21 Amendments of Ernest URTASUN related to 2022/0212(BUD)
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the growing instability and the rise of unprecedented challenges in the international environment increases the demands on the Union to act and with a flexible budget fit for purpose;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas we must both continue to strengthen our support to Ukraine and respond quickly to other urgent global needs as they evolve;
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Highlights the necessity to adapt financial instruments in order to provide the geopolitical Union, with a sound financial foundation and enable it to fulfil expectations as a credible and reliable geopolitical actor, in particular at this watershed moment following the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and all its repercussions, such as the food crisis and increase in the prices of basic goods, but also other global challenges, such as the mounting urgency of the climate and biodiversity crisis, post-pandemic recovery, migration, as well as setbacks in fundamental rights; urges, therefore, Member states to significantly increase resources to the EU budget;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Urges the Commission and EEAS to reach out to Parliament’s competent committee at a very early stage on legislative and budgetary implications and plans as regards new initiatives such as joint procurements;
Amendment 24 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Stresses the need for additional resources to support the new EU candidate countries, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, as well as for the aspiring applicant Georgia, on their path to EU membership;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Notes that the majority of external action spending is concentrated under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument - Global Europe (NDICI/Global Europe) and the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III), which has ring-fenced budget allocations per geographical region, providing flexibility but due to the unprecedented pressure sees the urgent need for new initiatives and proposals to be put forward; in particular, when adding Ukraine, Moldova and eventually Georgia to the beneficiaries under IPA III, to ensure that the overall IPA III financial envelope will be sufficiently increased, so that there will not be a cut in funds for current IPA III beneficiaries;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Stresses the urgent need to increase by 50% NDICI funds available for the thematic programme on Peace, Stability and Conflict Prevention and Rapid Response in light of the spread of armed conflict and instability in the Union's neighbourhood and beyond;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Continues to see the Western Balkans integration as a geopolitical priority, especially in the context of Russia’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, which resonated strongly across the region, but insists on the conditionality requirements regarding rule of law for every euro committed in the 2023 budget; ; calls on the Commission to prioritise the alignment of accession countries with the EU’s common foreign and security policy and to reconsider, in this light, any EU funds, including projects financed under the Western Balkan Economic and Investment Plan, in order to ensure that all EU expenditures are fully in line with the EU’s own strategic goals and interests and not contradictory to them; continues to insist on the conditionality requirements regarding rule of law for every euro committed in the 2023 budget; and calls on the Commission to implement the recommendations of the European Court of Auditors Special Report 01/2022, in order to ensure an effective impact of EU financial assistance in support to the rule of law in the Western Balkans, in particular by developing guidelines on the application of IPA III provisions on modulation/ conditionality;
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Calls for sufficient funding for Turkish civil society under IPA III; recalls the important role played by Turkey in welcoming refugees from Syria; takes the view that the EU should continue to give the necessary support to Syrian and other refugees and host communities in Turkey by means of a mix of longer-term, predictable, fully transparent, and rapidly deployable funding under instruments established for the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework (MFF) and potential contributions from the Member States as external assigned revenue, taking into account all financial instruments provided under the Financial Regulation; calls for a fully-fledged human rights impact assessment of the EU-Turkey Statement and underlines the importance of both parties’ compliance with fundamental rights as part of its implementation;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Calls for securing adequate resources for timely and effective implementation of the new agenda for the Mediterranean, based on the stated priorities dealing with human development, good governance and the rule of law for the benefit of both the EU and Southern Neighbourhood countries and their populations;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Stresses that the humanitarian aid budget for Afghanistan and neighbouring countries should be strongly increased to support and protect vulnerable Afghans and their families, including Internally Displaced People and refugees, and to enhance resettlement; demands that, unless the respect for human rights and especially the rights of women and girls can be guaranteed, development assistance to the Afghan regime remains suspended and is redirected towards and limited to independent development and humanitarian organisations in line with EU external action objectives;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4d. Emphasises the need to increase funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), in light of the crucial role it plays in protecting and ensuring the essential needs of Palestine refugees as well as contributing to their human development;
