19 Amendments of Fabio Massimo CASTALDO related to 2016/2036(INI)
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the EU is now surrounded by an arc of instability, as large parts of the Middle East and North Africa are engulfed in ethno-religious conflicts and proxy wars and terrorist groups such as ISIS and the Jabhat al-Nusra Front proliferate throughout the region, while an aggressive, revisionist Russia continues to violate its neighbours’ sovereignty and openly challenges the European security order;
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas these conflicts have direct and serious consequences for the security and well-being of European citizens, as they increasingly spill over into the EU, be it in the form of terrorism, massive refugee flows, or disinformation campaigns aimed at dividing our societiesthrough the economic impacts triggered by the sanctions imposed by the EU;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls what many seem to have forgotten, namely that the European Union is one of the greatest achievements in European history and that the transformative power of the EU has brought peace, stability and prosperity to its citizens; eEmphasises that the EU remains the largest economic power, the most generous donor of humanitarian and development assistance, and a frontrunner in global diplomacy on issues such as climate change, non-proliferation and human rights;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers that the current crisis is also an opportunity for the EU if it is used to make the EU work better; rRecalls that European citizens see an effective common foreign and security policy as a priority area of action for the EU and that this is one of the areas where European cooperation can yield most value added; emphasises, therefore, that Member States must change their mentality since nowadays thinking about foreign policy and security in aand show mutual solidarity, moving beyond narrow -minded national perspective is obsoletes; is convinced that no single Member State alone is able to tackle any of the challenges we face today; urges Member States to finally show sufficient levels of political will and trust in one another to make it possible to use the tools at hand in a concerted manner in order to pursue our interests and values; reiterates that the EU can only be a strong global player on an equal footing with other major powers if all Member States speak with one voice and act together in the framework of a strong EU foreign policy;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Emphasises that the EU must strengthen its security and defence capabilities, as it can only use its full potential as a global power if it combines its unrivalled soft power with hard power; recalls that stronger civilian and military capacities are key elements for the EU to fully respond to crises, build the resilience of partners and protect Europe; notes that since power politics is again dominating international relations, defence and deterrence capabilities are criticalmay be important for our leverage in diplomatic talks; in this regard, reiterates that the Common Security and Defence Policy needs to be strengthened, as the only realistic way to strengthen our defence capabilities in a time of budgetary constraints is to increase synergies by stepping up defence cooperation;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Is convinced that in view of an already underfinanced EU budget, additional efforts for operations, administrative costs, preparatory actions and pilot projects under the Common Security and Defence Policy, additional funding from the Member States is also needed set of streamlining and synergy initiatives are needed so as to better harness EU resources; believes that Member States should seize the opportunity of the current revision/review of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) to that end;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 – introductory part
Paragraph 10 – introductory part
10. Takes the view that it is of crucial importance that the instruments provided by the Treaty of Lisbon be finally implemented, notably Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO); welcomes the joint paper by the defence ministers of France and Germany on the ‘renewal of the CSDP’, and fully supports its aim of taking a positive decision on the establishment of PESCO at the November 2016 Foreign Affairs and Defence Council; calls on the VP/HR to take the lead on this initiative, as well as on other e recent ly-proposaled initiatives for strengthening the CSDP with a view to paving the way for further ambitious decisions on the CSDP to be taken at the November Foreign Affairs and Defence Council and the December European Council, including the following:
Amendment 226 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Welcomes the ongoing work on the European Defence Action Plan and the Commission’s efforts to maximise defence cooperation, including through incentives in areas such as research, transport, space, cyber, energy and industrial policies; notes the proposal by the French President for a European Security and Defence Fund, and supportscalls for assessment of the development of new and innovative financing and investment concepts, including through the European Investment Bank; supports the proposals for a ‘European Semester for Defence’ and calls on the VP/HR to present concrete proposals to this effect; commends the European Defence Agency’s role in fostering and coordinating capability development, and calls for its strengthening, notably by increasing its budget;
