38 Amendments of Michal ŠIMEČKA related to 2019/2171(INI)
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
- having regard to the Joint Declaration of the European Parliament – Western Balkans Speakers’ Summit of 28 January 2020,
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the path towards the EU depends on sustainable peace and genuine reconciliation warranting the democratic and multicultural character of BiH; urges the country to expedite effective prosecution of war crimes under the revised National War Crimes Processing Strategy, and calls for impartial and effective investigations into these crimes; condemns any kind of historical revisionism, secessionist rhetoric and related acts, denial or glorification of war crimes committed during the 1990’s war, including the Srebrenica genocide; condemns the non-respect of the rulings of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and of the International Court of Justice;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that over 7 200 BiH citizens are still missing, and urges the authorities to intensify cooperation and data sharing on issues related to missing persons, redress to civilian victims of war, and to ensure the safe return of refugees and internally displaced people in accordance with Annex VII of the Dayton Peace Agreement; calls for the eradication of all forms of discrimination against returnees;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that over 7 200 BiH citizens are still missing, and urges the authorities to intensify cooperation and data sharing between regional, national and international stakeholders on issues related to missing persons, redress to civilian victims of war, and to ensure the safe return of refugees and internally displaced people;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Urges the authoritieresponsible authorities at all levels to ensure inclusive and non- discriminatory education for all children; regardless of their ethnic, cultural or personal background, by working towards a meaningful harmonization of the three ethno-national curricula in place, by progressively eliminating content in history, geography, language, literature and religious education that promotes division and by mainstreaming critical thinking skills into teacher training and classroom work; recognizes that only through quality education that gives young people a vision and perspective of a positive future can the brain drain issue be addressed;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. UWelcomes Bosnia and Herzegovina’s commitment to advancing on its EU path, as well as the strong support for European integration among its population; urges all BiH political leaders and institutions to significantly accelerate work and co-operation to fully comply with the 14 key priorities; calls on the authorities to maintain the political will for enhanced co- operation demonstrated at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines that the effective organisation and, independent functioning and accountability of institutions is an essential feature of a viable democracy and a prerequisite for advancing the EU integration process, including obtaining candidate status; warns that ethno- nationalistic rhetoric and attempts to obstruct the functioning of institutions undermine country-wide co- ordination and decision-making on key policies and reforms;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Commends the adoption of the amendments to the BiH Election Law that allowed Mostar citizens to vote in the 2020 local elections; is concerned about reports that the wider Mostar agreement co- facilitated by EU officials contravenes the Union’s long-held aim of reunification of the city; welcomes the Parliamentary Assembly’s vote of 22 July 2020 on the Rules of Procedure governing the meetings of Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC), paving the way for their formal adoption by the 2nd EU-BiH SAPC as soon as possible;
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Underlines the urgent need to address shortcomings in the constitutional framework, including through the harmonisation of laws on cantonal and federal level and expanding the state’s jurisdiction, and to make progress on reforms that would transform BiH into a fully functional and inclusive civic state; stresses that institutional reforms depend on the will and commitment of political leaders and institutions in the country, which must be reflected in a new social contract for all citizens; urges the international community to facilitate the conditions for and actively support constitutional dialogue under the leadership and guidance of the EU, in particular Parliament, and in consultwith the active participation withof civil society representatives and citizens as fully engaged and fully equal partners;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Regrets the lack of progress on reforms in the judiciary; reiterates the as a pivotal and urgently need to strengthen the professionalism and accountability of the judiciary and to ensure its independence from undue influenceed reform, including the conditions and recommendations contained in the Commission Opinion’s 14 priorities as well as in the December 2019 Priebe report; notes that the Commission’s 31 December 2020 deadline for adoption of three systemic laws (amendment to the Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, Law on public procurement, Law on conflict of interest) has not been met by BH authorities;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Reiterates the urgent need to resolve the mounting backlog of cases pending trial; calls for an urgent strengthening of the professionalism and accountability of the judiciary and to ensure its independence from undue influence, especially undue political pressure; calls for reform of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Calls for establishing a national contact point for cooperation with Europol and signing an agreement on operational cooperation with Eurojust;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for immediate steps to tackle corruption and impunity in the public sphere in order to rebuild citizens’ trust in the institutions; calls on the authorities to duly investigate and resolve the lack of effective prosecutions for high-profile corruption cases; stresses that the persistent lack of transparency shown by political actors and public institutions alike needs to be swiftly addressed;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Expresses concern over the fundamental rights situation, andin particular over the persisting discrimination and hate speech faced by the LGBTI+ community, migrants and asylum seekers, as well as ethnic and religious minorities; calls for more effective and comprehensive countrywide human rights and anti- discrimination strategies, as well as measures against interfaith and interethnic intolerance; stresses the need to duly prevent and prosecute the proliferation of hate speech, hate crimes and violence, and to promote social inclusion of minorities and vulnerable populations, including the Roma;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13 a (new)
Paragraph 13 a (new)
13a. Stresses that the situation of LGBTI persons can be significantly improved by new legal measures and modifications such as legalising same-sex partnerships, the explicit protection of sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics against hate speech and violence in the Criminal Code, quick, transparent and accessible procedures for legal gender recognition based on self- determination,1a and ensuring legal guarantees for the bodily integrity, autonomy, self-determination and informed consent of intersex persons, in line with its position on the matter;1b __________________ 1a In line with Council of Europe guidelines: Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers Recommendation to Member States on measures to combat discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity, available, CM/Rec(2010)5, available on http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/Xref- XML2HTML-EN.asp?fileid=21736. 1b Texts adopted, P8_TA(2019)0128.
