44 Amendments of Charlie WEIMERS related to 2021/2183(INI)
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Stresses that the EU isMember States are facing new threats, including hybrid threats, increased militarisation around the world and a still unstable neighbourhood, both in the East and in the South;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that 2020 was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China, and exposed our dependencies vis-à-vis the rest of the world; stresses that the EU must learn lessons from this with a view, in particular, to increasing its resilience and strategic autonomy;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that 2020 was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed our dependencies vis-à-vis the rest of the world; stresses that the EU must learn lessons from this with a view, in particular, to increasing its resilience and strategic autonomy, and previous crises;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that 2020 was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which exposed our dependencies vis-à-vis the rest of the world; stresses that the EU must learn lessons from this with a view, in particular, to increasing itsthe resilience and strategic autonomyof Member States;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. WelcomesTakes note of the launch of the work on the Strategic Compass, which should be completed in March 2022; stresses that it is a beginning, not an end, and that it constitutes a major step towards a European Defence Union;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Emphasises the importance of supporting it with a 360-degree threat analysis; stresses that the Strategic Compass must be the EU’s ambitious response to this analysis, which must be subjectime- limiting the Strategic Compass and subjecting it to regular reviews;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Stresses that the Strategic Compass must make it possible to strengthen the Union’s capacity to act as an increasingly credible strategic partnerof Member States to act together, when interests align; stresses that this exercise must be regularly updatreviewed, must set out an ambitious and operational course – with a timetable for the implementation of decisions and monitoring mechanisms – and must enable the Union to have a coherent defence policy, a common strategic culture, a capacity to anticipate threats and provide a rapid and coordinated reaction and a capacity for autonomous resilience, to be able to mobilise resources on the basis of solidarity when a Member State is threatened and requests them, and ultimately to play a part in the protection of European citizensbe accompanied with a sunset-clause at which point the entire exercise should be evaluated – and only re-approved if tangible added value to Member States has been identified; stresses that the Union has no common strategic culture and lacks a legal basis and a popular mandate for a common defence policy;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Recalls that the Union is currently deploying 11 civilian missions and six military missions and operations; recalls that only three of the military missions are executive missions; notes that these missions and operations are suffering the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China, and has limited their effectiveness;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Deplores the actions of the coup leaders in Mali; is deeply concerned at the lack of essential state services in Mali and in the Sahel in general; expresses its deep concern at the deteriorating security in the region; notes the announcement of the reorganisation of French military action in the Sahel, in conjunction with our international and African partners; welcomnotes the increasing involvement of Europeans in the Takuba Task Force; welcomnotes the adaptation of the new extended mandate of the European Union Training Mission in Mali (EUTM Mali) to the regionalisation process; calls on the Member States to make a significant contribution to EUTM Mali’s advisory activities;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Notes with concern the deteriorating security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) which could affect migration flows to Europe; denounces the growing threats and hostile incidents targeting MINUSCA by certain local and foreign armed forces, including foreign security companies, and disinformation campaigns targeting Union action; welcomes and fully supports the establishment of the EU Advisory Mission in the CAR (EUAM RCA);
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls the strategic importance for European interests of the Mozambique Channel; welcomes the commitment of the Member States and the VP/HR to respond to the growing terrorist threat in the area; notes the forthcoming establishment of an EUTM;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. CTakes note of calls for a revitalisation of the civilian CSDP through the implementation of the 22 commitments in the Civilian Compact; stresses the need to link it with the other relevant crisis management actors in order to enhance its contribution to the Union’Member States response to security challenges;
Amendment 253 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Is deeply concerned aboutNotes the low force generation for operations and missions, and urges the Member States to address this matter as soon as possible; considers that third-country participation in CSDP operations and missions must always be in line with European interests and values; calls on the EU to provideMember States interests; emphasizes that staff in missions and operations should be provided with appropriate equipment and training to become more alert and more resilient under less permissive conditions;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Calls for aNotes that the creation of a European HQ for conduct of operations and strengthening of the Union’s command structures, in particularsuch as the Military Staff (EUMS) and the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), which must be provided with the requisite personnel, equipment and resources as soon as possible, and be able to exchange classified information safely, including with Member States and missions/operations; calls for the creation of a European HQ for conduct of operatioill not improve the security of citizens;
