35 Amendments of Urmas PAET related to 2019/2171(INI)
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 15 a (new)
Citation 15 a (new)
- having regard to the Joint Declaration of the European Parliament – Western Balkans Speakers’ Summit of 28 January 2020,
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that the path towards the EU depends on sustainable peace and genuine reconciliation warranting the democratic and multicultural character of BiH; urges the country to expedite effective prosecution of war crimes under the revised National War Crimes Processing Strategy, and calls for impartial and effective investigations into these crimes; condemns any kind of historical revisionism, secessionist rhetoric and related acts, denial or glorification of war crimes committed during the 1990’s war, including the Srebrenica genocide; condemns the non-respect of the rulings of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and of the International Court of Justice;
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that over 7 200 BiH citizens are still missing, and urges the authorities to intensify cooperation and data sharing on issues related to missing persons, redress to civilian victims of war, and to ensure the safe return of refugees and internally displaced people in accordance with Annex VII of the Dayton Peace Agreement; calls for the eradication of all forms of discrimination against returnees;
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Recalls that over 7 200 BiH citizens are still missing, and urges the authorities to intensify cooperation and data sharing between regional, national and international stakeholders on issues related to missing persons, redress to civilian victims of war, and to ensure the safe return of refugees and internally displaced people;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Urges the authoritieresponsible authorities at all levels to ensure inclusive and non- discriminatory education for all children; regardless of their ethnic, cultural or personal background, by working towards a meaningful harmonization of the three ethno-national curricula in place, by progressively eliminating content in history, geography, language, literature and religious education that promotes division and by mainstreaming critical thinking skills into teacher training and classroom work; recognizes that only through quality education that gives young people a vision and perspective of a positive future can the brain drain issue be addressed;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. UWelcomes Bosnia and Herzegovina’s commitment to advancing on its EU path, as well as the strong support for European integration among its population; urges all BiH political leaders and institutions to significantly accelerate work and co-operation to fully comply with the 14 key priorities; calls on the authorities to maintain the political will for enhanced co- operation demonstrated at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Underlines that the effective organisation and, independent functioning and accountability of institutions is an essential feature of a viable democracy and a prerequisite for advancing the EU integration process, including obtaining candidate status; warns that ethno- nationalistic rhetoric and attempts to obstruct the functioning of institutions undermine country-wide co- ordination and decision-making on key policies and reforms;
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Regrets the lack of progress on reforms in the judiciary; reiterates the as a pivotal and urgently need to strengthen the professionalism and accountability of the judiciary and to ensure its independence from undue influenceed reform, including the conditions and recommendations contained in the Commission Opinion’s 14 priorities as well as in the December 2019 Priebe report; notes that the Commission’s 31 December 2020 deadline for adoption of three systemic laws (amendment to the Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, Law on public procurement, Law on conflict of interest) has not been met by BH authorities;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Reiterates the urgent need to resolve the mounting backlog of cases pending trial; calls for an urgent strengthening of the professionalism and accountability of the judiciary and to ensure its independence from undue influence, especially undue political pressure; calls for reform of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 b (new)
Paragraph 10 b (new)
10b. Calls for establishing a national contact point for cooperation with Europol and signing an agreement on operational cooperation with Eurojust;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Calls for immediate steps to tackle corruption and impunity in the public sphere in order to rebuild citizens’ trust in the institutions; calls on the authorities to duly investigate and resolve the lack of effective prosecutions for high-profile corruption cases; stresses that the persistent lack of transparency shown by political actors and public institutions alike needs to be swiftly addressed;
Amendment 216 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Expresses concern over the fundamental rights situation, andin particular over the persisting discrimination and hate speech faced by the LGBTI+ community, migrants and asylum seekers, as well as ethnic and religious minorities; calls for more effective and comprehensive countrywide human rights and anti- discrimination strategies, as well as measures against interfaith and interethnic intolerance; stresses the need to duly prevent and prosecute the proliferation of hate speech, hate crimes and violence, and to promote social inclusion of minorities and vulnerable populations, including the Roma;
Amendment 230 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Regrets BiH’sthe continued inabilityunwillingness of BiH’s party leaders to comply with anti-discrimination rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR); stresses that any possible future negotiations and agreements on the implementation of the rulings must not be misused for purposes other than the ones laid out by the ECtHR; notes the continuing shortcomings in the election process, and reiterates the need to address discriminatory ethnicity and residency- based restrictions on the right to stand for election through the required constitutional changes;
Amendment 241 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls for thorough investigations into alleged electoral irregularities, including identity theft, barriers to independent electoral observation and political pressure on the BiH Central Election Commission (CEC), during of the 2020 municipal elections, specifically in relation to the 20 December 2020 Mostar elections;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Regrets continued political and financial pressure and instrumentalisation of the media, undermining freedom of expression and media pluralism; expresses its concern at the hostile environment for independent media, and urges the authorities to effectively investigate and prosecute threats and attacks against journalists and media personnel; urges media, information and digital literacy to become a compulsory subject in elementary, secondary and tertiary education institutions;
Amendment 270 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. calls for the EU integration process to be properly communicated to the public also as a project for reconciliation and the development of a political culture based on compromise and mutual understanding;
Amendment 281 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes the increased migratory pressure on the country; calls for effective inter-institutional coordination of migration and border management in the face of a mounting humanitarian crisis; calls for equitable burden-sharing of responsibility on the whole territory of BiH and adequate support for local communities hosting temporary reception centres; calls in particular on the Republika Srpska and HDZ BiH to end their refusal to participate in migratory management; underlines the need to ensure appropriate reception conditions and to boost capacity for processing incoming migrants and asylum- seekers; urges BiH to conclude an agreement with the European Asylum Support Office (EASO); calls on the EU to step up its support to BiH’s authorities, namely with regard to operational assistance;
