14 Amendments of Fabio Massimo CASTALDO related to 2022/2007(INI)
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Southern Neighbourhood should not be seen in a vacuum, but in close correlation with the Eastern Neighbourhood and an overall strategic reflection on how to pursue closer and mutually beneficial relations between the EU and its neighbours; whereas both the EU’s Southern and Eastern Neighbourhoods are strategic for the EU in that they can ensure shorter and, therefore, more secure and more effective supply lines; whereas the EU should pursue a common regulatory space that includes its Southern and Eastern Neighbourhoods, and therefore ensures access for its neighbouring countries to the highest policy standards, which are multipliers of economic investment and fair and sustainable economic growth;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the war in Ukraine has underlined the threat posed by third countries that seek political and economic hegemony in the EU’s neighbourhood to the detriment of the democratic aspirations and territorial integrity of target countries; whereas Russia, China and Iran, among others, are all seeking to increase their capacity to exercise political and/or economic hegemony in certain Southern Neighbourhood countries and, therefore, the EU’s capacity-building for fighting disinformation and promoting freedom of the press is crucial and needs to be scaled- up; whereas the EU should reaffirm its role as the primary political, economic and democratic anchor for the countries of the Southern Neighbourhood;
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the war in Ukraine and the resulting need to further diversify the EU’s energy supply have shown the essential role of the Southern Neighbourhood in securing sufficient gas and oil supplies to the EU with mutual benefits for both the EU and the Southern Neighbourhood countries; whereas the discovery of relevant natural gas reserves in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean provides a unique opportunity for economic development in the countries concerned; whereas these gas reserves equally provide an important opportunity for partnership, investment and the sharing of know-how between the countries of the Southern Mediterranean and the EU and its Member States; whereas the Southern Neighbourhood is therefore not only essential for reasons of regional security and stability, but also as a primary partner for access to energy sources, including renewables; whereas the continuous and unhindered EU’s implementation of its Green Deal will decrease dependencies from oil and gas in the medium-term and therefore EU relations with the Southern Neighbourhood should be forward looking and start now to pave the way for this new reality, also partaking the benefits of the Green Deal with the countries of the Southern Neighbourhood;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
E a. whereas the stability of the Southern Neighbourhood has a direct impact on European security; whereas the threats to European security emanating from its Southern Neighbourhood are impelling and multifaceted, and therefore need as much attention as those rising in the Eastern Neighbourhood; whereas the EU should allocate appropriate funding and resources to strategically relevant projects such as Military Mobility to both strategic directions West-East and North- South;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
(a) Secure adequate resources for timely and effective implementation of the new agenda for the Mediterranean based on the objectives and priorities jointly determined with Southern Neighbourhood partner countries, building on valuable synergies through the programming of the external action for the region under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) and pursuing close coordination with Member State programming as well as facilitating as much as possible opportunities for blending through partnerships between the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and other relevant international financial institutions; takes the view that the new agenda for the Mediterranean can introduce a positive conditionality under which active EU support for a closer and effective policy interface with Southern Neighbourhood countries can lead to further partnerships and convergence on other policy priorities for the benefit of both the EU and Southern Neighbourhood countries; recalls, in this regard, the importance of ensuring EU visibility in all EU financial resources allocated to the region directly or indirectly through partnership with the UN or other international organisations and other traditional and non-traditional partners in a Team Europe approach;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) Address, as a matter of priority, the impact of the war in Ukraine on certain Southern Neighbourhood countries in terms of food security, with particular reference to countries most vulnerable because of their population size, dependence on food imports or economic model; asks the Commission to engage with Parliament on ways to ensure food security for countries in the Southern Mediterranean that face difficulties in this regard and devise a robust policy and assistance response for this purpose without further delay, also building on the Food and Resilience Facility in order to address food security in the region;
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
(c) Implement under the NDICI, as a matter of priority, strategies and dedicated programming for broader youth and women access to education, vocational training, up-skilling and re-skilling based on the needs of the job market and the ongoing green and digital transitions, and higher education together with adequate funding for access to education; recalls that youth migration, whether regular or irregular, and professional brain drain are a matter of serious concern to our partners in the region, as well as a serious threat to the longer-term capacity for economic growth and economic viability of Southern Neighbourhood countries; stresses the importance of expanding access to the Erasmus and Erasmus+ programmes for participants from Southern Neighbourhood countries; recalls the importance of circular mobility, including South-to-South exchanges, so that professionals from Southern Neighbourhood countries can have concrete opportunities to further enrich their professional training in the EU and return to their country of origin to share and build knowledge; recalls the importance of mainstreaming the socioeconomic integration of women in the region and of gender equality in all EU policies areas whenever possible; stresses the importance of targeted EU support for women with the objective of improving their access to education, training and employment and, more generally, promoting equal professional and socioeconomic opportunities;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