Amendment 283 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes the cooperation capacity of European armies in helping citizens in the fight against the pandemic in 2020; calls on the EU andtakes note of calls on the Member States to set out detailed arrangements for the implementation of Article 44 TEU so as to enable the Union to respond rapidly and effectively to crises; welcomes the positivnotes the pooling and coordinating role played by air forces during the COVID-19 pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China, in particular as regards transfers for medical treatment and deliveries of equipment between Member States;
Amendment 294 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. SupporRejects the ambition of creating a ‘rapid entry force’; recalls the existence of battlegroups and the need to make them credible by conducting regular field exercises; deplores the and emphasizes that defence policy remains an exclusive Member State competence; takes note of Member States’ lack of commitment tointerest in the battlegroups; criticises the factnotes that only one, led by Italy, is operational in 2021; laments the weakness of the planning for 2022 and 2023;
Amendment 315 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Welcomes the establishment of the European Peace Facility (EPF) in 2020 and calls for it to be made operational swiftlyEmphasizes that the new European Peace Facility (EPF) slush fund should be entirely re-focused and tasked solely with migration mitigation, such as supporting Member States in the establishment of asylum reception centres in third countries; stresses that the requisite equipment and training must be delivered in the relevant theatres of operation; undertakes to ensure coherence and complementarity between CSDP missions and operations, the Union’s financial instruments (NDICI) and the EPF in order to ensure that no funding is provided unless the objective is mitigation of migration to Europe;
Amendment 334 #
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4
Subheading 4
Amendment 341 #
23. Points out that, given the geopolitical maritime tensions, the Union must protect its interests by guaranteeing freedom of navigation, the safety of maritime lines of communication and offshore infrastructureMember States are welcome to improve relations with, and support, the United States as the sole reliable guarantor of freedom of navigation;
Amendment 350 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. CTakes note of calls on the Union to build on and develop its CSDP naval operations in order to provide a strong platform to further develop a more permanent operational commitment at international level; calls for consideration to be given to the possibility ofemphasizes it is the Member States that are able to organisinge regular naval exercises to enhance interoperability;
Amendment 374 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Condemns the malicious acts committed against Member States; insists that the Union andwelcomes if the Member States react firmly and in coordination against any new malicious, illegal or destabilising activity; calls on the Union to work towards the creation of a legal instrument to responwelcomes the exchange of best practices among Member States, especially with regard to hybrid threats and tohe develop a comprehensive cyber capacity; calls for a revision of thement of resilience and response capabilities; notes that a revised cyber- defence policy framework in order tocould increase the prevention and deterrence capacity of the Union and its Member States;
Amendment 390 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls on the Union to develop a space defence strategy, which is essential for its strategic autonomy in space; encourages the Union to improve its situational awareness and geo- intelligence support; stresses the importance of the Union having its own launchers; insists that the Union should lead the way in strengthening the increasingly contested area of international space lawstay grounded;
Amendment 394 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 28
Paragraph 28
28. Calls on the UnQuestions to develop a space defence strategy, which is essential for its strategic autonomy in spacehe added value of a Union space defence strategy; encourages the UnionMember States to improve itstheir situational awareness and geo-intelligence support; stresses the importexchancge of the Union having its own launchers; insists that the Union should lead the way in strengthening the increasingly contested area of international space lawgeo-intelligence;
Amendment 411 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Insists that freedom of air traffic must be maintained; calls on the Union to defend itselfMember States to act collectively if needed to defend their airspace against any threat to civil aviation or any failure to respect itstheir airspace and to defend international aviation safety;
Amendment 414 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Calls for existing Union instruments to be made operational so that they can contribute more effectively to preventing andStresses that protecting critical infrastructure is a competence and responsibility exclusively reserved for Member States; urges Member States to share best practices with regard to countering hybrid threats and to protecting critical infrastructure;
Amendment 464 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 35
Paragraph 35
35. Stresses that PESCO and the EDF must make it possible to enhance defence cooperation between Member States with the following objectives: European added value, operational capability, competitiveness of the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB), strengthening of strategic autonomyMember State defence capabilities and reduced fragmentation of the European defence market;
Amendment 487 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Stresses that the EDF mustis intended to promote the build-up of European industrial sectors and European champions, with multiannual programming, and take advantage of civilian-defence synergies;
Amendment 493 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 – introductory part
Paragraph 38 – introductory part
38. Welcomes the factNotes that the PESCO strategic review has led to a reduction in the number of projects and an increase in its political monitoring; laments the fact that Parliament has been excluded from the monitoring of its implementation; considers that the Strategic Compass should aim to:
Amendment 502 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 – indent 3
Paragraph 38 – indent 3
Amendment 511 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38 – indent 4
Paragraph 38 – indent 4
