9 Amendments of Fabio Massimo CASTALDO related to 2019/2135(INI)
Amendment 58 #
4 a. Stresses that strengthening substantial relations with East and Southeast Asia is essential to the EU's rules-based, comprehensive and sustainable Connectivity Strategy; takes note of the military build-up in the region and calls for all parties involved to respect the freedom of navigation, to solve differences through peaceful means and to refrain from taking unilateral actions to change the status quo, including in the East and South China Seas and the Taiwan Strait; expresses concern that foreign interferences from autocratic regimes through disinformation and cyber-attacks on the upcoming general elections threaten Asian democracies and regional stability; reiterates its support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organisations, mechanisms and activities;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Considers, therefore, that European strategic autonomy is based, above all, on the ability of the Union to assess a crisis situation and take a decision autonomously, which necessarily entails an independent decision-making process, the availability of means of assessment and a freedom to analyse and take action; considers, also, that European strategic autonomy is based on the ability of the Union to act alone when its interests are at stake (theatres of operations not considered as priorities by its European partners) or within the framework of existing cooperation arrangements; considers, lastly, that European strategic autonomy is part of a multilateral framework which respects commitments within the UN and complements the (NATO) alliances and partnerships to which most Member States are signed up; stresses that strategic autonomy does not mean that the Union will systematically act alone, everywhere and always; points out that the Union is, on the contrary, able to act more incisively when working in an international multilateral operational framework and in close collaboration with its partners;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Stresses that strategic autonomy can only be genuinely achieved if Member States demonstrate political will, cohesion and solidarity, which is also reflected in particular in the need to prioritise the procurement of European capabilities where equipment is available and competitive;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Considers that Europe’s defencethe defence of Europeans values and interests is based largely on the Union’s capacity to intervene militarily, in a credible manner, in external theatres of operationsat the right time with the entire panoply of options available to it in areas where its interests are at stake;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29
Paragraph 29
29. Questions the appropriateness of continuing certain missionsConsiders that all existing missions should be evaluated to determine which are still relevant; believes that the Union should concentrate its efforts on missions where it generates the highest added value;
Amendment 301 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 37
Paragraph 37
37. Stresses that strengthening European strategic autonomy will necessarily be based on increasing the Member States’ capabilities and defence budgets, and on strengthening the European defence technological and industrial base; and on ensuring the ability of the Member States to achieve enhanced standardisation and interoperability to avoid duplication and wasted resources;
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 38
Paragraph 38
38. WelcomNotes the significant reversal of the trend of cutting defence budgets; is of the opinion that thise Union should be supported and encouraged at Union levelcontinue to encourage and support greater coordination between Member States in this area;
Amendment 333 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 41
Paragraph 41
41. Welcomes the Commission’s proposal of June 2017 to create a European Defence Fund (EDF), which would foster cooperation between Member States and support the European defence industry; notes that this proposal is the first initiative for which Community funds are to be used in direct support of defence projects; recognises that this is a major step forward for European defence, from both a political and an industrial perspective; stresses the need to implement this budget in a transparent and inclusive manner, not to support bilateral cooperation but to facilitate genuine industrial cooperation at European level; notes that the EDF could finance structural projects such as the future European aircraft or tank or a European anti-missile defence capability; notes that the 2019 work programme for the preparatory action will focus on electromagnetic spectrum dominance and future disruptive defence technologies, two key areas for maintaining Europe’s technological independence in the long term; welcomes, also, the adoption by the Commission in March 2019 of the first European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) and the publication of nine calls for proposals for 2019, including for the Eurodrone, which is a key capability for Europe’s strategic autonomy; points out that 12 further calls for proposals will follow in 2020, covering priority areas in all domains (air, land, sea, cyber and space); notes the link between the procurement decisions taken today by the Member States and the prospects for industrial and technological cooperation under the EDF;
Amendment 414 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 52
Paragraph 52
52. Recognises the increasingly prominent role of artificial intelligence (AI) in European defence; notes, in particular, the many military applications stemming from AI for managing and simulating operational environments, assisting the decision-making process, detecting threats and processing intelligence; stresses that the development of reliable AI in the field of defence is essential for ensuring European strategic autonomy in capability and operational areas; recalls, however, the need for regulation in this area and the need to assess the ethical dimension in the discussion on artificial intelligence; calls on the Union to keep up its investment in this area and in particular in disruptive technologies through existing instruments (European Defence Fund, European Innovation Council, future Horizon Europe, Digital Europe programme);