21 Amendments of Fabio Massimo CASTALDO related to 2018/2145(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
– having regard to the Final Agreement for the Settlement of the Differences as described in the United Nations Security Council Resolutions 817 (1993) and 845(1993), the Termination of the Interim Accord of 1995 and the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, also known as Prespa agreement on 17 June 2018,
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas on 18 July 2018 the European Commission initialled a status agreement with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to allow European Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX) teams to carry out joint operations with and within FYROM with the purpose of migration and borders management, as a core element of the Commission’s strategy for Western Balkans; whereas the Balkan region is strategically important for the security of Europe;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Welcomes the ratification by the Parliament of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia of the strategic partnership agreement with Greece on 20 June 2018; urges the parties to duly inform their citizens of the contents and implications of the agreement and to diligently complete all internal procedures for the ratification and implementation of this strategically important agreement, bringing an end to a protracted geopolitical limbo; encourages the parties to launch an inclusive national debate involving civil society, academics, media and other relevant actors on the implications of the referendum;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Welcomes the diplomatic efforts to foster bilateral and regional cooperation with Albania and build new qualitative relations in fields as trade, law enforcement, fight against fraud and prevention of terrorism; believes that good neighbourhood will support the construction of a Balkan European Region in accordance with the commitments of Trieste Summit;
Amendment 69 #
4a. Acknowledges the progress made in the public sector with the adoption of the public administration reform strategy and the financial management reform programme; calls on the government for a full implementation of these reforms; encourages the country to further strengthen professionalism by improving transparency, equitable representation and ensure full respect of merit-based recruitment for public service positions;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes improvements in electoral legislation and stresses the need for a timely review of the Electoral Code by comprehensively addressing the remaining OSCE/ODIHR and GRECO recommendations on the transparency of campaign financing and on political parties; urges political parties to democratise their internal decision-making processes; calls on the authorities for a substantial updating of the voters' list to ensure that there are no fictive voters in view of the historic referendum on name change scheduled on 30 September 2018; notes that more efforts are needed to prevent any form of intimidation of voters;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
Paragraph 11 a (new)
11a. Welcomes the partnership between the government and the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF); commends the new package of laws which aims at reforming the intelligence service and the interception communication system; praises the establishment of oversight mechanisms to prevent unauthorised violation of civil and human rights and reduce political influence; welcomes the establishment of an Operational Technical Agency (OTA) which will be under civil control and in charge of communication surveillance replacing the UBK, Macedonia’s secret police;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Recommends that the country’s Parliament make full use of its oversight and legislative functions and strictly limit the use of urgency procedures; calls for a credible track record on the oversight of intelligence services as well as the monitoring of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Welcomes the strengthening of decentralisation processes by the government with the adoption of the Action Plan for decentralisation and development 2018-2020 as an important step to address the scarcity of funding and services in the municipalities;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Welcomes the judicial reform strategy aimed at restoring judicial independence and ending political interference and selective justice, and stresses the need to complete legislative alignment in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission; commends the Constitutional Court’s decision on November 2017 which revoked the law determining the level of sentences interfering with the independence of the judiciary; encourages the government to make further efforts to guarantee the independence of the judiciary and ensure the Judicial Council fully fulfils its mandate;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
Paragraph 14 a (new)
