy efficiency measures and welcomes steps to accelerate the energy transition and energy diversification; applauds
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 30. Invites decision-makers to prioritise energy efficiency measures and welcomes steps to accelerate the energy transition and energy diversification; applauds the EU energy support package for the Western Balkans, including immediate budget
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 11 — having regard to the
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine highlights the critical importance of EU enlargement, and has shown that non-enlargement has a massive strategic cost and can undermine security and stability on our continent;
Amendment 300 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 a (new) 30a. Acknowledges the government’s political, cultural, economic and energy ties with Russia and expresses concern regarding the tremendous growth of Russian investment channelled to North Macedonia via third countries that have obscured the true extent of Russia’s economic footprint and have created an energy dependency by controlling the single gas route to the country via the TransBalkan Pipeline;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 a (new) 30a. Invites the competent authorities to review the National and Energy Climate Plan with a view to ensuring policy cohesion and credibility; in this context, encourages the authorities to integrate the recommendations from the consultations with the National Energy Community Secretariat;
Amendment 302 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 a (new) 30a. Calls on the North Macedonian government to strengthen its efforts to protect its natural environment and biodiversity, including through the development of a comprehensive national strategy to combat climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and promote renewable energy
Amendment 303 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 a (new) 30a. Welcomes the endorsement of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans;
Amendment 304 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 a (new) 30a. Calls for the setting up of an energy efficiency fund;
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 b (new) 30b. Welcomes the announcement of North Macedonia in joining the Alexandroupolis Energy Project and encourages greater cooperation with Member States in improving energy security across the region;
Amendment 306 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 30 b (new) 30b. Calls on the authorities to effectively transpose and implement the revised Clean Energy for all Europeans package;
Amendment 307 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 31.
Amendment 308 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 31 31. Applauds the advancing energy transition away from coal towards solar and wind power through EU-supported flagship projects, including the Oslomej solar power plant and the expansion of the Bogdanci wind park; regrets, however, the reinstatement of the Negotino oil-based power plant, as well as the purchase of diesel generators for district heating solutions;
Amendment 309 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 32 32. Notes the need to fill in transport connectivity gaps by improving planning and administrative and operational capacity and by making progress on new and unfinished core infrastructure projects; cautions against fully funding key national infrastructure, telecommunications, and/or other projects using funds or technology provided by states who have a malicious interest in compromising the security of North Macedonia or the EU.
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine highlights the critical importance of EU enlargement for the Western Balkans and the EU;
Amendment 310 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 32 32. Notes the need to fill in transport connectivity gaps by improving planning and administrative and operational capacity and by making progress on new and unfinished core infrastructure projects, inter alia construction works under the railway Corridor 8-d and the road Corridor 10;
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 32 32. Notes the need to fill in transport connectivity gaps by improving planning and administrative and operational capacity and by making progress on new and unfinished core infrastructure projects, including Rail and Road Pan-European Transport Corridor VIII;
Amendment 312 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 32 32. Notes the need to fill in transport connectivity gaps by improving planning and administrative and operational capacity and by making progress on new and unfinished core infrastructure projects, including road and rail transport Corridor VIII;
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 32 32. Notes the need to fill in transport connectivity gaps by improving planning and administrative and operational capacity and by making progress on new and unfinished core infrastructure projects, including rail and road corridor VIII;
Amendment 314 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 32 32. Notes the need to fill in transport
Amendment 315 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 32 a (new) 32a. Urges the authorities to significantly improve the quality of their ex-ante Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) with the meaningful involvement of the concerned local communities, civil society organisations and independent experts; in this context, calls on the authorities to implement and enforce the SEA directive with a view to effectively preventing a negative impact on nature and environment, as well as rooting out corruption in this sector; highlights the need to increase the transparency of relevant procedures for infrastructure projects across eco- sensitive sectors, as well as the importance to increase environmental mainstreaming in different sectoral policies; calls on North Macedonia to boost the prosecution of environmental crimes;
Amendment 316 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 32 a (new) 32a. Reiterates the importance of improving the public infrastructure within the Western Balkans countries and with the EU Member States; recalls the potential of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans to enhance regional connectivity through Rail and Highway Corridor VIII to Bulgaria, and gas interconnectors to Greece, Kosovo and Serbia; recalls the importance of developing air connections within the Western Balkans countries and with the EU Member States;
Amendment 317 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 33 33. Invites the authorities to urgently strengthen their capacity to manage and monitor pre-accession funds in order not to undermine implementation of the flagship projects; underlines that public investments into the infrastructure under a Growth Acceleration Plan for 2022- 2026 should boost regional employment and productivity;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 34 34. Calls for further progress on climate protection
Amendment 319 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 34 34. Calls for further progress on
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. 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 of some 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, and granting the candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina;
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 35 35. Calls