(d) Pursue partnership and cooperation with relevant Southern Neighbourhood countries in order to tackle climate change and water scarcitythe immediate and long term adverse impacts of climate change and water scarcity, focusing on resilience-building efforts; recalls that the EU strategy on climate action and climate mitigation will not be as effective without sizeable investment and improvement in the EU’s neighbourhood; supports the flagship initiatives on climate preservation in the Economic and Investment Plan for the Southern Neighbourhood; recalls that access to water, reforestation, decarbonisation and access to, circular economy, and the adoption of a business model based on renewable energy sources will be essential for the climate neutrality of the Southern Neighbourhood and to protect it against the effects of climate change; recalls, further, that this, in turn, will increase the EU’s capacity to achieve its objectives of climate neutrality, sharing the benefits of its Green Deal with the Southern neighbouring countries;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
(e) Prepare an analysis of the positive role which deeper EU relations with the Southern Neighbourhood countries can play in the EU’s strategy of reducing its carbon emissions, and the contribution of these countries to the EU’s strategy of diversifying its energy resources and increasing its energy supply from renewable energy sources;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f
Paragraph 1 – point f
(f) Pursue an active EU role in facilitating dialogue and cooperation among all the countries of the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean that have relevant natural gas reserves, promoting, where necessary, the capacity for understanding and final settlements on maritime border demarcation, and further promoting the interconnection capacity between countries in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean that produce natural gas and the European Union, through relevant EU hubs and considering, in particular, adequate pipeline, harbour and regasification infrastructures and technology both in the EU and in Southern Neighbourhood countries for the benefit of all producer countries and all Member States; reaffirm that the dependencies on oil and natural gas should be reduced in the medium- term through an all-encompassing green transition in line with the EU Green Deal, and support green transitions also in the countries in the Southern Neighbourhood;
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g
Paragraph 1 – point g
(g) Build on the very positive experience of some Member States in supporting start-up companies and further advancing their work through dedicated incubators or accelerators, especially in key sectors such as health, renewable energy and education; fully support the digital transition of the countries in the Southern Neighbourhood as a way to facilitate economic diversification and to allow the access to the job market for youth and women, offering them concrete career opportunities in their countries of origin; takes the view that the EU should set up incubators or accelerators in relevant Southern Neighbourhood countries, support the creation of local start-up companies, and increase their digital and green capacities; concurs on the importance of further improving the digital infrastructure of relevant Southern Neighbourhood countries and including these countries in the EU’s digital agenda; points out that this is a prerequisite for economic development, socioeconomic integration and wider access to education, vocational training, up-skilling and re- skilling of the workforce; recalls the importance of close policy dialogue and cooperation between the EU and the Southern Neighbourhood countries to develop adequate cybersecurity policies and partnership in international forums on cybersecurity standards in order to achieve an open, secure and reliable cyberspace worldwide; takes the view that the EU should build on the StratCom Task Force South and develop a concrete strategy for combating disinformation in our Southern Neighbourhood countries, aiming to counter fake news and propaganda in order to reinforce democracy and stability;
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
(h a) Recognise the positive role played by EUNAVFORMED - “Operation IRINI” in Central Mediterranean, and call on the Member States to guarantee adequate support in terms of personnel, intelligence and means to the Operation; explore the possibility to make EUNAVFORMED’s mandate permanent, and expand it in order to reinforce the capacity building for the Libyan coast guard and countering human smuggling pillars;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i
Paragraph 1 – point i
(i) Implement the new agenda for the Mediterranean through dedicated dialogue and consultation with local and regional authorities and communities, as well as reinforce the links between EU Delegations and the Euro- Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM); recalls that these are importantessential drivers for sustainable and fair economic and human development and are closer to the people, so that implementation strategies can reach all communities, including those most disadvantaged geographically or in socioeconomic terms;
Amendment 212 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point j
Paragraph 1 – point j
(j) Present annual updates on the implementation of the new agenda for the Mediterranean, with particular regard to the financial resources made available for the Economic and Investment Plan and the priorities identified by the Commission and the regional partners; takes the view that the Commission and the VP/HR should regularly consult Parliament on the annual and multi-annual programming related to the implementation of the new agenda for the Mediterranean and the Economic and Investment Plan, and that they should regularly brief Parliament on the state of play of the new agenda for the Mediterranean, and inform it about the implementation of Parliament recommendations in all EU policies areas, as well as on additional projects and programmes that will boost the EU’s partnership capacity with Southern Neighbourhood countries;