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Regrets BiH’sthe continued inabilityunwillingness of BiH’s party leaders to comply with anti-discrimination rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR); stresses that any possible future negotiations and agreements on the implementation of the rulings must not be misused for purposes other than the ones laid out by the ECtHR; notes the continuing shortcomings in the election process, and reiterates the need to address discriminatory ethnicity and residency- based restrictions on the right to stand for election through the required constitutional changes;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls for thorough investigations into alleged electoral irregularities, including identity theft, barriers to independent electoral observation and political pressure on the BiH Central Election Commission (CEC), during of the 2020 municipal elections, specifically in relation to the 20 December 2020 Mostar elections;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Regrets continued political and financial pressure and instrumentalisation of the media, undermining freedom of expression and media pluralism; expresses its concern at the hostile environment for independent media, and urges the authorities to effectively investigate and prosecute threats and attacks against journalists and media personnel; urges media, information and digital literacy to become a compulsory subject in elementary, secondary and tertiary education institutions;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes the increased migratory pressure on the country; calls for effective inter-institutional coordination of migration and border management in the face of a mounting humanitarian crisis; calls for equitable burden-sharing of responsibility on the whole territory of BiH and adequate support for local communities hosting temporary reception centres; calls in particular on the Republika Srpska and HDZ BiH to end their refusal to participate in migratory management; underlines the need to ensure appropriate reception conditions and to boost capacity for processing incoming migrants and asylum- seekers; urges BiH to conclude an agreement with the European Asylum Support Office (EASO); calls on the EU to step up its support to BiH’s authorities, namely with regard to operational assistance;
Amendment 297 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Urges BiH to step up its efforts against cross-border crime, especially human trafficking, and to ensure swift conclusion of the status agreement with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) that would facilitate better protection of borders inand ensure the full respect for fundamental rights, while helping fight cross-border crime and illegal migration; calls on the Croatian authorities to stop the extensively and credibly documented widespread practice of violent pushbacks of migrants at its external borders towards BiH and calls on the European Commission to put in place a truly independent monitoring mechanism;
Amendment 314 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls for a co-ordinated, strategic countrywide response to the ongoing health emergency and post-pandemic recovery measures that must reach all individuals affected by the crisis; calls for more proactive information-sharing on the pandemic, including clarifications regarding preventive measures and instructions for citizens, as well as data on infections and vaccinations through official channels; recalls COVID-related EU support to address the acute situation in the country; calls on the European Commission and the Member States to allocate a sufficient number of COVID-19 vaccines to the Western Balkan countries;
Amendment 318 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls for a co-ordinated, strategic countrywide response to the ongoing health emergency and post-pandemic recovery measures in full respect of the principle of non discrimination; recalls COVID-related EU support to address the acute situation in the country; calls on the European Commission and the Member States to allocate a sufficient number of COVID-19 vaccines to the Western Balkan countries;
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls for a better management of the COVID-19 crisis, providing equal access to remote schooling, avoiding any selective enforcement of the ban on assemblies and any unnecessary curtailment of freedom of expression by excluding the media from press conferences; calls for a thorough investigation on all COVID-19 related public procurement irregularities and calls for state level solutions to meet the needs of all citizens including refugees, asylum seekers and migrants;
Amendment 323 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Stresses the need for the Bosnian authorities to find a better balance between fundamental rights and freedoms and necessary restrictions due to the pandemic; regrets the selective enforcement of the ban on assemblies, which resulted in the ban of the route of the 2020 Sarajevo Pride march;
Amendment 361 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Recommends focusing on growth- enhancing public investment and infrastructure projects, making full use of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans; urges the authorities to carry out comprehensive and up-to-date social impact assessments prior to all infrastructure projects to ensure that projects and investments strengthen BiH’s European values and perspective;