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas North Macedonia has been heavily targeted by Russian disinformation and other hybrid attacks, and should strengthen protection of its critical infrastructure, cyber-security, counter-disinformation and energy transition measures;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas malign foreign direct and proxy interference and disinformation aim to sow discord, violence, inter-ethnic tensions and to destabilise North Macedonia;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D a (new) Da. whereas negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia have once more failed on the 18th of March 2023; whereas it is incoherent that the EU requires from Serbia to de facto recognize the sovereignty of Kosovo by recognizing official documents produced by Pristina even though five member states still do not recognize the independence of Kosovo;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas the fight against corruption, malicious foreign interference, money laundering and organised crime is a European security issue, crucial for North Macedonia’s and other enlargement countries’ progress in the EU accession;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas the fight against corruption, malicious foreign interference, money laundering and organised crime is a European security issue; whereas those are predominant issues in the Western Balkans;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas the fight against corruption, malicious foreign interference, money laundering and organised crime is a European security issue, linking together external and internal security;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas according to the UN report for North Macedonia 2021 “corruption in the country persists and scores against key governance indicators (political stability, rule of law and accountability) remained low”;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 13 a (new) — having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) Ea. whereas according to World Bank's Worldwide Governance indicators North Macedonia performs worse in Control of Corruption;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas each country should be judged on its own merits
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas each country should be judged on its own merits and whereas the accession process should not be misused to settle bilateral disputes, as this sets a very dangerous precedent for all future accession processes;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas each country should be judged on its own merits and whereas the accession process should
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas each country should be judged on its own merits and
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas the EU is a community of cultural and linguistic diversity, based on solidarity and mutual respect among its peoples;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas the EU continues to strengthen and intensify its engagement at all levels to support North Macedonia’s political, economic and social transformation, including through continued assistance based on tangible progress;
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas the Prespa Agreement and the Treaty on Good Neighbourly Relations are landmark agreements that represent a model for stability and reconciliation and have improved the spirit of good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation;
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. whereas North Macedonia refuses to comply with the Treaty of friendship, good neighbourliness and cooperation, especially regarding hate speech against Bulgaria and recognising mutual history;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F a (new) Fa. Whereas to be part of the EU, North Macedonia has to fully implement their bilateral treaties.
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 13 b (new) — having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F b (new) Fb. whereas there has been an increasing number of incidents on ethnic and political grounds, including an attempt to set on fire the premises of the Bulgarian Cultural Club in Bitola in June 2022 and a violent assault against the secretary of the Bulgarian Cultural Club “Tsar Boris III” in January 2023,
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F c (new) Fc. whereas a number of Bulgarian citizens and journalists willing to enter North Macedonia on the occasion of the ceremony for the 151st anniversary of the birth of Gotse Delchev, a shared national hero for both countries, were denied entry into the country at border crossing points,
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F d (new) Fd. whereas following a controversial naming of the Bulgarian Cultural Club in Bitola, which opened in April 2022, North Macedonia amended the Law on Associations and Foundations in November 2022, effectively de-registering the association,
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F e (new) Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas the EU remains the main political and economic partner of the Western Balkan countries; whereas the EU continues to be North Macedonia's biggest trade and investment partner and its largest provider of financial assistance, namely through IPA III, EIP for Western Balkans and Macro Financial Assistance;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas the EU remains the main political and economic partner of the Western Balkan countries; 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 56 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas the EU remains the main political and economic partner of the Western Balkan countries, mobilising an unprecedented cross-cutting additional support in the wake of the pandemics and Russia’s brutal aggression against Ukraine;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas accession negotiations are a clear recognition of the progress achieved and mark a new phase in EU– North Macedonia relations;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas the long-overdue start of accession negotiations marks a new phase in EU–North Macedonia
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas the opening of accession negotiations mark a new phase in EU– North Macedonia relations;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 20 a (new) — having regard to the Joint Staff Working Document, accompanying the Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council “EU Gender Action Plan (GAP) III: An ambitious agenda for gender equality and women’s empowerment in EU external action (2021-2025)”,
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H a (new) Ha. whereas progress towards advancement of accession negotiations will be measured against a set of criteria and requirements laid down in the Negotiating Framework, among which North Macedonia’s commitment to good neighbourly relations and the implementation in good faith of bilateral agreements, including the Prespa Agreement with Greece and the Treaty on Good Neighbourly Relations with Bulgaria of 2017,
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H a (new) Ha. whereas the political leaders in all Member States, as well as in the enlargement countries, need to prove their genuine commitment to enlargement based on the Copenhagen criteria with concrete steps and progress in order to re- energise the whole process, ensuring its continuity, consistency, credibility and impact;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H a (new) Ha. whereas the accession negotiations should start after the amendment of the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia and the inclusion of Bulgarians in its preamble;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes North Macedonia’s consistent commitment to EU integration
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1.