Amendment 285 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Notes the increased migratory pressure on the country; calls for effective inter-institutional coordination of migration and improved border management in the face of a mounting humanitarian crisis; calls for equitable burden-sharing and adequate support for local communities hosting temporary reception centres; underlines the need to ensure appropriate reception conditions and to boost capacity for processing incoming migrants and asylum- seekers; urges BiH to conclude an agreement with the European Asylum Support Office (EASO); calls on the EU to step up its support to BiH’s authorities, namely with regard to operational assistance;
Amendment 286 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. believes that cooperation with neighbouring countries and the EU is essential in addressing this common migration challenge;
Amendment 314 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls for a co-ordinated, strategic countrywide response to the ongoing health emergency and post-pandemic recovery measures that must reach all individuals affected by the crisis; calls for more proactive information-sharing on the pandemic, including clarifications regarding preventive measures and instructions for citizens, as well as data on infections and vaccinations through official channels; recalls COVID-related EU support to address the acute situation in the country; calls on the European Commission and the Member States to allocate a sufficient number of COVID-19 vaccines to the Western Balkan countries;
Amendment 320 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
Paragraph 21 a (new)
21a. Calls for a better management of the COVID-19 crisis, providing equal access to remote schooling, avoiding any selective enforcement of the ban on assemblies and any unnecessary curtailment of freedom of expression by excluding the media from press conferences; calls for a thorough investigation on all COVID-19 related public procurement irregularities and calls for state level solutions to meet the needs of all citizens including refugees, asylum seekers and migrants;
Amendment 361 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Recommends focusing on growth- enhancing public investment and infrastructure projects, making full use of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans; urges the authorities to carry out comprehensive and up-to-date social impact assessments prior to all infrastructure projects to ensure that projects and investments strengthen BiH’s European values and perspective;
Amendment 369 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. Urges BiH’s authorities to ensure alignment with EU standards and policy objectives on climate protection and energy, facilitating the green and digital transition, and calls for the prioritisation of measures reducing ecological degradation and environmental risks to health; urges BiH’s authorities to consult and engage with the main grassroots initiatives focused on preserving the pristine nature of BiH’s natural ecosystem, so as to ensure that local communities have a say on their future;
Amendment 375 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Urges BiH’s authorities to commence the repeatedly delayed sector reforms in natural gas and to complete unbundling, enable market coupling in electricity and equip the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) with the nationwide competences in both electricity and gas in order to secure compliance with the EU’s Second and Third Energy Package; notes that the serious and persistent failure to comply with the related Energy Community acquis in these two sectors jeopardizes the prospects of integrating the energy markets of Bosnia and Herzegovina with the ones of its neighbours;
Amendment 377 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26c. Urges to seize the opportunity of the ongoing development of different climate and energy policy documents, such as the Nationally Determined Contribution and the National Energy and Climate Plan, to set ambitious 2030 targets along with clear policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in order to put the economy of BiH on a climate-friendly and transformative path towards climate neutrality;
Amendment 379 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 d (new)
Paragraph 26 d (new)
26d. Welcomes the transposition of the electricity connection code Regulations as well as the transposition and implementation of REMIT Regulation 1227/2011 into the national electricity regulatory framework and invites authorities to apply the same integrity regime also in the gas sector;
Amendment 381 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 e (new)
Paragraph 26 e (new)
26e. Urges Bosnia and Herzegovina to put in place carbon pricing mechanisms and the related rules and instruments aligning with Directive 2003/87/EC on the emission trading scheme, as undertaken in the Sofia Declaration;
Amendment 383 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 f (new)
Paragraph 26 f (new)
26f. Underlines the lack of implementation of Directive 2001/42/EC on the assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment (SEA Directive), concerning plans and programmes related to energy, such as the National Determined Contribution Plan and urges BiH to secure wide public consultations for such documents;
Amendment 385 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 g (new)
Paragraph 26 g (new)
26g. Takes note of the compliance of emissions for nitrogen oxides in large combustion plants and urges swift actions to remedy the breach of the emission ceiling limits for dust and sulphur dioxide;
Amendment 390 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27
Paragraph 27
27. Urges BiH to continue progressively improving Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) alignment; calls for the strengthening of good neighbourly relations and increased efforts to resolve all outstanding bilateral issues; strongly urges BiH to align itself with Council decisions introducing EU restrictive measures in the context of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and events in eastern Ukraine;
Amendment 393 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 27 b (new)
Paragraph 27 b (new)
27b. Underlines the need for the EU and the United States to strengthen their partnership and coordination in the Western Balkans in order to advance key reforms, improve governance and reconciliation;
Amendment 401 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 29 a (new)
Paragraph 29 a (new)
29a. Reiterates its support to the European integration of BiH and calls on the European Council to continue supporting the European perspective of the country, based on fulfilling EU criteria, including sending a positive political message on the granting of candidate status;
Amendment 404 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30
Paragraph 30
30. Reaffirms its position that representatives of the Western Balkan countries should be appropriately included and actively engaged in the Conference on the Future of Europe;
Amendment 406 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 30 a (new)
Paragraph 30 a (new)
30a. Calls for the creation of new opportunities for high level political and policy dialogue with the Western Balkans countries, through regular EU-Western Balkans summits and intensified ministerial contacts, in order to strengthen the political nature of the enlargement process and to ensure stronger steering and high-level engagement, as also called for by the revised enlargement methodology;