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Calls for additional funding to address both the fragility of supply chains and agri-food systems and the eroded macro-economic stability of many countries; notes that Russia’s unjustifiable, unprovoked and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine has further stressed the global system already impacted by the COVID-19 crisis; calls in this regard on the European Commission to address food insecurity in certain countries in the Southern Neighbourhood and Africa and devise a robust policy and assistance response for this purpose without further delay; supporting sustainable local agricultural systems, less input-intensive and more climate relevant agricultural practices notably based on the Food and Resilience Facility, as well as support efforts to roll out universal social protection;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Calls for additional funding to address the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in vulnerable countries, especially in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, to contribute to fostering a green, digital and sustainable international economic recovery as well as the Union’s resilience and strategic autonomy;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Emphasises that the protection and promotion of human rights globally continues to be a core interest for EU’s external actions; reiterates the need for increased funding dedicated to supporting human rights worldwide, especially where there is closure of civic spaces, and with a particular focus on the protection of human rights defenders and journalists, in particular those most at risk; calls for increased funding to strengthen the capacities of EU Delegation and key stakeholders in designing and implementing key public policies;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Calls for the provision of sufficient and sustainable funding for civil society organisations and their protection, with particular attention for those working on environmental and climate protection, gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), as well as with the LGBTIQ+ community;
Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. Underlines the urgent need for reinforcing and speeding up the EU’s financial contribution to the global action against the climate crisis and biodiversity loss in view of calamitous consequence of ongoing climate change;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 d (new)
Paragraph 7 d (new)
7d. Welcomes the EU’s readiness to tackle most pressing global challenges by investing into the sustainable development of the global infrastructure, in particular in green technologies and digital connectivity through the EU Global Gateway, while fully respecting the SDGs, the Paris Agreement and the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities; calls on the Commission to work on an effective governance of the Global Gateway Strategy which has to be taken forward under the overall steer of the President of the Commission, and to coordinate closely in this regard with the HRVP and EEAS, the Council and the European Parliament, making sure that active ownership is given to EU institutions and to Member States under the Team Europe approach;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 e (new)
Paragraph 7 e (new)
7e. Highlights the importance of an increase in funding for including and streamlining the fight against malicious interference and disinformation within the EU policy approach, EU external action and EU countermeasures, in particular in light of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and its repercussions; welcomes the increase of EUR 1,7 million proposed for the Information policy and strategic communication for external action line; emphasises the relevance of coordination among EU institutions and sufficient funding for a structure that serves as a focal point for civil society organisations, research organisations and other relevant actors; stresses the need for the EEAS StratCom Task Forces to have a stable funding source and for an increase of funding to address emerging challenges of foreign interference, especially from Russia and China;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 f (new)
Paragraph 7 f (new)
7f. In order to strengthen the EU’s strategic sovereignty, strategic solidarity with like-minded countries, and the Union’s ability to contribute to international stability, security and peace, in particular as regards the promotion and respect for international law, in close cooperation with the UN, NATO, OSCE, AU and partner countries, or if needed, alone and to promote the EU’s values through its partnerships;
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 g (new)
Paragraph 7 g (new)
7g. Stresses the need for regular monitoring of the impact of the EU budget on gender equality and for effectively implementing gender budgeting in EU external action; calls to increase funding to seek to reduce inequalities, particularly for women and young people, and promoting SRHR worldwide; calls for an increase in the budget to effectively implement the EU institutions’ commitment to GAP III in their structures, including by ensuring sufficient resources for the EEAS’ Gender and Diversity Adviser, the presence of dedicated gender advisers across the institutions, and to implement mandatory trainings on gender equality across the EEAS, EU Delegations and CSDP missions and operations, including on harassment;