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Warmly welcomes North Macedonia’s consistent commitment to EU integration, despite difficult circumstances due to the unjustified and unfair delays in the enlargement process of the country, which has been underpinned by steady progress on guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, while moving towards cross-cutting policy alignment;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes the start of the accession negotiations process and the holding of the first Intergovernmental Conference, which is a clear recognition of North Macedonia’s
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes North Macedonia’s consistent commitment to EU integration, which has been underpinned by steady progress on guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes North Macedonia’s consistent strategic commitment to EU integration, which has been underpinned by solidarity and steady progress on guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, while moving towards cross-cutting policy alignment with the EU;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Welcomes North Macedonia’s consistent commitment to EU integration, which has been
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 31 a (new) — having regard to the Special Report 01/2022 of the European Court of Auditors: EU support for the Rule of Law in the Western Balkans: despite efforts, fundamental problems persist, of 10 January 2022,
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Welcomes North Macedonia's progress towards EU accession, but calls on the North Macedonian government to redouble its efforts to implement the necessary reforms, including in the areas of rule of law, justice, and fundamental rights, and to strengthen its cooperation with the EU institutions.
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Compliments North Macedonia on its continuous efforts to strengthen the rule of law, judicial independence and minority rights, counter corruption and organised crime, reform its public administration and consolidate media freedom;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Commends North Macedonia’s full alignment with the EU’s foreign and
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Commends North Macedonia’s full and consistent alignment with the EU’s foreign and security policy, including its clear-cut response to the aggression against Ukraine by aligning with the EU’s restrictive measures against Russia and Belarus, which clearly demonstrates strong expression of North Macedonia’s strategic choice and place in a community of common EU values; underlines the importance of further deepening the cooperation on foreign policy issues;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Commends North Macedonia’s full alignment with the EU’s foreign and security policy, including its clear-cut response to the aggression against Ukraine by aligning with the EU’s restrictive measures against Russia and Belarus; welcomes North Macedonia’s continued commitment to Euro-Atlantic security framework;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Commends North Macedonia’s full alignment with the EU’s foreign and security policy, including its clear-cut response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine by aligning with the EU’s restrictive measures against Russia and Belarus;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Welcomes the adoption of an assistance measure under the European Peace Facility amounting to EUR 9 million in support of the army of North Macedonia who is actively contributing to EU missions and operations
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 31 b (new) — having regard to the Transparency International 2022 Corruption Perception Index ranking North Macedonia 85 out of 180 countries,
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Welcomes North Macedonia’s continued active participation in the EU missions and operations under the Common Security and Defence Policy;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Welcomes the holding of the 2023 Chairpersonship of the OSCE by North Macedonia in the challenging global geo- political context;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Welcomes North Macedonia’s 2023 OSCE Chairpersonship, especially in light of the current challenging global geopolitical context;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Welcomes North Macedonia’s commitment to the ‘Clean Network’ initiative alongside Bulgaria and Kosovo in eliminating long term threats to data privacy and security by using only ‘trusted vendors’ in the development of its 5G technology and urges its neighbours to follow this example;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Recognises the important contributions that North Macedonia has made to CSDP Missions EUFOR Althea and EUTM RCA, as well as contributions made to EU battlegroup initiatives;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 c (new) 2c. Recognizes the role of the Special Operations Regiment of the Army of North Macedonia and appreciates their added value in deployment in peacekeeping missions in areas of conflict such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Bosnia and Herzegovina; recognises their added value in counter-terrorism, unconventional warfare, counter-drug operations, and hostage rescue;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Urges decision-makers to foster a national
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3.
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Urges decision-makers to foster a national consensus on EU integration, building upon a successful start to the screening process, to work towards the ambitious goal of meeting the criteria for EU membership by 2030; calls on the Member States not to further block North Macedonia’s path to the EU anymore, to constructively support the country to achieve this objective and to assess the country’s progress in light of the Copenhagen criteria;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Urges decision-makers to foster a national consensus on EU integration, building upon a successful start to the screening process, to work towards the ambitious goal of meeting the criteria for EU membership by 2030; encourages efforts to convince civil society of benefits of EU membership through programs and educational resources for the public in light of recent discouragement from delays in ascension process;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 33 a (new) — whereas the EU has reiterated its full and unequivocal commitment to the EU’s membership perspective of North Macedonia and that the future of the country and its citizens lies within the EU;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Urges decision-makers to foster a national consensus on EU integration, to work towards strengthening administrative capacities, building upon a successful start to the screening process, to work towards fulfilment and the ambitious goal of meeting the criteria for EU membership by 2030;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Urges decision-makers to foster a national consensus on EU integration, building upon a successful start to the screening process, to work towards the ambitious goal of meeting the criteria for EU membership
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Welcomes the 16th meeting of the EU – North Macedonia Stabilisation and Association Council which for the first time took place in Skopje on 17 March 2023, as a continued and strong commitment of the European Union to the European perspective of North Macedonia;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Expresses concern about the unjustified delays in the accession process;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Expresses concern about the unjustified delays in the accession process; stresses the need to strengthen the process’s transparency, accountability and inclusiveness, including its parliamentary dimension; underscores that the pace of the EU accession should be determined by the progress on the due functioning of democratic institutions, grounded in the rule of law, good governance and fundamental rights;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Expresses concern about the unjustified delays in the accession process; stresses that structural and repeated postponements in the accession process risk to undermine the EU credibility and therefore the commitment of the Western Balkan countries and their citizens towards the accession process; stresses the need to strengthen the process’s transparency, accountability and inclusiveness, including its parliamentary dimension;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Expresses concern about the
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4.
source: 739.817
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