29 Amendments of Petras AUŠTREVIČIUS related to 2021/2002(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 7 a (new)
Citation 7 a (new)
— having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/1788 of 19 November 2018 in support of the South-Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC) for the implementation of the Regional Roadmap on combating illicit arms trafficking in Western Balkans,
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas organised crime is a global threahas become a central issue in international affairs and a threat to peace and development, which necessitates a common and coordinated response byfrom the EU, its Member States and international partners;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the threat posed by criminals originating from the Western Balkans has been used as an argument against EU accession in some countriesserious efforts and tangible results in the fight against organized crime are necessary steps for candidate countries to make progress towards EU accession;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the threat posed by criminalorganised crime groups originating from the Western Balkans has been used as an argument against EU accession in some countries;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas in order to meet the EU membership criteria, the Western Balkan countries need to implement comprehensive reforms in crucial areas such as the rule of law and deliver concrete results in judicial reforms and in the fight against corruption and organised crime;
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that depriving countries of the Western Balkans of a European perspective is worsening rather than improving the situation as regardsorganized crime originating in the Western Balkans has serious consequences for Member States of the EU; recalls that an absence of serious efforts and tangible results in the fight against organiszed crime, and underlines that only by fostering the EU integration process can it be improved will hamper progress towards accession of Western Balkans candidate countries to the EU ;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that depriving countries of the Western Balkans of a European perspective is worsening rather than improving the situation as regardsfighting organised crime, and underlines that only by fosteradvancing ing the EU integration process can it be improvedare mutually reinforcing processes;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that the lack of employment opportunities, corruption, elements of state capture, and inequality and the slow process of EU accession are among the factors that make Western Balkans societies vulnerable to organised crime, and urges both the authorities of the Western Balkan countries and their international partners, including the EU, to intensify their efforts in addressing these challenges;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Notes that the lack of employment opportunities, corruption, disinformation, elements of state capture, inequality, foreign interference from non-democratic regimes such as Russia and China and the slow process of EU accession, are among the factors that make Western Balkans societies vulnerable to organised crime, and urges both the authorities of the Western Balkan countries and their international partners, including the EU, to intensify their efforts in addressing these challenges as they sow instability, undermine integration, and delay democratic and economic development;
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Welcomes the transposition into national laws by the Western Balkan countries of EU and international standards on asset recovery; regrets, however, that implementation remains low; urges the jurisdictions in the region to establish the confiscation of proceeds and instrumentalities of crime as a priority in the fight against corruption and organised crimewelcomes other efforts that have been undertaken to fight organised crime in the region, such as the development of governmental coordination mechanisms and special courts and law enforcement units; urges the jurisdictions in the region to establish the confiscation of proceeds and instrumentalities of crime as a priority in the fight against corruption and organised crime; calls for EU assistance in supporting law enforcement agencies to obtain required capacities, proper conditions and resources in order for them to be able to fulfil their mandates;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Calls on the Western Balkan countries to target both criminal organisations rather than individual cases; urges the relevant authorities to strengthen the protection ofand individual cases; notes that rightly identifying and accurately investigating criminal activity as "organised" is essential to the criminal justice response; urges the relevant authorities to fill in the legislative gaps that expose informants and whistle- blowers and protect them from being fired, harassed, sued or even prosecuted or threatened in order to increase the capacity to dismantle organised criminal groups; and to successfully fight corruption and organised crime;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls on the Western Balkans countries to keep a concrete and sustained track record in tackling organised crime, corruption and money laundering and to develop periodic national reports on this matter;
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Calls on the Western Balkan countries to strengthen their interinstitutional cooperation, including in intelligence gathering and sharing, in order to better understand and tackle organised crime;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Underlines the importance of cooperation and intelligence sharing with the Member States, with international partners like the Unites States, the United Kingdom ands well as with international organisations such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the UNODC;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that the Western Balkan countries are both an origin of and a destination for trafficking in human beings which involves mostly women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation; underlines that most detected victims of human trafficking in the Western Balkans come from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia; notes that human trafficking is the crime with the highest proportional share of links to organised crime; calls on the relevant authorities to place more focus on prevention and strengthening the resilience of groups that are vulnerable to the risks of trafficking in human beings; welcomes joint actions carried out with international partners, including Interpol and Europol, which have led to the arrests of suspected traffickers and migrant smugglers;