Amendment 275 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Emphasises that the security of EU Member States is undividable and that in line with Article 42(7) TEU all Member States must enjoy the same level of security; believes it is crucial to strengthen the European security architecture, which is based on the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 and which has been severely damaged by Russia’s illegal military interventions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Takes the view that it is time to define a new, more realistic strategy for the EU’s relations with Russia, based on credible deterrence but also onrenewed dialogue in areas of common interest; stresses that sanctions have not proven to be the most effective means for deterring Russian aggression; recalls that the full implementation of the Minsk agreement is a prerequisite for the suspension of sanctionand, on the contrary, have penalised the economies of the Member States; insists that the EU should consider imposing furthersuspend its sanctions in caseagainst Russia continues to violate international law; believes it is in the common interest of the EU and Russia to achieve a better relationship, provided international law is appliedin the interest of bilateral relations and the welfare of its own citizens;
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Believes that a deepeningmaintenance of the relationship with the US and Canada is of strategic interest to the EU, whilebut that at the same time it is importantcrucial for the EU to strengthen its relationship with Central and South America;
Amendment 354 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Emphasises that ensuring peace and stability on our continent, in our neighbourhood and in Africa must now be at the heart of Europe’s action; takes the view that it is necessary to tackle the root causes of instability and forced and irregular migration, namely poverty, social inequality, the lack of economic opportunities, armed conflict, corruption and bad governance, climate change and mistaken trade policies; believes that security, economic and social development and trade are parts of the same comprehensive strategy; calls for European and international action (UN/G20) against illegal financial transfers out of Africa;
Amendment 367 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Stresses that the EU must pay particular attention to improving the living conditions in its neighbourhood, using all available policy tools, including trade, development aid and diplomacy, as well as crisis management capabilities; welcomes in this regard the EU’s new migration partnerships and the External Investment Plan; underlines the need to develop a new approach towards Africa, providing better opportunities for trade, investment and economic growth and supporting African countries in building democratic, transparent and effective institutions; is convinced that the EU should review its development and trade policies to make sure that they are consistent with its values and genuinely contribute to these goals; calls on the EU, and in particular the Member States, to significantly increase their financial commitments to the region, including through the Africa Trust Fund and the European Development Fund;
Amendment 391 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Underlines also the need to intensify the fight against Islamist terrorism, which affects ever larger parts of the Middle East and North Africa and has also been creeping into Europe; urges the EU to undertake concerted diplomatic efforts, together with the US and otherall its international allies, to convince partners in the region, such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran, of the need for a common strategy towards this global challenge;
Amendment 399 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Highlights the importance of finding a sustainable solution to the conflict in Syria; supports the UN-led efforts to facilitate negotiations between all parties to the Syrian conflict on an inclusive political settlement; calls on the EU to use its leverage over key actors such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and Russia to ensure that they take a constructive position; emphasises that the use of sanctions should be considered in case some of the actors involved do not deliver on their commitmentsadopt a clear strategy in this regard and to use its diplomatic and mediation abilities to bring all key actors to the negotiating table;
Amendment 426 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Recognises Turkey’s role as an important partner in solving the Syrian conflict and the fight against Da’esh; strongly condemns the attempted military coup against the democratically elected government of Turkey; encoura, but expresses extreme concern for the thousands of arrests and purges which have taken place since the failed coup; urges the Turkish government to protect the constitutional order, while underlining the importance of respect for the rule of law and, independence of the judiciary and freedom of expression in the aftermath of the coup, in cooperation with the Council of Europe;
Amendment 457 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Highlights the EU’s immense potential as a diplomatic superpower, which is based on the wide range of instruments at our disposal and our normative power as a champion of democracy, freedom and human rights; stresses that this potential may be harnessed in full only if the EU is able to act in accordance with its own values while speaking with a single voice;
Amendment 503 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 32
Paragraph 32
32. Stresses that the financial means available for the EU’s external action are not commensurate to the challenges we are facing; calls in this regard for a substantial increase inreview of the resources available under heading IV of the MFF in the context of the upcoming mid-term review;
Amendment 507 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 33
Paragraph 33
33. Calls also for more accountability and transparency, in particular in relation to the negotiation of international agreements; takes the view that a greater role should be given to civil society when such agreements are drawn up and monitored;