Amendment 369 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Urges BiH’s authorities to ensure alignment with EU standards and policy objectives on climate protection and energy, facilitating the green and digital transition, and calls for the prioritisation of measures reducing ecological degradation and environmental risks to health; urges BiH’s authorities to consult and engage with the main grassroots initiatives focused on preserving the pristine nature of BiH’s natural ecosystem, so as to ensure that local communities have a say on their future;
Amendment 371 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Deplores the policy decisions of the Federation’s authorities locking-in the generation mix on coal-fired power production, especially via unjustified State aid measures and direct subsidies; notes that concurrently to the strong support to coal and lignite, the 2020 target of 40% in renewable energy is unlikely to be met and that the implementation of energy efficiency legislation is lagging behind the binding legal deadlines of the Energy Community; regrets the delay in the adoption of long-term targets and strategies for the renovation of buildings;
Amendment 375 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Urges BiH’s authorities to commence the repeatedly delayed sector reforms in natural gas and to complete unbundling, enable market coupling in electricity and equip the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) with the nationwide competences in both electricity and gas in order to secure compliance with the EU’s Second and Third Energy Package; notes that the serious and persistent failure to comply with the related Energy Community acquis in these two sectors jeopardizes the prospects of integrating the energy markets of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the ones of its neighbours;
Amendment 377 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26c. Urges to seize the opportunity of the ongoing development of different climate and energy policy documents, such as the Nationally Determined Contribution and the National Energy and Climate Plan, to set ambitious 2030 targets along with clear policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in order to put the economy of BiH on a climate-friendly and transformative path towards climate neutrality;
Amendment 379 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 d (new)
Paragraph 26 d (new)
26d. Welcomes the transposition of the electricity connection code Regulations as well as the transposition and implementation of REMIT Regulation 1227/2011 into the national electricity regulatory framework and invites authorities to apply the same integrity regime also in the gas sector;
Amendment 381 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 e (new)
Paragraph 26 e (new)
26e. Urges Bosnia and Herzegovina to put in place carbon pricing mechanisms and the related rules and instruments aligning with Directive 2003/87/EC on the emission trading scheme, as undertaken in the Sofia Declaration;
Amendment 383 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 f (new)
Paragraph 26 f (new)
26f. Underlines the lack of implementation of Directive 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment (SEA Directive), concerning plans and programmes related to energy, such as the National Determined Contribution Plan and urges BiH to secure wide public consultations for such documents;
Amendment 385 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 g (new)
Paragraph 26 g (new)
26g. Takes note of the compliance of emissions for nitrogen oxides in large combustion plants and urges swift actions to remedy the breach of the emission ceiling limits for dust and sulphur dioxide;
Amendment 386 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 h (new)
Paragraph 26 h (new)
26h. Urges BiH to adopt the draft legislation transposing the Directive 2014/52/EU amending Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (EIA Directive);
Amendment 393 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Underlines the need for the EU and the United States to strengthen their partnership and coordination in the Western Balkans in order to advance key reforms, improve governance and reconciliation;
Amendment 401 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Reiterates its support to the European integration of BiH and calls on the European Council to continue supporting the European perspective of the country, based on fulfilling EU criteria, including sending a positive political message on the granting of candidate status;
Amendment 404 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Reaffirms its position that representatives of the Western Balkan countries should be appropriately included and actively engaged in the Conference on the Future of Europe;
Amendment 406 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Calls for the creation of new opportunities for high level political and policy dialogue with the Western Balkans countries, through regular EU-Western Balkans summits and intensified ministerial contacts, in order to strengthen the political nature of the enlargement process and to ensure stronger steering and high-level engagement, as also called for by the revised enlargement methodology;