43 Amendments of Stelios KOULOGLOU related to 2017/2083(INI)
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas 33 of the 49 least- developed countries are in Africa; whereas more than 218 million people live in extreme poverty in Africa;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 21 a (new)
Citation 21 a (new)
- having regard to the Africa-EU Civil Society Forum Declaration of 12 July 2017 in Tunis,
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital -A (new)
Recital -A (new)
-A. having regard to the historical debt that EU Member States continue to owe African countries as a result of colonialist policies and the impoverishment caused by the despoilment and exploitation of their human and natural resources;
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas lasting sustainable industrialisation and rural productivity are key for development; whereas exports from Africa are dominated by unprocessed products, and whereas a high proportion of these exports are covered by trade preference arrangements and have done nothing to boost industrialisation nor economic development in the countries concerned;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Recital D
Recital D
D. having regard to the failuremisleading logic of the Washington Consensus, which has not made Africa a player in global trade or eradicated poverty; but has increased inequality rates, and widespread debt unsustainability;
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the EU is a major guarantor of the security of the continent of Afrpolitical, economica and whereas instabilitysocial situation in Africa has a direct impact on stability in Europethe political, economic and social situation in Europe, and vice versa;
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Calls on the European Union to focus on supporting projects which will have an immediate impact on the creation of decent jobs, the fight against poverty, promotion of human development, protection of the environment, improving the business climategood governance and rule of law, the management of public finances to enhance tax justice, transparency in the management of natural resources (in particular in mining and energy production), and the fight against corruption and illegal capital flows away from the continent, promotion of gender equality;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Stresses that EU-Africa relations must be articulated on a fair and balanced framework among equal partners and based on (the) mutual respect and recognition of interests aimed at the promotion of human rights and the realisation of UN´s Sustainable Development Goals;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas demographic trends will have to be taken into account, bearing in mind that by 2050 Africa is expected to have a population of 2.5 billion, most of them young people, whilst Europe is expected to have a significantly older population, with an average age of 49 and 11% of the population being aged 80 or older, according to estimates;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Underlines the importance of fair and properly regulated trade relations which have to guarantee the democratic right to regulate to ensure human rights and peoples dignity and in fostering regional integration, contributing to sustainable growth and combating poverty; Stresses that potential benefits of trade, in order to contribute to poverty reduction, must be accompanied with distribution of positive impacts through fair and progressive tax systems;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph -1 (new)
Paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Considers the principal objective of cooperation between the EU and Africa to be tackling the main causes of the inequality and impoverishment in African countries, such as: the despoilment and monopolisation of resources by multinationals; the direct and indirect backing of despotic and corrupt governments by the EU Member States; the arms trade, a catalyst of conflicts; and the devastating effects of paying foreign debt which greatly hinders the introduction of policies and the development of public services to uphold human rights;
Amendment 45 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. WelcomesTakes note of thise new communication, which aims to impart fresh impetus to the Africa-EU partnership in order to broaden and intensify it, gearing it to prosperity and stability on the two continents, in accordance with the commitments given in subscribing to the SDGs, the new European consensus for development, the EU Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy and Agenda 2063 and human rights;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Urges the EU always to take account of the different levels of development among African countries and to support measures which enhance production and processing capacity, particularly in sustainable agriculture;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Considers it vital to intensify relations between the EU and Africa and to establish ‘win-win’ cooperation to meet shared challenges and secure common benefits, particularly in priority fields such as economic development and job creation, good governanceparticularly in priority areas such as the development and improvement of universal public services with a view to covering basic needs such as food, access to water and sanitation, education and health; sustainable and inclusive social and economic development and the democratisation of the economy via state control of strategic sectors; the creation of quality jobs, good governance and political engagement, security, migration, the environment, education and youth;
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Recalls the recognised effectivenessimportance of ACP-EU cooperation and notes the results achieved in the field of development; stresses that this common framework must be maintained, while developing the regional dimension, including by means of increased cooperation with the African Union and the regional economic communities;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Reiterates that it is important that the Member States fulfil their commitment to directing 0.7% of their GDP to official development assistance to strengthen cooperation with Africa;
Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Stresses the paramount importance of respecting, as stated on SDG 17.15, partner country´s democratic policy space to regulate and take suitable decisions for their own national context, respond to the demands of their populations, and fulfil their human rights obligations and other international commitments;
Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Raise awareness of the pervasive link between free trade agreements with developing countries and illicit financial flows (IFF) and tax fraud increase; calls the future EU -Africa strategy to effectively tackle IFF by enhancing cooperation on tax matters and boosting domestic resource mobilisation on partner countries;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Stresses the need to increase the participation of civil society in the Africa- EU partnership, promoting the reinforcement of its capacities; supports the various platforms established to make civil society a key actor in the partnership, particularly the Joint Annual Forum, whose aim is to implement the EU-Africa roadmap; stresses the need to put in place a space in which the members of civil society can participate at the 5th Africa- EU Summit;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Rejects any kind of cooperative approach and/or political dialogue with African countries based on defence and the conditionality of development cooperation regarding the EU’s migration, border and trade policies and/or the economic interests of European companies; is opposed to funds from the European Development Fund or the Development Cooperation Instrument being used to control and manage migration flows in Africa and calls for effective mechanisms to be put in place to be able to thoroughly control the final destination of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and to assess the projects which received funding;
Amendment 87 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Deplores the current debt distress in several African countries; stresses the risk of increasing debt distresses through the use of export credits and innovative financial instruments under the umbrella of EPAs; Calls for the EU to ensure debt sustainability in all trade deals with African countries by ensuring the fulfilment of UNCTAD principles on responsible investments and on Responsible Sovereign Lending and Borrowing;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
7b. Emphasises that it is important that the main aims of EU-Africa cooperation are to achieve gender equality, empower women and to promote respect for diversity in sexual orientations and gender identity;
Amendment 89 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 d (new)
Paragraph 4 d (new)
4d. Recalls that EU investment policy, especially when involving public money, must contribute to the realisation of the SDGS; recalls the need to enhance transparency and accountability of DFIs, PPPs to effectively track and monitor the money flows, debt sustainability and the added value for sustainable development of their projects;
Amendment 90 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 e (new)
Paragraph 4 e (new)
4e. Considers it regrettable that a regulatory framework on the way corporations comply with human rights and obligations with respect to social and environmental standards is still lacking, which allow certain States and companies to circumvent them with impunity; calls the EU to effectively promote due diligence obligations to ensure global supply chains sustainability.