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Notes that the Western Balkan countries are both an origin of and a destinationtransit countries for trafficking in human beings; calls on the relevant authorities to place more focus on prevention and strengthening the resilience of groups that are vulnerable to the risks of trafficking in human beings; welcomes joint actions carried out with international partners, including Interpol and Europol, which have led to the arrests of suspected traffickers and migrant smugglers;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Notes that the Western Balkan countries serve as a transit corridor for migrants and refugees and that the large population movements in recent years have posed an enormous challenge to the region; calls for enhanced efforts in fighting the smuggling of migrants; calls for greater exchange of information and enhanced coordination between countries of the Western Balkans, and encourages the EU and its Member States to provide more assistance in addressing these issues through, inter alia, the Joint Operational Office and the Operational Platform – Eastern Mediterranean Route;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes that the six Western Balkan countries remain a major transit region for the trafficking of drugs; notes that drug production and trafficking are the most commonly convicted crimes in the region; welcomes the increasing number of joint counter- narcotics operations; calls, in this respect, for cooperation to be intensified between EU law-enforcement agencies and their counterparts from the Western Balkans; underlines that law enforcement authorities must develop their capacities to better monitor and combat drug trafficking;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Notes the increase in organised cyber-criminal activities; welcomes the efforts of the Western Balkan countries to expand their capacity to fight cybercrime and the increase in prosecutions for cybercrime; calls forencourages the EU to promote greater cooperation with the Western Balkan countries on tacklingassist the Western Balkan countries with the appropriate tools and means on tackling cybercrime and other online threats;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Notes the expansion of a black market, including through the Deep Web, for fake COVID-19 vaccine certificates that sell across Western Balkan countries; calls on the Western Balkan authorities to closely monitor such criminal acts and to take action against any developments with regards to counterfeit vaccines and vaccination cards;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Notes that Eurojust has facilitated approximately 200 joint criminal investigations between EU Member States and the Western Balkan countries; Welcomes the conclusion of cooperation agreements between Eurojust and four Western Balkan countriesAlbania, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, as well as the authorisation to open negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina; urges the Council to authorise the opening of negotiations for a similar agreement with Kosovo, as judicial cooperation in criminal matters with all Western Balkan countries is crucial to fighting organised crime;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. WUnderlines that the Western Balkans is a region of particular relevance for Europol; welcomes the agreements on operational cooperation between Europol and five Western Balkan countries, as well as the working arrangement with the law enforcement authorities of Kosovo, and commends the successful operations led in the context of this cooperation; welcomes the opening of Europol’s Liaison Office in Albania in 2019 and the decision to open similar Liaison Offices in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Serbia, encourages similar cooperation with the remaining Western Balkan countries;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Welcomes the Working Agreements undertaken by CEPOL with the Western Balkan countries which focus on specific activities on specific topics related to combating organised crime, such as money laundering, migration, financial investigation and terrorism; underlines the importance to further strengthen the already established mechanisms between CEPOL and the Western Balkans region;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
Paragraph 20 b (new)
20b. Welcomes the working arrangements which are in place between FRONTEX and the Western Balkan countries, as well as the Status Agreements signed with Albania, Montenegro and Serbia which lead to activities aimed at tackling cross-border crime and illegal immigration and increased technical and operational assistance at the border; welcomes the similar status agreements initiated with North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina; underlines the need to further develop the cooperation between FRONTEX and the Western Balkan countries in matters related to combating organized crime;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Reiterates the need to increase the focus on prevention activities and education, as well asparticularly on issues related to the negative impact of organised crime, human, drug and arms trafficking on societies, as well as radicalisation; reiterates the need to increase the focus on a proper understanding of citizenship, and to increase resilience, paying greater attention to socio-economic conditions, especially in suburban and rural areas, and providing support for local initiatives to reduce vulnerability to crime and corruption;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Underlines the importance of monitoring links between organised crime groups and radicalised individuals and terrorist organisations; reiterates the importance of EU’s role in countering terrorism financing and money laundering; encourages further cooperation in this regard, especially through EU support for training of financial experts in the region, information sharing and exchange of best practices and know-how;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Underlines that regional cooperation is key to fighting organised crime effectively; commends the work of existing regional initiatives aimed at strengthening interinstitutional relations in the fight against corruption and organised crime between the Western Balkan countries, such as The Southeast European Law Enforcement Center (SELEC) and encourages further regional cooperation in combating more effectively trans-border organised crime;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 d (new)
Paragraph 22 d (new)
7d. Notes with concern the lack of credible data on organised crime in the region; calls on the Western Balkan countries to increase the understanding of organised crime by enhancing their capacity to collect and process reliable data on organised crime, underlines that the development of strategic and policy documents to guide the national response to organised crime is essential for setting priorities and establishing goals to tackle this phenomena;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Underlines the crucial role of civil society organisations (CSO), academics and journalists in monitoring the work of governments and assessing track records in fighting organised crime; notes that legal and institutional frameworks for CSO participation are largely in place in the Western Balkan countries but regrets that their potential is not being used to the full extent;