14a. Welcomes the establishment of the Council on Judicial Ethics in January 2018 and the organisation of training courses by the Academy of Judges and Prosecutors on ethical behaviours for judges for the prevention of conflicts of interest and for the establishment of anti- corruption measures;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Remains concerned by widespread corruption and welcomes initial achievements in the prevention and prosecution thereof; calls for sustained efforts to establish a track record of investigations, prosecutions and convictions in cases of high-level corruption and organised crime; commends the work carried out by the Special Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) in difficult circumstances;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls upon the authorities to intensify the fight against money laundering and conflicts of interest by establishing and strengthening the capacities of anti-corruption, counter-crime and financial investigation cells, and through freezing, confiscation and recovery of assets; welcomes the adoption of the law on the protection of whistle-blowers andwhich ensure a better protection for whistle- blowers and strengthen government policies against corruption; calls for an urgent review of laws on anti- corruption, financial control and public procurement; encourages a reform of the general legal framework so that the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption has clear powers and work in full independence and that the Public Prosecutor’s Office against Organised Crime and Corruption can carry out regular investigations;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Calls for political and legal accountability for criminal offences to be strictly ensured, including for offences arising from the wiretap scandal; in this regard, appreciates the establishment of the Committee of Inquiry in charge of political accountability for the wiretaps and the parliamentary committees on intelligence oversight and interceptions of communications; urges the Parliament to complete the reform of intelligence services, ensuring proper externalcivilian and parliamentary oversight of security and intelligence agencies;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Welcomes measures to improve inter-ethnic trust and calls for an inclusive and transparent review of outstanding aspects of the implementation of the OFA; considers it essential to ensure a full affirmation of ethnic minorities in public life and their inclusion in policy and decision-making; underlines the need to combat stereotypes in the media and internet; calls for measures to address separation of ethnic minorities in education in order to reinvigorate social cohesion;
Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Welcomes the reforms and efforts made to gradually align the legal framework to European standards, the country’s decision to become an observer in the Fundamental Rights Agency and the ratification of most international human rights instruments; encourages a full implementation of human rights standards and policy documents such as the European Convention on Human Rights (ECtHR), with particular attention to the right of fair trial, freedom of assembly and association, right to life, freedom of expression and respect for private and family life;
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24
Paragraph 24
24. Welcomes the initial steps taken in enhancing the prevention of discrimination and urges the authorities to effectively address hate crime and hate speech against minorities, including the Roma and the LGBTI communityauthorities to include in the Law on Prevention and Protection against discrimination sexual orientation and gender identity as grounds for discrimination; calls on authorities to allocate appropriate budget to implement the National Strategy for Equality and Non-Discrimination 2016-2020; urges the authorities to effectively address hate crime and hate speech against minorities, including the Roma and the LGBTI community and to punish homophobic and transphobic violence and incitement to violence; stresses the need to grant access to healthcare for transgender persons; deplores persistent deficiencies in the work of the Commission for Protection from Discrimination;
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Welcomes the substantial improvement in the operational environment for, and the consultations with, civil society organisations (CSOs) and stresses the need to enhance the legal, financial and policy framework, including through laws on foundations and donations; encourages authorities to build a long-term cooperation strategy with civil society for 2018 and onwards and to establish clear and binding rules for state financing CSOs;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Notes modest improvements in the media environment and conditions for independent reporting; calls for initiatives to create a climate that is favourable to investigative journalismexpresses appreciation for the supportive statements made by the new government towards journalists and encourages concrete follow-up measures to promote an enabling environment for journalists and investigative journalism; welcomes the agreement with an association of journalists to conduct follow-up investigations on attacks against them in December 2017; welcomes the termination of state-sponsored advertising in the media as an important measure to foster a level playing field in the sector and calls for further safeguards against politicisation of the media; stresses the need to strengthen the independence and capacity of the media regulator and the public service broadcaster; calls for measures to increase the protection of the labour and social rights of journalists within the framework of a collective union agreement;
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Welcomes improvements in ensuring access to information; stresses the need to update regulations on media services and access to public information; stresses the need to effectively follow up on threats and intimidation against journalists; condemns any form of hate speech, inflammatory language and populist rhetoric; stresses the need to fully implement the legal framework on hate speech and to provide a regulation of online hate speech;
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Appreciates the governments’ efforts to improve conditions for young people and strengthen youth participation in politics, for instance with the Youth National Strategy(2016-2025); encourages the government to address the high youth unemployment rate by bridging the mismatch between young graduates and the needs of private companies;