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Emphasises the need to promote good governance, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights, but also efforts to combat corruption and to introduce policies which would further diversified, sustainable and inclusive growth and which have a clear social approach based on the redistribution of wealth, which would answer the calls of the people and tackle inequality effectively on both continents, as they are indispensable elements in sustainable development;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Calls therefore for a frank dialogue concerning these valupolicies and principles and for them to be made a major component of cooperation, particularly by extending the positive conditionality of development aid on strict respect for them;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. Supports the organisation of a joint high-level AU-EU conference on electoral processes, democracy, public services, labour rights and governance in Africa and Europe, and calls for the European Parliament to be fully involved in it;
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Points out the importance of the EU and its Member States agreeing to work together in multilateral forums in favour of cancelling the foreign debt of impoverished African countries, with immediate debt relief for the poorest countries, in accordance with UN guidelines; welcomes the UN’s work towards an international sovereign debt workout mechanism;
Amendment 154 #
17a. Emphasises how important it is when it comes to the development of African countries for the UN to adopt binding rules on the activities of multinationals and measures to combat tax evasion and avoidance, and the close monitoring of the activities of transnationals in African countries, in particular with regard to areas crucial to development such as human rights, workers’ rights and environmental protection; considers it necessary to include specific initiatives on that matter in any EU agreement with African countries;
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Emphasises the need to ensure that trading and trade agreements between the EU and African countries are based exclusively on fair and sustainable commercial practices designed to end economic asymmetries, which place human rights and human dignity ahead of mere private profit, which respect the right to regulate the economy and the right to public control of strategic sectors, and which include binding and effective clauses relating to sustainable development and human rights guarantees;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Deplores the fact that, each year, some USD 50 billion is drained out of Africa in the form of illicit financial flows, which exceeds total annual Official Development Assistance (ODA); calls therefore on both parties to create effective tools to combat tax evasion and toavoidance, tackle corruption, and support initiatives to increase the corporate responsibility of businesses and to require investors to apply, in a binding and effective manner, the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI);
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Calls on the EIB and Member States’ other development financial institutions to urgently ensure that companies that receive their support do not participate in tax evasion via offshore centres and tax havens and to effectively track and monitor the flows, debt sustainability and added value of their sustainable development projects;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 b (new)
Paragraph 19 b (new)
19b. Stresses the need to step up cooperation efforts to put an end to impunity, through which governments and multinationals are violating human rights and international agreements on labour rights and environmental protection;
Amendment 197 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. StressReiterates also the importance of high-quality education at all levels, and the need for young people to be connected to global realities and to have skills which meet the needs of the market, by promoting and supporting vocational traininguniversal and public services, particularly in education and health – including sexual health and reproductive rights – and culture at all levels;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
Paragraph 22
22. Considers it important to support African countries in establishing effective and, therefore, public and universal health systems;
Amendment 235 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
Paragraph 24 a (new)
24a. Recalls the positive impact that migration and mobility have on the host societies, to which they contribute culturally, socially and financially; recalls the positive impact that economic returns have on the home societies, and the intellectual exchange between both continents;
Amendment 238 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
Paragraph 24 b (new)
24b. Recalls the EU’s responsibility, through the action of its companies and foreign, economic and trade policies, for the root causes of forced migration, as well as poverty, unemployment, exploitation, environmental problems stemming from the unrestrained exploitation of natural resources and from climate change;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26
Paragraph 26
26. SupportNotes the various initiatives adopted at European level to tackle the underlying causes of irregular migration: migration partnerships, trust funds for Africa and the European Fund for Sustainable Development; And calls for their implementation to be ensured and continued efficiently and coherentlysustainable development policies designed to improve the living conditions of the entire population and not ones that are conditioned by the EU’s economic and migration policy interests;
Amendment 258 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 b (new)
Paragraph 26 b (new)
26b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to carry out an investigation into the activities of European companies in Africa and to launch programmes to prevent human exploitation, one of the main causes of forced migration;
Amendment 259 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 c (new)
Paragraph 26 c (new)
26c. Condemns the intervention of Member-State armed forces in African countries including Libya, Niger and Mali; condemns the sales of arms by EU companies to African countries where there are high levels of repression or armed conflicts; recalls that this kind of violence is one of the main causes of forced migration;
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 26 d (new)
Paragraph 26 d (new)
26d. Condemns the political support given, by signing migration agreements such as the Trust Fund for Africa and the EU-Horn of Africa Migration Route Initiative, to the governments of dictators such as the Sudanese Omar al-Bashir, for whom the International Criminal Court have issued a warrant for arrest, and to repressive governments and those which systematically violate human rights; expresses concern over how those governments could use the funds for tasks such as border control or the detention of migrants;