- focus on a small number of projects which are consistent with CSDP objectiveMember States interests, are operational and provide European added value;
Amendment 519 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 39
Paragraph 39
39. Stresses that the digital sector is an area of opportunity but also of significant threat of malicious action against our security and democracies (by state and non-state actors, and erasing the lines laid down in the law of armed conflict, while attribution and origin tracing remains difficult), and that it transcends borders; calls for particular attention to be paid to the impact of emerging technologies so as to ensure that they are applied and used throughout the UnionMember States, facilitate research and innovation and enhance the Union’Member States resilience, keeping in mind the need to control their use;
Amendment 542 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Calls for support to be given to strengthening and preserving the conventional arms control architecture in Europe, in a context of gradual erosion marked by Russia’s withdrawal from the Treaty on Open Skies; calls for disarmament regimes and forums to be supported and strengthened in every aspectby way of: universalisation, support for implementation, political and institutional support, and financial support; calls on the Union to pay particular attention to; highlights chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) risk, with particularhile emphasis onzing the prohibition regime and conventional obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the fight against impunity; welcomes the extension of the New START Treaty and laments the end of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF);
Amendment 560 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Stresses that the UnionMember States should adopt a strategic approach to itsvision of their cooperation with third country partnerships based, in particular, on the defence of itstheir interests and strategic autonomy;
Amendment 569 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 42
Paragraph 42
42. Welcomes the establishment of an EU-US strategic dialogue on security and defence; stresses the operational dimension of the partnership and the importance of ensuring that the Union maintains its strategic autonomy, in particular as regards the United States’ International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); welcomes, in this regard, the involvement of third countries in the EDA on the basis of administrative agreements, provided that it is accompanied by legally binding counterparts and safeguards to protect the defence and security interests of the Union and its Member States;
Amendment 599 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 – point 1 (new)
Paragraph 43 – point 1 (new)
(1) Notes the Nordic Council for the first time has invited NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to address the annual parliamentarian assembly (2-4 November) in Copenhagen;
Amendment 600 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 – point 2 (new)
Paragraph 43 – point 2 (new)
(2) Welcomes the Statement of Intent on Enhanced Operational Cooperation by the governments of Denmark, Norway and Sweden of September 2021;
Amendment 601 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 43 – point 3 (new)
Paragraph 43 – point 3 (new)
Amendment 605 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 44
Paragraph 44
44. Calls for even deepcloser cooperation with international organisations and in particular with the UNpartners, in particular the United States and NATO, including between CSDP missions and peacekeeping anti-terror operations; stresses the importance of cooperation with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the area of security;
Amendment 614 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 45
Paragraph 45
45. Calls for closer relations with non- traditional partners in the Indo-Pacific region (India, Japan, Australia, Taiwan), and in specific policy sectors (cybersecurity, hybrid, maritime, etc.), and with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN);
Amendment 637 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 46
Paragraph 46
46. Laments the absence of a security and defence cooperation partnership between the UK and the EU on account of the British Government’s lack of interest, despite the assurances given in the political declaraQuestions the EU approach to the UK following the democratic vote to leave the EU, considers the absence of a security and defence cooperation partnership between the UK and the EU a side-effect of the EU's actions; calls for a stronger partnership to be built with relevant African organisations, such as the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and G5 Sahel in order to limit migration to Europe from Africa;
Amendment 655 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 48
Paragraph 48
48. Calls on citizens to express their expectations as regards the CSDP architecture in the course of the Conference on the Future of Europe; calls for the establishment ofQuestions the representative qualities of the Conference on the Future of Europe and emphasizes the disparity between public polling data and the most popular ideas on the digital platform; questions the need for a fully-fledged Security and Defence Committee in the European Parliament, and fors the parliament lacks competence in this policy area under the Treaties, and rejects the formalisation of an EU Council of Defence Ministers;
Amendment 671 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 50
Paragraph 50
50. Stresses that Parliament should be regularly informed and consulted on the implementation of PESCO, given its essential linkage with the various financial instruments of the CSDP, in particular the EDF, over which Parliament exercises scrutiny;
Amendment 673 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 51
Paragraph 51
51. Insists on good linkage between the different governance structures (Commission, EEAS, EDA, etc.), and on the links they need to maintain, in accordance with the provisions of the Treaties, with the European Parliament, as the sole guarantor of the representation of Union citizens;
Amendment 678 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the European Council, the Council, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Commissioner for the Internal Market, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Secretary-General of NATO, the EU agencies in the space, security and defence fields, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States as well as the Nordic Council.