9 Amendments of Fabio Massimo CASTALDO related to 2015/2037(INI)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas Member States have agreed on the need to develop a European market for defence equipment and services; whereas the European Council has even called for the establishment of an EU-wide security of supply regime; whereas adequate capabilities and supply of equipment and the strategic autonomy of the EU are of crucial importance for the security of the Union and that of its neighbourhood, provided that the overall aim is to guarantee international peace and security;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the lack of consolidation in European defence markets means that external dependencies in the European defence sector are increasing at a dangerous rate, at a time of multiple and direct threats to European security which are unprecedented since the end of the Cold War; whereas, however, a European approach to security which is primarily geared towards diplomacy and political relations, and not armed conflict, remains essential;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Remains concerned by the widespread and largely uncoordinated cuts to the defence budget in most Member Statesinvestments which Member States are making in the defence sector; is of the view that this lack of coordination puts the Union at risk by relinquishing strategic assets and capabilities and by forfeiting the opportunities that the coordination of defence policies and the pooling and sharing of defence assets could bring as regards the fulfilment of the EU’s strategic autonomy, its security of supply and the defence of its citizens and interests;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Is gravely concerned over the surge in armed conflict, hybrid war and war waged by proxy, instability and widespread human rights violations in the EU’s immediate neighbourhood and the threat of terrorism inside the EU; believes that the current security threats are common to the EU as a whole and should be addressed in a united and coordinated fashion, pooling and sharing civilian and military resources; believes, in this regard, that it is imperative not to waste resources and that it is essential to better use tax payers’ money and make progress on the establishment of a European defence equipment market and to develop a European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB);
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Warns of worrying developments in the European defence market that are increasing external dependencies in the European defence sector at a time of an increasingly challenging security environment; warns, in particular, of the combination of lack of coordination of Member States’ declining defence budgets, persisting market fragmentation despite new internal market rules, the growing dependence of the defence industry on extra-EU exports and increased foreign investment in Europe’s defence sector, yielding control of strategic national and European defence industries, assets and technologies;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Believes that the years of underfunded defence budgets in Europe must be offsetinvestments can be optimised by increased cooperation among Member States, including through the articulation of defence budget policies and the coordination of strategic choices concerning the acquisition of military and dual-use equipment; reiterates its call for demand consolidation across the EU, this being the only means of reaching critical mass in order to sustain a competitive and independent EDTIB, provided that this does not serve to increase Member States’ defence spending even further; stresses that maintaining a strong and autonomous EDTIB is a key element for Europe’s ability to protect its citizens, interests and values, in line with the objectives of the Treaty and to fulfil its responsibilities as a global security provider, as highlighted by the Vice-President of the Commission / High-Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR);
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Demands that cooperation and the pooling and sharing of initiatives be given priority and that incentives – in particular tax incentives – be created to this end; welcomes the work of the European Defence Agency (EDA) on a pooled procurement mechanism and expects it to contain measures to incentivise the cooperative acquisition of and support for defence equipment, with a view to the development of an EU security policy geared to peace, mediation and the use of soft power;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Recalls that under Horizon 2020, COSME and the European Structural and Investment Funds, defence industries, and in particular SMEs, can apply for EU funding for dual-use and other projects; calls on the Commission and the Member States to assist companies, particularly SMEs, in adequately seizing European funding opportunities for defence-related projects, to guarantee that the European approach to security is geared to diplomacy, not constant arms procurement, and to restrict and discourage sales of arms to private individuals;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Believes that EU import and export control policies should be substantially revamped with a view to developing a more integrated EU regime and a level playing field, making sure that overarching foreign and security policy objectives have priority over short-term financial, economic and commercial interests; notes that the Council has failed to ensure the uniform application of the common position on the control of exports of military equipment; is disconcerted that even in cases of flagrant non-compliance by a buyer country with several of the eight criteria, including those on the preservation of regional peace, security and stability, and on the behaviour of the buyer country with regard to the international community and its respect for international law, the common position is almost entirely absent from the political decision-making sphere and public discourse;