63 Amendments of Tonino PICULA related to 2019/2170(INI)
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
Recital A a (new)
Aa. whereas the rule of law is a key benchmark for assessing the progress towards the EU accession;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D b (new)
Recital D b (new)
Db. whereas the ongoing pandemic has clearly demonstrated that the EU and the Western Balkans must continue tackling common challenges together;
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
Dc. whereas the country has to recover from the widespread damage caused by the 26 November 2019 earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic; boost preparedness for civil protection and disaster response and advance preparations for joining the Union Civil Protection Mechanism;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D c (new)
Recital D c (new)
Dc. whereas the EU has mobilised grants worth €115 million for the post- earthquake rehabilitation and reconstruction within the €400 million European support pledge;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D d (new)
Recital D d (new)
Dd. whereas the EU mobilised €51million to assist Albania in tackling COVID-19 and made available up to €180 million in macro-financial assistance;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D e (new)
Recital D e (new)
De. whereas the EU is Albania’s biggest trading partner and the largest donor, and the country has benefited from €1.25 billion in EU pre-accession funding since 2007;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D g (new)
Recital D g (new)
Dg. whereas the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans will facilitate a long-term recovery, following the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting the economic development and reforms in the region;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D h (new)
Recital D h (new)
Dh. whereas Albanian citizens enjoy visa-free travel to the Schengen area since December 2010;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D i (new)
Recital D i (new)
Di. whereas since 2015 Albanian citizens participate in student, academic and youth exchanges under Erasmus+;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D j (new)
Recital D j (new)
Dj. whereas the EU remains fully committed to supporting Albania’s strategic choice for European integration, based on the rule of law and good neighbourly relations;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D k (new)
Recital D k (new)
Dk. whereas Albania remains a trustworthy foreign policy partner, advancing regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Considers the appointment of the Chief Negotiator and the negotiating team, along with the adoption of the action plan to address the conditions and priorities set by Council’s conclusions of March 2020, to be a sign of a clear political commitment to advance the EU integration process;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Encourages political leaders to create a climate of confidence by increasing transparency and overcoming the lack of dialogue and expresses its serious concern about the polarised political climate and lack of sustainable cross-party cooperation that continue to hamper the democratic process;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Calls on public institutions to be proactive and make information publicly and timely available to civil society, media and the general public, particularly when related to issues of high public interest;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
Paragraph 8 a (new)
8a. Stresses the importance of ensuring that preparations for the 2021 parliamentary elections take place in a transparent and inclusive manner;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
Paragraph 8 b (new)
8b. Notes that all political forces, state bodies, civil society and the media have a joint duty to ensure a transparent, credible and objective election campaign, free from disinformation, intimidation and false accusations;
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9 a (new)
Paragraph 9 a (new)
9a. Urges Albania to improve intra- governmental co-ordination, decentralisation under the territorial administrative reform, to advance public consultations at local level and advance with public administration reform;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Recalls the paramount importance of safeguarding the rule of law through implementation of judicial overhaul and a steady and consistent prosecution of high- level corruption;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Encourages Albania to complete the relevant steps towards re-establishing the Constitutional Court’s ability to function fully and efficiently, as well as to make sure the Appeals Court does not stop operating and urges all involved to swiftly conclude the appointment process;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the fact that the High Court has regained its ability to function and that it has been reviewing more than a thousand cases, and encourages it to make further progress in the appointment of additional judges and to develop a plan to recover its backlog;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Recalls the need to improve transparency and control of political party funding under the amended Law on Political Party Financing;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
Paragraph 14 b (new)
14b. Notes the importance of effectively implement the recommendations of the Albanian Supreme State Audit Institution;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Expresses its support for inclusive policies and calls for progress to be made in adopting measures to effectively protect the fundamental freedoms and rights of all citizens, with a special focus on women, children, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities and LGBTQI+ persons;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Notes that the National Action Plan for LGBTI Issues 2016-2020 has expired; Calls on the government to develop the new action plan in a transparent and inclusive process in consultation with civil society and ensure appropriate resources are assigned for its implementation;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Welcomes the decision to eliminate the unacceptable "conversion therapy", strengthening the right to gender identity and gender expression;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Calls for the creation of an effective mechanism for the prevention of gender- based and domestic violence and harassment, exacerbated by the COVID- 19 pandemic, and for protection and support to be given to its victims, combined with the effective and efficient prosecution of its perpetrators;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Reminds Albania of its calls for further improvements to be made in the education and health, and the employment rates and living conditions of Roma and other ethnic minorities; welcomes the 2019 Poznan Declaration on Roma Integration within the EU Enlargement Process, urges the authorities to advance Roma integration policies in line with the EU Roma strategic framework;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Reminds Albania of its calls forto ensure non-discriminatory access to public services and further improvements to be made in the education and health, and the employment rates and living conditions of Roma and other ethnic minorities;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Reminds Albania of its calls for further improvements to be made in the education and health, and the employment rates and living conditions of Roma, Egyptians and other ethnic minorities;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Recalls the importance of measures ensuring the protection of national minorities, including self-identification, the use of languages and property rights; Welcomes in this context the adoption of the law on the population census;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Encourages Albania to make further progress on measures consolidating property registration, restitution and compensation rights, implementing the law on transitional ownership, and completing the comprehensive land sector reform;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Welcomes Albania’s efforts in promoting tolerance, inter-religious harmony and addressing prejudice and discrimination, including antisemitism, as affirmed by the parliamentary approval of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism;
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 a (new)
Paragraph 26 a (new)
26a. Calls on the authorities to ensure that the right to peaceful assembly is respected, and during state of emergency or state of natural disaster the restrictions to public gatherings are applied fairly;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Recalls the authorities’ obligation to ensure due process for asylum seekers in compliance with Albania’s international obligations, and to properly address the needs of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, while increasing preparedness for potential increases in migratory flows; calls for increased capacities to process asylum requests and investigations into the reported cases of breaches of the return procedures;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Stresses that border protection and the prevention of cross-border crime, including in cooperation with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), must be conducted in full respect for fundamental rights, enshrined in applicable international and regional laws and principles;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Welcomes the ongoing efforts being made and urges the authorities to take a robust approach in preventing, investigating, prosecuting and punishing human trafficking and the exploitation of its victims, who include children and other vulnerable groups, to increase reintegration services and ensure witness protection;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Welcomes the ongoing measures and calls for further progress to be made in considerably reducing the number of unfounded asylum claims by Albanian nationals, including the arrivals of unaccompanied minors, in the EU Member States; notes that Albania continues to fulfil visa liberalisation benchmarks;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Notes the importance of addressing allegations of police misconduct and to eradicate ill-treatment of suspects and prisoners;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31
Paragraph 31
31. Underlines the need to improve the climate for the functioning of civil society and urges the authorities to ensure meaningful, timely and representative consultations, and to enhance throughout the decision- making at different governance levels and to enhance the legal and fiscal framework, improving the financial sustainability of the non-governmental sector;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 31 a (new)
Paragraph 31 a (new)
31a. Stresses the importance of consultation and participation of civil society organizations on the regular function of society; Notes that this involvement is of paramount importance to the participation of citizens in the life of the country;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Recalls the importance of ensuring quality journalism and media literacy for the functioning of democracy and in tackling disinformation, hate speech and fake-news; stresses the importance of increasing the levels of media literacy in Albania;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33 a (new)
Paragraph 33 a (new)
33a. Underlines the need to strengthen self-regulation, ethics, independence, impartiality, financial sustainability and reporting quality of public and private media outlets and to enhance transparency of the media ownership, funding and public advertising; notes the need to improve labour and social conditions of the media professionals in order to ensure quality journalism;
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Expresses grave concern about the proposed measures under the draft media law and welcomes the commitment to adopt amendments only if they are publicly shared in a consultation process with civil society, journalists and media organisations and assessed as being fully in line with the Venice Commission’s recommendations;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Encourages the Albanian Government to prioritise measures aimed at mitigating the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular consideration for marginalised and vulnerable groups such as Roma, Egyptians and the LGBTQI+ community, while taking further steps to enhance the representativeness of the social dialogue and to tackle the widespread informal economy;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 36
Paragraph 36
36. Encourages the Albanian Government to prioritise measures aimed at mitigating the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, while taking further steps to improve diversification, competitiveness, and digitalisation, enhance the representativeness of the social dialogue and to tackle the widespread informal economy;
Amendment 209 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Stresses the need to substantially strengthen social care coverage and improve access to social and healthcare services in order to reduce the risk of poverty and social exclusion;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Calls for the measures addressing the demographic decline and the brain drain to be stepped up through active labour market policies that address skills mismatches and reduce long-term unemployment, as well as by addressing problems relating to housing and access to education;
Amendment 213 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. Calls for the measures addressing the demographic decline and the brain drain to be stepped up through active labour market policies that address skills mismatches and reduce long-term unemployment, particularly among the youth and the most excluded/marginalised groups;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Welcomes the positive trends in women’s participation in politics, and calls for additional steps to address thegender imbalances, gender pay gap and workplace discrimination;
Amendment 217 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 a (new)
Paragraph 40 a (new)
40a. Recalls that sustainable growth depends on eradication of endemic corruption, improved transparency, legal certainty and efficiency, fair competition and reduction of bureaucracy;
Amendment 218 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 b (new)
Paragraph 40 b (new)
40b. Calls for adequate co-financing and further improvements in transparency and visibility of the EU funding;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40 b (new)
Paragraph 40 b (new)
40b. Stresses that the EU Investment Plan for the Western Balkans should play an important role on the fight against the demographic decline and the brain drain, developing tools to address this problem;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41 b (new)
Paragraph 41 b (new)
41b. Underlines that planning and construction of eco-sensitive projects, including hydropower, industrial and tourist sites, must be conducted under a broad country-wide stakeholder consultation with the civil society and local communities and must comply with international and EU norms on impact assessments and environmental protection;
Amendment 229 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42 a (new)
Paragraph 42 a (new)
42a. Recalls the need to overhaul the Fierza Hydro Power Plant and construct the Skavica Hydro Power Plant;
Amendment 234 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43
Paragraph 43
43. Urges the authorities to ensure full compliance with the Energy Community Treaty; underlines the contribution of the newly launched trans-Adriatic pipeline, and upcoming connection of the converted Vlora thermal plant, to regional energy security;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Calls for continuing progress in strengthening strategic transport networks in line with the trans-European transport network (TEN-T) regulatory framework and advance work on the Albanian sections of the “Blue Highway“;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44 a (new)
Paragraph 44 a (new)
44a. Recalls the need to complete the railway sector reforms and advance the Tirana-Podgorica-Durrës rail connection;
Amendment 243 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44 a (new)
Paragraph 44 a (new)
44a. Recalls the need to complete the electricity market reform and put in place Bitola-Elbasan electricity interconnector with North Macedonia;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44 a (new)
Paragraph 44 a (new)
44a. Recalls the need to prioritise setting up of an integrated regional waste management system, promote recycling, close hazardous dumpsites, address deforestation, step-up water quality monitoring and wastewater treatment capacities and strengthen the capacities of the agencies on environment and protected areas;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44 b (new)
Paragraph 44 b (new)
44b. Calls on Albania to carry out relevant measurements concerning waste management and to take further steps to combat improper waste disposal and the removal of waste that has been improperly disposed of, especially marine litter;
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 47 a (new)
Paragraph 47 a (new)
47a. Recalls that regional cooperation should be underpinned by respect for fundamental European values and a common future in the EU;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48 a (new)
Paragraph 48 a (new)
48a. Calls upon all political leaders to take urgent steps to set up the Regional Commission tasked with establishing the facts about all victims of war crimes and other serious human rights violations committed on the territory of the former Yugoslavia (RECOM), building upon the significant work carried out by the Coalition for RECOM;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 49
Paragraph 49
49. Welcomes Albania’s ongoing full alignment with the common foreign and security policy decisions and declarations since 2012 and its active contribution to the EU crisis management missions and operations; urges Albania to comply with the EU position on the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court;